Do you have a BEAR Neighbor?

Do you have a BEAR Neighbor?

Do you have a BEAR for a neighbor? Do you have a BEAR Story? Let’s also talk about survival techniques when a BEAR might attack? Or, starts to come near. I thought until a few days ago that seeing a Black Bear I should drop to ground! OH, my, I was just told NO, make noise and fight. Really, me fight a BLACK Bear? Climb a tree! WHOA, now I’m told they can climb a tree! Not sure how I feel about my BEAR neighbor?  Should I let my neighbor give me a BEAR HUG?

Worm vs. Butterfly

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

(Romans 12:2, NIV)

The word “transform” being “metamorphosis  when a caterpillar changes from a lowly worm into a flying butterfly, it is called a metamorphosis. If we use this illustration with our scripture from Romans can we identify ourselves? Tell your story!

July has arrived

July brings the ring of freedom! Tears at times! Laughs, food, drink, and heat makes the ruts in Memory Lane for The USA! July 4 is significant in flag waving and fireworks celebrating what we call Independence Day.

Vacations, pool parties, ice cream making, first tomatoes fall from their vine while sunflowers and Zinnias show their faces for weddings and other celebrations. Let’s share our July with one another!

ImageArt by Dawn Collins for Gary

A Path…

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:6, NKJV)
 ImageI have spend the last year or so trying to build a walking meditative path on an acre of land that was purely neglected farm land for years in eastern NC. It has a small pond that is worked into my maze. We have now planted 20 plus Crepe Myrtle Trees along my charted design.  Hopefully, with the downpours of rain and sun sprinting in between we will see blooms to delight the eye in a week or two. It’s still rough terrain with much work to do. As I contemplated my second part of this oversized plan I felt the pang of discouragement tucking at me. When out of the clear I hear the words from the man of wisdom; stop and acknowledge God and then He will direct your path! Looks like I have work to do inside myself so my walking meditative path can take on it’s intended character and use.

I hope each of you have a well “lit path” as you do your work today! May enlightenment be your greatest reward!

June Grads

June, you remind me of flash cards.
You flash into our lives with a host
of flair and fanfare!
Birds sing with summer flowers
harmonizing; signaling summer
fruit is just a pick away

June, the brightest card of your flash
is when graduates show us their
embossed diplomas making
12, 14, 16 or even 18 years
of study
look like a flash of lightening!

Congrats are in order for
all our Grads.
You have done your family, community and
Nation Proud!
We stand and applaud your June, 2013.
With Hope for all your June’s!

Thank you, June
for stopping by each year.
Our hearts are lighter,
our eyes are brighter
when June greets us
each and every year!
Sara Craddock (c)2013

ImageArt Dawn Collins

Meet Dawn Collins

ImageAdmittedly, I am a hippie. A yoga practicing, Birkenstock wearing, tree hugging, vegetarian, peace, love and happiness hippie. I’d rather go the holistic route than any other because that’s what works for me. I don’t want or even try to impose my ideas on others, I don’t want the responsibility for one thing and who am I to tell anyone what to believe or how to live. All I do is offer my views when asked for them and sometimes when not asked for them and share my experiences. Here’s one of the things I have learned. Mind is over matter. Don’t believe it? That’s ok you don’t have to. But here’s the thing. It’s easier, I think, to allow something to happen if you first believe, BELIEVE, it can actually happen. If it could happen then it just may actually happen. The mind has to be open and accept the ‘thing’ for it to happen though. If someone said to me that I would get a million dollars next June I would be like, ‘yeah right’. My mind can’t accept that, it won’t although I wish it would! I think you have to start with something you actually believe. I believe I can get well, I believe I can find love, I believe I can be successful, I believe I can make that move. My mind finally became willing to accept that my path, my gift was that of an artist and you know what? I started selling my art. I went from painting and stacking my work against the wall to gallery shows where my art sold for 500.00! A piece! Just because my mind believed it could happen and gave me the courage to approach galleries and show my work. I think with life and all it’s clutter it’s easy to go through the motions and tread water but what if you carved out just 10 minutes a day, just 10! and started to meditate. I’m not talking about sitting in a twisted yoga pose on the floor in silence, that’s ok for some but for me the best meditation is outdoors by the frog pond or out walking or getting lost in music. Meditation isn’t meant to stress you out by trying to do it. The toes twitch, the nose itches, the phone rings and meditation becomes an unwelcome chore rather than a spirit booster. So don’t stress over meditation do something you enjoy and let the meditation happen. I used to teach relaxation and meditation at a wellness school for massage therapy students. I would guide them through meditation relaxing the body limb by limb and guiding them toward enlightenment for lack of a better word. Pictures would unfold differently for all of them but show them little insights and nuances they were too bogged down to notice. When the mind slows down and focuses only on the here and now and actually allows the mind to open and show images like a movie on a screen they’ll see all they need to know. Maybe it won’t even be images it just be a knowing, a feeling that runs through you, head to toe and leaves you not, but spurs you on till next time. I had a student who suffered from migraines and would sometimes get an attack in class. She would stop, focus, acknowledge the pain she felt so she could focus on letting it go. Breathing in and out, letting the body relax and release and allow the mind to accept healing. It would subside and she would feel better and better. If she hadn’t first believed it would work, it wouldn’t have. The mind needs to believe it can happen, it is true, it is feasible. Convincing the mind is half the battle. If you are in chemo or on a dating site or thinking of new career or going back to school or writing that novel, then make sure your mind believes it all can happen, own your truth and believe your treatment will work, believe you love is out there, believe you can have the job you want, believe you can start school again, believe you do have a novel in you. You already have the answers, you already have the healing, you already have the love…you just need to accept it, allow the heart and the mind to accept it as truth and watch the magic happen. Don’t be afraid to get your hopes up, hope is a lot to grow on, yes I meant grow on, because hope gives us something to hold onto when all else seems to be slipping. Hope is like roots that lets belief grow and bloom into the ‘thing’ we hoped for. See how that works?! I think that’s where God is, He is in the hope, it’s his gift to us. I think he left us with all we needed…the earth, it’s trees, it’s herbs it’s beauty and love and the hope and each other. When we, body mind and spirit, are open and ready to see, believe and accept then the sky is the limit! I believe, do you? Peace & Hugs y’all 🙂 zetasatticart.blogspot.com

What did Peter say;

Have you ever read a scripture and then sit back and thought; “what did he say, why, and to whom was the statement directed?” Do I even remember what was said? Did I get it right? Just for a test, try this one?

“But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.”
Acts 2:14, NRSV