Have you ever had a moment where you have "seen the light?" Keep in mind this phrase can be taken a number of ways. It can mean one literally "sees a light." It can also mean one can realize something and therefore they have "seen the light" about a certain situation. It can also mean one makes a huge change in their life and claim the changes have come from "seeing the light." Again, "seeing the light" can mean so many different things or be interpreted in many different ways depending on your situation.
I have seen the light about many things in my life throughout the years. I have realized things I have needed to change or sacrifice in my life because of a life changing event. The biggest light I have ever seen in my life was when I realized that God is truly in charge of my life and has a plan for each and every person on this earth. Often times we do not know exactly what the plan is unless we ask God to guide us and show us the direction we are meant to head in this life. There have been times when God has spoke volumes to me about a certain situation that I needed to take charge of and change the direction I was headed. There have been people walk into my life who I believe God sent to me at the time that I needed that person. There have also been people come into my life at times when they needed help and I was able to help that person because of what I have been through on my life's journey so far.
Have you ever been in a situation or come in contact with someone that you would consider you have seen the light about? This could be anything really. For example, take any situation that has occurred in your life that you would consider to be life changing. Whatever that situation may be or may have been at the time, can you look back on the situation and say you learned something from it and "saw the light?" Can you think of a person who has come in to your life, whether for a short while or long while, that you eventually "saw the light" about? When you have "seen the light" about a situation or a person in your life, this can be on either side of the scale. It could be a positive experience that made you "see the light" or it could have been something negative that happened to you that made you "see the light" as well.
Good things happen to those who wait. Good things also happen to those who pray and ask for guidance from the Lord. And I truly believe that when the time is right, God will show you the light about whatever you need or have been praying about. God will answer you when the time is right and when it's time for you to see something in a different light than you have previously seen.
The biggest instance when someone sees the light is when they realize that Jesus Christ is our Savior and died so that we can we can be forgiven for our sins. And when a person accepts Jesus into their heart, their life will be forever changed! When one takes this bold and life changing step in life, there will be a bright light shining at that very moment. And when that bright light shines, one will see the light about many other things that have happened in life and will continue to see the light about their future as long as they keep on the right path and asking for God's guidance.
There are also instances where we see the light about a current situation in our life. Something will break the chain of events that will make us see reality and often times leads us to make a change in that particular scenario. It could be a small or huge decision but the end result is we will come to a point where a decision must be made and a change must occur to make the situation better. This does not necessarily have to be a negative impact of some sort but often times when something is wrong or something bad happens in our life, it takes us back down a notch and makes us realize what is truly is important in life. When something isn't quite going our way and we need to make it right in life, it takes seeing the light to make that change to improve the situation.
There will be people walk in and out of your life all through the years. When someone walks in to your life and seems like such like such a blessing at the time, they probably are a blessing to you. There are those who will continue to be a blessing in your life and there are those who will be a blessing for a short time. If someone is truly meant to stay in your life, God will show you you should hang on to that person with all your might. But if someone is only meant to be in your life for a time, God will eventually show you the light about that person and give you the strength to let go of that person.
Many times when life seems to be going as planned and in a definite direction, we are not able to see the light during those moments. It's when a change occurs or someone begins to act differently, then we forced to make decisions and see the light about that situation or person. Have you had a life changing event, situation, or a person who eventually woke up to see the light about? We have all been through good and bad experiences in life and have had to wake up to reality and see the light about life and what has occurred so far from the time we were born until the present day. Because at that exact point we see the light, we will begin to make the necessary changes to make life better.
And when we see the light, God will normally show us a different direction to head or a "new light" so to speak. And since that new light is a change, that becomes a "different light" that we are not used to following. Sometimes the different light is challenging, a little bit scary, and we feel as though we are treading into unknown territory. But with the challenge and unknown world that lies ahead, the new and different light is a fresh change and rewarding if we follow it. Because it is when we follow the light, the light will shine on our path to our destiny in this life.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
But it's a good answer Mom!
My oldest daughter was working on her homework the other evening. There was a story she was supposed to read and then answer questions pertaining to the story. Well she was hung up on one of the questions so she asked me for help. She needed to compare and contrast the words "basted" and "swooped." Now she is like me and would rather have a cut and dry question that is easy to answer rather than a thinking question. Well she finally came up with some answers to the contrast part of the question. But she couldn't think of how to compare the words. She racked her brain for a few minutes and then finally wrote something down. Well as I double checked her answers, I had the laugh of the year! For the comparison of these words, my sweet little daughter who makes straight A's and usually has her homework done before I pick her up every evening came up with a very good answer. It read "They are both words." Well after reading her answer and re-reading it a couple times, I put the paper down and busted my gut laughing! She laughed with me and said, "well, they are." Yes, she did have a very good point, they were both words. But I don't really think that's what the teacher had in mind as a good answer to the comparison question. So rather than making her erase it and start over, I decided to let her leave her primary answer to give her teacher a good laugh. We came up with a couple more answers to suit the question so that wasn't the sole answer to the comparison question. I am still laughing over this instance a few days after the fact. It just goes to show, no matter how smart kids are, they all have a little sarcasm buried somewhere in their brains. And my daughter's just happened to come out on her homework that day! She was correct in the fact they were both words, I can't argue with her on that point. And it gave me, my daughter, my friends and her teacher a good laugh as well. It just goes to show you never know what kids will do or say when so be prepared. They all have their moments and the next time something silly happens, it may just be your child that creates the laughs!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Eye Can See!!!!
This story begins in the summer of last year. I went to have my annual eye exam and my curiosity overcame me so I just happened to ask my wonderful doc about lasik eye surgery. Well little did I know, he informed me he had the surgery done 9 years prior when it first hit the market. He said it was the best thing he had ever done in his life and would have paid $50,000+ to have it done. He said life was wonderful to be able to see without glasses or contacts! That statement alone led me to make the call...
The call. The call to schedule the appointment to see if I was even a candidate for lasik. So I made the call and then visited the facility late last year. They needed to verify I was eligible for the surgery so I couldtake the financial plunge be able to see a million times better. So after my 4 hour appointment the good news was yes, I was a candidate and so then came the moment to schedule the big day.
So looking at the calendar, I had to do it schedule if for after the first of the year. And my office is fortunate enough to close on Martin Luther King Day so the decision was made. Monday, January 19 would be the day my eyes would bescared out of their mind permanently transformed.
Preparing for the big day... well I was not at all nervous on Surgery Eve. I knew I would be fine until I walked in the doors to the facility; then I would allow myself to be scared to death! Oh, but why should I be scared?!?! I was just having an operation on my EYES, no big deal. Not that I need them see or anything, no sweat off my back if something went haywire... Yep, sure.
So I arrived all confident and ready to battle the big scary machine that would permanently change my life! So after the nurse took one last final measurement of my eyes, then came the next step ofgiving me drugs to make me goofy like I already know I can be when I have a wine cooler or two taking the prescribed medication to calm my nerves and sedate my anxiety. So in went the pill down the throat and back to the waiting room to sit and wait. It must have kicked in quickly because 5 minutes later I became very sleepy and noticed how pretty the fake plants in the waiting area became. And the fact that the ceiling was also painted a pretty white color and it reminded me of a staircase in the corner the way it was shaped. Oh and all the meanwhile I'm still coherent enough to check my e-mail every couple minutes on my phone, read the news, or check out facebook updates as they are posted. Well I remember precisely that I informed my lovely chauffeur since I couldn't drive myself home mother that they had given me the medication to calm my nerves. So a few minutes later she looked at me and asked if they had given me medication. YES DUH, they already had me drugged up! Obviously I wouldn't normally talk about how pretty fake plants were and that the ceiling was just gorgeous if I wasn't on high potent meds! (At least I would hope I wouldn't talk about how beautiful the fake plants were even though they were extremely green and had the most wonderful shiny leaves...)
Then the next scary process arrived. The moment the nurse came over to me and said "Miss... come this way please." OMG but I wanted to plant my butt in the chair and continue to check my e-mail (even though I had no new messages) because this was a terrifying procedure and the thought of whatever could go wrong would was flowing like a flood through my brain at that second. But like the brave soul I am, I stood up like a trooper and marched down the hall to the surgery waiting area. To my surprise, there were other people in the waiting room! Wow. There were two ladies that just had the surgery done and one waiting for her turn.
Well the first thing the nurse handed me was a blue foam star, "the squeezie star" as she referred to my new toy as. She even told me I could take it through the procedure with me. Wow, I was excited (ha)! So obviously the point of the "squeezie star" is to take any agitated nerves out on the poor little foam friend I just gained. And it received some "squeezes" from me quite a few times I might add! Now I noticed something extremely interesting sitting on the counter of the waiting area. It was a small little television that had a picture of an eyeball. It looked as if the eye was being operated on so I had to ask the question... "What is that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?" The nurse calmly replied that it was what was happening in the surgery room right at the very moment! Oh wow, so not only are my nerves screaming at the top of their lungs, now I got to watch what the surgery actually did to someone's eye. That made me feel so much more comfortable, to watch the procedure I was about to have done live in progress. I informed the nurse I didn't know if that was such a great idea to have that on a television screen. A couple of times she stood in front of the TV so we couldn't see it! Well after watching the next person on the screen, it became interesting. Then the questions started rolling out of my mouth. I wonder where my youngest daughter gets the wonderful gift of gab and asking questions from... Anyway, so I watched how the suction cup went on the eye, how the flap was inserted, how the flap was moved and how the laser worked. It was very interesting to say the least. But scary knowing I would be the next victim on that screen! I think the worst part was watching the scalpel touching the eyeball. But no worries... the eyes are numb so people don't feel a thing!
By then, a young gentleman sat in the chair next to me who was scheduled to be the victim behind me. He asked me if I had just had the surgery done and tons of other questions (as if I was the expert at this procedure)! Then as I walked into the room he said to me "my eyes will be watching your eye" (you know on the cute little TV screen). I should have asked him if he was a stand up comedian LOL.
Well then came the moment I'd been waiting months for... the walk into the operating room. The walk that felt like a mile, but was only a few steps away. I walked in and the nice doctor asked me how I was doing. I informed him that I was a nervous wreck and his response was that he had seen a nervous wreck and I was NOT a nervous wreck. Ok so that made my brain shift focus for a moment's notice. Then it was time to lay ontable of dread operating table and get this procedure over with!
The surgery was such a breeze and so easy that I didn't even realize I was done when it was over! I remember him telling me a couple of times to turn my head one way or another. And I distinctively remember him telling me to look at the flashing orange light. Oh and to hold completely still. My body became a statue when he said those words ~ I wasn't going to move a flinch! I became the perfectly little behaved patient and did exactly what he said. When I was done and the torture was over with, he told me I did "super" and that my eye doctor would have been proud of me! That put a smile on my face knowing the surgery was a success and I had been a good little patient.
So the next step was to stumble back to the waiting area and sit for a few minutes and KEEP MY EYES CLOSED. Do you know how hard that was? That is so much easier said than done. But not only did I have to keep my eyes closed right then; I had to keep them closed for the rest of the day and the rest of the evening. But the bright side (I always look at the positive spin on things) was that I had permission to open them the next morning! Now I could open them to walk or eat, but I was supposed to keep them closed as much as possible. Well let me just tell you that was a long night!
So after sitting for a few minutes and the nurse checked the flap to confirm my eyes looked fine, it was time to be escorted to my car waiting for me right out the front door. I remember being very tired and worried that something had went wrong and I wouldn't know it until the next day since I couldn't open my eyes. I remember talking my mom's ear off on the way home and her telling me to be quiet several times. I remember stopping to get caffeine on the way home because I wasn't allowed to have any that morning. I remember going home and then I crashed. I slept for a good while in the peace and quiet and woke up just enough to eat and get my eye drops in when I needed to use them. And I also remember I was supposed to keep my eyes closed. And I did fairly well with that concept. I did peek a few times to see what I was doing or to see if I could tell a difference in my vision yet but for the most part, I followed doc's orders!
Then came the next day. The moment of truth when I could finally open my eyes. So I woke up all geared up and excited to be able to see the world in a whole new light. Well to my surprise, I opened my eyes to find my vision was still kind of fuzzy and things weren't totally crisp and clear as I expected. And this was a realization that I had been told could happen. The fact is sometimes it takes a few days to get the total effects of the surgery. So as the day progressed, my vision became clearer and better and I could see perfect by nightfall. I went to my follow-up eye appointment with my eye doctor and he gave me the fabulous news that my vision was 20/20 and would get better each day.
So after waking up on the third morning after the surgery, my vision was finally clear and I was able to see perfectly crisp without waiting until later in the day. One thing I have learned with lasik surgery is that my vision can fluctuate from fuzzy to clear in the blink of an eye. So even if I have terrible vision in the morning, I should be ok by noon. I am still on the eye drops a few more days and then can resume wearing eye make-up next week. Yippee!
Anyone out there had lasik and loved it? Best thing you ever did? I can say it's almost the best thing I ever did. There a few others I won't mention on this blog but it tops the list pretty high. So I thank God everything turned out ok, I will be able to see perfectly clear without glasses or contacts, and that it's over with!!! It's really not as bad as people think. If you are thinking about having it done, it's by far one of the best investments a person can make. At least in my opinion. And hey, I can voice my opinion since this is my blog! LOL
The call. The call to schedule the appointment to see if I was even a candidate for lasik. So I made the call and then visited the facility late last year. They needed to verify I was eligible for the surgery so I could
So looking at the calendar, I had to do it schedule if for after the first of the year. And my office is fortunate enough to close on Martin Luther King Day so the decision was made. Monday, January 19 would be the day my eyes would be
Preparing for the big day... well I was not at all nervous on Surgery Eve. I knew I would be fine until I walked in the doors to the facility; then I would allow myself to be scared to death! Oh, but why should I be scared?!?! I was just having an operation on my EYES, no big deal. Not that I need them see or anything, no sweat off my back if something went haywire... Yep, sure.
So I arrived all confident and ready to battle the big scary machine that would permanently change my life! So after the nurse took one last final measurement of my eyes, then came the next step of
Then the next scary process arrived. The moment the nurse came over to me and said "Miss... come this way please." OMG but I wanted to plant my butt in the chair and continue to check my e-mail (even though I had no new messages) because this was a terrifying procedure and the thought of whatever could go wrong would was flowing like a flood through my brain at that second. But like the brave soul I am, I stood up like a trooper and marched down the hall to the surgery waiting area. To my surprise, there were other people in the waiting room! Wow. There were two ladies that just had the surgery done and one waiting for her turn.
Well the first thing the nurse handed me was a blue foam star, "the squeezie star" as she referred to my new toy as. She even told me I could take it through the procedure with me. Wow, I was excited (ha)! So obviously the point of the "squeezie star" is to take any agitated nerves out on the poor little foam friend I just gained. And it received some "squeezes" from me quite a few times I might add! Now I noticed something extremely interesting sitting on the counter of the waiting area. It was a small little television that had a picture of an eyeball. It looked as if the eye was being operated on so I had to ask the question... "What is that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?" The nurse calmly replied that it was what was happening in the surgery room right at the very moment! Oh wow, so not only are my nerves screaming at the top of their lungs, now I got to watch what the surgery actually did to someone's eye. That made me feel so much more comfortable, to watch the procedure I was about to have done live in progress. I informed the nurse I didn't know if that was such a great idea to have that on a television screen. A couple of times she stood in front of the TV so we couldn't see it! Well after watching the next person on the screen, it became interesting. Then the questions started rolling out of my mouth. I wonder where my youngest daughter gets the wonderful gift of gab and asking questions from... Anyway, so I watched how the suction cup went on the eye, how the flap was inserted, how the flap was moved and how the laser worked. It was very interesting to say the least. But scary knowing I would be the next victim on that screen! I think the worst part was watching the scalpel touching the eyeball. But no worries... the eyes are numb so people don't feel a thing!
By then, a young gentleman sat in the chair next to me who was scheduled to be the victim behind me. He asked me if I had just had the surgery done and tons of other questions (as if I was the expert at this procedure)! Then as I walked into the room he said to me "my eyes will be watching your eye" (you know on the cute little TV screen). I should have asked him if he was a stand up comedian LOL.
Well then came the moment I'd been waiting months for... the walk into the operating room. The walk that felt like a mile, but was only a few steps away. I walked in and the nice doctor asked me how I was doing. I informed him that I was a nervous wreck and his response was that he had seen a nervous wreck and I was NOT a nervous wreck. Ok so that made my brain shift focus for a moment's notice. Then it was time to lay on
The surgery was such a breeze and so easy that I didn't even realize I was done when it was over! I remember him telling me a couple of times to turn my head one way or another. And I distinctively remember him telling me to look at the flashing orange light. Oh and to hold completely still. My body became a statue when he said those words ~ I wasn't going to move a flinch! I became the perfectly little behaved patient and did exactly what he said. When I was done and the torture was over with, he told me I did "super" and that my eye doctor would have been proud of me! That put a smile on my face knowing the surgery was a success and I had been a good little patient.
So the next step was to stumble back to the waiting area and sit for a few minutes and KEEP MY EYES CLOSED. Do you know how hard that was? That is so much easier said than done. But not only did I have to keep my eyes closed right then; I had to keep them closed for the rest of the day and the rest of the evening. But the bright side (I always look at the positive spin on things) was that I had permission to open them the next morning! Now I could open them to walk or eat, but I was supposed to keep them closed as much as possible. Well let me just tell you that was a long night!
So after sitting for a few minutes and the nurse checked the flap to confirm my eyes looked fine, it was time to be escorted to my car waiting for me right out the front door. I remember being very tired and worried that something had went wrong and I wouldn't know it until the next day since I couldn't open my eyes. I remember talking my mom's ear off on the way home and her telling me to be quiet several times. I remember stopping to get caffeine on the way home because I wasn't allowed to have any that morning. I remember going home and then I crashed. I slept for a good while in the peace and quiet and woke up just enough to eat and get my eye drops in when I needed to use them. And I also remember I was supposed to keep my eyes closed. And I did fairly well with that concept. I did peek a few times to see what I was doing or to see if I could tell a difference in my vision yet but for the most part, I followed doc's orders!
Then came the next day. The moment of truth when I could finally open my eyes. So I woke up all geared up and excited to be able to see the world in a whole new light. Well to my surprise, I opened my eyes to find my vision was still kind of fuzzy and things weren't totally crisp and clear as I expected. And this was a realization that I had been told could happen. The fact is sometimes it takes a few days to get the total effects of the surgery. So as the day progressed, my vision became clearer and better and I could see perfect by nightfall. I went to my follow-up eye appointment with my eye doctor and he gave me the fabulous news that my vision was 20/20 and would get better each day.
So after waking up on the third morning after the surgery, my vision was finally clear and I was able to see perfectly crisp without waiting until later in the day. One thing I have learned with lasik surgery is that my vision can fluctuate from fuzzy to clear in the blink of an eye. So even if I have terrible vision in the morning, I should be ok by noon. I am still on the eye drops a few more days and then can resume wearing eye make-up next week. Yippee!
Anyone out there had lasik and loved it? Best thing you ever did? I can say it's almost the best thing I ever did. There a few others I won't mention on this blog but it tops the list pretty high. So I thank God everything turned out ok, I will be able to see perfectly clear without glasses or contacts, and that it's over with!!! It's really not as bad as people think. If you are thinking about having it done, it's by far one of the best investments a person can make. At least in my opinion. And hey, I can voice my opinion since this is my blog! LOL
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Make 2009 Your Positive Year!
This came to me as an e-mail today. I thought it was appropriate for the content of the blog.
20 Tips for Making 2009 a Positive Year!
By America's Energy Coach Jon Gordon
1. Take a 10-30 minute "Thank you" walk every day. While you walk practice gratitude. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
3. Buy a TIVO, tape your late night shows and get more sleep - it's the ultimate energizer.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement: My purpose is to___________ today.
5. Live with the 3 E's: Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.
6. Read more books than you did in 2008.
7. Make time to practice meditation, prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Do the "one thing" you have always wanted to do.
9. Dream more while you are awake..
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less foods that are manufactured in plants.
11. Mentor someone and be mentored by someone.
12. Engage in daily random acts of kindness.
13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing positive energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.
18. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished____________.
19. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.
20 Tips for Making 2009 a Positive Year!
By America's Energy Coach Jon Gordon
1. Take a 10-30 minute "Thank you" walk every day. While you walk practice gratitude. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
3. Buy a TIVO, tape your late night shows and get more sleep - it's the ultimate energizer.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement: My purpose is to___________ today.
5. Live with the 3 E's: Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.
6. Read more books than you did in 2008.
7. Make time to practice meditation, prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Do the "one thing" you have always wanted to do.
9. Dream more while you are awake..
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less foods that are manufactured in plants.
11. Mentor someone and be mentored by someone.
12. Engage in daily random acts of kindness.
13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing positive energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.
18. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished____________.
19. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
My Cell Buddy (and not a jail bird)
Have you ever heard the expression if you buy a brand new car, the moment that you drive it off the car lot, the book value depreciates a few thousand? Or ponder this a moment... you buy an electronic gadget of some kind and the next month (sometimes even the next week) that model has been replaced with a newer edition and the one you JUST bought is now outdated! Why is that? Why do they manufacturers make something to sell only to replace it with a better model just a few weeks or months later? Well I updated my cell phone a little over a year ago. The phone I received was a step up from my previous model and I was excited to be current in the technology world! So why was it that less than 2 months later that model was now the "free" phone offered with a phone upgrade and I had just paid moola for it a few weeks before?!?!?! Because the very moment I bought that phone and walked out of the store with it, it became outdated. So my brand new state of the art phone was now the old piece of junk version of the newer model getting ready to hit stores!
Well after a few dings and scratches and a few times ofme dropping the phone the phone falling all by itself, it became wore out over the past year. So I've been THINKING about upgrading again the past couple months. And I have learned that if I am going to buy something of great importance (like my vehicle for an example), I do a thorough job of researching whatever the item may be. Now since my phone has become my security blanket that I can't live without my handy dandy sidekick, it required lots of extensive research.
My first step was to research phones online. Now that was great to see all the pics of the latest phone models, but there was only one HUGE HUGE problem! I couldn't actually hold the phone and play with it and ask a person questions about it. All I could do was read what brand the phone was, what features it contained, what colors were available, and all the jargon of specific details about the phone that I do not understand. Sometimes I feel like I am an outcast when it comes to the cyber technology so I wasn't even going to figure out how to translate all the confusing features about what the phone did or had that made it SO special.
Oh and a note for those who follow ~ I have officially figured out Itunes and loaded songs on to my daughter's ipod the other night. Now what I won't tell you (ok so I will tell you) is that I thought I was only going to load 24 songs and ended up loading 106 songs, but that's ok! They are on there, she was happy and I was mom of the day for finally figuring out how to use it. Not to mention I also figured out how to make a CD from songs loaded on there. I'm sure if you are an ancient Itunes user this is funny to you. But when you are a country girl like me who doesn't keep up with all this technology like bluetooth and ipods and everything else, it was exciting to finally figure out Itunes! And I even created a new CD with my favorite new tunes to jam to while cruising or cleaning my house! Ok, I will interrupt this paragraph about Iturnes that I got sidetracked on and get back to the cell phone story now...
So after looking online, I decided to pay a visit to the cell phone store a few weeks ago so I couldannoy the crap out of the lucky person who had to show me kind customer service see the phones in person. How exciting for me! Well, a nice young gentleman was kind enough to assist me and began showing me all kinds of phones from behind the glass counter. I also informed him that I was "just looking" and probably would not upgrade my phone that day (so at least he was forewarned). I asked him a list of 20 questions about what this phone did, why that phone was so special, what colors did this model come in, what his personal opinion about that phone was, blah, blah, blah! I'm sure he was about ready to strangle me when I went back and forth between the glass counters, and then back and forth again, and then back again! This was such an important decision and not to be taken lightly. So after about a few minutes of 20,000 20 questions about each phone and still not quite convinced of any phone model, I thanked the lovely young man for his time and told him I would need to think about it and might be back to visit with him in the near future. So unfortunately the young man did not receive commission from me that day!
So then it was back to the internet to do a little bit more research. Well after deciding that I still had no clue which phone I wanted and realizing that this decision was going to cause major stress in my life, I opted to wait for now and keep the lovelypiece of junk outdated model that did not hold a battery charge for very long, has the buttons wore out from my addicting texting habit, and would not show internet web pages very well because the phone was too small. Yes, I would make that phone work just fine for the time being.
So just yesterday, I was checking my daily news and saw an advertisement that caught my eye. I don't normally make a habit of clicking on advertisements but I did just this once. It was advertising some kind of phone that had a full keyboard on it and if you purchased that model online, you received a bluetooth headset and a car charger all for FREE. Wow, what a deal, something I had to think about now. So after doing a little more research online and not convinced I needed this phone since I hadn't met the model in person, I headed off to the cell phone store once again to visit this phone. A different nice young man helped me this time which was grand because he was much more knowledgeable than the previous young lad.
Now I didn't put this poor phone salesman through thepainful annoying customer process same torture I put the previous salesman through. He nicely answered my 20,000 more questions few questions that I had about the different phone models. And what I personally liked about this salesman is the fact that he wasn't pushy. It seems like all salesman (no matter what they sell) are pushy and that just irritates me! I again told him my story about how I've researched this tough decision for a couple months now, how I'd already visited the store once a few weeks back, and that I still had not made my mind up yet. Well he showed me one display model that caught my eye. Yes, a phone that finally grabbed my attention!!! I picked up the display model and really liked it. I thought to myself that wow, I have found my new companion! Then I asked the worn out salesman about the return policy "just in case I didn't like the phone." He explained that I have 30 days to exchange it or cancel my upgrade to my phone plan. But he also told me I could only exchange my phone ONCE. Just one time and then I was done! That put a damper on the thought I had about checking out 4 or 5 different phones. I think that's a woman thing! It's kind of like purse shopping ~ I almost always used to buy 2 and then return the one I didn't like after taking it home and trying it out with all the contents in it. It's not like I can "test" a new purse in the store!
So anyway my cool new gadget is none other than a slider phone with a keyboard in it! Now I guess I should give you a bit of my phone history. I have had a flip phone for at least 10+ years. So to venture away from the flip phone is tracking into territory that I have never been. I decided to brave the challenge of something new and different! There were 3 color choices - silver, blue or red. Well, since my favorite color of pink was not available *pout*, I went with the pretty blue shade. Now if I would have had my youngest daughter with me, we would have been taking the red home phone since red is her current favorite. Now the keyboard is hidden under the slider part of the phone so this is a whole different world that I have to get used to. I am SOOO used to having a number keypad to work with so it has been a learning experience but I am getting better at it.
And I have never ever had a keyboard on a cell phone before. I had never even heard of such a thing a year ago! And to think I would ever even want a keyboard is still a surprise to me, but hey I will try anything once so I thought what the heck. Well my experience with the keyboard so far has been ok. I am getting better about typing the right number or letter but it will take some time to get used to the change. The most difficult part for me with my new friend is the fact that I had to give up my T9 prediction texting. I didn't even know what T9 was until last summer and once I figured out how to use it, it was like Christmas in July LOL. I could text without even looking and got to be very fast at it for that matter. I don't think I will ever text as fast with the keyboard as I did with my hugely missed T9 prediction. Only time will tell I suppose. At this point I am just happy to have a new start of the art phone, even though this model will be outdated by spring!
Now the next best thing about the phone is the fact that it has a camera that works! The camera on my old phonewhich was a HUGE piece of crap anyway stopped working a couple months ago. And so far I absolutely love the camera on the new phone. It almost takes better pics than my digital camera. The next feature of the phone I adore is the fact it has lots of memory space! My old phone ran out of memory so I was always looking for things to delete even though I didn't want to send any files to the recycle bin. I guess the fact that I downloaded a ton of songs for different ringtones didn't help the matter!
Oh and the other grand feature about this phone is the fact it has a much bigger and wider screen. This is a huge benefit for when I log on to the net from the phone! I can actually see pages I have never seen before and checking my e-mail is such a breeze now! I'm already fascinated by that minor fact right there.
So once I got home and actually got to play with my newtoy celly phone, I transferred all my images, ringtones and videos from my old phone to the new one. I am so grateful I was able to keep all of my precious pics and favorite tunes. But I think what I like most about the phone is the fact that I can see the wallpaper picture on the outside of the phone. I no longer have to flip open the phone to see whatever pic is set for my background. That is just the neatest thing. And no, I don't get out much so I am easily entertained LOL. So my pretty new wallpaper is currently set to a pic of a very pretty John Deere tractor. It's sweet if I might add!
So the current status as of today is I think this phone is going to work out just fine in my household. Almost sounds like a new pet, doesn't it? Well, it's not a pet, but it's my new pet. Ha! And as I work towards learning to now text with a keyboard, get used to the fact it slides rather than flips, that the battery actually holds a charge, and I now have a nice working camera on my phone, and better than before internet, I think I will grow to like it more and more. I have very high expectations of my new companion and I hope my friend knows that I won't stand for it to let me down. Because if my friend lets me down, it will be replaced in no time! I still have 28 days to return my new cell buddy so as long as it keeps up the good work, I think it will have a permanent home with me. I will be very good to it, take it with me everywhere I go, sleep next to it, and make it work to earn its keep LOL.
Let's just hope this phone lasts me more than a year. I guess if I take exceptionally good care of it, maybe it will. It already had its first crash today to the floor and it withheld that very well. And of course that was an accident, I think I had a case of the dropsies today! And I just love the fact it can hold even MORE ringtones and pics. I can't get over that one ~ I'm sure the memory space will be filled up by summertime since I am the owner. Pictures are my passion and now that I have a reliable source to take pics, the clicker will be in action. And I suppose when I run out of space, I can just splurge and buy a memory card for it. Who would have ever though cell phones would have a slot for memory cards? Technology has come SO far in the recent years. I am working on catching up on all the new gadgets, one electronic item at a time. So now that I have Itunes down, a new cell buddy to play with and figure out all the features to, I have no clue what is next. Oh I know... it's the portable DVD player that Santa left at Christmas. I did charge the battery but haven't actually used it yet. Maybe we'll tackle that one next month on the way to the farm show...
Oh there is my new buddy ringing now! Later folks...
Well after a few dings and scratches and a few times of
My first step was to research phones online. Now that was great to see all the pics of the latest phone models, but there was only one HUGE HUGE problem! I couldn't actually hold the phone and play with it and ask a person questions about it. All I could do was read what brand the phone was, what features it contained, what colors were available, and all the jargon of specific details about the phone that I do not understand. Sometimes I feel like I am an outcast when it comes to the cyber technology so I wasn't even going to figure out how to translate all the confusing features about what the phone did or had that made it SO special.
Oh and a note for those who follow ~ I have officially figured out Itunes and loaded songs on to my daughter's ipod the other night. Now what I won't tell you (ok so I will tell you) is that I thought I was only going to load 24 songs and ended up loading 106 songs, but that's ok! They are on there, she was happy and I was mom of the day for finally figuring out how to use it. Not to mention I also figured out how to make a CD from songs loaded on there. I'm sure if you are an ancient Itunes user this is funny to you. But when you are a country girl like me who doesn't keep up with all this technology like bluetooth and ipods and everything else, it was exciting to finally figure out Itunes! And I even created a new CD with my favorite new tunes to jam to while cruising or cleaning my house! Ok, I will interrupt this paragraph about Iturnes that I got sidetracked on and get back to the cell phone story now...
So after looking online, I decided to pay a visit to the cell phone store a few weeks ago so I could
So then it was back to the internet to do a little bit more research. Well after deciding that I still had no clue which phone I wanted and realizing that this decision was going to cause major stress in my life, I opted to wait for now and keep the lovely
So just yesterday, I was checking my daily news and saw an advertisement that caught my eye. I don't normally make a habit of clicking on advertisements but I did just this once. It was advertising some kind of phone that had a full keyboard on it and if you purchased that model online, you received a bluetooth headset and a car charger all for FREE. Wow, what a deal, something I had to think about now. So after doing a little more research online and not convinced I needed this phone since I hadn't met the model in person, I headed off to the cell phone store once again to visit this phone. A different nice young man helped me this time which was grand because he was much more knowledgeable than the previous young lad.
Now I didn't put this poor phone salesman through the
So anyway my cool new gadget is none other than a slider phone with a keyboard in it! Now I guess I should give you a bit of my phone history. I have had a flip phone for at least 10+ years. So to venture away from the flip phone is tracking into territory that I have never been. I decided to brave the challenge of something new and different! There were 3 color choices - silver, blue or red. Well, since my favorite color of pink was not available *pout*, I went with the pretty blue shade. Now if I would have had my youngest daughter with me, we would have been taking the red home phone since red is her current favorite. Now the keyboard is hidden under the slider part of the phone so this is a whole different world that I have to get used to. I am SOOO used to having a number keypad to work with so it has been a learning experience but I am getting better at it.
And I have never ever had a keyboard on a cell phone before. I had never even heard of such a thing a year ago! And to think I would ever even want a keyboard is still a surprise to me, but hey I will try anything once so I thought what the heck. Well my experience with the keyboard so far has been ok. I am getting better about typing the right number or letter but it will take some time to get used to the change. The most difficult part for me with my new friend is the fact that I had to give up my T9 prediction texting. I didn't even know what T9 was until last summer and once I figured out how to use it, it was like Christmas in July LOL. I could text without even looking and got to be very fast at it for that matter. I don't think I will ever text as fast with the keyboard as I did with my hugely missed T9 prediction. Only time will tell I suppose. At this point I am just happy to have a new start of the art phone, even though this model will be outdated by spring!
Now the next best thing about the phone is the fact that it has a camera that works! The camera on my old phone
Oh and the other grand feature about this phone is the fact it has a much bigger and wider screen. This is a huge benefit for when I log on to the net from the phone! I can actually see pages I have never seen before and checking my e-mail is such a breeze now! I'm already fascinated by that minor fact right there.
So once I got home and actually got to play with my new
So the current status as of today is I think this phone is going to work out just fine in my household. Almost sounds like a new pet, doesn't it? Well, it's not a pet, but it's my new pet. Ha! And as I work towards learning to now text with a keyboard, get used to the fact it slides rather than flips, that the battery actually holds a charge, and I now have a nice working camera on my phone, and better than before internet, I think I will grow to like it more and more. I have very high expectations of my new companion and I hope my friend knows that I won't stand for it to let me down. Because if my friend lets me down, it will be replaced in no time! I still have 28 days to return my new cell buddy so as long as it keeps up the good work, I think it will have a permanent home with me. I will be very good to it, take it with me everywhere I go, sleep next to it, and make it work to earn its keep LOL.
Let's just hope this phone lasts me more than a year. I guess if I take exceptionally good care of it, maybe it will. It already had its first crash today to the floor and it withheld that very well. And of course that was an accident, I think I had a case of the dropsies today! And I just love the fact it can hold even MORE ringtones and pics. I can't get over that one ~ I'm sure the memory space will be filled up by summertime since I am the owner. Pictures are my passion and now that I have a reliable source to take pics, the clicker will be in action. And I suppose when I run out of space, I can just splurge and buy a memory card for it. Who would have ever though cell phones would have a slot for memory cards? Technology has come SO far in the recent years. I am working on catching up on all the new gadgets, one electronic item at a time. So now that I have Itunes down, a new cell buddy to play with and figure out all the features to, I have no clue what is next. Oh I know... it's the portable DVD player that Santa left at Christmas. I did charge the battery but haven't actually used it yet. Maybe we'll tackle that one next month on the way to the farm show...
Oh there is my new buddy ringing now! Later folks...
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Winter Blonde
A cute bit of blonde humor in the winter blah weather:
As a trucker stops for a red light, a blonde catches up. She jumps out of her car, runs up to his truck, and knocks on the door. The trucker lowers the window, and she says "Hi, my name is Molly and you are losing some of your load."
The trucker ignores her and proceeds down the street. When the truck stops for another red light, the girl catches up again. She jumps out of her car, runs up and knocks on the door. Again, the trucker lowers the window. As if they've never spoken, the blonde says brightly, "Hi my name is Molly, and you are losing some of your load!"
Shaking his head, the trucker ignores her again and continues down the street. At the third red light, the same thing happens again. All out of breath, the blonde gets out of her car, runs up, knocks on the truck door. The trucker rolls down the window. Again she says "Hi, my name is Molly, and you are losing some of your load!"
When the light turns green the trucker revs up and races to the next light. When he stops this time, he hurriedly gets out of the truck, and runs back to the blonde.
He knocks on her window, and after she lowers it, he says... "Hi, my name is Ken. It's winter in Indiana and I'm driving the SALT TRUCK!"
As a trucker stops for a red light, a blonde catches up. She jumps out of her car, runs up to his truck, and knocks on the door. The trucker lowers the window, and she says "Hi, my name is Molly and you are losing some of your load."
The trucker ignores her and proceeds down the street. When the truck stops for another red light, the girl catches up again. She jumps out of her car, runs up and knocks on the door. Again, the trucker lowers the window. As if they've never spoken, the blonde says brightly, "Hi my name is Molly, and you are losing some of your load!"
Shaking his head, the trucker ignores her again and continues down the street. At the third red light, the same thing happens again. All out of breath, the blonde gets out of her car, runs up, knocks on the truck door. The trucker rolls down the window. Again she says "Hi, my name is Molly, and you are losing some of your load!"
When the light turns green the trucker revs up and races to the next light. When he stops this time, he hurriedly gets out of the truck, and runs back to the blonde.
He knocks on her window, and after she lowers it, he says... "Hi, my name is Ken. It's winter in Indiana and I'm driving the SALT TRUCK!"
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Winter Blah!
I have to admit I really do not like winter. I am not a fan of cold weather, cold winds, or snow and ice! Fall is always my favorite season. I just do not like what follows fall. And why does it seem like winter gets longer every year? I'm ok with a little bit of snow around Christmas time and maybe a little after the first of the year. But there is something about January that seems to drag on and on. Maybe it's because it is still 3 months until spring but for some reason that 3 months seems to take years to arrive! Plus winter also seems to bring colds and sickness. Our house has definitely not been immune to sickness this year. My poor little one has had a cold on and off for the past two months. I guess this past week was my turn. I have been dealing with this sinus head cold crap for over a week now and I'm so over it. I finally broke down and went to the doctor 5 days into the cold. Not only did I get an antibiotic but I also got some kick butt cough medicine as well. Now this is no ordinary cough medicine. The doctor told me this was some "good stuff" but did not tell how GOOD it worked. I took it for 3 nights in a row and it knocked me out so well that I could barely get up each morning. So a couple nights ago I decided I wasn't going to take the medicine because I didn't want to feel groggy the next day. Well, that idea lasted until 11 p.m. and then I couldn't stand it anymore. The cough was getting the best of me and I took a swig of the medicine. Wow! Considering I could only stay up 6 hours the next day, I decided no more of the kick butt medicine would be going down my throat!
But really, why is it that January seems to drag, February seems to pass a little quicker (but it should since it's the shortest month of the year), and March takes it time to pass so that we can get to April and springtime?!?! It's like the first snowfall of the year ~ it's exciting and everyone wants to play in it and enjoy it while it lasts. The second snowfall is ok, but not as exciting as the first. The third snowfall is still ok, but starts to get annoying. Then any snowfall after the third is just plain irritating and could stay in the sky as far as I'm concerned!
Maybe I am just going through the "winter blahs" at the moment but I am ready for spring! I start chomping at the bit sometime in January and that time for the year has hit. Plus I guess being sick and down for over a week doesn't help matters. But hopefully I'm on the upper end of it and will be completely over it by next weekend!
So if you are ready for spring (like me), pray that the rest of this winter flies by and that the warm spring weather comes early. Since I'm not a bird and can fly south for the winter, I guess I will deal with the cold temperatures, the snow, the ice and all the "blah" stuff that goes along with it. I will try to enjoy the rest of winter while it lasts and may enjoy playing in the snow if we happen to get more this year. So here is to spring, and maybe by the grace of God, it will come early!
But really, why is it that January seems to drag, February seems to pass a little quicker (but it should since it's the shortest month of the year), and March takes it time to pass so that we can get to April and springtime?!?! It's like the first snowfall of the year ~ it's exciting and everyone wants to play in it and enjoy it while it lasts. The second snowfall is ok, but not as exciting as the first. The third snowfall is still ok, but starts to get annoying. Then any snowfall after the third is just plain irritating and could stay in the sky as far as I'm concerned!
Maybe I am just going through the "winter blahs" at the moment but I am ready for spring! I start chomping at the bit sometime in January and that time for the year has hit. Plus I guess being sick and down for over a week doesn't help matters. But hopefully I'm on the upper end of it and will be completely over it by next weekend!
So if you are ready for spring (like me), pray that the rest of this winter flies by and that the warm spring weather comes early. Since I'm not a bird and can fly south for the winter, I guess I will deal with the cold temperatures, the snow, the ice and all the "blah" stuff that goes along with it. I will try to enjoy the rest of winter while it lasts and may enjoy playing in the snow if we happen to get more this year. So here is to spring, and maybe by the grace of God, it will come early!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Are You a Reason, Season or a Lifetime Friend?
People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a Godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die.
Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Thank you for being a part of my life. . . . . . .
Whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.
I am sure you have seen this piece of writing come across your e-mail or posted somewhere. I love the way this is written and agree completely. We have all had friends that have come into our life for a short time and then they're gone. We've all had friends that come into our life to stay forever. I strongly believe that each and every person that enters our life has come into our life for a reason. We may not always know the reason they are there, but there is a reason. I know there have been times someone has come into my life and they were a Godsend at the time. They gave me the strength or wisdom I needed at that moment in time. And often times we learn something from people who have come in to our life for a season and apply the lessons learned to the future to make our life better.
I have been tremendously blessed and have many lifetime friends. They have gotten me through some of the roughest times in my life and have continued to be there for me in the best of times as well. We all need a friend or a group of friends we can lean on. And we also need to be a friend when our friends need us the most. Sometimes just listening to a friend vent about something can be enough. Sometimes our friends need us to be there for them physically, mentally or emotionally.
We all have different types of friends as well. We have friends that are married, single, have kids, younger than us, older than us, family that we consider friends, and the list goes on and on. But each individual person in our life has a special place in our heart that no other can touch. There are those friends you can confide your deepest darkest secrets to and know they won't breath a word to a soul. And there are friends that you tell just enough information to keep them content. There are friends who are a mentor in times when we need them, and there are friends we need to mentor because we have been in there situation and know their scenario is like. Been there, done that ~ we've all used that line at some point in time. And my philosophy is if I can help one person from using the experiences in life I have been through, then it was worth it. It was worth whatever I had to overcome to give advice to another, or to save another from going through trials in life.
There have been a few situations in my life where I have been able to help another person. Whether it be that other person lost a child, went through a divorce, had trouble with friends or family, or just needed advice about a certain situation, I was able to mentor that person and help them in some way. And we all like to be needed and help others along the way. That is something in life that God wants us to realize. He wants us to be able to use the knowledge from our past experiences to help mentor others in the future.
Remember to take a moment to thank God for your loved ones and friends in your life. Ask him to bless them as they carry on in their everyday lives. Take an extra moment in the day and send an e-mail or call or send a text message just to say "hi" and you hope your friends are having a good day. Believe it or not, it can make a difference in someone's world if they are having a bad day. When I get a text that says "have a good day" it brings a smile to my face to know that someone is thinking about me. And if you have had a disagreement with a loved one or friend lately, try to make amends with that person. Family is family forever and good friendships are hard to find so do whatever it takes to save that friendship. Laugh, love and live happy. Forgive and forget. Let go fo the past. Then your future can be filled with family, friends, laughter, love and happiness!
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a Godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die.
Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Thank you for being a part of my life. . . . . . .
Whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.
I am sure you have seen this piece of writing come across your e-mail or posted somewhere. I love the way this is written and agree completely. We have all had friends that have come into our life for a short time and then they're gone. We've all had friends that come into our life to stay forever. I strongly believe that each and every person that enters our life has come into our life for a reason. We may not always know the reason they are there, but there is a reason. I know there have been times someone has come into my life and they were a Godsend at the time. They gave me the strength or wisdom I needed at that moment in time. And often times we learn something from people who have come in to our life for a season and apply the lessons learned to the future to make our life better.
I have been tremendously blessed and have many lifetime friends. They have gotten me through some of the roughest times in my life and have continued to be there for me in the best of times as well. We all need a friend or a group of friends we can lean on. And we also need to be a friend when our friends need us the most. Sometimes just listening to a friend vent about something can be enough. Sometimes our friends need us to be there for them physically, mentally or emotionally.
We all have different types of friends as well. We have friends that are married, single, have kids, younger than us, older than us, family that we consider friends, and the list goes on and on. But each individual person in our life has a special place in our heart that no other can touch. There are those friends you can confide your deepest darkest secrets to and know they won't breath a word to a soul. And there are friends that you tell just enough information to keep them content. There are friends who are a mentor in times when we need them, and there are friends we need to mentor because we have been in there situation and know their scenario is like. Been there, done that ~ we've all used that line at some point in time. And my philosophy is if I can help one person from using the experiences in life I have been through, then it was worth it. It was worth whatever I had to overcome to give advice to another, or to save another from going through trials in life.
There have been a few situations in my life where I have been able to help another person. Whether it be that other person lost a child, went through a divorce, had trouble with friends or family, or just needed advice about a certain situation, I was able to mentor that person and help them in some way. And we all like to be needed and help others along the way. That is something in life that God wants us to realize. He wants us to be able to use the knowledge from our past experiences to help mentor others in the future.
Remember to take a moment to thank God for your loved ones and friends in your life. Ask him to bless them as they carry on in their everyday lives. Take an extra moment in the day and send an e-mail or call or send a text message just to say "hi" and you hope your friends are having a good day. Believe it or not, it can make a difference in someone's world if they are having a bad day. When I get a text that says "have a good day" it brings a smile to my face to know that someone is thinking about me. And if you have had a disagreement with a loved one or friend lately, try to make amends with that person. Family is family forever and good friendships are hard to find so do whatever it takes to save that friendship. Laugh, love and live happy. Forgive and forget. Let go fo the past. Then your future can be filled with family, friends, laughter, love and happiness!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He maketh me lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters,
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
I received a very inspiring interpretation of this passage broken down into individual bits. I remember when I had to learn Psalm 23 as a child. We had to memorize it for a weekly Bible class through my school. Just recently my oldest daughter had to memorize the same Bible verse and my little genius had it down in no time. Here is the inspiring e-mail with the passages broken down so we can interpret them a little better:
The LORD is my Shepherd = That is Relationship!
I shall not be in want = That is Supply!
He maketh me lie down in green pastures = That's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters = That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul = That's Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = That's Guidance!
For his name's sake = That's Purpose!
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death = That's Testing!
I will fear no evil = That's Protection!
For you are with me = That's Faithfulness!
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me = That's Discipline!
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies = That's Hope!
You anoint my head with oil = That's Consecration!
My cup overflows = That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life = That's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD = That's Security!
FOREVER = That's Eternity!
WOW! I was pretty amazed when I read saw Psalm 23 broken down into interpretations line by line. The lines are very true. God gives us all these things, we just have to reach out and grab on to them and use them wisely!
Relationship, Supply, Rest, Refreshment, Healing, Guidance, Purpose, Testing, Protection, Faithfulness, Discipline, Hope, Consecration, Abundance, Blessing, Security & Eternity ~ the good Lord will give us all of these things if we just ask. Pray and ask for each thing in your life and you will be granted the serenity of all the above.
He maketh me lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters,
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
I received a very inspiring interpretation of this passage broken down into individual bits. I remember when I had to learn Psalm 23 as a child. We had to memorize it for a weekly Bible class through my school. Just recently my oldest daughter had to memorize the same Bible verse and my little genius had it down in no time. Here is the inspiring e-mail with the passages broken down so we can interpret them a little better:
The LORD is my Shepherd = That is Relationship!
I shall not be in want = That is Supply!
He maketh me lie down in green pastures = That's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters = That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul = That's Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = That's Guidance!
For his name's sake = That's Purpose!
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death = That's Testing!
I will fear no evil = That's Protection!
For you are with me = That's Faithfulness!
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me = That's Discipline!
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies = That's Hope!
You anoint my head with oil = That's Consecration!
My cup overflows = That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life = That's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD = That's Security!
FOREVER = That's Eternity!
WOW! I was pretty amazed when I read saw Psalm 23 broken down into interpretations line by line. The lines are very true. God gives us all these things, we just have to reach out and grab on to them and use them wisely!
Relationship, Supply, Rest, Refreshment, Healing, Guidance, Purpose, Testing, Protection, Faithfulness, Discipline, Hope, Consecration, Abundance, Blessing, Security & Eternity ~ the good Lord will give us all of these things if we just ask. Pray and ask for each thing in your life and you will be granted the serenity of all the above.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
It's All in the Timing...
Have you ever heard the phrase that good things come when we least expect it? I am a firm believer of that statement. So if it seems things aren't going your way or your world seems to be scooting along at a slow pace, you must realize that your situation is only temporary and there are many more blessings to come in the future. God has a timing on when things are supposed to happen in our lives and how they should happen. I have always believed that and try to remember that God has a timing on when things should fall in to place.
Many of the people in today's society (including myself) try to make things happen on their own without guidance from above. We get an idea in our heads and think we need to make our future happen rather than waiting from a sign from the Lord that the time is right. Often times we might ask for something or a blessing from above, and we do not receive what we ask for. It is frustrating when we want something so badly at that very moment and it doesn't happen. Or if things do not go the way we had planned, we become angry or wonder WHY things are not happening when we want them to. One must develop patience in life and try to remember that even in the darkest times, patience is virtue and the bright light will eventually show when the timing is right.
So how do we know when the timing is right? That is a question I don't have an answer to, and I'm not sure that anyone can answer that question clearly. We have to have faith that the Lord will show us a sign when the timing is right. Whether that is a sign that you have been praying you would receive, or a sign given to you unexpectedly, take any sign from God that gives you direction and take action! If you are blessed enough to receive a sign about something in your life you need to do, someone in your life you can assist, or something in your life you need to change, then do it! Simple. Just do it. If we follow through with something God asks us to do, abundant blessings will fill our lives beyond imagination.
The timing of things that happen in our lives can be amazing. Sometimes our lives are in perfect harmony or often times things are going well so we don't complain too much. I fit in the category that I feel very blessed to have my daughters, family and friends that have filled my life with love and happiness. I live with things as they are and find the good aspects in everything. But sometimes our eyes are opened to a world we didn't know, or someone comes into our lives and changes the way we think or see things. Again, good things happen to us when we least expect it. Whether we are content with life or ready for a change, I believe that God has a plan and timing for everything that happens in our lives.
So if you have been praying for something specific lately and you have received no answer, then keep praying. But try this ~ instead of praying for the specific thing, pray for guidance from above as to what you should do in your life or your situation. I never ask for something specific, I just ask God to please bless my path and the direction of my life. I pray if I am off the path of His plan for my life, that He direct me back on the path so I can discover His plan for my life. And it's not just one obstacle in our life that is in His plan ~ it is full of discoveries and surprises along the way. It's called the road of life and if we follow true to His word, he will show us where we need to be. Often times it's not what we had thought or planned ourselves, but if we are quiet and LISTEN to what He has in store for us, we will have more blessings then if we choose our own path. When we choose our own path and do not listen to God's word, we are missing the opportunities we could discover along the way.
Sometimes this concept of life is easier said than done. I know first hand experience it's hard to be patient and wait for something when we don't understand why it isn't happening now. That is when we need to lean on the Lord the most and trust in Him. For He will not mislead us, He will only guide us to our destination in life. We must be willing to accept the challenges we face in this world, and know that those trials and tribulations will bring great triumph once we overcome them.
I received the following e-mail and think it really sums up God's timing on things that happen in life:
"When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go. Only 1 of 2 things will happen. Either He will catch you when you fall, or He will teach you how to fly! The power of one sentence! God is going to shift things around for you today and let things work in your favor. If you believe, send it. If you don't believe, delete it. God closes doors no man can open & God opens doors no man can close. If you need God to open, some doors for you...send this on. Have a blessed day and remember to be a blessing..."
So remember that it is all in God's timing when things will happen. We can make things happen in our life but if it is not in God's plan for us, it will backfire in the long run. And then we will once again be left standing alone searching for our direction in life. But if you just take a moment to listen to what God wants us to do, then your life will be filled with blessings from the Lord and ONLY HIM. If we hear nothing from the Lord, then it is time to sit back, be patient and wait. Wait for a sign of what He wants you do to next, or where He wants you to be next. Starting today, try it. Pray for guidance and ask what God wants you to do differently or where He wants you to be, or if you are on the path He intended for you. But be prepared because you might be surprised at the answer you find! It could be totally different from the plan you had laid out for your life. I am learning day to day how to follow God's word and try to apply what I think He wants me to do to my life. Try it ~ it could make a big difference in your heart, your soul, your world and your life.
Many of the people in today's society (including myself) try to make things happen on their own without guidance from above. We get an idea in our heads and think we need to make our future happen rather than waiting from a sign from the Lord that the time is right. Often times we might ask for something or a blessing from above, and we do not receive what we ask for. It is frustrating when we want something so badly at that very moment and it doesn't happen. Or if things do not go the way we had planned, we become angry or wonder WHY things are not happening when we want them to. One must develop patience in life and try to remember that even in the darkest times, patience is virtue and the bright light will eventually show when the timing is right.
So how do we know when the timing is right? That is a question I don't have an answer to, and I'm not sure that anyone can answer that question clearly. We have to have faith that the Lord will show us a sign when the timing is right. Whether that is a sign that you have been praying you would receive, or a sign given to you unexpectedly, take any sign from God that gives you direction and take action! If you are blessed enough to receive a sign about something in your life you need to do, someone in your life you can assist, or something in your life you need to change, then do it! Simple. Just do it. If we follow through with something God asks us to do, abundant blessings will fill our lives beyond imagination.
The timing of things that happen in our lives can be amazing. Sometimes our lives are in perfect harmony or often times things are going well so we don't complain too much. I fit in the category that I feel very blessed to have my daughters, family and friends that have filled my life with love and happiness. I live with things as they are and find the good aspects in everything. But sometimes our eyes are opened to a world we didn't know, or someone comes into our lives and changes the way we think or see things. Again, good things happen to us when we least expect it. Whether we are content with life or ready for a change, I believe that God has a plan and timing for everything that happens in our lives.
So if you have been praying for something specific lately and you have received no answer, then keep praying. But try this ~ instead of praying for the specific thing, pray for guidance from above as to what you should do in your life or your situation. I never ask for something specific, I just ask God to please bless my path and the direction of my life. I pray if I am off the path of His plan for my life, that He direct me back on the path so I can discover His plan for my life. And it's not just one obstacle in our life that is in His plan ~ it is full of discoveries and surprises along the way. It's called the road of life and if we follow true to His word, he will show us where we need to be. Often times it's not what we had thought or planned ourselves, but if we are quiet and LISTEN to what He has in store for us, we will have more blessings then if we choose our own path. When we choose our own path and do not listen to God's word, we are missing the opportunities we could discover along the way.
Sometimes this concept of life is easier said than done. I know first hand experience it's hard to be patient and wait for something when we don't understand why it isn't happening now. That is when we need to lean on the Lord the most and trust in Him. For He will not mislead us, He will only guide us to our destination in life. We must be willing to accept the challenges we face in this world, and know that those trials and tribulations will bring great triumph once we overcome them.
I received the following e-mail and think it really sums up God's timing on things that happen in life:
"When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go. Only 1 of 2 things will happen. Either He will catch you when you fall, or He will teach you how to fly! The power of one sentence! God is going to shift things around for you today and let things work in your favor. If you believe, send it. If you don't believe, delete it. God closes doors no man can open & God opens doors no man can close. If you need God to open, some doors for you...send this on. Have a blessed day and remember to be a blessing..."
So remember that it is all in God's timing when things will happen. We can make things happen in our life but if it is not in God's plan for us, it will backfire in the long run. And then we will once again be left standing alone searching for our direction in life. But if you just take a moment to listen to what God wants us to do, then your life will be filled with blessings from the Lord and ONLY HIM. If we hear nothing from the Lord, then it is time to sit back, be patient and wait. Wait for a sign of what He wants you do to next, or where He wants you to be next. Starting today, try it. Pray for guidance and ask what God wants you to do differently or where He wants you to be, or if you are on the path He intended for you. But be prepared because you might be surprised at the answer you find! It could be totally different from the plan you had laid out for your life. I am learning day to day how to follow God's word and try to apply what I think He wants me to do to my life. Try it ~ it could make a big difference in your heart, your soul, your world and your life.
Friday, January 2, 2009
A Runny Funny Day
Today was an interesting day to say the least. My poor little daughter woke up 2 mornings ago and waltzed into my room to wake me up. Her exact eyes were "Mommy, I can't see. My eyes, my eyes!" So to my shock I wake up to see her - she wasn't lying! Her eyes were sealed shut from crusty mucus. So once I got her eyes that she couldn't see out of cleaned up, she thanked me! The poor little girl was pitiful and I melted when she thanked me for cleaning her eyes off so she could see. Even though she is a comedian, she also has a heart of gold and is my big little sweetheart!
I kept hoping the whole eye mucus thing would go away with over the counter medicine. No luck and obviously the doctor's office is closed on New Year's Day so today was the grand ole day to visit the pediatrician. So off to the doctor we went, the wonderful doctor of kids. (Sorry got the Wizard of Oz theme song in my head for a second there!)
Well Little Miss Personality was ready to see the doc. He walked in the room and she ran over and jumped on his lap. Then she grabbed his stethoscope and wanted to hear her heart. Then the doc was taking the light and looking at her eyes and nose. Then she piped up "AWW" really loud and already had her mouth wide open. Yep, she had the routine of the doctor visit down! Then she took his stethoscope from him and wanted to hear my heart. Then came the next popular question she asks everyone lately (even those who she sees everyday and knows exactly who they are), "What is your name?" So after the doctor told her his name, she introduced herself to him as well. How polite of her! So once the doc was done and ready to move on to the next patient, she kept chit chatting with him and wanted to play with the stethoscope. Her doctor also has a special talent. He can make a noise with his nose that sounds like a clown nose is squeaking. Well once she figured that out she kept touching his nose and refused to stop! I told the doc he had gotten something started but she was loving every minute of it and giggling like crazy when the squeaky nose would honk.
Well the final verdict was that she had an ear infection. I never knew an ear infection could produce snot flowing like a river out of eyes, but then again, neither of my kids have ever had an ear infection before. So after our long 20 minute visit (record time there) at the pediatrician's office, it was off to fill the prescription and grab some lunch.
Since the prescription wait was triple the time we were at the doctor's office, we decided on Pizza King for lunch. Now this wasn't just any Pizza King, this was the Pizza King Train Station. And that is way cool when you are a child! The choo choo train brings your drinks on a little train on a track. So after we got our drinks off the coolest choo choo train ever, my little one kept asking when the train was coming. It's kind of like the famous "where is Santa Claus" question last month. I bet I heard the "when is the train coming" question 50 times! And what is even cooler about the train station is the fact that there is a TV with a video game built in at the table. Now where can you go at a restaurant and have pizza and TV at the same time? So the kids were all geared up to watch TVsince they NEVER get to watch TV at our house and they are so deprived and play the video game. Well we put a quarter in for 15 minutes worth of tube enjoyment only to have the quarter fall into the return quarter slot. So after trying it 20,000 times because I couldn't convince my intelligent daughter that it was broke a couple more times, I had to break the bad news to the TV deprived children. We had to sit in silence of the TV built into our table and listen to our neighbor booths enjoy their working televisions. So we had some nice conversation about when the choo choo train was coming and how we shouldn't push the button to order food after the order has been placed. Not that my daughter did that or anything, but just in case that was to happen you know!
So next came the interesting question of the afternoon ~ "Where is the king?" WHAT?!?! Where is the king? What king? This is the United States of America and there is no king. So after the third time I heard the question from my little one I realized what she was asking. We were at PIZZA KING so where was the king? OH ok now I finally understood. Where was the king at Pizza King? So after a moment of chuckle and asking big sis where the king was, I told her the king wasn't there. I tried to explain how Pizza King was a restaurant and that the "king" was in the name. But little one still wanted to know where "the king" was. So we decided that the king was taking a nap and wasn't available to see at the moment. That settled the location of where the "king" was.
Now a trip to Pizza King wouldn't be fun without a ride on the choo choo train upon departure. Since the broken TV would not accept the quarters, we had some left over. So the girls took a ride on the train and enjoyed their minute or so on the jerky little train that goes choo choo!
So what started out as a day with runny snotty eyes turned out to be a fun funny day with the girls. It was nice to take a chill from the everyday routine of things and be able to enjoy time with them. So hopefully with any luck this whole eye/ear infection or whatever in the heck it may be clears up soon. And with more luck big sis and mommy will avoid it too...
I kept hoping the whole eye mucus thing would go away with over the counter medicine. No luck and obviously the doctor's office is closed on New Year's Day so today was the grand ole day to visit the pediatrician. So off to the doctor we went, the wonderful doctor of kids. (Sorry got the Wizard of Oz theme song in my head for a second there!)
Well Little Miss Personality was ready to see the doc. He walked in the room and she ran over and jumped on his lap. Then she grabbed his stethoscope and wanted to hear her heart. Then the doc was taking the light and looking at her eyes and nose. Then she piped up "AWW" really loud and already had her mouth wide open. Yep, she had the routine of the doctor visit down! Then she took his stethoscope from him and wanted to hear my heart. Then came the next popular question she asks everyone lately (even those who she sees everyday and knows exactly who they are), "What is your name?" So after the doctor told her his name, she introduced herself to him as well. How polite of her! So once the doc was done and ready to move on to the next patient, she kept chit chatting with him and wanted to play with the stethoscope. Her doctor also has a special talent. He can make a noise with his nose that sounds like a clown nose is squeaking. Well once she figured that out she kept touching his nose and refused to stop! I told the doc he had gotten something started but she was loving every minute of it and giggling like crazy when the squeaky nose would honk.
Well the final verdict was that she had an ear infection. I never knew an ear infection could produce snot flowing like a river out of eyes, but then again, neither of my kids have ever had an ear infection before. So after our long 20 minute visit (record time there) at the pediatrician's office, it was off to fill the prescription and grab some lunch.
Since the prescription wait was triple the time we were at the doctor's office, we decided on Pizza King for lunch. Now this wasn't just any Pizza King, this was the Pizza King Train Station. And that is way cool when you are a child! The choo choo train brings your drinks on a little train on a track. So after we got our drinks off the coolest choo choo train ever, my little one kept asking when the train was coming. It's kind of like the famous "where is Santa Claus" question last month. I bet I heard the "when is the train coming" question 50 times! And what is even cooler about the train station is the fact that there is a TV with a video game built in at the table. Now where can you go at a restaurant and have pizza and TV at the same time? So the kids were all geared up to watch TV
So next came the interesting question of the afternoon ~ "Where is the king?" WHAT?!?! Where is the king? What king? This is the United States of America and there is no king. So after the third time I heard the question from my little one I realized what she was asking. We were at PIZZA KING so where was the king? OH ok now I finally understood. Where was the king at Pizza King? So after a moment of chuckle and asking big sis where the king was, I told her the king wasn't there. I tried to explain how Pizza King was a restaurant and that the "king" was in the name. But little one still wanted to know where "the king" was. So we decided that the king was taking a nap and wasn't available to see at the moment. That settled the location of where the "king" was.
Now a trip to Pizza King wouldn't be fun without a ride on the choo choo train upon departure. Since the broken TV would not accept the quarters, we had some left over. So the girls took a ride on the train and enjoyed their minute or so on the jerky little train that goes choo choo!
So what started out as a day with runny snotty eyes turned out to be a fun funny day with the girls. It was nice to take a chill from the everyday routine of things and be able to enjoy time with them. So hopefully with any luck this whole eye/ear infection or whatever in the heck it may be clears up soon. And with more luck big sis and mommy will avoid it too...
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