Humble Beauty

I am such a sucker for flowers. I am that mom. You know the one. I would go to great lengths to pull over the car when my kids were small so we could pick wildflower bouquets. I used my best MIKASA crystal vase to ensconce dandelions or other assorted items others would probably dub weeds. But what are weeds anyway? 

Ralph Waldo Emerson describes them this way:

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered." 

I do try to appreciate beauty in what others may overlook. 

Now, don't get me wrong, I do love a bunch of matching flowers in a special vase (sounds like paws) as much as the next gal, but something in this little heart of mine goes pitter patter when a messy handful of wild blooms gets thrust my way. Fewer of these make it into my house now that my kids are all teenagers, but my response is still the same for the spontaneous gesture of flowers. I love them! Not once does it cross my mind that the value of these wildflowers is any less than those of the store bought sort. 

God created each of us with different talents, different gifting, and obviously with very different exteriors. I don't want to get caught in the trap of what people look like or putting value on the book's cover alone.

I spent many years worrying about what people thought of me and focusing on my exterior alone as the measuring stick for my significance and worth. God has had a huge project in me.  Yet He chose to transform me. He was ruthless in some ways and gentle in others. This has been far from a pain free process, I can assure you. 

However, the One Who knows me best and loves me most has not taken one break since I chose to follow His plan for my life back in 1980. Now that doesn't mean I haven't tried to climb off the potter's wheel when He sculpts, shapes and molds me to look more like what He created me for all those years ago. 

I still have days ( as recently as today) when I just want the refining process to be easier. I want the struggle to be simpler. I want to feel beautiful in spite of the chipping away that sometimes leaves me with visible scars and an altered image that can appear somewhat shocking to those who have gotten used to it. 

At any rate, I think I have an affinity for those "weeds" because I so identify with their dubious worth to the untrained eye. I am so grateful I am instead seen by the Creator whose eye continuously zeros in on my value, my worth, and my potential because He sees and knows the purpose for which He made me. 

I think I will go take one more whiff of that lovely red flower floating in a bowl on my counter before I head off to bed. My 14-year-old son still sees how happy those humble gifts make this mama. I hope he never forgets. (Makes me melt). Head on over here for more great writing.

On His Adventure~

Pam 

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A Few of My Favorite Things

I have mentioned a few times how much I love this season. While I do love the ever-present offerings of all things pumpkin, I also have a number of other interests. I am a huge fan of turning leaves, college football, and smelling a fire -- whether it be the bonfire kind or a domesticated variety in a fireplace.  I love Reese's pumpkins, indian corn-- you know, the candy corn with chocolate bottoms (can you still call it that?)

I have made a short list on the photo I posted today, but I thought I would take another quick moment to tell you a few more of my favorites before asking you to chime in and share your own autumn favorites:

• Apple cider -- cold or hot
• Apple pies -- crumb topped or fried
• Apple dumplings (yes, I am a bit obsessed with apples -- but not apple-scented anything)
• Fall mums -- any color
• Piles of crunchy leaves
• Hayrides
• S'mores
• Roasted marshmallows on their own
• Treks through the mountains
• Soups in the slow cooker

So, what are some of the ways you find every day beauty in this autumn season? Find some other great writing over here. Just in case you aren't already, maybe you could leave my bloggy spot singing this song today. Head on over. You know you want to . . .

On His Adventure~

Pam 

Beautiful Words

I love words. They draw pictures. In this case, they embellish photos. I have been having a blast making my own "posters" using a free app. and enhancing photos in fun and different ways. It is amazing to me to see how the addition of a phrase or verse of Scripture can extend the life and message of a photo. 

I know I am so late to the game where this is concerned, but it has added a new level of beauty to my days and enables me to utilize my little photography hobby in a fresh way. 

Thanks for humoring me. I am also thrilled to direct you over to here for more great writers. 

On His Adventure~

Pam. 

Clinging to Autumn

I'll readily admit to anyone who takes the time to ask that my favorite season is autumn. I love falling leaves. I enjoy all the fall-related flavors and tastes. Pile on the pumpkin in all its variety of uses. Sweet? I love it. Savory? Give me more of it. 

I love the colors of fall, the smells of fall, the crisp feel of fall on my skin before I run for a jacket or cozy sweater I've not worn since early spring, the tastes and the unforgettable sounds of fall. Yes, the sounds. You know them. The sounds of marching bands and football games, the crunching of those fallen leaves under your feet, the almost musical calls of geese overhead as they cross through our area on their yearly migratory trek further south, the noise of neighbors preparing their flower beds for what is rumored to be a rough coming winter, and the whimsical sounds of festivals and carnivals nearby just drinking in those final comfortable outdoor moments before everyone bundles up and heads indoors for the coldest season of the year. 

Maybe because I am getting older, or maybe because the melancholy part of myself is hovering near the surface pretty often lately, I find myself wanting to press the pause button. I want to put a halt on all things autumn and all the constant change it brings. We have had a couple of nasty rain storms over the past days, and the leaves are falling more rapidly than I find agreeable. So I just want to put the brakes on and hang onto the stunning glory that is fall. Let it last a little longer. I know I have no say in when those trees let loose and drop all their leaves, but if I could stall it for a bit longer -- well, I would. 

In the meantime, I guess I just need to be more intentional in my observation and appreciation of the majestic color show God is putting on for me, knowing His timing is perfect and His desire is to delight me. He is enough in all things. In that truth, I am content to find His beauty in the everyday. For more great writing, head on over here.

On His Adventure~

Pam 

A Crunchy Standoff

Because living gluten free has not taken away my hankering for the taste of a yummy, crunchy snack every now and again (read: pretty much every day), I am always on the lookout for items to add to my list of acceptable snackage. 

While this post is not inherently about beauty, I am sure there is something beautiful to be found in a great snack!

  I tried two different new-to-me items over the past couple of days and had very different reactions to them--both a surprise of some sort.

First up on the blog today is the LiveGFree Brand Cracklebread in Sun-Dried Tomato and Oregano from Aldi.

Let me preface this review by saying this: just about everything we've tried from Aldi's liveGfree line has been delicious. We have enjoyed products ranging from rice pasta to crackers to pizza crust mix to pancake/baking mix (you can read my daughter's take on that particular item here), not to mention the delicious bread offered by this line.

So, imagine my surprise when I got home today with a box of the cracklebread to sample and found it to be like a rectangular-shaped styrofoam plate. I gave it a hearty try and then smeared it with cream cheese in an attempt to redeem its foamy texture and very mild sun-dried tomato/oregano flavor.

It didn't work. The taste is bland and not well-seasoned The texture is not crispy crunchy. It is crisp upon first contact, but immediately upon connecting with saliva it disintegrates and becomes sticky on and in the teeth. Not fun or enjoyable. At $2.99/box for 21 pieces, it would seem like a really good deal. Considering the taste is less than delicious, I will not be buying this item again.

Next up is the sweet side of things. We picked up these cute, little crackers in the snack aisle at our local Ingle's. Grammy Crisps are a crispy crunchy offering in every sense of the word. Crunchmaster is a brand I have tried before, so I was anticipating a positive experience. These crackers are actually listed on the kid product line at Crunchmaster, but don't you dare let these tasty treats be just for kids. At Ingle's these were available for $3.15, but I did find them online for less than that. However, pricing aside, Grammy Crisps are well worth a purchase. Find out more about these here.

You get 25 crisps per serving according to the box inforomation. But I don't know how I would eat so many at one sitting, making the total servings go much further and the value increasing. 

I was expecting a strong Graham taste, but I was pleasantly surprised to find these favored more of a Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavor. And while the crisps are delicious on their own, I found them incredible topped with a light shmear of cream cheese. 

So, overall, the Crunchmaster Grammy Crisps were a hit. Taste and texture is excellent. Good value for the price, though I may be tempted to wait until I can find a coupon next time around. I will definitely be purchasing these little gems again. 

What are some of your favorite gluten free go-to snacks? Let me know, and I will feature them here so we can all benefit from your experience. Have a great day, and check back for more reviews soon.  Also, don't forget to head on over to Write 31 Days for more fantastic posts!

On His Adventure ~

Pam

Can't Help But Smile

Do y'all have certain things in your life that make you smile regardless of how down in the depths of despair you may find yourself?

What is your "go to" when nothing else can coax a grin?

I have a couple. Pictured at left is one of my top five. I bought these red boots for myself as a late birthday present when I turned 40. From the moment I first saw them on the website, I knew they had to be mine.

From the moment they arrived at my house in Rome, GA, they have brought a smile. No, they cause a full-out toothy grin that emits 1000 watts of illumination just about every time I see them. I. love. these. boots!

They're a little scuffed now, and they have survived a number of moves since they first joined me all those years ago,  but they still bring me great joy. I can't help but smile when I see them. My sassiness factor escalates at least 10 points when I wear them. I almost skip. Well, I do skip! You would too if you could find them. Because I can't, I also have my eyes on these. I think they may need to be my second pair someday.

Another certain smile starter joined my list several years back. I don't even have to see it to have the grin start to steal away at the corners of my mouth. I can picture the photo in my memory and have a chuckle almost immediately escape my mouth. Let me be in the presence of said photo taken at the Georgia Aquarium, and my chuckle erupts into a literally rolling on the floor laughing episode. I'd share the photo here, but the faces of the innocent must be protected.

After several rough days emotionally and physically, I have needed these tangible reminders of better times. I have needed some confirmed giggles -- those things you can always count on to dispel the gloom. Just when I find myself convinced I can't get out of bed, I find one of these day brighteners just the boost of hope I needed at the perfect time.

Maybe you can relate. Maybe you have those days too. I'd encourage you to find some rock solid joy bringers that put you in a place where you "can't help but smile."

Have a great rest of your weekend!

On His Adventure~
Pam

Joy and Beauty

I know the whole idea of the 31 days is meant to be about writing. For more reasons than I can count, the writing didn't happen today. Here's to trying again tomorrow. Until then, I am headed to bed and clinging to the promise above.

On His Adventure~
Pam

Thursday Thanks Tank #213

A few months into my blogging journey I realized I wanted a recurring post. (Great idea in theory -- not so much in practice unfortunately). I came up with a feature I called a "Thursday Thanks Tank: Filling up the Tank with Thanks" and started making a list each Thursday of how God had been filling my "tank" that week. 

Here's this week's list:

• Color: I love to paint and create. I never cease to be amazed at the plethora of colors available to me. Shading, lighting and perspective all give the colors I love a new life. Hopefully you'll get a peek at what I have been doing with color lately very soon.
• Roku: This little creation has transformed our family TV watching. I may never ever watch live television again. What did we do when we couldn't stop and rewind? Currently loving The Voice, Red Band Society, and of course The Middle.
• Mercies New Every Morning: After a day like I just finished, I am so grateful for the promise of a fresh start every new day.
• Sleep: Simple. Necessary. God ordained. Where I am headed now. 

Have a great Friday! Take some time to be intentionally grateful this week. You'll be glad you did.

On His Adventure~
Pam

Beauty Beyond Being Alone

I've mentioned I am a writer. I am also an editor and proof reader by trade. Putting my journalism degree to good use has ebbed and flowed throughout the past 20 or so years as I've woven stretches of other jobs in its midst.

I freelance occasionally in the editing/publishing world and have gotten the chance to transition home to work and be better for my family. Just when I think we won't make it and figure I must be mighty creative with the last can of beans on the pantry shelf, I find a project needing to be edited. God has been faithful when I am faithless, and He routinely makes beauty out of the messes I make on my own.

Working from home has had its pluses and minuses. At different times in having the privilege of doing freelance work from my house, I have gotten very used to being inside these four walls. They can become a cocoon of sorts, but even the butterfly must eventually brave the world outside the cocoon in order to fulfill the purpose for which it was created.

The pluses to this kind of job are many. I can work in my pajamas. I can start my day pretty much whenever I want. I can take breaks or take no breaks if I choose. I have no time clock, no one looking over my shoulder, few parameters to confine me, and I get paid to point out and correct other people's mistakes.

I love my job. I still need more work to make it financially lucrative over the long haul, but I do thoroughly love what I do, and I am good at it.

The down side to doing work from the house comes when I've not left the confines of this building for days on end and find it difficult to wear anything but pajamas. Add to that the fact of homeschooling my teenagers who need to interact with someone besides their middle-aged mother, and it is a must for me to push myself out the door and into the big world outside my bedroom.

The very nature of my line of work draws the introvert, the loner, the one who flees a crowd rather than the one drawn into the middle of it all. I am all of the above. I would much rather chat with someone via instant message or text than do the tough work of mingling in person. One energizes me and brings me comfort. The other drains me, leaves me weary, and at times longing for the solitude of my bed.

Yet, though it is a struggle at times for me to push out of the safety of the home cocoon,  I press on and find God meets me in my hermit tendencies. He gives me strength. He has people cross my path that make the venturing out worth the effort. He weaves beauty into all I see outside my well-crafted and self-imposed prison of sorts.

God takes the mundane and ordinary, turning it into an adventure as I laugh with my children and enjoy the fall weather. Peeking my head out of my virtual turtle shell was a success today. I might get brave and try it again tomorrow!

If anyone else struggles with the idea of home becoming too much of a haven, let me know what your strategies are to fight the hermit in your head. I'd welcome suggestions. I don't want to miss a thing God has for me out there in that big world. Go check out some of the other posts in the Write 31 Day challenge.

As always . . .

On His Adventure~

Pam

Beauty in Spite of Fear

I am afraid.

There. I said it.

I said it specifically to counteract the quote you see here by Mr. Jones. I am braver by far in admitting to my fear. Then it has far less power over me. Fear in the dark is much bigger fear and incapable of being overcome alone.

Left to my natural state, I can spend every waking moment and many of the night time ones afraid. Without the truth of God's Word, the support of my friends and family, and victories to recall -- I am afraid.

Viewing circumstances beyond my control, putting aside bills I have no way of paying, and dealing with pain that changes each day and yet is ever present -- and I am afraid.

Yet the Lord does not leave me there, and He doesn't want you there either. He addresses the topic of fear at least 365 times in His Word, and He offers you application after application in how to overcome and find beauty in the victory over your fears.

Let me offer you one nugget today. My life verse shows up here in the  image to the right. What I find to be empowering is that I am not left alone in my fear. I have help from the One who created me. He upholds me. He gives me strength. So, Mr. Jones, while the above quote looks fabulous on my colored pencil background, your sentiment does nothing but leave me alone to fight my fear. I am sticking with the one that will carry me through the difficulty and enable me to stand at the end of it.

May the truth encourage and strengthen you today as well. The beauty in it is unmistakeable.

On His Adventure~

Pam

Ridiulously Silly

I mentioned yesterday how I have chosen to start each day with the intention of making it ridiculous -- or at least to the level of crazy that I can get away with and still have a family who will talk to me as well as accompany me out in public.

Overall, my philosophy consists of this:

• Live life ridiculously. We only get once chance to make the most of every day.
• Leave a trail of beauty/fun/merriment and whimsy everywhere you go, because so many people are way too serious, and it is way easier to be joy-filled than growly anyway.
• Why not be the best interaction someone's had all day rather than add to the burdens they already carry?

Can I tell you some of the benefits from adopting this kind of attitude? First off, it gets my mind off myself. I am looking for opportunities to brighten someone else's day, bring joy if even for only a moment, and see how I can love people like Jesus does.

Secondly, it makes me less conscious of how others see me. It loosens my inhibitions in a good way. People respond to kindness in one common and fairly predictable fashion -- with more kindness. Sure, not everyone is about being smiled and waved at by someone they don't know. I had one person yesterday who just averted their eyes at my friendliness.

Just one.

Everyone else I initiated with responded with a big smile and a wave back. Today I brought a smile to the face of a poor guy who was riding in the back of a pickup truck. His wave was vigorous, I must say!

People may think I am someone they know, but guess what? If they drive away bumfuzzled at my open, genuine expression of joy at living and kindness toward them -- another person sharing this big world -- I figure that can't be a bad thing. They were noticed. They experienced joy for a second in what may have been an otherwise humdrum or plain, old burden-filled day.

I am the first person to say how life gets in the way of building connections with others. I am naturally an introvert. I can go days without interacting with anyone but my own children and not really miss being in touch with anyone else. Yet, after moving around as much as we have in the past few years, I know what it feels like to be invisible. I know what it feels like to be ignored, overlooked and left out by those I thought were heart friends, family, and people in the Christian community in general.

I am only one person, but I know I can make a difference. I can reach out through my silliness and through putting my own fears and worries aside and take notice of the people who cross my path each day -- sometimes for only a second. It's not all that hard, and the burst of joy I find in the ridiculousness of it all makes up for any uncertainty that breezes through my little head occasionally.

How about you? Can you embrace the ridiculous and take a chance at making someone's day? What are ways you can leave a trail of beauty in the place you've been planted?

On His Adventure~
Pam

Living Life Ridiculously 101

I've come to a delightful realization with each passing year. As I near my next birthday in November, my resolve to live each day with a joy bordering on a manageable level of the ridiculous is woven into every one of them.

What am I talking about here? Let's work with the short list today:

• Smiling at everyone, regardless of whether they smile back. Today I did this on the commute to my husband's place of work. The guy I grinned and waved at vigorously on the interstate reciprocated immediately with a vigorous wave and a silly grin, too. (The wave needs to be vigorous, or you might be mistaken for some other offensive hand gesture.)
• Skipping. While pushing my buggy at the grocery, or at Target, or anywhere that provides me with wheels to get where I'm going faster, I choose to skip. Yes, people chuckle as I skip by. Yes, my teenagers are occasionally averting their eyes and attempting to disassociate themselves from me.  No one has told me to stop skipping and genuine smiles have been more common than ridicule.
• Greeting people warmly. I know this seems like a less than ridiculous proposition, but you'd be surprised at how many people are caught off guard by this simple gesture.
• Singing loud for all to hear. Hmm . . . this list is beginning to sound like a list from one of my favorite Christmas movies, isn't it? I find singing to be a way to dispel the foulest of moods, and I guarantee if you sing with any sort of gusto and sincerity about you that people either join in or at the very least, chuckle in amusement.

• Dance like no one's looking. Yes, I have been known to don my Tiffany Blue Chuck's and dance right out of the convenience store while singing to Pharrell's "Happy" at the top of my lungs.

Sooo . . . if this ridiculous behavior hasn't completely put you off and made you want to run for the hills away from my blog, please click on the "Happy"link and do a little dance in my honor.  I know I'm going to . . . and I've discovered this song is quite the workout for a gal in my current physical condition. Stay tuned for more ways to live ridiculously and love it!

Leaving a trail of beauty~

Pam

Who Is This Gal?

Pam Darbonne is a freelance writer/editor/proofreader by trade. Her degree is in journalism, with an emphasis on magazine writing and editing from Kent State University. She has done a number of journalistic pursuits over the years -- including, but not limited to projects for Thomas Nelson Publishers, Fox Faith and FamilyLife.

Pam is a self-proclaimed doodler and creator of beauty. Pam looks for ways to bend the rules, rise above her circumstances and live ridiculously.  She draws inspiration from her relationship with the Lord, the beauty she sees He has created around her, and the daily thriving, sometimes more just surviving alongside those she loves.

Pam has had a lifelong struggle from within to unleash both the voice, talents and gifts God has given her. She has dabbled in blogging off and on since 2005; sprinkling that time with long episodes of silence.

However the years have also been mingled both with God-inspired posts of bravery as well as the reality of soaring above everyday chaos. Pam has also battled an inner desire to express herself which too frequently collides with the penchant for constant comparison and her own shortcomings on the mental measuring stick.

So, in an effort to embrace a fresh start, Pam emerges with her paintbrush in hand, her words intact, and her Tiffany blue Chuck Taylor's tied tightly on her happy feet as she attempts to dance her way through the day -- always leaving a trail of beauty and living life as ridiculously as possible.

Consider this an invitation to drop your inhibitions at the door, grab a paintbrush, marker, colored pencil, broken crayon nub, pack of your favorite play dough, or common yellow #2 pencil and to create something that will leave a mark for future generations. Leave a trail of beauty everywhere you go and see how many smiles you create along the way.

Because, you know what? "Smiling is my favorite." ~Buddy the Elf