Tuesday, June 14, 2011

October Afternoon give away...


On this second day of my celebration week... i am giving away some October Afternoon goodies. Oh, it's one of the most delightful scrapbook companies out there... and it helps that their product is... gasp... awesome. : ) So, leave a comment telling me what is one of the best lessons that you have learned in your lifetime. I will announce all the lucky recipients next week sometime.

here is my next 10 things that i have learned in my life:
See the first 10 here.

11/40: A good book is the best companion. Two of my favorite books are 3 Cups of tea and Eat, love, pray.
12/40: This blog post is still after all this time still my favorite and a worthy lesson.
13/40: Being creative is food for your spirit and soul. If i disregard this part of me for long enough it's as if i have a continuous dose of PMS. 
14/40: A wise woman builds her house but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands mouth. (prov 14:1). Sometimes you have to walk very far to retract words.
15/40: It's more blessed to give than to receive. This is how I live my life and this is how i would love to be remembered.
16/40: Friends are more important than things or money. Amen.
17/40: Delight in little things. A warm afternoon having a sip of bubbly on the deck with the doctor bbq'ing some steaks and corn on the cob. The schnauzers at our feet. What more can we ask for?
18/40: Read the Word. When your feel overwhelmed (happy or sad) read Matthew. Or the Psalms. Or my favorite Philippians. In the message translation. It is always always worth it.
19/40: But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty. Matt 23:12 MSG. Never apologize for being you. You are exactly what the world needs.
20/40: A dog is better than prozac. The only thing they give is love and pleasure. They make you laugh. They love you unconditionally. And yes, Schnauzers are the best. In my very objective opinion.

: )





Stay tuned for some Making Memories goodies tomorrow + the third installment of my lessons learned. I just want to say that i appreciate each and everyone reading my blog. You are the best. If you are reading this on facebook, please come in and have a look.

love and a kiss

59 comments :

Angela Fehr said...

Great life lessons! My biggest lesson lately has been learning to trust the truth of God's Word, even when I don't feel it.

Candace said...

My biggest life lesson so far is that the best gift you can give some, especially children is time. Your layout is beautiful as are your lessons. Thank you for sharing from the heart ;)

kate blue said...

one important lesson I have learned is that "I can't control it all all of the time because there's shades of grey in situations when before, I wanted it MY WAY in either black or white...if that makes sense :)

Melissa R. said...

I think my biggest lesson learned is that life is about the people we love and love us and not about the things that we have or want. That took a few years but I finally realized that I don't need things to be happy!

Jingle said...

I have learned that happiness does not come from money and often the less money you have the more you are able to discover what truly makes you happy.

chksngr said...

The best lesson I've learned is that LOVE is a VERB...its not how you feel, but what you do, how you act, who you choose to be out in the world. It changed everything about how I approached the world to really learn this!

Dani Donner said...

Be kind and gentle to every living being that crosses your path, that's the biggest lesson life taught me.

Amanda Johnson said...

Love your life lessons! :) I think one for me, though not one I always remember to listen to, is don't sweat the small stuff. Every day is an extraordinary gift from God, so make the most of it. When you make a mistake, and we all will, don't let it shape who you are, learn and grown from it, and continue onto that path of love and happiness that God wants for us.

Gail said...

WOW there are some really great life lessons listed!
For myself there have been so many, I find God is always speaking, it's whether or not you are still enough to listen. Waiting is not always very easy for me and so I will choose this one "never underestimate what GOD is doing in the silence." That one has come with a great price. I don't have to be productive to be of value. Yeah. . . so thank you for allowing me to stop and share Wilna - it's a very good exercise!
Blessings!

Unknown said...

Dear Wilna. I love reading your blog! It inspires me creatively, and spiritually! What better combo is there than that? hmmm, maybe coffee and chocolate? Thats a debate. LOL

A life lesson I have learned: You have to work hard in life. Things are NOT going to be handed to you. Doors will be opened, and sometimes you have to take a chance and walk through them with faith. Also, God will not give us more than we can handle. He knows exactly how strong we are (we often think we are much weaker) and in addition, he knows what we can handle with HIS strength - which is ... anything!

Luv ya!
Melissa

Unknown said...

Your life lessons are priceless! The most important thing I have learned in life is that when God's answer is no, it's because he has something much more wonderful in his plans for my life.

Miss Kathy said...

The most important thing I try to remember is to stop and think before speaking my mind. Reacting too fast just causes problems.

Anonymous said...

One life lesson I would pass along is: It takes a long time to grow an old friend. You may have times when you see a person less or when you aren't in contact as frequently, but it is worth it to keep those friendships alive.

AmieeAya said...

Oh I just love your blog! Mine is be yourself. It's impossible to be happy or effective trying to be someone you're not. All I have to be is who god made me to be.

Shanna said...

To be in the moment!!!!
xox

THANK YOU!!!!

Carolyn said...

My biggest lesson I've learned during my long life is that you're up and busy and doing things.....good things happen to you.......

dalijablog said...

I love your list of things you've learned in your life. Oh and I love OA! And I'm a big fan of your work!

I've learned, that you'll never understand babies(kids) and someone who's having them what is it like to have them, before you've actually got them yourself! Even if you've heard of sleepless nights, tiredness being patient etc. etc. you've got to experience all yourself. It can be hard but very rewarding!
Happy 40th B/day!

Deanna said...

I've learned that most things people say and do are about what is going on in their own heads, not about me. Taking it personally is counterproductive. And recognizing that truth gives me an opportunity to reach out or be kind or at the very least, turn the other cheek :)

Colleen B. said...

The biggest life lesson I have learned is Mymom was right most of the time. It took me thirty years to figure it out and to have enough respect to tell her, but it's oh so true. Now my biggest life challenge is learning how to help my own daughters listen to generations of wisdom, without taking thirty years.

Jan C. said...

Your No. 14 is definitely one of my biggest life lessons!

I think, at 51, what I would say is my biggest revelation or life lesson is: I am very blessed! I used to concentrate quite a lot on the things I didn't have, the things that weren't happening in my life, and so on. But more and more, I realize that I am blessed in so many ways. Although I am not the richest woman, monetarily, on the planet, I feel as if I live like a queen. I have a wonderful husband of 27 years who loves me. I can still say that I love him with all my heart. We are blessed with 5 healthy and wonderful kids. We have a nice house and plenty of food, clothes, and all the necessities. And we even get to go on vacations together. Our family is close and loving, and we have many wonderful friends. What more could I want?!!!

irene said...

Enjoy the little things of life like spending time with my family, walking along the beach with my son looking for shells (we live 5 minutes away, sunny days, hearing the birds sing, reading a book in te garden.

Love the page you made. It's so beautiful with al the butterflies.

Bye Irene

carriegel said...

Be kind.

Pink Heather said...

As a teenager my mother gave me these words of wisdom ~'choose my friends, not let them choose me'. I've learnt that lesson well and now I'm telling my teenagers the same thing.
I have the best friends any woman could ask for.

Angi Barrs said...

The important lesson I have learned is so love unconditionally and with your whole heart. Love your adorable schnauzer. :)

Natalie Elphinstone said...

Kids make a lot of mess, but they have a lot of fun doing it. Try and control the mess and you stop the fun. If it's not damaging something then you can always clean it up afterwards.
Just a little reminder to myself really when I struggle with the untidyness around me due to two happy little girls!!

Janea aka Naya said...

Lesson Learned: Matthew 6:22 and Luke 11:34 both say-"The lamp of the body is the eye. If, then, your eye is simple, your whole body will be bright."

Trying to keep my eye and life uncomplicated/simple and not wanting too much "stuff" has opened up opportunities that my husband and I have only dreamed about but never thought possible. And when we have complicate our life, then unforseen problems were created. We have been spending the last 2 years deliberately simplifying our life and we have never been happier.

jill marie barrett said...

My biggest lesson I have learned in life is that God is in control, not me!

jill marie barrett said...

My biggest lesson I have learned in life is that God is in control, not me!

Kate aka stinkydudette said...

Be kind to everyone. And have respect!

Katey said...

Always be kind. Just remember, what if you were in their shoes. Same goes with animals.

Be kind.

Pegg S said...

When I was a teen, a teacher would say "Allow yourself to be happy." Didn't understand it then as a naive young person, but now I understand that sometimes you yourself is what is keeping happiness at bay. I think a lot of people struggle with this!

Nadine said...

the best lesson learnt was (and still is) that it's not easy being a mother. I have to thank my own for that.

Nitasha said...

One of my fav and hardest learned life lessons is that God hears our prayers and sends answers and that if I listen to Him things will work out fine, it's when I ignore and venture off o my own path that I get into a bind!

red smartie said...

Sometimes the best prayer is simply to say thank you.

Debbie Pereira said...

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. this has gotten me through so very rough times.

Emma said...

everything happens for a reason, it just might be it takes a while to see the reason!!

liesbeth said...

The biggest lesson I have learned is not to plan ahead. I used to be a planner, even to the smallest details, until our son was born with a dreadful disease and a short life expectation. We've learned to live by the day... carpe diem. A difficult lesson, but a very valuable one for me.

lyley said...

This week I heard this quote "Tomorrow is a day in the calendar of a fool" (at an excelling as a woman-bible based course)-
on reflection I've learnt to never leave for tomorrow what can be said or accomplished today.

Theresa said...

My greatest lesson learned has been taught to me by my daughter. She was born 10 weeks premature 18 years ago and lives with cerebral palsy - and yet she is the most loving, caring, delightful and ablebodied person I know! She doesn't know the meaning of the word 'disabled' or 'I can't because...'. She has riden horses (and a camel), swam in the ocean, sung and 'wheelchair' danced on stage, swung through a tree-top tour and many, many others! So who am I to say, oh life is so difficult! I am truley blessed by the Lord with my child....she has made me the person I am proud to be today! My mum always says "God never gives you more than you can handle" - I guess God knew me far better than I knew myself! Thank you for such a inspiring blog - love it!

Denise Price said...

Nice list, Wilna! I especially like #13--I feel the same way when I don't get time to be creative.

One of the best lessons I've learned in life is that you should treasure every moment you have with your family and friends.

Anonymous said...

That Jesus loves me no matter what, JUST AS I AM, and He loved me so much that He died for me, and it is a debt I will never be able to repay.
Rosa M. Neno
Lyndhurst,
NJ

julie.schellin said...

The things I stress about today are tiny forgotten things a week from now. Lesson learned, again and again.

milkcan said...

Life lesson learned: Failure is a beginning and an opportunity for change.

Donnie said...

The best lesson I've learned is to find a lesson in everything. Every success, every mistake, every failure, every opportunity, every regret. There is ALWAYS something to be learned and the greater the pain, the more important the lesson.

Ewik21 said...

One life lesson I would pass along is: belive that your dreams come true when you almoust forget about them!!! )))))

Kelly said...

pray continually. oh, and, drink lots of coffee, run like you mean it and eat real food.

8thgypsy said...

I have learned that no matter how far you run - there you are.

Iara said...

Wilna, just saw yourr birthday is this weekend! mine is tomorrow ;) we are *almost* birthday twins. Love the idea of writing life lessons, mine is to have patience. There is a time for everything and everything has its time. I purchased a bunch of OA papers and Jenni Bowlin stamps as a birthday gift, hopefully they will arrive tomorrow ;) hugs!

Sandra said...

I love to read the "things you learned" - they are really good... and make me think...

alisa logue said...

Here is a little life lesson epiphany that I had recently: "Don't fool yourself into believing that reality is your perception of it. There is alot bigger picture than what our finite minds can comprehend." Am loving reading your tidbits of wisdom. xo- Alisa

jung a said...

best lesson...hmmm...plan ahead.

Debbie Pereira said...

I learned a lesson from a dear friend in high school that I will never forget and have tried to live by for the past 35 years. She once told me never to say something about someone that you would not say to their face. She told me this in the midst of some dramatic high school girls fight. It was the best advice at the time and still is.

Michelle Price said...

A family member of mine passed away unexpectedly 6 months before his retirement date. He'd been lving for retirement for the past 10 years-working hard and denying himself of everything so he'd have enough $$ for retirement when he planned to really start living! Moral of the story is: Live in the now. Find joy in everthing and everyday.

Anonymous said...

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Liefde uit 'n koue Jhb!
Ingrid

Milla said...

"I'm not always right". That's it, really.

Anonymous said...

Talk to God he's always listening.

cindy said...

Everthing comes to an end, good or bad.

Stay Funny said...

My biggest lesson... something I just read not too long ago, really stayed in my mind and trying to work on is: "If you RUN... make sure you're running towards something. Never Away."

CraftyCat said...

One of the best Lessons I've learned is "You cannot always control what happens to you but you can control your reaction."