Patsy Clairmont's Blog, page 3

Hindrances-What’s Holding You Back?

Year ago, after hearing about Weight Watchers, my turn came to do more than watch my weight balloon. The winter had been especially cold, and thinking I was a walrus, I had put on extra layers of fat to see me through till the thaw. But the snow had melted, and my added coverage had not. In fact, it hung like water-filled saddlebags from my midsection. I was starting to waddle, which got on my nerves. It takes so much longer to get anywhere when you slosh from side to side.

When I arrived at my first Weight Watchers meeting, I knew I was in trouble. The other attendees were weighing in. I don’t do scales. I don’t want to know what I weigh. I don’t have to know how much to know I’m too much. My splitting pant seams, my “awesome”-sized pantyhose, and my hubby’s giggles when I donned my nightie were all the clues I needed. Of course, the fact that my nightie could serve as an awning for our front porch didn’t help. Actually, I bought it gigantic because in comparison it made me feel small, which is all part of the strategy when you’re in denial. Don’t change yourself; instead, change your underwear (which my mother told me I should do anyway.)

At any rate, I’m sure I have the record for the shortest stint in that organization’s history. One look at the scale (have you seen the size of that puppy?) and I was history. I went right to the candy factory to celebrate my ability, even under pressure, to retain not only my unnecessary weight but also my weighty denial.

Hindrances are things that tend to trip us up. Remember the little boy at school who was constantly sticking his leg into the aisle in hopes he would send someone tumbling? He was a hindrance.

Hindrances can be small and impersonal like lost car keys, or they can be bigger and more personal like my extra weight. Hindrances can also be barricade-size, creating a constant obstacle course in our lives. One of the taller hurdles we will have to scale (there’s that word again) to be healed is denial. Of course, having to high jump our defensiveness is no easy matter, either. And watch out for the quicksand of the double bind: You can be up to your elbows before you know it.

Let’s lace up our high-tops and climb those entrances so we can truly run the race.

-Excerpt from Under His Wings-

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5 Reasons Why You’ll Love “The Patsy Box”

Are you wondering if you will like The Patsy Box? Here are 5 reasons you will want to subscribe.

1) The Giggles

Who doesn’t need a reason to laugh?  Each box will give you something to smile about.

2) The Read

I’m an avid reader and I want you to be too, so in every box, I will select a book that I love and I think you will love as well.  Some authors you may be familiar with and some will be brand new to you, but all will be life-changing and thought-provoking.

3) The Influence

Your Patsy Box purchase will help to change the lives of women and families around the globe. Every box will have at least one item that “gives back” to help those who need it most.

4) The Invitation

I’m excited about this!  Each quarter I will be recording a live teaching that goes along with the theme of the current box. I’m not supposed to do this, but I’ll share with you some of the upcoming themes . . . Emotions, Rest and Creativity.

5) The New Friends

A private Facebook Group is a place where all Patsy Box Subscribers will come together, make connections and develop relationships.  I’m in the group right along with you and will be jumping in from time to time to answer questions, share what’s on my heart or give you a behind the scenes look at my life.

An Invitation

I invite you to join The Patsy Box Family by subscribing today! BONUS: Use the code PATSY10 for $10 off your first order!

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Be Brave and Take Your Next Step

I recently asked myself why I love the story, “Anne of Green Gables.” Certainly it is well written, and well-acted. Anne is a high energy girl, full of curiosity and wonder. And yes, her surroundings add scope to the imagination. But its something more…So I decided to take a look at the writer Lucy Maud Montgomery. Then it made more sense. Lucy’s life was hard and full of loss, loneliness, and eventually, success and its shadowed cohort, scandal.

People who have suffered great loss, been rejected, raised in an emotionally strict environment, who have fought to survive, who have made poor relational choices, often bring to their work both fantasy and reality, longing and pain.  These are combinations that help create stories more assessable to the masses. Lucy’s layered life offered her a deep ink well for developing plot, tension, characters, and the elixir of imagination.

God wants you to use your energy to help others survive and thrive. So write your book, open your heart, pursue your dreams as they align with God’s best for you, run your race, and experience a substantive life. Live your reality with the redeemed insights birthed out of pain and goodness.

You have within you something to say, to sing, to write, to plant, to paint, and to plan. Be brave and take your next step.

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” — Anne of Green Gables

 Here’s What’s on My Bookshelf This Month

Anne of Green Gables Series by L.M Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables Collector’s Edition Box Set

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Gratitude and the Whiny Girl’s Club

If you are an eternal optimist this particular blog will not make a whit of sense. It might even get on your grateful nerves, because you can’t imagine why folks need help to be bright eyed and bubbly. Your theme song seems to be “Buck up Buttercup, the days getting ready to bloom.”

But for those of us in the Whiny Girl’s Club we understand that optimism is not natural for us, its not even a distant relative of ours.

I have found gratitude grows best if, ahead of our expectations for ourselves and others, we amend the soil of our heart with determination. Yep, gratitude is not a fuzzy feeling that descends on us from a fluffy cloud, honest, but it is more a badge of bravery, truly.

Who knew?

Gratitude means we celebrate our circle of people because we see the best parts of them first and we can hardly wait to throw our pocket full of confetti (not rocks) in their direction…which means we hardly notice that our hubby, once again, forgot our birthday, or that our co-worker took full credit for what we accomplished together, or that the puppy peed in our shoe right after we took her out.

But really who is thankful for those oversights and aggravations? I dare say even the most positive among us feel a tad rankled.

From my observations though the difference between “them” (the confetti crowd) and “us,” (the rock and rollers) is they don’t think the worst first, they don’t set themselves up for disappointment by pinning their hopes on someone else’s behavior, and they don’t absorb inconveniences as a reason to have a bad day.

Which is why gratitude is a badge of bravery for those of us who don’t find it easy or inherent. We must make up our mind to not be thin-skinned, over sensitive, and moody, because life is neither predictable or convenient.  Some of us are absorbers and take too much personally and deeply, and we can nurse it into a full on grudge. We (I) need to practice letting the little stuff go until it becomes more natural for us (me) to respond gratefully.

Wait. Who am I kidding? It may never be flat out natural for us, but we can improve with discipline and determination and by learning the art of forgiveness, which means we fire the grudge-nurse and get on with our lives.

The Bible tells us we need to gird up (strengthen) our minds, so to me, Ms Whiney Britches herself, as a new day breaks I need to prepare my thoughts so I consciously enter the day mentally equipped for real life, which may include disagreements, a change of plans, and pop-up clamor.

I find memorization and meditation in God’s Word shores up my courage and strengthens my resolve to keep trying. And naming aloud some of the things I am most thankful for seems to grow my gratitude list and shields my heart from pettiness. Singing songs of thankfulness also helps…or even a hum can help keep our heart optimistic.

How long has it been since you hummed your way through a day? Be brave and purpose a happy hum, it helps…truly.

Verses of gratitude and determination; Psalms 77:11-14

 

 Here’s What’s on My Bookshelf This Month

Soul Rest by Curtis Zackery

She Did What She Could by Elisa Morgan

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It’s Spring! And the Feeder Is Full.

Why do I read…

I read to have hope.
I read to comfort my own heart that I am not the only quirky character on this spinning planet. God designed robins and sparrows but he also glittered the world with peacocks and gooney birds. (Whew)
I read to grasp what I don’t know and what will expand the content of my narrow experience.
I read because my taxed brain needs a vacation…sometimes from myself. Some tomes make me laugh out loud, which is its own kind of holiday…all expenses paid.
I read because I love words, especially those that sing with a zesty language that fits inside me and at times, they even knit the inner ragged spaces back together, with silk threads of wisdom.

Isn’t one of the reasons we like our closest friends is because they get us? Or at least they have the capacity to abide us and us them? With books, their pages are unlimited in friendly availability, even if we bend corners, highlight phrases, underline quotable material, and leave them on a footstool where the puppy gnaws at their cover (oops).

I’m not suggesting we replace our friends with a book, well, there may be a rare few, but that would take a talk with Jesus to discern. What I am saying is reading for me often correlates with my sanity. Just about the time I’m ready to sell our puppy, raffle my husband off, or give up on my tilt-a-whirl emotions, the right book shows up to nudge or at times shove me in a better direction.

Many, many years ago in a land called “My Life,” my husband and I were struggling with each others peculiarities. Some dear soul put the book (long out of print), “To Have and To Hold” by JIll Renich into my hands. I devoured it. I wrote scribbly thoughts alongside her insights. I memorized hopeful steps I could take. I tried to answer the questions at the end of each chapter. It became for me in that unsteady season of my life a handbook. Like a Girl Scout manual only instead of teaching me how to build a campfire Jill taught how to rekindle the embers of love with kindnesses, respect, and a listening heart. It made a significant difference in me and for our couple-ship. We are still our own versions of odd but with boundaries and gratitude.

Speaking of gratitude I love the book of Philippians in the New Testament. Paul sets an example of the absolute power of a thankful heart when he writes, “Rejoice and again I say rejoice. In all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Paul writes this mind you, while imprisoned. That’s not natural. Some historians believe he was under house arrest chained to a guard. That’s at the least aggravating and certainly not ideal for a writer, especially a thankful one.

I too was imprisoned, under house arrest, chained to agoraphobia, surrounded with heavy bars of fear. So you can only imagine how hope-filled I was to read Philippians dozens and dozens of times allowing the story to sink through my resistance and into my empty cup. Paul penned hope.

Reading can be revealing, which can make it initially rigorous, since change is hard work, and truth can be super scary…just…before…it…liberates.

I don’t know why you read…or don’t, but I really, really, want you to, because I know what it’s done for me. And there’s nothing more compelling than a satisfied customer. (I read that somewhere.)

Select your book from a library, an audible list, a bestseller table, or at the back of a dusty garage…so you can by reading, know, grow, and then sow into the lives of others. Come gather little sparrows, fine robins, and wonky gooney birds, it’s Spring and the feeder is full.

 Here’s What’s on My Bookshelf This Month

[image error] The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen

I Am by Michele Cushatt

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March On, Darlings!

It’s March!

You can say that again…not only are strong winds marching across the land but I confess January and February marched over my calendar before I could catch up. Those two months, the vestibule of the year, while they can feel draggy with grey days, have a way of suddenly high-stepping us right into our 3rd month breathless.

I’m head-scratching in wonderment…but proof is everywhere. My neighbor’s daffodils have been giggling for weeks, wads of grass greener than the St Patrick’s Day Parade have sprouted up wily-nilly, and robins have arrived in swarms covering our yard in strains of “You Are My Sunshine.”

But I know fickle March…we have history. She bats her eyelashes and then gives a whiplash of worry. Just about the time I feel giddy about Spring, thunderous winds traverse over the horizon, squalls form, trees bend, temperatures dip, and we huddle near the fireplace puzzled by why we packed our mittens and long-johns in the attic.

But it can’t be easy to be a transitional month with all its winter squabbles and spring indecisiveness. Actually, I’ve felt that way when I strain on whether I should or should not do something. When stalled I feel pulled and unsure, which can lead to inside quarrels and personal insecurity. It weighs on my mind keeping my full attention off other things that need tending to and it puts a drain on my energy.

I’ve learned the more decisive I am the better I feel…It’s such a relief.

So what’s up on your calendar? Need to prayer-focus and make some decisions? Don’t let vacillating mess with you, instead, spring into action…or in other words, March on darlings.

Oh, Lord, help our fluctuating heart’s steady in Your presence. Thank you for being a God of direction for so often we feel wind blown and weary with even the dailyness of our demands. We want to serve you well. And while we don’t want to be frivolous in our choices we also don’t want to be fractured by our lack of reliance on You. Guide us to the higher path. Amen.

 Here’s What’s on My Bookshelf This Month




Evidence: Poems by Mary Oliver

The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers

 

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Hobbits, Clouds, and a Good Book

 

I think I might be a hobbit! I’m brief in stature, I love small habitats, and I tuck easily into corners.

I would be easy to overlook if it weren’t for my color-wheel wardrobe and my red bandana. It’s become my hallmark and it accomplishes so many purposes: it not only tames cow licks that would otherwise sprout rowdily, but it keeps brain cells in alignment. Well, sorta. And a bandana can serve as a flag if one is lost, a hankie to catch tears, and a bandage for wounded hearts. Like my grandma use to say, “It’s as handy as a pocket in a shirt.”  And by virtue of its redness it works well for February…

I always look forward to February, even though it’s stuffed full of grey days it is also crowded with thoughts of love. I still remember skipping home from school as a child with a shoe box full of valentines from classmates. Today my way of keeping the valentines coming is I load myself up with fresh reads. My heart skips a beat when a brand spanking new book greets me at my mailbox. I assemble a new stack of books at my bedside, some on my desk, and more by “my chair,” the three places that invite me to sit a spell and meander through the words of great minds.

So during February you’ll most likely find this hobbit tucked away under a cloud of grey blankets (look for the bandana), with my nose inside the pages of someone else’s thoughts drinking in the love.

Happy Love Month! 

Enter 2018 with a Strong Heart!

A New Year Blessing
May the year ahead find you flourishing because you are growing in your expressions of love. May your mind be stirred by God’s counsel and your will be quickened. May you sing your new song in such a manner that others find hope in your continued transformation. May the peace in your pace be palpable that others might join you in the still waters of His grace. May your words be measured and kind. And may you find fresh reserves in Christ’s presence.

 

On My Bookshelf

           

        

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A Blessing for the New Year

Dear Friends…

There is nothing like sick to increase ones gratitude for good health and to remind us what truly matters in this world frantic for success. My hubby and I have been bedroom-bound for 3 weeks with the flu, which then went into secondary infections. We felt so bad we didn’t mind canceling all our holiday plans, but now we are beginning to recover and we want to be up and well. I mean how many episodes of Matlock can one endure. And we love Matlock, but 3 weeks of him? C’mon, really. And if I have to watch one more lion devour a Bambi I’ll cry. National Geographic is a little too graphic for me.

So all that to say, Happy New Year.

A Plan For Holiday Sadness

Melancholy can descend upon us like heavy drapes from a theater,  which is why it’s good to have a plan for holiday sadness. The gala emphasis on family, while good, can also push our loss buttons causing our cheery feelings to be run off by “ghosts of Christmas past.” Those whom we love who are far away or have died, suddenly take the forefront of our minds, which can cast us back into the throes of grief. And while we never want to forget them we also cannot mentally and emotionally afford to allow those memories and feelings to disrupt our  interiors and dismantle our sanity. There are a number of things we can do to help ourselves through the holidays and below are a few things that have helped me.

Choose good thoughts. Place boundaries on your head verbiage. We can’t afford to indulge thoughts of “why me” or ‘if only. When you find your self bumping into “woe is me” sentiments you need to back up and take a fresh path of thoughts. Mental health is a business, our business, its not a game so we cant afford to play with our well being. Remember our will is stronger than our feelings. We can choice to make right choices even when we don’t feel like it. For instance; if I wake up and I don’t feel like getting out of bed I can command my muscles to move and they have to obey. That’s the way we are wired. God knew we would need a way out of our misery so he designed within us a sturdy will that grows stronger with use.

Choose movies and books that brighten your season. You may have to shop around to find some. Try asking friends for recommendations. Avoid movies that cast dark shadows on your soul. You know the ones that cause you to sit and sulk because they are either full of manipulative scenes that we are overcome by or that we have tender memories attached to that pierce us with pangs of what we don’t have.

Choose music and conversations that are cheery. My favorite new Christmas album this year is from my friends, Point of Grace (link: https://www.pointofgrace.net/store-3/sing-noel)

Choose to get plenty of rest. If you are an emotional absorber minimize your exposure to sad sacks and maximize your times around folks who love life and love you. When we stay so busy we exhaust our reserves, which is a temptation this festive time of the year, we set ourselves up for sadness.

Choose light meals, it will help with energy levels and mood  swings. Eat a handful of nuts before you enter a party in case the menu is filled with too many tempting delectables, that are sugar-laden and will effect our mood. Also drink a glass of water before dinner it will help us not feel so appetite driven. Decide before you order off a menu to make wise choices. Sugar and caffeine are proven to play havoc with our internal balance.

Choose to be more intentional on giving than receiving and be a grateful receiver.

Some of my favorite books & movies that bring cheer and hope during the holidays:



Little Women

Anne of Green Gables

When Holidays Hurt

 

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