All Your Need

Carl Walks Closer to the "Falling Down" House by Old Shoe Woman

It seems as though the last several years have been challenging ones for me. But, through every challenge, I have never had to go without.'

Laughter

(Laughing Baby photo by Weird Beard @ Flikr - Creative Commons License)

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 18: Today, I am Thankful for Laughter

I was thinking about laughter today. Seems it's a popular vein in my household right now. I came home, and Nick has been watching comedians all night. Laughter is a good thing.

Have you ever had one of those days (or nights) when everything just strikes you as funny? You start laughing and just can't stop.You can barely talk because you are laughing so much. Every time you think you have your laughter under control, you start up again.

It's been a long time since I've laughed like that. I think I'm overdue for a good belly laugh.

There's nothing like laughing so hard that your stomach hurts and your muscles ache -- both in your abdomen and in your face!

Songs of Praise

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 8: I'm Thankful for Songs of Praise

I love music. I guess I always have. And I love to sing. Ever since I can remember, I sang in church. Even as a little girl, I sang in groups, or in duets, or by myself.

I used to like just about all kinds of music, but as I've grown older, I've pretty much narrowed my musical preference down to one genre:  praise and worship.

I still sing in the choir, if I'm not running projector. Either way, I love to participate in that very special -- and important -- part of the worship service.

Alive-est

"Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. If we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last." 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 27 Assignment: Alive-est by Sam Davidson

When did you feel most alive recently? Where were you? What did you smell? What sights and sounds did you experience? Capture that moment on paper and recall that feeling. Then, when it's time to create something, read your own words to reclaim a sense of being to motivate you to complete a task at hand.

When did I feel most alive recently...

Personal Recipe

"I do not wish to expiate, but to live. My life is for itself and not for a spectacle. I much prefer that it should be of a lower strain, so it be genuine and equal, than that it should be glittering and unsteady. I wish it to be sound and sweet, and not to need diet and bleeding." 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Personal Recipe by Harley Schreiber

Think about the type of person you'd NEVER want to be 5 years from now. Write out your own personal recipe to prevent this from happening and commit to following it. "Thought is the seed to action."

Dreams

"Abide in the simple and noble regions of thy life, obey thy heart." 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 18 Assignment: Dreams by Michael Rad

Write down your top three dreams. Now write down what’s holding you back from them.

Dream #1 - A simple, peaceful life
Dream #2 - A beautiful, peaceful home
Dream #3 - A business of my own

Invent the Future

"A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the luster of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his." 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 17 Assignment: Invent the Future by Cindy Gallop

My favorite quote of all time is Alan Kay: "In order to predict the future, you have to invent it." I am all about inventing the future. Decide what you want the future to be and make it happen. Because you can. Write about your future now.


I'll take that thought a bit further. Not only CAN we invent our futures, but we DO invent them whether we are conscious of doing so or not.  I firmly believe that yesterday's thoughts created today's circumstances. If I don't like the results, then I need to change my thoughts. God created us with the ability to create what we can imagine. Any image held in the mind long enough, and believed strongly enough, will become manifest in our circumstances.

I apologize for my blog taking such an extreme turn from the type of posts I had been making, but I'm enjoying the #Trust30 challenge and hope that you all find it at least somewhat entertaining. If nothing else, it gives you a glimpse of my personality and who I really am. There are 13 days left, and then "Walk By Faith" will return to its regular programming.  ;o)

One Thing

"Do your work, and I shall know you. Do your work, and you shall reinforce yourself."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 15 Assignment: One Thing by Colin Wright

Take a moment, step back from your concerns, and focus on one thing: You have one life to achieve everything you’ve ever wanted. Sounds simple, but when you really focus on it, let it seep into your consciousness, you realize you only have about 100 years to get every single thing you’ve ever wanted to do. No second chances. This is your only shot. Suddenly, this means you should have started yesterday. No more waiting for permission or resources to start. Today is the day you make the rest of your life happen. Write down one thing you’ve always wanted to do and how you will achieve that goal. Don’t be afraid to be very specific in how you’ll achieve it: once you start achieving, your goals will get bigger and your capability to meet them will grow.

Fear

"These are the voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world. Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members." 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 12 Assignment: Fear by Lachlan Cotter

I'm really struggling with yet another prompt on fear.

Frankly, I just don't see myself as being that fearful.  I already dealt with the psychological, subtle fears having to do with self-esteem.

Now Lachlan Cotter asks: Is fear holding you back from living your fullest life and being truly self expressed?

Divine Idea

"Imitation is Suicide. Insist on yourself; never imitate." 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 11 Assignment by Fabian Kruse

Write down in which areas of your life you have to overcome these suicidal tendencies of imitation, and how you can transform them into a newborn you – one that doesn’t hide its uniqueness, but thrives on it. There is a “divine idea which each of us represents” – which is yours?