April 29, 2024

Posts Comments

A Renovated House, Renovated All Wrong!

By 1 Comment

This 1930’s house was renovated in the first picture (exterior white)…YIKES!  Do you think with this renovation; plate-glass windows, a patio instead of a porch, and lets not forget the vinyl siding were really a good choice for a 1930’s bunglow?I’ll answer for you… NO! I found a picture of the original house and spared no expense to return it to its original character. I rebuilt the front porch, replaced the plate-glass windows with the original style, and removed all the vinyl siding.(2nd picture) So after looking at the second picture, which renovation was better? I don’t think I have to answer this one for you! Stephen Spurling

Filed Under: Home Renovations Large and Small Tagged With: , , , , ,

Past “Emotional” War Wounds

By Leave a Comment

    Boy, didn’t some of us have a difficult emotional past that has cut hard and deep into the very thread of our present lives. I would say that I qualify for that tee-shirt! My past war wounds are more visible some days than others and it takes a constant effort on my part to keep them hidden. I do not need to show off  a badge of courage.

What I am trying to say is, I had a past that  might have led me to think that I would always be destined for heartache, disappointment, and the feeling of living with a broken spirit.  But I decided long ago that I am worthy of true happiness and that I can make it so.

How??? I control my attitude and I control my mood. I can be however I wish to be so I choose to be happy, funny, smiling and positive. I can say that my life is full of people who laugh, smile and share positive energy with me. My cup runneth over! I think it is this way for me because I have always try to hide my past war wounds.  Although they are a source of wisdom, they don’t rule my present being.  I say Don’t let the war wounds of your past make your life become something that you don’t want it to be! Stephen Spurling

Filed Under: Southern Gentleman, "Living Life with Ease" Tagged With: , , , ,

What Is Your Ratio Of Happiness?

By Leave a Comment

I realize that we all think about our happiness, but what if we counted the percentage of  time we weren’t. I have a formula that has always worked for me, remember, we are just pondering  my perspective.  I strive for 75% of the time… I must be happy. I allow 25% for all the crap that I cannot control. This is my way of keeping my life and the direction of my life in check. I always think about this every morning… Saying “Stephen, you have to find happiness in at least 75% of this day” And believe me it’s not always easy… sometimes I am left with nothing but to start the day all over again!  I am determined to live my best life. Making the effort to find happiness in my life is so important that I really don’t want to give up even 25%!  But, I realize that my life will never be perfect, so this is why 75% is so precious to me.

Think of your happiness in terms of a checkbook, if the balance falls too low, we take the necessary actions to correct  the balance, a transfer from savings, working overtime, etc. So… if your happiness falls too low, take the necessary action to correct your “balance.” Live your life in the black, not in the red! I mean set a realistic ratio for yourself and try to live it.

I know a lot of you may think this is just hogwash, but think about your happiness in terms of percentages. Putting a number on it will only inspire you to make the necessary changes.  Set a goal of happiness for yourself, and if you fall below that number, make the adjustments! After all it is your life, your happiness, and your checkbook!   Stephen Spurling

Filed Under: Southern Gentleman, "Living Life with Ease" Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Porch Is A Porch

By Leave a Comment

        This house needed to be what I call “un-remodeled”. Years ago someone thought it would be a great idea to enclose the front porch…NOT! I think that a porch is a porch… and that thinking goes double if you live in the south! Just look at the curb appeal of this open front porch, and then look at the  picture of when it was enclosed!  I have never had so much fun subtracting heated square footage from a house! The hardest challenge of this improvement project was returning the interior brick back to its orignal color. When they enclosed it, they left the brick walls exposed on the inside room  and painted them white. I know your thinking I had the brick sandblasted, but I didn’t. I painted it with a like color matching the exterior brick. I used a paint sprayer and then a sponge with a slightly lighter color of the brick to match the existing brick. I of course had to build a corner support (column) and add a handrail.

Yes, these are drapes that you see hanging outside. Drapes on a porch create temporary privacy, intimacy and they just look great! Okay… a secret about the drapes… they are not drapes. I bought painters canvas drop cloths at Home Depot. They work great as they are made to be water-resistant and that helps to keep them from getting dirty and moldy. Besides they are cheaper than buying fabric at the fabric store. I think the pictures tells the whole story as to whether I did the right thing  on this “un-remodel” project… Stephen Spurling

 

Filed Under: Featured, Home Renovations Large and Small Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Heart.

By 6 Comments

The heart has always been a symbol of love, courage, and devotion. Heart and Soul are two words often found together,

and for good reason. It is through the heart that the soul expresses itself. The heart is the organ that keeps us alive

physically, and it is the central source of our emotions and feelings. We know when someone is speaking from the heart, and

we know when our hearts have been touched. It has nothing to do with logic or being rational; knowing is a feeling. When we say

that someones heart is in the right place we know that regardless of the outward appearance of that person’s life, his or her intent

is soul felt and honest.

How is your heart feeling? Is it sad, happy, light or burdened? Is your heart in the right place? To know what is in our hearts

takes effort and time, for we must practice listening to the voice within. Don’t go to sleep at night with a sad heart; take time

to lighten your heart with the universe. Open your heart to the universe each night before you go to sleep, and it will bring joy

to your soul and wings to your ideas.

“My Heart is happy, light and full of love.

Angel Wisdom. Chabby Chaberek

Filed Under: Featured, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Winter

By Leave a Comment

“Without winter, how could we possibly appreciate the spring“?

Winter is the season of reflection and challenges. In the rythm of natural cycles, it corresponds to that part of us

that must conserve our resources, draw inward, and allow ideas and situations to hibernate and awaken in their own time.

Winter is a time of opposing forces that teach us beauty through harshness. The cold both chills and invigorates us. The

snow and ice can be fierce in their fury or breathtaking in their pristine purity. The long hours of darkness make us yearn

for the day while appreciating the stillness of the night, the warmth of the evening fire. Through winter we learn the art

of patience and the joy of discovering new inner strengths, as we wait for growth to emerge.

At times in your life when you experience the chill of winter-the frieze of activity, the harshness of painful experience, the despair

of the lengthening darkness–the universe may be telling you to draw inward, to look within for understanding and solutions, and

to release the old in order to prepare ground for the new.

A Reflection: I rest in the night to be ready for the day.

Angel Wisdom: Chabby Chaberek

Filed Under: Southern Gentleman, "Living Life with Ease" Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Progress

By Leave a Comment

“Progress is not always visible, but It’s always in progress.”

Sometimes progress is such a subtle process that we don’t know if it’s happening to us. Things may

seem unchanged at the surface: we may become doubtful or frustrated by an apparent lack of movement.

But the universe remind us that progress is a process of moving slowly and surely. It does not happen in an instant;

it does not announce itself with grand fanfare and excitement. Rather, each action we take towards our goals is

like carefully setting brick upon brick, building slowly and steadily until one day we step back and realize the house is completed.

If you have been working steadily toward a goal but wish you could make faster progress, think

about how far you have already come and trust in the process.

Even through it may not always  seem like it, I am always progressing

Angel Wisdom,  “Chabby Chaberek

 

Filed Under: Southern Gentleman, "Living Life with Ease" Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Success”

By Leave a Comment

“We can fail only if we fail to try”.

In our society success is synonymous with two things: Money and Power. But the universe measures success by entirely different standards. First of all, to the angels money and power have no value in and of themselves. If money and power are employed for the good of all , then the person who has them could be deemed successful-not for having them but for the accompanying sense of gratitude, compassion, and generosity.

Second, there is no such thing as failure, because everything we do is part of the discovery process. We can fail in life-fall short of our souls mark-only if we fail to try, explore, or take a risk. If we live according to our values, do what we love and are inspired to do, and are not afraid to experiment with life, we are automatic successes, no matter how much money we make or how high a position we have attained.

If you haven’t yet achieved your goals, work at learning from your experience while enjoying the process.. I explore, I risk, I learn, I succeed.

Angel Wisdom……Steven Chaberek

Filed Under: Southern Gentleman, "Living Life with Ease", Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Doing what you love”.

By Leave a Comment

“Those who do what they love are in tune with their purpose on earth.  
Too many of us have been brought up to believe that work is not meant to be enjoyed, let alone loved. Work is meant to give us a paycheck, not excite, energize, or fulfill us. The Universe knows that the opposite is true. Not only can we earn a living doing what we love;we owe it to ourselves to pursue that end. When we find ourselves in jobs we dislike, that frustrate, sadden or otherwise enervate us, our souls are telling us that we just are not in the right place.

When we are doing what we love, by contrast, we feel and radiate joy and enthusiasm, improving not only our own lives, but also out environments. The universe wants us to know that our loving can be our living, and it will instantly answer our requests for help and guidance in aligning our souls with our sources of income.

Do you believe that you can make a living doing what you love? If you would like to believe this, make a list of the jobs you have enjoyed and the ones you have not. When you discover what jobs made you happy and why, fashion the perfect job for yourself, using all the positive elements you have listed. Now visualize yourself in this job, believe that you will have it, and ask the universe to send you the energy and opportunities you need to create it.

“When I do what I love, I create the kind of environment in which abundance flourishes”

angel wisdom.

Chabby

 

Filed Under: Southern Gentleman, "Living Life with Ease", Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Moods”

By 1 Comment

“Our moods are like the wind-one minute blowing fiercely, the next breathing gently, but always moving on”.

Our moods can be one of our greatest resources, for they reveal to us the many interesting facets of our personalities. Thanks to our moods, we are spared the embarrassment of being totally boring and predictable. We may even surprise ourselves by the various shades and colors our emotions acquire in response to different stimuli. The universe encourages us to work with our moods while at the same time detaching from them. Because they are a powerful form of energy, our moods can fuel our creativity. But we must not become their victims, for they are ultimately only passing phases of our personalities, not enduring aspects of our essential natures .

“I allow my emotions to teach me about myself without engulfing myself in them”

Angel Wisdom

Chabby Chaberek

 

 

Filed Under: Southern Gentleman, "Living Life with Ease" Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »