Tag: Think On Good Things

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The Interconnected Tapestry of Life: Finding Connections Wherever We Go

A vintage Capitol Records 45 RPM vinyl record of Merle Haggard and The Strangers singing Grandma Harp.

Have you ever had those moments where you realize the world is so much smaller, and that we are all so much more beautifully interconnected than we realize?

For as long as I can remember, I have been a collector of hidden connections… not things you can hold in your hand, but all the little moments, the little pieces of treasure that life routinely drops in our path.

I think it stems from how I was raised and the journeys life has taken me on so far. My parents and I moved to Carroll County, Arkansas, when I was a little girl… and I suddenly felt so far away from everyone and everything I’d ever known. Before our move, we had lived in a safe, cozy, loving cocoon of family—and suddenly, we knew absolutely no one. It made the world feel kinda big, exciting, scary, lonely, and unpredictable all at once.

Very quickly though….I began to find some connections…and as it turned out, our new county wasn’t such an unfamiliar place after all! Daddy told me that my great-uncle Ira had once worked in the Berryville Post Office building—not for the postal service, but in the county agent’s office. How neat! To this day, I still think of him almost every time I drive by that beautiful old building – and I enjoy the connection.

When I started school in Green Forest, I found out that it wasn’t a place without ties either; my cousin Sarah had graduated from high school there in 1951. Ironically, two of her classmates from that graduating class were sisters, Eula and Ramona, who both ended up becoming our neighbors. Ramona has since passed away, but her sweet son and daughter-in-law are still my neighbors today, and Eula lives just across the fields from me. (Isn’t that cool?)

Those early experiences taught me a lesson I haven’t forgotten: There are always connections around for us to find… and they can help to comfort us and make anywhere feel like home.

I am forever grateful to my parents for diligently emphasizing to me that it’s important to be friendly, to respect others, to appreciate blessings, to strive to approach each day with joy… and to develop and maintain a curious mind that is always eager to learn. Because of that, I see life every day as an incredibly beautiful, varied tapestry that is never truly finished. We go through our days collecting tiny pieces of information, stories, memories, interactions, and moments…things to think about and then carefully tuck away to remember…always looking for new things to connect them to…

Sometimes, the connections come quickly and click right into place. Other times, it takes decades for a memory to find its match. But when the threads finally tie together, it is such fun!

Let me give you an example:

When I was a little girl, we listened to music a lot—either in the car on our fancy new 8-track player (lol) or in the living room on our big, wooden console stereo cabinet. (Google them if you don’t know—they were huge and very cool…at the time! 🙂 ) We spent a lot of time listening to southern gospel albums, comedy albums, classic country music (well… it wasn’t classic then, but it is now!), and more.

One of the many artists we enjoyed was Merle Haggard. His voice would drift out of that wooden console cabinet singing “Mama Tried,” “Okie from Muskogee,” “Silver Wings,” “Workin’ Man Blues,” and “If We Make it Through December.” Great singer—he had such a smooth, relaxed, rich voice…

Years later, I was in college and living with Mel and Judy Tillis, taking care of their sweet little daughter. One morning when I woke up and went sleepily upstairs for breakfast, I found Merle Haggard sitting in the living room visiting with Mel. I said hello and quickly left them to their conversation, but I was really excited to tell Mother and Daddy that I had met Mr. Haggard. It created a wonderful new connection—linking that real-life morning to those childhood days listening to his music with Daddy.

A few years ago, another unexpected tie surfaced on a road trip. A friend and I were driving on Highway 69 across Oklahoma. I glanced up at a road sign and at the last minute saw an exit for “Checotah.” I immediately flipped on my turn signal and tapped the brake to slow down and exit the highway. My friend looked at me curiously, wondering why we were detouring. I smiled and told her we had to take a minute to “drag main” through Checotah because it was Carrie Underwood’s hometown! She asked me how on earth I knew that, and I told her I had learned it from a song. I opened up Spotify and played “I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore” as we rolled through town. Such fun!

Highway 69 exit sign - Checotah, Oklahoma

When we stopped to get a soda, we started digging into the history of Checotah (population 3,110) a little bit…and we found another small connection: Merle Haggard had ties there also. His parents, James Francis Haggard and Flossie Mae Harp, had lived and farmed in Checotah before moving out to California, where Merle was born. I tucked what we had learned away in my mind… another random bit of history collected.

Fast forward several years…and the connections really start to get more interesting. Working in and living near Harrison, I often drive over to Newton County, Arkansas. It’s a beautiful part of the state—and a great “day trip” destination. I love to eat at the Ozark Cafe or the Cliff House Restaurant. I love to drive through Lost Valley, Steel Creek, and Ponca just to soak in the calming beauty of nature and take a few pictures. I love to park and watch the elk. There is so much to see and do there…it’s good for the soul!

A few years ago, while I was in Ponca taking pictures one day, I walked over to explore an old historic cabin sitting near the intersection of Highways 43 and 74, not far from the Ponca low-water bridge.

A brown wooden sign that reads Boxley Valley Historic District, Buffalo National River, with a historic log cabin and autumn trees in the background.

It was fascinating! The National Park Service’s historical marker about the “Beaver Jim Villines Boyhood Home” explained how Abraham Villines and his children were among the earliest pioneer families to settle in the Buffalo River Valley, carving a home out of the wilderness back in the 1850s. I snapped a photo of the sign and took some pictures of the old cabin, admiring the hand-hewn logs, thinking about the hardships of the day-to-day lives of the family who built it, and feeling a deep appreciation for all the history preserved there. I tucked this new information back in my mind and went on enjoying the day.

An outdoor informational placard detailing the history of Beaver Jim Villines and his pioneer family settling along the Buffalo River.

Fast forward again! At Harrison Schools, I work with a friend named Matt Piper. Like me, Matt is greatly interested in history, family, and ancestry. One day, he mentioned a song to me that was written about a member of his family—his great-great-great aunt Martha Frances Arizona Belle “Zona” Villines Harp. (I absolutely LOVE her name! Stop and say it out loud to yourself. Isn’t it great?)

A vintage Capitol Records 45 RPM vinyl record of Merle Haggard and The Strangers singing Grandma Harp.

The song is titled simply “Grandma Harp,” and it was written and recorded back in 1971 by country music artist Merle Haggard as a tribute to his maternal grandmother. I loved learning this! (In case you’re now wondering—that makes Matt a second cousin, three times removed to Mr. Haggard. Very cool, Matt!!!)

A black and white historical family photograph from 1897 featuring the Hosea and Harriet Villines family, including a young Zona Villines.

After work that day, I was excited to hear the song, so I pulled up “Grandma Harp” on Spotify and listened to it a few times on my drive home. It was a B-side recording – but it’s actually been covered by a few other artists…and I can see why. It’s a simple, sweet, and incredibly loving tribute. In the spoken-word prologue, Mr. Haggard reflects on how his grandmother lived through an era of great historical and social change—from horse-and-buggy days to the very first automobiles, to seeing a man walk on the moon and living through two world wars…all while “rearing a decent family out of poverty and loving the same old Grandpa for seventy years”.

The lyrics made me thoughtful about life, our heritage, and the lasting impact we leave on others… As I drove home listening to the song, all of these separate stories suddenly clicked.

The voice coming through my car speakers was the same voice I used to hear on my parents’ record player as a little girl in Hattieville, Arkansas. It was the same man I had met briefly as a college student in Branson. And the “Grandma Harp” he was singing about carried the maiden name Villines—relatives of the pioneer family whose historic log cabin I had explored and photographed in Ponca… and the same family with connections to the little town of Checotah, Oklahoma, and to my coworker Matt in Harrison.

There really are beautiful connections all around us every day.

It was a beautiful reminder to keep our eyes wide open and our hearts curious. We are never truly strangers in a new place, because if you dig just an inch below the surface, you’ll find that the stories of our lives are all quietly walking down the exact same paths. What a beautiful reminder that we are all a little more connected than we think.

Listen Along: If you like, you can listen to Merle Haggard’s “Grandma Harp” on YouTube. Take a moment to listen to the spoken-word prologue at the beginning—it is just lovely.

Have you ever discovered a surprising connection to a piece of history, a place, or someone from your past right in your own backyard? I would absolutely love to hear your story!

If you enjoyed this reflection, please consider following my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.carlon.5 where I share photos, porch updates, travel stories, reflections, and quiet moments from our beautiful Ozarks.

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Memories Served Fresh at Table One

A close-up view of a personalized celebrity signature in black ink reading To Lisa Best Wishes Buddy Ebsen on textured brown paper.

Memories Served Fresh at Table One

I had supper at Cracker Barrel in Branson last night. I have loved Cracker Barrel in general for a long time—but this particular old store is the most special of all to me… because I worked there as a hostess when it first opened back in 1993. I’ve spent a lot of time in that building – and as I walked into the restaurant last night, I was remembering.

It was so exciting when Cracker Barrel first announced they would be opening in Branson. It was such a popular restaurant chain back then—and at the time, almost all of their restaurants were located along interstates. When the Branson store was built, we learned when training, it was the second store in the nation to be located away from interstate traffic. (It worked out pretty well—the store was always packed!).

Employee training before the store opened was actually pretty educational and fun. We learned all of the company’s customer service and guest hospitality expectations. We learned the routines and procedures to keep things moving efficiently for guests. We learned about the quality of all the food and where it came from so that we could be knowledgeable and helpful if guests had questions. I still remember them proudly emphasizing to us that the catfish was raised in Mississippi and was only top fed—never bottom fed. (Bottom fed catfish are eating in the mud—so top feeding is much cleaner and more desirable and produces tastier fish.)

The best part of training was the requirement that we sample most of the different dishes so that we could describe them to customers, if needed. That was great fun! On breaks, we played the peg game that sits on every Cracker Barrel table. I found a pattern to use when I played it and worked to memorize the steps. I can still beat it every single time. 🙂

When the store opened, it was to great excitement – and it was busy. Guests arrived from literally all over the world—and it was such fun to meet and visit with them. (Back in those days—visiting and making connections with new people you met was still valued significantly.)

The Branson boom was happening then also—and at that time, the Roy Clark Theater was one of the newest things around in Branson. Unlike the great local resident shows, it featured a rotating lineup—booking legendary, out-of-town stars to come in and headline for a week or so at a time.

One week, Mr. Buddy Ebsen was booked to play at Roy Clark. I was excited to think of Mr. Ebsen being in town. I had grown up watching him on Barnaby Jones and The Beverly Hillbillies (that show was HUGE in its day – birthing great successful spin-offs like Petticoat Junction and Green Acres). I also remembered a guest spot he did on The Andy Griffith Show – an episode where he plays a rambler that befriends Opie. I always thought he played his parts – whether a hillbilly, a detective, or a vagrant – with such dignity.

To me, he was Hollywood gold – a true legend. Did you know? Walt Disney actually hired him to dance in front of cameras so animators could study his lanky, fluid movements to create Mickey Mouse’s very first dance steps. He danced with darling little Shirley Temple in the 1936 movie Captain January. He was even cast as the original Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, though an almost-fatal allergic reaction to the aluminum dust in the silver makeup forced him to leave the role. He also served his country in World War II as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, and later played Doc Golightly (husband to Audrey Hepburn’s character Holly Golightly) in the iconic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Mr. Ebsen was in his mid-80’s now – but he still loved to sing and dance and tell stories….and so he was booked to play in Branson. I was excited that he and his entourage came in to eat after his first show one night. I seated them at the big round table to the right – the first one after you go in – just past the hostess stand. Even though it’s right in front – most people pass it without seeing it…so I knew he would probably be left alone.

All of us at Cracker Barrel were excited that he was there – but we knew better than to bother him so we just smiled and whispered to one another with excitement. Some of the restaurant guests talked about how much they had enjoyed Mr. Ebsen’s show that night….never knowing that he was sitting just a few feet away.

The next night, he and his group returned – and I seated them at the same table. They came back the next night, and the next, and the next. Mr. Ebsen was friendly – and we (staff) soon discovered that he enjoyed visiting us – so we got more comfortable. I told him that I had enjoyed watching him in The Beverly Hillbillies – and asked him if he knew that the old truck used in the show was now located in the Ralph Foster Museum on the campus of College of the Ozarks in Branson. He said he had often wondered what happened to that old truck through the years and thanked me for telling him.

I watched the clock each night – hoping he would again stop by – and he always did. He would walk in with a smile and bright, twinkling eyes – but an air of dignity as well. By the end of his short run in Branson, I had gotten to visit with him briefly a few different times, and I felt fortunate. When I knew it was the last night he would be there, I asked for his autograph and he kindly agreed…..so I took a menu (I miss these old Cracker Barrel menus greatly now that so much has changed – but that’s a completely different story for another day!!!) and asked him to sign it.

An old-school brown paper Cracker Barrel menu titled Good Country Cookin with a hand-written signature that reads To Lisa Best Wishes Buddy Ebsen.

It’s funny – when you meet people that you have watched on television or on movie screens for years, you feel like you know them…but you don’t….you just know them by the parts they played. It’s really nice when you meet them and they turn out to be even nicer in person than they were on the screen.

Last night, I looked at that corner table while following the host into the restaurant and I remembered. I paused for just a moment to snap a picture and smile…thankful for so many wonderful memories. They are a gift.

A round wooden dining table surrounded by chairs at the Cracker Barrel in Branson, Missouri, featuring rustic wall decor, vintage photographs, and a menu rack in the foreground.

Did you ever watch the Beverly Hillbillies – or Petticott Junction – or Green Acres – or Barnaby Jones? 🙂

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#ThinkOnGoodThings #CrackerBarrel #BransonHistory #BuddyEbsen #BeverlyHillbillies

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A Simple Truth That Changes Everything: What the “Problems in a Hat” Question Taught Me

Close-up of beautiful pink lilies on the left with a faded lily background on the right overlaid with text about putting world problems in a hat.

A high school classmate of mine, also named Lisa, shared a message recently… and I have been thinking about it ever since.

“If each one of us around the world was given the opportunity to write down our problems and put them in a hat to draw out, would you risk grabbing someone else’s, or would you just keep your own instead?”

It humbled me—and it reminded me even more to remember to be grateful. There are so many things I think about every day—things I worry about and things I stress over and things that make me sad….. and all the while there are so many blessings all around me. I try hard to think on the good things—but there are still things I wish for, moments I worry, and times when fear and the “what-ifs” try to weigh my heart down.

When you really think about that hat, it puts our entire lives into perspective. It reminds me even more of just how much we have to be grateful for, because so many of our daily “problems” are sometimes actually privileges in disguise:

  • We worry about the pouring rain or a leaky faucet… but we are safe and snug under a good, solid roof.
  • We stress about what to fix for dinner… but we have the beautiful luxury of eating three meals today and actually getting the privilege of choosing what we eat.
  • We get frustrated by traffic or the price of gas… but we have a car that allows us to work, travel, shop, and explore.
  • We complain about a long day at work… but we have a job that provides for us.

Sometimes we forget to thank God for the very things we take for granted every second. Scripture reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 to:

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Notice it doesn’t say to give thanks for the problems, but in them. The application is so simple yet so profound: when we look at our lives through the lens of that giant hat, we realize that even in our hardest circumstances, God has surrounded us with hidden mercies. Gratitude isn’t a feeling we wait for; it’s a conscious decision we make every single day.

A black top hat viewed from above, filled with small white paper slips containing words like Food, Home, Job, Friends, Church, Freedom, Family, and Faith.

My Daily Blessings… I am so grateful for the simple things I can do: that I can walk, and talk, and see, and smell, and hear, and taste. I’m thankful that I can connect, write, cook, create, be silly sometimes, and just relax… and that I can pray, sing, worship, read, learn, and grow.

The Beauty All Around Us… There is so much beauty to see every single day when I remember to look. I’m grateful for music, and laughter, and dreams… for spring flowers, quiet creeks, clear, sparkling rivers, and rushing waterfalls.

The People Who Matter Most… Most of all, I’m so deeply grateful for the family and friends I have, as well as the ones who are gone now, leaving behind such wonderful, lasting memories.

What a blessed privilege each day truly is. While I have stresses, worries, concerns, aches, and pains every single day—looking at that giant hat of the world’s problems makes me want to hold onto mine tightly. I am choosing to look at the beauty. I am just so incredibly grateful.

What about you? If you put your problems in a hat with everyone else’s, would you risk grabbing a new one, or keep your own? Let’s talk about it in the comments below!

Let’s Stay Connected! If you enjoyed this reflection, I would love to invite you to join my page on Facebook! That is where I share stories, and fun and photos, and behind-the-scenes updates on my porch robins, Gracie and George.

[Please click here to follow my Facebook Page] so we can look for the beauty in each day together!

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The Rhythm of Joy

The Rhythm of Joy

“Break bread with neighbors.”

That is the tagline at Neighbor’s Mill Bakery & Cafe in Harrison, Arkansas, and this morning, I saw them live up to it (as they always do). As I stood in line to place my breakfast order, I watched the gentleman at the counter take his time—true, unhurried time—visiting amicably with an out-of-town couple. When he told them, “Thanks for coming in!”, he truly sounded as if he meant it. In our world of “hurry up and go,” that extra minute of connection didn’t just make their day; it set the tone for mine.

But the real lesson came after I sat down.

I had just settled into my booth when I felt it: Clump. Clump-Clump.

My entire booth was shaking. I turned around to find the source and saw a beautiful little blonde girl with cute, messy curls, maybe three years old, sitting back-to-back with me while eating breakfast with her daddy. She was happily munching away, swinging her legs with pure toddler energy, her little feet rhythmically hitting the back of my seat.

I had a choice in that moment. I could have easily let it frustrate me. I could have let it ruin my quiet breakfast.

But instead, I chose to hear the sound of joy.

Every time I took a bite of my sandwich: Clump, clump-clump. Every time I took a sip of my iced tea: Clump-clump.

Instead of an irritation, those little kicks became a reminder of how wonderful it is to be small, happy, and out for breakfast with your daddy. That rhythmic “shaking” of my booth didn’t ruin my morning—in fact, it made it better.

It turns out that “breaking bread with neighbors” isn’t just about the person across the table; sometimes, it’s about the tiny little neighbor kicking the back of your seat and reminding you that life is meant to be swung with both feet.

Let’s all choose to have a good day.

Let’s swing those feet, Friends! 😊

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A Surprise Detour

Good day! If you’ve been reading here for a while, you know how much I love a good story—especially when it happens in real life.

A couple of years ago, a friend and I took a completely unexpected detour on our way home from Savannah. It turned out to be one of my favorite travel memories!

I’ve started writing about this adventure, the history we uncovered, and the charm of this little town over on my Facebook page. I’m telling the story in a few parts (for quick reads), and I’ve included some pictures to go along with it.

I hope you’ll “go” for a visit to this little “off the beaten path” town with me through my stories. It’s such a charming little place! I invite you to click the link below and join the fun. I so hope you enjoy it! More to come!

[Please click here to read Part 1 of the story!]

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Think on the Good Things

Today is my Mother’s birthday, so she is on my mind a lot this morning….but of course, that’s nothing new. I think about her – and my Daddy – every single day….

When you are blessed to be very close to your parents….everything changes when they pass away….and you have to make up your mind how you will think about things – how you will go on.

I can remember being concerned when Daddy died – wondering how Mother would cope. She had been taking such dedicated care of him for so long and much of her life was devoted to him for several years. A couple of days after his funeral, we were talking on the phone and she said, “Lisa, I didn’t just lose my husband, I’ve lost my job. I’ve got to find a new direction – a new purpose so that I can keep going. I can’t just sit around and feel sorry for myself” And then, I watched her do just that. I thought how smart and how courageous she was….and I relied on her example when I lost her ten years later.

As I said, everything changes when you lose someone very close to you. The world just feels….different. After her death I grieved, of course, but also I worked very hard to think about how best to go forward – to decide what I would think about and how I would handle everything… For example, when someone mentioned my parents, would I be sad – or would I be glad that they were remembered? When I baked one of her recipes, would it bring me joy or sadness? Would I be solemn when I visited a restaurant we used to frequent together – or would I smile and remember all the good times we had? When I wore a piece of her jewelry, would it be a symbol of loss – or a reminder of great memories, blessings, and joy?

My cousin Betty helped me tremendously one day when she said to me: “Lisa, I know three things as surely as I know anything. Jeannie loved Jesus and she loved you – and she would want you to be happy.” I have thought of Betty’s comment over and over these past 2½ years….and I know she is right. Mother always wanted me to be happy – and she still would! So, I have tried very hard to remember to be just that! In other words, I have tried to think about what I think about – and choose to think on the good things. We really do get to choose, you know. (This can be such hard work – but very worth it!) I’ve tried to “program” my brain to celebrate the blessings and memories and lessons. Now, don’t get me wrong. Sometimes I am sad – and that’s okay. Sometimes I want so badly to pick up the phone and call my Mother – to ask her a question, to share some good news, to hear in her voice that she is proud of me. Sometimes, I just let myself be sad…..but not for long!

Two weeks to the day before Mother passed away, she said to me “Lisa, I don’t want you to be sad when I’m gone. Promise me.” I replied, “Mother! I can’t promise that! I am most certainly going to be sad! I will miss you!” She persisted, “Well, you can be a little bit sad of course, but Lisa – don’t wallow in it.” Her kind, wise words were such a caring gift to me.

Is it an easy thing to not be sad? No, it’s not….it’s a choice that you make over and over and over again…..but it’s so worth it!

Six months after my Mother died, I attended an event where I would be meeting Michael Learned. Miss Learned played the role of the mother, Olivia, on the 1970’s television program, The Waltons. When we met, she was seated and I was standing. I introduced myself and told her that I wanted to let her know that the work she did decades ago on that television program still had an impact today. I then told her that my dear Mother had recently passed away. At this point, she held up her hand to interrupt me, then stood to face me and took my hand. “What is your Mother’s name?, she asked. I told her that it was Jean. She continued to stand and held my hand while I told her that during Mother’s final few weeks, she was unable to get out of bed but that she kept a bright smile on her face every day – that her room was never sad to anyone who entered it. I also told her that her hospice team and the staff that attended to her knew to avoid scheduling anything between 11:00 am and noon – because that was when the television show “The Waltons” aired. Mother looked forward to watching it every day, and it brought her such joy.

Miss Learned (still holding my hand) looked me in the eyes and said caringly, “How are you doing?”. I told her I was doing okay. She then took my other hand, looked upwards, and said “Jean, this is Michael. I am here right now with Lisa, and I want you to know she is doing okay. She really is doing okay.”

And you know what? I am – and I am so grateful.

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Perspective Matters

Perspective Matters

Finding the Beauty Around You!

Philippians 4:8

New International Version (NIV)

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.

Perspective is a choice. Our attitudes, opinions, and points of view are built over time. The things we choose to place emphasis on directly impact our outlook.

For example, one of my hobbies is photography. I dearly love to find interesting and beautiful things to photograph and share with others. Whether I’m driving my car, taking a walk, or simply sitting on my patio, it is my habit to almost constantly search for great setups for pictures. I so enjoy seeing beauty and capturing it to share.

Yesterday afternoon was rainy in the Missouri Ozarks. During the late afternoon/early evening, the rain stopped and the skies cleared. The colors in the sky were spectacular, and I drove to a lake outside of town to take a few pictures as the sun sank behind the Ozark Mountains. Sunsets happen so quickly – and I was rushing to try to get a few good shots. The skies over the water were truly breathtaking, and I marveled at the beauty. When I got home, I eagerly looked through the pictures I had taken and was a little disappointed to see some of the beautiful scenes interrupted by multiple power lines I hadn’t even noticed when setting up the shots. As I said, I had been in a hurry and with all of the amazing beauty I simply had not seen the power lines until I got home. The pictures highlighted what I hadn’t even noticed – because I was so focused on the beauty around me.

I’ve heard that there are two sides to every story, and I definitely agree. We each view the world and even our daily events through our own lens (built over time by our backgrounds, our priorities, our choices, and our experiences) – and sometimes the interpretations and outcomes are amazingly different. It’s a little bit like the old “Gossip” game that has been played in classrooms and other group gatherings for years. Do you remember? Everyone stands in a circle and the leader whispers a made up “secret” into someone’s ear. That person then whispers it to the next, and the next person passes it on. The whispered secret travels quietly around the entire circle, one person at a time. The last person has to state out loud to everyone what the secret is – and it is always fun to see how the sentence has completely changed as it goes around the group.

Different interpretations of real-life situations happen as well. I remember a time several years ago when I was having lunch with a friend after church. We both mentioned that we had enjoyed the pastor’s sermon that morning and started discussing the points he had made. That’s when we realized we had each sat in the same church service but had somehow heard very different messages. Neither were incorrect – but our interpretations and personalizations of the message were very, very unique. PERSPECTIVE makes the difference!

Finding the positives, the beauty, can sometimes be difficult. When I took the pictures displayed at the top of this post, I was so delighted by the beautiful colors in the sunset blending with the brilliant red roses. I was absolutely thrilled with those shots, and I eagerly posted them for my Facebook friends to see. I laughed out loud when one friend, Vicki, asked if I had laid down on the ground to get a shot from that angle. To tell the truth, she was almost correct! (Good eye, Vicki!) I had knelt down on my knees, low on the pavement and took about 12-15 different shots before I found the angle that worked for me. I’m sure I must have looked so silly to passers by…..but I worked diligently to find the most beautiful vantage point.

Walking by at a normal viewpoint, this is that exact same spot. Go back to the second picture above. You can see this crosswalk sign behind the roses.

Finding the beauty is a challenge I strive for every day. It’s always there. Changing your perspective can change your life! Truthfully, sometimes you have to get down to look up. Sometimes you have to focus on one thing when many distractions are buzzing around you. Sometimes you even have to be willing to be a little silly!

Do the work!

It is well worth it.