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!

May 20

‘Til we meet again at Heaven’s door…

by catnipoflife

To all my wonderful blogger friends, visitors, followers and acquaintances. Posting has been very slim due to the illness of my husband, James (Jim) Lee Shults. Friday morning, May 12, 2017 after nearly 33 years of marriage which began on July 10, 1984, Jim’s time in his temporary home on this Earth ended with a new beginning commencing in his eternal home. The pain and suffering is over as he rests in peace in the comfort of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Thank you for your cards, letters, prayers, comforting thoughts and so much more. Jim will be remembered for his compassion, humor, endless stories & jokes, love of country and family. For him, to go though the day without making someone smile or laugh, was wasted time, time without purpose or meaning. He was a joke waiting to be told and never missed an opportunity to lift someone’s spirits.

To my soulmate…

Treasures in Jars of Clay
(2 Corinthians 4:7-18)

7Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.8We are pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always consigned to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal bodies. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

13And in keeping with what is written: “I believed, therefore I have spoken,”c we who have the same spirit of faith also believe and therefore speak, 14knowing that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in His presence. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may overflow in thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17For our light and temporary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that far outweighs our troubles.18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 

‘Til we meet again …

At Heaven’s Door

The doors of Heaven opened
The day you came into my life
At our eyes’ first meeting,
Divine intervention touched my soul

What once were dreams and aspirations
Transpired into fearless reality
Conscious reasoning gave way to inner feelings
Our encounter ensured destiny unfold

Love initiated in Heaven
Unconditional, without envy or self-pity
Free from illusion, secure in faith
Lays eternal in the mist

Two hands merged as one
One heart, one body, one spirit
Truly blessed to share life’s daily happenings
Until only memories exist

Our love spans the sands of time
Through the years, happiness and tears,
‘Til one day we’re hand-in-hand
Standing quietly at Heaven’s Door

 

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Inspiration Reflection Remembering

15 Comments »
Jun 19

To all Fathers…

by catnipoflife
Today Sunday, June 19, 2016 is Father’s Day…a day of honor and celebration for our dads and fathers. Not all fathers are dads nor are all dads fathers. Each holds a special place in a child’s, teen’s or adult’s heart. Regardless of the role—dad, father or both—not any one of us could be here without having been fathered. With fatherhood comes a tremendous responsibility encompassing tasks of sharing, caring and preparing for life’s journey.

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May this Father’s Day be filled with wondrous blessings that continue through each day of the year! To each of you…A Father’s Day Salute!

 A father’s day is every day
Not just one day of the year
Holding a wee little hand
(day time and nighttime)
Wiping away a tear

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It’s faith, hope, love
All rolled into one
Encouragement, patience
(never giving up)
‘Til a task is done

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It’s being thankful
Gratitude of heart
Knowing what you need
(when you need it)
Right from the start

  
It’s together time
The thrill of hearty laughter
 Seeing what you’re going through
(even if it doesn’t show)
The morning of the day after

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It’s helping with decisions
Staying taut through outs or ins
Teaching life’s not easy
(taking the right road)
Supporting losses and wins

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It’s hurting and being hurt
Holding discipline’s place
Leaving behind a legacy
(not of material ‘things’)
Rewards of saving grace
*

It’s compassion and comfort
When a hug is all that’s needed
Priceless moments in time
(Teddy Bear hugs)
Quickly and tenderly heeded
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It’s shaping, molding
Each life that has begun
Making an investment
(often without return)
‘Til the full course is run

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It’s when having to leave
Looking back with pride
Releasing all the tears
(happiness and heartache)
Bottled up inside

©Sharla Lee Shults

Inspiration PoetrybySharla Reflection Remembering Special Events Thoughtful Events

4 Comments »
Dec 20

Gone, yet ne’er forgotten!

by catnipoflife
Blue-Christmas-Tree

Amid all the festiveness of the holiday season come times of remembrance… Christmas past, family and friends gone but not forgotten. There is an overwhelming sense of sadness that at the same time brings on smiles of the heart. The joy, the laughter, the silliness within the seriousness of the time. With Christmas, there is always music, special music. Some of the melodies have been passed down from generation to generation while new ones hit the scene with the changing times.

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Loving memories of those who have passed on are rekindled everyday in music that lives on and on and on…

Gone, yet ne’er forgotten
Music that calms & heals
Soothing the very soul
With each heart it steals
  Yesterday, today, tomorrow
Music starts the morning
Your songs live within us
Keeping our hearts yearning
  With the Christmas season
You’re missed more ’n’ more
With melodies of the holidays
Drifting in and out the door

 Gone, yet ne’er forgotten
Music to relive the days
Happiness within sorrow
’Til the last memory fades

©2013
Sharla Lee Shults

  

To all who have loved ones in Heaven this Christmas, may you find joyful peace with family and friends.

..

Inspiration PoetrybySharla Prayerful Thoughts Reflection

5 Comments »
Sep 23

Unforgettable

by catnipoflife
 
image
~~~~~
Remembered time and time again
Embedded dramatic, iconic images
Symbols of excitement and joy
Inspiring, mesmerizing, unforgettable
~~~~~

For each of us, what is deemed unforgettable differs. It may be a nature experience, a walk with Mother Nature—panoramic tranquil scenes or minuscule patterns or even the depiction of natural disasters. For some, it is all in the name of love, whereas for others, it is unconditionally patriotic. The possibilities are indeed endless.

 

There are connections to the past, present, and future. Some can be classified as Defining Moments establishing, often shifting, the course of history. Many cause a plethora of tears yet remain surrounded in blissful happiness. Then, there are the sights and sounds when Flying Over America!

 

What do you consider as an unforgettable moment?

Perhaps it is as simple as the fact AUTUMN is here!

Related Article:
Shanghai_Pass
The end of the Great Wall of China at…

Inspiration Reflection

3 Comments »
Feb 17

Kindness

by catnipoflife

Today, February 17, is celebrated as Random Acts of Kindness Day. While it is a good idea to designate a day for kindness, it is most important to never let any day go by without showing you care…for the humble and meek, the weak and strong, from the youngest to the oldest, critter and creature, human or pet.

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What indeed is so hard about being kind?

Kind Words and Kudos

A young child and an elderly woman
Waited patiently to cross the street.
An offer of a helping hand
Received the reply, “Please.”

Safely across to the other side,
The young child softly cries,
“Thanks for helping my grandmother.”
Then, she hugged me around my knees.

An elderly man seated in a café
Sat alone sipping a cup of coffee.
The expression on his face wasn’t one of grace
For he appeared all solemn and glum.

A quick glance made me smile his way
Hoping to help make his day seem better.
When he smiled back suddenly in return,
I knew that one smile helped him overcome.

Kind gestures make good echoes
For there is a hidden power in kindness.
One kind word or sweet smile
Brings joy to the heart the minute after.

Remembering© Remembering
Sharla Lee Shults

Random_Act_of_Kindness

Inspiration PoetrybySharla Reflection Remembering

11 Comments »
Feb 14

Remembering Our Soldiers

by catnipoflife

From Awakenings. . .

Support Our Troops and Military ImagesSupport Our Troops and Military Pictures

To our soldiers. . .

A special greeting
Is sent today
To all our soldiers
Near and far away
Tiny_StarTiny_StarTiny_Star
Just to let you know
While protecting our nation
You are in my heart
Truly with gratification
Tiny_StarTiny_StarTiny_Star
Words are not enough
In thankfulness for all you do
With little thoughts of self
Only sacrifice through and through
Tiny_StarTiny_StarTiny_Star
Throughout this day
As well as others too
Know this message
Holds loving thoughts for you
~~~~~
Happy Valentine’s Day!

Awakenings

8 Comments »
Sep 15

Remembering ~ My Hand in Yours, Your Hand in Mine

by catnipoflife

Every once in awhile I compile a post to that is befitting to both Awakenings and catnipoflife. Today was such a day. As I worked on the posting Looking Ahead: National Teddy Bear Day for Awakenings, it occurred to me while I feature Echoes on catnipoflife, perhaps I should start featuring Remembering on her sister site. The genre of both books is poetry. While the first presents echoes of love, life and the past, the second connects the past to the present through remembrances and personal reflection.

National-Teddy-Bear-Day

Looking ahead to American Teddy Bear Day, which occurs on November 14, 2012, the poem Teddy Bear Hugs immediately came to mind. Below is an adapted version of the poem that was published in my book Remembering, My Hand in Yours, Your Hand in Mine. The premise behind this book is to allow you (the reader) to peer into the past and make personal connections. Journal pages are introduced intermittently throughout the book affording the opportunity for reflecting on your life, recalling special moments and recording thoughts to direct your energies toward tomorrow.

In this book, the reader also becomes a writer!

What a great keepsake to pass down to a son, daughter, nephew, neice, cousin – not only for reading the words of the author but for reading in a loved one’s own handwriting that personal connection as he or she peers into the past.

Discount/Autograph Copy
Contact poetrybysharla@gmail.com

Teddy Bear Hugs

there is something magical
in the hugs of a teddy bear
hugging and getting hugged
have a special place anywhere

in times of just not feeling good
moods can suddenly be shifted
bear hugs somehow understand
so spirits are quickly lifted

darkness acquires a new light
when tucked in bed all cozy and snug
dreams and memories are awakened
as sleep begins with a teddy bear hug

cuddled in secure arms, soft and warm
evocative tranquil moments occur
the teddy bear hug is never forsaken
even amidst worn-out spots or frazzled fur

loved by everyone, child and adult
the teddy bear travels anywhere wanted
the more hugs given, the more received
with comfort never ever being daunted

©2009
Sharla Lee Shults

“When a hug comes your way, cherish the moment and then give it away.” ~SLS

A Quote for Today Awakenings Inspiration PoetrybySharla

14 Comments »
Sep 11

by catnipoflife

Well said: “It seemed everybody knew someone who knew someone there. It affected the world. We all became New Yorkers on that day.”

Fortyteen Candles

 

 

I lived in New York City from 1994 to 1999. It is a city unlike any other because everything is larger than life. The buildings there are so tall that most streets remain in shadow much of the day because the sun simply can’t reach them. Looking up and down the avenues you see nothing but a thin strip of blue sky between two rows of dark skyscrapers lined up on both sides of the street, one after another, until they disappear into the horizon. The company I worked for was located in a small to medium-sized building by New York standards. My department was on the nineteenth floor of a twenty-one story building – just a third of the size of some other New York buildings.

 

I’d always put off seeing the sights when I lived in New York, always thinking I’d get to it some other day. I was…

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Awakenings Reflection

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Sep 10

This Day in History: 9/11/2001

by catnipoflife

Twin Towers NYC

“The attacks of September 11 were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified… We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom.”

—Mayor Rudolph “Rudy” Giuliani, New York City (in office 1994–2001)
Click HERE to visit Awakenings for poems commemorating 9/11. . .

Awakenings Reflection

11 Comments »
Aug 31

Awakenings: This Day in History

by catnipoflife

August 31, 1997

Wikipedia.org

Tragedy struck at the heartstrings of young and old as news of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales spread around the world. What a tragic end to such a gracious lady who will always be remembered for her charitable spirit.

Click HERE to read more and leave comments. . .

Awakenings Quick Post

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