A midst it all.

   I had been planning this entry for several days now.  A special message that after some reflection, does not seem so important.  A dear friend called me yesterday after reading the first rendition of my quick entry yesterday and helped me realize that it sounded very Eeyore-ish.  After re-reading it, I realized that it was  true!  How dare I!

   It has always been my goal to help amp up quality of life for others through my content here and the influence of my smile and presence.

   After all, there is a certain smell and taste to life when you wake up on the right side of the bed.  Not that there really is a right side or a wrong side,  just that waking up with a good attitude can change everything! Literally!

   In that spirit I offer this simple prose.

source woodenboat forums

        Imbued Grace

Sampling flavor of early morning's light.

Dawn breaks out illuminating all.

Man, beast, mineral and the like.  

Herein is the revelation of man's place a midst it all.

No one piece of creation is preferred any more or less.

All start equal in the new day.

All are freely given to be a witness.

Who are we to challenge the wisdom of her way?

Is there place in your heart to be part of the whole?

Wherein dawn's rise is the glory to be found?

Birth and new life is the goal.

The new sun is well to rise and cannot be bound.

A gift of creation to you.

A new day dawning.

A new life imbued.

Glory and grace to you is fawning.

Court her with all passion if you will.

Ignore her at your risk.

Blessings a waits your heart to fill.

There is no glory or reward for withholding your kiss.

   I wish for you a great day endearing you with taste, sound and texture.  Do you sense that life renews it'self when you start the day with a positive outlook?  I do.

   Peace, life and love to you and yours.

Billy B

Stormin. Re-Edit.... ;D

      Today was fun. I got up expecting snow because the weatherman told us to expect 2 inches.  Nope, sunny and beautiful!  Halfway to work, it's dark and snowing!  Either way, it is a beautiful and marvelous day!

      I thought that I would share with you the picture above that I took on the drive in.  It always amazes me the landscapes I get to see each morning.  It's of Stansbury Island on the Great Salt Lake.

      I am happy to say that things are very busy!  I also got a call from a good friend of many years and he gave me a polite kick in the ass... due to my entry today sounding a bit like Eeyore.  I love a friend who is not afraid to call you out when you are not living up to you potential.

Have a great day!  Peace and love to you and yours.

Billy B

Revelry in a moment.

     

Today has value in it's essence.
Value is potential in it's most basic form.

Beauty is part of today's framework.
You must observe beauty to know it.

Presence can only be given away.
No one can take it from you.

To perceive value and beauty you must be present.
To be present just simply stop, breathe and see.

A moments breath, a paused glance, a pondering.
And today will come alive for you to revel in.


BillyB

A warm and comfortable bed.

  It was a cold morning. High teens for temperatures.  My bed was very warm and it was more challenging that I would like to admit to climb out and start getting ready.  In no way do I mean that I do not feel that today is a great day, it is!  I am very happy and excited for today.  I am just saying that my bed was very nice and warm. ;D

  It is also my lovely bride's, birthday and I will be taking her out this evening for a nice dinner.

  I do my best to ensure that there is something worth reading for you each and every time that I create an entry.  It is my conviction that there is purpose in creating value, even if it something small, for others each and every day.

  What do you do that creates value in a altruistic way?  Do you find it fulfilling to do so?  I believe in the character building nature of non self centered activities.  Non ego-centric living is critical to the evolution of our species.  The time has come that we as a species must evolve beyond our current mode d'operatum, facon de vivre if we wish for world and our race to survive.  Should we continue to act as we do, without concern for the consequences of our actions, without consideration for impact or influence of our actions, words and deeds, then we are no better than the animals that will eat a food source into extinction.

  The difference is that we have enough awareness and presence to realize that there is consequences and  outcomes from our actions and decisions.  As a race and as individuals we should realize that there are long term results and implications to our words as well.  I wish I would have learned that as young man instead of waiting until my late teens to realize this important lesson.

Source- Google images

  I would encourage each and everyone to listen carefully to the words we share with others.  I have no problem with humor and or fun among friends.  Few love puns and wordplay as much as I do.  I also know how the thoughtless words of others can harm the self esteem and self worth of another.

  My you find great joy in today. In having a warm and wonderful home to return to and share that knowledge and be thankful for it in such a manner that those within your home know it also.  Gratitude is contagious.

Smiles, love and a nice warm bed to you and yours.

BillyB

Your potential is immense.

  Hello All!!

  I hope that you are ready to have a great weekend.  It is my sincere wish that you do!

  I give you my humble apologies for not being on top of my blogging game.  January and February are always traumatic months at my house as there are so many souls who thought it would be great to come into this world  all within the same 60 window of the year!

  Not being able to chose for them, I have been told that I should keep my peace and simply make do.  OK, having made do...  I only have 2 more.  My lovely bride of just a month shy of 22 years (can you believe that she is still sane  and publicly permissible after so many years of contact with me?) and our oldest son who will be 21!

  May I say,  There is great joy in seeing others have fun and feel important.  Can you imagine if you had the gift of making others feel important, imparting a smile, a warm heart or even better, inspiring someone to be a better, more considerate and loving member of society!

  Guess what?  You do!!!

  You are the most influential person you will ever know.  No one can replace you.  No one can be the friend, companion, lover, parent or shoulder to cry on that you can be.  You are utterly irreplaceable!

  Can you imagine how poor the lives of others might be without you?  If you feel in anyway otherwise, look at how you have been using this marvelous power of influence and motivation that you have.  Have you been using it wisely?  Are there better ways that you might be able to use this amazing gift you have?

  How can you be the one that, without need for recognition or reward, be the one that makes it all worthwhile for someone today?!

  I know you can do it.  I can feel it deep within my heart.  The very fiber of my being tells me so.  Go to and be who you were created to be.  Your potential is immense and you are given permission to use it all!

Love, hugs and cheer.

Billy B.

Rebuilding after falling apart.

   Over this last winter and in particular, the last couple of months, I have faced a new challenge that has never really been a big issue for me until this winter.  I have felt very emotionally run down at times and even demoralized.  This is not typical of me or my nature.  There are all sorts of reasons that could cause it.  After looking at things with a certain amount of consideration, I don't see that exploring what challenge or issue has caused it as being beneficial.  If fact, I believe it could create a concern over dwelling on it more.

  Here is my own advise to me.

1. Don't create your own head games. There is no point in creating drama where in reality, there probably is none in the first place.

2. Be your own motivation and not de-motivation.  There is no reason to doubt the quality or value of you or your talents.  Faith is it's own reward and a bountiful harvest.

3.  When doing your best to not take or make things personal in life, make sure not to make things personal for others either.  Just because I may be afflicted with an occasional bad humor does not mean that I have the right to afflict others.

   Here is the real meat of the matter.  Each and everyone of us has the exact same capacity to benefit ourselves and humanity as we have to be a detriment to ourselves and humanity.  Capacity is capacity in and of it's self and it is not inherently aligned bad or good.  That decision as to how it get's used or applied is up to us.  In the end, it is for this decision ( conscious or unconscious ) that we be accountable for.

   We all have challenges, stress and moments that will try and test us.  It's OK.  It's meant to be that way.  So....... get over it and get your game on.  Always do your best to be the best you can be.  Your best may not always be the same.  Sometimes your best may be just to smile and hold your peace.  Sometimes your best will be earth moving.  It doesn't matter how great your best is each day, only that you give it, be it, live it.

   What do you find is your key to getting over your difficult moments in life?  How do you free yourself from the momentom that negative thinking has?   I know that there is no greater challenge for me to overcome than the mighty one-two punch of boredom and frustration.  It wears on me fiercely sometimes and it can be a hard one to break free from without going to extremes.  I have found that exploring my own gratitude for the blessings in my life is the best method in daily practice where breaking free of routine ( read...  work ) is not always possible or wise.

   My wish for you and yours is that joy is so strong in your lives that it has the power to banish the negative emotions and self criticism.  And when it does not, that you will be awake enough to recognize it and free yourself through conscious  effort and focus.

Peace be unto you and those around you.  Joy be your companion.  Faith in the value and power that creation placed you here for be your guardian angel.

Billy B

Wow! What a morning.

  What an amazing view to be had this morning!

   Wish you could have been there.   I wish that each one of you will have a fabulous weekend with the ones that you love.

   What will you do to make the time you spend with those you care about just a little bit more meaningful this weekend?  What will you do to live just a little deeper?

   May your weekend be blessed and marvelously alive!

Peace and live deeply.

Billy B

Stormy mornings.

   Here are some photos of the drive in this morning.  I will let you decide which one you like best.  I have always enjoyed the beauty of a storm.  Impressing me with the beauty of Mothernature's presence.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

   I love the moon hidden ever so slightly in the back ground as the clouds roll in.

   Looking out across the duck ponds and mudflats towards the Stansbury Range.

  There is always the motion and movement of life within us.  Sometimes the greatest that anyone could every hope to be is just before or just after the storms that rage within us.  There are some who believe that we should eliminate the storms.  I disagree.  The greater man is the one who recognizes them for what they are, appreciates and accepts them.  Being able to adjust how much they influence those around us and knowing when to ride the tides and when to sit back and watch with the inner eye.
 
   There cannot be total suppression without risk of backlash.  There cannot be total immersion or you risk losing not only yourself, you risk harm to others.  The greatest individual can experience the ebb and flow without attachment or personal investment.  There is some real glory and tangible art to life when you can feel all of it, being able to stand in the midst without striking out at others or seeking outcomes.

  What do you get out of your storms?  What is the silver lining to the tempests that come up in your life?  How do you know when you are angry and how to you keep from seeking some outcome or attempting to manipulate what is with anger or aggression?

   My sincere desire is to allow others their storms, to participate in mine and not seek to force change or outcomes, to live gloriously and encourage others to do so as well.  That we may all evolve beyond the ego and self centered life.  Only then is the full experience made available to all of us.  May we go there together.

Peace, a full life and a full ride to you and yours.

Billy B

The challenge of 3.

   The Gene Pool Diva has passed along a challenge to me...  The challenge of 3!

   It is now up to me to keep this mighty ball rolling... so here it is.

1.  Her blog makes me laugh and all to often I must admit that her little ditties about rural culture (shall we say... Rednecks) strikes way to close to home for me. ;D

2.  My dogs own the couch and we must move them should we need to sit down.  (miniature Dachshund and a Scottie )  They are pretty much our smallest children and in some aspects are usually better behaved than the real ones.  I'm not sure about what kind of social sin it is to have your dogs own the couch or even to use it as they wish however, it appears to be the primary topic of the challenge of 3!

3.  In my humble opinion, life is worth at least one really good laugh each day!  Whether at yourself or something else  (or someone else), you should take time to laugh every day!  Even if it is at someone's blog ;D or even your own.

I must divulge 3 things about me... and then chose 3 people to pass this epic quest on to....  who shall be my victims?

1.  I grew up a long the east coast, mostly on the Chesapeake and in Florida.  Love seafood and really would love to have a sailboat moored somewhere that I could just climb on and get away on occasion.

2.  I am a die hard romantic and love a good romantic comedy.  My 3 favorite movies are  1. Much ado about nothing. 2. Love Actually 3. As you like  (notice 2 of them are Shakespeare).

So ....  for my victims... Tee hee!

1. Clueless Eve.  Fun blog, fun content and good wordplay.

2. A more recent following of mine...  When Mac and Cheese Attack.

3. From the Writers Desk.  A very good blog about writing and getting published.  She has several books out in her writing niche.

  Here is my valiant efforts at passing this fun challenge and interesting affliction on to others.  I hope that you have a grande day and a fabulous time!

Peace and joy.

Billy B

Freedom and purpose.

  February and January are always crazy busy months for us.  There is about 5 birthdays in Jan. and another 5 I believe in Feb.  Along with the usual business of this time of year we have also added a business that we purchased last year that brings with it a whole lot of extra paperwork as the government feels there just isn't enough of it required for taxes and such.  It feels as if I have neglected the blog and appreciate everyone's continuing to follow despite my less common entries.

   Colette (she is my lovely bride of 22 years) and I had quite a discussion as we drove around taking care of the many little errands that we hadn't had the chance to address in recent times.  We both feel a need to get out of debt and to simplify our lives as much as possible.  The good news is that we are getting closer all the time.  This year we will succeed in eliminating all debt outside of our home.  It's taken 5 years to do it and a lot of sacrifice, sweet and definitely some tears.

   I believe very deeply that American's in general have been sold the wrong dream.  We as a general populous have allowed big business, advertising and the banks convince us that we deserve what we want right now.  By so doing they have convinced us that indentured service is acceptable and the norm.  And should we not do it, we are outcasts and eclectics that are on the fringe of society like there is something wrong with us.  Forget keeping up with the Jones's, each one of us should desire and work for our freedom.

   How many of us could pack up and move tomorrow because we wanted a change?  How many of us could take our current employment should we not feel it is fulfilling or purposeful and walk away knowing that we could afford to take whatever type of employment we desired or chose to?  That is our goal here at House Billy B.  To be able to devote our time, efforts and energy towards whatever cause we feel is deserving.  There is so much good that could be accomplished if we could only dedicate some time and energy to.

   What is your dream?  What must you change in your current economic paradigm to get there?  What are you born to do?  What do you have to change to do what you are driven to do?

   It is my hope and prayer that each and everyone of you get's the opportunity to live your life in just such a way to know what a life on purpose feels like. I pray that you get to live free, not burdened by debt or slave to the debts you have chosen.  I pray that you will meet the great souls that you were meant to inspire, assist and bless.  May you desire freedom enough that you will do what it takes to have it for you and your family.

Love, peace and a heart full of good will to you and yours.

Billy B

Photo poetry.

   Just a couple photos to show you the wonderful mornings I get to experience on my drive in each day.

   No filters were used. In fact, just my cell phone. ;D

   Lastly, I do not know where the picture is from.  A friend posted it on facebook and I thought I would share it.

Have a great day!

Billy B