The Little Things in Life

 This is "Pennies from Heaven" by Bing Crosby and I love this song so much I never realized how it applies to being Patient before in a kind of dreamy way :)

 A long time ago

A million years BC

The best things in life

Were absolutely free.

But no one appreciated

A sky that was always blue.

And no one congratulated

A moon that was always new.

So it was planned that they would vanish now and them

And you must pay before you get them back again.

That's what storms were made for

And you shouldn't be afraid for

Every time it rains it rains

Pennies from heaven.

Don't you know each cloud contains

Pennies from heaven.

You'll find your fortune falling

All over town.

Be sure that your umbrella is upside down.

Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers.

If you want the things you love

You must have showers.

So when you hear it thunder

Don't run under a tree.

There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me

To me that whole song is about accepting the 'bad things' that happen, the situations that don't work out, the not fun stuff, the frustrating stuff, accept it like the blessing from God it actually is!  Just like the song said we wouldn't appreciate everything we do have if it was ALWAYS there and ALWAYS perfect.  My pastor preached on patience this last Sunday (the first sunday I've gone in about a month and it was an amazing sermon! it really spoke to me!) and I've been some situations this last weekend/week that I have needed every ounce of patience I thought I contained...and then some lol I'm also learning from his sermon, this song, some other places, and this quote "When you don't know what to do don't do anything at all".  That sometimes there's nothing you can do, and thats the best thing to do, just wait.  Let it happen don't try to intervine.  Everything happens for a reason. 

These were the views I was looking at while I was sitting outside reading, it was so pretty I felt so blessed! 

I also sat outside this evening (looking at those views when I wasn't reading) and had a really good, really small glass of Red wine! (Medicinal Purposes I tell you)

Reasons why red wine is good for you

1. Wine could preserve your memory. When researchers gave memory quizzes to women in their 70s, those who drank one drink or more every day scored much better than those who drank less or not at all. Wine helps prevent clots and reduce blood vessel inflammation, both of which have been linked to cognitive decline and heart disease, explains Tedd Goldfinger, DO, of the University of Arizona School of Medicine. Alcohol also seems to raise HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, which helps unclog your arteries. 
2.  Keep the scale in your corner
3. Studies find that people who drink wine daily have lower body mass than those who indulge occasionally; moderate wine drinkers have narrower waists and less abdominal fat than people who drink liquor. Alcohol may encourage your body to burn extra calories for as long as 90 minutes after you down a glass. Beer seems to have a similar effect.
4.  Red wine decreases the harmful effect of smoking on the endothelium - layers of cells that provide a friction-reducing lining in lymph vessels, blood vessels, and the heart.
5.  One of the well-known and most studied benefits of red wine is its heart protective effect. Moderate consumption of red wine on a regular basis may be a preventative against coronary heart disease. Scientists believe the red wine reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing production of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and boosting high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
6.  Red wine produces anticlotting, or antithrombotic, action. Light to moderate consumers of wine have lower levels of protein fibrinogen which promotes blood clot formation.
7. Red wine may prevent the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis (hardening or "furring" of the arteries). Atherosclerosis starts when blood vessels begin to lose their ability to relax. Both the alcohol and polyphenols in the red wine appear to favorably maintain healthy blood vessels by promoting the formation of nitric oxide (NO), the key chemical relaxing factor that plays an important role in the regulation of vascular tone.  
8. Two glasses of red wine (250 ml), taken together with a meal, lower post-meal blood pressure in hypertensive persons. 
9.  Red wine intake reduces the risk of kidney stone formation.
10.  Moderate wine drinking correlates with a lower risk for Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found that resveratrol, a red wine polyphenol, produces neuroprotective effects.
11.  The lowest mortality rates are amongst those who regularly consume one or two drinks a day. According to studies, teetotalers have higher rates of mortality, while the mortality rate rises rapidly amongst those who drink three or more drinks a day.
12.   Moderate consumption of red wine is believed to lower the risk of breast cancer. However, drinking more than 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks per day increases the risk of breast cancer in women, so moderation is key.
13.  A glass of red wine per day reduces the risk of lung cancer.
14.   Four or more glasses of red wine per week has been shown to reduce men's overall risk of prostate cancer by 50% and the risk of the most aggressive forms of prostate cancer by 60%.
15.  New research shows that red wine contains melatonin. Melatonin regulates the body clock, so drinking a glass of red wine before bed may help you sleep. Melatonin is also an anti-oxidant, which means it also has anti-aging and cancer preventative properties

I also worked on my first project today, today was the first day of my 'restoration' lol if you're confused see my page titled 'I am Closed' I kept busy all day and it flew by!  I haven't felt that content and satisfied with myself in a while, setting small reachable goals for everyday is so good for me!  Anyway my first project was something small, I put sand, shells, and rocks that Stephen and I collected on our first trip to the beach in Mason Jars and decided to take some pictures.  When I was done I also poured the leftover sand on my hands and feet!  Lol it felt so good, I just instantly relaxed and felt more calm, and at peace.  I really do love the beach, it was nice experiencing a little piece of it today!  It's also nice to have these treasures for the rest of our lives :)

Some really awesome points from the pastor's sermon that really stuck with me

1. Use what we're given in the time we are given
2. It's not up to you to know when, it's up to you to be ready
3. Make the most of every opporunity God gives you
4. Sometimes he just wants you to wait
5. Wait for his timing
6. There's more to do where you are right now than you could ever imagine
7. Staying put and waiting are two of the hardest things for us to do as humans
8. You can wait and wait in activity

So pretty much just because what you want to happen right now isn't, doesn't mean waiting has to be miserable it doesn't mean that waiting means you have to inactive there are a million productive things to do while you wait.  And I'm starting to take that to heart and today was my first day of 'waiting in activity' and I must say it was awesome!

The Little Things In Life

1. Classic, uncomplicated, beautiful music like Bing Crosby
2. Wonderful, easy to understand, yet moving sermons by the Pastor
3. Waiting in activity
4. being patient and enjoying every moment of it
5. Doing small projects that make you feel good for accomplishing something
6. the feel of warm sand running through your fingers and over your toes
7. A small glass of cool red wine in the evening while reading outside
8. feeling the wind on your skin thats still warm from the sun
9. writing
10. figuring out what you want to do
11. Wearing yourself out with exercise
12. a warm cup of tea at the end of a good day

 Random Tid-bits from a good devotional I read

1. "I do not ask my cross to understand, my way to see-better in darkness just tofeel thy hand, &follow thee"
2. "What i do now thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter" (John 13:7)
3. "We see no reason for dealing so dark and mysterious but he has a noble end and object in view"

Also been drinking green tea in the evenings and it is so nice and relaxing, here is why its good for you :D

1. Lower cholesterol levels and rates of heart disease
2. Help protect against bacterial infections
3. Promote joint health and stronger bones
4. Reduce inflammation
5. Enhance the effects of antibiotics, even against drug-resistant bacteria and “superbugs”
6. Cancer Prevention: The catechins found in green tea slow the production of free radicals which helps to protect the body’s cells and thus protecting cancer of the lungs, skin, prostrate and colon.
7. Heart Health: Green tea works to create healthy LDL (bad cholesterol) levels and HDL (good cholesterol) levels. It, also, keeps the arteries clean promoting good blood flow. Together, healthy cholesterol levels and good blood flow work to prevent heart attacks and strokes. <3
8. Diabetes Prevention: Properties in green tea help to naturally lower blood sugar levels and may help control diabetes.
9. Fat Burner: Researchers are discovering the thermogenic properties of green tea which work to
10.  promote fat oxidation in the body.