Thursday, August 25, 2022

Porch #57 * 4 Somethings +

Welcome back to PORCH,
your go-to weekend companion.
Embrace community.
Discover a fresh perspective.
Grow your faith in Christ.
Get unstuck.
Share your story.





Well hello dear weekend!  We've been awaiting your arrival!

Right off the top, welcome all you new August subscribers!  Wander around, see what's happening, and jump right on in to the conversation in the comment section.  I'm really glad you're here. 

I love these 4 Somethings posts because it lets me dip into the archives and pull up some old quotes that still have a bit of meaning to me.

I hope they'll touch a warm spot in your heart, too.

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SOMETHING WISE
It's important to notice how we're feeling as our remembered losses come to call, deep sorrows wrapped around joyful memories sweet.  Not to notice leads to shoving weird unexplained emotions deep down inside somewhere dark, even as odd behaviors and strange responses seemingly pop out from nowhere.
On the Necessity of Marking Unsettling Anniversaries (2017)

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SOMETHING WONDERFUL
All the numerous numbers in our lives {our birthdays, what the scale proclaims, the bills in our wallets, the great heaps of possessions, those pesky online stats} don't define us.  We're defined by our Savior!
When Our Stats Become a Lurking Danger  (2016)

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SOMETHING WHISPERED
My desire is to offer you, dear reader, a soft place to land.  A gentle pause in the busyness of your online travels.  A calm haven where you might catch your breath and be re-filled.  An opportunity for you to join in community with other like-minded souls to savor whatever is on the table at the moment.   
In Which There Is No Bling (2015)

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SOMETHING WHIMSICAL
A rhythm, a flow emerges as everything that's within comes together.  Fingertips speed over keyboard with little hesitation.  And our labor of love is birthed, often messy and incomplete as it bursts forth.  We pause to let the offering marinate, return to massage it again and again, and have the pleasure of watching our heart-words finally pull together and take wings.  As we follow His lead, this whimsically creative process accomplishes what He pleases.
The Grace of Guarding & Cherishing Your Creativity (2017)

What's happening that's wise, wonderful, whispered, or whimsical in your world?

Linda  πŸ§

P.S. MUSINGS
I'm celebrating my 67th this weekend, grateful to be stepping quietly into a season of hope and renewal.  But if I could make a wish, it would be for time to slow itself way down instead of galloping straight into the future.  It's all going much too quickly ... I want to stop, rewind, and re-live the best parts all over again.

I'm too young to be this old.

I've spent the better part of my life listening to women's stories, a box of tissues always within their reach.  Let me tell you that truth really is stranger and more glorious and tragic and miraculous than fiction.  

I honor all the women who've poured out their unspeakable dilemmas, trauma, and grief in our conversations in Fishkill, Poughkeepsie, Eastham, and Brewster.  You were brave and wise and open to healing, which Christ so faithfully brought.  I hear that many of you have gone on to bring your peace-filled souls, healthy minds, and beautiful giftedness back to your families, churches, and communities.  

Only Jesus.

Speaking of women's stories ...   

The Story of My Life 
Helen Keller
$2.85

Karen Kingsbury
$1.99

Plan B:
Further Thoughts on Faith
Anne Lamott
$4.99

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34 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday, Linda!!! Yes, wouldn't it be amazing if the pace of our lives could slow down just a bit? I, too, am 67, but feel, in my mind and heart, much younger than that. However, physically? Wish I could say there were few things that bothered me enough to hold me back, but I have to be realistic with and accepting of my circumstances. Honestly, I'm just grateful to be here!
    Blessings, my friend!

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    1. Martha, I appreciate what you're saying about accepting our circumstances. That's often a hard thing to do, we fight against reality! But in acceptance lies peace. And what a relief when we finally acknowledge the truth about where we find ourselves.

      Thanks for taking us there this weekend. Enjoy your blogging break!
      🌻

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  2. Linda, Hope you have a great birthday this weekend! Maybe you will end up with an ice cream treat like your granddaughter is holding in the picture! Enjoy!

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    1. That's some massive shake, isn't it. Maybe we should be looking for one around here. It can be your birthday gift to me!
      πŸ˜‚

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  3. Happy Birthday to you Linda, may your celebration feel slow, rejuvenating, and may a sweet breath of joy fill your weary soul.

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  4. I like the spin that you put on the Four-Somethings! Well done!

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  5. Belated happy birthday! I just celebrated mine a few days ago, too. I can certainly identify with the thought that I'm too young to be this old, and that time is going way too fast.

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    1. And happy birthday to you! I'm glad I'm not the only one who's wrestling just a bit with this whole aging process. We're not alone.
      πŸ˜‰

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  6. I'm going to hit 60 next month, and have been entertaining similar thoughts...

    * subscriber email response

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  7. Happy birthday, Linda! Wishing you a wonderful celebration with family and friends!

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    1. Having the best time with oldest daughter and her daughters! So good to be together, just hanging out ...
      πŸ₯°

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  8. The Share Four Somethings have caught me off guard all summer! Thanks for posting early, now my post is almost ready for tomorrow, LOL. I love your pictures, as usual. Have a great birthday!!

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    1. Summer keeps us from being 'on schedule' ... and that's a good thing! Come September, I'm thinking we'll see more blogging friends return to writing again.
      ✍️

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  9. I love that rainbow. Beautiful! Have a wonderful 67th birthday, my friend!

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    1. Lisa, thanks, friend. It was an awesome sight for sure!
      🌈

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  10. Happy Birthday! That ice cream looks amazing and I love that vintage metal outdoor furniture.

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  11. I confess. I stopped and drooled at the very first picture. My eyes lit up when I saw the amount of ice cream in the cup. You hit my weakness at the very start.

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    1. I do believe that cup was bigger than she is!
      🍨

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  12. Happy birthday and I am so blessed to share four somethings with you. Isn't it a lovely practice?

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    1. Thank you for allowing me to use your categories, Jean. They hit home for me every time ...
      😏

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  13. Another Happy Birthday from this corner, Linda. My favorite quote in this post is YOURS: "I'm too young to be this old!" AMEN to that!! I like what Maggie W. Rowe said in her book, This Time We Share: "My grands are my anti-aging solution. They force me to stay fit so I can come running when they call. They turn my focus to the future and to working to improve the world they're coming into. I live to put my handprint on their lives and pass on to them the promise of their spiritual inheritance" (p. 106). Fulfilling such purposes does much to keep us spry!

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    1. That's a quote I can hang on to! So beautifully said. I'm reaching for my little green quote book and jotting it down. 'I live to put my handprint on their lives and pass on to them the promise of their spiritual inheritance.'

      Wow. Please, Lord, yes.
      πŸ–

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  14. Linda, those red and white chairs are just fantastic! What a find. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. Lovely to see you there!

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    1. Looking forward to fall when bloggers come back home and re-connect! Thanks for hanging with me, Jeanie ...
      🏘️

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  15. Happy Birthday, Linda!

    The cookie dough ice cream sundae (?) looks fantastic!

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  16. Happy Birthday, Linda! It's interesting how our bodies can feel older than our minds! All the best for your birthday celebrations!

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    1. 'It's interesting how our bodies can feel older than our minds!'

      Yeah. What's this all about?
      🀷‍♀️

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