Special Day.............. 3/13/17

      Celebrate with me.

      Hello there, friends, guests and passersby.  Today is special.  I'm publish-ing this post before the day changes its name, for good reason.

      Six years ago, on this day, this inn
opened its doors. This place is moving beyond babyhood.  It wears the long pants of growing maturity: it addresses the confusion that can happen when people relate.

       This inn shares how we can have peace and presence of mind when tested.  It models the gratitude we can have during tough times such as:

1. When relating with a difficult person, we can be thankful for the opportunity to practice patience and grace.
2. When finances are tight, we can bask in life's simple pleasures:
    a.  Sunsets and sunrises
    b.  The laughter of a baby.
    c.  The nurturing power of a good book
    d.  The calming and hypnotic power of a crackling fire.
    e.  The reassurance known when connecting with an old friend.
3.  When enduring physical pain or mental anguish, we can connect and receive loving encouragement from God.  An example is expressed in Psalms 73:

21 When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast before you.

23 Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
 but God is the strength of my heart  and my portion forever. 

       I appreciate your visits.  It provides community and connection, something needed for emotional health.

       Yes, the news trumpets what's bad---the problems with govern-ment, how man mistreats man.  This cozy and positive place in cyberspace shares remedies.  Kept within the rooms of inn are posts that share how we can move beyond problems and drama.  We can know a peace and joy that transcends our circumstances.

  My Gratitudes Because of This Inn:
1.  It stretches me.  I've written an average of 17 posts a month.
2.  It provides a voice that speaks around the world. It definitely meets my need to self-express and hear from others.
3.  It forces me slow down.  Writing requires getting off the merry-go-round of urban living.  To be in touch with the topics and values expressed here, I have to get away from the frenetic pace of urban living.
4.  Being the innkeeper has grown my friendships. Through your e-mails and comments my world of friends is richer, more varied.  I've received poems, reactions to what is shared here.  I received love and encouragement from your responses to my innkeeper duties.

  I'll work on this later.  In the meantime, my best for today is good enough.

How About You? 
I'd love hearing any comments you have about his inn. It would meet my need for connection and communication.