Owner's Manual for Your Daughter

Do you have a daughter? Or better yet, do you have a teenage daughter or a daughter who will be a teen in a few years? Well, if that is the case, then you need to read the following owner's manual for teenage daughters. I received this and loved it so much I had to post it. 95% of these are SO true and I find I can relate to many of these with my pre-teen daughter. And even though this post refers to "daughters" many of these ideas can apply to boys too. So sit back, read and enjoy!


Teenager Owner's Manual
Congratulations! You are now the proud new owner of a teenage daughter.

Please read this manual carefully, as it describes the maintenance of your new daughter, and answers important questions about your warranty (which does NOT include the right to return the product to the factory for a full refund.)

IF YOU FEEL YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR TEENAGER IN ERROR:

To determine whether you were supposed to receive a teenage girl, please examine your new daughter carefully.

Does she:
(a) look very similar to your original daughter, only with more makeup and less clothing?
(b) refuse to acknowledge your existence on the planet Earth (except when requesting money)?
(c) Sleep in a burrow of dirty laundry?

If any of these are true, you have received the correct item. Nice try, though.

BREAK-IN PERIOD:

When you first receive your teenage daughter, you will initially experience a high level of discomfort. Gradually, this discomfort will subside, and you will merely feel traumatized.

This is the "Break-In Period," during which you are becoming accustomed to certain behaviors that will cause you concern, anxiety, and stress.

Once you have adapted to these behaviors your teenager will start acting even worse.

ACTIVATION:

To activate your teenage daughter, simply place her in the vicinity of a telephone or Instant Messenger.

No further programming is required.

SHUTDOWN:

Several hours after activation, you may desire to shut down your teenage daughter.

There is no way to do this.

CLEANING YOUR TEENAGE DAUGHTER:

Having a teenage daughter means learning the difference between the words "clean" and "neat." Teenage daughters are very clean, because they take frequent showers that last more than an hour. They will scrub themselves with expensive, fragrant soaps which you must purchase for them because there is no way they are going to use the same kind of soap mom and dad use. When they have completely drained the hot water tank, they will step out and wrap themselves in every towel in the bathroom, which they will subsequently strew throughout the house.

If you ask them to pick up the towels, you are confusing "clean" with "neat." Teenagers are very busy and do not have time to be neat. They expect others to pick up after them. These others are called "parents."

FEEDING YOUR TEENAGE DAUGHTER:

Your teenage daughter requires regular meals, which must be purchased for her at restaurants because she detests everything you eat because it is like so disgusting.

She does not want you to accompany her to these restaurants, because some people might see you and like I'm sure I want my friends to see me eating dinner with my parents. Either order take-out food or just give her the money, preferably both.

If you order pizza, never answer the doorbell because the delivery boy might see you and oh my gosh he is so hot.

Yes, your daughter's idea of an attractive man is the pizza boy.

CLOTHING YOUR TEENAGE DAUGHTER:

Retailers make millions of dollars a year selling stylish and frankly sensible clothing which will look adorable on your daughter.

If you enjoy shopping, you will love the vast selections which are available to you. Unfortunately, your teenage daughter wants to dress like a lap dancer.

You may be able to coerce her into putting on a cute outfit before leaving the house, but by the time she walks in the schoolhouse door, she will be wearing something entirely different.

OTHER MAINTENANCE:

Teenage daughters require one of two levels of maintenance: "High," and "Ultra High."

Your daughter is "Ultra High." This means that whatever you do won't be enough and whatever you try won't work.

WARRANTY:
This product is not without defect because she has your genes, for heaven's sake. If you think this is not fair, talk to your parents, who think it is hilarious.

Your teenage daughter will remain a teenager for as long as it takes for her to become a woman, which in her opinion has already happened and as far as you are concerned never really will.

If you are dissatisfied with your teenage daughter, well, what did you expect?

In any event, your warranty does not give you your little girl back under any circumstances, except that deep down she's actually still there - you just have to look for her.

Dancing with God

Just thought I would share an e-mail I received today:

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word "Guidance."
When I saw "G", I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God, "u" and "i" dance."
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.

This prayer is powerful, and there is nothing attached.
If God has done anything for you in your life,
please share this message with someone else.
Interceding in prayer is one of the best gifts we can receive.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards,
so let's continue to pray for one another.
And I Hope You Dance!

No More Monkeys Hanging on the Bars

Let's just start by saying I have had my share of medical encounters for the year! I'm done. Over dealing with sickness, coughs, runny noses, kids bumping heads, toothache pain, scabs, bug bites, bumps and bruises! And considering the year isn't only half over, I know I am not done with all the boo-boos we all have to deal with on an annual basis. But for my sanity's sake, I can pretend I won't have to put up with any more medical issues!




Let's back up to a few weeks ago. We were out at a fun event with the girl scout troop. All the girls were excited and geared up for a blast of go karting and arcade games that evening. Well we were there maybe 10 minutes and then BAM, someone decided to get hurt. Not just someone, my very own daughter! Now I thought I would have trouble with my young busy body child, but oh no, it was the oldest bar climbing monkey of a child very well behaved child that decided to get hurt that night. All of the girls were in a couple different lines together to ride on the go karts. All was well and swell so I decided to take my little one on a go kart so she could enjoy the ride. After arguing with my know-it-all 4 year old daughter trying to explain to my littlest angel that she couldn't drive the go kart because she was too small, we finally got to take a ride. She actually planted herself down in the driver seat while loading up in the go kart and refused to let me in the driver seat for a moment. Then when she was forced into the passenger seat with the seat belt keeping her down while kicking and screaming holding her in the safety position, we finally got to take off after the other children moved their go karts out of the way. One lap around the track and she went from screaming and crying over the fact she didn't get to drive to having huge fun on her first go kart ride experience! So all was good and dandy until she and I got off the go kart.



Bad News ~ the other girl scouts approached me and said my daughter had hit her head while waiting in line. I thought no big deal, kids hit their head all the time. Well.... little did I know what was just a bump on the head turned into 2 days of pure hell trauma. By the time I reached her sitting on the table, my boyfriend had gotten an ice pack on her head while she sat there bawling her eyes out. They told me she had been hanging like the little monkey she is from the divider bar in line and lost her grip on the bar, fell and hit her head on the concrete floor. I looked at her head and there was a knot the size of China coming out of the back of her noggin! My initial reaction was to freak out until I saw my bf's face that I must remain calm or things would be worse than they already were. So after calming my daughter down and then calming down myself, the next thought was at least she was conscious and she knew who everyone was. I thought maybe she had a minor concussion but wasn't really sure at that point.



Then came the trip to the ER. Since this was a girl scout trip, I believe I was required to take her to get checked out even though she appeared to be fine. Upon arrival at the hospital, we were escorted into a bed in the emergency room. My daughter did put up a fight until I told her there was no argument about going to the hospital; if she had been responsible and not playing around, we wouldn't have to make an ER trip. But that was the case and she accepted it pretty quickly. While waiting for the doctors to take her back for the CT scan, we were not short of entertainment by any means. My youngest who is a clown herself performed her act that she does on a daily basis. She informed every doctor or nurse that entered the room that her sissy was sick and they needed to make her better. Then she became friends with one male nurse whom she would not leave alone. She told him that she got hurt too and hiked her jeans up to her knee and showed him her scab she had gotten a week before. Well her new found friend had the perfect solution - a Diego band-aid did just the trick and she was instantly healed! Then after bugging him to death and refusing to leave him alone talking his ear off for a few minutes, he decided to find her something to do. She grabbed his hand and went right with him to get a drink, a coloring book, crayons, and a little teddy bear. That worked for a few minutes until Granny was able to come and pick her up and get her out of big sissy's hair.



So after a 3 hour wait in the ER the end result was determined. She had more than a minor concussion, she had a hairline fracture on her skull. Yikes! It wasn't as bad as it sounded but it scared the jeebies out of me when I heard those words. Head injuries can be traumatic and that wasn't something I was prepared to deal with then. So she was sent home and after a long exhausting day we strolled in about midnight. I had to wake up every 2-3 hours and make sure she was still coherent and knew who and where she was. All was fine and dandy until the next morning. She woke up vomiting and they had warned me to get her back to the doctor if she started losing her wheaties. Well after a few times of that, I was extremely worried. Vomiting in a head trauma patient is not good, it could indicate internal bleeding. So I took her to the doc again that afternoon and they did another CT scan to be sure there had been no internal bleeding started overnight. Thank God that came back fine, but there was still the problem of her not being able to keep anything down. So the only alternative was to admit her to the hospital and give her an IV to keep her becoming even more dehydrated.



Her initial response was to tell me and the doctor no, but she had no choice. It was either admit her at that point or be back in the ER at midnight again and I wasn't game for that! So after a long afternoon we finally received our fancy smancy hotel suite for the night lovely hospital room for the evening. Then my daughter's tune changed. She quickly realized that not only did she have her own bed that she could adjust, her own TV that she could watch whatever she wanted to on, but that she also had nurses that would wait on her hand and foot when she needed something. So she quickly went from being scared to laughing and giggling because it was cool to be in the hospital now! Oh, and the most important part of the evening ~ no annoying little sis to bother her!!! She enjoyed a night of a few visitors and balloons and little gifts since she was in so much turmoil. Lucky me had to run and get little sis from the baby-sitters and pick up some things from home since I would be sleeping in the most comfortable king size bed ever a wonderful recliner that didn't even recline very far. Lovely! I knew my neck, shoulders and back would be hurting the next day. So evening settled in and it was bedtime before we knew it...

I laid down in my comfy recliner (oh so comfy) and tried to get comfortable in every position available. Those choices of positions would be either a)on my back b)on my left side or c)on my right side so I had a humongous amount to choose from! Finally at midnight I had a wonderful idea ~ flip around so that my head was at the foot end and my feet were laying up on the chair. I am one of those people that cannot sleep sitting up, I must be flat on my back. So that idea worked great until I was rudely awoken woke up by a screaming daughter who had to PEEEEE. I looked at the clock and it was 3:30 a.m. The middle of the night is always the best time to be woken up by a screaming child. Sure. Yep.

So off to the bathroom. But this wasn't just any normal bathroom trip. I had to unplug the IV. Wrap the cord up. Then lift it over the beside table. Then help her get into the bathroom. Then get her back to bed. Then pull the IV stand over the beside table again. Then plug it back in behind the bed where the plug in was impossible to reach. Let me just say it was a long night of about every 30 minutes of going to the bathroom and repeating this process over and over and over and over... But at least my baby girl was feeling better and getting some fluids into her little body and that was the important part!

After the long night of not much sleep, she finally felt sorry for me at 6 a.m. on our 90,000th 6th trip to the bathroom so she let me crawl in bed with her for a bit. OMG I have never known that a hospital bed could be so comfortable! Amazing how each of the 3 times I've been in labor jail in the hospital to have each of my girls and the bed was absolutely terrible. But I quickly learned to appreciate any device that would allow me to lay flat on my back!

Then her doc strolled in that morning and said things were looking better and with any luck we'd be out of there by early afternoon. Well that IV must have REALLY worked because not only was she her little self again by noon; she was bouncing off the walls like a monkey on crack abundantly crazy and ready to go home. So after checking on her on lunch break, the doctor was quite convinced she was ready to be released from her cozy little hospital suite. So after a trip of getting ice cream for me! for the recovering little patient, we arrived safe and secure at home nearly 48 hours after the head trauma mishap.

Now while in the hospital my daughter and I had alot of time to talk about things. We had a long talk about why we shouldn't hang on bars like monkeys do. She swore she had learned her lesson. No more doing stupid and careless acts like she had done that landed her in the hospital. So I was very proud of her for realizing that she needed to actually listen to me and that I wasn't the crazy mom who didn't know what I was talking about. Usually when parents tell their kids to do something or to not do it, there is a good reason! So I was so proud of her for learning her lesson ~ the hard way for that matter. Well that whole idea was fine and dandy until I caught her 2 days later hanging from the top of the dog kennel... UGH KIDS!!!

Fast forward to the next week... poor little one was dealing with being sick with a cold she has fought off and on all winter. So lucky me took another sick day to stay at home with her while she recovered. Let's just say I dearly love my girls; but I was also very grateful to be back at work the next morning!

Now another week goes by... you know the old saying ~ when it rains, it POURS. So since both of my daughters had their medical issues, I guess it was my turn. So here we go again...

Well my tooth had been bothering me a couple weeks. I guess I should say, the pain fluctuated between the top and the bottom and I couldn't quite pinpoint the exact location of the asshole of a tooth that literally made a grown woman cry the pain. So during a trip to the dentist to have my daughter's teeth cleaned, I had my dentist take a look. He couldn't see anything out of the ordinary so I received the lovely news to call him over the weekend if it still bothered me.

So after dealing with the antagonizing pain for three more days, I couldn't handle it. After a couple sleepless nights, I finally called him at home over the weekend. He was kind enough to call me in some wonderful drugs pain medication that helped me a little. But even with the pain meds, I walked around all weekend with a wet rag in my mouth. That was the only sense of relief I could get. Even at the family cookout, I looked like the idiot with the washrag hanging out of her mouth! But I am not the type to care what others think so I didn't care.

Well you can bet I rang up my dentist's phone the next morning. Thank God he was able to work me in that day so another sick day from work... and the great news was I had to have a root canal performed that day. Yay-Raw! Just what I wanted to have done instead of going to work that day. So after 4 shots, and several deep breaths of the moon gas that made me loony, he was working away in my mouth fixing that sucker. 2 1/2 hours later and I was ready to go home and crash because I was in P-A-I-N. Well, I take that back. The Pain didn't actually hit until the numbness started to wear off of my mouth and then OMG it was give me the vicadin, wet washrag, whatever! Just make the pain go away!!!!

Now I don't know if you have ever had a root canal or not, I have always heard they were painful. The procedure itself was a breeze. Now I guess it helped that I was talking alot (not that I ever do that or anything), and he turned up the loony gas on me. I started feeling really good, like I was floating in the air. And as much as I hated to, I had him pull the plug from my nose before I came too high on it. I still had to drive home so I needed to be totally coherent as to what I was doing!

Well after that long day, the pain had subsided a little bit a couple days later. But let's just say not being able to open my jaw all the way for a week killed me! I couldn't talk as well and that just doesn't cut it for me. It was really terrible when I had to call the phone company the same day I received my root canal and I couldn't sound out certain sounds!! I sounded like a toddler trying to make out sounds and could only be half understood. Oh the pity of the situation!! So a few days passed and I am happy to say I am finally back to normal. It took awhile but at least I can talk, chew, eat, drink, just be normal again! I know it sounds silly but it's so true. Try being able to open your jaw only halfway of its potential for a week. It's not fun. Nope!

So as this post began, I am done with the medical issues this year. I hope and pray I am done with the major things for the year. Lord knows I am not built to handle many things out of the ordinary. I have been known to flip out just a little if things aren't like they should be. Nobody wants to be presented with a difficult scenario. I know we must all go through something sometimes in life, but I have had my share for this year. I will pass it on to the lachness monster in the lake the next time around! So no more monkeys hanging from the bars, no more of my little angel being sick, and no more root canals for me this year. (Please God if you are listening...)

Law of the Garbage Truck

I received this today and thought it was worth posting. It has some very good points and concepts about life if you think about it. Enjoy!

Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, resentments, anger, and frustration, so...

Love the people who treat you right.
Pray for the ones who don't.
Life is ten percent what you make it,
and ninety percent how you take it.

Have a blessed, garbage-free day!

Some Thoughts for the Day

Just thought I would share some more inspirational thoughts for the day. Enjoy!


I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow only if you want it to be.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: weather, respect and lost luggage.

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a life.

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. So don't make the same mistakes again, and don't tell everyone about them!

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel, especially your loved ones.

A Bad Day

Aw yes, a bad day. We have all had them. No one ever asks to have a bad day, it just kind of happens. It seems as if something goes wrong early in the morning, it's usually the start of a bad day. This concept just so happened to me last week. The morning started out with a couple minor things that didn't work in my favor and it just snowballed from there.


Now there is a benefit to having bad days. Those bad days that we all have make us appreciate the good days that we are given. If we went through life happily bouncing along each and everyday, we would take life for granted and not appreciate those little moments when our lives are in perfect harmony. Now these moments are few and far between, but they do happen. They can happen on many occasions such as when someone gets married, the birth of a child, when someone graduates, when someone achieves a goal they have worked hard to reach, when something good happens to you and you were least expecting it, and so on. We have all had those joyous moments we will remember for the rest of our lives. Those little moments make us into the person we are today.

So back to the idea of having a bad day. I also think that each day is what we make of it. If we get out of bed every morning and think to ourselves that we are going to have a bad day, then we probably will. If we choose to look at the bright side of things, at least we will have the positive thinking rolling for when the bad day attacks come at us! Most often times we do not choose to have a bad day, it just kinda happens that way. But if I'm having a bad day, I will find something positive or something good that happened that day and be grateful for that one good thing. It reminds me of something I always tell my daughter "Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining about what you don't have."

Think about that for a moment. "Be grateful for what you have" ~ just as the statement says. We should be thankful for the blessings we do have each and everyday. Often times we take these blessings for granted and have the mindset we need or want more, more, more. Now for the rest of the sentence, "stop complaining about what you don't have." Again, this is very simple, it means exactly what it says. We shouldn't gripe, complain, moan or whine about what we don't have. It wastes perfectly good breath and time to complain about the non-existent things in our lives. Today's society is guilty of living in the second part of that statement. People take so much for granted these days and do not truly appreciate the blessings God from above has poured into our lives.

I have been through enough in life and had enough encounters to make me appreciate the good days and the special moments in life. I have bad days like everyone else, but I choose to find the bright light on a dark day and go with it. Some circumstances are beyond my control; therefore I will not fight against what life throws at me. I choose to roll with it and accept the changes as they are. What is the point in fighting a battle that cannot be won?

So next time you are having a bad day, just remember it could be worse. There are always going to be circumstances or things that happen that we don't want to deal with or we'd prefer to hit the PASS OVER ME button, but that's not an option. So deal with things head on, even if the bad seems to outweigh the good. When a bad day is presented to you, don't let it get you down. Remember a day is 24 hours and it will pass. Here's another thought for the brain ~ the day after a bad day is usually a better day. And you will be grateful for that day because the bad day has passed and a brighter day is ahead. Just know we all have bad days, sometimes more than one together and it's ok. We just have to face life's challenges and tests head on and we will be fine in the end. Keep on going and you will see the light at the end of the tunnel! Good days come and go and so do bad days. It's nice to know that bad days don't last forever and that usually the good days outweigh the bad ones! Now put a smile on your face and have a good day!

People Watching

I have found a new fun hobby to do when I am out somewhere and passing the time. It is called "people watching." I think we all do this and don't even know it sometimes. Are you ever out and about and bored so you start watching other people around you? Or just sit on a bench and watch people walk by? It's actually funny to do, and it makes for great conversation.

Thanks to my boyfriend I am learning to read facial expressions and what is on others' minds at times. He has the natural ability to do that and it's starting to rub off on me. For example, when we were out the other night, there was a variety of people around us. All in the same place ~ some there to have fun, some there to meet others, and some had no clue what they were doing there. But it was interesting to watch the faces of others as they interacted with people or just walked around. Some were dressed for the occasion, some were dressed to get some attention, and there were others, that were well, how do I say it, dressed so they stood out in the crowd. Now that isn't always a good thing.

Take the blonde chick with the shirt that showed her belly off. Now I admit she was cute, but totally fake. She had about 20 different guys on the dance floor with her and she was a little crazy thing. And then there was Virgin Mary. (Ok, so she earned that nickname for the evening). Virgin Mary had a hairstyle from the 1970's, dressed in a long white flowing gown that spun around when she hit the dance floor, and brown boots that totally did not match the hair or the dress. I'm not trying to be superficial, but she definitely had the attention from everyone in the place. What kind of attention? The kind of attention that no one wants to have. The kind of attention that makes you wonder if she'd been stuck in a coma since 1976 and decided to wake up 33 years later and march straight out into 2009 without any kind of transformation. But she was having a great time with the man from the 1980's gentleman who twirled her around the floor all night. But I just couldn't help it, every time she passed me I just wanted to grab her and offer to give her a makeover myself! And I am not an expert at those, but I could have transformed her into a Y2K gal at the least.

Then there was the girl in flip flops that knew all the dances there. She just about fell on her butt a few times but she did not care. She was there to have fun and that's all that mattered. So good for her! At least her black flip flops that she almost fell in matched her black shirt that showed part of her belly when she danced a little too fast.

Oh and we can't forget the sweet little old 67 year old lady from northern Indiana. She was there with a group of friends who were subscribed to an online dating site. The dating site had a party there that evening and the singles couldn't be missed! They had cute little flashy buttons yelling "I am single! I am single!" Now thank God I am no longer available because being single isn't all it's cut up to be. Don't get me wrong, it can be fun. But finding a love worth the wait is definitely above being single and fun loving all the time. So anyway, back to the sweet little old lady. She had 5 kids and 7 grandkids and had only been divorced for 3 years. Wow, that is quite an accomplishment and then to be single at that age kind of blew my mind. She was dancing her little heart out with friends and my cowboy pulled her to the side where we were sitting so we could chat with her. She was having a good ole time with friends and could care less to find her a sweet old man that night. We wanted to tell her when the time is right, she would find her match and to wish her good luck. She tried to pull us out on the dance floor but we just giggled and declined her offer.

And then there is the old man that hoots and hollers at every song. He can't be missed a mile away! And he is there every time I go. Now I don't know about you, but that's the way I want to be. If I'm going to be old and gray someday (even though I will probably always remind a blonde or at least have the brains of one), I want to be fun loving and having a blast when I am of the senior age. He is a hoot to watch and tries to reel in every boy, girl, woman and man that he can get to join him. I think his name might be Keith. He is cute for an old man though!

And then there were the two girls who kept dancing with each other all night. Now I don't have a problem with that, but they were making quite a big scene in such a public place. But at least they aren't ashamed of who they are and were having quite a ball like everyone else that night.

And then take the people who have baggy enough pants that you want to take your belt off and loan it to them just so you don't have to see their tightie whities or blackie boxers underneath! I know that is the style nowadays but I do not care to see someone's undergarments. Just not my taste. I guess I could throw the girl in there that had the thong underneath her dress. Yes, she had a cute dress on with her little boots. But the thong outline was a bit more noticeable than I cared to see. And then there was the girl in the dress whose boobs might have well been exposed for the world to see. She had one of those little strappy dresses on that barely contained her girls. And it just made her night when my cowboy smiled at me but I wasn't watching, and she took that as a smile that was made at her. I was happy to be a part of making someone else happy for a few moments =-).

Now this new habit of mine can be done about anywhere. The grocery store, an amusement park, Wal-Mart (since I never go to that store practically live there some days), a sporting event, or anywhere people go on a daily basis. So next time you are bored or passing the time while out in public, try it. Watch peoples' faces as they stroll along. You will find people smiling, people sad, people crying, and people that are just in a hurry. You will find a little bit of everything really. Then try this - make up your own scenario of what they are thinking or where they are heading. The possibilities are endless, and it gives you something to do! Just remember to be discreet about it so you don't get caught "people watching!"

Strawberries... Yummy or Yucky?

I was recently looking through a catalog of products I could order. I decided I would try something new to mix things up a little bit. Now this was nothing big (or so I thought), but I ordered some new strawberry shower gel for my daughters and I to use. What I quickly realized was that my petty little order of the new shower gel would stir up alot of drama in my house! But then again with all girls, why would anyone expect any less than drama, drama, and even more drama?!?!

Now I can't lie, I was excited to use the "new" shower gel. After using the same old boring stuff we buy from Wal-Mart, it was nice to have a change. You know, years ago I used to go to Victoria Secret's and buy all my shower gel there. But why would I pay $10 for a bottle when I could pay $2-3 for stuff that just gets used up anyway? Maybe I haven fallen into the trap of saving money since I have kids! Come to think of it... I used to buy those $10 bottles before I had my babies, so I can blame the kids for no longer buying the expensive kind. Or maybe I am just smarter in my closer to 30 years old age and have learned how to save money over the years. Anyway, so back to the "new" strawberry scented shower gel... I used it and was very impressed by the smell. So I thought WOW the kids are going to love this stuff.

Ok so my little one LOVES to eat strawberries and enjoys anything strawberry scented. So I just knew she would LOVE the new strawberry shower gel so she could smell strawberriliciously clean! And I was right on target with that one. In fact, she was so excited about the new red stuff that she couldn't wait to jump in the bath. She was smelling the top of the bottle before she even used it and decided it was yummy! Then she was in heaven while she got to use the new shower gel. Then the time came for her to get out of the bath and older sis to get in the tub. Only there was one problem... I could not find the strawberry shower gel anywhere when it was time for big sis to wash herself off. Hmmm.... one answer to that problem... it was called the strawberry shower gel thief!

Sure enough, my detective skills were right. I hunted down the little one in another part of the house and yes, the evidence was instantly found! She not only wanted to use the strawberry shower gel in the bath, but she proceeded to carry it around with her the rest of the night. So big sis had to settle for vanilla scented shower gel that night since little sis refused to give up HER new shower gel.

Now the other problem with my little one is that she likes to put things in her mouth that she shouldn't (even though she knows better). I think at one point she was trying to take the cap off to eat the shower gel, but I got that stopped before it even started. I told her that if she ate the shower gel, it would be yucky and she would never be able to use it again. She must have believed me because the rest of the night, she just carried it around and didn't threaten to eat it anymore! So a word of advice... if your child likes a certain flavor or scent, pick up some shower gel with that scent and WALLAH... a new entertainment device! LOL

So we now know that my little one was in love with the strawberry shower gel. Well fast forward a couple nights and I noticed my back was itching and would not stop. I was offered the brilliant suggestion that I had recently changed shower gel, and maybe that was the reason behind my skin being irritated. Hmmm... it's a thought but I honestly don't know if that's what did it or not. All I know was that it was irritating! LOL

So the big night came for big sis to use the new shower gel yesterday evening. She was happy with the vanilla scent from the last bath (you know since the little thief took the strawberry kind). Well not thinking much about it and trying to hurry up and get them to bed so I could crash, I grabbed the first shower gel I saw ~ the famous strawberry kind. My little one actually hadn't confiscated it yet so it was still available for use. So big sis started to use the lovely smelling stuff, then immediately started screaming like a little drama queen as if something was terribly wrong. Then the drama began...

"What is this nasty smelling stuff?" "It's making me stinky." "It smells like a sick dog's diarrhea!" Ok, now I stopped at that one and said WHAT?!?! A sick dog's diarrhea? Where in the world did that come from? And how in the world did she know know what a sick dog's diarrhea smelled like? Now the thought of that is just beyond disgusting! Then the drama saga continued. Even after she was out of the bath, I still had to hear how she was stinky now! Ok, isn't the point of taking a bath to get clean and unstinky? So I still don't get how she was stinky after taking a bath. Just because she did not like the smell of the new strawberry stuff, she concluded she now stunk like the shower gel. Lovely.

After a few minutes of the drama over the new shower gel, I had had quite enough of listening to the mouth. So I gently reminded her to be appreciative she had a mother that took good care of her, and that some day she would thank me. Have you ever told your kids that one day they will grow up and have kids? And have you ever said to your child that you hope their children act just like they did when they were young so they would know how it felt? Not that those words left my mouth or anything. Just a pondering question...

So the final answer is... my little one gets to have the entire bottle of strawberry shower gel to herself. Since it makes mommy itch and big sis thinks it smells like a dog's diarrhea butt, she can have it all. So she is happy and won't have to steal the bottle to keep it to herself anymore! Now I just have to make sure she doesn't eat any of and all will be fine!

I Pray You Enough

I Pray You Enough - this is an e-mail I have received a few times over the years. I thought it was worth posting on the blog to share with all the readers out there.


Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, 'I love you, and I pray you enough.'

The daughter replied, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough too, Mom.'

They kissed, and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?'

Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?'

'Well...I'm not as young as I once was, she lives so far away and has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said.

'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I pray you enough.' May I ask what that means?'

She began to smile. 'That's a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.' She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I pray you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.'

Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.

I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Then, she began to cry, and walked away.

They say, it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them.

TAKE TIME TO LIVE..... To all my friends and loved ones, I PRAY YOU ENOUGH....

Faith Will Pay

God is always there. He is always there for us no matter what we do, where we have been, or what our past actions have been. He is and always wants to be our rock. We just have to let him be our rock we lean on when times are hard or our life isn't going quite how we want it. We must have FAITH in Him. That can be easier said than done many times.

Have you ever noticed when life is good and we are floating on our own little cloud, we tend to pull away from God and not lean on him so much? It's true if you think about it. When we are content with our life or current situation, we don't need to pray as much and ask for guidance because we think we know where we are going. Just remember that God brought us to those happy and content times so even though we are at a happy patch in life, we should never stop praying and thanking Him for the many blessings he gives each and every one of us.

Think about this ~ when times are tough, or we find ourselves in a situation with no one else to turn to, where do we often go? Or let me rephrase the question ~ where SHOULD we go when we are backed into a corner with no one to talk to or no where else to turn? You know the answer without the words leaving your mouth. Yes, God is the right answer ladies and gentleman. He is the one we should lean on and have faith in when times are tough. Only He can bring us out of a hole we get ourselves in.

It's FAITH in HIM that will lead us where we need to be. It's FAITH that will help us reach our destination in life as to where He wants us to be. It's FAITH that will show us where we are meant to be if we just BELIEVE with our entire heart and soul. When we lose faith, we lose trust in the Lord. We must always keep the faith going even when it's difficult to do.

We must stop relying on ourselves to accomplish whatever it is we are trying to complete in this world. We have to ask for direction and guidance or we will always end up in the same place over and over again. We will not be able to move forward and live happily ever after if we stay stuck in the same place forever.

So remember 'Faith Will Pay.' Faith in Him will lead us to His plan for our lives. And the sooner we have FAITH in God, the sooner we will receive word for our direction and where we are meant to be on this earth. He loves each and every person on this earth because He created YOU. Even before you were born, God created YOUR life for a purpose. And you will soon find out that purpose if you keep the FAITH. So even if it's hard to do, have faith starting right now. And I can promise you in the long run you will be glad you did. Because FAITH will lead you to your life's destiny!

6 Years Ago Today...

It all began in September 2002. I found out I was pregnant with my second child. Then we went for the exciting ultrasound in January 2003 to hopefully find out what the gender would be and to see the baby on the screen for the first time. The ultrasound tech did not indicate there was any problem of any kind. Then my doctor walked into the exam room with a strange look on her face and asked me if the ultrasound technician had said anything to me. My response was "no, and is something wrong?" Then I received news that no parent ever wants to hear. My daughter (we at least knew it was another girl by this point) had a diaphragmatic hernia and I was to be sent to the specialist the very next morning.





My first response was a "diaph.... what?!?!" The doctor than repeated it and little did I know by the next day, I would be able to pronounce it and explain what those terms meant. So I thought to myself, no big deal. Things with babies are irregular all the time, so it couldn't be anything of great concern. What I found out on January 7, 2003 changed and permanently altered my life. We arrived at the specialist's office the next morning and had another ultrasound. I was just laying there in my own little world wishing they would hurry up so I could get back to work until I heard the words I can still hear him say today "Only about 50% of these babies survive." "WHAT??" was my only response. Then my tune quickly changed and I immediately realized how serious her condition was.





In my own terms, this is what I learned a diaphragmatic hernia to be. The diaphragm is supposed to close up when a fetus is approximately 10 weeks old. Well, for some reason our baby's did not close up and there was a hole in the diaphragm. This made all of her inside organs and intestines move into places they should not be. Basically all of her intestines and organs were pushed up into her chest and her heart was positioned into her right chest instead of in the center.





So we were then escorted into a room with a counselor. We basically had two options ~ carry on the pregnancy and take the 50% chance that our daughter would survive or do the unthinkable and abort the pregnancy and not deal with the consequences that were slammed in our faces within 24 hours. Well, there was NO decision to be made. My child had a 50% chance to live and I could not live with myself if I didn't give her a fair fighting chance. Statistically her condition was a fluke thing (nothing genetic) and only happened in 1 out of every 2500 babies. Oh, and we were the 4th case of it to be seen in that office in the last few months. Like the old saying goes, "when it rains, it pours" and even though her condition was rare, it must have been the chosen one that year.





The counselor also told us a little bit about what would happen the next few months. Then the doctor informed us that when the day came and our baby was born, she would immediately be put in the newborn intensive care unit and would require surgery within a week or so of being born. The surgery was necessary so that her intestines could be moved into their proper places so that she could survive on her own. So not only would our daughter have a 50% chance of surviving, she would require surgery to even give her a fighting chance at life.





So the next 4 months presented a series of tests, finger pricks, amniocentesis procedures (which was excruciatingly painful), and several more ultrasounds. Plus knowing 4 months of ahead of time that our daughter only had a 50% chance to live gave us time to prepare for the inevitable, even though deep down in my heart, I believed heart and soul that she would live and be a normal child someday.





We told my oldest daughter who was 3 at the time that she had a baby sister who would be born, but that she was sick and had to stay in the hospital for awhile after she was born. Even though my oldest didn't fully understand, she was fully aware of the fact she was going to be a big sister and she was excited no matter what.





We were trying to pick out a name for our daughter. We really liked the name Mindy, but we had no idea what middle name could work with Mindy. I liked the name Anna because I had a great grandmother with that name but "Mindy Anna" just didn't work for my taste. So I was walking through my kitchen one night and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The word grace just flowed out of my mouth. I put the two words together and now my daughter had a name ~ Mindy Grace. It was an instant agreement with my husband at the time, and big sister who we allowed to have a vote too.





Then fast forward to April. We decided the big day to induce labor should be May 20. So it was set, written on the calendar and all. Little did I know, God had other plans for my child. He chose this day, 6 years ago, for Mindy Grace to make her entrance into the world. It was a Sunday morning about 6:00 a.m. I was laying in bed and all of a sudden I thought I peed my pants. Lord almighty, it was something that can happen to pregnant women but I was annoyed! So after doing some investigating, something was different. I ran and got my What to Expect When You're Expecting pregnancy book and read the signs of labor. Yes, I had been through labor once before, but they broke my water at the hospital so this was all new to me. I quickly realized I had signs of labor so I called my doctor and he said it sounded like my water had broke and I'd better get to the hospital. So off we went to the hospital, not completely sure I was in labor, but had a feeling I might be. I think it was more of the fact I was in denial because I knew it was too soon for Mindy Grace to be born because she was already going to have a rocky start into the world. And being born 3 weeks earlier than originally planned made her chances even slimmer.





So we arrived at the hospital and the nurse checked and said I was dilated to 7 and I would be delivering my daughter that day. I had a moment of panic breakdown reaction and started screaming "no, no, no, it's too early." But I had no choice and ready or not, I was going to help bring Mindy Grace into the world that day. One thing I always think about, even looking back, was that Mindy Grace was safe and alive while she was still inside me. And reality told me I could not stay pregnant with her forever. But once she was no longer inside of me, safe and secure in the womb, the battle began for her tiny little body to keep herself alive. I could no longer protect her, she was in God's hands at the point she entered the world. So at 11:48 a.m. Mindy Grace made her grand entrance on this earth only to be whisked away 2 seconds later off to the NICU (newborn intensive care unit). I was then taken from high risk pregnancy unit and moved to a normal maternity room. A regular maternity room that normally housed a mother and her healthy baby; not a mother who had to walk downstairs to visit her daughter in the NICU. But that was ok because I knew it was up to God at that point what plans he had for Mindy.





I stayed in my room for about 4 hours before I was permitted to go to the NICU to meet Mindy. I remember they made me ride in a wheelchair and I hated that. I am so independent and could walk on my own but I had to follow the hospital's procedures and be a good little patient and ride in the darn wheelchair. I remember my mom was there at that point. So she went with me and Mindy's dad to meet her. I took one look at her and knew she was mine. She looked so much like her daddy. Even through all the tubes and needles and wires, it was clear who she belonged to. She was beautiful and had a full head of brown hair. No wonder I had so much heartburn during the pregancy with the amount of hair she had!





The next couple days we had a few visitors that came to the hospital to see us. We were allowed to bring one visitor at a time and her dad or I had to be with the person. Life was a roller coaster ride from hour to hour with a newborn baby in the NICU. One minute she was doing fine, and the next minute changes were made to keep her more stable. Well on Tuesday morning, or day 2 of her life, we received a call in my hospital room at 9 a.m. They told us to come down to the NICU immediately. We ran downstairs only to hear devastating news. They expected our daughter to live maybe an hour, if we were lucky. So all of a sudden as we prepared for the worst, a team of about 10-12 doctors and nurses were surrounding our baby working on her trying to stabilize her. It all happened so fast but they were only doing their job. She had to have a blood transfusion and I do remember signing the paperwork for that. Well I can say without a doubt, Mindy Grace was a little fighter because not only did she survive that little ordeal, she lived another 7 days for a total of 9 days on this earth.





I remember I was released from the hospital to go home later that day. That was the strangest feeling ever. I walked out to my truck to go home after just having a baby. Only something was missing ~ the newborn daughter I had just brought into the world a couple days earlier who laid in the NICU fighting for her life. But again, it was ok because it was all in God's hands and I was not in control of the situation anymore.





The next few days were the biggest roller coaster ride of life I have ever been on. Things were good one day, and not so good the next. The doctors assured us that was normal. They were trying to get her to the point they could stabilize her so she could have surgery. The surgery was high risk and a very serious operation so she needed to be stable to have a chance of surviving the surgery. We did receive some good news though ~ it was cold season among young children and the NICU would not permit anyone under 12 years old in the NICU. Well, the next weekend, they lifted that ban and would allow children under 12 in to the NICU. So this now meant that my oldest daughter would get to meet her younger sister she had waited months to meet. So the very day we could take her, we did. And she got to meet her 1 week old baby sister on Sunday afternoon.





Looking back, I now understand why Mindy Grace was here for 9 days on this earth. If God had taken her from us on day 2, then my oldest never would have met her younger sister. So that was God's way of allowing her to meet Mindy. And I thank God everyday for that huge blessing.





Day 9 ~ Tuesday May 6, 2003 - Disaster strikes. We received a call at 5 a.m. to get to the hospital immediately. Mindy had fought for 9 days but she was worn out. Her little body was tired of fighting and it was time for her to be called to Heaven that day. Her heart rate was fluctuating all over the place and they unhooked the machines shortly before 8:00 a.m. They was nothing more they could do so they placed Mindy on a pillow and both her dad and I got to hold her for the first time. She took her last breath and went with the angels at 8:20 a.m. while laying in her Daddy's arms.





It was hard watching our daughter lay there lifeless, but it was also kind of a relief. She was no longer fighting for her life and struggling each day. She also had a curvature in her spine so she would have had other difficulties if she had survived. She might have been confined to a wheelchair her entire life, we don't really know. But I won't do the "what if" scenario because God chose to bless us with our second daughter for 9 days and not spare her any more pain or heartache. And we are so thankful for that.





Mindy Grace was laid to rest 3 days later. She was buried next to her great grandmother who passed away 3 months before Mindy was born. So I know in my heart that she is in Heaven being taken care of by my wonderful grandma. In fact, when we buried Mindy, a family member of mine painted a picture in my mind for me. The funny thing is I had seen the same image before he even told me what he envisioned. I pictured my grandma sitting in her rocking chair with Mindy in her arms. Rocking her and taking care of her just like she used to take care of me when I was a baby. So I know she is ok in Heaven because she is with my grandma, and the angels and God and Jesus.





Back to present day ~ Mindy was born 6 years ago today. Much time has passed but it also feels like it was just yesterday. I can remember all the nurses names, what they wore, and all the details of the day she was born and the day she passed. It is a memory that will be forever engraved in my mind. I wouldn't change a thing about what happened because we were meant to be Mindy's parents, and she was meant to go to Heaven sooner than others in our family. I am so grateful that I had the chance to have her for 9 days, even though it was a short time span. Mindy Grace taught me so much about life. She was a little helpless child that fought for her life with all she had. I have learned to thank God for my blessings and to be grateful for what I have been given in this world. I have learned that each second I breath is a blessing. I have learned if I can make a difference in one person's world, then it was worth what I went through to be able to do that.





One thing that helped me tremendously was the fact that my doctor's office put me in contact with another mother who had a child with Mindy's condition. Her son was born a couple years prior and had survived the surgery and was a perfectly normal healthy little boy. I have never met her but I have been in contact with her all of these years. She really helped me get through some of those tough moments, especially in the beginning.





I have also been able to help a couple of people who have lost a child or had a miscarriage or something of the sort. Our 7 year old neighbor was killed 3 years ago and I have become good friends with his mother. I have changed as a person because of losing Mindy, but it was a change for the better. Everyone deals with death differently, and there is no right or wrong way to handle death. I believe I handled it well, considering the circumstances. And knowing 4 months ahead of time made all the difference in the world. Time heals all wounds. We will never forget Mindy Grace but dealing with her death has became easier as the years have flown by.





We have an annual tradition where we let a balloon off at her grave each year. We get her a "Happy Birthday" balloon and send it up to Heaven to her each year. Normally we always watch the balloon disappear into the sky. It's a tradition that began on her first birthday, and will continue each year.





If you have read this post, thank you. I'm sure there will be some tears shed over reading it, I cried a little bit myself while writing it. I have always wanted to share Mindy's story with someone, so the blog is a perfect place for that. For those of you who knew Mindy, you know what a remarkable little baby she was and how incredible her story was. For those of you who never met her, I hope she has touched your life in some way or another. She was a beautiful little girl who will always be a part of me, her daddy, our family and friends, and anyone who takes the time read her story.





From Earth to Heaven ~ Happy 6th Birthday Mindy Grace. You are loved and missed everyday and we will meet again someday!

Never Settle

Never settle for anything less than the best. This has been my motto in the last year. This motto could apply to alot of things in life. In my particular case, I would never settle for less than I deserve because I know my self worth. Along with this motto came my sense of independence. I am more independent than I have ever been and it is good to be that way. People who are independent tend to have a bit more self confidence than people who depend on others for everything. And when people rely on others and forget who they really are, it is bound to come to a painful crash landing eventually. I have been on both ends of the spectrum and neither way is good or fair for that matter.

So, never settle. Plain and simple ~ don't do it. Because if you settle for something, you will always be searching for more. You will always be looking for something you do not have or wondering what else more is out there to explore. So with any decision you make in life, make sure you are 110% concrete sure that whatever it is you have decided is what you want. Decisions are like concrete ~ once they are made, you cannot go back and undo what has already been done. You can break up the concrete or change your mind about the decision, but there is damage that cannot be undone. There is nothing worse than making a decision when your brain is still not settled on what it truly wants, and then realizing you made a mistake and wish you could take that decision back.

After the many changes I've had to roll through in life, I will never settle again. I might make choices or compromises, but I will never sacrifice who I am or what I am to please someone else. And if you find yourself leaning on something or someone so much that your world would crumble if they disappeared in a second's notice or if you make sacrifices you cannot live with in the long run, then you, my friend, are settling. And what happens when you settle? It will come back to haunt you in the long run. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not even next year, but it will come back to bite you in the rear end at some point in time.

I love the song "Settlin" by Sugarland. This song refers to a girl who will not settle for anything less than everything. She's had enough "so-so" for the rest of life. I found this song very powerful last year when I was going through some major changes in life. If you know it, listen to the lyrics again and really think about it. And if you have never heard it, this would be a wonderful time to listen to it! Never again will I settle, and neither should you!

So if you have read this so far and are pondering if you are "settling" for something or someone, that should open your eyes. If the question "am I settling?" is weighing on your mind, then it sounds like you probably are. Your current scenario may be great to pass the time and pacify yourself, but if you settle for anything less than the best, you will regret it later on down the road. And when you reach the point that you can answer truthfully that you are not "settling," you are right where you should be. Stay there, be content and explore what more life has to offer! For when we are happy and not "settling" that is where we are meant to be at that moment in time.

Changes in the Path of Life

It happens all the time. We are headed down a certain path in life and then all of a sudden we hit a road block in the middle of the trail that stops us. Often times we are blindsided by the road block and want to go around it but we cannot go around it. We must work to move the road block which means we have to stop skipping along life's path, make a CHANGE and develop a power strong enough to move the road block. When we become strong enough to move the road block, it's then that we can continue down the path of life and see what more or new exciting things that God has in store for us.

So many times we receive signs from God that point us in a certain direction. The key word to that statement is a "certain" direction. Often times we think we know what the end result will be when we choose to follow a certain path. But what we must realize is that just because we follow a certain direction, sometimes the rainbow at the end of the trail might be something totally different than we thought we would receive when we reach the pot of gold. Sometimes God takes us down a certain path in life to make us see things we never saw or make us realize things we never knew before. God will never mislead us, but we must follow His direction and we will then see what He has in store for us.

God brings every person into our life for a REASON of some kind. Sometimes it is to make us see the light about a situation, or the truth about another person. Everything happens for a reason, and there is something we learn about life through every obstacle we overcome and every person that crosses out path. Remember that things happen in God's time, not ours. We must continue to pray for guidance on a daily basis to arrive to our destination in life.

So if you hit a road block in life or are afraid to make CHANGES in life, remember to ROLL WITH THE CHANGES. Sometimes people get hurt in the midst of the situation, and other times people find out exactly where they are meant to be in life. God will never intentionally hurt us, but we must go through trials and tribulations to make ourselves stronger so that we know when we reach the place in life we are supposed to be. God will only bless us as long as we ask for guidance from Him above. And if we think we are where we are supposed to be and then thunder strikes BAM, that is NOT where we are supposed to be. We must keep moving forward and take lessons learned from the past and apply them to our current scenario so that we can reach our future destination.

I am amazed at some of the paths God has taken me down in life. One minute I think I know exactly where I'm headed and have everything figured out, and then lightning strikes. The lightning is never a bad thing because if lightning strikes, it means we are supposed to change direction or take another path than we were heading. And when I have made changes down the path I am headed, I have been blessed so abundantly I can't even describe it. I know now that I am exactly where I am meant to be, and who is supposed to be in my life for a reason, who is supposed to be in my life for a season, and who is supposed to be in my life for longer than a season.

God works in mysterious ways. He uses people to send us messages whether they are good or bad. He will never steer us wrong if we listen to Him. He also uses people to show us when we need to make a change in the direction we are going. Thank you God for all the blessings you have given to me. I cannot begin to imagine my life any other way than it is now. As I always say, live and love happy because life is short and we never know what can happen from day to day...

We All Need Some Inspiration Each Day

I thought I would share some more inspirational quotes I received in an e-mail this morning.

You may not realize this, but the following is 100% true. Think about some part of it daily.

There are at least 2 people in this world who you would die for. And at least 15 people in this world who love you in some way. ~ And if you think about it, there are probably many more people who you give your life for, and that love you in return. And I love 'em every one!

The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you. ~ Now that is so and completely true. If someone is envious of you, or wants what you have, it is only natural for that person to develop feelings of hatred towards you. I personally never use the word "hate." I substitute "strongly dislike" because "hate" is a strong word in my opinion. So if someone "hates" you, the best thing you can do is be nice to that person and pray they find what they are looking for. You never know, maybe one day you could help that person in some way that once "hated" you.

A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone even if they do not like you. ~ I love the phrase "smile, it looks pretty on you." Try it sometime. I know I have been smiling to the fullest extent lately and what a difference it has made in my world. Whether it's because of someone or a reference to an inside joke (cute fella), smiling releases negative energy and brightens the day, even if just a little.

Every night, someone thinks about you. You mean the world to someone. ~ True. Each night, at least one person thinks about you, or more if you are lucky. I know I mean the world to someone and others mean the world to me.

You are special and unique. Someone you don't even know - loves you. ~ Often times we come into contact with new people that will have a dramatic impact on our life. God has a plan and a reason for each and every person we meet. Lord knows I am discovering that lately!

When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it. ~ AMEN! Sometimes our biggest mistakes lead us to blessings we would have never even discovered if we hadn't make the mistakes we have in the past. I am living proof of that because I am right where I need to be right now.

When you think the world has turned it's back on you... take another look. ~ When you feel all the world is against you, it's normally quite the opposite. It is you that has turned your back on the world.

Always remember the compliments that you received. Forget about the rude remarks. ~ I deal with negative remarks all the time and the best thing I can do is blow them off. Normally people say things in the heat of the moment, and then later regret it. Thank God I have enough compliments that come my way to outweigh the negative words my ears hear.

Always remember... when life hands you a lemon ~ ask for sugar. ~ I love this one! When life throws a curve ball or things at us we don't want to handle, pray for some sweetness from God above. Eventually all lemons turn into blessings at some point in time. It may not be right away, but things happen when the time is right.

Good friends are like stars, you don't always see them but you know they are there. ~ Very true. I also have friends I have never even met that I have relied on to get me through certain scenarios. Thank you =-)

I would rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I am there - than a whole truckload when I am gone. ~ Say what you need to say, and do what you need to do while you have the chance. Don't wait until it's too late if there is something you have been holding back on saying to someone or a chore you need to do. It's better to living knowing you took care of your to do list, then living with regret that you never accomplished something you should have.

Happiness keeps you sweet.
Trials keep you strong.
Sorrow keeps you human.
Life keeps you humble. ~ Again, true. I know that when I am happy in life, I am in a fabulous mood and not alot can bring me down. During my trials and hard times in life, I found myself closer to God and came out stronger because of what I went through. We all must have a little bit of sorrow and sadness to balance out the good times in life so that we can appreciate our blessings and not take them for granted.

Success keeps you glowing, but only friends keep you going. ~ It's wonderful to be successful at something, and yes, when things are good, I do have that glow about life. But in the good and bad times, my friends have always held me up through them all. And I am so grateful to have the friends I do!

Have a wonderful Friday and remember to apply one (or more) of these ideas to your life each day!

Jelly Bean Prayer

In observation of Easter this coming weekend, I found this spiritual prayer referring to the colors in a bag of jelly beans and how they can relate to the Lord and the gifts he has given us in this life. Enjoy!

Jelly Bean Prayer

Red is for the blood he gave
Green is for the grass he made
Yellow is for the sun so bright
Orange is for the edge of night
Black is for the sins we made
White is for the Grace he gave
Purple is for His Hour of sorrow
Pink is for our new tomorrow!

Have a safe and happy Easter!

Are You "Fireproof?"

Are You "Fireproof?"


The recent movie release of "Fireproof" has stirred alot of talk and emotion in this world full of people. This is a movie targeted for couples who have been married for a few years and are either on the verge of divorce or are at a point they take each other for granted. Even though this no longer fits my current life scenario, I was still really drawn to the movie and bought it the first day it came out on DVD. I have watched this movie twice now and WOW what a movie it is!


I could relate to the wife character in the movie because I was once in her shoes when I was married. It amazes me how the movie was based on a story; however the scenes of the movie are so real and do tell the normal story of a couple who has been married for a few years. Not only does the couple portray the average "married for a few years" couple but it also has many lessons that can be learned in the movie as well.

One of my favorite parts of the movie is how the husband is skeptical of the Lord in the beginning of the movie, and then about halfway through he realizes he has pushed God aside most of his life and never really fully let the Lord into his heart. He has an "AHA" moment when he is having a conversation with his father about how Jesus should be the most significant part of our lives. He is a good person because he is a fireman who saves lives, he his faithful and honest so in the husband's eyes, he is right with God because he is a "good person." His dad begins to question him why he is so frustrated with his wife. The husband claims the wife is stubborn, makes everything difficult, is ungrateful and is constantly griping about something. He does nice things for her, has tried hard to please her, taken her insults and sarcasm, and in his eyes, has done everything he could to demonstrate that he cares about her. And after all his effort, all she does is spat in his face. Then he asks the ultimate question that I believe is the most important line in the entire movie ~ "How am i supposed to show love to somebody over and over and over who constantly rejects me?"

God loves us unconditionally even though sometimes we do not deserve it. Even though we have rejected Him and spat in his face, God sent Jesus to die on the cross and take punishment for our sins because He loves us unconditionally. When we finally come to Jesus Christ, it is then we truly began to love others and realize how much we need Him and His forgiveness.

When the husband realized he had never really accepted Jesus Christ into his heart and broke down, his life took a turn and the movie begins to show how he changed as a person after he accepted Christ. His heart began to soften and he went from being a resentful person to a lighthearted easygoing soul. His wife eventually asked him what had changed in him and then he was later able to lead her to the cross as well.

What I truly like about the movie is that it is Christian based. This does not mean you have to be a Christian to relate, but it shows how important it is to have a connection to God. It also portrays that when you have a strong connection to the Lord, your life will be better than ever as long as you pray and remain on the right path in life. Only He is the one who knows the plan for each and every person in this world. I think we all have moments where we slip away from our connection and relationship we are supposed to have with the Lord. We all get caught up in our busy lives and our "to do list" of things we have to accomplish each day. Even though we don't intentionally mean to, we sometimes take our family and loved ones for granted and don't take the time to slow down and spend with them as we should. We sometimes put tasks and work in front of what is truly important in our world.

"Fireproof" brought me back to reality and made me see the light about some things in life. After watching this movie the first time, I felt God pulling me back into his grasp with such a pull that it had an effect on me. And when I watched it the second time, that feeling was reaffirmed just as strong the next time around. Things finally make sense to me for the first time in months and it's a wonderful, refreshing and relaxing feeling. I finally have a sense of direction to where He wants me to be and what He wants me to do in this world. I have realized that there really are people who love me for me and who I am, and who will not try to change me into someone I am not. I have been hugely blessed by God in these recent few weeks and am so grateful that I am on the right path for my destination in life.

If you have not had the opportunity to watch this movie, regardless of your status (married, single, divorced, in a relationship, etc.), I highly recommend grabbing a hold of this story and watching it in the near future. I promise it is worth the couple hours it takes to see this heart wrenching story that has changed the future for lots of couples and people as well.

One of my favorite lines in the movie is as follows: "Fireproof doesn't mean that fire will never come. It just means that when it comes, you will be able to withstand it." In other words, we all have situations or circumstances that get us down and attack us in life. But when those times come, we have to be strong enough to endure the hardships and rough adventures in life. And when we come through those hard times with our head held high, we have then proved we are able to tackle what life throws at us and come out stronger than ever. Remember this is all with God's help, not taking on the world by yourself all alone.

So I will ask the question again - Are YOU "Fireproof?" If you are, good for you! Keep on living, keep on praying, and keep following the word the Lord gives you. If not, I pray for you right now that you will be able to accept Christ into your life and start living right and do the things God would want you to do. For when you do this, you will be "fireproof" to withstand the flames of life and the flames of hell as well.