CHANGE OF THOUGHT

I have had a change of thought recently. I always thought of life on earth as being in   stages. The caterpillar stage was me crawling along through life with out the Saviour Jesus. I thought it was where I walked on legs and couldn't fly;  in the dirt and close to life, with not much view of broader, bluer skies. I thought becoming a believer was when I got my wings. That's what I thought. 

One day I had such an insight, I realized that this life's stages are not that way at all! Yes, the caterpillar stage is the stuggle to personhood, the stuggle to find the One who will set you free. But I had forgotten the pupa stage. Where it's all about changing, about becoming authentic. 

It's the stage where I have a Comforter with me, and a Saviour encouraging me to keep on, to finish well. 

The stage of decay of the old and the transformation into the new.

I am in that stage, the pupa stage. My outerness, some call it the body, is decaying, crumbling, weakening. My inner? Well I feel something developing, I feel wings happening! Not the feather kind, but but the ones that will cause me to lose my breathe, and unfold finaly to  take me to another realm. 

The wings that will open one day into the sunshine of heaven, where I will be authentically me. I am not talking angel's wings either, but my own special transformation, as butterfly from caterpillar. 

Right now, all is well with my pupa stage of life. Could do with a little less creaking and groaning of the knees , but soon, not needing them, I will fly. Transformed and made new! 

Ahhhhh, life is so good though, while I am waiting to fly! 

I love this, but for me, it's more like taking a leap, and building wings on the way up! 

Just some thoughts for the day, have a great one, wontcha!

CONTEMEPLATING FLYING

CONTEMPLATING FLYING......

which to me means, looking at the days going by, thinking about this week, that I thought was already finished, only to find out TOMORROW  is Friday, not today!! Wow, an extra day of flying this week!

Every day holds it's own blessings, and some days more than others. I count it a good day when I laugh hard. Especially with special friends, and my husband, laughing makes me fly! 

Flying for me is making the most of   life. I really didn't think life would fly by, and speed up in these latter days. I thought things would slow down, and dwindle down. The only dwindling seems to be in the physical! 

I get up the way I used to see my mom get up, stiff in the knees, stiff in the feet. But she flew right up to the end, and then on into Eternity. She was actually singing in a choir, when she had a stroke. She was in her 80's! Still flying now with a Heavenly Choir! 

 I flew, I fly, I will fly.... And every flight is a good one! Every flight taught me something, even this flight of fantasy I am writing down, shows me it's time for bed! 

Have some happy flying, wontcha! 

TOO BURDENED TO FLY

TOO BURDENED TO FLY?

 Years ago when I moved to Kenya, I was  impressed by the hard work, and the endurance to do it, of the women there. 

I drew this sketch , thinking , "I could never do that!" I would not survive the harsh life. 

I would be "too burdened to fly! " With flying being my euphemism for getting through this life with joy and laughter and  kindness and love. 

I have changed my mind, because I have seen first hand that the ladies here do fly! 

They might haul cow grass, as I have sketched in the drawing, up a hill, but  they build a fire, make tea, sit down, and have a few laughs with friends. Same as what I do. 

Work is just work. We do what we have to do, but the flying part of our lives is an attitude of the heart! 

I have met so many awesome women here who truly know how to "fly", no matter what the burden, or how steep the hill! 

 

GLADYS AND JENNIFER 

Hard working ladies who know how to laugh , love, drink tea, and spread the joy of life!

Have a joyous day, wont'cha, 

even if the work is hard and the hill is steep! 

AN ATTITUDE OF FLYING

ROOSTERS....I find them so incredible. They have this attitude of self-rightness, of self-importance, as if they were put on earth to just enrich everyone's life! 

Some of them are just plain gorgeous, with an assortment of colored feathers, and large red combs on their head, they strut and crow and just generally look at the world with an attitude of 

"Here I am, are you not delighted with me?"

They crow when they want. 

Not just to wake the dawn, but to wake the world. 

If they wake up in the night, they let everyone know. 

If the afternoon silence is too long, they break it.

Mr. Rooster, the epitome of the strut, the arrogant flip of the head, the cold stare down the up-turned beak! 

But here's the kicker, although he has this amazing self-confidence he is a bird, that is, a member of the flying family! He has wings that should cause him to soar! Feathers to lift him above the mundane! 

An active member of the Airborne Association! 

Arrogant and proud,  he doesn't seem to realize he is one of the worst flyers around! His attempts to land on a low tree branch are often humorous, but he simply fluffs his feathers like some great gentleman in a cape, and tries again! His attitude is unflappable!

Ahh, to be so confident, so self-determined, and so bad at the job of flying!

 I think I can learn something here! To go through my days confident that I am doing something worthwhile, even when when I fall out of the tree!

I keep saying I am going to paint pictures of roosters, but so far, this will have to do.....

A photograph of a noisy, handsome fellow, who is a lousy flyer, but a great example of going through life with attitude! 

Have an unruffled day, wontcha! 

More Flying Lessons

.....flying .....flying......flying.....


Birds do it, dandelion fluff does it, 
someday, 
                 but not right now, 


I will too. 




but for now I am glad to be earthbound
doing what I like best .......


living with someone I love the most


and just generally enjoying looking at 


birds flying...... dandelions fluff flying, 


and being happy with every moment 
while I am .......


                          learning to fly! 

have a great happy day

while you wait to fly, wontcha! 

TIME THAT FLIES AWAY...........

this is the first flower in Kenya that we learned the name of: "Yesterday, Today, and Forever" when it blooms, is smells like Heaven! 

the flowers bloom dark purple, and fade to white with each passing day! 

My Meditation about time:

For me,
Yesterday was 66 years  long,
That is not long, considering
Today only seems to last a moment!

I am so glad that Tomorrow
lasts forever.
It becomes Eternity,
We never catch up to it!


And yesterday , too, gets longer and longer!

It's only the Present that is so short,
Only today that seems to fly away!

 

Have a thoughtful evening, wontcha?
Before today flies away!

A SUDDEN MOMENT!

Sometimes, you see something in flight, and just as it lands, your camera is up, your lens is right, 

the sun is right, the photo is right, 

ahhhhhhhhhm, 

what a moment! 

we were in Jinja, Uganda for a couple days with friends, and this awesome butterfly showed up, 

then his friend, the dragonfly came by to say hello! 

                                       Have a sudden moment day, wontcha! 

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW, 

BLUEBIRDS FLY .....

I  always thought this should be the theme song about going to Heaven! 

We will be high above it all, 

Birds singing, me singing, ahhh Heaven. 

Everyone is trapped right now in the cold and dread of cold, 

In ice, and parkas and earmuffs and snow shovels, and blowers, 

But just think:

Above it all, the sun is still shining, 

Somewhere, (here!!) birds ARE really really singing! 

So have a heavenly minded day, wontcha! 

Because Spring is on the way, 

it's just still a little "over the rainbow"!

I HAVEN'T BEEN FLYING, I'VE BEEN TIME WARPED!

Amazing, the moon rises even as the sun sets! 
And so went 2011 into 2012! 
  


We ended the year driving on a horrendous road out of the Masai Mara Game reserve. We didn't plan it, but the road in had taken us 11 hours, the "new, improved" road out that we were advised to take took 16! 


Scary? Oh yes! MUD MUD MUD! ROCKS! ROCKS! ROCKS! 


An endless black night, with bush right up to the road and tall trees everywhere! Did we pray? A lot! 
Did God keep us safe?
Oh yes, and we literally drove into 2012! First time in years we have stayed up not only to, but through midnight. 


We are half way through January, so seems like we are off and flying!
Days flying are so much better than days boring! 


Stay flying, woncha? And have a wonderful FLYING FAST NEW YEAR!

FLYING INTO THE FACES OF FRIENDS

We haven't been into the Mara this year,
 and I am lonesome for the open space, 
the animal face, 
the wind , the silence,
 the noise of voices that aren't people, 


It is such a blessing to have 
this awesome space so close to us, 
and when life gets tooooo busy with people things, 
we take a day and go see our other friends! 

Have a non-regular friends day, wontcha?

AFRICAN QUEEN

                                

AFRICAN QUEEN

 Seated on a boda boda limousine, 

My African Queen, My African Queen!

She's ot class and she's got style,

Sails threw traffic with her beautiful smile, 

Her pretty silver slippers dangle from her toes, 

Boda boda limousine, and off she goes!

A beautiful heascarf matches her dress

She looks bothered or in distress

She works so hard and life can be mean,

But on the boda boda, she's an African Queen!

Congratulations! you have such style!

I'd like to ride with you awile!

You hide your problems and dream your dreams

and ride the boda boda like an African Queen~

by pjmcneal 

FLYING SHOES!

                  FLYING SHOES! 

 

What kind of shoe do you wear shopping?

I usually wear something sensible, 
                             but at the mall here in Kampalla the other day,

I fell in love with what these ladies chose to wear! 


                             GOLD HIGH HEELS WITH "DIAMONDS"! 


Isn't it just great that golden slippers are still in style, and there are ladies with enough CONFIDENCE  to wear them! 


Have a totally fabulous stepping out in fancy shoes day, wontcha!
 

STARING INSTEAD OF FLYING

.....SOMETIMES WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT ISN'T THE WHOLE 
PICTURE............


......SOMETIMES THERE IS 
SOMETHING WE  AREN'T 
HEARING.........

ROCK  WALL

 Standing at the window,

Staring at a rock wall,

Mind blank -

It registers that somewhere,

Out of sight,

A bird is singing its heart out! 

Identifying the sound,

I know it is an iridescent sun bird,

An exquisite jewel of a bird,

And the rock wall in front of me,

Takes on a whole new meaning:

No matter what road block might be ahead,

There’s always a song to sing,

 and something to sing about:

The bird sees the sunshine above the wall,

And tho’ unseen,

Floods my soul with his joyful sound

From  beyond the rock wall!

BY PJMCNEAL

Have an inspirational day, wontcha!

TAKE TIME OUT OF FLYING FOR TEA!

Usually, I am not a tea drinker. I love my coffee! but lately, I have been having a civilized cup of tea now and then, 
so I noticed this lovely  pot! 


It invokes the essence of tea drinking! 
Pink, roses, crystal top, just gives an impression of sitting quietly and sipping a nice hot cup!


Visiting friends, this was on her table, and I couldn't resist taking its photo. Mmmm, what a pretty tea pot, what pretty thoughts, and so, 


Have a quiet cup, and a few smiles, and pause in the business of learning to fly. I am, so 

Have a special tea moment, wontcha!

TASTE SENSATIONS

TASTE SENSATION

I read that blood tastes like copper

Licking a cut finger, looking at my copper vase:

Blue -yellow flowers and green spiky leaves

Reflected on it's side  :

I licked the reflection,

and tasted only summer. 

If I lick water where the full moon makes a path, 

Will my tongue glow in the dark?

Will my saliva rise in tides, 

Every 30 days?

The sun went down in the lake last night, 

And I drank the water the falling sun set ablaze.

It burned all the way down, 

And left a red stain on my tongue.

by pjmcneal  

have a sensation-taste today, wontcha!

AFRICAN QUEEN

                                           AFRICAN QUEEN

 Seated on a boda boda limousine, 

My African Queen, My African Queen!

She's ot class and she's got style,

Sails threw traffic with her beautiful smile, 

Her pretty silver slippers dangle from her toes, 

Boda boda limousine, and off she goes!

A beautiful heascarf matches her dress

She looks bothered or in distress

She works so hard and life can be mean,

But on the boda boda, she's an African Queen!

Congratulations! you have such style!

I'd like to ride with you awile!

You hide your problems and dream your dreams

and ride the boda boda like an African Queen~

by pjmcneal 

 

this is one of the prettiest bugs I have ever seen!

usually, bugs are interesting, or funny,or down right scary!

In fact, I thought the only pretty insects were butterflies!

A good friend and I were able to spend a long time by a hedge of these plants, in the warm sunshine, taking photos,

I hope you see some pretty bugs, there are just so many amazing ones to see, I'm glad I got in on this bug world!

Have an amazing day, wontcha!

FLYING WITH FRIENDS!

THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE BEING WITH FRIENDS!

FLYING IN A FLOCK MUST FEEL THE SAME!


Can't you just imagine , wing tip to wing tip, soaring through the sky, lower, higher, feathers ruffled in the wind... or the fluttering flight of a butterflies, who seem to touch and fly and float together in the air!

Going for an afternoon with friends, and the words are our wings, taking one another here and there. 

We share memories  and make memories!

Altogether, as we listen to each other, and follow one anothers  spoken thoughts, I feel like I fly. 

Have a memorable day with friends, wontcha?

PERFECTING FLYING ISN'T EASY!

Just when I think I have this blogg about 
  FLYING perfected, I publish a blogg, ( you may not want to look at it , it is boring!!!!)  and I have no idea how to edit it. 
it was suposed to have pictures! Great pictures, 

Friends pictures...... Lisa and Mercy, dainty little flowers!

and others. like 

             My  good friend, forever, Gladys. 

So I opted to put these friends into a new blogg! 

" sometimes you can't change what is done, but you can always add another whole new page!"   pjmcneal


and simply fly away from the hassle of editing!

So have a fly away day, won'tcha?