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!

The World of the Extraordinary

Sometimes it is silent
Yet its still voice is heard
Sometimes it is swift
Like the flight of a bird

Sometimes you miss it
Other times its voice is clear
Sometimes you wonder
Is it far away or near?


Sometimes it is bright
Yet hides inside shadows
Sometimes you find it
Openly in meadows

Sometimes you feel it
Without slightest of touch
Sometimes it whispers
Inspiring as such


Sometimes it is alone
Or so it seems
Sometimes it is shared
In life, in dreams

Sometimes it is real
Often it is imaginary
It is the pulse of life
The world of the extraordinary

“If you let yourself be absorbed completely, if you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly those moments.”
~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

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Inspiration: Meeting the Challenge 3

Visit Meeting the Challenge 2

Precious Moments: That is the challenge for this week!

Each of us is rewarded at some point in time with moments we deem simply precious. These moments stay with us stored away in our mental scrapbooks to be revisited as necessary through smiles, giggles, and sometimes even tears. Sweet memories!

Like the times the kids fought over whose cookie had the most chocolate chips. What a sight as they picked out the chips one by one just to prove a point! The next batch of cookies I dared anyone to start picking it apart threatening to bake non-chocolate, chocolate chip cookies. [ha-ha] I did decorate each one with a smiley face from then on, which brought on even more smiles and giggles, each delicate cookie equally branded!

Precious moments gently cradled ready to take flight

Meet the challenge! 

What warm, fuzzy stories do you have stored in your mental diary?  Think about it: Recollections of such precious moments might just trigger a poem, a story, a personal reflection.  After all, it is such accounts of life that keep us going, always on the alert for that next precious moment.

“Cherish those precious moments because they did not happen by plan or design
but by feelings, hunch, chance, fate, destiny or just the need to say hello
t
o a particular person at that point in time.”
~Author Unknown

Precious moments
Seconds in time
Treasured memories
Stored in the mind

Frets & falls
Tears have their place
Heartwarming smiles
Remnants of grace

Stories amid laughter
Echo & resound
Playfulness of heart
The true common ground

catniplogosm1
©2013 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

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Hugs Sent Your Way. . .

From catnipoflife

 

“Hugging has no unpleasant side effects and is all natural.

There are no batteries to replace, it’s inflation-proof and

non-fattening with no monthly payments.

It’s non-taxable, non-polluting, and

is, of course, fully refundable.”

~Author Unknown

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Inspiration: Solitude

the nightingale glides across a twilight sky

a symbol of love and longing in flight

it exhales in a melodious love song

shattering the solitude of the night

~catnipoflife

Since ancient times birds have been considered a connection between heaven and earth. They are known to reach deep into the heart and the soul through symbolism and spirituality. For some cultures, their symbolism is one of immortality, while some myths declare every bird in the world representative of a departed soul. Birds have been immortalized in art throughout the world and in Christian art, birds often appear as saved souls. They also provide inspiration for remarkable stories written in both prose and poetic meter offering time for solitude within deep repose.

How many different birds can you match with their key word significance? Here are just a few. . .

The most renown bird in America is, of course, the  Bald Eagle. As our national bird, it bestows freedom and courage to look ahead being forever watchful. It signifies strength while conveying powers and messages of the spirit. Special significance is placed upon the Eagle and its feathers by Native American Indians often becoming an iconic symbol and tribal logo.

The eagle or one of these below just might be your inspiration for tomorrow. . .

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The Buzzard, the Bat & the Bumble Bee

If you put a BUZZARD
in a pen 6 feet by 8 feet
entirely open at the top,
the bird, in spite of its ability to fly,
will be an absolute prisoner.

The reason is that a buzzard always
begins a flight from the ground
with a run of 10 to 12 feet.

Without space to run, as is its habit,
it will not even attempt to fly,
but will remain a prisoner for life
in a small jail with no top.

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The ordinary BAT
that flies around at night,
a remarkable nimble creature in the air,
cannot take off from a level place.

If it is placed on the floor or flat ground,
all it can do is shuffle about helplessly
and, no doubt, painfully,
until it reaches some slight elevation
from which it can throw itself into the air.

Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

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The BUMBLE BEE,
if dropped into an open tumbler,
will be there until it dies,
unless it is taken out.

It never sees the means
of escape at the top,
but persisits in trying
to find some way out
through the sides
near the bottom.

It will seek a way where none exists,
until it completely destroys itself.

******************

In many ways, we PEOPLE are like
the BUZZARD, the BAT, and
the BUMBLE BEE.

We struggle about with all
our problems and frustrations,
never realizing
that all we have to do
is look up!

That’s the answer,
the escape route,
the solution
to any problem. . .

JUST LOOK UP!

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Sorrow looks back,
Worry looks around,
But faith looks up!

Live simply,
love generously,
care deeply,
speak kindly, and
trust in our Creator,
who loves US!

Share this with friends. . .I just did!

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Inspiration: Beauty and the Beast

Beauty&BeastNO, not the fairy tale; YET, could there be a connection? Life is filled with wondrous beauty: Beauty is all around us – sights, sounds, and yes, even smells! But, so is the beast confronting us in many shapes, forms, and sizes. It may be buried in the heart, stored in the mind but not without light in the soul. Let’s take a look at the beast and the beauty to be found within.

 

Light from the Heart

Heartache manifests dispair. That is exactly what happened when the telephone rang and a quivering voice on the other end muttered, “He’s gone. His heart just gave out.”  The phone dangled from its cord as it slipped from my trembling hand. As though in shock, a stare into nowhere made time stand still. With tears descending without thoughts of ever stopping, visions of times together flashed through my mind as though I was turning the pages of the family album. Then, as quick as the ringing of the phone, the tears of sadness became tears of joy. He is home but not before leaving behind the reality of light always emanating  from my heart.

LightfromtheHeart

 

i’ll keep the light inside my heart
shining bright as the noonday sun
each day that passes will bring joy
as I see your face in your grandson
~catnipoflife

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Light within the Mist

Fog slowly rolls in over the bay drawing cool moist air onto the coast. Dampness spreads a chill through the air causing goose bumps with hairs standing on end. A sea breeze hints of the cool freshness as tidal currents ebb in and out. Waves exploding on the rocks toss sea spray forward, backward, upward and outward, reflective of feelings that had been shuffled about and tossed aside. Standing on the edge of darkness, feeling cold and numb, life’s decision had to be made. Reality suddenly unfolds gleaming with inner light.

 bygone days of the sea dreamily subsist
as first light appears and the fog slowly lifts
reflections on a sunlit horizon
embrace the early morning mist
~Echoes

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Light in the Darkness

The sun slowly slips beneath the horizon and you feel all alone as you look around the station. You just stepped off a bus as a ghostly mist of rain slowly descends upon the pavement. Eyelids blink away the tiny droplets revealing a shadowy figure in the distance. The beastly darkness obstructs your vision but not enough to block out the beautiful smile drawing nearer and nearer. Reality shimmers within thoughts of awaiting arms.

there‘s coldness in the dark
within a solitary place
but in the midst is hope
illuminating the space
~
catnipoflife

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“Hope is the greatest of the gifts we’ll receive.” – Beauty and the Beast

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Inspiration: Inner Voice

“If a bird is frightened, or simply interrupted, as it sways and sings on a bough, it simply moves to another bough and keeps on singing.”

As I was listening to a radio program this morning, a similar scenario immediately caught my attention. The more I thought about it the more it became a puzzle piece of life. How many times has concentration been snapped apart and the melody or rhythm of the moment broken? We connect, disconnect, connect, disconnect throughout our daily routines as interruption after interruption ultimately becomes aggravation.

Eventually our inner voice cries out, “Enough!”

Next time one of life’s interruptions catches up to you, think about the bird and let your inner voice just keep on singing!

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Messages in the Wind. . .

“Simple messages are potent. Stay tuned in. . .” ~catnipoflife

Gentle whispers of the wind
Echo of days gone by
Unveiling nostalgic thoughts
Within a windswept sigh

Walking along the seashore
Sunbeams radiate warmth
Soaking into the bare skin
Any day, any month

Strands of tousled hair
Crisscross about the face
Swirling, twirling wisps
Completely out of place

A sudden short burst of wind
Forces a swift brush of the hand
Providing view of a sea gull
Standing proudly upon the sand

First there’s only one in sight
Then, out of the blue more and more
Massing along the shoreline
As they’ve done many times before

Assembling in loose flocks
Together as companion and friend
Side-by-side they stand
Decoding messages in the wind

Gentle breezes, whirling gusts
Boast of a whisper-quiet hue
Don’t miss a single moment
What does the wind say to you?

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Inspiration for the Soul

          REMEMBERING GRANDMA

“Nothing like walking in the door fresh milk in hand,
except the smell of bacon sizzling in the pan!” ~catnipoflife

Need nourishment? Visit Daily Soul Food at Pinterest!

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Spirit of the Ladybug

Whether you call them ladybugs, ladybirds, or lady beetles, what is it about this ‘bug’ that so lovingly captures our attention? After all, it is an insect! Oh, my, yes, but what an adorable little insect that can lovingly tickle the palm of our hand or lightly rest on your arm! Let’s take a closer look at this phenomenal tiny creature and its impact on life.

Did you know this tiny beetle is an emblem of good luck, links to spiritual ideals and carries a powerful message? With its tiny, short legs, transparent wings and brightly colored black, yellow or reddish markings, the ladybug fascinates us with her delicate and loving nature.

LADYBUGS

A Ladybug’s appearance often signals new happiness and a renewed sense of well being, worries will fade and higher goals will be attained. Some say if you count the spots on a ladybug they correspond with the number of wishes and gifts that will come to you in the future but take warning, hurt a ladybug and the spots show how many misfortunes await you. Ladybugs remind us there will always be opportunities to pursue and capture our dreams.

INSPIRATION

Inspiration for this post came in an email notification from Inspiration Import ~ Art & Words – Spirit & Soul – Create & Creations. What messages have you received from the ladybug? What stories do you have to share about the ladybug and how she touched your life?

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