About Perfection

PERFECTION: (As per Merriam Webster Dictionary)
1) :the quality or state of being perfect: as
a: freedom from fault or defect : flawlessness b : maturity
c : the quality or state of being saintly
2)a : an exemplification of supreme excellence
b : an unsurpassable degree of accuracy or excellence

Perfection is not a state than any Earthly being can attain. Perfect being without flaw and supreme excellence, it would stand to reason that the only valid source of perfection would be found in that which we worship, or God(s), regardless of religious or spiritual preference. Yet, day after day, people insist on trying to achieve some level of perfection. Trying to achieve your personal best in things like sports of your jobe are healthy. But excessive mutilation of your body (plastice surgery overdrive) is not healthy. Also, idolizing others as opposed to respecting or admiring them for their achievements, is unhealthy. Really simply, it goes back to that saying, "No one is perfect." Don't follow others; make your own way, lead and strive to be the best version of yourself. Save the devotion to perfection for the One(s) that deserve worship.

~M.G.~

NaPoWriMo! & Day 1

APRIL! A great month because it's my birthday month and secondly because it's National Poetry Writers Month! Woo-hoo! I'm taking the 30-day challenge~ A poem each day in April! Without delay, here is the first challenge and my piece! _*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Day 1: Write a poem where each line starts with a letter from your first name (an acrostic). It can be about anything, but it should not be about you or your name.

*MARALIS*

Morning comes, offering renewal
Another chance to be your best self
Reflect on all that you have learned
And be thankful for life and good health
Let today be the day
Invite love and joy to walk with you
Surely, a smile will follow

LPS-

Re-Inventing!

If there is one thing in this world that I am fairly certain of, it is that nothing at all stays the same! With that thought in mind then, why should WE? It's heard all the time in relationships: "you're not the same as you were in the beginning." OF COURSE NOT! With regard to relationships, the beginning is the wooing period. But aside from that, people grow, evolve, change! It's a fact. It would be total shame if they didn't. Every experience, bad or good, is a learning opportunity. From that, you approach the next thing a little differently. Simple example: If you walk down the street and trip on a crack in the side walk, next time you are likely to be more careful and avoid that crack. Some people keep tripping, and it takes a little longer for them to register, "AVOID THE CRACK!" The point is, experiences change you.
However, aside from experience, we also posess a power. That power is free will. My daughter woke up cranky one morning. I told her that as the day passed she'd feel better and she said it wouldn't. It was then that I told her (and reminded myself in the process) that when you wake up each morning, you have the power to change your mind in any way that you'd like. Even if you wake up feeling uptight, you can DECIDE that you will shake that mood and have a great day! So we stood in front of the mirror and smiled and blew kisses at our own reflection and she started laughing, and just like that, her mood was chipper! You can decide who, what and how you want to be.
So why stay the same, when you can adjust to be your best self? Re-Inventing!!! Make a list of the things you would like to do/be. Make a list of the things you'd like to change about yourself. Then work on one of those at a time. I'd like to be more fit. So, I am making a promise to myself to exercise at least 4 times a week. No excuses, just do it! I do not like my eating habits in regards to sweets. (I have a SERIOUS weakness for cake. One slice is never enough!) So I am not depriving myself, I am treating myself, to one serving of a yummy sweet treat a day! I am re-inventing myself. I am making changes and adjustments that will make me feel good about myself. So needless to say, tomorrow, I will not be the same as I am today. I'm climbing UP the ladder, not down! So should you!!

~M.G.~

Great way to start the new year!

I didn't really make a resolution this year. I just decided to resolve to focus on self-development. Part of that is committing to doing the things that make ME feel good. What I have nailed down: being a good wife, being a good mom, volunteering in my community. What I DON'T have nailed down: doing the things that nourish my soul and make me feel great, inside and out. I feel guilty, plain and simple, to do things that solely benefit me. However...when I think about it a little more in depth, if I feel better and happier, won't that benefit everyone around me as well? I just need to work on reminding myself of that. My home and family will not fall apart if I take a little bit of time for myself. I forget this. Every now and then I get a little reminder, a nudge. I did. I haven't written in a while, wholly consumed by the duties of a domestic goddess and super mom. However, a few days ago, I got an email, a congratulatory email, stating that a piece that I had written and submitted has been accepted for submission in an upcoming Anthology! I also have a different piece being published in a different Anthology in March of this year! I read this good news email and then the words morphed into: "See girl, what is the matter with you? Your words matter, you have a skill, a gift. You need to stop complaining about not having the time, and MAKE the time. Writing is your thing, and you are being very neglectful! Get back to it, woman!" Or something like that... So it's a good start to 2011. A little more me time is in order, and I think that everything will still be okay in the home! (chanting, "abandon the feelings of guilt and be your best selllllllllf....")

~MG~

*New Year, New Challenges*

Another year of life! Fantastic, thanks God!! What will this year bring? I don't know that anymore than I knew ahead of time last year that I'd be moving to Texas, that my mini-van would break down in the middle of TN, that my husband will need major knee surgery, etc...you just NEVER know. What I DO know is that I have the power to choose what I want to challenge myself with this year! I love a good challenge. I have come to learn that all, great and small, can empower me and/or enhance my life in some way. A fun challenge I am starting this year is taking a photo everyday for a whole year, 365 days of snapshots! (I found a page on FB called SNAP 365 and it sounded like fun!) I am also challenging myself to use my voice more this year. We often think that as one person, we can't do much. But if each ONE did, it would have an effect. I believe that my ability to write is a gift. What am I to do with this precious gift that was given to me? I intend to find out this year! What is your natural gift? What do YOU plan to do with it this year?? Find challenges for yourself, great and small! Commit to being a better version of yourself this year. That's my plan!

~MG~

Called to Do

I've always been the type of person to try to accomplish things. I have many diverse interests, and (neither you nor) I never what hobby, project, idea or endeavor I will want to try next! I usually just go for it. I don't really believe in the word "can't" unless I've actually tried it and found that I absolutely CANNOT accomplish the mission at hand! Here's the thing...my mind is pretty much non-stop, and there are always ideas brewing in my head, so I am pretty much always into something! Once I get an idea/thought, I go full-on. The project I am currently so passionate about is starting this group called Journaling Army Wives! I'm incredibly excited about it and believe in the good it will do. But, I truly feel that this idea found its way to me, from somewhere, someone higher than me. I feel so compelled to bring this to success and fruition. I believe we, as humans, are here to execute master plans, details great and small. Every incidence of progress, creates the space for change and advancement of human kind. No one who does something from the goodness of their heart should feel like their contribution is too small, because all of those small things add up to something grand. So people I urge you to go, do, try and don't submit to thinking you can't before you've attempted. Wishing everyone success in any endeavor they are passionate about!

MG/LPS

Journal Grp For Deployed Spouses-HELP~

Hello all! I will be creating a journaling group at my local installation here. My intention is to facilitate a group with journaling prompts followed by coffee & tea. It will be a way to meet & bring together women who are going through a deployment, and a way to realease some of the stresses related to it. I am quite excited and passionate about this project & I think it will do a lot of good! Here's how YOU can help the spouses of deployed service members!



***I would like for these spouses to be able to come in with nothing but themselves; I'd like to be able to provide a journal to start with, for each participant.
**If you want to or know someone who may want to donate a simple blank journal, please get in touch with me.** It does not have to be fancy, and every little bit counts. Even if YOU cannot, you may know somone who can donate a journal. :-)



Thank you so much in advance to everyone! Spread the word!



You can reach me here or via email, poeticseamstress@gmail.com