Now......

My Thought for this Day.......last night I watched an amazing group of young people walk through a huge Portal of Life. They are now set free of the bonds of BHS. Those bonds were at times velvet ropes......sometimes chain links. Today I will attend the saying goodbye to a woman who lived life long and well. She raised wonderful daughters, walked with God and lived many years on this earth. My reflection is this........new promises lead to certain endings. So as we rise and meet each one of our own days, the success is not in action but in the awareness that leads to that action, the awareness that each day you leave your very own impact on this earth. How, this day, will you love, help, instruct? What matters isn't your past nor your future, it's your now.

Shoot Myself....

I wrote this blog and did this actions months ago. Now.....I think I wanna shoot myself. ................. Now you might find this a very strange subject three days before Christmas but I am about to take a huge leap. And quite frankly I am scared. No......one step further...I am terrified. I am going to throw away ALL OF MY BATHING SUITS. There it's out in the open and you should hold me accountable for this statement. You do know what this entails....right? Yep.....you got it. Doing the scariest shopping ever known to any woman....A N Y W O M A N!! I don't care who you are...that's some scary shopping. But since my very favorite thing to do is broil in the hot sun further advancing my brown spots and wrinkling my face, I will charge into the mall with Debit Card firmly tucked in hand and buy some new suits......I will not be shy, I will not hide in the dressing room afraid to come out and let anybody see me, I will boldly buy new suits.....and I am lying through my teeth. I will cower, I will be a shrinking violet, I will be a mess. But ya know what? That's months away, so I'm going to act as if that day will never come and clean out the bathing suit drawer. Thank you for your support. Months away has arrived!!!!

Plans......

My Thought for this Day......What plans God has in my future may not be in yours. Nor yours in mine. But here's the thing. The blessing is to go on living no matter what your stepping stones are. Today they may be pebbles and tomorrow boulders. It is the walking in truth and light that makes your steps straight, strong and miraculous. So you stumble? Don't we all? So you're weary? Aren't we all? But nothing continues forever....not good nor bad fortune. Not sunshine nor storms. Not darkness nor light. What does continue with a certainty that has lasted from the beginning of time is the strength of the human spirit and heart. We are all touched everyday by unseen powerful forces that lift us from out depths and carry us on wings of goodness and grace. Don't you dare turn your back on this. Don't you dare disregard the power that can be yours for the taking. Stop! Think! Act! And then as is written, pass it on. For your power will lift those who stumble before you. And those behind you will carry you when you falter. Draw in this truth. It is life changing. It is how you and I and generations to come must live if we are truly to know what miracles surround us.

Teach....

My Thought for this Day.....Sometimes it's hard to teach the lessons we must teach. But as parents, bosses, teachers, or whatever role you find yourself, in certain circumstances, the challenge of teaching is ours. When and if this is your duty, and the lesson is hard, learn to instruct with grace and hope.......not with criticism and power. To tear and rip a soul is something irreparable. Don't be the person who does that.

Receiving.......

My Thought for this Day.......There is an old saying........It is better to give than to receive. Indeed, giving is a true blessing. But think of this.......if you don't receive with gratitude and thankfulness, then you are stealing the blessing and joy from the giver. So whichever 'end' you're on.......remember you are part of a wonderfully uplifting action. Learn to receive with Grace. . With that heart you are in fact giving.

Honor.......

My Thought. of this Day.....I heard someone say the other day that Memorial Day is not the day to honor Veterans. Instead, they said, it is the day to honor those who had lost their lives in the line of duty. It is for the ultimate sacrifice. And to that I will proudly stand in honor. I would never presume to belittle that death, that event. But, I will go further and say that any Veteran who fought, had Boots on the Ground, in a combat zone, in a foreign land, also lost their lives. Maybe not physically, but truly emotionally. And on Memorial Day they too should be Honored. Not one returned as the same man or woman who left this country. Not one lived through the trauma of war unscathed. Not one has nor will ever emotionally, mentally, or even physically be the same. The human mind can not take in nor process the brutality of combat without psychological changes. As is known, I have seen this first hand. I have witnessed an emotional battle that has spanned 40+ years. I am now seeing a physical battle begin with this Viet Nam vet that began most probably 40+ years ago. And you know what, he will attack and fight this next battle with the honor and fierceness and with the same courage that he has fought the emotional battle. And so today, we, as a couple, salute those who did die for the United States of America. An I, as a wife of a Viet Nam vet, will salute my husband who has for nearly 5 decades fought and will continue to fight for his country. There is Honor among our military men and women. There is sacrifice and courage. And hats off to you who will stand for the rest of us. Thank You!

Another Repost...Oldie but Goodie!

Boundaries Hippies......I am NOT speaking of the length of a tape measure going around yours or my derriere ....of this I will NEVER SPEAK. Hippies.....those wonderfully free spirits of the 60's. I always wanted to be one......wanted to wear those long flowing skirts and have long flowing hair and do the things that Hippies did. My mother wouldn't let me. Do you think I was the only one ON THE PLANET who asked their mother IF they could be a Hippie? "Hey Mom....can I be a Hippie?" "Sure sweetie...I just spent thousands of dollars on your education at UT, but you go on and get in that van and head out to the Haight." Groovy Dude. Here's the thing. We all need boundaries in our lives. And if we're not smart enough to set them ourselves, we need to learn to allow others to at least offer opinions and then we need to consider those opinions. Boundaries don't always have to be constraints. They can be safety nets, common sense, responsible values used to make sense of our days. It goes without saying that the young need their boundaries set for them and sadly, every day I see parents turn their heads and allow their children to set their own boundaries. For the most part this becomes a TRAIN WRECK. Today I want to encourage you to see your boundaries as a part of life that allows you to live freely but in a respectable manner and most importantly, if you're a parent of a young child, to not be afraid to make those boundaries tall and strong and made of brick. Trust me when I say....at some point that child who thinks you hate them will someday know that you were right.....being that Hippie might have been fun and free and 'in the moment'....but at the end of the day, possibly, just possibly life would have been a wreck in a tie dyed van.

Reprint......Still True

Expandable............ People are expandable.............notice I did NOT say expEndable, although I guess that's true. But, let's talk about expandable people. You are one. Your heart expands when you think there is just no more room. Your mind expands daily. You see new sights,have new thoughts, learn new things. I hope your acceptance of others expands as well. Your tolerance becomes more flexible. You are made to expand, not be stagnant. Stagnation leads to complacency and lethargy and ultimately you see the world from one narrow tunnel that is your rigid limit. People who are curious, people who seek new experiences, people who take a few chances...these people expand and with that expansion live a life that is full. Don't just watch it...DO IT! Don't just read about it....TRY IT!! Whether you're 10, 30 or 90, there are those things that you can welcome into your world and expand with the wonder of them. What new thing is your choice? I wish I knew.

Success......

My Thought for this Day.....Being the better person is not being the most successful.....unless you count gratitude, acceptance and sincerity. Working for any other type of success might lead to financial gain, but the question remains.......where does this leave your inner core, your heart, your soul?

Growth.....

My Thought for this Day...........I think that it is quite possible to love someone so much that you truly hold them a prisoner in your life. You clip their wings, you bar their door to expansion, you stymy their growth. This, I'm sure can and is done intentionally, as well as unintentionally. It is said that you can never love someone too much. But in fact, I think you can. And with that love your fears of their stumbles, and hurts and failures, forces you to tether them to you so tightly that you take each step....not beside them....but before them to make sure their path is even and smooth. This isn't life; no one blossoms without being blown hither and yon from time to time. No caterpillar becomes a butterfly without internal strength and struggle. No chick survives unless the process of breaking through the hard shell of the egg is done alone. We grow only through trials and tribulations. We blossom only by surviving the thunderstorms as well as the sunny days. So when you look at your inner circle, make sure you haven't built a security fence so high that those enclosed can never truly live.

Tide.....

My Thought for this Day......The human range of emotion is as wide and vast as the sea. And like the mighty ocean it is wave after wave of change and pull. Tides go in and then are pulled back out as the day becomes night and the seasons change. Such are the emotions that can overload us one day with happiness and then like an invisible pull throw us into despair. Once again, we are revealed and unveiled as being an infinitesimal, yet integral part of Mother Nature. How complex our being is.

Truth......

My Thought for this Day.........I think sometimes circumstances that surround you....maybe not even involve you....but surround you, are meant to teach. Your reaction to these happenings reveals a lot about your character. Do you respond with human feelings of jealousy or guilt? Do you hope that just possibly bubbles will burst and fortunes will pop like a balloon with too much air? Or do you stand and applaud and revel in the success of friends and family? Examining your heart in these times teaches you oh so much about you. Lessons so well learned.

Capacity.....

My Thought for this Day......What is your capacity? We all have several. Some we need to fill to overflowing and some we need to drain much like a stopped up sink. The trick is to acknowledge those capacities that endure with strength and love and goodness and maintain them with special efforts of our being. This alone will take the spotlight off of those wells of evil , jealousies, greediness, and self- centered ness that need to drain down their murky paths. Do the work that must be done in order to maintain your capacities that will run over and help fill those around you. Stop and figure it out. Sit and dwell in yourself until you recognize good vs evil. Be that person that is glorious for others.....not just yourself.

Self......

My Thought for this Day......If you think for one second that you are setting an example, then you must reset your sails. You must understand that the responsibility you shoulder not only affects you, but also anyone who is watching. When you live solely encased in you, then those tendencies of selfishness and self centered ness are hurting no one but yourself. If indeed, you are propelling yourself into the world, if you are promoting your lifestyle, if you want to be watched, then make sure the example you set, is worthy. For at that point not only are you walking your path, you are trying to carve the paths of others.

Dodge......

My Thought for this Day.......At times life throws you curve balls. Some believe the dodging is the most important part. But truly, I think it may just be your reaction when your miss the dodge and get hit in the face. That brings out your true qualities of strength, determination, and resolve. That brings out the true you!

Lights....

My Thought for this Day.........I weep for those women who throw away the greatest blessing God bestows upon them....for there are many. The beating heart of your child is an extension of your own. How can you not feel the tug, the rips, the tears when you turn away? My greatest joy is the light in my children's eyes. How dark would the crevices be, if I couldn't share their joys, and their sorrows. Thank you God.......I don't deserve these treasures, and I am humbled by their presence.

Healing.....

My Thought for this Day........Sometimes reality becomes skewed. Or at least it does in my life. The world is a huge, wonderful, yet dangerous place emotionally. It can be entertaining, enlightening, or suck the life out of you. And this does happen to both the weak and the strong. So with that said, I think the trick is to realize, you must face yourself everyday with peace. And learning the art of healing peace is essential. There are many paths to choose to walk into your garden of tranquility. I hope you find yours, and when necessary, use it to heal, refresh and reboot.

Random Thought............

Just a random Thought in the Middle of the Day........Live your life in 3D.......there are people/things/actions 360* around you to take your breath away. One dimensional is arrogant and self absorbed.

Reprint......

Reprint of a long ago Blog...........Brand........And I don't mean the brand of detergent you buy, or green beans, or coffee, or cereal. I mean YOUR brand. The Brannan Farm has a brand that has been registered with the great State of Texas for generations. It is how things are marked around our place. As an animal lover I don't like to think about the use of brands in the sense of the Brannan Farm brand, so let's talk about how we each and every one brand our own lives. Our Brands are the choices we make, the words we speak, the attitudes we display, the expectations we put on ourselves. How have you branded yourself? Are you a generic brand? Are you a specialty brand, an organic brand? Do you even KNOW what your brand is? Do you care? Hear this, how you brand yourself reflects on your children, your family and your influence on your very tiny part of this world. How you brand yourself affects not only your present but your future. How you brand yourself is your life. In fact, your brand is burned into every waking moment. Be very careful about your Brand. It is your legacy.

I.......

My Thought for this Day.........Very simple concept today. Count the number of times you say I.

Dry........

My Thought for this Day.......If you live in Texas, you understand the word Parched. We are an arid and parched land right now. We are conserving water; we are desperately in need of rain. We are dry. I wonder today if maybe the word parched just might touch our lives in other ways. Sometimes we are simply as withered and thirsty as our soil. Do you feel it? Has there been a time when the life seems to have been sucked right out of you. Does your soul and spirit have cottonmouth? I'm gonna guess if you are reading this, then you are nodding. It's the human experience. We over extend, we stress out, we lose the joy that is life. So here is my thought. When this happens, stop........take a big gulp of YOU. You are a living breathing miracle. Visualize that! You....a miracle! How foolish to let yours or others actions, thoughts, routines, cares, take that away from you. I'm reading your mind right now and you're thinking 'I don't have time!' Yep, you do. Oh no, I have kids, I have this, I have that. Uh huh, but you have YOU! Five minutes of you......breathing deeply, sitting silently, exhale your cares, and inhale your marvels. Whatever it takes, don't let life take the phenomenon of you and turn it into anything less.

Weeds....

My Thought for this Day..........if you are not living outside yourself, you are living a lonely, selfish, self contained life. Listen to this. Today and tomorrow and all of your tomorrows are finite. They will end. And when the period of your life is written, and you have not grown a garden of plants blooming with their faces turned toward the sun and stars, then your weeds of self serving attitudes have smothered the wonderful seeds of what life truly is. How sad that those who live beyond you must weed your garden to truly see who you were. I wonder if they will take the time, make the effort, hoe the rows? You finish this with your heart and soul and spirit. The ending is not mine, but yours.

Knit.....

My Thought for this Day........A few days ago someone asked me why I didn't do a Word of the day like I used to. And frankly I can't say I can answer that. So on this Monday morning of 2014' I'm returning to 2012 and My Word for the Day.........

Knit......v.t.,......to form by interlacing yarn or thread in a series of connected loops. My mother was a knitter. We would go to the yarn store and I would pick out the most gorgeous yarn and she would knit me wonderful sweaters. Bless her heart....she tried and tried to make me a knitter as well. Let me tell you, I would rather clean every gutter in Ft Worth than to try and knit a sweater. I am NOT nor every will be a knitter. Come at me with a needle and thread of any kind and I start backing up. And yet....I AM a knitter, as we all are. We all knit together the yarns and threads of our being. We make priorities and we put things back in the drawers of our lives for later times. How great is it that we have this opportunity? Now, I think there is more than one kind of knitter. My mom, would be at the end of a sweater and look up 20 rows and see some tiny tiny little mistake, and then would unravel the entire sweater to fix it. I would look and look for that mistake and beg her to leave it as no one would ever notice. She would look at me with raised eyebrows and say...."I would". I imagine there are those knitters who think......it's okay, I"m the only one who will ever notice this tiny mistake, so I'm leaving it. And frankly, I think that's fine too. The point of all this ramblin' is we each have an amazing opportunity to knit our lives with wonderful gorgeous thread. We can make simple or intricate patterns with each day. We can unravel the yarn and redo or we can go happily about our business. The point isn't that we unravel or not; the point isn't that we make simple or intricate patterns. The point is we have the opportunity to be our own knitter. Then we show off our sweaters to the world. Are you proud of what you knit? It doesn't matter how expensive your thread is, nor how accomplished a knitter you are. What matters is the chance we are given to knit at all!

Awareness....

My Thought for this Day........The sense of awareness is not absolute. It is not a package that comes with a pretty bow. It is not a neon sign that blinks over the heads of people in your life. It is not an innate human emotion. It is not eyesight, hearing, touching nor tasting. It is coming out of yourself to be present in others. It is taking the prize out of your basket and giving it to someone else. It is realizing that there are people around you who walk with you and talk with you and yet, you have no clue their tears, nor fears, nor hurts, nor hopes, nor dreams because you simply have not honed your sense of awareness. Whether due to selfishness or ignorance or indifference, you have not been present. Take stock and if your thoughts and word are 'all about me'. If you hear someone speak of hurt, but can't wait for them to hush so you can tell your story. If you know they've been hurt, and you sympathize for an hour or a day, them turn your back to continue your life, then shame on you. We've all been guilty of this. We've all lived in a 'what about me ' world. But the hope is that today you can change. Get OVER and OUT of yourself. Get off that train of ulterior motives, and self preservation and get on the train of reaching down and pulling up and truly listening.....not just hearing. You know someone you can help. You know someone who simply needs an ear, and possibly a warm human touch. We all wear cloaks of disguise. We all fight vulnerability. Yet we all yearn for that warmth of......yes someone does care. So I'll end this, by saying for me, this reaching out is a necessity because I....at this point in my life......in this circumstance of living.....see that there is oh so much I can do. I hope you understand my thought. I hope you turn your eyes outward instead of inward. I hope you will become the difference in someone's life. For truly, the life you save, you enrich, you reward will be your own.

Reverence.......

My Thought for this Day........there are many moments in life, that when recognized, even though common, are reverent. No singing of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, no dissension of Heavenly beings, just simple moments in life that tie people one to another. It is a connection, a chain, a soft sweet rope of bringing human spirits together, if even for a second, a minute, an hour. And then it's over.....physically and emotionally over. But here's the thing. If you are aware, if your sensory button is on, if your heart is open, you recognize that random happening, circumstance for what it was. You feel deeply and know that occurrence was meant to be....that it was a lesson, a softening of your soul, a filling of your spirit, a building of your joy of life. I think these moments are precious. And sadly, I think they are too often overlooked as we hurry and scurry and stay oh so very focused on 'us'. I hope you never miss a moment of what is totally yours shared with whomever is standing before you, and is a link in your velvet rope of existence. I hope you know that you can learn and teach at the most seemingly everyday mundane minutes. Most of all I hope you recognize that life isn't just a stacking up of seconds, minutes, hours, days that you endure because you have to. Never forget that the breath of life should never be taken for granted and simply endured. Recognize reverence in your life....take it in and more importantly breath it out. Sharing that joy with anyone....both friend or stranger.....empowers you. Then you step up and step out and become whom you are meant to be.

Foundations......

My Thought for this Day......We all stand on something. We stand on our own insecurities. We stand on our rock of faith. We stand on the promises of God. Each and every one of us not only stand ON something we stand FOR something. I firmly believe that what we stand on, determines what we stand for. So look down. On what are your feet planted? How firm is your foundation? Do you take each step precariously, or do you walk with strength and purpose? I do know this to be very true, those whose steps are tentative and fearful, lead a life of more darkness than light because for the most part, they are walking in someone else's shadow. So today, let's all work on our foundations. Let's throw in those extra planks of generosity and caring. Let's add that extra bag of concrete self awareness and worth. Let's make our own personal foundation one that when someone else needs to stand close they can join us where we stand for our foundations are powerful.