"Positive Actions"

 

Becky Arnott Photography

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."- Albert Camus

In this blog post, the focus is on positive actions.

Even in tumultuous times, we can still focus on the positive. For example, during the recent Hurricane Helene disaster, which was mainly devastating to many of the people who live in our Southern Appalachian area, caring people have been helping other people either through actual physical help, as well as giving donations of food, other much-needed items, and money, locally. (Some of those that volunteered used helicopters, etc. to help rescue people, and some even came from long distances like Texas. One woman we know even had a fundraiser to help out. People like these are heroes!) 

(Giving locally ensures that the donations go to the right places. One of our local small grocery store chains partnered with other local agencies to collect here in our area. Our church, as well as many others, collected for the hurricane victims. Greg and I always give locally.)

Also, Mike Adams (www.healthrangerstore.com) has sent several pallets of organic food to help out areas affected by the hurricane.

(And here's an important message for all of us- "We suggest having on hand two or three weeks' supply of food and water for family and pets, flashlights, and other emergency essentials."- From www.matthewbooks.com)

Oftentimes, in our modern-day world, with our day-to-day activities, we often forget to help those in need. Used to, in the past, neighbor often helped neighbor with barn-raisings, etc. It's good to get back to that instead of being so wrapped up in our electronic devices, etc. and not even knowing or interacting with our neighbors.

However, it's good to know that when the chips are down, good people will come to the rescue of others.

You know, we also need to stand up for ourselves as well as others. We need to take back our power, and to do things such as supporting the things that we care about.

Let's hug and cherish our precious pets and other loved ones-

Mitzi and Kallie

I believe in the power of prayer. Prayer is simply talking positively to God. Prayer can be very powerful. It can help us, our loved ones, our friends and neighbors, and it's especially good for those who are going through an extraordinarily difficult time, like the victims of the recent hurricane. 

If you feel that you need extra prayer help, there is always your local church, etc. Also, there is online help such as www.jgminternational.org .

There is a very positive, important action that we Americans can take now to insure a positive, bright future for our country, and that is to-

Vote for peace, prosperity, and freedom!

May God bless America!

Positive thought: 

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, November 2, 2024, Becky

  

  

The Good Old Days

 

I'm so glad you are here for my first blog post on this first Saturday of the month. I plan to have every "The Art of Positive Living" post on the first Saturday of every month from now on. I will post my blog, "Spirit Photographs," on the third Saturday of each month.

I've been thinking a lot about the subject of my post for today, something that is close to my heart, the good old days, since my newly revised book, "Down Memory Lane,"* is about the good old days!

Although we perhaps romanticize days in the past, there is much we can learn from the positive aspects of those days.

And, here are many of them-

~People were very patriotic.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag...."

~People read books, had hobbies, and played board games.

~School students were generally well-behaved. Those few who weren't, were disciplined. The worst thing that I can remember when I went to school was that one boy had to be sent home because his hair was too long in the back.

~Most people graduated from high school, and many went on to higher education.

~People dressed nicely. Here's an excerpt from a chapter in my book that Greg wrote - "Personal appearance was important. Most people looked neat and well-groomed. Shirt tails were tucked in and shoes were shined....Most people looked fit and trim."

~People were honest. If they found a missing wallet, they'd return it. Also, they kept their word. If they said they were going to do something, they would do it. If they found out they couldn't do it, they'd let it be known.

"Do what you know to be right." -David Icke

~Religion was important to most people.

~In fact, two of my high school graduation gifts were two small gold crosses that two different people gave me. 

~People were generally complimentary to each other. They tried to make people feel good about themselves. Things like this mean a lot to others.

~People helped their friends, relatives, and neighbors when needed.

~One day, Greg and I were at a garage, and a woman who was a receptionist there was so nice. She was pleasant and very efficient. She seemed happy, and she made you feel better by just being around her. 

~Most television shows and movies were G-rated. They were good, decent. quality shows. The characters set a good example. The good guys won. There was a moral to every story.

~People were industrious, hard-working, and ambitious. Most kept the same job or profession their whole lives. My grandfather was a doctor who truly cared about other people, and he charged his patients very little.

~The man was the breadwinner, and his wife stayed home and kept house and cared for their children.

~Families had fun times together, like going on picnics with made-from-scratch dishes like homemade potato salad or fresh green beans.

~Most leaders were honest and respected.

~Music was harmonious.

~In the early days, all food was organic.

How does life today compare to the good old days?

Thankfully, we generally stack up pretty well overall, but, of course, there is plenty of room for improvement. Any areas in which we are lacking can be turned around. Anywhere that we're falling short can be remedied with some positive planning and some work, but it can be done, individually and/or by people working together.

If we do that, then we can then truly say, "The good ol' days are being made right now." -From Blue Bell Ice Cream commercial

Coincidentally, I just recently found out about a really neat festival, the "Good Old Days" street festival in Pacific Grove, California this weekend. There will be a parade, a pie-eating contest, and much more! It sounds like fun!

Appalachian Author Feature: Linda Hudson Hoagland  

FYI: facebook.com/lindahudsonhoagland/

Linda Hoagland lives in Southwest Virginia. She is a talented author who has won several writing awards for her poetry, short stories, and books. Some of her book titles are "Snooping Can Be Dangerous," "The Backwards House." and "The Best Darn Secret." Do these sound intriguing! If so, be sure and check out her work. 

Also, Linda makes beautiful angel afghans that are for sale. If you are interested in these, contact her at lhhoagland@yahoo.com 

*For more information about my book, "Down Memory Lane," please see the widget above. It's available on Amazon in both the paperback and Kindle versions.

Positive thought: "We are all here to 'practice being godlike'-to treat others how we'd like to be treated." -From "Tools for Freedom"

Thanks for visiting! Until Saturday, June 3, 2023, 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