Friday’s Odds and Ends

C.S. Lewis was a great philosopher and writer, often quoted with good reason. He had a good mind and a way with words that are inspiring and sometimes a challenge to a current way we may be thinking. His essays on religion were often part of academic scholarship, and sometimes controversial. The following words of wisdom have always been favorites of mine.

Image of a quote from C.S. Lewis: There are far, far, better things ahead than any we leave behind.

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Lewis’s quote sets a tone for the following wisdom I recently found on the the Inspiring Quotes website.

Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” That quote from artist and writer Mary Anne Radmacher really resonated with me when I first read it, and I’ve bookmarked that page so I can read the quotes when I need the boost.

So often lately my voice saying, “I’ll try again tomorrow” is tinged with anger and frustration over the health issues that seem to pile one on top of another, interfering with so much in my life.

My writing is too often stalled to practically nothing.

It’s more challenging to walk as often and as long as I used to.

Daily chores are more difficult.

Dare I say when I last swept my kitchen floor?

Then there was this quote from John Wooden, NCAA basketball coach in the same article about coping with illness, Never let the things you cannot do prevent you from doing the things you can.That’s one that I should print and paste to my bathroom mirror as I start each day to turn my thinking from the negatives to the positives:

I have a wonderful dog who likes to go for walks. I can walk three blocks, sometimes more.

I can write 200 words, and somedays a lot more. (Cheering on the good days.)

Sometimes I can talk on the phone for more than 10 minutes without causing flares of pain.

I can still enjoy hobbies, if only for short periods.

If I take enough pain meds, I can visit with family and friends for a few hours. And with less pain meds I can interact with people on social media in short bursts of computer time.

I’ve made lots of friends in the #WritingCommunity on Twitter, where we support each other and post uplifting and positive messages. There are also lots of artists who share lovely photographs and sketches and paintings that make me smile. All of that creates a positive energy that is certainly good for everyone who interacts on the social platform.

And it’s certainly good for me. It helps me gather strength to sometimes roar, and sometimes whisper that life is good in spite of the challenges.

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Now just a brief mention of the results of the election in Alaska as reported on NBC News. “On Wednesday, the Alaska Division of Elections announced that former state Rep. Mary Peltola had defeated former Gov. Sarah Palin in the special election for the state’s vacant U.S. House seat, becoming the first Alaska Native ever elected to Congress and the first Democrat to win a statewide election since 2008.”

The article goes on to say what the election results might mean for November, but what came to my mind first when I heard the report was, “It’s about time.”

Is the era of electing a reality TV star to a government position over?

I certainly hope so.

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As is sometimes my custom on Fridays, I’ll close with a few jokes from The Laugh Factory. Laughter also adds a lot of positive energy to the world.

Two guys are walking through a game park and they come across a lion that hasn’t eaten for days. The lion starts chasing the two men. They run as fast as they can and the one guy starts getting tired and decides to say a prayer, “Please turn this lion into a Christian, Lord.”

He looks to see if the lion is still chasing and he sees the lion on its knees. Happy to see his prayer answered, he turns around and heads towards the lion. As he comes closer to the lion, he hears the it saying a prayer: “Thank you Lord for the food I am about to receive.”

You’re on a horse, galloping at a constant speed. On your right side is a sharp drop off, and on your left side is an elephant traveling at the same speed as you. Directly in front of you is another galloping horse but your horse is unable to overtake it. Behind you is a lion running at the same speed as you and the horse in front of you. What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation? Get off the merry-go-round!

A priest, a minister, and a rabbi want to see who’s best at his job. So they each go into the woods, find a bear, and attempt to convert it. Later they get together. The priest begins: “When I found the bear, I read to him from the Catechism and sprinkled him with holy water. Next week is his first communion.”

“I found a bear by the stream,” says the minister, “and preached God’s holy word. The bear was so mesmerized that he let me baptize him.”

They both look down at the rabbi, who is lying on a gurney in a body cast. “Looking back,” he says, “maybe I shouldn’t have started with the circumcision.”

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That’s all for today from me, folks. I hope you have a fun and restful weekend ahead. Be safe. Be happy.

Before you go, check out this contest at the Kindle Book Review, where I’m one of the sponsoring authors with my historical mystery, BOXES FOR BEDS. Entering is easy and you could win a $300 Amazon Gift Card. It’s a special Back To School Giveaway that ends September 9th.

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