Doodlin’ the Journey
July 9th, 2012It’s Too Hot, Spidey
July 5th, 2012Well, here I am at 2:09pm in the afternoon and I'm just sitting down to blog. The opportunity to have my car this morning opened me up to a change in my normal schedule (the one where I lounge around..reading, cleaning & talking to animals). I was at the grocery store by 9am. I thought doing it this way would be beneficial in many ways–A) I had on NO MAKEUP (who would see me?). B) I could beat the crowds (do you know how many old people shop early?). C) It wouldn't be so hot! (Uhh, yea right!). And D) I could get it over with and then enjoy the rest of my day.
I can't complain, it was a busy morning and I accomplished more than I normally do without a car. Plus, I made a good lunch for Gates today. Who doesn't love Sliders & a veggie tray? Nobody, that's who!
I can't think of ANYTHING I would want to hang out in this heat for right now. Not even floating in a pool. The weather is dangerously hot and the only sane activity to do is stay inside and keep cool. God bless anyone without A/C these days. There is not much chance of being comfortable without it. My hubby would say, "It's days like these that remind you–AREN'T YOU GLAD YOU'RE GOING TO HEAVEN?".
My family spent the 4th of July doing indoor activities–sleeping in, eating a leisurely breakfast/lunch…then heading out to a movie & dinner. All of it, in the cool of A/C! It was a great day and I'm going to go out on a limb here and say…the new Spiderman movie is officially my favorite one so far. Not kidding! I loved the new characters and the storyline was actually interesting!
To drive my LOVED THE MOVIE point on home….I have to admit, the movie choices were pretty lame. The big push for movies like —> Ted? Or Magic Mike? Had my family cracking up. Facebook was dripping with comments from every direction about the excitement for both of those movies. Really? I will never understand it.
Who are these people? 
I can only speak for myself…but, I loved Spiderman and I wasn't even embarrassed by any sudden funky pelvic thrusts from the superhero Spidey. Thanks, Columbia Pictures! Families can still go to the movies and not have to scrub out their eyeballs & ears!
This is my only photo of the day. The heat was too much for the guys. One mentioned not 'getting sweaty' and the other was cranking the car. Happy Independence Day, y'all!
Dog LIFE Lessons
July 3rd, 2012
My dog is a thief! Don't let that innocent face fool you, she steals. She drags crazy stuff home all the time. I didn't teach her to do it and I certainly don't encourage it. She's good at it, too. Right this minute, she's outside chewing up a meaty bone that she swiped from a neighbor dog. Why they play with her is beyond me. She's got the whole neighborhood wrapped around her mixed breed paw!
She's a dog! Dog's are always hungry, always happy and always ready to follow you anywhere! I can't help but compare that way of living to my own as a friend, wife & mother. Am I willing to put all the frustrations of the world to the side and be happy & loving? Not usually. I'm quick to turn grumpy and easily put out if something doesn't go my way. I've never met a jerky dog, have you?
In honor of Gracie and her funloving personality….I've thought up some lessons for you and me. Take em' or leave em'…they have good attitude written all over them!
Dog LIFE lessons
If you want something wonderful….go get it! (Uhh, not encouraging stealing..y'all)
If you love someone….show them, every time you see them! (wagging tail optional)
Be happy….even when life gets stressful! (throw the frisbee when life bogs you down)
Remain loyal….not just when things are going your way! (nobody messes with___)
I've got to tell you about something amazing that happened in my prayer time this morning. I had a really crummy attitude yesterday about a certain person I was praying for. This morning, God put new words in my heart. I couldn't think of one unkind thing to confess about them. Every word that came to my mind was filled with building that person up. I was shocked at my own prayers. I praised God for giving me a sweet spirit and went ahead beating down heaven's doors in that person's honor. IT FELT INCREDIBLE!!!
Isn't it amazing how God can change our hearts? If we just let him…
Prayer Slacker
July 2nd, 2012If I were to ask…"How are you doing with your QUIET TIME?" Would you give me an honest answer? Or would you ask… "What's a quiet time?". You know, that special time where you get alone and read your Bible and pray?
OH, THAT QUIET TIME!
Well, uhhh….I'm, working on it! Or, I'm really busy! Or, I try but I get distracted!
If you answered (in your head) with any of these answers or even made up a few of your own "excuses"…then you are just who I'm talking to today.
I feel qualified to wrangle with you on the reality of the situation. I, am a self proclaimed PRAYER SLACKER. I beebop through many days without even so much as a thought on praying. Yep, there. I said it! I don't do it to be rebellious and I bet you don't either. I put my own habits first (maybe you do too)–turn on tv, Facebook, check email, read blogs.. and whatever else can steal my attention. I focus on that instead of making God my first priority. Sound familiar?
I know what you're thinking…
I can't. I don't even know where to start. I would say that you're not alone in feeling awkward when it comes to quiet time. I didn't grow up doing it and I didn't see anyone in my family praying unless it was out of desperation. By the way, "God please help me find a good parking space" doesn't count! I'm talking about relationship building and character shaping time. If you've ever had a close friendship with someone and loved spending quality time with them….then this is similar to what I'm talking about.
God likes to be with you.
Prayer offers us the chance to speak honestly with God about what we think of Him and what's happening in our life. It also allows us time to listen and hear directly from Him. Some of the hardest times in my life were the most blessed because I stuck close to Him by regularly meeting up in prayer. I've learned some of my most miserable times have been when I've wandered and neglected spending time in prayer.
Prayer changes everything.
I've discovered a special gem of a book on this very subject. Diane Moody (whom I believe God has directly sent my way) has bravely written down truths from her own heart in CONFESSIONS OF A PRAYER SLACKER. Listen, Diane doesn't tip-toe around the subject and she doesn't beat you up either. She simply tells you what God has done in her life and how that change has put her back on the path of obedience!
God created you with fellowship in mind. He planned it from the get-go. He also gave you your own free will, you have the right to choose. For me, I realize that in order for me to live at my prime (and who doesn't want to live at the top?) I have to nurture the relationship I have with my Lord. I need Him, I need His guidance and I hunger for His mercy. My life is a wreck when I try to manage it on my own. Maybe you know what I'm talking about…
Bad attitudes creep in.
Snarky comments slip out.
Gossip seems harmless.
Angry outbursts become regular.
Frustration erupts.
Questionable activities (movies, tv shows, music, places) seem ok.
Whatever slips in and manages your habits and lifestyle. These are all symptoms of drifting farther away from Christ. The more you neglect studying God's word and listening to His voice the easier it becomes to fall into these traps.
My challenge for you is to make God a priority EVERY SINGLE MORNING. I know how difficult this can be but I promise you–if you start your day with prayer and scripture you will soon see a change in your life. I would also recommend you read Diane's book. It is available right now on Amazon in Kindle for a whopping 0.00. Trust me when I say….IT IS WORTH IT!
One more thing…if you see me out and about I want you to ask me if I've had my quiet time. It's my own personal challenge and I know that accountability is the best way to success!
Say NO TO SLACKING!
Whatever . . . is Flawed
June 29th, 2012I've reached the stage of not being able to hide my flaws. Any of them–> My too flabby tummy, my aged skin, my bitterness….all of it. It clings to me like a thick sweater on a hot humid day (like today, it's a killer 101 degrees). There are so many issues to deal with when you're a woman. I haven't met one lady who wants to flaunt her flaws. Everyone tries to hide behind something, right?
Hello… Spanx? Makeup? Botox? Counseling?
As a consumer of all of those at some point or another, I can say the real me is still there when I crawl into bed at night. Somehow we convince ourselves that indulging in some sort of COVER UP will hide any ugly attribute we might possess. For some, it does…for a while. But just like taking off your Spanx and letting it all hang out, God sees right through our facade and so do those around us.
Being saggy isn't attractive and neither is someone with a bitter heart. Have you ever been around someone who hates everything? Or everyone? It's depressing! I've spent time wallowing in this pit myself…so I feel educated in pointing it out. Everyone around you feels trapped by your negativity and it really brings morale down. I call it being a basement person. It pulls others down.
Life has a way of knocking us around and beating us up. Before you know it, being cynical or snarky slithers it's way into every word and action. It becomes second nature to be harsh. This isn't healthy for us or anyone who has to be around us.
So what can we do? How can we make-over our flaws?
1) Begin with the WORD. God has never steered me wrong when I focused my mind and heart on scripture. I know that I need a healthy dose of Bible time in order to maintain my heartATTUDE!
2) Listen to the people who LOVE YOU. No one enjoys criticism, ever. Sometimes it's meant for our good. (Don't get the idea that I'm spreading mean-spirited behavior) If someone calls you out on a behavior..thank them and take some time to reflect on its validity. You might find something you do need to change.
3) Write down 5 positives about yourself EVERYDAY. I promise, if you take the time to do this you will see change in your outlook immediately. You and I need encouragement…why not give it to yourself? Pretty soon, you'll be giving it to other's too!
4) Find something you LOVE and do it! For me, I really love being home and taking care of my family. For you, it might be riding alone in the car with the radio blaring out the windows. Each of us decompress differently. Figure it out and make time to enjoy yourself. If not daily then weekly or bi-weekly! Mmmk?
I don't mind using my own weaknesses here if it helps just one person to make a change for the better. I never get tired of telling my secrets because I've learned…everyone wants the same thing–to be loved and accepted for who they are. Flaws and all.
Tough Mother
June 28th, 2012If you're around my age, you probably remember a completely different world when it comes to parenting. I grew up in the 70's & 80's (I was born 1966). I recall what it was like around parents, grandparents and teachers–you didn't mess around! That's not quite how it is anymore. Time has treated this parenting phenom as a patsy to "being liked" or "not hurting their feelings" and all I can say to that is hogwash!
Parenting is hard work and there aren't any shortcuts. Admit it, you've been out in the world and ran into the bratty kids that run the show in their house? Maybe it was at your favorite restaurant where the sidedish was a giant heaping of wild youngin'! No matter how many annoyed glances you flashed, the parents of "said youngin" just kept on eating and enjoying their meal while you sat there wondering why you even came out to spend your hard-earned money on a good meal. Or possibly you've grocery shopped lately or gone to a movie?
I hate being so blunt…but I loathe going to Walmart (aka Scream Mart) it oozes bad parenting.
Now I know what you're thinking….[Gee, why so harsh?] Because it's a symptom to what our society has become. Kids rule! Gone are the days of being afraid of adults. I'm not talking about fear for your life or of some sort of abuse. The fear I'm referring to is of LETTING SOMEONE DOWN! Remember being ashamed? Or embarrassed for a mistake? That's called mistreatment today or abuse. I say, it's crazy!
If I didn't spend 9+months of my life with kids (high school) maybe I would see it differently. But as it stands, I witness the lack of parenting on a daily basis just walking down the halls of my public school. Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed (that in my lifetime) I would hear students/kids talk the way they do now TO YOUR FACE! I can't imagine what my mom would've done to me if the principal had called her to inform her I had cursed out a teacher/staff person. It would have meant serious punishment and I would have been made to make it right, no question about that. Nowadays, if you call a parent (you don't even have to since the students use their own cellphones to TELL ON YOU now) you can be sure that it will be met with an angry finger pointing in your face–for picking on their child.
I call it twisted parenting! That's where we are these days. Parents have stopped being scary. No longer is it common for the parent to place boundaries on their kids and actually enforce them. Oh, they want them to "behave" but only enough to make them look good and not interfere with whatever they want to do. You see, parenting has become a hobby and most just dabble at hobbies and from what society looks like to me–most of us are just dabbling our way through raising our kids.
I really don't want you to get the idea that I'm a parenting expert or that I even THINK I am. I'm not. I'm a product of an era that EXPECTS GOOD BEHAVIOR out of my kids. Not because I don't want to be embarrassed by them…but because they are going to live and function as adults in the world I live in. They will inevitably be someone's spouse or parent someday and I want them to have the character that God desires most. I want them to be all they can be and to honor God with their lives.
It takes hard work! I'm willing to keep at it, even though my kids are 17, 19 & 22. Still, I can't take a day off from being their mom. They are looking to me for direction, rules and expectations. If I start to waiver now…what is my message? I don't mind if my kids think I'm tough on them. They'll thank me later!
I've thought up 5 active ways to be a TOUGH MOTHER
KNOW WHAT'S IMPORTANT–don't waste time or energy trying to be "like" someone else. Find what works for your family and make it your goal to do your best.
REALIZE YOU ARE NOT GOD–I have had to learn so many things the hard way. I don't have as much control as I like to think I do. I NEED GOD & I NEED HIS HELP with every parenting step I take. My kids really belong to him anyway…why not TRUST HIM with them?
BE THE BOSS–society has stolen the role of boss from every parent across this nation. Stop letting your kids rule the roost. Make decisions and stick with them. Do you remember having so much control over your family when you were a kid? Yea, me either! Note to the sistahs: YOU RULE!
GIVE GENUINE LOVE–everyone likes to think their kids know they love them, but the more I talk with teenagers…the more I see parents miss the mark on loving those weird creatures. It's a strange time in both your lives. Don't stop showing love because they might think you're being weird. This is a pivotal time in their life and they will look for love, somewhere.
BE CONSISTENT–the world is unpredictable. Parents should be firm. It's comforting (even if it crashes any fun plans they have) for kids to know their parents are not going to fold like a cheap tent when they insist on wearing you down on something. Stay strong, even when you hear, "Everybody else is going to….getting….aloud to!". No, they're not! Trust me.
My ideals may not match yours and that's okay. Just know, there isn't a more important job than being your child's parent. They're watching everything you do or don't do.
_________________________________________________________________
It's ime to adjust the a/c here in Indiana. Today our temps are a whopping 100+ degrees. Even my dogs are surrendering to the heat. It's baths for them and laying around inside today. Wherever you are, stay cool & most of all BE TOUGH!
