Collecting Satisfactions 1-10



I have a tendency to measure life by highs and lows. This is not a good way, because you can miss a lot of life that way. Or you can feel disatisfied if you don't hear those angel choir sound effects all the time in the background of life. There should be a winking smilie but I've resisted learning how to do emoticons in html.

Not all of life can be graduations, falling in love, weddings, births, winning the lottery, discovering an heirloom in your attic, etc. Much of the beauty of life comes in smaller packages, but we sometimes miss them. One of my prayers and goals has been to actually do what it says in the Bible in Philippians 4:

"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."
I like to read Homekeeping Hearts. She has been writing about "Collecting Satisfactions”.
I followed the trail to find the original blogger who talked about this at this link - Collecting Satisfactions. When I read the list of "satisfactions collected" at Homekeeping Hearts it was a confirmation that I need to keep moving in this direction. I will be a better person and artist if I do.

So here are my first "Satisfactions Collected" in no particular order and certainly not in a most to least important order. They'll be written just as my brain offers them (which will be in a strange order, I can tell you), in batches of ten.

1. The sound of the birds and pouring coffee in the morning.
2. Children playing un-selfconsciously and with abandon.
3. The way that black and burnt umber make a perfect warm color for defining things in painting without feeling too cold.
4. A hug from a dear friend.
5. Watching my husband coach Little League.
6. Driving to a special doll shop in Camden, Maine is deeply satisfying.
7. Finishing a work of art.
8. The delicous point when you've finished all the works of art that were unfinished and you get to start with a clean slate.
9. Quilting fabric.
10. Shaping paperclay in my hands.
11. The smile the bass player has when he plays in worship on Sunday morning.

Thanks for checking in. If you want to try collecting satisfactions, go to the original post up Collecting Satisfactions.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Dixie, that was just what I needed to hear! I am sitting here eating my heart out because I am outbid on "Pauline" (you know who that is) and I needed to be reminded that there are a lot of great things in my life even if I can't win this one.
Love,
Tracy

Michelle said...

Dixie,
I LOVE this post!!! You have a special way with words and touching people's hearts through emotions. Thank you for sharing!!

Keep on writing and sharing, you have no idea how many people are touched!

Hugs,
Tink
TheBlackberyBriar

SympleTymes Cloth Art By Sherrie Nordgren said...

Dixie, This is sooooo wonderful of you to post such a up lifting, encouraging and a huge blessing, I want to do the Collecting Satisfactions 1-10" It really makes one stop think smile and say a prayer of Thanksgiving!Thank You for posting this and sharing YOU !!
Hugs Sherrie

Katie said...

Thank you so much for mentioning me, Dixie! That is awfully nice to know that you were encouraged - it is like counting our blessings, don't you think.
Thank you!


"Do not let what you cannot do
keep you from doing what you can do."

John Wooden