Christian Greeting Card-Encouragement

Christian Greeting Card-Encouragement by caroline_collections

Do you know someone who needs a little encouragement today? Don't forget to give them an encouraging word, phone call, or even an email. If you would like to send a beautiful card...this one would give them just the right word to lift their spirit. You can click on the link below the card to purchase it right away.

Peaceful Waterfall Poster

Peaceful Waterfall Poster by caroline_collections

Have you been to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?  If you have you probably have seen sights like this there.  That's the great thing about the Park.  You can go and get away from traffic, people, noise and everything but the pure essence of nature.  This poster takes me there.  I wrote an article about my time in the Smokies.  If you would like to read it, I think you would enjoy it.  Smoky Mountain Memories 

If you would like to purchase the poster above you can do so by clicking on the link below the poster.

The Price of Fitness

When you are young, fitness hardly gets a second thought. I didn't anyway. I was strong and able to everything I wanted and needed to do. I didn't get tired; I didn't get sore. I didn't know what weakness was. I was blessed with an unending store of energy and strength that surprised even myself at times. My life continued in this way until I reached my late 50's. I didn't realize it at the time that anything would ever change. But it did. I had to work harder to get things done that I would have never given a thought to doing. So from that point until now, I have found myself no longer as fit as I wanted to be. I wasn't as strong as I used to be. I didn't have the energy I used to have...so now I have to work at being fit.

There is a drive within me to return to a level of fitness that allow me to do all I want to do without being tired or sore from strenuous activity. Now I have to pay a price for fitness. It isn't an easy price. It isn't cheap. It requires time and dedication and motivation. And because I wasn't able to maintain my fitness...now I have to pay the price. Surgery and illness stripped it from me; now I have to find it again. So I am paying the price...day by day to retain what has been lost. It's not an easy thing to do at my age; but it is an attainable goal. I have embarked on a walk and ride across America on a virtual trip to regain my strength and stamina. Eventually I hope to get to the place where I can do some running along with the walking and riding. I'm following a virtual road map across America from Virginia to California. So far I have completed two of the 18 segments of the trip and have embarked on the third leg of the journey. Each day as I push onward I am challenged to find the balance of doing enough and not doing too much. I've been sidelined several times from pushing too hard (it's my inner youth crying for manifestation!). The last two days I had to sit out because I walked too much too fast and paid the price. The time and effort I have to put in has a price. Finding time to do some miles every day has a price. As I said in the beginning: fitness has a price.

But I say this in response to that price...it is worth every moment and every effort and every thought that I put into regaining fitness. If you need to regain your fitness or even if you've never really been fit...you are welcome to join me and we can make the journey together. The links below have information about the virtual road map I am following and the second one is a journal of my daily thoughts along the way. I hope you will read them and if need be get inspired to become fit and strong.

I don't intend to go through the remainder of my life and not be able to meet my future life's challenges. I will pay the price for fitness and I will run the race of my life in strength and in fortitude. How about you?

fitness program

fitness journal

What is devotion?

When I go out in the mornings to run my errands, I am witness to a site that you would never expect to see.  It is a man, probably in his late 70's in shorts, shirt and a wide-brimmed white hat.  He is jogging on the sidewalk pushing a woman in a wheel chair.  It is a portable wheel chair with small wheels on it; and she is also wearing a wide-brimmed white hat to keep the bright morning sun off of her face.  When I first see them it is between 9:30 and 10am.  He's moving at a pretty good clip for a man his age and for pushing a woman in a wheel chair.  This is not the first time I have seen them.  I have witnessed this site on numerous occasions.  But yesterday was different.  When I have seen him previously, he was at a different location.  Today he was almost two miles further than that.  I thought to myself:  what devotion he has to this woman to take her out for such long distances.  I am guessing that the woman is his wife.  I am guessing by the route that he takes that they may have come from the nursing home back down the road where I usually see him.  I can't imagine how much energy it takes for him to do this.  All I know is that this man is devoted to taking her out into the fresh air and sunshine and allowing her to be enjoying the walking path as other walkers and joggers do.  I sense that he is allowing her the freedom to be out and about taking in the outside world.  My heart becomes overwhelmed at his display of devotion to her...and yet overwhelmed by the sad fact that there are myriads of others who are unable to get out and enjoy what she is experiencing.  He is a hero in my eyes.  He exemplifies devotion.  The dictionary defines devotion as a profound dedication and consecration.  He fits that word wholeheartedly.  I hope one day I can be at a place on the street where I can pull over and speak to the couple and find out more about their lives and what holds their lives together.  I expect I will find a deep love that binds them regardless of where their station in life has brought them.

Taking in the Rainstorm

As I was finishing setting up this blog this afternoon, we had a rainstorm come in.  I know you are thinking:  is that a big deal or what?  Actually it was to me.  The temperature was about 92 and within minutes it dropped down to 72.  And on the first day of summer, that means a lot to this old gal.  I stopped work on my computer and went to the lanai and opened up the doors and took in what the storm was offering.  The air was almost crisp compared to this morning's fare.  The sound of the rain coming down was just heavenly.  I pulled up a chair and just enjoyed the fresh air coming in.  The smell of clean air and fresh rain was worth every moment.  The trees got a much needed washing from all the collected dust and grit and all seemed well with the world in my corner at least.  Where would we be without the refreshing rain.  The afternoon took me back to my previous life, the one in which I worked at a regular job.  When life got hectic and the Florida summers got too hot, I would take time off and head to the Georgia mountains to a chalet in the hills.  I would refresh my parched spirit by sitting out on the deck and watch the rain come down.  It didn't take much; but those days in the mountains would put back what the sun-parched days at home had drained out of me.  In my heart I always have that place where I can run away to, if only in my mind, and take in a little refreshing.  And so it was today.  A few much needed moments to refresh my spirit and soul. 

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