I happen to love earth prints....God made dirt and dirt don't hurt!

Hi there! YAY, it's finally spring - I love this time of year! There's just something about Spring that makes me extra happy and brings a renewing freshness to everything that surrounds us - it's so wonderful and for me only this time of year can do that. Bring on the cleansing rain, bring on the beautiful flowers and bring on my flip flops already!

I'm a big gardener - all flowers all the time! I have been since I was a very small girl, playing in my mother's veggie and flower gardens. We lived on about an acre and a half and so there was always spots to plant something, spots to dig a new hole and spots just to play in the mud! I was outside NON-stop, it was a very different time then my children live in now. But the cool thing is, my mom and I have passed on our love for the garden, for the Earth, for DIRT to my 3 boys. They keep their very own veggie garden at my mom's house. It's their's to prep, plant, pamper and pick - from beginning to end. It's also their's to reap the rewards of their bounty.

I would have to say I have five love/passions in this world: God, his people (my family just happen to top that list), singing/music, great attitudes of kind, unselfish good deed doers and planting stuff. I have very few other passions - writing is beginning to emerge as a new passion, as well as photography!  But for me, when I'm singing or in my garden (sometimes doing both) time flies by and the world around me becomes distant and almost silent - I just get in this ZONE! I love when I have earth prints on my fingers tips! I also love to wash those prints off soon after because I happen to be an "almost" career germ a phobe. However, for some reason I love dirt - just not under my nails - HA!!! But you know what they say, "God made dirt and dirt don't hurt! LOL

Hey, I just want to thank YOU, from the bottom of my heart for all of your love, support and friendship that you've shared with me over this past year. It means the world to me that you've been there for me and I'm so happy to call you friend. 

"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls."  ---Mother Theresa

Just to clear it up...lol

Okay....so just to clear up a little mis-step....folks have been wondering and asking me (because of a post a week back) if I was quitting my blog!!! YIKES...nope!!!  Acutally I wasn't thinking about quitting my blog, it's very theraputic!!! LOL  I was talking about my singing ministry, so go back and check out the post "The Same Old Thing Wearing on My Heart...and it'll make more sense probably now! HA!!!  But, after all of that heavy thinking, I'm just leaving that matter up to God....so it is what it is!!!  Thanks you all for your support and encouragement!!! You're all the best....and like I promised Amanda Brown...I'm gonna keep writing so she can keep reading.  HAHAHA!!! xoxo's

Where are you.....1/2 way here or 1/2 way there?

Hi there! Happy Monday (at least as I’m writing this)!!! I hope your weekend was a blessed one filled with all sorts of fun, love, joy, a chance for service and maybe even some pampering time as well.
Once again, God’s perfect timing never ceases to amaze me, I love what he does and how he does it.

There’s been lots of changes in my family - my mom has been healing from lung cancer surgery, my niece just gave birth to her first baby, family members on my husband’s side have moved far away, and then throw in there birthdays, illnesses and this crazy weather, one can’t help but wonder how do we juggle it all and still stay happy, healthy and sane? One thing I ask myself is, “through all of this am I still growing in my relationship with Christ? Are these moments meant to teach me something simple or something huge? Or are they just distractions in my life meant to throw me off track and attempt to lead me far away from where God wants me?”

Speaking of God’s perfect timing, Jim and I wrote this week’s devotional (early this past week) on the prodigal son - we found God also inspired our Pastor to speak on the very same thing just yesterday in our worship service! I love when God does that. I figure the message is either his perfect timing wanting to get this message out there to many or something we/I need to hear again and focus on this week. Here’s our “UAW Weekly Devotional”, let us know what you think:

We all are the prodigal son, the question is where are we in the journey. Are you 1/2 way here or 1/2 way there...are you coming or going?  Do you find yourself running away from God, wildly squandering your life away? Or instead are you running to God, into his open arms that wait eagerly with love, longing to receive you as you are? He doesn’t care about how much you’ve messed up or how long you’ve been away. He’s just glad that you’re with him now and he is planning a celebration in your honor.

Luke 15:11-32  Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

Thanks for reading friends...let me know how you're doing...and just remember: You Are Loved!!!
xoxo Kim

Saaay what? You're gonna be how old....

Yay, I’m so excited - my oldest is turning 13 this week and is having a birthday party with a few of his buddies this weekend. This is his first party as a teenager, but also his first party in a very long time (1st grade).  We don’t throw a lot of ‘friend’ parties…we usually have us and the grandparents and that’s just sort of it. I’m not sure why, I suppose because if you do a huge party every year somehow it looses it’s specialness and becomes a “HAVE TO” instead of a “GET TO”.

My soon to be teenager has really grown up in the last six months, I never even saw it coming.  I have to say for as many hormones that are running thru his veins, I'm amazed that he can still keep it all together.  He is the most polite, funny, sweet, loyal and kind 13 year old I’ve ever met. Of course his daddy is pretty cool so he must take after him - I was a foot stomping, sassy mouth girl that hogged up the bathroom and got a job at 15 to purchase her own phone - because yes…I planned to hog that up too!

So let the party begin - got the chocolate fountain ready to be on tap, got the streamers up, balloons this year were a no no….so were goody bags. So I made a goodie bowl for all the boys to grab all that they wanted: I took a huge bowl and packed it full of movie theatre sized candies like Reese’s Pieces, Whoppers, Jr. Mints, Raisenets, full size packs of gum, bags of Combos and horn blowers! The more mature take on the “goodie bag” I hope. He seemed pretty pleased with it!

I’m so glad that PD is my first born, he has been such a blessing and is such a good role model for his younger brothers. They look up to him, trust him and depend on him - he tries to never let them down; what teenager does that? I realize that there is still plenty of years left where this might change and he could start to cause a ruckus, but I just have a feeling that this young man is who he is and always will be. I’m so very proud of the hard choices he’s already had to make! I’m so proud of his walk with Christ and I’m so proud to be his mom. He sets the tone for the rest of the crew and I can’t think of another young man that I would want to mentor my youngest children - he’s a treasure, peach fuzz and all!

Try and try as I might, sometimes I just gotta let go...

Isn’t it funny how sometimes when you put your mind to work the spigot just turns on and flows, and how other times you can barely get the nozzle to turn? I wonder often just where inspiration comes from! Does it come from necessity, boredom or chocolate? Fear, sanity, the crazy or the lazy? I suppose it comes from all sorts of places…smells, sight, sounds or even money. Sometimes inspiration can come from nothing at all, just the quick moment of picking up a keyboard and letting it all go. Sometimes when I stop and write, I put nothing down at all, which in fact isn’t really writing now is it? No, sometimes if I try too hard I get writers block.

Sometimes the harder I try to do something, sing something or attempt to accomplish anything, the worse I do at the task at hand. Sometimes the harder I try to do it on my own, it only becomes more difficult or down right impossible for me to begin let alone complete. I believe I’m not alone on this one! So why is it that we do this to ourselves? Why is it that our first instinct isn’t ALWAYS to include God in on the light AND heavy lifting? Why does it appear sometimes that we so easily forget to rely on the provider - the one with all the answers?

All we need to do, is just take pause and instead look to God for comfort and direction when life gets difficult or when situations are not working out like we had hoped they would. Things may or may not be easier in doing so, but we would have rest and peace in knowing that the outcome is God’s will. We would know and be satisfied in knowing that He is in control. Humbly seek God before all things.

Psalm 62:8  Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Philippians 4:7  “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Isaiah 41:10  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Same old, same old starting to wear on my heart....

Just gonna keep my chin up!

So what's your ministry? I guess mine wasn't what I thought it was. Where are you focused? I'm guessing ministries can change over the years. I‘ve always struggled to find my gift and have never really been sold on what mine is said to be by others. Against my better judgment, I let my guard down and accepted what other‘s proclaimed my gift to be - I accepted it humbly with reservations though. I let myself be vulnerable and shared this "so called gift" with others, only to now find that I'm asking myself, "What was I thinking?"  All this time I thought I knew what my gift was, but now I feel a little embarrassed that I was wrong all along.

It's frustrating when you want to share your gift/ministry with others, but the opportunities are slim pickings!  I have to say, I'm feeling like I don’t fit in and maybe I'm just a joke, or maybe I just need a different venue. Either way, today has me feeling perplexed and wondering what the heck was I thinking by putting myself out there. I’m putting this in His hands, because if I think too hard on it, I may speak my “flesh” and not my heart and just give it up all together. That may be the solution He’s leading me towards, but I don‘t want to usher anything in that isn‘t his will. It’s too bad, because I love sharing a message, I’m just feeling hindered, stifled and like an awkward outsider that needs to be hidden away.

I wonder what will come of this - it’s hard to not give up when you feel invisible and defeated. So I’m casting my sadness and worries on the Lord, and will just go about my simpleminded business and see what comes of this. Thanks for listening to my 2 minute ramble…sometimes you just need to get “it” out. I’m gonna let it be, I’m gonna let it go, I’m gonna lay it down!

Listen, do you want to know a secret? Shhhh...

Hi YOU! How are you today.  Hope my note greets you with a smile.  Make sure to leave me a note in the comments, I'd love to hear from you!  Sometimes I wonder if anyone is reading my posts or if I should continue.  Writing can be very therapeutic, even if no one else is reading - it's a cheap, effective and fun way to self diagnosis! LOL 

Hey, do you write poetry?  I never really have.  At times I have written songs, melodies or even long winded presentations to teach folks how to do "something", but it has never really crossed my mind to put pen to paper to write any type of poetry...that is until recently.  Jim and I like to write and brainstorm together, but I do most of my writing alone, in quiet times - as a mom of three, quiet time is a rare thing and it's usually at night when I'm most creative and slap happy. You'll get some of my most funniest work, my most sappiest work and my most "circular" talk late at night, makes for some crazy creations.  I should mention, I like to speed write, I don't like to think TOO hard when I compose anything creative/artsy; I just let it flow out and see how fast I can throw it onto the page - it's always a hoot to read it months later and see if it's any good! LOL  Keep in mind when reading this, that for me the faster the better - makes for fun self discovery and to me it's almost more of a challenge!

Here's something I wrote several months back, it took about 3 minutes and so I thought I'd be vulnerable and share it with you.  It's unedited, so you know, take it for what it is:

I expect God to keep me safe. I expect that I will fail him. I expect that he will redeem me. I expect that I will come into the fold. I expect that I will be challenged. I expect that he will give me the words to use. I expect that I will tell you about Christ. I expect I will be shunned. I expect I will die a little inside. I expect God will redeem me again. I expect I will rise above. I expect I will forget to be humble. I expect God will humble me himself. I expect I will learn from the past. I expect I will grow and share from my experience. I expect I will be hurt. I expect that God will heal me. I expect that I will praise him. I expect I will forget him. I expect I will be reminded. I expect I will exalt him. I expect he will smile. I expect I will cry. I expect he will dry my tears. I expect he will lift me up again. I expect it will be on his terms. I expect it will be by his grace. I expect it will be by his hands. I expect to be his forever. I expect only because he has promised. I expect only because he is faithful.

The definition of expect: verb 1. to look forward to; regard as likely to happen; anticipate the occurrence or the coming. 2. to look for with reason or justification.

I hope you're having a wonderful week so far....hugs & love dear friends....you are awesome and you are loved! xoxo

Who's there? "Um, candy gram." Are you that clever shark? "I'm only a dolphin, ma'am"...

Ha!!! I wish it wasn’t so and that I had more grace than this (I’m much better than I used to be), but I have to confess something! I’ve always hated unexpected visitors at my front door. It’s so……unexpected! Eeeks…who’s there? What do you want? “GO AWAY”, the old grouchy lady exclaimed! No, mostly I tell my children, “shhhhh, hide”. LOL Why does it bother me? Not because I hate people or visitors to the house, I actually love to entertain and spend time with friends and family. But my unexpected visitor phobia comes from a combination of things.

 

First, I dread the morning knock at my door (morning for me is still 11am). My hair is usually still disheveled, I’m probably still in my pj’s, if luck has it I do have a bra on but there are no guarantees, and chances are good that the only make-up I have on is the black streak of left over, crusted on mascara that attacked my face during a good nights sleep. I look a freight! And I pity the foo that has to see me in such a train wreck state. Don’t pity Jim though, he likes that look!

Secondly, a mid-day knock at the door in my neighborhood usually means a sales person. Someone that wants something I don’t have much of: time and cash! And I hate disappointing people but what I hate more is listening to a sales schpeal at my front door, with a strange man I don’t know, with a household full of all my valuables: my children! So, I answer my window at these moments. Sorry dude, what you’re selling I don’t need or can’t afford and I’m not opening my door to no strange man - unless maybe you have chocolates with you. HA!

Thirdly, if it’s a knock at night, I’m even more of a basket case. Again, I love guests, but normally in the evening everyone in the house is either hauling butt to finish their dinner, homework or laundry….or a really good movie. Who wants to be interrupted when time is of the essence? And you know, here’s the real reason (lol)……my house is TRASHED and we‘re all exhausted and crabby. So if my unexpected visitor is someone I know and love, I’m usually so embarrassed of what the day (and a few sloppy children) have left EVERYWHERE. Remember the sock fight post a month or so ago? Well, again…you might find a sock or juice box or underwear in any random spot on any given night if I’m not expecting you. So, I probably won’t open the door then either: unless you can hang out for 15 minutes while I get my act together. Yes, I’m that good…I’ve got a system and can do some masterful cleaning as to not offend your senses! I’ve developed a 15 minute speed cleaning plan of action….of course it helps that I’m a great delegator! Connor, quick: you’re in charge of all paper, pick it all up and make a nice neat pile on the counter. Cameron, find all socks and put them in the laundry room. Parker, dish duty…go! I’ll get the slime off of the table and any toys, food or rocks, leafs, bugs and wildlife I can find….go….time me!

I've become better over this past year, I've tried to make myself plan for the unplanable.  I get up a little earlier in the morning to take a shower, I've tried to keep on top of the major clutter and organize things as to make it easier for the family to put stuff back where they go.  Although, as much as I organize, it only takes a few days of OTHERS to unorganize me....maybe I need to place labels on all shelves with reminders of what goes where: "PLEASE PLACE YOUR UNDERWEAR ON THIS SHELF, THANK YOU".  Really I'm more of a happy go lucky kinda gal; so when I try to become ultra organized the perfectionist in me comes out and it just makes me more stressed when they don't put things back where they belong...it's a catch 22! So I suppose the key is just to tell folks, "Hey, you're welcome over, just please call first....because you never know what you might get....it may not be pretty!" EEKS!  So I guess you can say, I'm still working on my hospitality skills - some are born with it, other's of us have a struggle with it! But I'm determined to expect the unexpected and prepare for the unpreparable from here on out - and of course SMILE the whole day through!  Hugs & love, Kim

Hey, turn that light off! Oops, did that just come out of MY mouth? EEKS!



I've got to admit, this kind of stuff
freaks me WAY out!  Maybe turn
the lights back on, please?

When did I get so responsible and start shutting off lights around this place? I hate that about me now.  I should have marked down that age so I could look back and say to folks, “See, at ____ years of age (let‘s say 35)...that was the age, that’s when I cared how much my electricity bill would be. That’s when I became a nag and made sure everyone turned the faucets off promptly, shut the refrigerator door right away and completely every time. That‘s when I locked the front door and made sure everyone properly secured their safety belts on airplane trips.” I didn’t use to sweat the small stuff, or did I? I think this just came with age OR maybe it came about with a shrinking check book balance. Either way, I wish I would have thought to write my age down when I first noticed this irrational change in my behavior - way too responsible. Then I could say, “When you turn 35 remember I told you so“.

I hate when my baby gets the blues..or the snots! Either way, it's Snot good!

Hey, come on now...you know I'm a slight germ a phobe! I carry hand sanitizer with me where ever we go, and on many occassions you can spot more than one bottle in any give space that I own. If you ever want to know what to bring me when I host a dinner party - Purell Hand Sanitizer. Okay, I'm not that bad but darn near close!  So I hate when my babies get sick - who likes it? But I haven't always been this way. My oldest (almost 13) used to catch a cold and it would turn into pneumonia - he was later diagnosed with asthma which we found to be the cause of this crazy bug morphing dilemma. So honestly, that was the pivot point in my life where I became ooOOBER conscious of germs - and where people put their hands just before they go to shake mine.  So latest polls indicates that my youngest (4 y/o) is sick....and what a trooper this boy is! My kids are the type of boys that look FINE but could really use an IV drip without anyone knowing it. So it's hard to know when it's time to hit the doctor's office - so generally I hit it right away.

This week's trip with my youngest was probably the first time where he was old enough to actually verbalize his symptoms to the doctor on his own. Imagine my shock when I went to answer the doctors questions and my guy chimes in to answer in full, complete sentences - INCLUDING eye contact. Hey, hey, hey...either you're growing up mister or this cute young doctor is just too pretty to ignore. Either way, I was just so blown away by his matter a factness and very precise/accurate answers that I sat back and butted out of the conversation for awhile.

So the doc concludes that he has allergies and it has turned into an URI - the solution? So good old fashion antibiotics - by the way, this germ a phobe is a big fan of these meds! If I could start a fan club of Amoxicillin I would. Whenever a doctor tells me she's going to write a script, I feel like I've hit the lottery - BIG TIME!

One time I had a doctor (in an urgent care) say to me, "Well, he doesn't need this for this particular illness - but would you like me to write you a script so you can fill it and keep it on hand for when and if you do need it this season". HELLO - is the sky up mister? YEAH, and a few of that scripts buddies can tag along with him if you don't mind. He said, "my wife always likes to keep a bottle in the refrigerator just in case". Ah...who wouldn't. Um, can I marry you??? All kidding aside, I felt like I just scored - epic winning, duh!

Anyways, back to the cute Cam story. So before the doctor had entered the room, I had prepped him on how this whole doctor visit was going to go down. The tools she was going to use, what she was going to peep into (ear, nose, throat) and so on. So she does her thing, says I'll be back with your scripts and then disappears. So Cam is sitting there on the big examine table, asking me about what's that picture of? How about that one? "Cameron, that's what your heart looks like inside of you". He responds, "Mommy, that looks nothing like a heart - I know because you taught me how to draw them". LOL

So the doctor comes back in with his scripts and instructions and tells us, "Have a great day - feel better". So I go to put his shoes on him (mind you his feet are kicked up and he's chilling - zoning off into lala land waiting patiently). He looks at me, crinkles his eyebrows and says, "What, huh? What do you mean we're going?" Cam, it's time to go, we're all done. He proceeds to tell me in this tiny BOOMING voice (with the examine room door wide open) "That's it? She didn't even do anything."  He continued on with, "What do you mean it's time to go. I'm not ready." So I explain to him, "she did everything I told you she'd do, what were you expecting?" He continues to say, "Mom, she didn't even do anything."  So I asked him, "what would you like her to do".  With which he responds, "SOMETHING". I'm cracking up at this point, wondering who is hearing this conversation out in the hallway. I tell Cam that we have to go to the store now, and take his prescriptions in to be filled so he can get better!

He continues to insist that she's failed at her job - almost as to say "What was that - she makes how much money for what she just did". Secretly I'm thinking "I know kid, I just cleaned you all up, dressed you, hauled your behind in here, waited in the waiting room for a 1/2 an hour, shelled out my $25 co-pay just to be seen for 5 minutes". LOL He get's this all WAY TOO EARLY in life. I would think he would have been thrilled at such quick service. But now, he's acting like he just got ripped off and she needs to come back in and give us a foot rub or something for our time.

I have no idea what this 4 year old is expecting, so I ask him again - half laughing with tears in my eyes now, "what exactly should she come back in to do? She can give you a shot, but you don't need one...you want me to ask her? But you know, the store we're going to know just happens to sell chocolate too, so it's your call - what should be do?" He looks at me and smiles and says in this funny, matter a factly voice,
"Let's go". 

He then proceeds to shimmy off the table to haul it out of there.  Seriously, was he just wanting to answer some more questions, get a little more flirt time in with the doc, show her again how fast his new shoes are....or was he waiting for a lollipop? Either way, he knew when to cut his losses and chose chocolate over a potential poke in the arm! For that I say, GREAT CHOICE SON, you truly are my child! YUMM, chocolate over-rides flirting and shots anyday!

I love that Spring is finally here! It means that the Dairy Dan Ice Cream Barn is open once again.  And with that most welcomed first sign of spring comes a whole new wealth of bribing resources - ahhhhh, spring! Ahhhh soft serve!

When I get my hands on you I'm so going to.......

 Remember when I said I was always amazed at God's perfect timing?  Well here is the post I wrote last week, to my surprise our Pastor's message the following Sunday dealt with the same topic...WOW! :-)  So, as promised, here you go:

Now you did it - I can’t believe you would go there. What’s the deal? Oh man, I’m going to get you! And when I do, I’m gonna hug you! LOL Not quite what you had in mind? I’ve never been a revengeful person - although I do entertain the occasional 'moment righting' scenario. My heart just isn’t into that though to follow thru - I want justice for sure but is revenge always justice? I want things to be righted that’s for sure, but not at the expensive of someone else’s pain or sadness or embarrassment. I know plenty of people that enjoy revenge, in face I think secretly they have a 3 ring spiral binder stacked full of ideas for potential trespasses - I’m steering clear of their bad side!

Sometimes when we get hurt, physically or emotionally, the easiest thing to do is to take revenge on the one that is responsible for inflicting the pain. When we think we are treated unfairly the knee-jerk reaction is to push back. We need to follow the way of Christ and not give in to paying back others. Let the Lord handle it because he says “it is mine to avenge”. We are directed to love our enemies and to pray for them.  Sometimes this is very easy to do and other times it takes work depending on the newness and severity of the pain. Trust that the Lord can and will make all people accountable for their actions.

I find that from my past experience, when I did speak out with hurtful words against those that have slighted me, lied about me, ignored me, took from me or kept from me, that I didn’t feel better. I felt worse because it didn’t change the original hurtful act…it just added another hurtful act upon another, yet this time at my own hands. I now try to take pause, take a step back and take a deep breath - sometimes that deep breath has to last for a day! LOL But when I come back to the situation with a clear head, a slightly mended heart and a spot where my emotions aren’t so charged, I always seem to access the situation differently and am glad that I took some time to chill. Sometimes when I chilax, things don’t seem as bad as they did - sometimes they even can seem pointless. I've learned to change how I allow people to affect me, I've changed what I will accept from folks as acceptable behavior and I will put people on notice kindly that basically their "roll over" Kim minutes have expired.  But what I’ve also learned is that I have no need to participate in the “game” and I’m forever happier because of this - like my good friend Nina says, “Be a duck”, she let’s it roll off her back”. QUACK, QUACK NINA, great advice!

The other day, I had a chance to put my patience to the test again and see if I could keep my cool (and sanity) - I had the choice to be “fleshly” or be an adult! We live in the back of the subdivision in a cul-de-sac, so parking can be squinchy, but just fine and dandy if everyone is respectful of each other. There is one family that really is sweet, but in their own selfish world and honestly just isn’t thinking of the rest of the planet when it comes to ANYTHING. Their 22 old-ish daughter arrived home one night around 3am, which is nothing new - they come and go at all hours of the night, booming their bass loud enough to wake up my children, tossing beer cans into the neighbor’s yards and bushes - not really a great scenario but we‘ve learned adjust and to get a long. Well, this particular night she parked her car like...a moron - again nothing new, something I’ve seen them do many times, but usually it’s just for 5/10 minutes to run back into the house for something. But no, this time it was for the entire night and morning. Our street has a circle island/dead end, so you circle the island in front of our homes and it shoots you back out the other direction to go back out into the sub. So her car was parked 3 feet from the curb of the circle, in front of all of the neighbors houses (not her house of course) they‘re the last house on the block. So 3 feet from the curb and angled out all crooked…so yes, she was blocking 2 driveways and one side of the street so folks couldn’t make the turn around the circle, they’d have to back up and drive the wrong way to exit their driveways or get out of the sub.

We had to go over our curb to avoid hitting her car (it was 3 feet from our drive way). How crazy, how insane - I was upset - I wanted to redecorate her car with some sunshiny eggs. Not the best idea, but I couldn’t stand that she’d be so clueless, surly she needs a wake up call. Of course I could call the police, but of course she’d be gone within the next half hour or so, so what was the point. A lesson? To right a wrong? To seek revenge? Again, why? Was I so hurt and inconvenienced that the only thing to ease my discomfort would be to inflict discomfort? No, not at all. Instead we are to bless our enemies, pray for those that hurt us, ignore us and wrong us. What would I gain by stooping to this level, to avenge my anger would accomplish nothing good. Instead, I took a step back - thought about her as a human. I thought about how her parents let her run a muck because it was the easy thing to do - how she had been shown wealth and lavished with gifts, but not shown attention or lavished with love.

"Be kind to each other in your homes. Be kind to those who surround you. I prefer that you make mistakes in kindness rather than that you work miracles in unkindness. Often just for one word, one look, one quick action, and darkness fills the heart of the one we love". -- Mother Teresa

At this moment I felt ashamed that I would even for a second entertain the thought to avenge such a petty act with another petty act. Sure, this isn’t the first time, these sorts of things add up over years (like mounds and mounds of trash just tossed randomly at the curb for a week, years of their dogs wandering stray and barking at us in our own yard, one of them obviously drunk and taking out our newly planted tree with their car going up and over the curb - at least they could have discarded the evidence LOL). So this wasn’t the first time or last time stuff like this has happened, but was the first time (I can remember) that I had a thought of real payback cross my mind to take because of their actions.

Let's all get along - hands are made for
helping, not hurting!!!


What was I to gain, why did I deserve to gain anything! Why, for a split moment, had I entertained revenge in my mind?  I believe it's because flesh does that - the divine does not. Because flesh is weak - the divine is mighty. Because flesh gets mad and spiteful and wants to deliver pain where in contrast the divine gives love. Divine won out, flesh was broken and my heart was happy. I’ve never gained anything from revenge, of course again I’ve never been a fan of it - but all I’ve ever seen revenge bring is more pain, more suffering, more anger and more revenge. What I’ve seen of forgiveness and love is more forgiveness, more love, more happiness, more fresh starts, more peace and…..more love! 

"If we have no peace, it is because we forget we belong to each other". -- Mother Teresa

Romans 12:19-21  Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Matthew 5:43-44  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Luke 6:31  Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Hey you kids, don't you park that thing there! LOL

Wow....that was perfect timing!

I always find God’s timing amazing. It’s pretty cool to watch his hands at work in my family’s life. Jim and I work on his weekly Chaplain Devotionals together, and we always smile in delight upon their completion, because many times we have no idea what the topic will even be until they are completed! Sometimes we have a ‘clue‘ but most times we wait to be inspired and led with no idea of the direction that God is going. The cool thing is that the outcome ultimately speaks to Jim or myself directly, other times it’s timely for conflicts within the Auto Plant where he posts these and even other times the message is unclear who it is for until weeks later. Folks in the plant use these devotionals all over the state - and in fact other workers mail them off to friends and family as far as the Philippines.

One thing that always seems to remain true, the message comes from lots of listening and patiently waiting for God to present this week’s path. Almost every week, when we attend church on Sunday, the Pastor’s message is the exact message we just wrote or posted that week. Sometimes I’ve even posted a piece of our message here or there on Facebook and we think, “Wow, this is God driven - it must be truly what he was wanting us to write on. That, or the Pastor has been reading my posts or sneaking over at night to read this week’s devotional that we’ve prepared!” LOL either way they’re very ’spot on’. Many times we’ll sit in church during the sermon and turn to each other and smile or giggle because often times the exact same scripture that was running through our minds (and that had made it onto paper), are the same scripture passages that he is teaching on at that moment - WOW how cool is that. The same held true for this week. I’ll share it with you in a few - but for now: giggle, giggle!

Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present!

Someone once called me perfect…in a bad way! It was someone that I grew up with and someone that has made bad choices. She says that her life has turned around somewhat, but she still holds a grudge against me for something that I don’t apologize for. See, I CAN apologize for mistakes I have made, but I won’t apologize for the ones I chose not to make. Bad choices and missteps happen but you can’t expect me to be sorry for taking a different path. You got what you wanted out of those moments, even when others tried to steer you clear or help clean up the mess afterwards. And now that the final product, the final outcome, has revealed itself to you and you dislike it, it doesn’t mean you can blame me or resent me because I didn’t make the same choices.

Life is all about choices and although we can’t change the past we can learn from it. As long as you don’t make your past an anchor in your life we can come back from almost anything. When you choose to relive the past, resent the past, or dwell on the past you forget to look at the present and move towards the future. I always believe that if you spend to much time re-hurting yourself because of past mistakes, or on the flip side spending to much time looking towards the future and to what it holds for you, you miss out what blessings God is giving you right now, in this moment - in the present!!!

When I’m faced with a friend that has regret in their life, I’m never at a loss for advise to give them and it varies from person to person, depending on their circumstance - I‘m not sure if my advice helps but I‘m always happy to give it when asked for it…otherwise I try to keep my yapper zipped! Probably the one bit of advise that is always the same, is that they need to take responsibility for their actions and make sure to learn from their successes as well as their mistakes (so they don‘t make them again). Also I suggest for them to cut themselves some slack, but not too much…just enough so they can move on! Tomorrow is a mystery, the past is your history if you have a foot in both you’ll pee all over today! Okay that wasn’t the quote you were looking for, here it is:

"The clock is running. Make the most of today. Time waits for no man. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present." from the 1902 book, Sun Dials and Roses of Yesterday: Garden Delights by Alice Morse Earle

　“Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have - so spend it wisely” ~Kay Lyons

I've Cracked The Food Code! Now Go Eat Your Peas....

I’ve cracked the food code - ok at least in my own home I have. See, I’ve always been a picky eater - beyond picky. I used to take more time at the dinner table devising plans on how to make the food on my plate disappear than I actually spent eating it. I coined the whole “apple sauce splatter on the floor for the dog" move. And in the 70’s I had this awesome move: I‘d drink all my milk, spit the hamburger into the cup and then I’d smuggle it to the bathroom and flush it! Needless to say, I’ve had many encounters with the dreaded “belt” threat and honestly in those moments I’d rather have the belt than try to stomach the food. I used to joke as I got older that it just was that my mom was a horrible cook.  She seemed to have had only one cooking speed: burn it!  If only she would have know that these days blackened anything would be a hit!  I am a bit perplexed though, now that I have kids they say that they love her cooking - maybe I've missed the mark?

I’m not as much of a picky eater anymore! I chalk that up to age, a more mature pallet, as well as boredom. You eat enough of the same food over and over you tend to get bored and venture out a bit more into the culinary world.  But these days I have a much bigger challenge….to get my children to eat!  I’ve begged them, threatened them, spoon fed them, reverse phycology-ied them - I’ve even paid them…cold hard cash! Only 2 of those choices ever really worked - the “brain” bending one and I think you can guess the other!

I have 3 boys, my first born was always a great eater and would try almost anything - especially for a dollar. But hey, at 13 he is now a fairly adventurous eater: from pâté to squiddy stuff - as well as some other gross things I’d never eat! Okay, maybe I’m still picky, but I’ve never let that keep me from cooking (or ordering) stuff for my kids to try (and for me to let the trash sample).

My 9 year old always responded well to reverse psychology. I would tell him NOT to eat a bite and he’d take a huge one. I’d say in a serious straight faced manner, “don’t bite that - I mean it. Don’t….don’t you….don’t you dare take a bite of that”. He always did, until his tummy was full…giggling all the way! He’s still a slow eater but he continues to fall for a few of my tricks.  But, he takes after me, he still won’t eat something if it looks uglier or smells worse then his tennis shoes, but who would. For many picky eaters it’s all about the presentation!  For others the smell plays an important roll.  Then there are those that they may take a chance and take bite, but if the texture is too bizarre it’s evicted immediately! Surprisingly I have all 3 of those eating types in my home - makes cooking very unexciting and almost a drag sometimes - if I let it!

Over the last four years I’ve had to sharpen my feeding tactics. I’ve tried to learn how to balance a plate - making it both healthy and fun. So don’t be surprised if one of my family members reveal to  you that they have had a nice piece of chicken coated and baked in Doritos! Yes I was desperate that night - and it was worth a try - it was pretty good actually. So now I try to get a little fun and a little serious on every plate.

For one of my boys it’s all about the presentation and if they just would try some things they would LOVE it and become an instant fan. One night I made mashed potatoes and scooped it into a cupcake wrapper. Then I proceeded to apply spray on frosting (makes it look all airbrushed and cool).  Then I topped it with a few sprinkles J it worked for the first 2 bites and then he was on to me.  But, a year later he discovered that he really did like mashed potatoes, did my mashed potato deception help move him to the spuddy side? I don’t know - but some days I’ll try pretty much anything.

I've always believed that you can move your kids to do almost anything if your expectations are in the right place and your children know what those are ahead of the game. This concept when applied to feeding kids, at least in my own house, has only been true up until the age of 3. Then I needed to get creative - obviously our little one’s tastes buds change with age, and it takes trying some foods several tries before you can develop a taste for them.  However, when you have a stubborn little prince, that day may never come.

My littlest carnivore has been the worst…that is until this week!  He hasn’t fallen for the disguised food trick (he can spot a carrot in a bowl of ice cream a mile a way) and the reverse psychology works for only two bites.

But finally this week I discovered that this is a boy of compromise. He’s a give and take sort of child and we needed to find the fun in eating again - as well as compromise. So out of the blue I said to him, “Cameron, take a bite of chicken and then you can choose anything on your plate for the next bite”. Wow, what a huge smile I saw emerge over his face. “Cameron, now you can pick, 1 chicken bite or 1 green bean bite”. Another smile and another bite. “Okay Cameron, now choose: green bean or potato”. And then we continued “now you pick!”. He loved it, I even got to the point where he was cool when I said “Okay, 1 chicken bite or 2, you choose”. He, to my surprise and delight picked 2. So his next bite was an extra fun treat: “Cameron, now you can pick what to eat on your next 2 bites”. He got so excited and started jumping in his seat - hey, he picked a potato and a green bean….yay for beans…yay for potatoes!  Yay for chicken bites - those are always the hardest! What a great little eater I have now - an eater of compromise!  Hugs and love friends, now go eat your peas….pleeeeaaaaazzzzzze!