Italy Anyone?

Have you ever been to an Italian restaurant? Well if you answered yes, you know how they are set up. Wonderful delicious food, friendly service, pictures on the wall and statues that you don't see in your typical American home. You know what I mean if you've been to an Italian restaurant before.

So back up to last weekend when I take my oldest daughter to an Italian restaurant for the first time. She didn't think much at first until we went into the bathroom. It was then that she saw the "scary" pictures on the wall and didn't know what to think. So then we come back to the table and sit down with our lovely friends and she tells me that the restaurant scares her. WHAT?!?! WHY?!?! It's a RESTAURANT for pete's sake. I couldn't quite gather what made her SOOOO scared of a place to eat. And then I realized. Realized the reason she was scared of the very place we were sitting in.

To us adults, those types of pictures and statues and things of the sort are no big deal. And the pictures on the wall were not bad at all. They were very classy for the nice restaurant we were in. But for my daughter, it was "scary." So after I got over the initial chuckle of her being "scared," it gets even better. She tapped me a few minutes later while taking a big bite of my dinner. She has the biggest eyes I've ever seen and with the most serious expression ever looks at me and says, "Mommy, I'm never going to Italy."

So after almost choking on my food from laughing, I looked at her and said "ok, dear, you never have to go to Italy if you don't want to." Then I had to share her theory about Italy with the rest of our table because it was way too hilarious! It was a rather cute theory about Italy and proves the fact you never know what kids are going to say when!

So parents beware if you dare take your child into an Italian restaurant, make sure it doesn't scar them for life into never wanting to visit the wonderful country of Italy! Now one day when she flies to Italy, I will have to remind her of the first time she went to the Italian restaurant...



It's the Pope!







The "scary" ceiling of the Pope Room

Are You LuCkY?

There are some people out there who just have luck at winning things. That's right, luck. I used to win random things once in a while. I think the first thing I remember winning was a stuffed green M&M and a jar full of M&M's. Ok, so I didn't technically win it but in a way I did. So here's the story on my grand M&M win:

I was probably 8 or 9 years old and was visiting McDonald's one day. They had a jar of M&M's with a sign up you had to guess how many M&M's were in the jar. So being the greedy inquisitive little girl I was, I took a few of those guess slips. Not only did I fill out one for myself, but I put in my mom's name, my stepdad's name, my friends' names, and my uncle's name. So yes I cheated and filled out lots of random guesses for various people who didn't even technically enter themselves. So to my surprise one day, I come home and find the green stuffed M&M with the jar full of M&M's. HOW DID THAT GET THERE?!?! My uncle received a phone call from McDonald's that he was the lucky winner of the green M&M. Instead of declining his prize (totally confused not having a clue how he won), he went and picked it up and brought it home. Now of course, he won the M&M prize package but lucky ME got the treasure since it was my guess that won for him. I still have that green M&M somewhere.

I recently won something from my local country radio station. Actually I entered online and logged on one day to find out I was the chosen recipient. But what was it that I won? A lovely CD titled "Do You Know" by the pretty blonde Jessica Simpson. So I received this CD in the mail yesterday and plan to listen to it later today while in my ride. It seems as though she has some pretty good songs on her CD from reading through the lyrics of the songs. Guess we'll see how it sounds later tonight...

Have you ever known someone who was lucky and they had no idea how? I have a couple friends like that. For some reason one friend of mine has had tons of luck with the lottery this year. She buys those scratch off tickets and has hit some big ones this year. Now friend if you are reading this, you know when I expect mine. 29, 29 ~ let's win big!!!! I'll even share it with ya, promise. Really.

So do you feel lucky? Do you know someone who has luck all the time? Maybe it's not really luck at all. Maybe it's a blessing from above and we call it luck. Whatever you call it, if you are one of those lucky people who wins things, consider yourself blessed. I hope my CD is worth the listen and hope my streak of luck continues! Now how about those lottery tickets...

My Lil Bored Genius

I have been told before that I am book smart, but not always common sense smart. (No need to comment on that one MOM) Anyway, I think my common sense has improved over the years. No, I don't think it has, I KNOW it has.

So anyway, I believe that my oldest daughter will follow in my footsteps on being book smart. She received a free dictionary from her school a couple days ago. This was no ordinary dictionary, this was a FREE (she thought that was great) dictionary that became her new reading material. Yes, a dictionary.

Now when I was in elementary school, I learned the 50 states in alphabetical order. There was some dorky catchy song they made us sing in music class so lucky me retained that information thanks to the retarted educational song.

So next thing I know she is reading the 50 states of the United States. Being the mom genius I am, I rambled off all 50 states in alphabetical order. Well, my daughter was shocked and just could not understand how I knew that! All of a sudden I became the smart cool mom which I already knew. So all of a sudden she decided she HAD to learn them right then and she wasn't going to stop until she did. By this point, it was bedtime. So I tuck her in bed for the evening, finish up my chores and get ready to crash myself.

Then a few minutes later I hear my daughter screaming so I jump up and go check out the problem. What was the problem? The problem was she had taught herself the 50 states in alphabetical order and she needed to tell me right then! So after my heart calmed down that there was no fire, tornados, or crazy people in my house everything was fine, she recited all 50 states to me in alphabetical order without skipping a beat! So instead of going to bed and getting some well needed rest, she stays up teaching herself the states. Wow, sounds like something I would have did when I was younger because I was a dork pretty amazing to me!

So that was her big accomplishment yesterday. She stood in front of her class and recited it as well. The teacher said "Wow" and another classmate told her she was really good. That's my baby girl! Smart like her mommy! So now that she has the 50 states down (which by the way, she learned them in like 30 minutes), what's the next item on the agenda? Learning the presidents in order from George Washington to the current one.

Now, I had to learn the presidents in order at one point in time. I believe it was 5th grade. So she is preparing herself well in advance! Now, why is she teaching herself these things and wanting to learn more and more? Because she was (are you ready for this).....

Bored.

Yes. Bored.

I love my daughter dearly. I guess if she keeps going at this rate, there's a good chance she could be valedictorian of her class someday. Now that's a long time away, or at least it seems it will be. For now, I will enjoy them while they are little and take one day at a time with them. Because that "one day at a time" adds up quickly and makes the years fly by so fast!

I should know. My little brother is a senior in high school. That's just not possible.
*SNIFF, SNIFF*

Being a Sisterly Friend

It was such a lovely morning today. It's always nice when things are going as they should, the kids are cooperating and all is peaceful and calm. Until, until... the little one decides she needs to get sick. And not just in one room, but 3 at that... such a lovely morning it was. Now it wasn't as bad as it sounds for those of you who have had to clean up such a mess before. But I try to look at the positive side or find the humor in every situation. So when all was calm again and the older one is helping the little one get dressed, here is how the conversation flowed:

Lil Sis: "EEEWWWW! Yucky! Yucky! Get if off, get it off! EWWWW" SCREAM!
Big Sis: "Mommy, she has stuff on her shirt" (the second set of clothes)
My actions: It was nothing too terrible so I brush it off and Lil Sis is totally fine again.
Lil Sis (to big Sis): "Are you my friend?" (the ever popular question lately - no one is exempt from being asked this by Lil Sis, not even the strangers in Wal-Mart)
Big Sis: "Yes, I'm your friend even though you were puking."
Me: I lost it laughing, I mean I lost it.

What a bonding moment! They were still friends even though one was sick. How sweet. Even though my oldest is always friends with my youngest, she made it clear she would be friends with her even in the worst times. Now isn't that what being sisters is all about?

10 Pet Peeves Women Do That Men Hate

Time to throw in a humorous post! I was driving to work this morning and my local radio station mentioned a survey that was taken. This survey is called "Top 10 Pet Peeves Men Have About Women." I was laughing hysterically as I listened to them roll through the list. So here is the top 10 from that list:

#10 - Calling Men for Nothing
#9 - Overanalyzing What Men Say
#8 - Not Meaning What Us Women Say
#7 - Wanting to Talk at the Wrong Times
#6 - Using PMS as an Excuse to be Grouchy
#5 - Talking Too Much
#4 - Overdramatazing Things
#3 - Being Flirty
#2 - Dressing to the Max and Then Complain that We Get Too Much Attention from Men
#1 - Taking Men Shopping with Us Women

Now if you are a man reading this post, you probably agree with many of the top 10. You may not agree with all of them; however, you can probably put a checkmark next to the majority of those on your own list of pet peeves.

I will admit as I heard the top 10 list myself, I laughed and nodded in agreement that women do these most of these things. But we don't do it to make men irritated, we do it because we are women. And that's what women do! So read on for the comebacks to the top 10 pet peeves...

#10 - Calling a man for nothing. First of all, from a women's perspective, we always have a reason to call. And if we really have nothing to tell you or nothing we really "need", our need to call is to say hi. Yes, women call each other to say "Hi" because that is the friendly and courteous thing to do. Plus us women get bored easily and sometimes feel the need to bother others to entertain ourselves. And if our girlfriends are busy and we are bored, the man is the lucky one who gets the call!

#9 - Overanalyzing what a man says. Again, this is a woman thing and men just do not and will never understand. I am guilty of this myself. We can't just live with a simple sentence. Men typically mean what they say when they say something. However, women read more into it and want to dissect every word of the sentence and find the hidden and true meaning behind what was said. So for example if a man says, "What's for dinner?" First of all, that could be a dangerous question for tons of reasons. A women could take those 3 little words and analyze them into many scenarios depending on what mood she is in at the current moment. So a woman could hear that and think "Wow, he's too lazy to get off his butt and help me out" or "Does he think that's all I'm good for is to cook for him" or "He's starving and I need to get right on that or he's going to be mad at me" or "Doesn't he realize how much work I have to do, let alone take care of the kids and all the chores" and the list goes on and on. This is one little prime example, but most women read far more into what a man says. The man usually states what he means but us women cannot except the sentence for what it is. Period. End. of. discussion.

#8 - Not meaning what we say. This one is embedded in every woman and again, it's just part of being of the female breed. Women want a man to read our minds even though we should be smart enough to know men aren't smart enough to read our brains. If they were, this would not be a problem and therefore I would have nothing to blog about =-). Ok, for those men reading, get over the fact women are smarter than men and continue reading please. Now that I'm dodging apples, I will move on... No really, we expect men to read our minds and it really isn't fair that we are like that. But we are just that way and men have to accept that fact! So here's a hint: If you really want to know what we mean when we say it, find a female friend you can call up and talk to. When your woman tells you something, make a mental note of what she said, call up your friend and ask what the definition of that sentence was. Then once you know the real meaning of what's been said, come up with a cute and romantic answer to what we really mean. Then us women can be won over again with just a few little words. Even if you don't want to play the game, indulge us and do it anyway! Ok. Thank you.

#7 - Women want to talk at the wrong time. WOAH! First of all, there is N-E-V-E-R a wrong time for us women to talk. It's in our blood to want to chit-chat, talk, vent, etc. and sometimes men are the only ones around to listen. So if you are the lucky candidate, be grateful you have been chosen and lend a listening ear. Here's the secret to this pet peeve: Even if you don't want to listen to what we have to say, pretend like you do. It will win you brownie points anyway if you act like you are listening. Just don't make the mistake of answering a question or offering advice if you are not listening 110%. That's just the start of another spat so don't even try that route. If it's truly a moment that you don't want to hear a woman talk, then tell her nicely that you really want to hear what she has to say, but you have to be selfish and a self absorbed jerk your brain is not fully functioning at that exact moment and you can't concentrate on what is being said. At least she will give you credit for being honest.

#6 - Using PMS as our excuse to be a wee bit cranky. There is no arguing with this rule. You try being a woman and have to deal with it. Then when you've had to deal with it, even for a month, you would strike this rule off the list. That's a promise. Guaranteed.

#5 - We talk too much. So what if we do? Is there a problem with it? Not in our dictionary. Refer to the explanation to Rule #7 and you will understand. It's a girl thing and it's in our nature to be talkers. You should thank God we have girlfriends we can talk to so we don't talk your ear off 24/7. But again, when our friends are busy, you get to be the lucky ones to hear us chit chat for hours on end about whatever it is we need to talk about. I have recently been told I am a chatterbox and I know that. Hands down. At least I can admit it. I didn't used to be such a chatterbox but I am now. And that's alright ya'll... (Love that southern twang now)

#4 - We tend to overdramatize things. So does this mean we can be drama queens? The answer is YES we can be. Do we mean to be? Some women do, some don't. I have been accused of being a drama queen even though I don't mean to be. Again, it's just a woman thing. And I have a bubbly bouncy personality so that is one valid reason I can be a drama queen. When I heard this pet peeve, I had a visual image in my head of a woman screaming because she saw a spider. Has this happened to me? No never I am the bravest one of them all Unfortunately, yes. I am a country girl, but spiders do give me the creeps. But in my defense, spiders give most women the creeps. I don't know what it is about a little bitty bug that is a fraction of our size but they are scary. Back to the drama queen thought, I don't think all women are that way. But you will find more women than not are into drama. Funny thing is I do not want or welcome drama into my life, but it seems to find me. Every time! So I will sum this comeback up to yes we tend to overdramatize and that's one characteristic men have to learn to live with. End of story on that one.

#3 - We are flirty? No, never LOL. Why would it be a pet peeve for us to be flirty? I thought men liked that. I guess men need to have more self-esteem and realize if you bring a pretty woman out for the evening, you're going to take that pretty woman home with you. So take the standpoint of being happy you have a woman that takes care of herself and think of it this way - the other men are jealous of you. Yes, you, because you may have something others want. But if you have a good girl, it won't matter and you'll be the one who benefits from taking the pretty girl out for the evening. So why is it a pet peeve for men that women can be flirty but men seem to be the ones who flirt more? I have seen many situations where the man is more flirty than the woman. This brings me to my final point about this pet peeve. It all falls back on how self confident a person is. If you have a girl that gets looks, be glad she gets the attention. And if you treat her well, she will give you the most attention. Remember that little bit of advice! Free of charge =-)

#2 - We dress up and pretty ourselves up and then we complain because we get too much attention. First of all, I'm not totally in agreeance on this pet peeve. I know first and foremost that if I dress sexy, or in my tight jeans with a low cut tight shirt, I am asking for attention and I know it. I think us women like to dress up or get all prettied up to go out to make ourselves feel better. And when we do that, we are asking to get looks. Maybe some women do not know that but to me that is common sense. I don't intentionally dress to get looks the majority of the time. But I do notice I get noticed more now than ever. Maybe before I never knew what to look for or was oblivious to the signs. Or maybe it's the fact I have no ring that says I'm taken and now I'm allowed to get looks. I don't really know to be honest with you. I usually don't complain about getting too much attention unless it's from some psycho wierdo. Then yeah, it's a bit creepy. But then again, I try not to attract attention to myself. Maybe some women need to be self confident about themselves and then it wouldn't bother them to get looks. Wow, didn't I just mention in the last pet peeve that men need to have more self confidence? Maybe I need to sign up as a teacher about a class on that. LOL. Just kidding. No really, I am one of those quiet types that doesn't really like to attract the attention. But if I do, I do find it a lil' bit flattering which of course boosts confidence. Now on to the final pet peeve...

#1 - Taking men shopping. 3 words - WAH, WAH, WAH! If that is all you have to complain about, then find something else to whine about. First of all, most women don't do this in my opinion. Because if a woman has a man that will actually go shopping with her, that woman should be grateful for such a good guy and hang on to him for good! I will admit I do most of my shopping solo or with girlfriends but it is flattering if a man wants to accompany a girl on a shopping trip. But then again, I'm not a big shopper so I don't fall into the same category as other women that are shop-a-holics. My shopping consists of hitting a couple clothing stores maybe once every 2-3 months and trying on a bunch of clothes at once. I'm not a huge shopper and I never will be. Now grocery shopping is in a different category here. I do think it's fair if a man eats the food, I think he should go with the woman to the grocery store. Now I am not saying every single grocery shopping trip needs to be a time for couple bonding, but I also do not believe it's the woman's job to go by herself all the time. It really depends on what the man's personality is in this situation. Some men believe they are superior and therefore that is not on their to do list, and there are others that offer to go with their woman every time, offer to push the cart for her, load the car and carry the groceries in when arriving home. Now I'm not sure I'd want either in a man, somewhere in between would be about the right fit. Have you ever been in Wal-Mart or Kroger on a Friday or Saturday evening? There are actually several couples that grocery shop together. It's kind of their date out of the house and that's ok. I'm all for a grocery shopping weekend date, just not every visit to the grocery store.

So there you have it ~ the top 10 pet peeves women do that men hate and the comebacks to all 10. This was a great list to hear while driving this morning and a fun post to write. Now if I could only find the top 10 pet peeves men do that women hate...

Some People Just Need Prayer

There are people in this world who think they have all they need in the world. They live life as though they are doing fine and that they have accomplished so much in this world. What some people do not understand is that the things they have and goals they have accomplished in life are not because of what they have done. It is because of what God has done in their life or the blessings he has provided for them. I believe that there is a God, I believe that God will provide for me when I need Him to, and I believe that God will take care of me when I need Him to. I give God credit for all things that have happened in my life, all the things I have accomplished, and all the blessings I have been given in this lifetime. Without Him in my life, I would not be where I am today.

There are people who attack others because they are not confident enough in themselves to be a good upstanding citizen. People can be mean or belittle others when they are scared; scared of losing what they have in life. It is these people I believe need prayer the most and need to be prayed for the most.

Often times we have to be the bigger person in a situation that is tough. But that is God wants us to do. Turn the other cheek, smile and move forward as though nothing has happened. And instead of being drug down in the situation, take advantage of it and pray for that person or those people. It's that person or those people who need to realize God can turn their life around if they will just allow Him in.

Do you know someone who needs to turn their life around or that needs God in their life? I would ask you now to pray for that person. Pray that they see the light before it is too late. Also pray that once they find God and find themselves, then they go on to be a mentor to others. That they become a mentor and lead others to God because of where they were once in their life or what they have been through in their life. Everyone knows at least someone who could use more positive influence in their life. Pray for that person NOW, do not wait until it is too late!

Being in Iowa in Indiana

Yes it is very possible to be in Iowa while in Indiana. All you have to do is hook up your wireless internet and watch your webcam while the ponies roll through the ring. I have a friend who is obsessed with a pony sale in Iowa. She HAD to watch it while using my computer. And heaven forbid you even try to talk to her while she is watching this sale. OH NO, don't do it! I can say things like "I can say anything about you and you have no clue what I'm saying right now." Then the person will look at me 10 seconds later and say "What did you say?" Then laughter explodes. For those who were present, they know what I'm talking about. So here's to life on high speed internet, watching a pony auction, and enjoying good company. It was fun while it lasted. All I can say is someone acted more like me today than ever before. And it was grand! Now if we can only have this much fun at the parade tomorrow...

The Hoosier Farmer Page

I was looking through the magazine titled "The Hoosier Farmer" that Farm Bureau sends out to members. I normally skim through this book, not reading all the articles in great detail. One article caught my attention and I read it once, then read it again. The title of the article is "Objects in the Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear" written by Isabella Chism. It was very inspiring and she brought some very valid points to light.



She speaks of the quote that all rearview mirrors have written on them, "Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear." And if you think about that quote, that is true about life. As the article states "there are many things in life we see but don't think they will affect us - or that at least they won't affect us any time soon." The article proceeds to talk about how things happen to "other people" and not to us. We are guilty of looking at a situation and tell ourselves that things can't happen to us, but they do. She makes a bold statement with one quote in the article "Take time for the important things and people in your life. Drastic changes in our lives are closer than they appear."



She also talks about the story of Noah and the Flood from the Bible. For me personally, this is the second reference to Noah and his Ark in the past couple weeks. Our pastor gave a powerful sermon a couple weeks ago and made reference to Noah's Ark several times. As the article states "He was preparing for something he had not experienced before and did not understand. His friends, family and neighbors thought he was crazy until it began to rain. The people who caused him so much grief over the years were the very people who wanted the safety and refuge the Ark provided, but it was too late."



Of course she is referring to agriculture in her article. She talks of how farmers are confident and comfortable with their live's work. But we must begin now to preserve agriculture so it will be around in the future. There are some very good comparisons between agriculture and the rearview mirror and Noah's Ark.



It goes back to my belief about living one day at a time because we do not know what the future holds. We can plan and plan and think we know where our life is headed, and then we get a big smack on the forehead that says "CHANGE!" I do believe it's ok to plan for the future because who doesn't want to plan for the future? But with the way the economy is today, and the way society has become, the future is unknown for many. So preserve today, plan for tomorrow and prepare for what the future holds. We never know what will come our way nor do we know when it will come. Live, laugh and love today because in today's world, tomorrow things could be different.

Rude People

One of my biggest pet peeves is rude people. Often times when someone is rude or snooty to me, I go out of my way to be extra nice to them. It’s people who are rude that really need a good swift kick in the butt or maybe they just need a hug. Either way, there is no excuse for being rude or mean because it accomplishes nothing.

I stopped to get a drink today at a gas station. There was a girl working the counter by herself in the store. She had a long line of people waiting and I could tell she was having one of those days. Well after standing in line a couple minutes, this very rude guy busted in the door and stepped through the line saying “EXCUSE ME” in a very rude tone of voice. He started yelling at the girl behind the counter that he had prepaid for $30 in gas and the pump still had not been turned on. Then his wife came in yelling at the girl as well. The wife had told the girl the wrong gas pump number so it wasn’t entirely her fault. Then he asked to speak to the manager of the store and demanded the manager’s name. Everyone in line was quite in shock at the actions of this man and made comments about how rude people can be nowadays. So the girl apologized to this man and refunded his money as he demanded. By this time, there are probably 10 people in line waiting to pay for their items. So the man left and a couple of us in line told the young lady it would be ok and not to let him get to her. Then the girl who was working started crying behind the counter. My heart instantly went out to her because she was all by herself trying to help these customers, and then the man came in and made a scene like he did. The lady apologized for crying and said she tried not to let him get to her. Once it was my turn to pay for my drink, I told her that the guy was a jerk and not to let it get to her. I told her life is too short for people to act that way and that was uncalled for. I also know the manager of the store personally and told her I would call her myself and vouch for her. This was only the girl’s second day of working at the store and it didn’t help that she was working by herself.

I knew this story was blog material as soon as the big old jerk rude man busted in the store and created the scene he did. It made me think that everyone has their up and down days. And when we are having a down day, it seems like more things happen and appears as though the world is against us. In reality, the world is never against us. We all must go through tough times or rough days to make us appreciate the good times and good days in our lives. I wanted to give the girl behind the counter a big old hug and tell her it would be ok. I do think and hope I made her feel better after talking to her for a minute.

Does this story make you think of an instance when you have seen someone be rude for no reason and ruin another person’s day? Does this make you think of a time where you have been that rude person and ruined someone else’s day? We’ve all been there at some point whether we’ve been the recipient or deliverer of being rude to other people. I have made a point that when I am frustrated I don’t deliberately attack the person I am dealing with in the situation. Often times that person is trying to help and does not deserve to be attacked if we don’t get our way. Just please remember if you are ever in this situation, please try to keep calm and not take it out on the other person.

I am going to pray for both the girl who was the victim of this rude attack and also for the man who instigated the scene. The girl needs some positive influence in her world today. And the man needs to learn patience and respect for other people. I pray God will give all parties involved what they need so they can learn from this unfortunate incident and move forward with a more positive attitude. Life is too short to live that way and I wish people would wake up and realize it. If I can help one person learn to be nice to others, than my job for the day is done.

Let It Go

Have you heard the new Tim McGraw song called "Let It Go?" I absolutely love this song! There have been many instances in my life where I've had to let something go. That song really explains about letting go.


Here is the first verse to that song:


I’ve been caught sideways out here on the crossroads

Trying to buy back the pieces I lost of my soul

It’s hard when the devil won’t get off your back

It’s like carrying around the past in a hundred pound sack


The first verse to the song is very powerful in my opinion. It talks about life and getting off track from what is right and how we all should be living. And it seems like when we are down, things seem to snowball and all happen at once. It seems as though when we are at a low point in our lives, it's hard to look ahead and keep moving forward at times. And we look at our past and present mistakes and carry the remorse and regret with us. But moving forward is what we have to do in this life. Check out the chorus to the song:


Today I’m gonna keep on walking

I’m gonna hold my head up high

I’m gonna leave it all behind

Today I’m gonna stand out in the rain

Let it wash it all away

Yeah wash it all away

I’m gonna let it go Oh yeah

I’m gonna let it go Oh yeah


This verse speaks volumes about what God wants us to do in this life. He wants us to keep on walking and move forward and not live in the past. He wants us to keep going no matter what circumstances we are dealing with or what our current situation is. He wants us to let go of whatever we are hanging on to and give it to Him. He wants us to live without fear and without sin in our lives.


Check out the next verse to the song:


Skeletons and Ghosts are hiding in the shadows

Threatening me with all the things that they know

Choices and mistakes, they all know my name

But I’m through holding in and holding onto all that pain


These words speak of past mistakes we have made that we keep a hold of and won't let go. We all make bad choices and mistakes at some point in our lives. We can try to live right and by the way God wants us to, but everyone slips at some point. In order to move forward, we must let go of the past and never look back. And we must learn from our mistakes so that our actions don't repeat them. Let go of the past so that you can move forward.

The chorus to this song again:


Today I’m gonna keep on walking

I’m gonna hold my head up high

Got No more tears to cry

Today I’m gonna stand out in the rain

Let it wash it all away

Yeah wash it all away

I’m gonna let it go Oh yeah

I’m gonna let it go Oh yeah

It just re-enhances again how we must move forward and let go of the past. When we cry tears, it refreshes our mind, body and soul. And by letting the rain wash it all away, it cleanses our mind, body and soul of our sins. Have you ever stood in the pouring down rain? It is so refreshing to let the rain beat down on your face and feel the chill of the falling rain.

The next verse to the song:

I know I know I know I’ve been forgiven

I know I know I know I'm gonna start living

Today I’m gonna keep on walking

I’m gonna hold my head up high

I’m gonna leave it all behind

Today I’m gonna stand out in the rain

Let it wash it all away Yeah wash it all away

I’m gonna let it go Oh yeah

I’m gonna let it go Oh yeah

Oh yeah

The first line of this verse is the most important. All we have to do is ask God to forgive us for our sins, and He will; no strings attached. And with that thought, we gain wisdom and knowledge through God forgiving us for our wrongdoings. Then we have to start living ~ start living your life as God would want you to. Start making choices that are in God's favor, not yours. And again, LET IT GO. Let go of everything that boggles your mind, let go of everything that holds you back, let go of any problems you have, let go of any obstacles you can't face, let go of it ALL. That is what God is there for ~ to take the things we need to let go of. He will take it from us no matter what it is. Give it to Him. Start living for Him. And you will see a big change in your life when you let go and give ALL to HIM.

It is at this point that God will guide your life in what direction He wants you to go. Be prepared though because what HE wants you to do may not be what YOU have in mind.