Doreen's Whimsical Words ~ My new blog

I have started a new blog
Doreen's Whimsical Words


This is where I will be posting my poetry

and poetry tags as well as

my whimsical writings.

I hope you will visit sometimes.

If I had Wings ~ A Tag

THANKS CATHY

for your welcome suggestion

to make my poem and photo into a tile/tag...

I hope you like it : )

If I had Wings ~ A Poem

~If I had Wings~

If I had wings

If I could fly

I'd spread my wings

I'd span the sky

If I had wings

I'd feel so free

My friend won't you

Come fly with me

The wind will lift us higher

Far above the clouds

If I had wings I'd fly with you

Far from all the crowds!

Doreen Scerri © 2009

I took the above picture only a few days ago when I was taking pictures of clouds. Have you ever tried to take photos of birds in flight? Gosh it is ever so difficult to get them all in one perfect frame. It was getting kind of dark then, but this is the best one I got and I am quite happy with it. I think capturing birds in flight will be my next challenge : ) Have you ever thought about how fast birds fly? The photo inspired me to write the poem. Poetry takes me into worlds and places I may never get to, it frees my spirit and my mind travels anywhere it fancies, anywhere it longs to go and through my verses I can travel beyond the horizon and back again.

Thank you Lord for the wind beneath my wings

every time You inspire me

with Your wonderful creation.

Making bookmarks for some very special people...

Yesterday my husband and I and several friends had the lovely occasion to meet the sweet Sisters of the Poor Clares in St. Julians at a get-together organized by the same nuns. We are indeed very happy and fortunate to be able to spend such precious time with them. They always bless us with their welcoming and warm friendship.

The bookmarks were a joint effort/idea made

as a gift for the Poor Clares
~ thanks to all who shared ideas or donated supplies

so that I could make these ~
...here are pictures of the work involved in making them

for those who would like to try making some.

I measured, cut and knotted (on one end) some lovely colourful ribbons, donated by some friends, ...

It was hard to choose from such a lovely variety of crosses...these were generously donated and sent from America by some very dear on-line friends.

The next step was the most difficult...threading the ribbon which is a bit fidgety but I improvised with a home made tool ... a short length of silver wire bent in two to thread the ribbon with!

With my family's help I found a way how to leave one side of the ribbon longer than the other while securing the cross so that the final knot does not show behind the bookmark.

Once I designed the bookmarks I printed them...hmmm, that was when the printer ink finished...anyway I finally got them printed.

The next step was to laminate them.

I love the laminating part...this is when the design part is all done and ready and you can finally see the end result...

A paper cutter is a very helpful tool when you have to cut out some three dozen bookmarks and trim them!

Using a hole punch, make a hole in the middle at the top of each bookmark.

This was also a fun part...threading the ribbon and cross ... here comes the part where you will find out that the knot stays at the back because of what we did earlier when we threaded the ribbon and cross having left one side a little longer than the other.

Here is a close up of the bookmarks.

It took quite a long time (at least 8-10 hours spread over different days) to design (having tried several different designs), to print and then do all the steps above to make these bookmarks.

It was well worth making the bookmarks to see the smiles on the sisters' faces.

Here is the wording on the bookmarks:

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." ~ St. Francis of Assisi ~

"Praise God by Your Life" ~ St. Clare ~

Thank you Lord for the precious gift of
the Poor Clares who daily offer their
prayers for each and every one of us.

Birthday Blessings

A Birthday is a special day,

an occasion for celebrating life,

for cherishing the past and reflecting on the present,

for thinking of the future and feeling happy in continuing my journey.

And most of all it is a time for thanking God for the gift of life

and for all that He has done in my life,

for all the miracles, big or small,

for every person He has put in my path ~

It is a time to think of what is really important in my life, what really matters.

It is a time to tell my loved ones how much I love them and appreciate them.
This day has come and soon is gone as all birthdays do

And just like a changing season my life goes on, as I pray

'Teach us to number our days aright

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.'
Psalm 90.12

The memories stay and these I will treasure with all my heart.

D. Scerri ©

I haven't been able to be on here for a while for several reasons but here I am at last. In a way this is a belated Birthday posting, so a belated Happy Birthday to me if I may say so : )

I wish here to thank all my family, extended family, friends, on-line 'crafty' friends whom I have never met for all the good wishes, phonecalls, cards, egreetings, emails and gifts sent, you are all truly so very precious.

I thank my son's dear girlfriend who so generously drove us to the east coast for a stroll along the promenade since we are having problems with our car ~ we really enjoyed the cake treats at one of the cafetterias there. Also thanks Mum for treating us all out for lunch last Sunday!

One of the reasons I have not been able to be here very often is the fact that, as some of you already know, my computer unfortunately stopped working (eh yes, when it rains it pours). The service people said it was the motherboard and graphic card which, besides knowing it would be an expense, I was at a loss as to what I should do but decided to wait and while and see if maybe the parts would go on sale...I was definitely not going to buy a new one. In the meantime my dear son let me share his PC for which I am so thankful.

To cut a long story short, I was totally thrilled when on my birthday my family, that is my dear husband, daughter, son and his girlfriend surprised me with ALL NEW PARTS! So as soon as we find time to save what I need from my old hard drive, my son will be installing all new programs, etc. for me but I will not rush him as he is finishing his college assignments and those definitely come first. Thank you all so much <3

So watch out eveyone, I will be back on track soon!

A Birthday Blessing
Nothing is more sacred than someone's life, and no words more precious

than words that celebrate someone's life. And so...

read more here

http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/special/birthday.html

Hey Moms...it's back to work and some more play!

Now that Mother's Day is over, it seems it's back to normal and back to work. Whatever work you do be it as a Stay-at-home-Mom, work away from home, work from home, make sure you find some Me time. Do not wait for the weekend or for the evening...Me time can be yours at any time of the day so long as you find the time or rather make the time for yourself.
So grab that book you have been meaning to finish and enjoy a few pages (why not read it till the end) while waiting for your laundry, sit at your computer and add that little something to your blog (that is what I am doing right now!), get your cleansers, toners and give yourself some 'pamper' time, stop to look at the bubbles making their way up from your kitchen sink...You know what you wish to do or have been meaning to accomplish. The laundry will still get done, you are clever enough to whip up a healthy meal even if you give yourself a break and what if the dishes don't get done until a little later...

Believe in yourself!

Stop to smell the fresh air if you don't

have flowers in your garden

or just look at the sky at this lovely time of year.

Do give that special gift to yourself...you deserve it!

The picture above is one I found on the net

while browsing for Mother's Day ideas and thought

it was a great quote and craft which I hope to try soon.

If any of you have a craft you made for Mother's Day

and wish to send me a picture I will feature it on this posting.

Mother's Day Dedication

~HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY BLESSINGS ~

May the Blessed Mother come into your life today

with a special blessing for you.

May you always be grateful for the Blessed Mother.

Without her we would not have Jesus. Our Saviour.

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We were all born to love and care and women were born to be Mothers in an especially loving and caring way. In one way or another we are all Mothers ~ I dedicate this posting to all who are in any way mothers, those that are birth mothers, those who are adoptive or foster mothers, those who as a mother care for the upbringing of little ones especially aunts, grandmas, sisters, carers, teachers, religious persons, even dads who have taken on the role of Mum too. Especially I would like to dedicate this to my own Mum who is very special to me, I ask God to bless her and all the mothers of our family and all mothers out there who are reading this. I must not forget those who are taking care of Mothers (or parents) who can no longer take care of themselves...they are doing such a noble job. One last but very important dedication is to those who were nearly mothers but have lost their child in some way.

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M-O-T-H-E-R

M is for the million things she gave me,

O means only that she's growing old,

T is for the tears she shed to save me,

H is for her heart of purest gold;

E is for her eyes, with love-light shining,

R means right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER",

A word that means the world to me.
~Howard Johnson (c. 1915)~

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Have you ever known someone

from before their birth,

Loved that person unconditionally

and known how much they're worth?

Have you ever held your child

close to your heart

And prayed that nothing would,

ever could, make you stay apart?

Have you ever sung them lullabies

Told them stories that were dear,

Dried their tears after a fall,

and taken away their fear?

And have you ever shared moments

to smell the pretty flowers

And admire the sky above

Or played in rain showers?

Have you found time to wonder with them

About the birds and the bees,

Looked at cloud formations,

Talked on how to preserve trees?

Have you ever seen their wonder

reflected in you...

And seen yourself time and again,

in them, through and through?

If you have ever shared these memories

One on one with the other,

Then deep within your heart you know

That you are A MOTHER!

Doreen Scerri © 2009

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Here is a lovely prayer/presentation I have come across and would like to share...

http://www.andiesisle.com/mothersdayprayer.html

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In this dedication, I must not forget my friends and all those who lovingly take care of their pets and all God's creatures in a warm motherly way.

You all know who you are!

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Here is a great site for Kids for Mother's day...
http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/mothersday.html

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Mother’s Day Prayer

God our Creator, we pray:

for new mothers, coming to terms with new responsibility;

for expectant mothers, wondering and waiting;

for those who are tired, stressed or depressed;

for those who struggle to balance the tasks of work and family;

for those who are unable to feed their children due to poverty;

for those whose children have physical, mental or emotional disabilities;

for those who have children they do not want;

for those who raise children on their own;

for those who have lost a child;

for those who care for the children of others;

for those whose children have left home;

and for those whose desire to be a mother has not been fulfilled.

Bless all mothers, that their love may be deep and tender,

and that they may lead their children to know and do what is good,

living not for themselves alone, but for God and for others.

Amen.

Prayer taken from

http://www.stjosephclayton.org/

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Last but not least let us remember Mothers who have gone before us on faith...
may God grant them peace and everlasting joy in being with their Creator through eternity ~ their reward for their work and life here on earth.

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Thoughts for Good Friday

Photo courtesy of ChristianPhotos.net

Although Lent may seem a sad time,

we should make it a 'Joyful season of the year',

one that challenges us to renew and strengthen

our faith, hope and love for the Lord.

How often have I tried to do God's will and failed?

Lord help me not to be discouraged by my failures.

Give me strength to persevere,

for I know that not to try harder is the worst "failure".

The above thoughts and prayers are taken from The Stations of the Cross written by Fr. Philip Heng, S.J.

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God gave me the gift of Himself. Totally.

My challenge now is to accept this gift. Totally.

Hmmmm. Not sure exactly how to do that -

but I am going to pray for you and for me,

that we find out how and do it.

A thought from Sr. Patricia Proctor

~ Franciscan Monastery of Saint Clare, Spokane, USA ~

Send your Greeting Cards from the Franciscan Ecards site http://holyecards.com/

Join to receive Sr. Pat's Joy Notes ~ there is a link on the right side of the page in this link.

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You

Because by Your holy cross

You have redeemed the world.

Light a Candle

I am sure many of you have visited the Gratefulness.org Candle site before. I have a link to it on the side of my Blog under the name Light a Candle. It is such a lovely place to visit. It will provide you with a quiet space where you can reflect quietly and pray while lighting a candle.

I have just lit one for those hit by the terrible earthquake in Italy and I also started a group under the name WW (for WorldWide) so if you would like to join this, just click on

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=WW

and follow the instructions. I have started this page of candles which will all be in support, dedication or in memory of the victims, families and all the people in the region. Please join us and invite others to join so that candles can be lit from all around the world for those hit by the devastation and who need our prayers. Thank you.

A special thanks for the idea of starting this page of candles goes to my sister Crafty Sue who has also posted this site on her blog http://craftysusie.blogspot.com/

Hosanna

Image is from my files

Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week leading to Easter Sunday. Today we commemorate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem while people laid down palms and clothing in front of his path. Their cry of Hosanna was an exclamation of praise, originally it was an appeal for deliverance.

On Palm Sunday palms and olive branches are blessed before Mass and distributed to the congregation at the end of today's celebration to take home to place in a prominant places to keep throughout the year.

The passion of Our Lord is recounted during today's Mass and this helps us as we prepare for Holy Week.

In some countries it is customary to make crosses with palms, here is a link on how they are made...

http://www.thesacredheart.com/plmcross.htm

The picture above shows the olive branch that we brought home today after church...I like to leave it in a vase until it starts to dry out and then I take small branches from it to place in different rooms.

A quietness awoke me

I was serene and so happy today

With the crowd I will shout Hosanna

As I lay palms across your way.

Your triumphant entry Lord

into my lonely heart

uplifts me and gives me hope

May we never be apart.

But I am frail and will deny you

Not once but many a time,

Like Peter did though he loved you so ~

I'm moved with your sweet love sublime.

I will shout Hosanna

Praise and honour be yours today

Please save me oh sweet Jesus

Do not let me go astray!

Doreen Scerri © 2009

Image is from my files

The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

(A picture from my files)

It was a busy day for me as well as a quiet day... I wanted to write a posting about today's feast of Our Lady of Sorrows and was thinking of what I could possibly write for this to be effective as a meditation or an outreach. I could write about how Our Lady suffered or about the suffering and pain that goes on in our world but then most of us already know about all this. Suffering can be such a personal thing, some people speak of their suffering constantly while others suffer in silence.
As I was debating whether or not to continue writing this post, I received an email from a very good friend of mine who I know has fairly recently suffered both physically as well as emotionally and I would like to dedicate this posting to her...you know who you are!

Her email says,
'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.'
When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.
Concentrate on this sentence... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

I think it came just on time for me to use it as a reflection on this feast.

These are three very powerful sentences...in the first I think that it is how we act that matters, it is a call for action and how we go about it. I ask myself in what areas do I need to change if I want something different but this change needs to be done with a leap of Faith and Trust knowing that if I left it up to Him, He will show me the way but I need to be awake and aware at all times and be ready to accept, act or wait even if it means I have to suffer. It could be a change, an opportunity, a challenge.
In the second sentence we may feel that when things go wrong we are being punished, that we do not deserve this and many times we ask ourselves, 'Why me?' If we lose a job or a loved one, when our plans are changed, when it seems as if everything is going wrong, very often while thinking we know what is good for us or that our situation won't change, God may have other plans. What may feel as unfair may indeed be a blessing in disguise.
The last sentence I think is the most important and if we concentrate on it, it gives us strength.
God loves us so much, He will always help us, He gives us the strength to bear our troubles...my favourite quote is from Matthew 6:26, it has given me strength on many occasions...
Look at the birds in the sky. They don't plant or harvest or gather food into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. You are more valuable than they are, aren't you?
Whenever we find ourselves in difficult situations, when we feel lonely, when we seem to be at a dead end, that is when God lifts us up. That is when He is carrying us. We may not know when or how or even why but He always does.
For anyone suffering in any way, this posting may not be the answer but reading the three sentences and concentrating on how they connect with Action, Acceptance and Trust, I hope it will be uplifting.
Seeing how Our Lady suffered along with Jesus when she was there (action), how she accepted and trusted, we realise that when we suffer we gain, just as Jesus obtained eternal salvation for us when He suffered and died and then rose again. Indeed when God takes something from our grasp He is not punishing us but opening our hands to receive something better. Our suffering be it physical, spiritual or in any other way, is in preparation of a gift beyond our expections, beyond our dreams. I hope this thought is uplifting. I close with some thoughts in a poem/prayer.

To You Oh Mother

I turn my eyes

I feel your pain

In your lap He lies...

Mother most merciful

So full of love,

My pain I offer

To you above.

Bless us and as you

Take our grief,

Please give us hope

and sweet relief.

Sweet Mother Most beautiful,

Our Lady most kind,

Thank you for the comfort

That in you we find.

D. Scerri ©

Back to the drawing board

So here I am back to a little bit of creativity...

I have been playing in my graphics

program to create a tag to attach to an Easter votive candle

to give as a gift. I am posting it here in case someone wants to use

this idea, you can also use the tag so long as it is not for

commercial purposes.

I would like to give credit for the Easter votive candle idea to Marie,

a crafting friend on my favourite forum.

Thanks Marie!

Just right click and save to your files and

of course remember where you saved it : )

You may need to re-size as the original size of this

tag is roughly 2.4 x 1.4 inches.

Enjoy!

Verses come like raindrops...

We had been experiencing some warmer days with the onset of spring, days with not much rain and the earth had already started to feel the difference. It was the weekend of our retreat...suddenly a most welcome rainshower refreshed us all...that's what drew me to the back porch where I sat down and wrote...

Raindrops are falling,
My senses renew,
The scent of the first rain
I loved as I grew.
Leaves are greener,
Earth's refreshed,
Your spirit Lord fills our soul
And we are blessed!
Doreen Scerri ©

* * * * *

All clouds are one in the sky above
A blend of subtle grey
Like your blessings, Lord,
so many they are
To gently fill my day.

The warmth of the sun now adds a haze
And grey changes to blue,
My heart feels blessed
with your endless love
My hope, my Lord, is in You!

My day, my space, all I've done and said

To You in thanks I give.

May I, in everything and everywhere,
Praise You for as long as I live.
Doreen Scerri ©

* * * * *

Hopes and wishes,

Thoughts and dreams,

You give me to flavour my life.

In everything

and so it seems

I'm blessed with all my strife:

For no rose is without a thorn

And obstacles need to be overcome ~

I blend my will to yours Lord, today,

May Your will be always done!

Doreen Scerri ©

* * * * *

Bookmarks to share

Here are a couple of bookmarks I made to share at last weekend's retreat...

the original had details to mark the occasion.

For an extra touch I also added a tassel

or cross on a silver ribbon.

~~~~~

Special thanks to my friend Cathy from Montana USA

who sent me the lovely crosses.
Thanks Cathy!

A Time to Reflect and Pray!

The walkway through the orchard leading up to the

Retreat House which has recently been refurbished and

which is almost a hundred years old.

We have been away this past weekend on a Lenten retreat to reflect and pray with family and friends...it was a lovely experience and through this post would like to thank those who have given their energy and time to make this possible and truly fulfilling, you all know who you are ~ thank you from the bottom of our hearts and well done! Blessings to you and yours.

It was a time to reflect and pray, a time to relax and share our free time, a time to appreciate and give thanks to Our Lord and to get to know each other better..... here are some few photos I took which I'd like to share with you...

Selmun Palace can be seen in the distance

St.Paul's Islands














A close up of one of the islands.

We could see this olive tree right from our window

Beautiful almond blossoms adorned the orchard

A close-up picture of these lovely spring blossoms is inspirational:
just like the bare trees after the dark winter,
let us leave the past behind and take a leap into the freshness
and promise of spring, an excitement full of energy
and a time for reflection and a NEW START!