Weekend Inspiration: Being Generous With Words

Using Our Words For God

"Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it; if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help." 

( From I Peter 4;  The Message)

Earlier this week I came upon this scripture during my devotional time and it seemed to speak to me. The emphasis on being generous with words, and letting those words be God's words, gave a sort of blessing to the "work" I have been doing in retirement. Blogging and teaching online, has become a true joy and something that I both feel passionate about and also feel a responsibility for handling properly. I want to be proud of the words I put forth and I also want them to honor God. Although my blog is a lifestyle blog, and not every post is devotional, I still want to use my words carefully, no matter what type of post I am doing. The same holds true when I am responding to students on my online classes. 

This is true in all of life, though, isn't it? No matter what "work" we are pursuing, whether it be at home or somewhere else, we carry our faith with us. I know that for myself, I sometimes allow the irritations of life to get the best of me, and allow my words to not always be a blessing to others. I realize that this is part of being human, but, I'm not proud of it! Thankfully, we serve a forgiving God who meets us where we are, reminding us of the blessings and gifts we have been given. 

"May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, Oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer." 

(Psalm 19:14)

Blessings, 

Debbie

A Touch of Red in my Plaid Cape

An Understated Valentine Look

Who says that you have to be decked out all in red in order to sport a Valentine look? Today, I'm shopping my closet to bring you an understated Valentine look with just a touch of red.

This plaid cape is the star of today's show. Purchased recently at A.C. Moore on sale, the black, grey, white and maroon red plaid colors match so well with a thrifted pink blouse and my black Gloria Vanderbilt pants and George brand heels. I love the length of the cape in back. 

I shot a close-up of the cape fabric so you could see how pretty the material really is. I understand that today is "wear red for women" for heart health day. So, this post fits right in, although it is not completely red! 

Even though I decided to let the cape do the talking in styling this outfit, you know I had to add some bling! I kept the jewelry fairly simple with this pretty gold stretch bracelet, a gift from one of my sisters....

And, these simple pink Paparazzi dangle earrings. The pink earrings tie together well with the pink blouse I'm wearing. 

Because of the way this cape is constructed, the front "flaps" of this cape would look great belted, as well, creating more versatility with styling. What do you think of this look? Do you have a cape in your closet? Are you a fan of plaid? Hope you will take a moment to share. Your comments make me happy!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Cassie Cat Chat

A Few Words From The "New" Cat

Cassie Cat's Book Jacket Photo for Future Reference

"Wait, did you get my best side for the header photo? Is my fur neat? Did you use the side shot I liked? "

Oh, hello there! My name is Cassie and I thought I had better go ahead and introduce myself since no one else around her seemed ready to do it...ahem! I am what you humans would probably call the "new cat" in town and on the blog. Yes, I know, my predecessor was known fur and wide as an, "Ace Cat Reporter." I make no such claim, however. I am simply my own cat self and plan to share a few tails with you every now and again, whenever Love allows me to be on the computer. That's why I plan to call my posts, "Cassie Cat Chat." I like to chat, after all. I spend a great deal of my day chattering away at squirrels, birds, bears and whatever creatures pass by the back door while I am on what Love and Softie call, "my perch." 

Who are Love and Softie, you ask? They are my humans, of course. I own them now, you know. Oh yes, I see what you are thinking. Why am I not referring to them as the "Ace Cat Reporter" did as Fur Mama and Fur Papa? Because, quite simply, I think those are silly names. I certainly have never met a cat who referred to their humans that way. And, I am a cat of the world. I was on my own for over a year before I picked out my two humans. I have seen the world. I wasn't dropped yesterday, you know!

Every cat must name their humans once they get to know them, of course. At first, understandably, I was a bit shy around them. But, then, I noticed that the human woman was very kind to me, gave me food and tried to hold me if I would allow her the privilege. I made her wait a bit. No sense putting all four paws forward at once, you know. Oh yes, I made them both wait quite a long time before allowing them to touch me. I must admit, however, that the woman does have such warm clothing when she holds me and gives me little kisses on my head. I seem to remember feeling this warm and cared for feeling when I was curled close in the litter with my own cat mother. A distant memory to be sure. Anyway, I decided to name the human woman, "Love." 

Softie is another story. I had his number from the first night I spent in this house. He sat for long hours on the floor tossing a silly toy around trying to coax me from behind the couch where I had taken up residence. You know....to observe....I wanted to make certain that I had made the right choice in picking out my humans. It's a very delicate thing, a cat choosing her humans. After awhile, I decided to stay. And that's when I began training them...Love and Softie, I mean. I could tell right away that Love was one of those humans who would probably try to impose rules on me; silly rules like "don't scratch the furniture" and "don't set one paw on the kitchen counter." I soon found that Softie would become my ally in training Love. Oh, she still fusses a bit over scratching the furniture. I will try to give her what she wants......some of the time.....just to keep her happy. I am proud to say, however, that I have conquered the kitchen counter. With Softie's help, of course. Love should never have taken that long trip to West Virginia, heh, heh. I knew Softie would cave on the kitchen counter rule....training your humans can take awhile. Sometimes even nine lives...or so I am told. I am a patient cat, however. And, I now know that my choice in choosing my humans was the correct one. 

As this is my first post, I will not tail all my stories at once. And, I have quite a few tails to write about, in fact. Oh yes, I'll be back another day to chat more with you. When I convince Love to allow me to use her computer. If all else fails, I will enlist Softie's help. He has a computer, too, you know. They really are both great humans for a cat to own.

A bit of catly advice for you to take with you from this post: keep alert for anything that may appear out your back door, keep your tail held high no matter what, and run exuberantly throughout your house on all four paws at least once daily for maximum health! (Hint: sliding around corners on your claws makes it more fun.)

Purringly Yours,

Cassie Cat

Linking With: Marilyn's Treats Wonderful Wednesday

Weekend Inspiration: Dancing In The Second Half of Life

Falling Upward While Dancing

I'm reading a book right now that is very interesting and provides extremely deep and thoughtful reading. If you have never heard of Richard Rohr before, I recommend that you check out his writing. This is my first foray into his writing about spirituality and I must say that his thoughts about falling upward into the second half of life have me doing a lot of thinking about how all of my experiences up to now can lead me into how I live this second half of my life in retirement. 

I won't do justice to trying to explain his writing in detail. I can, however, offer some quotes from the book to whet your appetite for the delectable style of his writing. For instance, he begins Chapter 1 entitled, "The Two Halves of Life," with the following quote from Carl Jung:

"One cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life's morning; for what was great in the morning will be of little importance in the evening, and what in the morning was true will at evening have become a lie." (Carl Jung, The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche)

He goes on to explain that while the first half of life is more about creating our life "container" by learning what makes us significant, finding community and learning how we will support ourselves, the second half of life is more about finding the actual contents that our life container was truly meant to hold. He writes that all of the life experiences in the first half of our lives can help us to find out what our "container" should truly be holding. He quotes Mary Oliver who said, "What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" And he says that many people continue to work on filling their life container with things that end up needing repaired rather than following the scripture from John 21 where Jesus instructs his disciples to, "throw their nets into the deep," and bring in the huge catch that is waiting for them. 

I have to admit that much of what Richard Rohr writes is so deep that I find myself reading small bits at a time, thinking for awhile, and then coming back to read more. And, I don't completely subscribe to everything he says. However, there is much in this book that has touched me deeply. Throughout the book, Richard connects what he is writing with various scriptures and quotes from other sources. One thing that I read this past week has really imprinted itself on my mind. Richard writes: 

"When you are young, you define yourself by differentiating yourself; now you look for the things we all share in common. You find happiness in alikeness, which has become much more obvious to you now; and you do not need to dwell on the differences between people and exaggerate the problems. Creating dramas has become boring. In the second half of life, it is good just to be a part of the general dance. We do not have to stand out, make defining moves, or be better than anyone else on the dance floor. Life is more participatory than assertive, and there is no need for strong or further self-definition. God has taken care of all of that, much better than we ever expected. The brightness comes from within now, and it is usually more than enough. The dance has a seriousness to it, but also an unself-conscious freedom of form that makes it bright and shining."
(Richard Rohr, Falling Upward, Chapter 10, page 120)

I love thinking of my time of life now-this second half of my life-as a dance. And my dance doesn't have to look like anyone else's dance. This not a competition! I can dance without being self conscious or needing to copy someone else's moves. Free form is OK! I wonder if this is how David felt when he danced before the Lord with all his might in 2 Samuel 6:14?  I just know that whatever form my dance takes, I want it to be authentically Debbie and I want it to offer praise to the Lord. 

"Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory." Psalm 149:3-4

How is your dance coming along? Are you falling upward into the second half of your life? Have you read writing by Richard Rohr? Hope you will take a moment to share.

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                     Blessings,                     

Debbie

Linking With: Becoming Press (this will appear on my Where I Party page in future.)

Polka Dot Valentine Tablescape

Red and White Polka Dots For  Valentine's Day

I'm sharing a simple Valentine's Day tablescape today. I always enjoy the look of red and white on the table and the polka dots add an extra cheerful note, I think!

To create this tablescape for two, I used what I already had on hand combined with a few inexpensive items I purchased at A.C. Moore. The polka dot placemats are actually paper for scrap booking. The other side has red/white stripes that could be used for a different tablescape look. 

The white napkins are folded and tied with red yarn and a polka dot heart sticker. 

For the centerpiece I used my "with all my heart" wooden sign with a flame free candle flanked by a red/white ball and clear snowflake candle wreath. In addition, I found a sweet musical heart shaped snow globe that plays, "Some Enchanted Evening," that made a great addition to the centerpiece. 

There are butterflies inside the heart snow globe! I couldn't believe my luck when I found this snow globe at Goodwill a few months ago. I just knew this would find its way onto my Valentine's table!

These red and white picks look great in a vase and carry through with the polka dot themed tablescape. 

I love the red and white all over my table! This cheerful and whimsical tablescape is just what I need to get into the Valentine's Day decorating mood. How about you? Are you decorating for Valentine's Day yet? Do you like red and white on your table? Hope you'll leave me a comment and let me know. 

Need a little more Valentine's Day Inspiration? Check out these pics from previous posts. 

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debbiethisandthat.com

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Formal and Casual Turtleneck Styling

Creative Stylings With Turtlenecks

(Not a gifted, sponsored or paid post. All writing and opinions are my own.)

There is nothing more basic than having a black turtleneck in your closet. I've been a fan of wearing turtlenecks for years and own a variety in several colors. The wonderful thing about them is they can be dressed up or down making them a versatile choice for either formal or casual styling. Let's look at formal styling first.

I paired my black turtleneck with this pleated white skirt which you saw previously on the blog styled with a colorful ruffled top. I'm also wearing my comfy black Abella pumps which lend a hand toward creating a dressier, formal look. 

And, let us not forget how the right jewelry can dress up a look. By "right" I don't mean super expensive, either. Pearls always say "dressy" to me whether they are paired with a skirt or jeans. Here, I am wearing a multi-strand of pearls interspersed with gold beads. The gold ties in well with the dangle earrings, a Christmas gift from one of my sisters. Sometimes less is more with jewelry, so I'm limiting this formal look to the necklace and earrings only. 

Now, let's talk casual. Same turtleneck as before only paired, this time, with tan corduroys and black Skecher booties. Have I mentioned that black is also a very slimming color? 

Rather than a necklace, I accessorized with a blue/tan print scarf and a couple of bracelets. The scarf is another Christmas gift from one of my sisters. The tan color in the scarf coordinates well with the tan corduroys. I enjoy making sure that the colors I wear together blend, coordinate or compliment each other well. 

You can see that the bracelets all carry the tan/black theme colors. The "dream" bracelet was a gift to me years ago from one of my fourth grade students. The bracelet actually has three words on it; dream, believe and achieve. I love it for the memories it brings me of a very sweet former student and for the inspirational word reminders. The black/gold bead stretch bracelet is from A.C. Moore. If you have one of these stores in your area, be sure to check out their jewelry section. They typically have a large bin of colorful bracelets priced around 3 for $9.00! They make great gifts, also. 

Turtlenecks are an inexpensive article of clothing that can be dressed up or down, making them a very versatile piece to have in your closet. I bought most of mine at Walmart, where they are regularly available at a low price. If you don't like clothing around your neck, you could also achieve these looks easily with a black scooped long sleeve tee-type top, also available for inexpensive prices. Now, go shop your closet and see if you have a black turtleneck. Don't worry if you don't have black. How about navy blue or another color? Think of how you could style similar looks with red (great for Valentines styling) or green or brown? I could have basically worn the same outfit and accessories with blue, green, tan or brown tops. Have fun shopping your closet! And make sure you pin the photos for later reference. 

Until Next Time,
Debbie

Weekend Inspiration for the Week Ahead

Being Yourself

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Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. 

Romans 12:9-10 (The Message)

When you look in the mirror what do you see?  Do you see a beautiful, intelligent woman with her own unique personality who is beloved of God?  Or, do you see a face with wrinkles, lack of confidence and everything that you think is wrong with you? Perhaps, it varies from day to day, what you see in the mirror? One day you are confident in your abilities and how you see yourself in the mirror and the next you're not? You are not alone, you know. I think most women vary in what they see in the mirror from time to time.

Today, when you look in the mirror, I want you to do two things. The first thing I want you to do is to notice at least one thing you see that you really, really like about yourself. Say out loud to yourself what that is. You might notice the beautiful color of your eyes, or the shape of your lips or your hair or cheekbones. You get the idea. Tell yourself what you see in the mirror that you like. Appreciate the fact that your face was uniquely created by God as the face He wanted you to have in this life. There is no one else in the world like you. You are beautiful in the eyes of God. 

The second thing I want you to do is to repeat the scripture verse from Romans 12:9-10 three times to yourself as you look in the mirror. Say it slowly and really think about it as you say it each time. Not only did God create your face uniquely, but also your personality uniquely. There is no one else in this whole world who has your unique personality. Sure, there are others with similar talents, perhaps, or similar personalities. But none exactly like yours. You are uniquely you....the woman God created and loves. Now, think of at least one thing about your personality that you really like. Tell yourself what this one thing is. Really allow this to sink in to your thinking. 

Take these positive thoughts with you as you go throughout your day. Love others and yourself from the center of who you are in this day. You don't have to fake it, trying to look like someone else, or acting like someone else. You are enough just as you are. You were uniquely created by God, both inside and out, and you are a beloved child of God. 

Now, I ask you again.....what do you see when you look in the mirror?

Blessings in the week ahead,
Debbie