Heaven is a Place on Earth

I often ask myself, why I reminisce so much.

 

Is it looking at the past with nostalgia?

 

A glimpse of the future with trepidation?

 

Or is it hope that our dreams will somehow stitch themselves together?

 

Nowadays, everyone has an opinion on who to blame, what they would do, where it all went wrong, and when things changed.

 

Instead, why don't we "be the change" as Gandhi once said.
 

via

 

Most likely, because that would take work, an act of effort on our parts...and what the hey, it's easier to form an opinion than to practice what we preach.

 

'What would heaven on earth look like to you'?

 

By writing a private journal, you can formulate your thoughts. Do research, cross past thoughts out, and re-write, almost as if your a student in college...because after all, we forget, we're students our whole lives.

Those of us in America (as well as other first world countries) are born more fortunate than those in third world countries. We are blessed with a lot of basic needs.

Remember the video by Micheal Jackson, 'We are the World'? It's one of my favorites, listen to the lyrics closely.  

 

Although, we can't save the world, we can give our most precious gift, our hearts. A second favorite, is the Christmas song, 'Do they know it's Christmas time again'.



The gift we get in return from other countries is an opportunity to see how different cultures work, have developed and what does work as opposed to what doesn't work.

In America, serving God, and the middle class family is what we all strive for. The American dream! Somehow, it's slowly slipping away, and thus nostalgia sets in.

What we do have to remember, is that along with 'the way we were' a lot of progression has occurred. And regardless of wealth, race, gender, or orientation an ideal is that we learn to love.

Love, you see, is blind (no pun intended).

via

Once we give love, we can recieve love. That's the first step to heaven on earth.

 

Then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind.

- 2 Chronicles 6:30

Selling Spelling Manor

Oh my goodness. I've been wanting to watch this special that was featured on HGTV for years, and I finally found the whole version, without commercials.

 

Grab a cup of tea, and give me a high five!

 

 

I love Candy. She's so poised, graceful and looks so modern for someone whose now sixty-seven years of age.

 


It seems like Candy was ready to downsize and both her children mention in the video that the 56,000 square foot home was a lot of maintenance, but it would have been nice to become a museum of sorts. They could have done tours, and decorated the home for the Holiday's and done a once a year charity gala. I'm thinking along the lines of Graceland.

What do you think?

I'll be following her new journey with her show The Manor in The Sky!
 

Second Ever Menu Monday

Today, I'm linking up with Make the Scene Monday at Alderberry Hill

 

Lately, I've not been doing so well with menu planning, my mind has just been so consumed with other things. But on a whim, I have been getting back into my Menu Monday routine.

 

On Mondays, I print out the weeks menu planner, and write down meals that would fit in and around our weeks schedule. I take some time on my delicious Pinterest board, to see if I've pinned any new recipe ideas, that I'd like to try for the week also.

 

I found this planner to be useful.

Then I compile my grocery list {here's the one I used} from my meal planner, taking into account what we already may have. During this process, I clean out the fridge of anything that has perished.

 

Here are this weeks dinners

***
 

Monday

 

Taco Salad
Lettuce, minced beef in taco seasoning, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream. We've also added black eyed peas in the past.

 

Tuesday

We're going to the beach, so we'll get Chic-Fil-A for lunch
 

Chicken Kabobs with green peppers over a wild rice.

 

Wednesday

 

Lunch at Panera and then a movie date to see Meet the Millers

 

Thursday

 

I'm going to try the Asparagus tart recipe for the first time

and make my Strawberry pie recipe.

 

Friday

 

 Baked potatoes with sour cream and bacon bits served with creamy tomato soup

 

Saturday

Broccoli soup

 Cream of broccoli, and cream of celery, water, on one stove top. On the other suttee broccoli, onion, garlic and carrots. Mix together and serve.

Broccoli lovers need only apply.

 

Sunday

 

Roast Pork with Rosemary and gravy

 

Side dishes: roasted baby potatoes, asparagus, and oven baked broccoli bake

***

 

From all that dwell below the skies, Let songs of hope and faith arise

 

 

From all that dwell below the skies
Let songs of hope and faith arise;
Let peace, good will, on earth be sung
Through every land by every tongue.
 
— adapted from words by Isaac Watts
sung to the tune “Old Hundredth

Art by Vladimir Volegov

 

 

Follow my page Graceful Moments, where I share the light on Unity.