"Positively Inspired!"

 

"We love, because God loved us first." (1 John 4:19)

This is such a wonderful time of the year, with the beauty of nature and the Easter holiday with its special church services, Easter baskets filled with colorful eggs and chocolate bunnies, and special traditional meals shared with loved ones. 

Some people celebrate the holiday in non-traditional ways, like celebrating on another day of the weekend, or having a meal at a fast food restaurant, etc. ( It's okay to just celebrate it your way! We can be creative!)

All of these special things help to make us feel positively inspired. They can keep us from being in a rut.

To be inspired generally means to create a positive feeling.

We don't have to wait to be positively inspired because we can feel positive every day of our lives! During challenging times, it's good to have things that inspire us.

Here are some things that have helped inspire me be happy and positive-

~Walking, taking pictures, etc. in nature. (Once while on a walk, Greg and I came upon a woman who was painting a picture of the beautiful scenery.)

~Being with happy, positive people

~Watching funny shows, DVD's, etc.

~Planning and doing special nearby trips. You don't have to go abroad or across the country to have a wonderful time. There are so many nice things to do in our own back yards!

~Doing things often that I enjoy, like writing, crafts, etc. (What do you really enjoy doing?)

Beautiful music can be inspiring. I especially like these two songs- 

~"Hero" by Mariah Carey- ..."Look inside you and be strong, And you'll finally see the truth, That a hero lies in you."

~"Unstoppable" by Sia- ..."I'm unstoppable today..." -I first heard this heartfelt song on the Dr. Bob Martin radio show.

(These two talented women, who write songs, as well as sing, overcame adversity to share their great talents with the world.)

Here are some inspiring thoughts from other people-

~"Today is another chance to get better." -Unknown

~"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." -Henry David Thoreau

~"All dreams are within reach. All you have to do is keep moving toward them." -Viola Davis

~"Prayer is powerful." -Julie Green

~"If you have zest and enthusiasm, you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind." -Norman Vincent Peale (His wonderful book is "Enthusiasm Makes the Difference.")

Here are a couple of inspirational people and their websites-

~ www.Intuition-Physician.com (Dr. Laura Koniver, who has a background of abuse, helps others overcome various illnesses with natural healing techniques, etc.)

~ https://ct.liveyourtruth.com (Carol Tuttle, who had a rough childhood, helps others dress better, look more beautiful, and live better lives.)

"Easter is a day rooted in faith, in gratitude, and in the quiet reminder of what matters most." -Good Ranchers

~Positive thought: "If you are feeling good, it is because you are thinking good thoughts." -Rhonda Byrne, "The Secret"

~Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, May 2, 2026, Becky

Inspirational Thoughts

 

Here are some positive, inspirational thoughts, etc. to consider-

Spring symbolizes "rebirth, joy, and love...." and that "good always triumphs over evil, light over darkness, life over death."- Twinkl USA

Especially in today's world, we just have to believe, and to think and feel positively.

Remember, "It's always darkest before the dawn."- Thomas Fuller

"Unlock the power of 'instead'! What if instead of imagining the worse-case scenario, you pictured the best? What if instead of worrying, you wished? What if instead of bracing yourself for the bad, you opened your heart to the good? Great and wonderful things happen every single day." "Woman's World" magazine

"It's Time to Pray"- jgminternational.org

"If you spend your time praying for people instead of talking about them, you'll get better results."- Jaron Alexander

"Everything Will Be Okay"- Dana Perino

Interesting, intriguing website- matthewbooks.com

"Expect a miracle. Miracles happen everyday."- Unknown

In my newly revised memoir, "Down Memory Lane,"* I write about, among a lot of other things, memorabilia. I like to collect and to keep things that are special to me, things that remind me of the best, the special times in my life. 

One of those things is my-

 cell phone.

To anyone else, this just looks like an old beaten-up phone, but to me, it's special. I only carried it with me when I'd go away from home, but that cell phone went through a lot. It got run over by a car when it fell into the street. It had scuff marks, but it kept on working. It even rode all the way on top of the trunk of my car for several miles, after I had accidentally left it there. It was dropped several times, and I even had to tape the back of it to hold it together.

Because of what all it had been through, and survived, I call it my miracle phone. It served me well, and it never let me down, so I felt it deserved a special place among my memorabilia when I was forced to retire it.

How many of us or the people in our lives would have that much tenacity, would go through all of that, and still be that loyal and giving?

How to stay warm on a cold spring morning?-

Our Mitzi seems to have the right idea!

Small Business Feature: Hoot Books Publishing

Victoria Fletcher is the owner of successful Hoot Books Publishing where she not only publishes books, but she also offers other services such as proofreading, website design, as well as many other services. She publishes books for people all over our country.

In addition, she is a highly acclaimed Appalachian author, with such books as "Daily Dose of Encouragement," as well as many others.

FYI- hootbookspublishing.biz and victoriafletcher.biz

Just like spring, the Easter lily symbolizes new beginnings. It also symbolizes hope. And, I hope you had a very happy Easter.

*For more information about my book, "Down Memory Lane," please see the widget above.

~ Here's a special, important note about my blog, "The Art of Positive Living,"-Starting next month, I'll be publishing my "The Art of Positive Living" blog post only on the first Saturday of each month, so I'll have more time to write another book that I hope to have published by early fall. I have several other projects that I'm working on, as well. I'll continue to publish my "Spirit Photographs" blog post the third Saturday of each month.

Positive thought- "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." -John 3:16

Thanks for visiting! Until Saturday, May 6, 2023, Becky

Easter Messages for Every Day

 

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." -Psalm 118:24 KJV

Easter is one of the holiest, most important days of the year to those of us who are Christians. This is the day that Jesus arose from the dead which is, of course, a miracle.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."-John 3:16 KJV

"If Easter says anything to us today, it says this: you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there." -Clarence W. Hall

Christianity teaches kindness and love for all of creation.

When I was a child, in Sunday school, I remember singing these words of the children's hymn: "Praise Him, praise Him, all you little children, God is love, God is love."

Jesus was the messenger, spreading God's important message of love to the world. He said, "Love one another, as I have loved you." -John 13:34 KJV

So, the main message of Easter is love.

"Infinite Love Is the Only Truth: Everything Else Is Illusion." -David Icke

Other thoughts about Easter:

"Easter spells out the rare beauty of new life." -S. D. Gordon 

"'Twas Easter Sunday. The full-blossomed trees filled the air with fragrance and with joy." -Henry W. Longfellow

Becky Arnott Photography

Small Business Feature-

Versatile Creations

Today, I'm featuring a really neat beauty shop, Versatile Creations, which is near the town of Glade Spring, Virginia. Most of the people in this area are friendly and down-to-earth. The owner of this shop, Tammy, is no exception. She is pleasant and easy-going. And, she cuts hair really well with seemingly no effort. What's more, her prices are very reasonable.

Also, she has a ton of flea-market-type items for sale for only 50 cents each! What's more, the last time we were there, Greg got to sit in her massage chair to help his aching back. A visit to her shop is really more like an adventure! So, if you need a hair cut, etc. just check out this unique little shop. Bet you'll be glad you did!

Positive thought:

Becky Arnott Photography

This beautiful (50-cent!) ceramic plaque is one of the flea-market items from Versatile Creations which we now display in our kitchen for inspiration.

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, May 1, 2022, Becky

Positive Changes, a Time of New Life

Welcome back!

Hope you're having a wonderful, fantastic, positive day!

The butterfly "...undergoes a metamorphosis and emerges in a new and beautiful form."-"American Bible Society"

I've missed being with you these past few weeks, but I have been extremely busy, just living my daily life and starting new endeavors which I hope are positive changes, not only for my life, but for you, my blog readers, as well.

This time of year, the spring and Easter seasons, are a time of new life, a time of renewal.

This is the time of year that I evaluate my own life to see how far I've gone and where else I need to go.

Right now, Greg and I are trying to change our eating habits from eating conventional food to food that is organic and healthier.  One book that has helped us greatly with this is "The Food Babe Way" by Vani Hari.*  Check it out!  It's a real eye-opener.  You'll never look at food the same again after reading this book.  Also good is Vani's website, foodbabe.com.*

We're on the lookout for places to eat that have organic food, but that has been a bit of a challenge for us.  However, just today, our niece Bonnie filled us in on a new restaurant in Franklin, Tennessee, Thrive Cafe, that has organic, gluten-free and dairy-free food.  She also mentioned  Vegan Vee, a gluten-free bakery in Nashville.

One place Greg and I enjoy eating is at the Whole Foods food bar.*  Whole Foods seems to be really catching on, since more and more of their health food stores are opening all the time.  I believe as word gets out on what conventional food is really like, there will be even more restaurants, etc. that serve genuinely healthy food.

All the while, I'm trying to be more positive with different things, like posting more sayings on my special bathroom bulletin board, like, "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.-Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Also, the other day while I was in the dentist's office waiting room, I decided that instead of sitting in a chair to wait, I'd go look at the reading material on a nearby table.  I felt like there was something on it that I needed to see, so I kept searching, and there it was, an intriguing little book that seemed to be calling to me, "Going the Extra Smile" by George Foreman.*  On the cover it said, "Discover the Life-Changing Power of a Positive Outlook."  I glanced through the book that tells how George Foreman went from being a very negative, angry person to one who smiles and has love in his heart for everyone.  It's now on Amazon at a bargain price and has excellent reviews.

I'm currently working on a new website which should be up and running soon.  I'll let you know when it's ready.  It will be a place of the arts-art, photography, and writing.  I'm excited about it, and I hope you will like it.  I'll try to connect with you more often then, once it gets going.

*Disclaimer:  What is right for me, may not be right for you.  Please use your own judgment on anything I recommend.

Positive thought:  "Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life."-S. D. Gordon
Thanks for visiting!  Until Sunday, May 3 (or sooner!), Becky

Celebrate Easter! Celebrate Spring!

Welcome!

Since it's Easter, I decided to share with you some pictures and sayings to help celebrate this wonderful time of year.

"For I remember it is Easter morn,
And life and love and peace are all new born."
-Alice Freeman Palmer

" 'Twas Easter Sunday.  The full-blossomed tree
Filled all the air with fragrance and with joy."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life."
-S. D. Gordon

"Easter is the only time when it's perfectly safe to put all of your eggs in one basket."
-Author Unknown

"Bunnies are cuddly
The large and the small.
But I like the chocolate one
The best of them all."

Positive thought:  

Thanks for visiting!  Until next Sunday, Becky