At the corner of my street stand eight or so very tall pine trees.  This morning on my walk, they graced me with the subtle hint of their fragrance. This smell, cannot be reproduced. 

I have an essential oil of pine and while I know it is the scent and the essence of the tree, smelling the pine air in the morning cannot be put in any bottle.  And, the scent is not always present to me on my walks. 

It must be a combination of humidity, air flow, and biggest of all, a focused, not wandering mind.  Nothing lifts my spirit, and my soul like the way that nature does. There is always time to experience God Joy moments.

On Sunday I took my mom to church.  I had attended services on Saturday and was really not in the mood to go again on Sunday, but it was for mom and we went.

An elderly woman was sitting close to the end of the pew we chose to occupy.  In a short time, a very young man came in and sat next to this woman.  Given the huge age difference, I was thinking that at the least this woman was his grandmother, maybe even his Great Grandmother.

As the service began, it became apparent to me that this young man did really not want to be here.  At various points he had his head down and held his forehead, or had his head up with eyes closed.  He did not sing or participate at all.  He also left at one point and did not return for maybe 10 - 15 minutes. 

Yet - he was attentive to the woman at times.  He had his hand on her back from time to time, and he made certain that she received Eucharist in her seat.

As they left at the end, I told the young man that he had done a great thing today.  He did not acknowledge my affirmation and he just kept walking.

My take away was enormous.  This God moment provided me with a new experience of God.  I knew that this little old lady was thrilled to be at Church.  I knew that God was happy too, for even though the young man was not so happy, he did a wonderful thing.  He let go of his ego desires (or complaints!) and honored someone else who was very dear to him. 

This made me realize that I too, do a lot of things for my mom, that i might really rather not do, and I do them anyway.  When others tell me how wonderful it is that I do all these things, internally, I'm rolling my eyes (almost what this young man did as I affirmed him) feeling guilty because I really did not want to be/do what I've been doing.  I realized that I dismiss a lot of what I do if I'm not in a happy, joy filled state.  Face it, that cannot always be the state in being a caregiver.

Because of this God Moment, I realized that Mom is happy, God is happy and I too have overcome an ego who often wants her own way.  I have realized that God is not judging me as harshly as I am, and that very possibly, God is happy with what I do and what I have done for my mom - even if I'm not dancing to do it! 

In the end it is about what I actually do and the motive that pushes me, my mom's care, must really be coming from a deeper place within that honors her spirit and her being.  Maybe I can let go of the harsh judge in me -  and embrace the love of mom and God!  What a delightful thought and way of living and being.

Sunday's God moment has been a dose of Grace for me and I welcome and receive it with gratitude!

Today I took mom to the Doctor for what was to be a simple blood draw.  We ended up being there for 4 hours.  There was a point in my life ( ...like maybe last week!) where this would have had a negative impact on me and stressed me out.  I like to get some things done for my business on a daily basis and being gone 4 hours pretty much ended my plans.  Practicing Joy work - and it does take practice and regular focus - has helped me to let go more and more and just be in the moment.  That does not mean that I too, do not have times of struggle.   

While death of a loved one often brings sadness, there can be an opportunity for great joy.  That opportunity comes by extending ourselves in different ways to those who are missing a loved one. 

Our culture is one that does not value the sadness that comes from a loss.  Rather we are expected to be 'over it' in a few days and 'get back to work.'  The services are completed, the visitors are gone - you are alone.

Really, it's all about our culture's resistance to change.  Life will be different when a loved one passes and Joy can come by 'changing' our patterns and extending ourselves in other ways to be eucharist with those who are grieving. 

How can we really share ourselves in times of sadness?  Stepping out of our comfort zone to 'be with' someone can provide great joy to the giver and the receiver.  It's not the same as having the presence of the deceased and it's not intended to do so. 

It's just different.  We can never fill the empty part within that longs to be united.  It's not meant to be filled.  It's meant to be joined.

While I was writing today, I looked out my window to see a hummingbird at my feeder.  These creatures make me smile all the time in wonder of their size and might!  Did you know that these creatures weigh from .07 ounces to .7 ounces?  This means that the giant hummingbird weighs less than an ounce...a slice of cheese!  These marvels of creation can move their tiny wings up to 100 times per second!  Looking at these creatures will never cease to amaze with their wonders, and the wonder of our Creator.

Yesterday I had lunch with a couple of my friends from my corporate days.  I am honored to have so many wonderful people in my life - even after paths have changed.  We have experienced a lot of change through the years. 

We are so much more than what we do...it is all about who we are and how we support and care for one another, regardless of what we do. 

Jacks and Suz...thanks for caring to spend some time with me.  I enjoyed my time with you! 

The day started out with a bang!  As of Thursday (the deadline for enrolling was a week ago) no one had signed up for the program I was teaching Saturday at Solon.  Friday morning I received a message that 2 people signed up.

What to do? Part of me wanted to say no because one, it was very last minute and we waited beyond the deadline to cancel, and two, I was redirecting my time based on having 2 open days...the prep day and the program.  I wondered if my 'rules' mentality was harming me. 

I decided I would trust the Universe, step aside from my perception of sign-up rules and proceed with the program.  The funny thing is that the enrollees decided to make other plans and cancelled - all within 3 hours! 

In the end, I am quite pleased that I opened myself up in this way without judging the late comers.  This experience helped me trust the Universe and It did indeed step in and 'solve' my timing issues!  Praise God!

After particularly rough times, I find Joy in some quiet time.  Without this I tend to overdue.  Too many things and not enough time often leads me to exhaustion and lots goes with that.

 I know that having more Joy in my life means I must let IT have the time IT needs to continue to expand and fill me and that requires quiet time.  

Laughter is truly one of the best medicines.  Loads are lightened when smiles and laughter are shared.  In taking care of my mom, I really make an effort to help her and me to keep our joy game on!  Laughter and joy with friends and family - even Doctors help to lighten the load!

Find something today to take your frown away - and be the bearer of smiles for all to see!

Friday night there was a celebration for my birthday and a good time was had by all!  Great food, super company!  Thanks Jimmie and Pat! 

Celebrations - be they for birthday's, anniversaries, or just because it's Friday night are special.  Too often we don't take the time to be in the moment of all the Joy that surrounds us and celebrate all the time from our Spirit.  It does not need to cost anything...gratitude just takes awareness.

Pat is an expert card picker!  My Birthday card this year had a great quote from an artist Marjolein Bastin and it went like this: "There is so much beauty surrounding us in the nature world and in all of life if we just stand still and open our eyes as it unfolds each day.  It is in these moments of discovery that we allow ourselves to truly experiences all the wonder and sweetness of life!" 

Enjoy this fabulous day!