Negative...

Negative Nellie has come to see me.....yep, sitting right here on my shoulders. She arrived about 2:00 a.m. this morning and shook me awake. I instantly knew she was here. Questions began banging around in my head...how are you EVER gonna get that done, that's NOT going to work, you'll NEVER accomplish that....on and on and on. I wrestled with her for a couple of hours. Read for awhile, stared at the ceiling for awhile, frowned, punched my pillow, you know the routine. She finally shut up for a bit. But now here she is again....and I THINK she's drinking my coffee. Already I'm thinking....It's gonna be a long day.....not the best thought to get you out the door.....or frankly to keep you in your house. So, off I go to the shower to try and drown her although I fear she is water-proof. I don't like 'just gettin' through the day' days. But sometimes you have to be at the bottom of the laundry pile, stuck in the mud of life, low man on the totem pole of attitude. And today....that's me! Fill the suggestion box with any tried and true Kickin' Nellie to the door ideas.

Crock Pot..............

Life is a crock pot. Please take note that I didn't say life is a CROCK. I said, I repeat, life is a Crock Pot. Crock Pot cooking has become so popular. It's easy, not messy, set that thing up and let 'er cook while you work, play, sleep, whatever. So think about it. Your life is your own personal Crock Pot. You put in the ingredients of your choice. Then you let them slowly simmer and stew. All of the things you've chosen to include begin to form your dish of life. And here's the thing. Just like a Crock Pot dinner a Crock Pot life is permanent. You can't suddenly decide oops...too much salt, or too much sugar, too much anger, or too much jealousy, too much hatred or too much selfishness. What you put in, stays. O, you say, but I can change how I think, act and feel. That's true to some extent. But past actions, thoughts and feelings STILL affect you to this day. They are a part of the Crock Pot of your life. Each and every day you add whatever it is you want to become part of your recipe. And each day that addition becomes part of you.....your personality, your reputation, your legacy. So think about your own personal Crock Pot before you randomly throw something in it. Make sure that at the end of your days......what has simmered will be the memories and relationships you want to leave for others.

Dreams....

I've always found dreams fascinating. Although I haven't done a study of them, I have done a little reading about the meaning of dreams. It is said that our nightly dreams somehow revel the deepest inner workings of our minds. That they bring out our subconscious fears and feelings. How interesting. Until this morning when I remember my dream being about sagging thick support hose, staying in a motel that made all women leave at 5 p.m. and camels in the parking lot that spit at me. I'm actually too horrified to even contemplate just what that might mean. Shakespeare said,"To sleep perchance to dream". Ok Will, thanks for the suggestion. You know that I like to spin everyday experiences into practical advice. Advice being a very loose term here. But today, I think I'll just leave this entire thing alone. Suffice it to say, the only good news is I slept, although with camels and looking tacky. Hope you had a restful night.

Sometimes.............the coffee

Sometimes the coffee's too hot and the ice cream is melted. Sometimes the gas tank is empty and the laundry piled high. Some days the sun is too hot or the wind is too cold. Your waistband and shoes are too tight..... sometimes the day is just one train wreck. But then tomorrow, the sunrise is beautiful and birds are singing. People are smiling and traffic is light. In all instances there will be a tomorrow. And the hours and days and months you might have spent being stressed, worried and sleepless simply have been a waste of time. Through those times you may have just missed that singing bird because all you could hear were your own troubled thoughts. Or you may have missed that sunrise because your eyes were on your checkbook or your computer or downcast instead of uplifted. We all have circumstances of life that just don't meet our expectations. We all have moments, hours and days of the 'when will it ever end' syndrome. But the key, the password, the magic wand is to live the very best you can. Do what is doable, fix what is fixable, and in all the turmoil expect that miracle. Remember that the Magic Marker of Life isn't permanent. Erasers appear in the most unexpected ways. Today is your day, as is everyday. No one is promised tomorrow or even a next breath. So, breath deeply, look closely, hear thoroughly every second of your precious life. You were given a life to live,not to waste.

Plugged In.......................

In view of my new venture on FB I think I'll promote being plugged in to life. Something new and different and even better, challenging is a positive step for anybody. When life throws you that curve ball and you anticipate a fast ball.....it's not a curve BALL; it's a LEARNING curve. We're never too old to learn, try, set goals, step out, eat a piece of that new pie of living. So, with this in mind, I challenge you to be a person who one day picks up something new and interesting. New book, new hobby, new haircut, new whatever. Set in your ways is like having your feet in wet cement. Sure you'll eventually leave your footprint but probably also your foot! It doesn't have to be huge....let's not all start rock climbing or propelling down cliffs. But sometimes dancing out of your comfort zone, for even a short time leads to a new outlook on life. Let's Rock 'N Roll even for just a bit. Be that person everybody looks at and says ....WOW...didn't know you had it in ya!

Visit.....?

Do you visit? I'm a visitor. I visit with my friends and family through email, texting and on the phone. I love to go visit in their homes. And I hope they love to visit in mine, although I'm gonna confess, our home is not your average 'everything in its place' home. We are constantly a work in progress. So sometimes visiting us is well, an adventure. But back to the original thought for this writing. Do you visit? And I mean visit with YOURSELF. I think it is imperative that we do that. We need to take stock of our lives. We need to see what's on our shelves. We need to clean out our refrigerator of thoughts and actions and guilts. We need to visit with ourselves. Daily. DAILY you say? Why I don't have the time. Yep, you do. Not to be indelicate, but each one of us has a few minutes of alone time....you understand what I mean? And yes, I've had young kids so I know for some of you THAT particular time isn't even alone time. But I say...make time. Visit with yourself. Carry out the trash of your mind. Realign the tires of your life. Mop the floor of your actions. Brush the teeth of your words. Take an accounting of your emotions. Visit with yourself. You're gonna find out whether you like what you see, hear and feel. And whether you like the view or not, start again the next day with your trash, refrigerator, teeth, floor and tires. It's an amazing process. It's a process of love and hate.....of happiness and sorrow.....of depth and height. Visit with yourself. Honor your life and your purpose with these visits. Each one will be a unique insight into what is YOU. Visit!

Shame......

Shame on you! We've all heard it. We've all felt it. And most probably at some point we've all deserved it. But today I write for a friend who may or may not even read this. I write for many friends actually. I write for those who have carried life long shame that was not theirs to carry. But nonetheless, they have burdened under years of feelings of shame and guilt that destroyed inner confidence, took away emotional power and side railed relationships. Here's the thing. Forgiveness is a healing thing. Not speaking of forgiving others at this point. That's a whole other matter, and quite honestly an important one. But today, let's forgive ourselves..... especially of those things we had no control over. Forgiveness of oneself is opening a box of butterflies and allowing shame to float away on their wings. It's holding up a jar of fireflies and seeing yourself shine. It's waxing the slime off your soul. So if today, you carry a lifelong shame that is not yours to carry, release it. Replace it with the notion that you are now walking lighter, being stronger, having more courage than you ever imagined you could. Live your life because it's YOUR blessing. Don't let it be overshadowed any longer. God gave you the tools to be powerful. Use them!

Life is.......

Life is a bizarre, overflowing, combination of goodness, sorrow, praise, faith,doubt...I could go on and on. But I think the bottom line is that Life is a Matter of the Heart. And I don't speak of the physical heart. I want to address your living, beating heart of emotion. This morning my heart is full. I wake with an abundance of grief for those I know and love who are facing difficulties beyond their comprehension. But I also feel hearts full of hope because all those who face adversity with God given strength win. It may not be the game you want to play. As a matter of fact, I'm sure it's not,but the Heart of the Matter is...you win. You win because the lesson of adversity is weakness turned into strength by the Power of Faith. Do I wish all blue skies and gentle breezes for you? Of course!! Is that life's reality? No! But we are given our lives to live at the Wailing Wall of Whine or at the feet of the One who lifts us up in ways more powerful than the human mind can comprehend. So on this day I hope the Matter of your Heart is facing the Light. And in that facing, you find your warmth and hope and most of all your Power. Face today, tomorrow is just that, tomorrow. Today is your challenge. Meet it with the confidence and courage of David when he faced the seemingly unstoppable Goliath. Because I assure you the Matter of your Heart has that undefinable Power and Strength and Love behind it. Walk in Faith my friends.

Capacity...............

Things have a capacity. Rooms, cars, elevators, cups, glasses, bowls, jars.....these are things that can just hold so much. Try to put a gallon of water in a quart jar and well, you find out pretty soon that the jar has not only reached it's capacity, but reached it way before the big puddle of water appeared on the counter. I think in some ways we, as humans, also have capacities. We reach a point of overflowing. And when that happens, it usually is a bigger mess than a gallon of water in a quart jar. Maybe you're zooming through life, head down, attacking the path right in front of you because that's all you can possibly do at this point. Looking up, to the right or to the left, would allow you to see the big picture and it ain't pretty! We all live our lives in the manner that we assume is best for us. I think that's called being adult. WE are IN CHARGE of our lives. But at the end of the day, maybe, just maybe, we need a helping hand. How blessed are we who have people in our lives that want to not only love, pray, laugh and cry with us, but also lend a hand. If your water of life is a gallon and you are only a quart at this time, I hope you see who is around you that wants to be that encouragement in your life....with words, hugs, or just ears. I thank God daily for those who have Stood in the Gap with me. And then I assure you, one day you will get your chance to help someone else hold their overflowing capacity. Think about this my friend. We all are in both positions more than once in our lives. Grab opportunities as a giver and as a receiver. Grab and hold on. People matter.... TO you and FOR you.

Gather ....

We all gather. We gather flowers for bouquets. We gather ingredients for recipes. We gather friends and family for dinners and parties. But for me, Sunday is my Day to Gather my Thoughts. It is a healing day. It is a day when I have large expanses of time to mull and ponder. I try to hem my weekly thoughts in catagories and throw out the bad. Toss those toxic thoughts and ideas that have festered over the past seven days. I then focus on those that have been productive, those that have entertained, enlightened and taught. Maybe words I've read. Possibly things I've heard that have lifted my spirits. With this effort, I thrive. I grow. I become a better mother, wife, friend and teacher. I gather.

Perspective...............

I got up 'on the wrong side of the bed' this morning. Or maybe the wrong side of the house, highway, state or country. You get my point. It was just one of those mornings of well.................grumpiness. Coffee was fine. Wasn't running late. Had slept really good. Hair isn't great, but I need a haircut and a new straightener so I can deal with that. Animals were cheerful. Car had gas. Day was pretty. God is good. Still grumpiness. I arrive at school early and turn on my computer and my Homepage opens. It is Fox News (no comments from the liberals out there)....anyway. There I see the headlines. Of course I know what to expect. The horrendous happenings in Boston would be the top story. And I was right. But under the Large Font Headlines is this smaller one....."Two brothers reportedly lose legs in the bombings." Uh Oh.....Perspective. Really??? I'M grumpy? Perspective. That one sentence brought my tiny little grumpy world into sharp reality. Sometimes it takes just a few words to make your problems sink to the bottom of life's ocean. Today was that 'sometimes' for me.

Key.................

So let's pretend for a minute. You have a Key and this Key will open any one door you choose. Monte Hall is NOT present. All the doors are clearly marked. The Key is yours to keep or use immediately. All that you know is that the Key is truly life changing. You have one chance, one pick, one choice. Here's the interesting thing about this scenario. I don't think it's totally what you choose, but how you use that choice? You choose riches? What will you do with them? You choose family unity? Will you work to keep that intact? You choose health. Will you make life changes that will sustain that? You choose the life of a loved who has passed away to return. Will you make the very most of every gifted moment you have with that person? I wonder your choice? I wonder what is most important to you? I wonder if you will immediately walk to YOUR door or if you will savor that choice? I wonder if you realize that every day is a choice and while we may not be able to be immediately mend fences, make gazillions of money or certainly not bring loved ones back, we do have a KEY for each and every day and we have a choice what to do with that day. Here's your Key.....use it wisely!

Avoided......

We know the old saying "There are some things that can't be avoided....death and taxes." I'm really not sure you can't avoid the last thing.....I mean you might avoid them behind bars, but avoided nonetheless. Let's chat about some things that you CHOOSE to avoid. Do you avoid kindness? Do you avoid generosity? Do you avoid thankfulness? Do you avoid doing the right thing even when it hurts? We all do at some point in our lives. I know I certainly have. And so have you. But here's the thing. If we avoid people, if we turn our backs on our families and friends, then we have cut out our own hearts and we slowly bleed out. Every day as a teacher I see kids whose parent have chosen to 'avoid' them. They are not seen for whom they really are.....living breathing Works of God with so much potential. And I also have seen the role reversal. I have seen children who totally disregard their parents. Who choose to turn a blind eye to the love they have been given, the sacrifices that have been made for them. Sometimes these relationships mend as children mature, often times it never does. Do they not see that the Circle of Life is just that....a Circle. An unbroken line.....a never ending series of events. Don't be that child who one day realizes that you will never see your parents again and you've lost days and months and years with those who gave up so much for you. Do parents make mistakes....of course they do. Do children make mistakes? You Bet!! I have been blessed with 4 wonderful kids. And I'm sure that my husband and I made many mistakes over the years of them growing into adults, but......we are a strong family. We are in touch, we speak, text and email most every day. AGAIN...we are a family. Are we the Cleavers....heck no, but we are a family! We have all gotten past our mistakes and hopefully will continue to do so in the future. This last statement is for all the 'kids' who might read this. Cherish your heritage. For at the end of the day...I imagine not many people would gladly give up their lives for you. But I'm going to bet that your parents would take that bullet. If fences need to be mended, do it. If things need to be worked out...do it. With each beat of your heart you are losing precious time.

Timing................

Do you ever think about time? I'm sure you do on your birthday.....where the heck did all those year go? But timING is something different all together. I was reminded of the importance of timing yesterday morning. I was late.....yeah, I know.....it was cold, rainy, ugh weather. I had my purse, my lunch, my Tervis Tumbler of my breakfast smoothie in my hands. I was loaded down as usual. I have a key ring with toooooooooooooo many keys on it. Usually I can locate my house key easily and in a matter of 2 seconds get the door locked. That morning however, I couldn't seem to figure out which key to use. That's not exactly right...I knew which key I needed, I was fumbling around with the 25 keys on the ring trying to get the right one in the door. And all the while saying not so nice things about it being wet, cold, yada, yada, yada. So...I do get it locked, get to my car and boogie. I'm not late, but bordering on it. What's my point you ask? Here it is....the last two blocks of my drive a car sped through a stop sign about 30 yards in front of me. Never braked at all. Think about it. Timing. I wonder how many circumstances that we consider 'ughs', how many times things take a little too long, in actuality are blessings. Had I found my key as fast as I normally do, well, that car coming so fast through that stop sign would most probably have rammed right into the driver's side of my door. Immediately I knew that my fumbling fingers had most probably saved me from a wreck. Don't you wonder how many times you have missed these types of scenarios and never even realized it. How many near misses you've had and been oblivious to it? Timing.....God's timing. Miraculous.

Same and Not So Much........

I am a reader. Are you? I always have a book or Kindle in my hand. Well, not always, but you get the picture. I love to talk books. Gonna get something straight right away.....I am NOT a deep thinker nor reader. I do not read much of social value. I read to make new friends, go new places and somehow have a new life for however long I can immerse myself in a book. People who don't like to read are mysteries to me. I just can't fathom this personality trait. But I imagine I have many traits that are mysteries to most people, okay, probably everybody. Which brings me to my point. We are all a mixture of traits, and habits and thoughts and likes and dislikes. We are a combination unique unto ourselves. And in our uniqueness we live our lives meshed with those who both share our traits and those who are very different. I find the bond of friendship fascinating. I am so blessed to have several very close friends. I hope you are too. But the fascinating thing is what draws people together. I'm sure that shared likes and dislikes play a part in it, but there are many people whom I know that share my love of reading, yet we're not close friends. I have very close friends who are supremely creative. Me,ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, not so much. Not a creative bone in my body...can't sew, can't draw, can hardly spell artist. I have friends who love sports, and those who don't. I have friends who love animals and those who don't. The list goes on and on. So what is it that draws friends together? What forms that bond that seems to be endlessly stretchable? I'm curious, but at the end of the day, the how doesn't matter. The why is pointless. It's just the AM that is priceless. I wish friends for you. I wish close ties for you. I wish togetherness and shared laughter and tears for you. And most of all I hope you ARE a friend to someone. This is a blessing beyond measure.

Saddened...................

I try to read something inspirational most mornings. The past few weeks I've been RE-reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. I've read this book many times and with each reading, I find something I have missed, and something I can delve into and use. It was several minutes after I put down the book this Monday morning that I learned of the suicide of Mr. Warren's son this past Saturday. Of course any death is sad, but particularly of a young person at his own hand. The article I read spoke of the mental issues that this young man had been battling his entire life. So I began to think of how no one is immune to tragedy. No one is outside the realm of grief and shock. I don't propose to even begin to understand the depth of despair the Warren's must be in at this time. I'm sure that possibly some of you do. And if you do, my heart is broken for you. Life happens both in its joy and sadness to all of us. Questions are left unanswered. Puzzles are left with scattered pieces. We ask why and are met with silence. We can react in many ways. We can scream out our blame, or we can turn inward in our agony. We can become someone who is unrecognizable even to ourselves. A myriad of actions and emotions can and do evolve. Lives must never be taken for granted. Joy must never be assumed. This very moment is the biggest of your life because it may be your last. And so my thought is this.........if your heart and the hearts of your loved ones are beating, if you treasure your people and are treasured in return, what more could you want? Whether you have read the book, whether you think Rick Warren is a gifted leader or some sort of New Age guru doesn't matter. What matters is that you understand that no matter your success or lack thereof, you have the responsibility to take life as it comes and realize that relationships are golden. And they are not to be buried, even for a second, hour or a day. I bet Rick Warren would give everything he owns for five more minutes with his son. Love well my friends. It truly is your purpose.

I am a Believer..................

I am a Believer of great things. Sometimes this is hard for even Opti-the-Mystic me. Some days I'd rather be bleak and black and bored and basically bummed. But at the very bottom of my soul Belief always rises. I believe that life is a wonder. I believe that things that worry just use up valuable time. I believe that rains will come. I believe that futures will brighten. I believe that purposes will be met. I believe that values will grow. I believe that friendships will heal. I believe that families will unite. I believe that support will be felt. I believe that everything has it's own time and place and patience is a virtue. I believe that Monday will turn into Tuesday. What do you believe? Whatever it is;I hope it makes your heart swell and your spirits rise and your little light shine. Have a good one Guys and Dolls.

Choices.......

First, let me apologize for the appearance of this blog. My Internet is down as it has been for days, so writing from my phone is a challenge. I picked the subject Choice today because I woke up thinking about my Sunday and how it is unscripted. Most of us have weekdays that are pretty much arranged for us. We have jobs and/or other obligations that require our being here, there and yon. But Sundays for us are a different matter. The Bible says that God had a busy six days and then He chose to rest on the seventh. So too do you have a choice about your day. Will you choose to worship, will you choose to stay at home? Will you choose to work in the yard, or will you choose to take a nap? Will you choose to watch TV or will you choose to read a book? Will you choose to cook or eat out? Choices are wonderful things You can stay home and still worship. You can lay on the couch and mentally plan your flower beds. You can read a book and imagine what a great movie it would be. Whatever your choices are for this day will ripple out to your future. Choose to rest, your body will benefit. Choose to worship, your faith will grow, choose to read, your mind will expand. Choose to worry, your stress level will rise. Choose to gossip, your conscience will darken. In many ways Sundays give us more room for choices both good and bad. I hope today you make those choices that are good for your mind, body and soul.

Skeletons...............

I've been thinking of skeletons lately....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....not as in Halloween. More the type that are hanging 'in your closet'. We all have skeletons we'd like to hide. Yes you do!! Admit it. They may not be our doing, may be familial, but we consider them skeletons none the less. Well, I say it's time to clean out those closets. How can you make room for bright new clothes, plans and futures if you have too many skeletons taking up room? Let them go!! Get over them!! The past is just that. Of course you've made mistakes, or Great Uncle Fred disgraced the family years ago. But you know what? Who cares? People have, are and will talk. But people do not define you. If you let that rattling ole skeleton use up valuable space then you lose part of the air you breath, the smiles meant only for you and the wonder of your world. Your present is now. Your future is yet to come. The past is something that must be gotten over; it can't be redone, but it can be a learning experience. Make it just that. Whether your overcrowded with your old bones, or someone else's, it's all the same. They are robbing you of your days. Forgive yourself; forgive Fred; forgive whoever is crowding your space. Bury those skeletons and as you do, realize that you remake your life everyday. Go Get It!