Shirley is the proud mother of two beautiful young ladies. She enjoys spending time with them on their ranch in the deep South with their three paint horses. Always looking for an adventure, she looks forward to hikes in the mountains chasing waterfalls, or scouring the coast for beautiful lighthouses! Shirley writes to encourage others and often times shares things that motivate and inspire her. She believes in living life to the fullest because no one is promised the gift of another day. Join her as we honor our bodies, minds, hearts, souls, and our Almighty Creator, God above!
This is the last official holiday of the summer. What are your plans? Whatever you do, please take time to enjoy the moment. Forget about the problems you have been dealing with. Put them on the back burner for now. There isn’t much that can be done about them any way at this point in time. Just take the long weekend to try to relax and unwind the best that you can.
If it’s where you can, plan an outing with your family or friends. Take advantage of every single moment that you can spend with those that you love. Make memories with these precious people in your life.
A lot of times we are sitting in front of someone, but we are not present with them. Our minds are a million miles away, and often times, it shows on our faces and in our lack of contributing to the conversation. Put down those cell phones also and pay attention the ones that are there with you. Vow to be intentionally focused when you’re with family and friends. Focus on them and enjoy the moment instead of thinking of what is on your “to do” list next week or what work you’ll have to go back to after the holiday weekend. Simplify your life. Life is to be lived and enjoyed to the fullest not packed with so much to do with so little time.
Take this weekend to just … be. Whether it’s being one with nature, being in the presence of those you love dearly, or just being still and one with God and the universe. Enjoy each and every moment that you have been given this weekend.
The prompt word has been posted for tonight for this edition of Five Minute Friday. It is: Reach.
And now we begin:
I have reached a point in my life where I no longer worry about the opinions others may have of me. When once it used to bother me when I would hear people whispering about me and giving me those up and down looks, now I just take a deep breath in and give it to God. I realize that I am not in control of any one else. I am only in control of myself and my actions. If you haven’t reached this point yet, give it time. As you grow older, things of this sort will not matter as much any more. You won’t sit up at night losing sleep over this like you once did. You won’t try to go out of your way to reach this person, to change their opinion of you, to make things better like before. You will just simply pray for them and hand it all to God to work out. It used to bug me when someone didn’t like me before. I wanted everyone to like me. The reality of it is that not every one will. I like me and God likes me, and that, my dear friends, is enough!
STOP!
Share your Five Minute Friday thoughts with us here in the comments, or if you have your own blog, link up with us over at Kate’s virtual house.
Today we are going to talk about your listening skills. Do you think you are a good listener? Are you sure that you pay attention to details in a conversation? Or, do you sit there as the person is talking thinking of all of the things that you will say the moment they stop talking? How about this. Have you been known to interrupt a person often as they are speaking to be sure that your voice is heard in the conversation? Do you interject when you really should be listening silently and actively paying attention to every single thing they are saying?
If we are honest with ourselves, we can be rude creatures. We just have to get our two cents in, so we interrupt or talk over people. Then we rationalize that what we said just had to be said at that very moment to make an impact. Well, what happened to politely listening, then speaking at the end when you’re sure the other person has finished speaking?
I’m not calling any one out on this, just asking you to be more aware the next time you’re engaged in a conversation with someone. I have been guilty of this very same thing, so please know, I am no saint when it comes to this. I do strive to be a better listener. I even fold my hands in my lap as I wait patiently for my turn to speak. This helps me be aware of my need to remain silent until the appropriate time to speak.
How are you when it comes to details? Can you remember what someone said after the conversation is over, or do you really halfheartedly listen as they are speaking? I have also been guilty of this as well. Again, it is something that I am working on to give the individuals my undivided attention. They deserve this, and I would want the same when I am the one that is speaking.
Then this one takes the cake. How about a person that listens attentively, pays attention to details, waits patiently until you are finished speaking before they give their thoughts on the subject matter, AND remembers what you’ve said not just immediately after the conversation but stores this information in their head for later use? Now THAT is impressive. I know a person just like this. He is the shy, quiet type. He sits quietly when in a crowd of people, rarely saying anything much at all, just soaking it all in. He would rather be in the background instead of in the spotlight, although he’s no stranger to the spotlight either when it’s appropriate. He is aware of everything that is going on, although some times people think he has tuned out somewhat. He is storing up the information to pull out of his brain bank for special occasions like holidays or birthdays. Then there’s the “just because” gifts that he gives from that stash of important data filed away.
This individual just recently called me asking if I would do him a favor. He said he needed me to check out something for him, and possibly do a blog post on the place he was sending me. I gathered my pen and paper, preparing to write down the address for the location he wanted me to go to for my assignment. As my pen was still in motion writing down the address, he tells me the name of the place: The Jim Booth Art Gallery. My ears perked up immediately. Then he tells me that my assignment is actually to pick up my birthday present from this location. Oh my gosh! Imagine my excitement! I have never been to this art gallery before! Now not only do I get to tour the gallery and soak in all of the beauty before me, but I get to take a beautiful picture home with me!!
Now as good as the above was, is, and sounds, here is the best part. He remembered that I had commented on this particular piece once before. I had almost forgotten that until he asked if I remembered the picture. I had to stop and think for a second, then it occurred to me. I HAD remarked about how pretty I thought that picture was, never imagining in a million years that I would own one and have it hanging up in my living room! He made all of that happen … and he gave me a wonderful birthday present … all because he was paying attention to details when we were having a conversation together.
What is the picture that I am absolutely thrilled to have on display in my home? Look no further than the below … in all of it’s beauty and wonder … Jim Booth’s painting of the Morris Island Lighthouse as it once stood complete with the home of the lighthouse keeper! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you … my most favorite lighthouse of all:
Let’s all take notes from Mr. Johnson, shall we? Thank you, my dear friend, from the very bottom of my heart for always listening attentively and paying attention to details, even though I have been known to ramble a lot and get lost in what I am saying along the way. Thank you for surprising me with an early birthday present as grand as this and for ALL of the many “care packages” you have sent throughout the 17 years (as of this writing) that I have been blessed to call you my friend. Whether you know it or not, you are family. And, I see I am going to have to watch what I say around you in the future. 🙂
I saw a saying on Facebook this week that went something like this:
You would never invite a thief into your house. So, why would you allow thoughts that steal your joy to make themselves at home in your mind?
That statement makes a very good point, but I thought it needed a little more. Thus, this blog post was born!
We do it all the time! You know it’s true as you’re guilty of it yourself. Intrusive thoughts worm their way into our minds throughout the day. Some times we can quickly dismiss them when we realize the garbage that is trying to fill our heads. Other times it is hard to stop obsessing over those same thoughts that just will not go away.
We beat ourselves up over things in the past. Things that we have no power to change now. The past is history. It’s over, except for the memory left behind. Good or bad, it is up to you whether you allow the good from the situation to remain engraved in your memory or whether you will allow the bad that occurred to overshadow the fun times and good memories. Which would you rather focus on? Surely not the bad. Then why DO we allow those bad thoughts to remain? Kick them out! Don’t let them live in your head any more. They threaten to steal every bit of your joy and happiness.
It sounds silly to even say this, but I’m going to any way. When an intrusive negative thought just will not go away, command it to do so. Even if you have to say STOP! out loud – DO IT! Force those negative thoughts out by the power of that one word and allow good memories to rush in to take their place. If this doesn’t work, try putting a rubber band around your wrist. If you find yourself obsessing over a negative thought, something that brought you pain in the past, or a situation that was simply out of your control, pop that rubber band! Once you feel the sting of it against your wrist, it will bring you back to the present day and make you realize that the pain that thought provided was not just emotional pain and mental anguish, now it is physically causing pain. This alone should be enough to make you stop hurting yourself with the thoughts that you’re allowing to remain.
Whatever it takes, replace the negatives with positives! Drive out the negative thoughts with bible verses that you’ve memorized. Drive out the negative thoughts by reciting a poem. If that fails, then put on some of your most favorite music and turn it up as loud as you can stand it. Then sing to it to the top of your lungs. I promise you that you will feel better afterwards! But please … don’t put a sad song on repeat. Find something uplifting that will leave you feeling like you’re ready to soar through the sky afterwards like a beautiful eagle or a butterfly visiting the various different flowers on a bright afternoon. Let the music lift you higher and take you to your happy place.
So answer truthfully. Is there a thief in your house? Consider your head the house that we’re speaking of at this point. Have you allowed negative thoughts to occupy your mind? Have they strolled through, kicked back on the couch in your mind and put their feet up while they sip coffee, refusing to leave you in peace? If so, it is time to kick that thief out! Do not allow them to steal one more happy thought from you. Do not allow the thief to take one more positive thing from your mind that is the house. Drive the thief out.
It will take practice, but you can redirect your thinking. It is possible if you view your brain, mind, or your thoughts as the horse and you as the rider. That horse likes to be stubborn at times and do what it wants to do. It wants to go where there is no trail and carry you through briars and bushes, getting you all tangled up along the way. By the time this horse finishes, you’re battered and bruised. But, you can take back control at any time. Pull back on those reins before it’s too late, and redirect this horse. You are the confident rider taking charge and are back in full control again.
Take action today and no longer allow your thoughts to run away with you.
Have you ever read a status update on Facebook and just knew that your friend was talking about you or that post was meant specifically for you? If you have, consider that maybe it really and truly was nothing personal. Maybe it was just a generic post that was put up because the individual that posted it liked what it said. Or, maybe the situation warranted that saying in the past but may not apply currently; however, they just like the way it sounds.
It is hard when we’re in an emotional state not to take things personally. If we could reprogram our brains to function rationally at all times and not emotionally, we would never run into this problem. Here’s the thing. We are humans, and thankfully, we do run off of emotions. That is not a bad thing, but it does get us into a little bit of a pickle on occasions.
There are those that wander around in this world so closed up emotionally that hardly anything bothers them because it simply cannot get past the walls that they’ve put up. Then there are other people that are the complete opposite that wear their feelings on their sleeves. I tend to be one of those people, although I have tried really hard not to take everything on! I have tried to take a deep breath when I have been upset to try to ground and center myself, but there are times when I am not as successful as I would like to be in this situation.
I have been told that I am driven by my emotions. There have been others that have told me that I am “too sensitive” as if that is a character flaw that I possess. In my opinion, it’s not. I would rather be the way that I am any given day than to be someone that is so closed off emotionally that they will not allow another person into their hearts or their lives.
It does take a lot to trust someone and to allow them in to see the real you. In opening up emotionally, you make yourself more vulnerable. A lot of people think that leaves you wide open to being hurt, used, and abused. Not so fast. I would rather live my life as an emotional, sensitive being loving others and trusting them to love me in return than I would to close myself off from the rest of the world. Yes, loving means taking a risk of being hurt. To me, love is worth it and so much more. I’m not just speaking about romantic love but love of friends as well.
If others have hurt you in this life, whether it is a situation of the past that is still troubling you or something that has just recently happened, please know that God is close to the brokenhearted. He will bind up your wounds. He will be there to comfort you and fill you with His unconditional love if you only allow Him to do so. Let God in, and consider tearing down those walls so that others are allowed into the inner depths of the chambers of your heart. Not everyone is out to hurt you. There are some out in this cold, cruel world that just want to love. Allow us to wrap our love around you.
Remember what it was like when you were young and in love? How you looked forward to a phone call from that special someone and even more so to the upcoming weekend because you would be going on a date with them! Just because we are older now and married does not mean that we have to lose that feeling or that excitement.
Why do a lot of married couples feel that they no longer have to do all of the things that they once did when they were dating? Just because they’ve “caught” the one they were chasing after does not mean that the romance has to end. The days of whispering sweet nothings in your special someone’s ear does not have to cease, and neither do date nights!
I know that with demands from the job, a family, etc., some things fall by the wayside. Romance in your marriage should not be one of them! Make it a priority! If people would continue to do all of the things that they once did to win their mates over, their relationships wouldn’t be in ruins today. Be purposeful about time spent with your mate.
My husband and I have learned this the hard way. Things were great in the beginning of our marriage. We were happy and so much in love. Then other things started creeping in, and we stopped making our marriage a priority. We focused more on the children, our jobs, household chores, everything BUT taking time out for each other and our marriage. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, then, what happened next. We started drifting further and further apart. We felt disconnected from each other. The slightest little thing would irritate us or aggravate us. We couldn’t quite put our finger on what was going on!
Do not let this happen in your marriage!
We finally realized that something was missing, and we became intentional about the time we would spend together. We started making time for each other. All other things had to wait on days that we would plan an outing for just the two of us or a romantic evening together. We would make sure that the children were well taken care of, and then off we would go!
Whether we spent time on a dinner cruise, walking hand in hand on the beach, or grooming horses in our backyard, it was time spent together doing something that we enjoyed. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, unless you want it to be. It’s just important to spend time together. One of my most favorite things to do is just talk. Hold hands across the table as we are dining out, and just talk to each other without a lot of interruptions, except from the waitress occasionally checking on us. Then take a walk by the water’s edge holding each other as we pause to look up at the moon and the stars sparkling for all the world to see but feeling in that moment that they’re dancing just for us.
This may seem small and like one of those “where have you been” moments! Just know that this happens more often than you may think in relationships and marriages. That is why it is so important to make time, be intentionally focused on your mate, and spend time together. Continue to keep the love, romance, and passion alive in your marriages. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been married five years or fifty years. Show your spouse that they are important to you, that you love, cherish, and treasure them, and that nothing else matters in that moment but them.
My husband and I aren’t just planning a date night this time. No, today we are taking an entire day to go on an adventure together – just the two of us. I am looking so forward to our time together. As he was sitting near me drinking his coffee this morning, I asked him for his thoughts on this whole subject of date nights. Here is his response, in his own words:
I have really enjoyed our time together. It gives us time to reconnect and appreciate each other. My wife is a blessing to me. I feel much closer and the bond is greater than before. It’s like another level of intimacy has entered our marriage, and I look forward to our time together. It makes me appreciate my wife, care for her, and cherish her even more. My world feels complete when we’re together talking, snuggling together, holding hands, hugging … just showing affection. It’s huge! I have also realized that this is key in a relationship to maintain the connection, to show the other that you care and appreciate them. You reach out to them for no other reason than to hold them, to have that actual connection, to share your feelings.
I will leave you with that as we begin our adventure together today. Make time for those that you love. Carve out time for memory making moments together.
I firmly believe that if a person truly wants to change, they will find a way to make the needed changes in their lives. It might take a situation where the person reaches rock bottom before they finally make that much needed change, but I believe that everyone has it in them to do so if they set their mind to it.
There are addictions of all kinds (i.e. drugs, alcohol, food, sex, etc.). It can be hard to get out from underneath the grip that these things may have on you, but I know that all things are possible with Christ! You don’t have to try to do this alone. He will help you if you only ask. I’m sure you are filled with remorse for having let yourself down as well as your family, but if you ask forgiveness and truly show that your heart and ways have changed, you will slowly gain the trust back from those that you love and who love you.
I have encountered a lot of negativity when I have been supportive toward someone close to me that has just within the past few months admitted that they were addicted to one of the above mentioned things. I will not call the person out, identify them in any way, nor will I state which addiction they have as they deserve privacy and respect. I will, however, say that I have had to endure countless “lectures” on how this person is never going to change, how they don’t believe that this person’s heart has been changed, and how they don’t believe that this person truly wants to make a lasting change. They feel that this person is talking the talk but is not walking the walk. They are standing in judgment of the individual to the point that it angers me. Why such strong emotion? Because this is someone that I love, and whether I’m considered naive, “in denial,” or just plain stupid, I still have faith in this individual. Why? Simply because I know that this is not truly who this person is nor what they are about. I have faith in this person because I know that they have the strength within them and through God to conquer this and squash this addiction once and for all. I know that this person is better than this, they just have to think more of themselves than to allow this cycle to continue.
This person has had a “rock bottom moment” within the past few months so much so that I truly believe the change that they have made for the better will be a lasting change. Sure, in the past it has only lasted two weeks at the max before things reverted back to the way they were before. However, I don’t see that happening now. I see a person that is in recovery. I see a person that has sought help all on their own for their addiction, and I see a person that desperately wants to recover and live a different life. I see a person striving to do so every day. Sure there will be struggles and temptations along the way, but this person can draw on the strength that the Lord provides so that when they are tempted God will deliver them from evil.
The sad thing about this is the ones talking negatively are the ones that were addicts at one point or another in their lives. They sought help and recovered, and yet they doubt this person’s heart and ability to fully recover themselves. How would they have felt in the mist of their recovery process if they had heard such negativity from people that simply did not believe in them? Would it have helped them thrive and continue on in recovery, or would it have caused them to relapse.
People can change. Change is possible if the person is sincere. No one knows their heart but God. However, I choose to see the good in them and will encourage them on their road to recovery.
This post was inspired by the Five Minute Friday prompt word: Change.
If you’ve been with Light Love Hope for a while now, you know that we love Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen. I have read several of Joyce Meyer’s books, and I have her daily devotional on my phone with the Bible App. I also have a daily devotional book written by Joyce Meyer as well. My husband is a big Joel Osteen fan, and while we have many books written by him, my husband reads Joel’s daily devotional every morning. It doesn’t take long to read through what the devotional has to offer for that day, but the message stays with you throughout the day. You find that with both Joyce and Joel, you meditate on their words throughout the day. You find ways to apply what they’ve said to your life. I especially love the bible verses referenced and how it is biblically based. Some have argued about these two Christian speakers, but I have not found anything in my reading or in seeing them live in person that has not been in line with the Word of God.
With that said, imagine our excitement to learn that not only does Joyce have a new book to add to our collection, but Joel does as well! I can hardly wait to get my hands on a copy of Living Courageously by Joyce Meyer and You Can You Will by Joel Osteen. I enjoy reading their words of wisdom and how they speak the gospel. Having seen both Joyce and Joel in person at their events, I can almost hear them speaking with such power and conviction as I read the words in their books.
Speaking of daily devotionals, Aaron Tabor has a 365 Interactive Devotional entitled Jesus Daily. While I have not read Aaron Tabor’s work before, I am excited to see what he has to offer to inspire and uplift as we prepare to greet the day.
If you are looking for a good Christian Fiction book to read, you may be interested in AD30 by Ted Dekker. While I have not yet read this book, (as I tend to lean more toward self help type books, devotionals, and Non-Fiction), I may just give this book a try. From what I understand, it takes place in the year of our Lord, AD30. Wouldn’t that be an interesting read? I think so!
If you’re wondering where we found these jewels, it’s at a little store called Family Christian. You can shop online, or you can visit their various locations. We have two within driving distance that we frequent. I could spend hours in that store (and have … just ask my husband!). From Bibles, to candles, jewelry, prints, music, even performance tracks … they just about have everything you can think of to inspire your soul right there in their store! Check them out! They are sure to become a favorite of yours as well.
With so many students returning to school this week and next week, we want to take this opportunity to encourage school age children to stand up to bullying! While we would never encourage a confrontation, we would like you to consider standing up for those that are shy and those that are being picked on unmercifully. If you see this happening to a fellow student, please don’t turn the other way and ignore it. Consider speaking up on behalf of the student that is being bullied so that the bullying stops once and for all. I would suggest getting a teacher involved and advising them of what you have just witnessed. If it is something that is currently in progress, maybe the teacher would have a chance of catching the bully in action. If not, still talk to a teacher about what you have witnessed. This way, they will be able to keep an eye on the individuals involved so they can prevent a situation like that from happening in the future.
If someone is bullying you in any way, please find your voice and speak out about it. I was bullied in school, and I was also threatened that if I told anyone that the bully would do worse things to me than they were already doing. This kept me silent for far too long. Please don’t fall victim to this. The earlier you speak out, the better your chances are of being released from this prison.
Schools have a zero tolerance for bullying where I live. They have even had the police department out to speak to the students about how serious bullying is and the consequences behind doing it.
Join us as we continue to pray over the students returning to school. Today, please also join us in prayer for the ones that have been bullied in silence so that they have the strength and courage to speak out. Please pray for those that may witness the bullying so that they also have the courage to speak out on behalf of the one that is being bullied.
Now is the time for new beginnings. It is the start of a new school year. While the children are moaning as they prepare for their first day back, parents are praying that their children will have a wonderful school year.
My mother-in-law called tonight to tell both of my girls that this morning in church the preacher asked for the church to pray over the children’s book bags. While we do not attend her church and my children’s book bags were not there for the service, she said that she imagined both of my daughter’s book bags in her mind. Then, she prayed over their book bags just as the others were doing in the church. This touched my heart!
As a parent, we do pray over our children. We pray for their safety, we pray for them to have a good learning experience, and we pray for their teachers and friends as well.
My daughter has been driving for a year and a half now, but I still get anxious as she waves and we blow kisses at each other as she goes down our driveway. She either calls or texts when she gets to her destination so that I know she has arrived safely. This is for my reassurance, and she happily obliges so that I feel better. I actually do sigh a big sigh of relief when I know she’s safe.
We talk before school, and even as I sit here writing this, she has been anxious this weekend. It is her Senior year, and things have happened over the summer to where she feels as if she is going into this school year without any friends. I have tried to encourage her that maybe everyone will be better on the first day of school, and hopefully, she’ll end up having a great start to her Senior year. Regardless, though, she cannot control anyone else but herself. I will be praying for her all throughout the day until I hear from her at the end of the school day when she’s gotten into her car and calls before she leaves the parking lot to let me know she is on her way home.
My youngest daughter has anxieties of her own as she goes into Fourth Grade. She is afraid that the math will be harder this year, and I’m sure it will be but know that she can handle it, too. She is one smart cookie! She is also going to have an adjustment period as she has a new teacher this year. At the small private school that she attends, she has pretty much known just about all of the teachers up to this point. Now there is a new teacher in town assigned to her grade. We met her at orientation Friday, and she seems really nice. I know that Fourth Grade is also the grade where they are growing up more, which was already starring me in the face considering that she is almost ten years old! But, the teacher even said that at orientation. She is going to make them more accountable and more responsible this school year as she prepares them for the years to come. Oh wow. This has hit me like a ton of bricks!
My babies … are not … babies any more!
As we squeezed all of the fun we possibly could squeeze in on the last day before school starts, my younger daughter asked me to ride with her in the go-cart. I agreed, and she set off around the house on her little course just as proud as ever. We didn’t get very far before I started tearing up. Yes, the go-cart ride made me cry! That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? How in the world is that even possible? Because … I realized that life is going by so fast. My older daughter will be 18 in January, and my younger daughter will be 10 in September. I think of how I’m growing older, too, and as she rode me around on the go-cart all smiles, it tugged on my heart and I began to pray to God. I asked that He please allow me to be here with my girls for a very long time to come. I was silently pleading with Him to allow me to be here for my girls through all of the stages of their life. I want to be an old, old woman sitting on my front porch rocking my great grand kids! I want to bounce their babies on my knees and tell them all the stories about the “good ole days.” I want to have more of these precious moments with my babies. Please God, I begged … Please allow me more time with my girls. I am tearing up now even writing this all out. I just want more time. I don’t want to think of ever leaving my girls, and it certainly wouldn’t be by choice. I know that God hears me, and I just hope that He will grant my prayer so that I’m here for my babies. I want to watch my oldest graduate from high school and college, and get married and have babies of her own. I want the same exact thing with my youngest daughter.
I think of my grandma. She was 84 when she passed away, but up until the last two years of her life she was healthy. She was outside in the yard cutting her own grass and weeding her flower bed. She had so much energy and stayed busy. Then she got sick and was never the same again. However, up to that point, though, she was an inspiration, and I told her that often. She lived a long life, and she got to do exactly what I mentioned above – she had three children, and she got to see all three of them graduate and go on to have families of their own. She got to rock her grandchildren, and she also got to hold her great grands in her arms also. She watched them grow and savored every moment she had with them all. I want that as well. I pray that God will allow me to live well into my 80s and be healthy, too!
Now is a time for new beginnings for my babies as they start a new school year, and I thank God for all of the memories we made this summer. I thank God that we’re all healthy and are getting off to a great start on the first day of the new year. I’ll send my prayers with my girls as I always do, and I promise not to cry!
As Summer has come to an end, now is the time for new beginnings with the start of a new school year. Join Light Love Hope in praying for all of the children returning to school.
My grandma with my younger daughter at her K5 graduation. We love and miss you, Grandma. Give my sister a hug in Heaven and tell her I love her, too!
It seems like all of a sudden Summer has come to a screeching halt. It was fun while it lasted, but the days of sleeping in until noon for my girls will soon be over.
I sit here thinking of all the fun we had this summer and am ever so thankful that I was able to have this time with my daughters. They have grown up way too fast, and it is so hard to believe that my oldest daughter is a Senior this year while my youngest daughter is a Fourth Grader! Now is when we say:
“Where has the time gone?”
We blink, and they grow up on us!
You’ll probably laugh at this, but the other night when I was having one of my moments, my oldest daughter allowed me to cradle her in my arms just as I did when she was a teeny tiny baby. That was hilarious as she certainly doesn’t fit into my arms quite like she used to, but it was fun to take my emotional moment and turn it into one filled with laughter. The entire family burst into laughter as I held her in my arms, rocking back and forth like I used to do while singing “You Are My Sunshine” and “Jesus Loves Me.”
I am thankful for those memories. I am thankful for the ones we made that night in all of our silliness.
That is what life is all about. It is the special moments spent with those that you love doing sweet, caring, thoughtful things right down to the silliest and funniest of things. You’re living life and enjoying it with those that you love with all of your heart. Memory making at it’s finest!
Each of us are leaving behind a legacy. We may not think about that as we go about our days, but we are! It is hard to imagine that one day we all will be just a memory for someone else. We’d better make sure that it’s a good one!
I want my daughters to look back on the days of Summer that we spent together and remember all of the good times that we shared. I want them to remember the trips we took but so much more than that. I want them to remember the time we spent together. I want them to remember how close we always were and how I would do anything in my power for them. The nights that we stayed up talking until after midnight because they had something on their minds and hearts that needed to freely flow, and so we bonded in those wee morning hours together just talking it all out. That is more important to me than any trip we could eve take for it is precious bonding time with my babies.
We did have some fun this summer, though. From getting our ranch all settled in and bringing in a few more horses to add to our herd, to trail rides and time spent grooming our horses …
To taking my oldest daughter to an all day concert where she could hang out with all of her friends while my youngest daughter, husband, and I went to the United States Whitewater Center for a day of whitewater rafting, rock wall climbing, and mountain biking …
To the thrilling rides at Carowinds where my youngest daughter was ever so excited to finally be able to ride the BIG rides! She was finally tall enough to ride all but two rides in the entire park. She was so happy!
Right on down to the house we rented for our stay on Lake Wylie, which included a canoe for our enjoyment:
Ah yes, we had some good times this summer, even letting my oldest daughter experiment with her hair color … from teal
To changing her mind and hair color, too, to purple
Don’t worry, the color has all washed out now … just in time for school to start Monday!
We sure did have fun this summer and made memories that will last a lifetime.
As to the silliest we spoke of earlier, here’s a little glimpse
Take the time to make memories with your loved ones. Leave a trail of happy moments, lots of laughter, and time spent together. Chores can wait. Work can wait. They don’t stay little long. You blink, and they’re all grown up!
And so it ends … Goodbye Summer … Hello New School Year … Bring On Fall!
Someone right this minute is struggling. They are not sure where to turn or how to get out of the pit that they are in. They are anxious and filled with fear, unsure of the next step that they need to take. Your story needs to be brought out from the darkness into the light. You do not need to suffer in silence any more, sweet child of God. Share the things that torment your soul, speak them out into the universe so you can release the hold that they have on you. This will require you to walk through the pain to get to the other side, but it is a necessary evil on the road to recovery. You can speak it, you can share your story because your story matters. It is up to you to tell it! In doing so, you may be able to help another soul that is struggling like you. You can be an encouragement to others. You have the power to release your thoughts and feelings into the universe. It is up to you to tell your story … because it matters.
Time is slipping away from us all. There’s a list a mile long of things we need to do, and yet there is so little time to do them in. So many things need our attention, and yet there never seems to be enough to go around. Think of the children that need you, all of you, every ounce that you can pour out at the end of the day. They need to hear how much you love them. You can tell them. You can be the one to not only whisper it in their ears at the end of the night as their eyelids grow heavy just before they drift off to sleep. But realize that they need to hear it more often than that. They need to be showered with your love and affection. They need to be the center of your attention. They need to know that they are your entire world, your heart and soul, the reason you are here on this earth – to parent them, to love and guide them, to cherish and treasure them. You can tell them.
It is up to you to tell others that you love them … they need to hear it.
This post was inspired by the Five Minute Friday prompt word: Tell
Join us this and every Friday now over at Kate’s place, which is now the home that others gather to share their heart and a glimpse into their souls each and every Thursday night leading into Friday.
My grandma with my younger daughter at her K5 graduation. We love and miss you, Grandma. Give my sister a hug in Heaven and tell her I love her, too!
