BLACK FRIDAY IS FOR REAL

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Thanksgiving is upon us and Christmas is being celebrated in the airwaves.  I keep hearing the words Black Friday as if some sort of extra holiday is on its way, pushing past Thanksgiving and tumbling into Christmas, and, in a way, there is truth to that. Retailers look forward to this day when millions of people will be out shopping, looking for deals or just enjoying the fun, while businesses make a profit.  Makes sense.  So we get this really long weekend of shopping followed by a Cyber Monday.  Historically, it hasn't always been this way.  

Black Friday has its roots in the 50's of the last century in Philadelphia, having to do with chaos in the city following Thanksgiving and the upcoming Army-Navy football game, crowds, traffic, shoplifters, and overworked police officers who gave Friday its bad name.  The term spread, doing retailers no favors, and finally, in the late 80's, retailers figured out ways to reinvent Black Friday, and turn it into something more positive, which, for the most part has been successful.

Whether you shop Black Friday or not is up to you, and I hope it is the beginning of a wonderful holiday season, not too stressful, not too glitzy, not too crazy.  I hope you can pause occasionally to look around you and really see what is going on, and enjoy.

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A MOMENT IN A DAY

Now that November is here, and the holidays are upon us, a story came to me to share with you.  After reading this, I hope you will be inspired to share one of your stories with me and others.

It was a few short years ago during the busyness of December.  I was working at Macy's for the exciting and sometimes stressful holiday season, and after hours of sales, returns, complaints, and some good laughs, I was ready to go home.

Since my car was parked behind the JC Penney store, I headed in that direction, tired, hungry, and happy; happy because it was Christmas.  Carols rang throughout the mall, giant ornaments of rainbow colors met my eyes, and scores of people bustling with their last minute gift buying.

Reaching into my pocket, I remembered the ten dollar JC Penney gift card I wanted to use and with just half an hour to closing, I figured it could be put to good use somehow, so strolling into the store, I pulled a bit of energy out and walked toward the holiday decorations thinking I would buy a new ornament for our tree.

We all have special personal gifts, and one of mine is a visual gift; I notice everything that appears out of place, and as I scanned the ornamented trees, a small red gift bag came into my view, and it was out of place.  I scooped it up, and being the curious person that I am, I peeked inside to find a beautiful silver gift box tied up with a golden ribbon, and inside the tiny box was an exquisite jeweled necklace.  Amazing!  I looked around but there was no one in sight. But I knew what to do.

JC Penney was clearly written on the tiny box so I figured there was someone wondering where they had dropped it.  I imagined it was a man who had spent a great deal of time choosing just the perfect necklace for his wife or girlfriend, and I thought how disappointed he would be when he noticed the loss.  I  imagined how he had saved a long time for this perfect gift for some special occasion.  But why did I think it was a man?  Because of the way it was wrapped, and the delicate beauty of the jewels.  A man would purchase this for that 'special someone.'  So off to the jewelry department I went, hoping to solve this mystery.

Of course, all of  the sales personnel were busy helping customers so I waited.  And as I waited, I observed mixed expressions upon the faces of the many waiting shoppers, some anxious, others cheery. Suddenly from a distance a man came striding towards the department, looking frantic and upset, carrying bags, sporting a tan trench coat, wire rimmed glasses, and wearing i.d. tags around his neck which clattered noisily as he rushed to the counter. He was perspiring as he approached, and in that moment I knew I had found the man.  I just knew.

Interrupting the sales staff, the man burst out that he had "lost the jewelry he had just purchased, and had it been turned in?"  There were a few seconds of confusion on the sales associates face until  I stepped up, handed the missing red bag to the girl, and said, "Here it is. I found it in the holiday ornament area."  I thought the man was going to have an attack right there.  His eyes became wide with astonishment that the gift had been found, and that anyone would even return what was lost. He came over to me, thanking me over and over again, then reached in his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and offered me a reward for what I had done.  Smiling, I simply said, "No, thank you.  I am just happy you have it back."  And that was it.

Afterwards, I felt sincerely happy.  The incident could have had a very different ending and I was glad to have participated in the man's joyful moment.  There is a verse in the Bible, John 2:24,25 where Jesus says that ..."He did not put his trust in people,"... and again in Philippians 3:3 where Paul states ..."We put no confidence in human effort"...  These verses show us how human nature gets in the way of goodness and joy.  I could have kept the necklace; indeed, it would have been so easy.  But I chose a different route, one with lasting value, and not because my human nature is more finely tuned.  It isn't.  It was up to me to do the right thing at the very moment when I had a choice, just as it is up to you when you when you are faced with one as well.  

LISTEN, OVERLOOK, VALUE, ENCOURAGE. (LOVE)

Have you ever attempted to speak into the life of someone, only to get a rejection?  Your intentions were well meaning and right, or so you thought, until you were told to "butt out" in one way or another.  But think of it this way:  how well do you take regulating or monitoring from someone else, especially when it feels like criticism or judgement?  

:Sometimes our 'words of wisdom' are rejected, we feel rejected.

Sometimes others just are not ready to receive what we have for them.

Today you can be challenged to be agreeable, not finding fault in others, to not criticize one bit, to not act like your feelings are hurt, and improve and regulate your life only.  That's a big order, yes, and it can be done.  Encourage one another as you want to be encouraged.  It is up to you today.

WHITE

In my home, a teapot I

gave to my Mother, then 

given back to me.  So very

white!

Lovely.  Found at Goodwill.

It had to go home with me.

I don't know what the 

future holds but until then

I love this piano, and play

it every day.

WHITE

Isn't this beautiful?  A white cannoli cake baked by my sister Terry. Simply divine. My sister's baking always inspires me.  

WHITE

How can I possible resist a soft cluster of white blooms in autumn?Not everyone feels as I do about white, especially flowers.  Friends of mine dig out their pearly colored plants, and practically beg me to take them home with me.  And I do, happily.  

Purple is a flower color rarely seen in my garden.  My friend who gives me the whites has lots of purples.  I look at the plants with suspicion, wondering how they could possibly be chosen over white.  I come up with no reason, and I don't tell my friend how much purple gets on my nerves.  After all, I get given what my friend does not  like, and I might not if I begin to openly critique her color choice.

I once walked into the newly remodeled home of a woman I had met only once.  I had been told how dreadful her color choices were throughout the house so I was curious to see for myself.

As I entered the great room, I was at once dazzled by the whiteness of everything.  Purely beautiful, I walked from room to room, feeling a calmness at the warm, white tones.  The kitchen had not one hint of a different color except just over the expansive stove where an enormous display of brilliantly colored tiles covered the back splash - reds, greens, amber, set against white marble counter tops.  I loved it.

Each and every room had a similar theme; all white with splashes of stunning colors from blues, to pinks, lavenders, and black.  To me, this house was the perfect color.

I now leave off with this:  "Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." - Oscar Wilde.  Yes, this has nothing to do with white but it is something to think about.

ROMANCING THE SUNFLOWER

Ah, the Sunflower!  Beautiful, mysterious, hypnotic, bold, and mathematical.  There is a definite order at work within the spirals of the sunflower.  Take a look at the picture above.  Notice the spirals, the pattern, the curves.  The pattern of seeds within a sunflower follows what is known as the Fibonacci sequence, or 1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144...Yes!  This takes us all back to math class where we learned (unless you were daydreaming like me), that each number in the sequence is  the sum of the previous two numbers.  Above, the spirals you see in the center are generated from this sequence.  There are two series of  curves winding in opposite direction, beginning at the center and reaching out to the petals, with each seed sitting at a certain angle from the nearby seeds to create the spiral.  AMAZING!  

I grew this sunflower in the back yard of our coastal home.  It is called Autumn Beauty, and it is lovely to see, reaching as tall as 6 feet, and offering several blooms throughout the season.   Sunflowers have long fascinated me with their structure, sizes, colors, textures, and the romantic way they wave in the sun, attracting both bird and bee, turning their heads to follow sun's light.  

Next year I hope more sunflowers will emerge as this one will drop its seeds, creating strong plants, much  stronger than the ones from a package.  I can hardly wait for the miracle of God's order.  For now,  I will enjoy this one happily enough.

LITTLE THINGS

Sometimes it is the little things in life that make us happy.  I have small collections of little things; glass beads, red buttons, pretty shells, unusual stones, sea glass of multi colors, old books, pencils, both leaded and colored, micro-tip pens, tiny mugs, pill boxes, and boxes of friends' letters.  What I enjoy is getting my little things out and looking at them.  Sometimes I draw, use a mug, or re-read a letter.  It just makes me happy, and that is up to me. 

A FAITH ISSUE

Didn't sleep much this week but I don't mind.  Much.  One thing I've noticed is what goes on in the night that isn't happening in the day.  It is very quiet so I can think and listen.  Sometimes a lone bird calls out, a car engine starts up, or a dog barks  That's about it, except for what's in my mind.

During a particularly rough week, I awoke to a voice, not audible, but a voice all the same.  I knew it was God and He knew I had been overthinking.  Again.  And He told me that everyone in my life was in a personal process of  their own, and that I had to be ok with whatever that is.  "Give them to Me," he said. 

It was a faith issue God was zeroing in on, and He was right.  I had to let go to Him what I  could not  control, to rest in the assurance of God's ability to make all things right when I surrender to His will.  And that has been part of my personal process in restoring some happiness to my life.