MYSTERY OF THE MISSING POT LIDS

About a year ago, this pot lid went missing. Missing in the cabinet where I so carefully stack my pots, each with its lid on, as soon as I take them out of the dishwasher.

The cabinet, however, is very difficult to maneuver in and out of because it's a corner cabinet that extends quite a ways past the door, and if a lid slips off, you almost have to be a contortion artist to reach into the half beyond. So when I groped around for the lid but couldn't see or feel anything, I decided to use a different lid instead.
 














Then, about a week ago, another lid went missing. It was the lid that had been doing double duty since the first one disappeared.

Now I was truly baffled. How could I have lost two lids in a cabinet?





I took everything out, and looked around with my flashlight, but no missing lids did I see.

Did I have gremlins? Was I losing my mind and doing things I couldn't remember, like sleep walking and putting things in strange places (my daughter's suggestion)? She said she was coming over to help me look, even though I told her I'd already taken everything out and there was nothing there to find.

While I waited for her, I prayed that the Lord would bring the hidden things to light and give my daughter a flash of Divine insight as to where to look for those lids.

At first, she was as stumped as I was. She could not see anything in the cabinet either. But then my prayer was answered, as she had a sudden hunch, and with flashlight in hand, crawled as far into the cabinet as she could, and discovered that the cabinet had no back. Instead, there was a gap between it and the side of the cabinet next to it under the sink, and there, at the bottom of the gap, were not only my missing pot lids, but several other items that must have belonged to the previous tenant.

Who would have thought?

A NEW DAY DAWNING

This post was written for Five Minute Friday.
Word prompt--MERCY
Five minutes to free write about it.

This morning I was up early enough to see the sun rise, to witness the dawning of a new day full of possibilities. I felt as though I was being presented with a clean page to write on, a fresh chance to get things right. It was a magical moment filled with hope. 

I thought of the Lord's mercies, which are new every morning, and of His unconditional love, and thanked Him for never giving up on me even when I would have long ago given up on myself.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end; 

they are new every morning; 

great is your faithfulness.

(Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV)

FOCUSING ON THE BRIGHT SPOTS - 2

An outdoor family get together for my California granddaughter and two great-grandsons who traveled east for a short stay. My daughter's pool and double decks were perfect for the occasion.

RIGHT OR WRONG?

This post was written for Five Minute Friday.
Word prompt--RIGHT
Five minutes to free write about it.

Who is right, and who is wrong? So much bickering, dissension, and even worse, among people who think their view is the correct one and go to great lengths to try and prove it, when only God sees the whole picture and know the truth behind it. Only God sees the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).

My senses have often deceived me and led me to do things I later regretted. Yesterday I cut short an outdoor visit with my family because I believed the weather forecast issuing a flash flood warning was right. The heat, humidity, and stormy looking clouds seemed to verify this could be so, and I rushed home to avoid getting caught in a downpour, 

No sooner did I get home when the sun came out, and it turned into a beautiful day that I missed out on because I believed what was wrong was right.

OUT FOR A BIMBLE

Bimble, a new word I came across while reading "Words That Dance Upon Your Tongue" by Martin Horton, danced delightfully upon mine.  According to the Oxford English Dictionary it can be used as a noun to depict a leisurely walk or journey, or as a verb, to describe walking or traveling at a leisurely pace.

So yesterday, I went out for a bimble with my daughter. It was my first walk in days.  Extreme heat and humidity had kept me sheltered indoors, but we found shady streets to bimble along, and the gently blowing breeze made it feel almost pleasant.



















Does this look like a turtle to anyone else but me?




































My keen eyed daughter spotted this leaf imprint on the sidewalk.

PROGRESS

This post was written for Five Minute Friday.
Word prompt--SMILE
Five minutes to free write about it.

The picture on Kate Motaung's post inspired me to take a go at this week's prompt. It's been a while since I've participated. Like almost everything in my life these days, it's something I contemplate doing but feel paralyzed to act upon.

At the beginning of the pandemic I relished this time of isolation as an opportunity to catch up on things I'd been procrastinating about. However nothing worked according to plan. Frequent interruptions and unexpected events kept throwing me off course, and before long, discouragement and frustration gained the upper hand. Overwhelmed, I just watched my to do list get longer and longer, not knowing where to start.

The timing of Kate's post, especially the picture, must have been a God thing. Not only did it remind me of the old slogan, progress, not perfection, but it seemed to confirm that my new goal of ending each day with a list of three things I've accomplished--no matter how small--is a good way to get back on track.