Just One More Thing...

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

Confucius

My sister had family visiting from California recently.  In the midst of her cleaning frenzy, she noticed the old bedspread in her guest room.    It was worn, tired and a little threadbare after twenty-odd years.  She had been talking about replacing it for years, and decided it was finally time. She’d bite the bullet, and get a brand new bedspread before her company arrived.

She called and told me that she had purchased one bedspread, but her husband decided on another one, so now she had two new bedspreads.  I was really happy and excited for her because this had been something she wanted for a long time. 

 

The next day when I called my sister, she was out of breath.  When I inquired, she told me that the paint looked dingy up next to that beautiful new bedspread so she decided to paint the bedroom. 

 

I called later to check on the painting progress.

“Well, when I got started painting, I realized there were some places I needed to mud and sand, so I’m busy getting that done,” my sister told me.

The next phone call didn’t surprise me at all.  The ceiling looked shabby so new paint was being applied…and then the carpet looked really ugly with all the new paint around it.  New carpet was on its way.

When I called again, she told me that they had decided that they were going to give the old bedroom furniture to their son.  It just didn’t go with the new bedspread, walls, ceiling and carpet.  They were busy tearing down and moving in bedroom suites.

Those of you who know my sister, Donna, know that she always has a project that she’s working on and that she never does anything half-way.  My sister, Linda, and I laughed at how the bedspread had turned into a major renovation, but as I thought about it, I realized that it’s just like life.

Once we make a change, it just creates more changes…like ripples in a clear pool.  If we start exercising, it can make us start to eat healthier.  If we decide to be diligent in one area, it will make us more conscientious in every other aspect of our life.  And like my sister, we may wait years to change something…we may decide the work is too hard, or there are too many risks to change anything at all, but if we make the smallest change, it leads to greater things than we can even imagine.

Pick something, anything at all…just one little thing, and be diligent about it for three weeks, then let me know what differences you see in your life!

"One good turn deserves another."

- English Proverb

Low-fat Carrot-Pineapple Cake

4 C grated carrots                                       1 C sugar (or molasses)

1 C crushed pineapple                                1 C prune puree

4 large egg whites                                       1 tsp vanilla

2 C flour                                                     2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda                                       ¾ C flaked coconut

In a large bowl, combine carrots, sugar, pineapple, prune puree, egg whites and vanilla.  Stir to blend thoroughly.  Add remaining ingredients, except coconut.  Mix completely.  Gently stir in coconut.  Pour batter into 9x13 baking pan, coated with non stick spray.  Bake 45 minutes at 375.