catnipoflife

Observe life at its best, Listen to life’s songs, Embrace life’s bounties, Breathe the breath of life, Savor life to its fullest!

Joyous Wishes on a Blessed Day!

MerryChristmas

From Awakenings and catnipoflife

The Soul of Christmas

CrystalDivider

Full-bodied aromas
Permeate the nose
Along busy sidewalks
Where everything glows

CityLights

Joyous melodies
Vibrate all through the air
Amidst hustle ’n’ bustle
Of shoppers everywhere

ShoppersEverywhere

Bundled from head to toe
Out despite the weather
Wassailing and caroling
Bring us all together

Caroling

Balsam, spruce and fir
Boughs that glisten and gleam
Bells, balls and tinsel
Add magic to the scene

animated_christmas_tree

Sights, sounds, aromatic scents
Surround all the fuss
Bringing out the childish ways
In each and every one of us

Sleigh

A time of giving
Welcomes heartfelt returns
Tears, smiles and laughter
Just what the spirit yearns

Santa

Great joy, new beginnings
The soul of Christmas brings
Happy birthday, Jesus
The holy church bell rings

BellRinging

“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things-not the great occasions-give off the greatest glow of happiness.”

—Bob Hope (British-born American comedian & actor, 1903–2003)

MerryChristsmas2

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Merry Christmas

To all my friends in the blogosphere
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

‘Tis the season for the church bells to ring
Stars to glisten & the carolers sing

May happiness be yours the new year through
In thoughtful deeds, everything you do!


Click HERE for a very special message from the Christmas angel!

Related Article

Yves Johnson Ministries

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HUGS: The Universal Language

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A hug has no boundaries. . . no limitations, no ties to race, religion, creed, politics or anything for that matter.

Hugs are universal!

They offer comfort in the hour of need, hope in times of despair, emotion in the midst of love, warmth in the arms of forgiveness, peace in the soul of tragedy.

Have you given and/or received your hug today? Why wait?

There is no greater moment than the present. . .

bth_dividers

Hugs, hugs and more hugs:

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/love-hugs

http://www.crookedbrains.net/2010/07/animal-photography.html

http://myanimalszoo.blogspot.com/2012/11/funny-animals-hugs.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/28/19-animals-hugging-humans_n_1761381.html#slide=1526268

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Meowy Christmas & Purr-fect New Year

Catnip wishes for a Meowy Christmas and
Purr-fect New Year. . .

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Decorate every nook, crook & cranny of your home
Cherish the moments, relish the goodies
Then, enjoy the get-togethers along with the left overs
Until Christmas is over and done


May the joy & festivities continue to radiate in your lives
long after Christmas is gone.


Meowy Christmas! Happy Purr-fect New Year!

MeowyChristmas

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A Treasury of Thoughts: Butterfly Moments

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Echoes of Life

The Beauty of Nature: Do you see what I see?

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Moments Captured

’Tis hard to encapsulate a full day
From morning dew to midnight sky
A nimiety of snapshots exist
Each caught in a blink of an eye

Above still dark trees and somber sky
Diffused light of early morn emerges
Beetles nibble on dark-green foliage
Sensations of nature’s splendor surges

Morning glories stretch and yawn
Unfurling shades of fuchsia that glow
Bees fly toward the inner beacon
Extracting nectarines deep below

Atala butterflies hover in the wind
Blue-green incandescence on their wings
Red-orange abdomens expand in the sun
Exploiting new life that morning brings

An angel of light appears in the midst
Casting sunbeams that overcome shadows
Ladybirds feed on the whitefly and aphids
Revealing beneath their wings moments captured

©2004 Echoes
Sharla Lee Shults

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.”
~Author Unknown

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Don’t Give Up!

NeverGiveUp

Have you ever thought about just giving up, throwing in the towel, dumping the whole batch, starting all over again? I suppose at one time or another we have all found ourselves at the bottom of the barrel with no hope of climbing out sinking deeper and deeper or swimming around in circles.

bth_dividers

At the end of every rope
Is a single strand called hope
It may be frayed even torn
Yet hangs on for the forlorn

Next time you’re down
Losing your smile to a lonely frown
Remember that strand called hope
Grab on, hold tight , ne’er let go the rope


©catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

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Faith Squared

Faith Squared brings you the 2012 Virtual Advent Calendar

FaithSquared

Click the link above or the image for access to Faith Squared: a kind of cyber sanctuary where you can stop, take a break from the everyday wackiness of life…where Faith shared is Faith Squared. Once on the site bookmark the calendar for quick reference each day. During a few quiet moments of reflection or medication, access the calendar and simply hover over the pictures to reveal the hidden links. Each new link will appear one day at a time from now until Christmas. By virtue of this calendar being virtual, you won’t be able to peek ahead.

[Just as a little upfront notice, catnip’s Sharla Shults was invited to contribute to the calendar and is being featured on December 22.]

We invite you to slow down for a few moments each day and open a window…savor the images, listen to the lyrics, ponder the messages. Spend a little time with God and engage in the miracle of this sacred time.

Happy holidays, everyone!

[The links from the calendar to the post go live sometime between 6:30-7:30 a.m. PST each day.  If you are a subscriber, you will get an e-mail notification when the post is published.]

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Awakenings: Pre-Christmas Cheer

See on Scoop.itAmerica

Let’s get into the soul of Christmas with song: What better way to spread joyful news than through music! As you watch and listen to the first video, keep in mind its purpose is to stir the heart and lift the spirit as we enter the Christmas season.

See on awakenings2012.blogspot.fr

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Daisy Award, for you and for me!

It is on rare occasion that a connection is available to the creator of an award. This time the beginning link in a chain of unknown number of recipients is Subtle Kate. In Kate’s own words on June 28, 2012, “I would like to start a new award. It’s called the Daisy Award.  Daisy’s are very sweet flowers, but they are stealth with hardiness. They’ll come up anywhere and beat the frost.  This award is for the brave.”

So with out further ado… there are of course rules to follow:

Number1Thank the person who nominated you. Thank you, Claire Cappetta .

Claire is a creative writer having recently retired from the financial world to concentrate on the dream of publishing a first novel. That dream has just come to fruition with the release of A Broken Ring. CONGRATULATIONS, Claire! (Read the First Chapter.) Claire’s story follows a woman’s journey through relationships, domestic abuse, inspiration and empowerment. Although a difficult topic to cover, the story is heartwarming and inspiring.

Number2Tell your readers seven unusual things about yourself. Alright I’m having a tough time with this! Because what is unusual about me?! There are ‘things’ that we all like and dislike but it is the word ‘unusual’ that has me stumped. I don’t have six toes (on one foot) nor one eye in the middle of my forehead! But, I DO have. . .

1. one grey streak in my hair that has been a part of me since I was a teenager

2. the wasp waist of the 19th century

3. Morton’s toe

4. a love for cappuccino but my morning coffee must be black – NO cream, NO sugar

5. a fondness for iguanas

6. an affinity for cats that is hard to explain

7. the heart of a tomboy

Number3Nominate several worthy bloggers: Since my ‘number’ is 5 I have elected to bestow this award upon 5 brave bloggers. As I pondered the recipients of this award from catnip, the following immediately came to mind with reasons why they are the bravest of the brave:

1. Serendipity: Marilyn Armstrong tells it like it is…no fluff, lays it on the line, whether you like it or not, tells it like it is. She will tease you with her humor, enlighten you with her photography and will shower you with tidbits of knowledge just to test you and see what you think. She has endured her own personal hardships being a cancer survivor.

2. A Hairdresser’s Diary: Chris Hannon is a victim of a major car accident that took her livelihood away as a hairdresser, make-up artist and model. She is a self-taught artist who learned to paint to help her deal with daily chronic pain. She is also a poet and has published a new book ‘Versify’. Amazing stories of her life as a hairdresser are published in her book A Hairdresser’s Diary.

3. A Writer’s Journey:  Micki Peluso began writing as a catharsis to heal the wounds of the death of her 14 yr-old daughter at the hands of a drunken driver. She has recently released her first book, a memoir – about her daughter’s death – . . .AND THE WHIPPOORWILL SANG. It’s a funny, poignant celebration of her daughter’s life more than a eulogy of her death.

4. Northwest Photographer: Bob Milke is a veteran. He served his country, your country, my country in Vietnam. He is also a great photographer. He makes you feel you are there when you view his photos. He frequents the Portland, OR Zoo and I do believe the animals await his visits. You will see what I mean when you visit Bob @ Northwest Photographer. Check out the expressions (‘smiles’) on the animals’ faces!

5. Taylor-Made Thoughts & Doodles: Taylor Fulks’ story is one of turmoil through a childhood of sexual abuse. Her debut novel My Prison Without Bars: The Journey of a Damaged Woman to Someplace Normal has just been released. On her blog, Tayor hopes to share the bits of information gleaned from her journey and encourage others, hopefully, to share their knowledge and expertise.

CONGRATULATIONS brave souls and keep writing!

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Message of Inspiration

This is a message of inspiration…a message of unconditional love! Thank you, Raani, for sharing on your blog so its message can hopefully be reblogged, reblogged, and reblogged many, many more times.

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