Monet's Garden - Synaeda Blue Tulip

In spring, as you walk through the gardens of Giverny, the famous lily ponds of Claude Monet. You see the inspiration of Monet's impressionist paintings. The multitude of flowers beckons you to walk and sit and think. An artist inspired to sit and draw or paint. If you are not an artist, you want to sit and look and listen. Bee's buzzing, insects, chirping, and birds are flying by. It is a peaceful place. It is the pilgrimage of many, and many are here to enjoy the day.

Pictured here, the Synaea Blue Tulip, bloom in mid-late spring. They wave at you as the wind blows, bending the flower to and fro. You are far from the stress of modern-day life. Most people do know that this famous impressionist painter dealt with depression. Most of his life. There is irony, in fact, that his paintings are pleasant. They sold as a cure for stress, in the same way, the essential oils sold today. What will not surprise you is that his garden gave him comfort, and we are comfortable as we walk.

In our daily walk, as we pray and we find comfort.

It's you I like

Don't get ahead of me here... I am not talking about a Thank You Card.  The obligatory note that your mother made you send out when you got a pair of sox from your Great Aunt Rose or that white card with the word Thanks scribbled across the front.

I am talking about real GRATITUDE and a Gratitude Card!!! Oprah Winfrey talks about the benefits of a Gratitude Journal.  I sell them, so don't get me wrong; there is a huge benefit of using a gratitude journal, I use them, and I know just how valuable the practice is ... but Gratitude Journals are about us... right?  We are thinking about ourselves, what we get from the action of writing down our gratitude.  We are hoping to make ourselves feel better and work better and be better.

But a Gratitude Card, what is that you ask?  A Gratitude Card is a card you send out for no other reason than you thought of a person today and you wanted to remind them you care. A gratitude card is about someone else.  It is about giving someone else a reason to smile.  No strings attached.  Not because they were kind to you but because you are nice to them.

The world changes when we think of others, and the world is a brighter and happier place when we take a moment to be grateful for the people in our lives.  The next time you are reminded of someone.  Take a moment and send them a Gratitude Card :-)

The Swing by Auguste Renoir

 Do you see the people in the background of this picture? A group of men and women enjoying a spring day in France.  I usually focus on the girl on the swing.  I like her pretty dress, and I am sure that I am not the only woman in the world who says to herself, "I wish I could go back in time to life in France in 1876 when people got dressed up and went to garden parties."  A visit to France confirmed this fact.  Did notice picture of the swing? Curators bought a spring and connected it to the bottom to absorb the weight of even the most substantial figure.  Thousands of women, my self included, stepped upon it to imagine what it would be like to have our picture painted by Renoir and perhaps had a photo taken instead.

Renoir is fabulous.  When you look at his paintings, everything is beautiful, everything is delightful, and he ignored the ugly stuff. Renoir once said, "To my mind, a picture should be something pleasant, cheerful, and pretty, yes, pretty! There are too many unpleasant things in life without creating still more of them." I could not agree more.

What are you grateful for today?

Growing up in a Military household required many moves through the years.  In the early 70s and 80s, I did not have the internet and social media, so it was much more challenging to keep in touch with old friends.  I wrote letters and sent postcards while at the same time, I made new friends and learned about new cities, countries, and cultures.  Most of the time, I lost touch with friends. Life, like this, is exciting and sometimes overwhelming.

The advent of Facebook allowed me to reconnect with these old friends in a new way.  While some people are critical of the time we spend on social media; I have found Facebook to be a rewarding experience.

As I began painting again, after twenty years of raising children, posting my artwork on Facebook allowed me to gain confidence, refine my skillset, and receive positive feedback from many people who have known me much of my life.

One of my dearest friends came with me to my first "show," this past weekend, The United Methodist Annual Conference in Collierville, TN, allowed me to showcase my prayer journals and my gratitude journals in addition, to my artwork.  I recognized a man, and his wife, who had a significant impact on my life some 40 years ago.  There is so much joy in reunions such as these. I felt such support and kindness from these friends and everyone around me.

I am grateful for great friends and the relationships I have had, I am grateful for my new friends, and I am grateful for social media.

What are you grateful for today?

I think of nature, and flowers, trees that bloom, there are also steep hills to climb, narrow trails to navigate, and we are not born with a map

Our Christian walk is not a straight path.  It is more of a hike in the woods and, it can be like a walk in the park with many things to enjoy along the way.

I think of nature, and flowers, trees that bloom, there are also steep hills to climb, narrow trails to navigate, and we are not born with a map that lets us know what lies ahead.  We have unsuspected storms and other weather conditions that can make us cold, frightened, and hungry.

The Bible gives us many lessons to help us find our way, and a journal can also help us keep track of this journey and find comfort.  As we write each day, we consider our circumstances, actions, and emotions.   Every one of us has a different path, and we make different connections from one Bible verse to another bible verse.  Our inspirations also come from our spiritual leaders, friends, and other surprising places in literature, T.V. movies, and YouTube videos. As we write, our trail becomes more tranquil.

There is no "right way" to write in a journal, some of us write prose, some poetry, and sometimes we doodle or write a stream of thought allowing ourselves to imagine and vent our emotions.  Keep these journals private.  It is between you and God -  Do not worry about grammar, spelling, political correctness.  A journal belongs to you and you alone.

Rose Elaine Journals is a play on words.  For me, journaling is a "rosy lane"  filled with flowers and pleasant photos and paintings.   Find your journaling path and enjoy the exploration!

Sunflowers: hardy, conspicuous, and tall.

Sunflowers: hardy, conspicuous, and tall. 

Started out small. 

But not today.

Today. It stood erect and proud.

It turned its flower to the sun and basked in the 

warmth, and it grew.

Its proud heritage, his ancestors fed millions, their seeds brought joy, and the oil they produced was unmatched. 

The state flower of Kansas was pleased. 

Penelope preferred blue flowers, although any would do

Penelope preferred blue flowers, although any would do.

She wore flowers in her hair and put them in her room. 

She took walks in the park and picked one or two and carefully carried them home. 

She pressed them in books. 

She put them in vases. 

moreover, sometimes Penelope made flower's faces.  

Sometimes Penelope was silly.