Life is a mixture of sunshine and rain, teardrops and laughter, pleasure and pain.
Remember, there was never a cloud that the sun wouldn’t shine through. -unknown
Author Archives: Dee Clark
Shadowed
Never fear Shadows.
They simply mean
that there is sunshine nearby. – Ruth E. Renkel
Welcome New Readers
I would like to take this moment and Welcome all of my New Readers!
I am very pleased that you have accepted my invitation and have joined me here at Insight From A Woman’s Heart.
Come around anytime that you need a generous helping of encouragement, hope and love. We’ll have a little heat to heart chat and your soul leave a little lighter. Invite your friends to join us as well. The more the merrier.
Feel free to share your experiences, ask questions or encourage others. We need to hear your voice, too.
It is so nice to meet you! You are a valuable member of my blogosphere and I will look forward to seeing you often.
Happy Reading,
D
New
Hello, beautiful people,
I hope that your year is already feeling new and fresh. I am in-joy with my summer. I think that is what enjoying something is all about, being in the fulness of joy. I have been de-cluttering my house today since I think that is a great way to get my environment feeling fresh and new. As I’ve been going through things and ruthlessly chucking away “stuff” that we just don’t use but sits around and around and around, I’m seeing projects that I had full intentions of tackling in 2014 but just didn’t get around to completing. Some of them are never going to be completed and I am alright with that…I’ve moved forward and they are no longer necessary. (But I promise you that on Wednesday morning after my husband reads this post today, he will be going through the rubbish bin left for the garbage truck to collect. 😉 Bless his heart he can’t help himself. Nonetheless, I will persevere and things are going. Hear me, honey?)
I have also been busy in my creative element during these new days of 2015. I have been combing my local beach for sea glass,
walking (I’m counting that as exercise),
inhaling the salt air and exhaling any stress,
admiring and photographing the beautiful scenery
and allowing the warmth of the sun to kiss my face.
It’s good for the soul.
This week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is “New”. While the beaches in Bluff aren’t new, I have discovered a, new-to-me, little beach that is richly covered with sea glass. I’ve been down there everyday collecting sea-tossed treasures.
I’ve also been reading about sea glass and have found that some colors are quite rare, like pink and purple. I have already come across several pieces with a little pink or purple hue to them. How fun is that?
My husband keeps telling me that they are just broken pieces of glass and therefore, he’s not that excited about the “junk” I’m collecting. We, men and women, are so different in how we perceive things, aren’t we.
Yet, when I look at those tiny shards of glass that have been tossed, plummeted, ground and eventually smoothed, I can’t help but think of the broken, shattered pieces of our hearts. Life has a way of shattering us and we can feel like we are being tossed to and fro. Difficulty rounds our rough, jagged edges. Although the brokenness may still exist, the process creates beauty and usefulness for new purposes. We just have to be able to recognise how to use them. They will be useful.
As I have been reading, I have discovered that some pretty creative people have used sea glass for pictures, mosaics, jewellery making and I’ve even seen them fashioned as bowls. What once was a bottle, plate, or other vessel that was shattered to bits, can be repurposed as an art form and enjoyed.
If your heart is feeling disappointed and broken today, don’t lose hope. Follow the journey to the end and watch as your life transforms and beauty emerges once again. Those broken pieces will take on a new shape and form that will be useful and possibly even enjoyable (in joy). You might not be able to see it today, but give it time. Time won’t heal (sorry, I don’t believe that time heals all things) but over time, change occurs and life takes on a newness that is worth while.
Do you want proof? Look at some of the most beautiful people in your life. I guarantee they have been where you are, witting with a pain filled heart. They have made it through and so will you.
You are not junk…you are a treasure. I’m sure of it!
Creative Beginnings: Homemade Krispy Kreme Donuts…Hot Now in My Kitchen
You know you are from Chattanooga, Tn if I say, “Hot Nows” and you immediately know what I am talking about! Who can resist a fresh, hot Krispy Kreme donut? It’s happiness in your mouth. It is. See the happiness on our faces? That’s my friend, Blake. Hi, Blake! I miss you guys! This picture was taken on my last night in Chattanooga this past summer (USA summer) when my friends, Lori, Karene and I made a midnight run for Krispy Kreme donuts. I hope no one was counting because I may have put away a dozen all by myself.
I ws telling some of my NZ friends about my utter disappointment the first time I ordered a milkshake and donuts here. I ordered a chocolate milkshake and the waitress sat a glass of chocolate milk in front of me…I don’t drink milk (no need for milk-loving soap boxes). I figured she had misheard me when I placed my order so questioned her about it. I was politely told that if I wanted an American style milk shake I should have ordered a thick shake. Lesson learned. But my stepson drank the chocolate milk. The donut I ordered was a hotdog bun with pink icing. I’m thinking about biting into a Krispy Kreme donut and I’m staring at a hotdog bun with pink icing. I could have cried.
Telling the story about my experience combined with my desire to start the new year with a creative flare, I decided today that I would create homemade copycat Krispy Kreme donuts. Thanks to Foodfanatic.com I did just that.
Look closely and you will see that I only got a few of them iced before I stopped…
brewed a cuppa (I can spell..but I’m trying to sound like I live in NZ) coffee with the Christmas present (A Dolce Gusto coffee maker) that my daughter gave me…
and sat down, my mouth watering in anticipation, to see if I had accomplished my goal. Ohhhh, ohhhh, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. SUCCESS!
Yes, I ate all three. Don’t judge. It’s technically still the New Year holiday…at least until Monday!
The most heavenly taste sensation – You have got to try these! Especially if you are like me and you don’t live where you can jump in the car for a midnight run for the most delicious donuts known to man.
Would you like the recipe? I thought you would! This is really easy to do, and didn’t take too much time to prepare. Click on the Foodfanatic link for the original post. You will be glad you did because she has other copycat recipes you might want to try: http://www.foodfanatic.com/recipes/krispy-kreme-glazed-donut-recipe/iframe/
Now, I probably better get the dishes cleaned up because I expect to have some company as soon as this post is published.
Did you take me up on the challenge yesterday to begin 2015 by being creative? If you did, please share what you are creating with me…I’d love to see what you are doing.
I think creativity was a perfect way to begin my year. I’m already having a great time and we’re only two days in.
Look what I did last night:
I had a go at wire wrapping some of my seaglass. This was the best of the pieces I worked on. It’s not perfect but I quite like how it came out. I added a ball link chain and then I made a decision…I’m going to give it away…
So, if like handcrafted gifts and you would like to be in the draw to win this little creative NZ masterpiece (well, ok, it’s a cute little handcrafted necklace)…share this post with your friends and leave a comment below.
See, 2015 is already off to a fun start!
Thanks for reading!
D
2015, New Beginnings and Creativity
Well, we did it! You and I did 2014 like a boss! We smoked it! And we’re still standing to tell about it! Good for you!
I bet you were wondering there for a second or two, weren’t you?
There is always a moment when we think, ” I can’t do this.”
But we can! Every single time! We can do hard things, and fun things and new things…we can!
And we have 2014 and this first day of 2015 to prove it.
You got through like the shining star that you are.
And now, we are looking square in the face of a brand new beginning. A new, clean slate.
What in the world will you do with it?
I was thinking about this brand new beginning today. And I think a great place for me to start is to get creative. After all, in the very first new year…or rather the first new beginning, God created…
And I thought I’d start there.
Oh, I think I just heard someone say, “But I’m not creative.”
Sure you are. We all are. We all have a very creative part to our wonderful selves. And we all create differently.
My mom always tells us kids (her kids) that she isn’t creative. She told my daughter that not long ago and Morgan immediately responded, “oh, yes you are. You play the piano beautifully. I can’t do that.” Not only that but I’m pretty sure that my mother has played a variety of instruments in her day.
I know women who create an amazing atmosphere of encouragement.
Others who create hospitality in a way that makes me a bit jealous.
One of my friends back home can create laughter in a room like no one I have ever met.
Our world needs people who will create peace in the face of turmoil. Can you pursue and create a peaceful atmosphere? I like this one. I like it a lot.
Creativity comes in many and varied forms.
So, if you are wondering where to begin in this new year, here’s my creativity challenge: Begin 2015 by discovering your creative genius and share that with the world. (If you need a soul to share it with…I’ll be more than happy to help 😉.)
And if you are one of those people who feel less than a creative genius, do this simple step…ask those closest to you what they see you do exceptionally well. Go ahead. Do it. It’s really good to see ourselves through someone else’s -eyes of admiration.
I have been to the beach the past few days collecting drift wood and sea glass. I’ll get to work and then I’ll show you how I started my creativity challenge.
If you accept my challenge, please share what you create with me and my readers. Help me inspire my readers. Let’s get as many people as we can creating a beautiful 2015.
Happy New Year! It’s going to be fabulous!
I’m sure of it!
D
Warmth
I absolutely love the feel of the sun’s warmth on my face. I always have. When the chill of winter disappears, I’m in heaven. Every fiber of my being comes alive. A warm glow surfaces to my outlook, thawing my mind and muscles. It’s like a blanket that warms my heart and ignites the inward, hidden parts of my soul. Mornings are my favourite; the beauty of sun light, drinking in it’s warmth on my face and sipping from a steaming mug.
I am smitten with the sun. The warmth reminds me of love.
Or a friend seated across the room in the cozy chair, warming my heart.
Or resting my head on a friend’s shoulder letting the fuzzy warmth of her hug flow through me. The kind of warmth that clicks your bones back into place, smooths out your muscles and make your blood sing a soft lullaby all the way around your body.
Love is that micro-moment of connection that you share with another living being; showing some warmth to get warmth in return.
I smile with relief knowing somebody found ways to love me.
Love comforts, it is gentle, it is warm and you can feel it within your entire being.
Like dozens of luxurious satiny pillows, embracing you from all directions into safe lulling warmth, isolating you from the sharp cold edges of the world.
“If the world seems cold to you, kindle fires to warm it.” (Lucy Larcom)
Love is so irresistibly beautiful…
Our love should radiate like the sun, warming everything it touches.
Imagine that the sun is shining in your heart. Allow it to light it up so that there are no dark corners.
Everything is pure and clear and the warmth of the sun in your heart fills you from head to toe with a sense of wellbeing.
Let it surround you with the feeling of a warm embrace.
Open your heart as wide as you can so that the sun in your heart has a chance to go as far as possible with its beautiful rays of light and its nourishing strengths.
Let it shine upon the people near to you. Let your heart bring warmth and love to the people that you know or can think of, have heard about or seen, or just assume to be there.
The sun is capable of nurturing growth. Feel love take root in your heart and spring upward.
The more strength it has, the more warmth others will feel.
Give the gift of love and compassion and care and concern.
SMILE.
All the statistics in the world can’t measure the warmth of a smile.
It expresses love and tenderness.
Keep each other warm. Share your strengths.
Feel the buoyancy and the lightness that comes from giving love. Your heart will light up, and be nourished.
The sun on my face and in my heart reminds me of warmth, clarity, and deep satisfaction.
Try it. Turn your face upward and let the the sun warm you through and through.
Bask in the moment. Experience the warmth. Feel the refreshing.
(And should the sun be hiding behind a cloud where you live…open your heart, it feels pretty much the same.)
Dee
Why I Believe
See that smile? That is the look of joy.
After a week like this one where our hearts get snagged by such deep heartbreak and loss of life, it becomes easy to lose our hope and faith in humanity. Yet, I choose to believe. I choose to see that even the smallest amount of good can bring light. I know it does. Just look at that smile.
It’s prizing-giving time in New Zealand. Prize-giving is a school award ceremony. Many deserving children are recognized for their efforts and accomplishments for the year.
But there are a limited number of prizes and not every child’s efforts can be acknowledged. A fact of life. We don’t all get to stand in the winner’s circle with confetti floating down on our heads. Yet, that does not mean that we didn’t give our best or put in effort.
When our name does not get called, it can feel like we failed. Especially when we have less-than-perfect circumstances surrounding our lives.
Zane was one of those kids who did not hear his name called at school. But he had a tutor who recognised that there was something very special about this young man. She made a special effort to celebrate him using “some pretty important stuff” she learned about him while supervising his homework.
Here is the list of prizes that his tutor awarded to Zane with the important information she learned (according to his foster mum):
1. A friend of the Tooth Fairy.
Zane’s birth mother didn’t find his tooth under his pillow when he was little which meant that because the tooth fairy didn’t show up, Zane didn’t believe she was real. Mrs G (the tutor) got him a little friend of the tooth fairy to prove she is real.
2. Light bulb box with some slime in it.
Zane was sometimes bright on the outside but his brain was a bucket of slime some days during study time. (Boy, I can relate to that, can’t you. Try as we may, somedays the lightbulb is dim.)
3. Body wash to stop him getting stinky.
Bodies and attitudes sometimes need a good scrubbing. (I’m sure this is all about showers, right, Zane? No stinky attitudes at your house!)
4. Sardines
Zane stole Mrs. G’s favorite, comfy chair on some days and well, sardines seemed a fitting reward for stolen chairs.
5. Chocolates
Zane is a sharing person so Mrs. G made sure that he had something that he could share.
6. Hand Cream
This prize was something he could give to his foster mum to show that he cares about her.
7. Lemon Honey Spread
Well, just because thats his favourite spread.
Zane told us that the personal prize-giving ceremony made him feel special!!! And of course, it shows all over his face, doesn’t it.
These sweet gestures between a student and his tutor meant a lot to Zane and to his foster family.
Recognition (for both effort and encouragement to grow to be the best we can be) speaks volumes to our hearts. The fact that someone has taken notice of our existence and valued the fact that we have crossed their path gives us a feeling of significance. The gestures can be small but when they speak to the heart…the impact is huge.
If I listened only to the news on TV, I think hope might fall through the holes created in my heart by all the bad things in the world. Yet, when I open my eyes to the wonderful people all around me making a huge difference in people’s lives…I believe!
I believe that there is more good in the world than bad.
I believe that good overcomes evil.
I believe that love never fails.
And I believe that in order to make a difference, all we have to do is see people with eyes of love; get to know “important stuff” about them; encourage their hearts to keep trying and moving forward; and reach out (even in small ways).
I believe.
And Mrs. G and Zane are just another proof that I should never lose hope.
Keep reaching out to each other! It matters!
D
Zane, keep up the good work. You won’t regret it!
Mrs. G, you continue to inspire and the world is blessed to have loving, caring hearts like yours!
This Is Your Journey To Walk Your Way
My son is in college and beginning the process of making huge life decisions. He has dreams in his heart for how he wants to travel his journey. His journey looks completely different than mine. And I’m fine with that. He worried that his family would be ashamed of him or disappointed in him. I want him to know that there is wisdom to follow along the way but he must be free to walk this journey in a way that will bring him happiness and fulfilment.
No one can walk our journey for us.
We must walk the path of our purpose without fear that it won’t meet the desire others have for us.
My hope for my children is that they walk in a safe and healthy way.
My hope is that they reach for wise counsel and guidance.
My hope is that they find what makes them happy.
My hope is that their journey is traveled in a meaningful way.
And my hope is that they walk confidently, unafraid and boldly.
A friend of mine recently preformed his daughter’s wedding. He told her that as her parents, he and her mother wanted to give her two things in life: roots and wings; a place to belong and wings to fly.
Allowing my children to spread their wings and fly is not always easy but it is one of the most rewarding parts of my journey.
And for you, it’s the same: This is your journey to walk your way.
Journey on, dear readers.
D
I would like to welcome a new contributing photographer. My cousin’s son, Jarek Bagley, took the photo featured in this blog today. I just l love the brilliant colors. Well done. Welcome, Jarek! Thank you for sharing your beautiful photo with me and my readers! You rock!
WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Converge
By graceful motions lives converge
Resurge
Submerge
Deterge
Immerge
Upserge
Allowing meaningful existence to emerge.
deeclarknz.com 