Dear TSJ Friends,
I wonder . . . are you having an L-of-a-day?” Solomon and I hope so! 
And we hope your eyebrows are raised and there is a quizzical grin on your face asking yourselves, “What the dickens are they talking about?”
You see, Solomon and I have been having some fun here at headquarters. Together he and I and Mr. John are discovering that each day brings with it numerous opportunities for loving, learning, laughing, listening and living full out!
We believe with all those L’s we also gain experiences that lead us to wisdom! As you know, Solomon is our Mr. Wisdom muse here. I am working on the Love part. And Mr. John faithfully supports both of us. Solomon is happy today – as usual.
Today we hope to inspire you to take your heart’s desire for happiness and belonging up a notch and have an L-of-a-Good Day! In other words choose the 5 L’s throughout the day.
Solomon and I plan to. We are here in our TSJ office where my desk sits corner wise to a wall and window. As we look out to the quiet and serene development we are brainstorming ideas and collecting stories to share with you! Of course as we do that I start to worry and fret with Solomon about the details of the when and how tos for our weekly wisdom letter. For example, how will it sound to people who aren’t used to us or to people who are deeply suffering? Then . . .
SOLOMON SPEAKS
“Have you not yet learned,” asks Solomon with a sigh, “that worry is neither helpful nor necessary? After all – God is our Shepherd!” 
He adds, “I know I am a mere sheep, but even I know that God wants our love and delight and is not impressed by perfection or even our knowledge. I say – share Love and leave the rest up to God the Chief Shepherd. I know he will gladly guide you – like us sheep – away from those well-worn ruts of thinking and worrying that take us into the muck of doubt and despair. And remember, only Chief Shepherd can restore our souls.” (Psalm 23)
After this admonition, I practiced inhaling three deep breaths one at a time, holding them for 2-3 seconds, and letting them out slowly and completely while dropping my shoulders. This well known and simple exercise slightly slows down the hyper active and worried brain. We encourage you to try it. It changes the brain waves into a calmer state (from Beta to Alpha state.) Who knew how often we tense up our shoulders until we consciously drop them?
Admittedly Solomon’s timeless wisdom often sounds like “common sense – that is not so common.”
SIMPLE REMINDERS:
The joy of writing to you is enriched today by being able to see a pond between the houses across the street where the snow has covered up the mud and dirty snow from previous rains. The newer more pure white snow also reflects light in our grey winter days! We enjoy watching people walking their dogs. Like people, dogs have some predictable patterns but are distinctly unique at the same time. Creation sure revels in variety!
So in a playful spirit today, we are peeking into your devices to encourage you to celebrate the little things. Notice all that is going right in your life journey at this time. Celebrate things that you rarely think about.
They don’t have to be magnificent! Life itself is so.
But how about offering a smile or a “wahoo!” over small accomplishments you usually take for granted?. Treat yourself to a little special something – five minutes of listening to music or practicing the inhale-exhale thing or stopping at a store and getting a little treat (even if it is your favorite brand of cough drops for your cold) or putting a warm pack on your chest while you watch a show or read a book.
I am being ridiculous of course. At least partly. But it is an encouragement for an L-of-a-good day mindset – of grace and gratitude.
LOVE, LAUGH, LISTEN, LEARN and LIVE . . . With Abandon!
Let’s start finding new ways to . . .
~ Love more playfully and openly. Take risks to give compliments, to be vulnerable and sing your songs and dance your dances and trust God delights in you! People who love well attract more love. That is how we help each other through tough times.
~ Laugh more heartily and frequently. Remind yourself laughter is an inner jog for your soul – an exercise that oxygenates your mind and generates creativity. It displaces despair with gentle care. You cannot be angry or bitter and laugh at the same time. And best of all – laughter is contagious!
~ Listen with an attitude of receptivity for all that is good. Listening is a practice of being fully present. Push your inner pause button from time to time. Listen to your body, to your quiet longings, to others, nature and to the stillness for the voice of God.
~ Learn with humility, compassion and forgiveness from today’s mistakes. Oh how much freer and happier we would be if we could turn our mistakes into messages of redemption and hope.
~ Live more full-out – be fully engaged with life and remember it is God, the source of love and life that has given us a will for relationships, dreams, growth and self expression. Scriptures say “God delights in us.” (Zephaniah 3:16)
Finally, I fully realize you know all this. It serves only as a gentle reminder that with the help of divine Love we can have an “L-of-a good day” even if it doesn’t seem like it at various moments.
Ever onward with love for each other and the Shepherd who Loved us first,
Margie and Solomon
