FAITH -- The Guiding Word for 2015

 "I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened."

Not every year, but frequently, I find there is one word that seems to guide that particular year's unfurling.  Over this sweet holiday, especially when I'm walking through the forest, the word FAITH has been surfacing in my mind and when it does my whole body is suffused with a warm glow. It's that delicious feeling that tells me I should let FAITH be this year's guide. 

I don't want to sound like a whiner, especially when I think of all the fun things I've done this past year, but I really am glad to see 2014 behind me. There were just too many things that pinched too hard last year - and even a thing or two that kicked me in the knees. At the end of it all, I'm still standing and most of the bruises are fading, but I want something a little sweeter for 2015. I want to spend 2015 in Rat Park.  Martha Beck describes  Rat Park in her book The 4-Day Win. It was an experimental landscape - for rats - designed to find out if the environment pushed animals towards or away from self-destructive behavior. The Rat Park provided everything rats needed to live a life of comfort, stimulation and fulfillment as well as an option for opiate laced water. Rats who had become addicted to morphine were placed in this environment and pretty soon they lost interest in being doped and started doing healthy rat things.  Beck's advice is "Go where you feel like you're in Rat Park." 

I know there is bad juju out there .... some of it will come close to me .... I just don't want to taste it. I want to have the faith that I'll always select the good stuff - the white light - the good juju. 

There are some challenges up ahead this year and there is also a particular goal I want to achieve. No. It is not to weigh 120 lbs and wear a size zero. It is just too embryonic to put out into the blogosphere just yet. I'll certainly need faith to accomplish this, though I also like St. Augustine's quote;

"Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you."

Well, I know I have plenty of work to do to achieve my goal. I look forward to it. Where faith will make the difference will be in taking that first step. And since this is such a quote-ey post, here's a good one from Martin Luther King, Jr. :

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

And so - as I step onto the first rung of 2015, I will let FAITH be the banner I carry. Faith that I will see the right choices to make. Faith that I will get up and move instead of sit back and daydream. Faith that there is joy and happiness and goodness coming my way. Faith that whatever wisdom I possess will make its presence felt. Faith. FAITH. Yes. I believe that is what I wasn't listening to in 2014 - but what I will let take center stage - right up there at the podium - with a microphone - in 2015.

Oh - and - I am tampering with the blog's display too - so have some FAITH that I will come up with a design that is both honest and interesting. Tomorrow. At Tara. 

Goodbye Christmas, Hello New Year

It's always bitter sweet when we have to say goodbye to Christmas and this year is no different - I'm so glad it's gone and I so wish it was still up ahead. This particular Christmas was so strange because nothing turned out the way I planned it back in November. I took lots of time off this year so that I could do serious socializing and instead I've been home pretty much the whole time. Not that I mind being home - I rather love it - but it was just different - not as carefree as usual. And then - not what I'd been hoping to do either - dashing off to have lunch with J and gathering with the Richmond loved ones on Boxing Day. Ah well. So. It was different. It was still wonderful. And ... I'm still glad to pack it all up too.  

 But since this is my blog ... and as such is a bit of a diary - here are some highlights to remember - like visiting Mama with LD. I went back again on Monday too and Sister and I had a lovely time looking at an old scrap book full of newspaper clippings about Mama's Wonderful Daughters.

Here is the new 4-some smiling on Christmas eve. PD is one of two great gifts of the season - now Mrs. Darling, as of December 20. Aren't we lucky?

 And here is my Big Darling, home from the hospital (YAY YAY YAY THANK YOU, GOD) and hinting about opening presents - which were plentiful this year. Santa was particularly generous. Even Mrs. Santa had a gift or two.

The Little Darlings added so much to the festive feeling and yet were able to get off alone at least a little bit - after all - this sudden early visit was biting into their honeymoon.

 There was lots of rain on the weekend but it cleared up enough to get in beautiful hikes with my two labradors - dang - I thought Callie was in this picture - but she's such a speed demon it's hard to catch her with the camera unless she's up on the couch. Juno, otoh, is always ready to strike a pose. She was 40 lbs on Christmas Day - 5 months and 40 lbs! Whew.

The sun went down into a clear horizon on the last day of 2013 - not anything to create a vivid sunset but one that looks like we'll have smooth sailing in 2014. At least - that's MY plan and I'm stickin' to it.

And now - here we are - on the far side of Christmas and even well into next year. There's no more holiday left - just the sweet memories - the little disappointments - the big scare - and the enormous monumental gargantuan mountain of thankfulness that I'm here with BD and we ain't goin' nowhere.

When the werk of putting Christmas back in the attic was done I did take my annual bubble-bath, then fingered the pages of last year's journal and plotted out my new year's resolutions. I'll be back with a post about them tomorrow - at Tara.