Little "Bits" of Buford
Overcoming sadness by Finding “Bits” of beauty in everyday life
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
“Messages from Heaven”
Sadness had seemed to be my everyday “feel”. Then I started wondering if I would see a sign of some sort from Daddy. People have told me of some sweet reminders that had been placed in their path as if to say from their deceased loved ones, “ I see you and I am with you and I love you.” I had not really noticed anything, but I was so into my sadness, I began to wonder if maybe I was overlooking any signs that Daddy may have sent. Keeping that in mind, one day my friend Deb and I went to have lunch at a Mexican restaurant, “Los Jacubes” in our small town of Oakboro, NC. As we were leaving, and she was paying, I noticed a white feather laying there in the middle of the floor of the Mexican
restaurant. There was no one else there where it was laying. It was just right in the MIDDLE of the floor INSIDE of the foyer of the Mexican restaurant. I walked over to it to make sure that it was what I thought it was, looked around again to see if I noticed any “foo foo” looking purses or whatever as I reached down to pick it up. You see, last year before Daddy ever got sick, my friend Diane, who had lost her son, told me that white feathers were a sign from heaven from our loved ones and that sometimes she just finds them at random places. I HAD to smile because I feel like it was placed there especially for me to see in plain clear sight of only me! So I said “Thank you Daddy, for the sweet little random hello”! I couldn’t help but to be happy! However it got there, I feel like it was placed there for me as a sign from Daddy!
So later on that day as I was driving into the driveway of the barber shop where Daddy and I worked, I just happened to notice that there was mistletoe in the third tree of this line of trees there. I had never noticed it before, but there were two huge bundles of it hanging there. I thought to myself, Daddy is sending me a kiss too!! Then, right under the mistletoe were these pretty little blue flowers and I thought, he even sent me flowers!!! Thank you Daddy for those little signs. The reason the trees are so special is because the first tree in the row grows into the shape of a heart and Daddy is the one who pointed that out to me. To me it will always be a symbol of his love. I notice the heart every time I walk outside the shop.
Just yesterday, as I was driving though the town that I live in now, Mount Gilead, I noticed this large oak tree that hangs over the road was full of mistletoe! I had seen this before, but now, I feel like I get lots of kisses from my Daddy every time I go under it!
Monday October 5th, 2015, 7:16 am
“Dancing Leaves”
Yesterday, October 4th, was my husband Tommy’s birthday. It was a Sunday and I had gotten up early to study over my lesson and he’d gotten up too. As I was sitting there in the quiet, he said “come here, hurry up, you’ve got to see this.” So I rushed to see what it was. Looking out the front door, there was a small limb with about 5 to six leaves on it just dancing in the wind about ten feet up in the air! We kept waiting for it to fall to the ground, but it just kept whirling and twirling up and down and around in the winds that were coming off of a hurricane. As we were watching this, I noticed yet another single leaf doing the same thing! I told Tommy that maybe his mother was telling him Happy Birthday from heaven! (Perhaps, one of those was my Daddy waving too!) It was if the leaves were putting on a ballet for us. Tommy even got it on video. We thought that maybe they were caught on a spider web and through close examination they actually were. It was very special though to see something so unique. I had never seen anything like it before in all my 53 years! So we chose to “beleave” that it was a special little sign in honor of Tommy’s birthday!
Psalm 1:3
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Revelation 22:2 (KJV)
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Mark 13:28 (KJV)
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Sadness and depression can quickly overtake a person. By taking a look at those little “Bits” and pieces of life that are right there in front of you every single day, you can help yourself up and out of whatever circumstance you are in.
Even in times of great stress, there is beauty to be found. Maybe it is just in the song that a little bird in the tree nearby is singing for you. Hear it. Maybe it is just in the scent of a flower. Smell it. Maybe it is just in the flavor of the honeysuckle. Taste it. Maybe it is just in the raindrop on your face. Feel it. Maybe it is just in the song of the wind. Sense it. Maybe it is just in the sound of children laughing nearby. Hear it. Maybe it is just in the presence of those who love you and are sending love to you. Feel it. Even in the darkest of times, God’s goodness can be found all around us. Find it!
About the Author
Tracy W. Smith currently pursues writing, art, photography, and music. For twenty four years she worked as a nail technician in the room next to her father in his barber shop, Buford’s Barber Shop, and currently still works in the same building in Big Lick, NC. She is a Sunday School teacher and choir director at her church, Freedom Holiness Church.
Tracy’s hometown is Oakboro, NC, but currently she lives with her husband, Tommy, and their four dogs, Stella, Bella, Rosie and Fluffy in Mount Gilead. She has a son, Blake and daughter, Hailey.
Her home in the country and shop at Big Lick (named for it’s great natural salt licks in years past), at the edge of the town of Oakboro are certainly the two places at the center of her heart. The places where she centers herself to create.
Her great passion for her Lord can be seen in her prophetic art and photography at http://7-tracy-smith.artistwebsites.com/ and on her facebook page, Tracy W. Smith Prophetic Artist, Photography & Poetry.