Combinations...

I put a new profile pic up on FB and my long time friends began to comment on whether I looked like my mom or my dad. In reality, I'm sure I'm a combination of both. So this begins my thought process this morning on combinations. We have so many in this life. We combine ingredients to make food, colors to make outfits, furniture to make a room look exactly right. In reality, I think the biggest Combinations we should focus on are attitudes, and outlooks and formulas for not only making our lives better, but also those lives around us. We are all surrounded by combinations of personalities of our co-workers, our bosses, our friends, family and children. These are all just thrown into the skillet of our days and left to simmer.....or boil over. Some days we stir the pot and some days we just let it happily bubble on the stove. But the bottom line is that all of life is a combination,a putting together and then a result. And it is in our power to throw in an ingredient and possibly take one out. Pull the anger, increase the understanding, lift the hope, lose the criticism, throw in an extra dash of encouragement. Please be aware there are many parts of your day you can't control, but you CAN control the combination of reaction. Don't throw out handfuls of hurt just to watch it boil, or extra cups of judgement to make yourself feel better. Instead measure out helping hands, gentle words and belly laughs. These are the combinations of a really great person, someone who lights a room, heals a hurt, helps their world. I hope today your Combination of Life is great.....after all, you are the chef.

Request.......................

Word of the Day..... Request....n.,...the act or instance of asking for something. Someone the other day REQUESTED that I start doing a Word of the Day again. So here goes. We'll talk about requests. How do you respond to a request? I'm going to bet that your reaction relies on two things...who made it and if it fits into your day. Now, I'm not saying that we turn our backs on any request that doesn't come from a friend or family member, nor am I saying we deny all requests that don't fit into our busy schedules. My question wasn't whether you DO a request, but how you RESPOND to a request. I think your response might say more about you than the actual doing. In other words, your REaction speaks louder than your action. Think about your circle of friends and family. I bet that you can immediately name the ones who will step out and do what's needed without hesitation. I'm also betting that you can visualize those people in your lives who will do what is needed,but not without grumbling, or self absorption in themselves and how good it is of them to do what's asked of them. Some people are just naturally giving; they understand that while inconveniences happen, their lives CAN and DO not just revolve around themselves. Others are well, more selfish, more self involved, more interested in the pats on their back than the giving of themselves and their time. Okay fine....here ya go. I can just hear you saying yeah, but some people have more time. They don't have my crazy schedule of work, and kids and yadayadayada. And I'll concede that. But here's the thing. Helping hands are always needed in some form or fashion. Involvement is not always easy, but when the chips are down, the going gets rough, the climb is enormous, then whether busy or not, we all need to step out of our zone and help. And do it without complaint nor expectations of paybacks. So here is my REQUEST for today. If someone you know needs something...maybe something small and easy...maybe not so much. AND if you decide to get involved. Do it for the right reasons. Do it because it's just the thing to do. Not for self glory, not for self recognition, but because you have been helped, people have stepped up to your plate, folks have at times been there for you.

Measure....

There are things you can measure in your life......things like the amount of flour you need in a recipe, the length of a drape over a window, the height of a piece of furniture you want to put in that special place.......the width of your hips.......that thought makes me want to put a lock on my fridge door. But there are also things you can't measure and I am convinced these are the most precious. You can't measure the happiness of someone's smile, you can't measure the depth of love you have for your children. It is impossible to measure the well of friendship. No one can measure trust, faith, commitment. And here's the most special thing. You don't need to measure these things. It's entirely enough to just realize they are there. Why would you even attempt to measure what these things mean to you? They are gifts and gifts should never be judged by their amount. So today, my thought to pass on to you is put up that tape. Enjoy the things in life that are limitless and realize that those things are what your life is about. Receive them and then return them to the ones who make your life measureless.

Rituals....

We all have rituals and they are comforting to us. Actually, I think I could call them habits, but rituals makes me sound more well, sophisticated, and we all know I need all the help I can get on that scorecard. Think about your day. I'm guessing that you do pretty much the same thing every morning, unless you look at the clock and realize you're still horizontal when you should be sitting at your desk. Then you might just cut out some of your daily habits. But let's pretend it's a normal day. You have first thoughts......not sure about you, but mine is...."What the heck is today?". Then I'm either up and going about getting the day started or having a little more zzzzzzzzzzzz time because I've hit the jackpot and it's the weekend. But nonetheless, whether it's a work day or a weekend, I do have a morning ritual. I'm not the most organized person in the world.......stop nodding your head.....but I do like things done in order when it comes to getting myself out the door.....thus, my ritual. My dog knows my morning routine as does my cat. They know exactly when to expect their treats, when to go to the bathroom to sit while I shower and then when to look hungry again, just in case I"ll give them another tidbit. So, they too, have morning rituals. Their little canine, feline hearts would be broken if they didn't get their treats, and get to sit with me in the morning as I dress for the day. I fear they are both blind as THAT part of my routine, isn't a pretty sight. Anyway, my point is....we are creatures of habit and our habits...aka rituals....bring us comfort. Some of us are 'up and runners and get out the door', some of us are 'dawdlers and sitters and slowly make our way to work'. Not matter what your routine...it's yours and to follow it brings you comfort. It's something about control in a world of chaos. It sets the tone of your day......as it does mine. I pride myself on control of my day, being in the driver's seat......then I hit the front door of BHS and 135 teenage souls take that control and twist is, mangle it and the fun begins. But just for a tiny while...early in the morning, I'm ruler of my kingdom and the Queen of my rituals. Happy Friday Guys and Dolls.....may your day be exactly what it needs to be to make YOU the ruler of your world.

Understand......

There are many things in life you're just NOT going to understand. For me...probably more than most. I don't understand how my Keurig works...but it does. I don't understand how my microwave works.....but it does. I don't understand how this laptop works.....but it does. Thank the Lord somebody does understand all of the above and so we have these wonderfully handy devices. I'll just go ahead and admit I don't know how geometry, algebra or calculus works and I don't CARE that I don't understand any of the above. But there are those of you who love and understand them.....bless your hearts. :))) But I do understand a few things. I have somewhat of a good grasp on the need to connect with people, on the need to lend a helping hand when you can and on the need to grab a helping hand when offered. I do understand that we aren't meant to be Islands unto Ourselves. We just can't go it alone all the time. Now, I'm the first to admit that at times, I will become a self-imposed hermit. Those that know me understand this. But even though I've 'dropped' out for awhile, I'm still aware of my need for people who care. And I have the need to care for people. So here is the point of this early morning ramble. We need things, we need conveniences, but most of all we NEED people....friends and family. We need those hands held out to us. And we need to be able to return the favor. So if today is a day someone needs you.....recognize it. If today is a day that you're in need.....let someone help. Not only will you be doing yourself a favor, but also you will allow that friend or family member to extend their love. Today I'll sit in Attendance Committee meetings at school and I'll hear why some of our students haven't met the State Texas Attendance requirements. Most will be understandable reasons, but some will be that the student sitting before us has nobody who cares to lend them a hand and see that they come to school. Some have burdens at 15 that you or I didn't have until we were out of college. Breaks my heart. So, today, as I pass along rules and regs that have been imposed on us by the Lone Star.....rules and regs that we can't change, I'll also have at times little pieces of my heart broken for these kids. If you remember or acknowledge nothing else about this journal, please recognize that this world needs your hand held out to help.....in any way you can.

I Lied.............

Yep, lied, spoke with forked tongue......I'm admitting it right now. I wrote in a blog a few days ago that I was not going to blog for awhile as I worked on a book. Well, you folks who know me well, know that I can NOT keep my mouth shut for very long. So I'm raising my right hand and under oath admitting I lied. I missed this daily rambling. As I knowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww you miss it. Okay fine...maybe you don't. At this point, you can shut 'er down. So I began to wonder why I miss this blogging. I'm not silly enough to think that I save lives and change minds and set attitudes with my blah blah blahs.....thus I've come to the conclusion that this journaling is a selfish thing. I just like it. It sets the tone of my day. It gives me a release to my jumbled up thoughts and allows them to walk through the Exit door of my mind. I think anything we do has a purpose, especially if we do it over and over and over. And these repeated habits can either be positive or destructive. In this case ....for me.....it's a very positive habit. And we know it's all about ME. MmmmmmmmmHmmmmmmmm. Am I continuing to write that book....I sure am. And by the way, I want to give thanks to all those poor folks who are suffering through reading it as it spews out on the page and giving me feed back. But the book is not INSTANT gratification. It's not hot water poured over a tea bag that seeps for a few minutes then is ready. It's more like those ingredients you put in your crock pot and must simmer and bake. So I'm back to blogging from time to time. It clears my mind. I hope that you have something in your life that clears your thoughts, lightens your days and hopefully gets you a big Thank You from time to time. And before I close this ramblin' I do want to say, I know it's not all about ME. It's all about US. And most importantly it's all about our understanding that we each have a purpose and to live it is to acknowledge that we are creatures of God who find our purpose through and in and for Him.

How Many Times..............

We had no water last night...well, from mid afternoon until about 9. Something was amiss between the Brannan Farm and town. But here's the thing.....I lost count of how many times I walked by and turned the faucet. Not to check to see if it was back on, but because I needed water for something and I had forgotten it was not there. The convenience of water is just that.....a convenience that I rely on many many times a day. So that brings me to my point. What conveniences do we overlook every day? What do we have in our lives that just seem part of the norm and we never really give appreciation for the fact that we can turn a faucet, flip a switch or punch a button and things spring to life to give us what we need at that exact second? It was cold in the house this morning so I flipped the thermostat up. I wanted coffee.....immediately.. so I pushed the button on the Keurig. I neede to catch up on FB and blog so I punched the button on my computer. I checked my cell to see what texts had come in overnight from my night owl friends. So my morning of 30 minutes has been punch, flip and check. I want to read in a bit so I'll turn on my Kindle. I need to go to town so I'll simply walk out the door and turn the key in my car and off I'll go. My husband often says....wouldn't it be great to have lived 100 years ago? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....NO!! No flip, turn or push isn't my dream life. This leads me to point B. If we are unaware of those types of things, what else in our lives do we simply accept without realizing the impact they have on us? Stop! Right now! Think about your house, family and friends. Who and what do you overlook as just something or something that is there simply to make your life easier? I bet the list is long if you're truly honest. So today, why don't we show some type of appreciation with a hug or a word or an acknowledgement. No, you don't have to pat your faucets, nor kiss your thermostat. But if there is SOMEONE to thank...do it! If there is someone to hug.......do it! But most importantly be that person that realizes life isn't just about you. It's about surroundings and people and blessings. Be aware that things and folks can disappear in a blink of an eye. Don't pass through life unaware. You, my friend, are blessed and are a blessing. Count your many blessings....name them one by one. Sound familiar? I challenge you on this Saturday to do just that. Let's name them!