What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Discoveries and Stuff

One of the "joys" of retirement is having the time to work on "projects" that you've put off until...well, retirement!  I know we all have those little "lists" in the recesses of our minds of the things that we hope to accomplish when we finally have the "time" to do so.  

A word to the wise:
  • Retirement doesn't really give you any more time than what you had before.  
  • There are still only 24 hours to every day, seven days in a week, etc., etc., 
  • If you don't organize and prioritize your time wisely, you will still be wondering when you will ever get those "projects" done.
So, here I am, about 3 months into my retirement, and my list is still there...and it seems to be growing instead of shrinking.  Of course, I've had a few interruptions here and there. My retirement began a few days before Thanksgiving...and then there was Christmas...and of course January is always busy recovering from the holidays and getting used to the fact that it is a New Year...and then there was company coming again in February, and so on and so on. All good stuff. Happy stuff! I wouldn't change a moment of it! But NOW...it is time to get to that "list"!  

One of the first things on my list is to reorganize our closets and dresser drawers. Trust me, it is a project that is long overdue.  So yesterday I was determined to get started on my side of the closet and dresser.  
Of course, dresser drawers can lead to many discoveries. I should never have started with my small top drawer. That is the one where I store my first big journal,(click on the link for more about that), odds and ends of pictures, scraps of stuff that need to go into a scrapbook or other permanent places to preserve them, old jewelry, and, well, just stuff





Among these "treasures" I discovered an envelope with my Dad's handwriting on it:



Apparently he had been going through some boxes of old pictures and discovered some copies of our wedding pictures, among other older photos of me as a child, and decided to give them to me on our 35th wedding anniversary.  (Hmmm, that would have been almost 12 years ago now, so this envelope has been stuffed in my drawer for 12 years...yes...this job is long overdue!)

Of course, the envelope alone is a treasure to me, because my sweet Daddy has been gone to heaven now for almost five years, and to have something that he put together and presented to me in his latter years is pretty special.

Anyway, back to my story...you can see how easily I get side-tracked with memories and "stuff".  




In amongst the wedding pictures was this photograph that I truly don't recall ever seeing before:


This was me at age six, striking quite a pose! I had to study this picture for a few minutes to be certain that it really was me! But it has my name written on the back in my mother's handwriting, so that cinches it! 

Upon looking at this picture my first impression was that I was quite a sassy little ham. Anyone who knows me well would probably corroborate that impression...and most likely state that nothing much has changed in the numerous years since!

I'm not sure why this little photo has captivated my imagination so much, but I have not been able to get it out of my mind. Hence, here I am even writing about it today! I look at that sassy little girl and see such determination and purpose in her stance. I am standing in front of a "closed door"...Oh my goodness! That is another revelation that has just now this moment occurred to me!  Standing in front of a CLOSED DOOR? Perhaps looking toward an "OPEN WINDOW"...the future?  MY future?  

Wow!  Little did I know at that precise moment in time just what my future would hold. My life was still a mystery awaiting discovery. But guess what? GOD knew! God knew me!  God knew who I was then, and who I would become. How do I know this?  Listen:

"For You (GOD) formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise You,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
and that my soul know very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,
when I was made in secret, 
and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in YOUR book they all were written,
the days fashioned for me,
when as yet there were none of them."
Psalm 139:13-16

God knew who and what I would become...and even though my accomplishments are not that great in the world's view, I trust that they are exactly what God had planned. I know that my life is not over yet, and God may still have some new discoveries and plans to fulfill in and through me.  It will be a continual adventure until the day He calls me home. 

Until then, this is my prayer:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
and see if there is any wicked way in me,
and LEAD ME in the way everlasting."
Amen.

Psalm 139:23-24

How about you?


12 comments:

  1. Cute photo of you standing in front of a closed door, perhaps looking at an open window. Sassy you say? I retired a few years ago and can always do more organizing, so you are off to a good start.

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    1. Thank you Terra. We retirees need to continue to inspire each other. We may not get all of our projects done, but if we can encourage one another in our faith and life walk, that is pretty important. Thank you for visiting today. Blessings to you.

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  2. Pam, It's always interesting to get started on those sorting, organizing, cleaning projects. When I do something like that, I nearly always find projects within projects. However those fun finds, like the adorable photo from your childhood, make all the work worth it!

    Blessings,

    Kim

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    1. Yes, it does seem that there are always projects within projects, and on and on, one leads to another. Sometimes I never get back to the original project because I discovered more pressing projects within...but like you said, they often uncover more interesting things to do than the original plan. That's why I am glad I am retired so I can do whatever I want, within reason. Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Hope you are doing well. God bless you and keep you always...

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  3. The first year after I retired I did all those things around the house I said I would do while working. And then...what do I do now? Quite an adjustment of working for so many years. It's almost 20 years since I retired from banking, and there are many days that I still struggle with, 'what do I do now.' One thing for sure, I am enjoying life and everyday the Lord gives!

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    1. And God has given you a wonderful ministry of writing and sharing your faith with others. What could be more important or better than that? I think we need to learn to accept that is a gift and calling and realize that the time spent is well worth it...investing in lives for eternity. I appreciate your words of encouragement each day. Thank you for being YOU!

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  4. Pam: I enjoy seeing old photos. It remimds me of a simpler time. I need to get a schedule worked out so I can accomplish things that I see that need doing. It's a long story.

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    1. Thank you Cecilia. I do understand about the schedule. I am finding that if I don't plan and schedule things, I will never accomplish anything. There are always too many distractions. The days all run together and then the week is gone and I wonder where it went. So yes, I do understand. Praying for you as you "sort things out" and do what works for you. You've been recuperating for a while, so take your time and prioritize what really needs doing, and then do it a little at a time. One thing I am learning, there really aren't any "deadlines" except those we create for ourselves. So we need to establish what is truly important and what isn't. Praying for you as you continue your journey to completely restored health.

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  5. Did you know, you are one of my favorite writers? :)

    Also...

    Love the model photo of you and your self-description of "sassy!"

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    1. Oh Sandi, I am just now seeing this comment!! Bless you for this sweet affirmation. You are an inspiration to me in so many ways. I love how your sweet comment, written almost one year ago, is just blessing me today...perhaps when I needed it most! Thank you...and thank YOU, Jesus!!

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  6. I have some of my Dad's handwriting too. It made me cry to see it after his funeral.

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    1. Oh, dear Sandi, I do understand that...I still cry when I read things either my father or mother wrote, and now also my son who is in heaven. We don't realize how precious those hand-written notes will become in the future, and yet, we write so few of them nowadays, thanks to our computers...This gives me something to think about today...

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Thank you for visiting here today. I would love for you to sign my guestbook and let me know you stopped by. I always enjoy reading your comments and words of encouragement! May you be blessed as you go on your way. Please come back and visit again soon.