Count your Blessings

Sometimes life gets so busy that we forget to be thankful.  It constantly amazes me that I can go through my day and not realize how much I am blessed.  From my morning time with God to the evening snuggles with my little girl before bed, I can just plug through my day and not notice how special and lucky I am. 


Last night I couldn't wait for my busy bodied ball of energy to go to bed so I could relax.  Game after game and silly song after silly song I pushed on through them all.  In the back of my mind I was thinking, please Lord, let her be sleepy.  Finally a half hour after her normal bedtime, she was curled up in my lap watching Superheroes.  That's when it hit me.  My sweet girl is so much more than a wild streak to be followed and taught lessons to; she can teach me sometimes, to cut loose and be silly.  I shouldn't rush those few moments we get before bed, I should be enjoying them...not counting down the clock. 


She was curled up in my lap entangled in her daddy's arm all at the same time.  For those few minutes I had my family all snuggled up next to me, when I remembered that this time will not last forever.  Soon she will not want to snuggle or maybe even be in the same room with me.  How quickly silly songs turn into homework filled nights and time with her friends.  I need to savor these days, when my parents are close and my daughter is young.  This time will not last forever and I don't want to miss any of it.


Every moment we live is an opportunity to be grateful.  We are put on this earth with a purpose and if we aren't living up to that purpose than what are we living for?  Whatever it is you are doing in your life, I urge you to find a way to enjoy it.  If there isn't a way to feel blessed about your position in life, then I kindly suggest that you make changes.  There is too much good still out in this world and too much that God needs us to do for us to spend our days unhappy. 


Many speak of the negativity in the world, few change it.  May we all be ones who see fit to change the world we live in to make it a better place.  Enjoy your work, give more freely, love more openly, rejoice in all of God's blessings.  We are only here for a short time, why not make the most of it?


As for me, I will be signing off, there's a little girl that needs me to play with her. :-)

Adventures To Be Had

Some of you may know that I’m working on a children’s book series, Ella Jean the Jelly Bean Queen.  In this series, the main character is a young adventurer who finds herself tempted, caught in various mishaps and trials in this crazy little world she found through a doorway just down the hall from her laundry room.  She has a thing for jelly beans and her own unique sense of style.  I’ll share more about our friend later.  But it occurred to me that I used to be like Ella Jean, dreaming up different story lines and predicaments.  I would find myself entrapped in storylines and difficult situations where I had to either get myself out of or heaven forbid…be rescued by a handsome prince or two.  My youth revolved around imaginary situations and dreams of who I would be or what I would do.  I can tell you that I spent a good part of my childhood dreaming of being an astronaut. True story.  I remember dreaming and even filling out applications to Space Camp.  The idea of going through the training that a real astronaut went through sounded thrilling and terrifying all at the same time.  The stars and space were always something that intrigued me…maybe it was the unknown, the idea of unexplored territory.  Maybe it was the adventure.  Something about adventure has always excited me.  I would lie in the grass looking up at the sky plotting my next escapade.  The closet was my rocket ship filled with blankets and books.  I would spend hours in the backyard and the woods behind my house pretending all kinds of different escapades.  As I sit here writing this I’m grinning ear to ear remembering running across the open field and diving into the woods and hiding behind the big rock quickly so no one would see me.  Climbing in the old apple tree and swinging across the laundry line as if hot lava were below.  My smile grows wider as I recall my daughter just last week was using the couch cushions to jump over the hot lava and get to the other side of the ravine.  It amazes me how 30 some years later the same great adventures never change.  We complain about technology and how the world has changed, yet the simple things are still there.  The mind of a child deep at its core is still the same.  The adventures might change slightly but dreams are still an adventure.  Life should still be an adventure.  That’s what Ella Jean is all about to me.  In a sense I am Ella Jean and so is Grace, my five year old daughter.  The beauty of it is that so is my girlfriend’s six year old son, Anderson.  So is another girlfriend’s twelve year old daughter, Anna.  They are all Ella Jean.  In some ways we all hold that adventurous spirit deep within.  We have dreams that make us smile; things that make us want to keep pushing towards another day.  Goals that make us get out of bed in the morning.  When you read Ella Jean the Jelly Bean Queen, and you will (the author says smiling) you will feel parts of yourself light up like a child and you will also remember truths that you told yourself to remember, and morals you promised yourself, perhaps your loved ones and God you’d live by.  I hope it brings you closer to the truths you want to remember about yourself.  I hope it helps children of every age and background find who they want to be and what adventures they want to have.  So they can read the book or have it read to them and then set it down and have their own adventures.  My prayer is that we all remember that there are adventures still to be had and hot lava to be jumped, we just need to find it.

Nothing is Ever Good Enough for Me - I am Never Satisfied

I came to the realization, yet again, that I am never satisfied with anything.  This is not a new revelation, we’ve talked about it before; it stops me from making many major decisions in my life to the point where I can be crippled.  I live with things that would be unacceptable to many others for way too long simply because I fear that there could be something better.  For example: I have a dream of the perfect purse, it is most likely a couple thousand dollar Prada or a Louis bag, not something in the budget for me.  I understand that, I have fully accepted it.  So instead of purchasing a beautiful purse in my price range or saving my shekels for a more luxurious option, I carry around an old purse that my mother discarded years ago. 

My daughter slept in her toddler bed way past her toddler years (she’s five now) because I could not commit to bedroom furniture.  Not that we couldn’t afford it, but more that I couldn’t choose.  What if I chose the wrong set?  What if something better lurked at the next store?  What if I bought a set and then found the perfect set online the very next day?  I am never satisfied with anything.

It’s not just things…stuff…my expectations are set way too high on everything else as well.  My poor husband can barely take the trash out right.  For the most part I do my best to  not nag, but those of you who know me, know that whatever is in my head usually comes straight out of my mouth…immediately after it’s…in…my…head.  That blog post will be another day and much longer.  Foot–in-mouth syndrome is a big problem over here.

The point of this blog post is not necessarily to make me sound like the most awful nagging wife with a horrible greed problem, but it is to point out that happiness is not found in perfection.  Maybe that’s what I have to remember: finding true happiness is about not caring whether everything is exactly the way I plan or imagine or dream.  It is okay if I don’t live like a Norman Rockwell painting, no one really does. 

Even when the devil is in the back of my head telling me that everyone has it all together except for me.  Happiness, real happiness is found when you love who you are and who you are with and it doesn’t matter what kind of purse you have.  Think about it, when you are truly happy with your family and friends are you really thinking about your stuff?  Even I’m not.  I’m thinking about my family and how happy they make me.  Well…I might still find happiness in a purse someday, if I can commit. 

The Most Important Moment in Your Life is Right Now

What if you sing beautifully?  What if you can craft a story that inspires millions?  What if you hold the keys to curing cancer?  You know there’s something different about you but maybe you feel like it’s just your imagination or wishful thinking.  You even know that God calls everyone for a purpose. Take a look at Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  God calls all of us…for a purpose…for prosperity, and not for harm.  He puts something on our hearts that matches up with our desires and our abilities.  He opens doors and windows whatever we need if it’s according to His purpose.

Look, sometimes it’s easier to sit on the couch in your PJs and watch Food Network re-runs; I know….I’ve been there.  The end of the day is so exhausting.  The kids…what would you do with the kids?  Getting up early?  Ugh, who wants to do that?!  Here’s the thing, your life will never feel fulfilled if you don’t do what God made you to do.  You will always feel like you are missing something.  You will always feel like something is off, that you aren’t in the right place or that you are living in the wrong life. 

This is why we all must recognize the most important moment in our life, is right now.  You have an opportunity, right now, to take this moment and change direction.  Every moment previously is behind you, it has already happened.  Now is the time to start fresh and dig into your passion.  Is it serving the homeless or singing to millions?  Whether you want to take care of lost pets or open your own bake shop.  God’s plan is still available for you whatever it is.  He never gives up on you therefore you shouldn’t give up on you either.  

The oldest person to run a marathon ran it at 101 years old.  The oldest person to graduate from college was 99 years old.   If there is something that you want to do in your life take a lesson from these folks, they didn’t give up or make any excuses.  I’m sure it wasn’t easy; I would even guess that it was much more difficult than they imagined and even thoughts of giving up ran through their minds.  We are wired to achieve things we might in the human mind deem impossible.  But to God all things are possible.  Nothing is impossible to Him.

So, if right now is the most important moment in your life and you have something on your mind you feel God wants you to do.  Ask yourself this, what if it does work out?

The Time is Now

I have talked, thought and prayed so much about making my life better.  Right now I’m in a whirlwind of creativity, frustration, exasperation and excitement.  It’s time.  Right now I have promised myself and my God that these moments of fleeting whimsy are over.  I’m moving forward with my dreams.  I had a “Gracie and Mommy Night” tonight.  We watched The Barbie Nutcracker and I saw her light up again with the same enthusiasm for the music and the dance that I do for writing.  I do not want to see that disappear.  In the darkness of the movie, homemade popcorn and dinosaur chicken nuggets we watched Barbie dance the Sugar Plum princess dance.  Surrounded by our bed made of pillows, brightly colored sleeping bags and chocolate milk, I said a prayer.  Dear Lord, let my “yes’s” be “yes’s” and my “no’s” be “no’s”.  I’m done with breaking my own promises to myself.  I have to find myself worthy enough to follow through.  I need to find the courage within myself to be who I have always known I’m supposed to be.  I am a writer.

I am a good writer.  I hesitated as I wrote those words on this page.  I haven’t even published this blog and yet I hesitate to have the courage to say to myself that I was given this gift to write by God and that I am good at it.  Uh!  I said it again.  Dear Me!  What’s next, I might say I’m pretty…not even daring to say I’m beautiful.  Just pretty for now. 

After The Nutcracker and a brief visit from my mom and dad, we cuddled some more on the couch for one final show before bed.  Grace chose Cupcake Wars, to my surprise.  We talked about our love for baking and it brought me back to my promise.  In the middle of the cupcake drama, while she curled up in my lap.  We waited with baited breath over the girl with the most sprinkles or the one with the strawberry-lime puree.  During that time, I made Grace a promise.  Because she’s five, I am sure it didn’t mean as much to her as it meant to me.  I hope that one day she will understand.  I promise to always follow my dream and the God given talent that I have.  I understood that I had this gift when I was even younger than she is now, I can still make good on God’s plan for me.  There is no time limit on following His will for your life. 

So I promised her I will be a successful writer and that she will read my books someday.  She looked at me with a look of concern.  “But mama she said, I can’t read yet.”  I had to think for a moment, because this has always been so far out in the future to me.  I would always SOMEDAY be a successful published author.  My assumption was that by the time my dreams come true; she will be able to read.   I decided the time is now and my action is now.  So I answered her “Then I will read them to you.” 

The time is now.  No more waiting. 

To My Human Friends I Say This....

Sometimes I struggle with the choices I've made in my life.  I don't regret them because I have a beautiful life and God has turned everything that Satan meant for harm into His perfect will.  But I just wonder...how my life would be if I would have followed Him from the beginning.  If I would have listened to the still small voice telling me to trust Him.

God has a plan for all of us (insert my favorite bible verse here Jeremiah 29:11...For I know the plans I have for you, plans for hope and a future...")  Part of His plan is for us to chose Him on our own without forcefulness (insert free will debate here)  We are free to chose Him or not to chose Him and along my path, I've done both.  My cousin, Jeannie, has always said at times God had her by the pony tail and well, I'd have to agree He has done the same for me and He had to hold on tight!  I took Him down the paths that neither of us belonged.  But He held on and somehow so did I. 

So maybe it all boils down to this, we all make rotten choices because we are all human.  Sometimes we don't do the things we are supposed to...because we are human.  But we have a God who is above all of that and forgives us and loves us anyway.  He doesn't care what we've done.  When your ready and your heart is open you can put it all behind you too.

So what if my life is different than I planned...it's a beautiful life.  It's happy life and I'm blessed with it.  So to my human friends I say this, let go of what you thought your life should be.  Let go of mistakes and past things and PRESS ON to the beauty of what God has for your future!

I Am a Writer!

Sometimes I don't consider myself a writer although that is what I dream of.  Besides the days when I dream I'm Pat Benetar...we'll deal with those issues later.  Writers...write.  Dreamers...dream.  Guess which one I lean towards?  If I'm a dreamer, then 'nuff said.  Shut down the laptop and go to bed. 

But I'm a writer dammit.  I wasn't given this gift to go to bed at night dreaming of all the things that I could be doing with it.  I was born with a purpose.  I was born with a reason for being able to tap these fingers on these keys. 

As a child, my grandma held my "piano fingers" telling me they were long and ready for a purpose.  I thought during my seven years of piano lessons that music was my purpose.  But I know now that I'm a writer.  I write my thoughts and my feelings down for you all to read because I know you feel this way too.  I know some of you need to know that it's okay and it's normal.  I know that I need to be reminded that God loves me and He loves you too.  God gave me this purpose because of my heart, because I know the truth and I know how to say it because I am just like all of you.  I don't always speak eloquently, I am not a poet; just a friend to all of you.  I laugh at myself and share with you stories of my heart, my family and friends.

God handed it to me and told me what to do with it.  So now I say to you, it's over, I'm done with getting in my own way.  I can't take my lousy excuses and putting up with hearing my gut scream at me.  I'm a writer and I'm done playing games, I'm done doing this halfway.  It is all on me, nothing left to say but, "Write On!"