A Love Affair.

My love affair with books began with

the first story, the first turned page...

January 11, 2016
Monday

Dear Readers,

Come on in ~
it's cold outside!

Good Morning Readers! Come on in and sit by the fire. It's a beautiful day in North Central Texas albeit quite cold. I must be a funny sight all wrapped up in a blanket as I make my runs from the cottage to the casa!

Last Wednesday and Thursday, I was fed up to the gills and I needed to rest my brain and heart. I locked myself up in the cottage and read from my Daily Walk Bible and Diana Gabaldon's book, OUTLANDER (850 pages devoured in two days!). There were two things I wanted to accomplish:

(1)  I needed to continue my Bible reading because that grounds me and prepares me for prayer and a more positive outlook on life.

(2)  I needed to lose myself in an intriguing book that would take me away into another realm so that my brain could rest.

It worked.  It always does!

2016: Enrich my mind
I LOVE BOOKS, THE SMELL OF THE LEATHER,

THE CONTENTS, AND WHAT THEY TEACH ME!!

From the time I was about five, the library in my hometown (built in 1908 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982) was my friend. I learned to read very early and loved adventure books ... Sinbad the Sailor was a favorite (I still have it). I found I could go anywhere in the world and learn about cultures, countries, and interesting characters. The quest to find out why people do what they do and think has helped me evolve as a person.

My mother read to me every day as a small child. She made sure my brother and I had new books to read every month supplementing them with other books from the library. It was a tradition that passed from her to me to my children and now my grandchildren. We are all voracious readers and seekers of truth.  We share books, discuss what we've learned, and are continually growing. I like that.

Growing up, there were no smart phones, computers, or tv's (until I was in grade school). Books, music, and family gatherings were a way of life. Children and adults gathered to dance, play music (family bands were commonplace in my grandparents and parents day), and enjoy competitive sports. Church was a focal point for smorgasbord suppers, worship, and raising young folks to be moral adults. I never heard anyone say they were bored! My sport of choice and my own entertainment was hiking through the countryside and reading.

One thing I learned from books was to think logically and solve problems. Biographies were a favorite to read and I especially liked the ones where men and women rose from nothing to leaving their mark on this world. If they could do "it," I could do "it."

Dr Romance

With each season in my life, my book reading has changed. As a relationship coach, I read every on this topic I could find and grew in knowledge of how relationships evolved. I wrote the material for the Dating University at Great Expectations and loved every minute of it. I still smile when I'm going through old papers and find some of my columns from my days as Dr Romance. As a young mom, I read about children; as a single mom with teens, I read about teens; as a mom with a child addicted to alcohol, I read the Big Book and carried my Alanon book with me; when marriages failed I believed it was my fault and began my quest to read powerful books on fixing myself. In between books educating me, I read biographies, and fiction.

In the early 1980's, my boss and his wife gave me a Bible for my birthday. (Ohhh, they would get in trouble for that today!). Each year I read through the Bible making notes.

For some reason, this is the book I hold most dear. It's a reminder of my Christian walk over the years. Every time I open it and the words leap from the paper like they were brand new, I smile and say, "Thank you, Jesus!"
 

Confirmation Class
Glenwood Lutheran Church
(I am bottom row, 3rd from left)

I am sad to say that even though I always had a Bible, I didn't read it from cover to cover like I do now. I was baptized, attended Sunday School, and was confirmed in the Lutheran faith. I memorized Bible verses and creeds.

Looking back, I would say I had head knowledge and was a good person. It wasn't until I faced a crisis in my faith that I turned to the Bible and began to study it. From that time forward, I was not going to take a pastor's word for what the Bible did or did not say. I was hurt and angry as I moved through the pages of the Good Book. You know what? That anger I felt in the 1990's began to dissipate and I found myself hungry to learn and grow forgetting about resentment and unforgiveness.

It's been quite a journey to walk with Jesus. He put people in my life to mentor me, guide me, and teach me (one mentor fed me book after book after book). He put the perfect combination of folks to bring me up out of the craziness of life into the light of no secrets. One night I heard a voice telling me to do three things: (1) meet with Pastor George, (2) be baptized, and (3) I would find my purpose and hope in John 21. I was obedient, and there began the transformation of my heart.

In May 2014, the Lord led me to the Open Range Cowboy Church. Halleujah! It was there that I truly found my peace. I was given a book, a journal with blank pages hand crafted by Branden (along with a feather pen). Every Sunday I filled the pages with songs and words of wisdom. At the end of 2015, My book was complete. I turned to journeyman, bookmaker, Pastor Pinner and chose a beautiful leather book in which I will record every moment in 2016 spent at the Open Range Church. To know that he made the book with his own hands and that I will fill the book by my own hand, warms my heart. I am maturing as a Christian with my arms around my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

You see, until I take my last breath, I will be learning and growing as I read and am obedient to my Father. I thank the Lord for giving me the ability to read by the age of 3. I thank my mother for taking the time to read to me and for making reading an adventure. I am grateful for the trials in my life that have kept me connected to the Bible. I lived in a Women's Shelter for 30 days in 2002 ~ what did I take with me?  A book ~ my Bible, my strength and hope.

Miss Dottie

PS  "I had a love affair with books, with chracters and their words. Books kept me company. When the voices of the book faded, as with the last long chord of a record, the back cover crinkling closed, I swear I heard a door click shut." ~Marya Hombacher

My sentiments exactly! As we part this morning, please remember that you are loved and prayed for.

PSS  I declare this read a book day. The pastor of the Open Range Church has written a book and I picked it up yesterday. Yay!!

Feeling the Burn in 2016

Joey & Rory Feek ~ Turning Toward the Light

January 6, 2016
Wednesday

Dear Readers,

Happy New Year from my blogging station in North Central Texas! It's looking mighty cold outside today and I've heard mention of some possible snow flurries as temperatures drop in the days ahead. Wouldn't that be just perfect? I always like that first blanket of snow and it's purity. Today, the rain is coming.

It's a great day to stay inside. I got lots of books for Christmas and, of course, I have my adult coloring books! My fireplace is back in working order plus my furry kids love to cuddle keeping me nice and warm.

Come on in and sit with me by the fire while we chat. It's been awhile since we've gotten together.

I have been praying about where to take my blog in 2016 and, wouldn't you know, this morning when I was reading the latest news on the condition of Joey Feek, it hit me. This year of 2016, I want to be continuing to turn towards the light in ALL areas of my life. It's hard to face truth and light ~ at least it is for me (the proverbial optimist) if truth and light uncovers darkness.

It was a morning in December 2015, that I looked at my naked body in the mirror and nearly threw up. Who in the world was that woman before me? When I worked as a director for Jenny Craig, I called a moment like that the "aha moment." For some, it's looking at a photo of oneself; but, for me, the truth came through a looking glass. (Sigh)

Journey towards the light: Physical Truth

Most people wait until January 1 to begin diets and exercise programs ... not me. I had let myself indulge in too many ice cream sundaes topped with peanuts, banana, and chocolate/caramel. My thyroid had been out of whack and, now that it was in line, I knew that day was my day to STOP and turn towards the light. I dug out my Leslie Sansone aerobic walking tape and began my journey to a better body. I've been faithful to (as Nike says) JUST DO IT. I'm cutting down on sugar yet enjoying everything in moderation. If I want a sundae, I make the commitment to double up on my exercise. I do an 18 minute mile so no excuses that I don't have time...

"She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong."~Proverbs 31:17 (ESV)

For a petite lady I have always been strong and have enjoyed being fit. I challenged myself in my 40's to take up weight lifting and Joyce Vedral became my guru. I didn't realize that one could sculpt the body and I learned so much about perserverance, the burn that came with repetition, and the satisfaction in a very short time.

I had a lady that I worked with that joined me in my quest to fitness. Her motivation was taking a photo of her butt (titling it Buffalo Butt) and tacking it to her refrigerator door. She also had another photo of what she wanted her butt to look like calling it Bambi Butt. For me, I wrote motivational saying everywhere ... on my bathroom mirror, in my car, in my office, and even would tack them on my purse.

Remembering this has fueled me to return to weights/aerobic walking and see what I can do with my 60+ old body. That may sound wierd but I think I can make lots of progress. With all my neck/back issues and surgeries, it's important to keep my core strong.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

~Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

It's so important to keep going forward even when you feel like giving up because your results aren't coming as fast as you'd life. For that reason, I don't weigh myself. The mirror didn't lie last December and the mirror (and how my clothes fit) will tell me the real truth.

My very first blog in October 2010 was titled, Don't You Quit and I'd like to end today's blog with that little poem:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to sile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit-

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a fellow turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow-

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than

It seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victor's cup;

And he learned too late when the night came down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out-

The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It might be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you're hardes hit-

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Miss Dottie

PS  "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." ~1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Always remember how much you are loved

 and prayed for ... YOU matter!!