Don't Quit - Never Ever Ever!

Happy Wednesday!
Are you ready to LEAP into Spring?

Things around Texas turned green weeks ago!   I have chickweed blooming everywhere, and now this
invasive weed called stick weed - so named because it sticks all over  you!   I don't know if it serves any purpose other than letting my dogs propagate it from one place to the other, because they come in from outside with it stuck all over their beards!  It's so funny to see!

I found this YouTube Video today, and it really encouraged me.  I hope it encourages you also!

Don't
Quit
EVER!





I will admit it...this time of year, every year, I get sort of discouraged. But I should not be for there is much potential to what I do. And what I dream of doing! So this year, I am not going to give into the discouragement, but just sit still, plan carefully, and keep plugging away!

Also, I am going to be retiring Cassia's Kitchen. That is why I have not written for a long time on here. Someone who I trusted told me Wordpress was way better, so I have been busy behind the scenes of my new blog. It will be called CassiaatHome.com So stay tuned!

So my friend, be encouraged this day! Discouragement gives way to hopelessness, and hopelessness to despair, and despair, well, we won't go there.

I love you, my friend.

Don't
Ever
Ever
EVER
Give
Up!

The Forgery: When God wants to make a Man

This poem has been going through my heart over the past few days, and I felt compelled to look it up. I just felt I should share it with you, fellow pilgrim on this path we call life.  I've been "stuck in a rut" and "caught between two opinions" recently, and this brought me some needed encouragement, so maybe you could use some as well!

When God wants to drill a man,

And thrill a man,

And skill a man

When God wants to mold a man

To play the noblest part;

When He yearns with all His heart

To create so great and bold a man

That all the world shall be amazed,

Watch His methods, watch His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects

Whom He royally elects!

How He hammers him and hurts him,

And with mighty blows converts him

Into trial shapes of clay which

Only God understands;

While his tortured heart is crying

And he lifts beseeching hands!

How He bends but never breaks

When his good He undertakes;

How He uses whom He chooses,

And which every purpose fuses him;

By every act induces him

To try His splendor out-

God knows what He's about.

Authorship uncertain, possibly Henry Francis Lyte (with additional verse)

I want you to be encouraged tonight in the great great love that
God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ 
have for 
YOU!


Sometimes we go through hard things and sometimes the way
feel sooo narrow, and uncertain and unsure.
But God promises to never leave us or forsake us.


Therefore, let us cast off all weights, and the sin which does so easily beset us,
and fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and finisher of our Faith.
Who went before, and conquered, and descended, and prevailed and rose again.
He evermore sits enthroned in Heaven itself, and is dedicated to pray for us, the saints.


We have all things we need for life and godliness presented and available to us through
the atoning work of our Savior.   He has deigned that we oversome and conquer, and prevail, just as He Himself did.


Sometimes we feel weak and confused, and lonely, but He is near; 
as near as our very breath, the same breath that He formed the day 
we were conceived, and became alive.
He's as close as the faint prayer that we even do not or cannot even muster but cry
silently from the depths of our being.


He expects us to be 
Strong
and Courageous;
He invokes us to not tremble 
nor be afraid.


He will carry our ship to the other side, 
and bids us step out of our boats and meet
Him there on the stormy High Seas.


My friend, He is there
with you
right now.


Will you believe
and acknowledge
and request Him to
carry you through?


His power is made perfect in our weakness.


That's all I wanted to say
May you have joy and peace, 
in believing.
And may you have Hope
because of the LOVE He has
for you.


Sleep sweetly, my friend.


Peace be to you.

I like this poem... When God wants to drill a man, And thrill a man, and skill a man, When God wants to mold a man, To play the noblest part; When He yearns with all His heart To create so great and bold a man, That all the world might be amazed, Watch his methods; watch His ways. How He ruthlessly perfects Whom He royally elects! How He hammers him and hurts him And with mighty blows converts him That only God understands; While his tortured heart is crying, And He lifts beseeching hands! How He bends but never breaks When His good He undertakes. How He uses whom He chooses, And with every purpose fuses him; But every act induces him To try His splendor out -- God knows what He's about! (1)

I like this poem... When God wants to drill a man, And thrill a man, and skill a man, When God wants to mold a man, To play the noblest part; When He yearns with all His heart To create so great and bold a man, That all the world might be amazed, Watch his methods; watch His ways. How He ruthlessly perfects Whom He royally elects! How He hammers him and hurts him And with mighty blows converts him That only God understands; While his tortured heart is crying, And He lifts beseeching hands! How He bends but never breaks When His good He undertakes. How He uses whom He chooses, And with every purpose fuses him; But every act induces him To try His splendor out -- God knows what He's about! (1)

Lessons of Lilies

Lovies, just a quick post.  I wanted to share a breathtaking bird's eye view of my bearded irises.Every year they bring me JOY! if but for a few brief and fleeting days.


So this year I photographed them and then collaged them to preserve their splendour.

Enjoy!

If you can believe it or not, I am still working on tax reporting data.So I will say my goodbyes and go back to data. Will return again tomorrow to share with you a fresh new project,I promise!

Adieu!

XOX

Kelly

Love Letters from Japan

Last night, in my inbox, was an email from a friend that I haven't seen for awhile.  She had forwarded on

to us news she had received from a worker in Japan.   Not sure, but I am guessing that the sender is an 

expat.   But it was very encouraging, so I am posting it here.

The media is saying some horrific things; and I never am quite sure what is true vs. what is hysteria or even what is spoken or reported just to scare the living daylights out of normal folks.  The tragedy is a tragedy, but I know that good MUST and alot of good WILL come from this earthshaking event.....

The was so uplifting and positive, I just have to share it!

So, without further ado:   (copied and pasted directly)

I received this today from one of our Humanity’s Team Team mates.. and it is a wonderful Story coming out of all the disaster happening in Japan..

Much Love.. Helen, HT Canada

From my cousin ____________ in Sendai, Japan where she has lived for the past decade teaching English. Very moving!!

Hello My Lovely Family and Friends,

 

First I want to thank you so very much for your concern for me. I am very touched. I also wish to apologize for a generic message to you all. But it seems the best way at the moment to get my message to you.

Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to 

have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even 

more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home. We share 

supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.

During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out sign so people can come to fill up their jugs 

and buckets.

Utterly amazingly where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in 

lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an 

earthquake strikes. People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another."

Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens 

are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.

We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for 

half a day.. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on. 

But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not. 

No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much 

more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of 

non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group.

There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some 

places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun. 

People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking 

their dogs. All happening at the same time.

Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No 

cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered 

with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled. 

The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them 

silhouetted against the sky magnificently.

And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to 

check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on,

and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from 

whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking

to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they

need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, 

no.

They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is

a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is

better off than others.  Last night my friend's husband came in from the 

country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed

an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world 

right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now

in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I 

felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't. Rather, I feel as

part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of 

birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.

Thank you again for your care and Love of me,

With Love in return, to you all,

Our prayers and our hearts continue to go out to Japan, and relief efforts continue to  pour out a love for Japan and her people.  

Here is a link to donate should you desire to help alleviate the suffering in Japan by sending a gift:
Donate to Samaritan's Purse

Just thought I would pass along a positive report that sprang up in the midst of tragedy.

Good night my friends!
Will post again soon.....

Grateful, Peaceful, Hopeful, Restful

Well, maties, it's Sunday afternoon over here in Texas.   I look out over my 

eastern facing yard, and a lovely blanket of yellow leaves are resting on the cold

soil.   My 13 year old daughter is playing outside with her best friend, and our  yellow

Labrador Champ is standing there wagging his tail.     Four furry little baby Mini Schnauzers

are frolicking in the yard while their mom Annie and Dad, Lincoln watch over their friskiness.

Today I am tired, but very very satisfied.    Working hard is something that some people shun.

Some people think it is a waste of time.   Some even try to avoid it.   But the satisfaction 

of a job, well done, and effort put into starting and completing a project produces a joy that is 

sort of inexplicable.....

It's December 19 and there are 5 more shopping days until Christmas.   To date, I have neither

decorated my house nor trimmed a tree, nor purchased anything more than a woolen pair of handmade socks and an ipod case for someone I love.   But it doesn't really matter to me....

I am thankful tonight, and just wanted to share that with you.     I have run a marathon in the

past 6 to 8 weeks.   No, really, in the past 2 or 3 years, in fact.   In the middle, I got sick and that was not fun.  It almost ate my lunch figuratively speaking.   But help came, at just the right time.  Like a cold drink of pure water in the desert, help came and the finish line suddenly felt attainable again.   

I have had to simplify my grandiose ideas about what I produced this holiday season.   S I M P L I F Y.  

But the end result was an attainable offering that was simple to put together and easy to communicate.

There are LOTS of things that I planned but was unable to execute.  Some of it was poorly imagined and totally out of reach for me, but I can put that on my list for next year.    Some, too diverse and not conceived of in time.   Some, I spent too much time in introspection and comparison.   But that too, with a plan and sequentially laid out objectives, can be sought again next year.

The GOOD thing, though, is that my TARGET is in sight and becoming more of a reality day by day.   Four wholesale accounts opened up to me and I am so excited about this and hopeful for many more.   This keeps me on the edge and now the reality is beginning to break upon my understanding that now,  more than ever, wise planning and time allocation are necessary to attain fruitfulness and profit.    Number one, you are trading volume in sales, for profit in sales and hopefully the trade will still remain profitable.   I am not an expert on this, but I am beginning to see the challenge.   The exciting thing is......I can see it and am beginning to realize it.....and that is exciting.

I am very pleased with the way my packaging is beginning to take on definition of a brand conceived in my heart long ago.  My labels are beginning to look better and the labor of that is starting to pay off.    

I also am very pleased with the people I am meeting along the way.   I have made friends in the business community who are as I am but was afraid to go oh so long ago.    Ladies of steel, Steel Magnolias, if you will, who are not afraid to take risks, spread their wings and fly.  Fly solo, fly against the wind, against the fear, against the masses and persevere even in the midst of a barren landscape economically.    I am proud to know these ladies and to serve them.    

Today, my dear reader, I want to encourage you.   Is there a dream in your heart?    Can you see it?   Does it keep you up at night?   Does it make your heart skip a beat; perhaps beat a little faster?    What color do YOU dream in?    Technicolor, I hope!   

Because, if you can SEE it, my friend, then you can HAVE it!    This dream will test you, it will try you;  there will be days that you doubt if you ever had a dream, and if so, what it was.    There will be times you will be misunderstood, maligned, and the taunts of all the unseen fears of your lonesome heart will loom above  you on the bench of a court sent to try your very soul.   But, if you can Stay the Course, Face the Wind, Stand Strong, and Never Give Up, and work tirelessly as you pour out this vision, and pray for courage and then favor amongst men, then my friend, and only then, you will birth that vision and then rejoice as no other can.

I want to encourage you....spread your wings, put your eyes on the horizon, and then fly.  You were born for this!    Don't look down, nor back, nor even side to side.    Scream with the eagles and align yourself with like minded ones of faith, passion and bravery.  Read everything you can get your hands on, and never give up!  

I want to give you a picture of something to encourage you heart and was just considering of what that might be...but since I was just mentioning eagles, why in fact, I do have some pictures taken in January of 2009 of a pair of eagles who nested in a pasture down the road from my house in my subdivision.......so there!

Enjoy!

this one is not mine, but it is a good one!  

  Well, I am waxing poetic and as I do, I realize that it's dinner time and then tonight more work.  I love you my friend, dear reader!   I hope your Christmas plans are going well and that you may have some time after all the hustle and bustle to reflect on these and other words of wisdom and encouragement!

I will try to post more often......I promise!

Oh, one other thing happened that was cool today.....my Facebook Fan Page now has #100 Fans!   What? You didn't know I had a Facebook Fan Page!  Well then, hurry on over and like  it already!   I'm having a sale and if you are my Fan, you can get in on the sale too!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cassia-Candle-Fragrance/99007849160

Toodles for now!