Things aren't always what they seem

Man, I know it's been a while since I've written a blog. I've missed it! I have had so much going on in the past few weeks, I've been like a little crazy person. I know, I know...that's typically my norm, but lately things have been extra crazy. I've wanted to sit and write before now, but I just haven't taken the time to do it.

This morning, I was reading, and I came across a very interesting little piece that I want to share with you guys.

A Different Kind of Prayer

"Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and was rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry, and spend a few precious moments with her children. Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester. Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking fellow, begging for money in the same spot every day is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares. Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together."

Now, whether you believe in God or not, you've got to take some time to really read that and think about what it says.  It's a very inspirational little thought. It asks us to look at things a little differently. It asks us to realize that things may not always be as they seem... and even if we neglect to admit that; at least we can keep in our minds that there may be another story to the situation we are currently dealing with. What are we in such a hurry for, anyway? We're all headed the same place in the grand scheme of things. 

I've learned that people are selfish. Even more so that what we would like to realize, sometimes. It's human nature, I guess. Now, don't get me wrong... there are some precious people in the world (and abundant in my life, thankfully), who are so patient, and understanding. But, we all have those selfish moments. ...some just more than others. 

I've learned that change is a very difficult thing to accept. So, I'm not asking for people to change anymore. I'm simply going to rotate my approach. And... maybe rotate myself in the process. There are so many things that I would love to do differently in my every day life. The way I treat people, the way I respond to situations, the way I accept what life hands me... 

How do you begin to adjust yourself differently? I do believe that it comes from somewhere that not just you or I can see. But, we have to put it into motion. We have to make it happen. ...and we have to want it to be that way. When it all boils down to it... 

it's us. 

Knitting for Valentine's Day

Since Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching, I guess I should start writing a few things about love and the mushy stuff that people really like to hear about (even if they say they don't). Reading or hearing a good love story is like reading a good book, or being told great news. Even if you could care less about love and mush, I would bet that you at least have some sort of smile in your heart when you hear a sappy story about love. It's human nature. I'm not asking you to admit it; I'm just calling attention to it.

heeehee.. you're welcome.

So, anyway; I've been keeping daily tabs on a website that I've found and I was reading something today that I wanted to share with you guys. It's a really neat story and a very encouraging lesson. So, without wasting any more time, here ya go:

Our brother-in-law, Bob, had a mother who would knit him thick wool sweaters. Bob remembers one time when she was knitting and noticed a dropped stitch about 20 stitches earlier. She seemed really upset about that one dropped stitch and undid several minutes of work to go back and pick up that one stitch.

“I asked her why the fuss about one stitch, and told her to just forget it, no one would notice it anyway,” Bob recalls. “Mom said: ‘Because that one dropped stitch is where your sweater will start to unravel.’”

Bob and his wife, Mary Beth, have been married 33 years and they are the best of friends today. That’s because Bob learned a lot about watching his mother knit sweaters.

“We are to be knit so tightly together – as a couple – that we don’t unravel…not one dropped stitch.”

We can unintentionally drop a stitch by doing something careless – not remembering a birthday or anniversary, failing to be there for the other when we are needed, saying a careless word, or making an unkind gesture. The list goes on. There are a million different ways to drop a stitch in your relationship with your spouse and to cause the unraveling to begin.

But, there are also a million simple acts of love to pick up the dropped stitches in your relationship so you two can be tightly knitted together once again.

We surveyed several couples and asked them what simple acts of love they practice in their relationship:

When my husband comes home for lunch I try to have everything ready for him so he doesn’t have to bother.

He likes to have my hair a little longer. I prefer it short, but I’ll wear it longer for him.

Just sitting on the couch and being together instead of one of us being on the computer.

I’ll do the dishes for her or vacuum the house, so she won’t feel she needs to.

And what are some simple acts of love couples love to receive?

When he does something and makes it feel like an ‘us’ thing – that makes me feel loved.

When my spouse drops things to do stuff around the house for us, that speaks love to me.

When my wife makes me something special for dinner that she knows I like.

******************************

So, for the heck of it, why don't you think of something right now to do for your significant other. I mean right now! .. well, after you finish reading this blog :)

How about you shut the computer down. Put your phone away. Let the iPad rest for a little while. Those things will always be around. As a matter of fact, they will all remain here even when WE don't! So, go find your man... go find your woman... And just give them a hug. Kiss them on the cheek, the nose, the forehead... just where ever. My mom does this thing with my baby.. she tells her to give "Papaw" sugar all over his face until he laughs.

Try it.

I bet you will both smile before it's over with!

Random Thursday

I just wanted to give you a few goodies for Thursday! Some of these are so dang funny....and some are almost hard to believe. Either way, they are entertaining... or so I think. 

Did you know that Jimmy Carter was the first U.S. president to have been born in a hospital?

In every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman somewhere.
Time to break out your Seinfeld DVDs. 

Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.

The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable.
Is that even a word? I got the little red squiggle lines under it telling me that Firefox doesn't recognize it. 

The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.
Friggin' engineers. 

The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colorado.

Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.
PLEASE do not try this at home. 

If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19.You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.
Yeah, I'll wait while you process that. 

The only two days of the year in which there are no professional sports games (MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL) are the day before and the day after the Major League all-star Game.

The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan."

It takes 3,000 cows to supply the NFL with enough leather for a year's supply of footballs.
Eat Mor Chikin

Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.
THIS is sad. 

There is an average of 178 sesame seeds on a McDonald's Big Mac bun.
You're welcome, McD's. There will be an increase in Big Mac sales within the next few days just so my blog followers can count the dang seeds.

The world's termites outweigh the world's humans 10 to 1.
It's a good thing we aren't made of wood, eh? 

The 3 most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.

When Heinz ketchup leaves the bottle, it travels at a rate of 25 miles per year.
I am certain it's much slower than that. 

It's possible to lead a cow upstairs...but not downstairs.

The Bible has been translated into Klingon.
Why?

Ten percent of the Russian government's income comes from the sale of vodka.

On average, 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year.
Once again, Why? 

In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all the world's nuclear weapons combined.

Reno, Nevada is west of Los Angeles, California.
It's true!

Internationally, Baywatch is the most popular TV show in history.



For those of you who didn't think these were entertaining at all... here's a picture of a cat with a mustache.

The change I didn't want to make

I've had some thoughts about a lot of things lately. Life is so full of things that constantly challenge us and that dare to change us. So, I guess what I want to blog about today is a series of change that may be the key to something some people have been missing.

Feel free to take this literally. It comes from my heart, so that is foremost how I mean for it to be received. But, if you take the time to dig a little deeper, you may find that there are a few hidden treasures that can/may apply to your life.....not just with children.

I will be the first to admit that I am spoiled. I am. I know it. I'm not bragging about it, I'm just stating the bitter truth. I enjoy things that are about me. I flourish when people ogle over me and pay attention to me. I like things my way. I enjoy doing what I want to do. I feel that it is my right as a woman and as a good person. God knows the world is gonna give me enough negative..so when I can, I always take advantage of the good.

When I got pregnant with Emily, I was very excited. And, I was very scared. I had no idea what I was going to do with a child. I didn't know how to raise one, and I have such high expectations of how things should be; that I was frightened because I was scared I would slight her by not raising her right. And, that would be a direct shadow of me.

When she got here... I realized that all of those fears were replaced by another emotion.

Jealousy.

As much as I loved her, I was slapped in the face when I realized that life would no longer be about me. I had this being in my arms that had changed my whole world in just a moment. I had no preparation for it, I had not even THOUGHT about how it would impact me in that way...and I had no idea I would react in that way.

For a while, I felt like the most horrible mother in the world because even though I loved her more than my own self, I still held a bit of resentment. ...you have no idea how it feels to love someone sooo much, and to feel like that at the same time. I fought with that for a very long time.

Then, one day I realized... I don't care anymore. God entrusted me with this beautiful, healthy, intelligent child.

THAT was my attention!.
THAT was supposed to be my pride.

So, I had to make a choice (as every parent does) as to how I was going to shape that.

Then, almost over night, it was never even another thought. It's like it vanished into nothing...almost like that emotion never existed for me. Now, I know that I am still spoiled, but it's nothing like I had in my mind before. Now, I am happy with everything in my life being about HER. That doesn't mean that I have to give up things. It doesn't mean that I have to do without... Some things work out that way anyway..and I never even see it change.

I relish in the fact that I have someone in my life that is so important. I love her unconditionally. Yes, I want to eat her sometimes. ... but only to get her closer to my heart. You see, she will respond to how I respond. She is a direct mirror image of how I chose to treat her. That's not something I taught her to do.. it's not something that she learned from a friend... it's natural. Because, she loves me just as much.

So, see... we equal each other out. ..and there's a deeper understanding than what we can see, feel, touch or even describe.

When life changes, and you are faced with a new way of life (be it subtle or drastic) you have that one slim moment to respond. Love will always win as long as it's sincere. ... but it goes beyond that.

My love for her isn't a conscious effort. My decisions to buy her things instead of myself doesn't even register. The way I love her is natural and easy. ....it didn't come without a harsh gut check, though.

But, once I realized that I want my life (and hers) to be about "us" instead of "me," I changed.

..and it was effortless.

Missing the 80's

What happened to music like what we had in the 80's? I've found an all 80's station on iheart radio and I am in l-o-v-e! So.. I'm gonna leave you with this little ditty.. Read it. 

READ IT! 

I've had enough of danger

And people on the streets

I'm looking out for angels

Just trying to find some peace

Now I think it's time

That you let me know

So if you love me

Say you love me

But if you don't just let me go...

'Cause teacher

There are things that I don't want to learn

And the last one I had

Made me cry

So I don't want to learn to

Hold you, touch you

Think that you're mine

Because it ain't no joy

For an uptown boy

Whose teacher has told him goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

When you were just a stranger

And I was at your feet

I didn't feel the danger

Now I feel the heat

That look in your eyes

Telling me no

So you think that you love me

Know that you need me

I wrote the song, I know it's wrong

Just let me go...

And teacher

There are things

That I don't want to learn

Oh the last one I had

Made me cry

So I don't want to learn to

Hold you, touch you

Think that you're mine

Because it ain't no joy

For an uptown boy

Whose teacher has told him goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

So when you say that you need me

That you'll never leave me

I know you're wrong, you're not that strong

Let me go

And teacher

There are things

That I still have to learn

But the one thing I have is my pride

Oh so I don't want to

Hold you, touch you

Think that you're mine

Because there ain't no joy

For an uptown boy

Who just isn't willing to try

I'm so cold

Inside

Maybe just one more try...

 

 

You know you sang along with it. Don't tell me you didn't! hahahaaaa!!!! Happy Tuesday!