This Day In Time, 23 Years Ago.....

This day in time, 23 years ago.....

October 15, 1991 was a game changer for me. From that day forward, I was forever a different person. I got a new name. I got a new job. I got a new gift, and I got a new life. 

The rules of life that I had so foolhardy thought I had begun to master at the age of 23.....simply changed. The identity that I had become surprisingly comfortable with, "Johnnie Casey's Wife", vanished. The job of preschool teacher that I thought was the hardest and most rewarding that I had ever done, became a sweet memory of the past. The gift I received, the most precious I had ever been given and the new life that was now mine.....priceless!

My new name became, "Trey Casey's Mom". That was a promotion, kinda like going from the Governor of Texas to President of the United States (only I am much better at my job!) and my new job description was: to raise a young man who is respectful and kind, smart and generous, loving and compassionate. One who will contribute to society and make this world a better place to live in. One who will fearfully love God and spread His message to others through his thought, his actions, his words and his convictions. 

My new life? One I would never have dreamed possible....practically perfect in every way! To the man that stole part of my heart from his Daddy, Happy Birthday Trey Casey! You will always be my baby boy! Thank you for making me a better person!!

I'm Only Human

As is expected in this day and age, the media is taking every opportunity to expose, exploit and exchange the value of a mans lifetime of achievements and humanitarian efforts for the race to receive the greatest ratings. It has sparked ugly and unnecessary debates among the public. It has caused me to revisit one of my favorite devotionals to remind me that I am only human. I will ever only be able to justify, judge or forgive as a human.  I am so grateful that the God who so lovingly created me, looks past all of this nonsense and sees only ME, His creation, His child, His reason to sacrifice His Son....

Think and act like Christ Jesus.In your lives you must

- Philippians 2:5
It's dangerous to sum up grand truths in one statement, but I'm going to try. If a sentence or two could capture God's desire for each of us, it might read like this:
God loves you just the way you are. If you think his love for you would be stronger if your faith were, you are wrong. If you think his love would be deeper if your thoughts were, wrong again. Don't confuse God's love with the love of people. The love of people often increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. Not so with God's love. He loves you right where you are.

Just Like Jesus

I don't know what things plagued the mind of Robin Williams. I only know that he was compassionate, he was kind, he loved his family and he loved people. He made an impact on my life with his humor and his creativeness. He had a beautiful heart. Simply put, I loved him and will miss his presence in this world.

A Rare and Beautiful Sight

From the Merriam-Webster dictionary…..

in·no·cent

adjective \ˈi-nə-sənt\

: not guilty of a crime or other wrong act

: not deserving to be harmed

: lacking experience with the world and the bad things that happen in life

 

Today I saw a rare and beautiful sight. It was sweet and it was pure. What made it this way was the fact that it was completely unsuspecting. It hadn’t yet developed preconceived ideas. It had no agenda. It hadn’t put rules into play that would make it ugly. It didn’t feel the need to fight for attention. It just floated around the atmosphere and relished in its creation. It hovered over its recipients and infused them with its euphoria. It was content to just “be” for a while. It was completely innocent.

I sat and observed a young couple today. They were by no means making a public display of their relationship. For all intents and purposes, most people wouldn’t have even known that they were in a relationship. For the unsuspecting crowd, they were just two people who happened to inhabit a central area of space for a short while. They were not alone. They were with a crowd of friends.

As I sat and watched this young duo, there was no doubt in my mind that they were on the cusp of a grand adventure. I’m not even sure they realize it. You see, I saw the way they looked at each other. It wasn’t just glances in passing or the casual eye contact while having conversation. It was the WAY they looked at each other. Almost as if each look was actually asking a question. I’m not sure what the question really could have been. It was just a look that was eager for an answer of some sort. It was a look that said, “Whatever you have to say is genuinely important to me!”

When one or the other would stand to walk away for a moment, it was that lingering length of time it took for their eyes to leave the other and return to the crowd at hand.  It was the way that they watched the other unobserved. Taking in the details of the others face, of their hair, of the way they smiled, of the things they did with their hands. Intently paying attention to how the other acted and reacted to the conversations going around the table. They were reading each other. And completely without their own knowledge of it, they were storing this information into a new file in their brain marked, “very important stuff.”

Amidst the blushes and small smiles that frequently made an appearance were the moments of complete beguilement that would transport them to a place that no one else was allowed to go. They only lasted for a few seconds but they were completely understood by the other. Maybe memories of times spent together, maybe something said that caused a spark of shared recognition over a past event. It was beautiful!

Yes, today I saw a rare and beautiful sight. It was sweet and it was pure. I hope that the world will leave it alone. I hope that Merriam-Webster continues to prevail with its definition of the word “innocent”, that this rare and beautiful sight, lacking experience with the world and the bad things that happen in life remain undeserving to be harmed!

My Best Friends Wedding Day

For my best friend on your wedding day…..

As always, my brain has a way of being completely random at the most logical times. We have established that my mind is haphazard on the best of days. And today is definitely the best of days! I have so many thoughts running through my head today about what you mean to me, about how much I love you, about love in general really.

You are more than a best friend to me. You are my sister, a confidant, a protector, a mentor, a quiet place to hide and a happy place to reside. On this journey of friendship we have been through so much. You have been by my side through most of my adult milestones. We were kindred spirits from the start. We will be crazy old ladies ‘til the bitter end.

I have tried to think of a brilliant, funny, witty, unique way to explain how much you mean to me but, alas, I have come up short. I believe it to be due to the fact that when I think of you, one thing comes straight to the front of my little brain and that is this….1 Corinthians 13: 4-7. This is the way I do and always will see you my friend.

Love is patient….You are the most patient person I have ever met. You have the amazing ability to look past undesirable things and see the good instead. You are able to let things fall into place in their own time and you do so with grace and dignity.

Love is kind….You change the world a little each day with your kindness. I’ve seen it a million times. I have seen you stop to help a turtle in the middle of a busy street. Who does that?? I have seen you love people more than they deserve.

It does not envy…You have always made your own way, created your own opportunities, and fought your own battles. You have never needed to compare your life to another. You are rich in all things that matter the most.

It does not boast…You are humble. You always remember where you started from and you have never let this world change your heart.

It is not proud….It is impossible to be proud if you are thankful. It is impossible to be proud if you are humble. It is impossible to be proud if you are grateful and you my Love are all three of these things.

It is not rude….I’ve read that rudeness is the weak persons imitation of strength. You are the strongest person I know and you never miss an opportunity to build people up instead of tear them down.

It is not self-seeking….Other than your desire to own your own car wash/barber shop, I can’t think of a single solitary thing that you have sought just for yourself. You keep that desire, it is a totally fab idea!

It is not easily angered….Your ability to put yourself in the shoes of others has definitely taught you to look past what you see on the surface. This makes you beautiful.

It keeps no records of wrongs….This is my most favorite trait that you possess!

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth….You have a beautiful soul that sees beauty instead of ashes.

It always protects….I can’t even begin to explain this one. You know that I understand this about you and that’s all I have to say about it!

Always trusts….You have surrounded yourself with people who love you and that you love. You have never needed tons of people around to be happy, just a few that recognize your worth. I’m so very grateful that I am among those few!

Always hopes….You have always had it. It has always kept you going. It continues to guide you and tell you that tomorrow has the potential to be even better than today.

Always preserves….Your love never changes. It is smooth and steady. It is comforting. It is rare. Never change my friend.

I am so happy for you and Michael today. Happy that you have found love and laughter. Happy that you have found peace and contentment. Happy that you have found each other. I love you! I Can’t wait for you guys to get home and share your day with me!

Smoke and Mirrors

My devotion from today: 

A Raging Fire

Since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him.

- Romans 12:1

Resentment is the cocaine of the emotions. It causes our blood to pump and our energy level to rise. But, also like cocaine, it demands increasingly large and more frequent dosages. There is a dangerous point at which anger ceases to be an emotion and becomes a driving force. A person bent on revenge moves unknowingly further and further away from being able to forgive, for to be without the anger is to be without a source of energy.

Hatred is the rabid dog that turns on its owner.

Revenge is the raging fire that consumes the arsonist.

Bitterness is the trap that snares the hunter.

And mercy is the choice that can set them all free.

The Applause of Heaven

If you are a Christian and you have the belief that you are safe from addictions, then you are wrong. Dead wrong. A Christian can be just as susceptible to an addiction as a non-Christian if they aren't careful about letting the world influence them. And unlike the addict, that almost always knows that their addiction is wrong, the Christian will inevitably hide behind their "religion" to deny or justify their addiction, thus, the "dead wrong" comment. 

There are all types of addictions. The obvious; drugs, sex, alcohol and smoking to name a few of the traditionalist views. Then there are the less conspicuous; resentment, control, self-indulgence, gossip, codependency. 

Every single one of these have consequences. Every single one of these cause pain and destruction. Every single one of these lead to death. Every single one of these are a sin and have no greater degree of sin than the other. 

For every person that has one or more of these addictions, and that is almost all of us at some point in our lives, we will exhibit the same behaviors. We will assume we have it under control. We will tell ourselves that we don't really have the problem at all. We will justify our actions. We will hide it from our loved ones. We will assume that no one knows because we think we have it all under control. We will spin out of control until something eventually lands in our path that causes us to crash! 

My prayer for me and for you is this: that we will take a real long look at ourselves. We will ask ourselves the hard questions. Have my actions hurt someone? Have my actions built someone up or torn them down. Am I able to take an honest look at myself and my actions? Have my actions strengthened my relationship with God or have they caused me to hide from Him in shame? Are my actions pleasing to Him?

These questions are not a one time pop quiz. They should be asked every day, sometimes every minute if need be. Will you have the courage to face the answers you might get? Will you make amends where need be? Will you love yourself enough to slay your own self-will? Will you chose to give up hypocrisy?

Will you chose to live? I hope so, because you are important!

Give Us This Day

My devotion from today really hits home in reminding me of how easy it is to wish our lives away if we aren't careful. I remember when Trey Casey was a baby. Being a new stay at home mom was a tough adjustment. Not only was I trying to figure out how to handle a new baby, I was trying to do it with half of the income coming in. I remember being tired and overwhelmed for a good part of the infant stage and realized one day that I was saying, "if only he will sleep through the night". But that wasn't enough so I moved on to "if only he will will learn to walk, my life will be easier". Then, "if only he will potty train". Get the picture? One day it's like a light bulb went off in my head and I had "if only'd" my precious sons first year right out the door! 

I stopped and made a vow to myself that day that I would never again wish away any part of this life God has given me! Have the years been rough? Occasionally yes, but what I have learned from this is that those are the times that have brought the most meaning into my life. Why? Because those are the times that mattered the most! Those are the times that my little family had to draw together and figure things out together. Even now, as I have two kids in college and we quite frankly live pay check to pay check, I don't wish away one second of this moment in time. I've seen my kids grow and mature and have come to an understanding of hard work, money and sacrifice. They have a new appreciation of the things that John and I have provided for them and we all work together as a team to get through these things now. 

I appreciate everything life has to offer me, it's all from God and it all has a very specific purpose in my character development. I hope He likes the person I am becoming! 

Nothing on Earth Satisfies

We brought nothing into the world, so we can take nothing out. But, if we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with that.

- 1Timothy 6:7-8

Satisfied? That is one thing we are not. We are not satisfied.

We take a vacation of a lifetime. We satiate ourselves with sun, fun, and good food. But we are not even on the way home before we dread the end of the trip and begin planning another.

We are not satisfied.

As a child we say, If only I were a teenager. As a teen we say, If only I were an adult, As an adult, If only I were married. As a spouse, If only I had kids.

We are not satisfied. Contentment is a difficult virtue. Why?

Because there is nothing on earth that can satisfy our deepest longing. We long to see God. The leaves of life are rustling with the rumor that we will-and we won't be satisfied until we do.

When God Whispers Your Name

8 Little Letters

This morning I was thinking of three words that have such a powerful impact on others. I love you. Three words, 8 little letters, 2 seconds to speak have the ability to change a person's life, not only the one hearing them, but the one saying them. Some people never hear these words and they need it so desperately while others never say them and need too even more! Don't withhold such a powerful, life changing, healing tool. Share it today!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. – Deuteronomy 6:5

Love each other as I have loved you. – John 15:12

“A real girl of the Bible enjoys a personal and purposeful relationship with God-one that influences her relationships with others. A real girl is developing a thankful heart, recognizing God’s importance in her life, and exalting his name. A real girl is… well, real, and confident in who she is because of Christ. A real girl desires to love her Lord with all her heart and with everything she has and is. And that love guides her love for all others.” (pages 12-13, Real Girls of the Bible)

The Little Things Are The Big Things

I have a special friend. I like to call her Kady Kat. I've known her most of her life. She is 11 years old and she is vivacious, talented, creative, enthusiastic and flat out ADORABLE! But most of all, she is innocent. She is everything I wish I still was at the age of 45. She has a special talent as well. She makes friendship bracelets and she had a plethora of these adorning her arm today. I took the time to ooh and awe over these and she was quick to let me pick one out for myself. Now being the die hard Bluecat that I am, I chose the only one that had Bluecat Blue. She informed me that this was a one of a kind original, no one else had one like this! I gladly accepted and am sporting it as we speak. I can proudly tell you that my bracelet was made by a one of a kind, original young lady! I pray that she never changes and that her sweet spirit continues to bless me for years to come!

The Turtle Lays Her Eggs

I was recently tagged on Facebook to post my most proud Mommy moments. Well, if you know me very well, then you know I rarely shut up about my kids! Yes, I am biased, but I think my kids are pretty exceptional. And yes, exceptional is a pretty strong word and even harder to achieve. It took, and continues to take, a very proactive involvement on the parts of both John and myself. It's one of those projects that takes hard work and dedication, sacrifice and commitment, time and patience. It is a labor of love in its most raw form. It is beauty personified. It is my biggest blessing. It will be my most defining moment.

What makes my children so exceptional you may ask? Their hearts first and foremost. The love they have for each other will forever be my greatest joy! They have a bond with each other that even I can't fully understand but am eternally grateful for because I know that they will always look out for one another.

Their respect for others. They always consider the feelings of others and they both strive to be polite and courteous to those around them.

Their work ethics. They both work full time while taking full loads in college. They understand that money must be earned through hard work and don't expect their parents to be their "money trees".

Their strong family bonds. They love their extended family and respect their lineage for they know that these people are part of what makes them who they are.

Their respect for John and me. They make sure that we know how much they love and respect us as their parents at every opportunity. Their love is genuine and given freely.

Their willingness to learn from their mistakes. They are never too proud to admit when they are wrong or ask for help when they don't have an answer.

I will forever offer them advise, as long as they are open to it, for I too continue to grow, make mistakes, learn to overcome and share. I will forever teach them the things we did as parents from the day they were born to the present for I think we did a pretty good job!

I leave with this quote, not my own words, but wise words none the less, "For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again." Eric Roth
Love you both!

Don't Hate Me

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful, for I am far more than what you see. I have thoughts and dreams and goals that make me extraordinary. 

Don't hate me because I'm ugly, for appearances, they deceive. They tend to hide the light inside the heart and soul of me. 

Don't hate me because I'm shallow, for that's a facade I use, to keep others that look at me from seeing all my many hues. 

Don't hate me because I'm funny. It's only a game I play, to keep those closest to me at the outer edges of my bay. 

Don't hate me because I'm selfish. It's hard for me to explain, the Demons that chase me relentlessly and make me feel insane. 

Don't hate me because I'm smart, for this is my most powerful tool, to keep inquisitive minds away from seeing me less than cool. 

In the days to come you'll think these things and thats normal that you do. But deep inside, please keep in mind, there's more to me too. 

So love me because I'm beautiful, those things that you don't see? Were the things in you that molded me and helped me to believe.

Love me because I'm ugly for all the world to see. God wasn't finished, there was more for me to be. 

Love me because I'm shallow because just like all of you, God gave me self will to see just what I could do. 

Love me because I'm funny, I see laughter all around. It's times I spent with each of you that were so very profound. 

Love me because I'm smart and remember that I tried to teach, each and every one of you the power of your speech. 

So going forth into your future, look back at memories of times we've spent together and hopefully you will see. 

All of my thoughts and prayers, were said and done for you, that you may seek the Peace of God and He will get you through. 

My Bucket list: a work in progress

This post will change and be updated as inspiration or insanity strikes. With me, there's not much difference. My creative genius doesn't understand boundaries so read at your own risk. Definately check back on this one often! And by the way, these are not in any particular order... 

Dance with my son on his wedding day.  

Teach my grandchildren to call me Sugar instead of Grammy Tammy. This is NOT  going to be Cheyenne approved so it will be completely on the sly. 

Heights are my greatest fear therefore to overcome this, I want to skydive...while strapped to a hot guy. I figure it's a win win situation for me. If I make it safely to the ground, it will no doubt have nothing to do with my own abilities,  so I can say I have been saved by a hot guy. If, heaven forbid, we die while doing this, then my eulogy can read, "she died in the arms of a hot guy". Either way, a hot guy will be required. 

Go to Vegas and be involved in an Elvis wedding...even if it's just as a wedding crasher. 

Complete an Ironman triathlon. Alive. 

To be debt free, for at least 24 hours, preferably before I attempt to sky dive. 

Write (and have published) a book. A romance novel I think, loosely based on my daughter's journey to finding Mr. Cheyenne Casey. And of course it will be written under my pen name and the names of the characters will be changed to protect the innocent....and my own hide when she figures this out. 

Get a tattoo, an Ironman tattoo, and have it placed on an area of my body least likely to be affected by gravity. And if I die as I cross the finish line, my friends and/or family must promise me that they will haul me to the tattoo parlor before depositing me at the morgue!

Go on a road trip with my daughter. No agenda, no itinerary, just get in the car and drive. 

Do something that will make the world a better place!

Go to the Texas State Fair and eat something deep fried, on a stick and preferably wrapped in bacon.

See my best friend marry the love of her life ;)

Watch both of my kids graduate from college. 

Learn a foreign language other than English! If you have to ask, you just don't get it!

Meet Mike Rowe and star in an episode of Dirty Jobs. This man is brilliant, I want to be him when I grow up! Oh, and definitely sign his S.W.E.A.T Pledge.

Live long enough to see a TRUE AMERICAN president in the White House who's only agenda is to uphold the constitution.

In My Honest Opinion...the Fault In Our Stars

I recently saw The Fault In Our Stars. Let me just say, I did several things wrong prior to seeing this. First, I didn't read the book before seeing the movie which is a BIG no-no for me. I always read the book first, unless of course I lack the imagination to understand said book. Such was the case with the Harry Potter series. I so wanted to be a cool kid and talk about those books but I just couldn't do it. Second, I made the huge mistake of reading some of the reviews on said book and some of them were negative so I went with a less than positive attitude about the movie.

After seeing it, by myself I might add, this was the text I sent to my daughter before even leaving the theatre: You know that pain you get in your tonsil area and the stingy feeling you get in your nasal passage right before you start blubbering and snot is dripping profusely from your nose and then you get the hiccups from holding your breath so that you don't make a scene? Yeah, so I just did that. Now I have a headache from trying to hold it in!

Yep, it was that good! I am definately gonna go back and read the book! My lesson learned from this...everyone has an opinion, and that's ok. But remember, they are just that, opinions.  As I've said before, different things mean different things to different people. Don't become a victim of contempt prior to investigation. You never know what will light a spark within you so don't let someone else's opinion become your own. Learn to be you and LIKE that person!

The Journey of An Ironman

One of my favorite movies of all time is Forrest Gump. Forrest just has a way of putting complicated things into a simple perspective. I can appreciate that because we live in a pretty complicated world, although mostly of our own making. I like the line in the movie where Forrest asked, “What’s my destiny, Mama?” and she replied, “You’re gonna have to figure that out for yourself.” Simple question with a simple answer, right?
Well, let me tell you a story about of friend of mine, Paul Reynolds. Now many of you know him. He’s a local physician, lived in Coleman for the past 19 years and has come to be known as, “that Crazy Dr. Reynolds” by quite a few folks around town mostly because he has a somewhat crazy philosophy about his exercise. If you live anywhere around here, chances are you have seen him running, sometimes in the middle of the night with a light strapped to his forehead, biking all over the county or swimming back and forth across Memory Lake, thus the “crazy” reference.
Why on earth does he do these crazy things? Because he asked himself one simple question, “What’s my destiny?” And the answer, “You are gonna live your life as healthy and happy as you possibly can!” You see, what many of you don’t know about Paul is that he has diabetes and hypertension. These are two of the leading causes of death today, especially among Americans both male and female.1 http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm Paul came to realize that he had one of two choices to make. He could either live, or he could die. He chose to live, and live to the fullest.
Recently Paul was interviewed by KRBC in Abilene. They did a story on him for his efforts to educate our community about fitness and active lifestyles. The reporter unknowingly made a comment that we (his office family) have come to torture him with. The reporter said, “He isn’t a Small Man”. Yes, I admit, even I have dealt him misery over this statement. But what Paul has recently proven to me is this: He might not be a Small Man, but he IS an Ironman!
In case you don’t know what that means, let me explain. Paul recently completed the 2013 Florida Ironman Triathlon. This was held on November 2nd in Panama City Beach Florida. There were approximately 2,800 athletes participating in the race. According to a press release from IRONMAN, the Florida race is one of more than 30 events in the global IRONMAN Series. It featured a two-loop, 2.4-mile swim in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The one-loop 112-mile bike course took racers out into the surrounding areas of Panama City Beach. Spectators filled the roads along the 26.2-mile run course which paralleled the shoreline through local neighborhoods to the turnaround in St. Andrews State Park. All of this had to be accomplished in less than 17 hours.
Now because some of us are more “visual” than others, I recently explained this Coleman, Texas style. Imagine swimming across Memory Lake to the tower and back about 7 times. Of course this will be minus wind and waves! Then, trudge out of the water and hop on a bicycle and ride to Abilene and BACK. Yes, round trip guys! Then you slap on some shoes and run all the way to Brownwood. Now let’s not forget, this must be accomplished in less than 17 hours and yes, it will take some of the athletes almost 17 hours!
The participants of the Florida Ironman included professional triathletes, Royals from Bahrain as well as amateur triathletes. The overall times ranged from the top professional triathlete finishing in 7:53:12 which broke a personal best as well as other records for him to the last legal finishing time of 16:59:53. Paul’s time was 14:26:45. There were hundreds that put in a valiant effort but were not able to complete the race within the time limit or were unable to continue in their race due to exhaustion, fatigue, and/or injury. For every single person that crossed that finish line, they were rewarded with the announcement, “Congratulations! You are an Ironman!” No sweeter words have ever been screamed through a microphone!
Now you might be asking, what does one do after accomplishing such a monumental feat? You see, that’s where the real beauty of this whole story comes in. The answer: REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT! After so many years of training, such a huge change in diet and lifestyle habits, Paul can now say he LIVES like an Ironman! Just as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Life is a journey, not a destination”. There is no ending, only a lifelong journey of health and happiness, living life to the fullest! And the best part, Paul gets to be a living example of what he tries to educate his patients about every day! He gets to “be the change he wants to see in the world”.
In conclusion, Sister Madonna Buder, also known as the Iron Nun, was quoted as saying, “We have all been given different talents. We have to dig deep to discover them. And when we find them, we are obligated to use them for the greater good.” Paul gives thanks to God for giving him an illness that allowed him to dig deep and discover his talents and he gladly shares his wisdom with the rest of us in hopes of us too living a healthy and happy life as long as possible!

Definition of a Dad

For all of you Fathers out there that step up to the plate....thank you!

To tell a man Happy Fathers Day has great meaning to me. It's more than acknowledging that he is a procreator, it's acknowledging that he is a decision maker. He has decided to be a provider, to selflessly give of himself to his children. He has decided to impart wisdom and knowledge that will help to mold his children into our future. He has decided to be involved in his children's lives and support their loves and curiosity's. He has decided to be patient when his patience is clearly at its maximum capacity. It is having a special love that can't be contained and will even overflow to children that don't belong to him. It is a decision to respect his children's mother, for respecting her is respecting a part of who they are. It is a decision to be committed to a relationship that will continue to grow and change and last for a lifetime. Being a father isn't easy if it's done correctly, but it's the most important decision a man will ever make. I know many men who deserve to be told Happy Fathers Day and I am greatful for each and every one of them!

My Mini-Me on her big day!

20 years ago, I was the very first person to tell you happy birthday. So, I'm telling you happy birthday a day early today....cause I always want to be first in your life 

A poem written for my daughter on her 20th birthday….

I see you

The world’s idea of beauty is skewed. It says you must fit into a box that is perfect….perfect hair, perfect size, perfect person, perfectly lonely. Although you have beauty in spades….I see you.

Your beauty is not in the color of your eyes, the size of your body, your ability to regurgitate the answers the world is expecting. Your beauty is what lies within those eyes. What resides within that body. What your answers really mean. These are the things that distinguish you from most of the world….I see you.

You see, when I look into those eyes, I see hope, excitement for the things yet not experienced, compassion for others, peace that can’t be broken, love that has no rules….I see you.

When I look at your beautiful body, I see a young woman that is comfortable with her person. I see someone who shows her real face, confident in her imperfections because she is aware of her worth, someone with a heart so big, it causes the world to smile….I see you.

When I see the way you embrace life, I see a young woman full of passion. Passion for your reading and old movies, passion for your future, passion to be the best you can be. I see the love you have for your family and friends and know that in your eyes, you have everything you will ever need….I see you.

When I am in your presence or even when I see you from afar, I am overcome with pride at your confidence. A confidence that is derived from knowing how to speak, a confidence in knowing that you don’t need to be the center of attention, a confidence that comes from knowing you don’t need the approval of others. You radiate with security and poise….I see you.

When I look at you, I see something special, something uniquely you that can’t be duplicated. It’s something rarely seen, it’s the epitome of beautiful. It’s that something special that will forever elude the world but will be constantly sought by the souls that don’t have it….I see you.

45 and wise enough to stay stupid!

Please be patient with me as I attempt to get all of my previous blogs posted here! I promise to write some new stuff soon and if you haven't read these yet....I hope you enjoy them!

In honor of my 45th birthday on December 10th, I’ve decided to share 45 things I have figured out in life. They are in no particular order, just random…..like most of my thoughts are nowadays.
1. God does not Lord over me, He lives in me. When I finally came to realize that every thought, every action, every emotion, every feeling I have also affects Him, I realized the importance of the life that I am living here on earth. It’s quite profound if you actually think about it!
2. Everyone should know the joy of being friends with a Bird-Bird!!! The amount of entertainment that she provides could be put on an American Express commercial. Priceless!
3. Your children’s voices never change from the day they are born. The face looking back at you does, the words coming out of their mouths do, their personalities do, but the voice? Nope.
4. In order to be a truly beautiful person you have to possess 3 qualities: Love, forgiveness and acceptance. Without any of these, you are mediocre at best.
5. Confidence is sexy!!! I have come to realize that I will never see myself the same way as others see me. I just need to have the courage to trust that they can see things that I cannot. So I do not have to take a self-portrait of myself with my cell phone while standing in the bathroom mirror to get your attention!
6. You can learn a lot in this world if you will just keep your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open. This is really hard to do if you feel the need to be RIGHT all the time. I have learned that it is OK to Not be RIGHT all the time!
7. I love that I went to school with the same people for 18 years and even though I don’t see them often anymore, it still feels like we have been together all this time when we run into each other.
8. Finding a career that you love is like going on a mini-vaca every day from 8-5! After almost 20 years at my current job, I can honestly say that I still look forward to going to work every day.
9. You are never too old to better yourself! Never say you are too old to go to school, too old to start working out, too old to change bad habits or learn new tricks. You are not a dog, you are a human with a brain…use it! I was 30 when I went to Nursing School. I thought I was gonna be the oldest in the class, until I met my good friend Lynn who was 54 who rode to school with me every day!
10. If you get lucky enough to find your best friend in life, hold on for dear life! True friends are few and far between and much more valuable than any of your other possessions. They are also the cheapest form of therapy and entertainment!
11. Do something that scares you every once in a while. Not only does the adrenaline feel good, but it keeps you from becoming mundane.
12. Never pass up an opportunity to embarrass your children! This is one of my most favorite things to do and I hope to improve upon those skills daily 
13. It is hard work to stay married to the same person for over 25 years but don’t worry, a little hard work never killed anyone…..yet.
14. Facebook should come with a disclaimer, “for mature audiences only”, although, I’m afraid there wouldn’t be many people I know on there. Evil loves anonymity and what better place to lurk than on the pages of a social network. Stop the madness people!!! This is supposed to be for entertainment!
15. Gravity is not my friend. I don’t have a single body part that is in the same place that it was 20 years ago! What the heck? Was childbirth not enough of a punishment for Eve???
16. Artificial hormones are my friend! If you don’t believe me, just ask my husband, my children, my friends, my coworkers…. Nothing says you’re getting older than having your loved one ask, “Did you take your pill today?” Ummm, really???
17. You can pick your friends, you can pick your seat (at the movies of course), you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your family and you can’t hide from them forever either so you might as well get over it, grow up and get along.
18. Different things mean different things to different people. WTH?? For example, we like to spend Christmas day at the movie theatre watching back to back movies, eating crappy theatre food while others like to spend the day at home or in Church. Try not to be judgmental. Only YOU can put out wild fires!
19. Having a sense of humor is a gift. I know some people that need a few extra “gift-getting” opportunities to come along, lol!
20. Be unique! Barbie and Ken belong on the shelves at Wal-Mart!
21. Whatever you are doing, learn how to enjoy doing it. Life passes by too fast to live with regrets.
22. Travel a lot and don’t have a fear of getting lost. Memories can be made in many ways. And time is never lost when you are having fun.
23. Listen to all kinds of music and learn to appreciate all of it. Getting out of your box is healthy.
24. Make money, spend money, save money, lose money. But don’t forget to share money. That is the only importance that should be put into money!
25. Never be ashamed to admit that you are country. I personally tell myself that everyone in the world is jealous of Texans and they would do anything to be right where I’m at. Don’t try to tell me otherwise cause I just won’t listen!
26. Home is where your heart is and my heart lives in Coleman so you should know that if you don’t like living here, move. Hopefully you wouldn’t poop on your own kitchen floor and you shouldn’t do it on mine either! I don’t like to hear or read about how bad it is here. I choose to have a good attitude and see the things I want to see instead. Be a part of the solution instead of part of the problem. That is all!!
27. Dance every chance you get! Even if you aren’t any good at it, which I am most certainly not. You can at lease burn a few calories and entertain small bird-birds!
28. Take care of business, in every sense of the word.
29. Don’t wish your life away. Enjoy every minute of every day because it’s a gift.
30. Become a Ranger’s Fan for God’s sake. You have no idea what you are missing if you are not!
31. Figure out how to retire on a cruise ship! I’ve checked the prices at a nursing home and I think the month to month cost is going to be pretty comparable. That’s my plan as of now anyway!
32. When you feel the need to do something, just do it. That little voice that we call conscience is usually God’s way of getting our attention.
33. Sleep when you are sleepy, eat when you are hungry, cry when you are sad, laugh when you are happy and gripe when you are grippey. Just don’t do any of it to excess. Well-balanced people are a beautiful sight.
34. Read, read and read some more! Not only will it increase your IQ, but it will also expand your imagination and take you to places that you may never get to see. And while on this subject, always read the book before you see the movie. Your imagination is wayyyy better than anyone else’s!
35. The Dude really does abide…..just sayin’.
36. Robin Williams was, is and always will be the funniest person in the world. Truth.
37. Do nice things for people in secret so that you can really enjoy them. Recognition is highly overrated.
38. If you are gonna own a Bird-bird, invest in a good water gun. Take my word for that one!
39. Do not let your child get a dog while he is in college unless you are ready to have a grand-dog. Another truth.
40. Spend as much time with your kids as they are willing to allow. One day they will have their own lives and their own families and they will hopefully be doing the same thing. Circle of life and all that yada-yada.
41. Make it part of your MO to tell other people good things about themselves. Some people never hear them and they need to…as much as you need to be the one telling them.
42. Don’t take others for granted.
43. Find a church and make it your second home. You might not always like what goes on there but hey, you don’t always like what goes on in your real home either but you don’t just move to another house every time you get disgruntled.
44. Coping skills are good for you, just like bacon! You can never have enough of either one!
45. Who you started out to be doesn’t have to be who you end up being. You are in charge of more than you think. So blaming your parentals, your circumstances, your past, etc. just doesn’t fly. Be the change!!
Welll, there you have it! I don’t blame you one bit if you didn’t read it all. It’s really for myself anyway. I could have gone on. I guess that’s a good thing. I hoped that I would have learned a few things by now! Being 45 is pretty darn awesome. I’m not even half way through and things just keep getting better!
c

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