Who Do We Follow?

About Who We Readily Follow As Bloggers

And What We Model For Those Following us

[In our everyday lives or on the printed pages of our blogs]

Do you remember this song as a very young child?

"Oh, be careful little ears what you hear,

Be careful little eyes what you see,

Be careful little mouth what you say......"

[and always ending with-]

'"For the Father up above,

Is watching down in love...." 

How exciting when I stumble across a new friend-in real life or on the internet as I am drawn to a face book post or a blog name and post that speaks  to me.  (Theresa )  http://shoestringelagance.blogspot.com/

What To Do Weekends #144

http://shoestringelagance.blogspot.com/

I can be...easily drawn in to another's story, personality or style.  Like a new sure fire cleaning product that works like none before I want to immediately share the good things I come across with others who would appreciate it. (Carolyn)    Aiken's House & Gardens

Aiken's House & Gardens

Beyond that I eagerly even unselfishly share - Yes, I tend to be very trusting or let's just say it I am often naïve. Trusting~  

(Heather)  StringtownHome

And yes even Beyond that [the first beyond above] I so admire what I am reading that I even consider that  I might need to rethink my own presentation- [trying to be a bit like that writer]

(Dayle) at A Collection of Days

Take a deep breath -  read further ....

Mr. Lincoln 2015

I remain committed to a blog content that is   Transparent... as open in sharing as one can be  without laying so much of the R E A L out there that my readers are weary of the pain or sadness...

In other words I want to respect the sensitivities of my readers whom I have invited to come along with me on what we so often call a journey- I neither want to bore you or embarrass you with "too much up close and personal" - [TMI]

These boundaries don't limit me in any way- Boundaries help to keep me true to self and my original motivation for being here.

Stay with me now- just in case I begin to "chase a rabbit" - When my children were very young -especially the 3 boys who were 18 & 13 months apart- I experienced the same frustrations & challenges as  young mothers do today...just in a different environment. * I recall days with my head bowed and face covered praying aloud: "Dear God, how can I get through this day?"

[*Perhaps this is the key right here-where do we turn for help, comfort or SOS/911 calls -]

I also remember being reminded by those Holy Spirit nudges that I should model/mirror for those **3 little boys what I wanted to see in them...specifically manners, speech-language.  I realized I could not be rude to them and expect them to communicate with me and each other with respect. It was not a sermon, reading scripture that spoke this to me - I began to notice how important simple ordinary things like 'please & thank you & excuse me" etc. were in the dailies of parenting this dynamic, often difficult three musketeers. Many days I never felt like a winner in this monumental Mommy challenge.  Most~

Circa 1970

**Why do I refer to 3 little boys when all who know me realize we had a fourth child...a beautiful, wonderful daughter- laughing out loud-perhaps a reward for surviving the first three. I often speak of "the boys" together b/c they were a singular group blessing and challenge. Girl challenges came later.( just couldn't resist throwing that in there.)

We did have a four year break between 'the boys' and our daughter.

I was still in my twenties and not a spiritually mature young mother.  I wanted to be. I intended to be-this was the desire of my heart, but I was  young and learning-indeed struggling. Our four were born between 1960 & 1966. When I was 25 1/2 years old we were a family of six.

We have to insert here...these were the days when the rule of thumb or norm was:

• Girls did not fight
• Girls did not [generally] smoke
• Girls/ladies did not 'Cuss'
• Boys Didn't hit girls
• Men did not use foul language within hearing of ladies-now the designation lady is optional & I always felt this was hypocritical....bad language is wrong in the presence of women or not
• People-decent people- seldom heard [unless whispered] forms of the F word

My husband's explanation for that would go like this:  "They had respect for others or for themselves."

When we did wrong, even vile things we knew the name for it was SIN...It was wrong and was not labeled 'right', normal or a slip of the tongue.

I said all that to say this:  Some language was so vile or explicit that I knew it was never coming out of my mouth- [seriously]

*Some I follow with confidence because we have a history either in real life or

online and others because I have read much of their online content I feel safe

quoting or linking to them.

Looking Forward-

Jonell

Today there is little among us as far as respect for self...or those around us.  (jh)

End of Rabbit Chase- 

Note to self: Don't be so quick to be enamored by the talent or style I encounter in this vast display of ourselves on this world wide web. That's enough.

Note to Reader:  While I feel I may have scrambled two slightly different topics together here I will leave it with you for now and come back with fresh eyes to try to sort it all out more succinctly if possibly. Thank you for bearing with me and understanding - I hope!