I don’t often close the windows of our house in early September, but I found myself doing it this week to keep out the smoke of the nearby wildfires. And this unusual, unseasonal behavior got me thinking about windows.  Windows.  I love windows. They can give us wonderful views of the outside world, and where I live, that’s a gift to see. I love watching the trees dance in the wind, the flowers open their petals to the sun, and the stretch of open land filled with greenery that leads down to the nearby river. When I look out my windows, I normally am reminded of the goodness and greatness and creativity of our great God.  So my windows usually provide a view of a world I want to see. A world of beauty. This week, though, it’s all changed. Smoke from the nearby fires surround and envelop our decades old trees, smoke fills our garden with a yellow tinge to the point where day seems almost like night. Our porch is covered with ash.  It’s a bit freaky. And so, I close th...

I was sitting on my front porch talking to a friend on the phone. I described the beauty of what I could see: the roses and other flowers, the bushes, and even a beautiful old cedar tree. I told her what a treat it was to sit on our big porch, on a glorious summer day, with a blue sky above and a soft breeze blowing.  However (I told my friend) I also can see the weeds that need ripping out, the plants that need watering and pruning, and the cobwebs and dust scattered all over the porch.  The thought came to mind – how do I choose to view my world? At my house, we seem to be perpetually in a planting and pruning mode. We continue to take back our land from blackberries and weeds, and the process can seem never-ending.  Five years ago we created a parking area for guests, three years ago we laid out a labyrinth, and since that time we have added flowers, shrubs and pathways to an area set aside as a prayer garden. At the same time, we continue to attack encr...

My guest blogger this week is my dear friend, Connie McDonald. She is an inspirational author, and creativity encourager who is passionate about living live with joy, color and fun. You can learn more about her, her books, and the classes she offers at www.paxsonhouse.com As long as you look at something the same way, you will get the same feeling or results.  As soon as you try on a different way of looking at something, the sooner you will experience different feelings, responses, and more freedom. This sounds self-evident and noble and wise, until you are gripped in the vice of a repetitive, negative emotionally stuck viewpoint.  Let me give you some practical examples of how this has played out recently in my own life. The other day I found myself commenting/complaining that the reason I didn’t sew was because of my middle school, home-economics project fiasco. My reaction was in response to a traumatizing experience during my first attempt to sew a zipper i...