A Haven for Vee

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Acceptance: My Answer?

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, and the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God who has worked wonders for you... Joel 2:25 and 26a



So this is where I'm hanging out today over there on that chaise with my laptop. Wait. I don't have a laptop; I'm just pretending. ;) Trying to keep my lid on has become a fulltime pastime of late, which leads me to the rest of my story today.

A week ago, my friend brought me a sheet of paper with too many words on it. Definitely too many to read at the time as I was b-u-s-y. It was a decorative item that his sister had framed and placed on her wall. He asked her to please make a copy and that is how I now have it. I was so busy flying around last Sunday that I barely took the time to acknowledge the gift. (I know. I told you that I'd be relaxing in that big stuffed chair, but you know all about the land of make-believe. ETA: And that was two weeks ago...the golden library pic...where does the time go????) Since I was much too busy to bother reading it, I popped it into the recipe notebook I was using for Thanksgiving notes and recipes. See? There it is on the right.



You may vaguely remember that I had offered to host Thanksgiving. I offered to host Thanksgiving for everyone except my sister's beloved. I really didn't want him here. I don't like him much. It's not even that I don't like him; it's that I don't like what he represents to me...loss and a lot of change. Anyway, I was going through the week happy that he would not be attending. Then my sister said that if he was not welcome then she was not welcome and that they'd be going to McDonald's. Oh the drama of it all!

A few short minutes later, there I was face to face with the gift in my recipe notebook. It says:

Acceptance is the answer to all my problems.

When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation—some fact of life—unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God's World by mistake.

When I focus on what's good today, I have a good day, and when I focus on what's bad, I have a bad day. If I focus on a problem, the problem increases; if I focus on the answer, the answer increases. (The source for this material is, apparently, Alcoholics Anonymous.)

It was enough to get us all safely through Thanksgiving. I am not sure that it is enough to get us all safely through Christmas. I am still working on my one day at a time philosophy.

Now on to happier things... I had soooo much fun reading blogs yesterday. It resulted in my adding several more to my growing list in the sidebar. One was Little Red House where Mary hosts lovely tours of her charming home and writes about all manner of fun things. Check out her tribute to the movie "The Birds."

Then I visited Posie Gets Cozy where one can see the most lovely photos. This is the one that I want to share, but don't look until you finish reading here or you'll pop over there and you won't be back in a hurry. LOL! When you arrive there, you'll see a clump of Christmas lights. Just a clump. Anyway, that was the spark to begin my Christmas decorating. See?



Do you think that I can get away with my clump, too? I kinda like it. This could be the easiest decorating I've ever done!

Lastly, Vee (BumbleVee) at The Bearister Bookcase posted an incredibly compelling story about a late night visitor. You'll find it fascinating and food for thought.

Have a wonderful Sunday and a blessed week!

ETA: I'm confusing Melissa by not naming my picture source...oops! It's Pella.com

9 comments:

  1. You are cute and funny... With your pretending. I love it! We all need it, at times. I need it, a lot of times!

    Well, I don't entirely buy that acceptance is the answer to all our problems. Because I don't believe that nothing happens in God's World by mistake. Just me! I see the Creator 'banging the big bang' and then, just letting it evolve. I see no continuing paying attention to what happened, by the Creator. So, I don't see any "grand plan."

    I see a flawed world/universe and am fully relaxed and accepting, of that fact. I have no need for "reasons-why" this or that, or for good or evil or etc. And it's quite relaxing. Though I know, no one with Faith, can imagine it to be so.

    But! The most important thing is, that we each do/believe what works for us!!! {Except for Radical Islam which sees it's duty to kill me if I don't follow that!!!!!!!}

    If your decision was the best decision for YOU.... then it was perfect, in my view. If you should decide by Christmas, that you will explode if you do the same {give-in thing}, then excluding him, will be the best for YOU. Vee *exploding* all over the Christmas Tree is not a pretty thought, you know! -giggles-

    All I want is for you to be calm and enjoy your Holidays in your home. End of story for me.

    And I know, that what I want, is NOT important. But it is, in a comment I leave here in your blog. Other wise, how would you know, my wish for you? :-)

    Hugs,
    Mari-Nanci

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mari-Nanci, thank you for sharing your beliefs with me. I take that as a compliment since you feel comfortable to share and I want you to...always!

    Sometimes God feels like an unfaithful husband showing up on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I need him today all day and tomorrow all day and forever all day. However, I hold no illusions about just who has been the unfaithful one in our relationship. I can honestly say that if He is not paying attention and if there is no "grand plan," I might as well jump off the bridge today because nothing and no one else would be enough.

    Hugs to you...I know you as a thoughtful, intelligent, articulate woman and I appreciate you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I believe God has a plan for me and walks along with me every day. I like the verse in James that starts, "Come close to God and he will come close to you." :-)
    I think your clump of lights look great!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I read you with interest today. I am proud of your sister for taking a stand, although I'm sure you have your reasons for not wanting her beloved in your home, I am proud of you for taking a stand for your feelings. But don't let this close a door that may lock behind you. Be very careful and ask God to guide you. While nothing may happen by mistake, it's still free will...we are free to make our own mistakes, and sometimes we have to be free to figure out just what the heck all the fuss was about!
    xo
    Sandi

    ReplyDelete
  5. It is indeed from the Big Book of AA. Pg 449 in the 3rd edition to be precise! *lol* You can replace the word alcoholic with any word (s) you choose and it works in just about any situation and is something I completely believe in and repeat to myself ALOT!! That and "let go and let God"...that one helps alot too! : )
    LOVE the clump of lights! I peeked at Posie gets Cozy...but I didn't stay! I came back and finished reading your post! *lol*
    Take care!
    Jan

    Jan

    ReplyDelete
  6. To tell the truth....I think Posie's string of thorns looks a bit strange dangling there in her kitchen.. lol ...

    yours on the other hand is a softer gathering of little lights...

    I want to say so much...but this just is not the place.... all I can say is try your darndest to just keep plodding forward Vee...one wobbly step at a time.
    You have people who love you and you love them.... remember that for now.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Vee... You showed character and integrity by including him and you are a better person for it. Learning how to control our emotions instead of allowing them to control us is key.

    Time...yes...remember the Lord does not do things in our time..only in His..when He is ready,...having Faith is only the beginning.
    Blessings,
    Robin

    ReplyDelete
  8. You're all a pretty terrific bunch of women, didja know that? Thanks so much for your kind words and your thoughtful advice.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow, good stuff here Vee! Sorry I missed it! Or came in late, I should say!

    ReplyDelete

🕊
If comments disappear, please don't fret. A simple "hi" will do. The platform surely needs some maintenance.