ttmms... (things that make me smile)

(Ok. The next time I post someThing That Makes Me Smile, I shall just use the initials.)

I love to travel... to go to new places, see new things, eat new food! (oooh. mmm! eat new food!) I don't get to do it as much as I would like, but I probably am blessed to do it more than some folks. I am grateful for the times I get to go away from home, to stay in a hotel.

One of the things I love most about staying in a hotel is... (are you ready? you may think I'm weird after seeing this, if you don't already!)...


Yes, I'll admit it! I love toilet paper with the little points folded into it!! I do!! For some reason, I just love it when I am in the bathroom going about my business, and I discover the points on the toilet paper!! Oh, what joy!! :) I smile and smile!!

I'm not sure what it is about it, but I love it!

Maybe it's because it makes me feel so special-- I mean, someone actually took the time to fold my toilet paper into cute little triangles!! my toilet paper!! Just think about it for a minute and let the amazement sink in....

(And if one can be amazed and delighted by such as this, just THINK what it's like to ponder the fact that the Creator of the very UNIVERSE has chosen me-- ME!! -- to be His own treasure!! Wow!)

I am immensely grateful... for both!! :)

celebrate the Sabbath with joy...

Joy

is the echo

of God's life

within us.

~Joseph Marmion

heart on the pavement...

Yesterday I was having kind of a hard morning -- bad news at the dentist followed by a flare-up of a painful and frustrating eye problem. I needed to run an errand for work, so once my eye stopped watering enough so I could see to drive, I set out for the office supply store.

When I was leaving the store and walking back to my car, I was looking down at the ground (due to the sun irritating my sore eye) and I noticed something shiny..... (oooh! shiny object!!)... and this is what I saw at my feet:

a shiny piece of foil pressed into the pavement in the shape of a heart!!

God is so good!! I love it when He addresses the weariness of my heart...or just a frustrating day... with a special bit of love just for me!!

God's amazing creative talent in us...

We, as humans, are created in the very image of God. (Genesis 1:27) I believe a very special part of being created in His image is that we, too, carry the creative spark of the Master Creator! What an amazing concept! We see this demonstrated in so many ways around us from artists to musicians to writers to inventors to problem solvers to cooks... to each and every person's unique abilities to create, build, fashion! Within us is that piece that makes us want to make something with our hands or our minds.

I discovered an incredible creative artistry recently that I just had to share with you. A woman who won the 2009 Ukraine "Who's Got Talent" show does this amazing work called Sand Painting. The videos are a bit long, but if you have a few minutes, it is well worth it to watch one of them! I found it absolutely spell-binding and fascinating....

"Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine's version of "America's Got Talent." She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and "sand painting" skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII." (1st video below)





God, You truly are amazing!! Thank You for placing within us Your creative spark that we may share the joy of creating!

ttmms (you know--"things that make me smile")...

This past weekend two of my young friends were in town visiting their grandparents. On Saturday I went over to spend the day with them all at Mimi and Poppa's house. The younger of the two, B (age 7), loves to help with whatever we may be doing in the kitchen, so Mimi, B, and I made lunch together.

We sat out on their balcony in the lovely Southern CA fall air to eat our lunch. After his older brother said grace, B asked if he could pray, too. Mimi and Poppa said 'of course!' The following was his prayer...

"God, thank you for this day and for our lunch and thank you that I got to help my two best friends, Mimi and Sharilyn, make it. Amen."

Talk about things that warm one's heart and make one smile! Who could ask for more??

...for this I am grateful!...

the delightful heart of a friend...

My friend Sean (age 9) sent the following photos to me today. I was so delighted by his heart and his eyes-to-see...
God's amazing love is everywhere if we will just open our eyes and let Him show it to us...

Thank You, Father, for Your incredible love for us...

Thank you, Sean, for being able to see a glimpse of it in your daily life!