Be observant.

I have a friend that tells me I am way too observant. Now, how can that be? Okay, so the stuff I notice is typically the oddities or humorous mishaps of others but can you really be too observant?

I had to carry a box today that was way larger and extremely heavier than I am capable of carrying. I passed so many people going about their merry way with not one of them offering to help or hold a door or even give me a sympathetic smile. It was sad really. I understand being lost in your own thoughts and I get that. I am there a lot especially before I have consumed my morning caffeine, but come on people spread a little help and happiness around you!

I know that you would like to be on the receiving end of all this love and joy! I was searching my surroundings for a big burly man that would say here mam let me get that for you! Nothing. I wouldn't have even minded being called mam!

I'm just saying that we are all on this planet together and if you could, even if you just did it one day a month, look around you and see who just might need a smile or a hand or even a pat on the back. It will go a long way in helping the world go around. We are all in this together people.

Plus, if you make it a practice you will catch a glimpse of something that will make you laugh out loud. Careful though, you might also see something that will make you throw up. It's a crap shoot you never know what your eyes will land on.

Have fun! If you see something funny tell me about it. Disgusting? Keep it to yourself.

People who need People

Sing it with me...People, who need people, are the luckiest people in the WORLD!!!!

You know something I've found out about myself? I need other people. At the same time I must admit that most people drive me completely insane so it is a fine line.

While most that see me on a regular basis think I am a happy go lucky outgoing individual , I have to tell you that over the past 10 or so years it has for the most part been an act. I had gotten into quite the depression.

Over the last 6 months, however, I feel like the sun has started to shine again. I am involved in an exercise class, I'm volunteering at my kids school, I've met some new people...that I enjoy. I have to say that this little add on is imperative because I've met a lot of people over the last 10 years and some can just move on along on that little road of life.

I didn't realize how much I needed to be out there and socializing. I want to be quite clear that I loved staying home with my babies, and that I would never change that for the world but I would tell new mothers to make sure and get out there. Don't worry so much about germs and not fitting in or knowing anyone. Typically you will find at least one person to chat with and if you don't talk to your baby.

The same goes for those of us with kids off to school. The first few times I went to my exercise class I felt completely out of place. Then I started talking to a few people and now it is a heart warming group effort of sweat and pain. It's a good thing I promise.

Depression is a weird thing for us girls. You can have everything going for you and still be completely depressed. It doesn't make sense but its true. Those are the days that you need to step outside for some sunshine or find a friend and enjoy some laughter. Don't call your gossipy friend because that will just get you mad or annoyed. Go with your fun friend that finds the good in everything. Mainly get outside of your waller pit and get the stank off of you!

We will all have days when tragic things happen in our lives or we aren't feeling well and those days are fine to waller. Just don't stay there. Take a shower, get the stank off of you and get out there to find someone who is worse off than you and make their day brighter.

My mother always says. The best way to cheer yourself up is to do something nice for someone else. You should try it. It really works!

Enjoy your day people it is a gift.

From where does your opinion derive?

If you do not like someone purely because of information that you are receiving from a third party would you please keep in mind that the person that you could possibly not like might just be the person to whom you are receiving your information from. The reason that the person from who you are receiving your information from might just be giving you the rainbows and butterflies portion of the story and if you were to see both sides as clearly as the one side has been presented to you, well, then your opinion might be completely different.

If you have never broken bread with a person. Sat down and talked with them face to face. Enjoyed their company for more than a brief glare. Then I'm sorry but you are not allowed to hate them.

I will say that this only applies in situations where the information you are receiving is here say. Let's say the person you are directing your anger to kills puppies and rips tags off mattresses well then by all means...hate away.

However, if the person is telling you how selfish the offender is and how they are so self centered and rude. Hold up Tonto you might not be receiving the entire story.

Be mature enough to hear your friends side of the story but hold off on sending your visual daggers until you truly know the other person. Lots of things can happen between two people that can be completely misconstrued if given the chance.

Yeah, I realize this is fairly random. Just needed to get it out. Have a great day!!!

Animals bring me peace.

My freshman year in college was a lonely one for me. The small group that they had placed me in did not contain anyone that I was friends with and I felt completely alone.

My room mate was a friend from high school and I had her but she had hit it off with her small group and there were times when she wasn't around. I did a lot of crying and praying during that fall.

My father decided to send me a card a day so that when I would walk all the way down the hill to the post office I would have something when I got there. It was during the walk back up to the dorm that I found my comfort that is still with me to this day.

I was alone and crying and praying and I was telling God exactly how I felt. Now, I'm not one to ask God for signs but on that day I did. I said God I feel so alone I just need to feel you. About that time an animal ran out of the woods, looked at me and went on his merry little way. To me that was my answer. So, it got to be common practice on my walk back up the hill to look for the animal. It brought me comfort and I eventually made friends and loved my college experience.

I'm now married with two children. One day when my kids were young I was having a particularly hard day and I wanted to cry, but if you cry around small children it tends to freak them out so I didn't. We were stuck in traffic and I looked up at the vehicle that had cut me off. Staring at me was the biggest cow I had ever seen. Once the cow and I had eye contact, the cow took its long black tongue and placed it in his nose. It made me laugh outloud. Exactly what I needed.

The photograph above is of a creature that landed on the deck of my new house when I was feeling sad and alone missing my old neighborhood and wondering if we had made the right choice. My God is a God of love and understanding and he knows exactly what I need when I need it.

I pray that you are able to find comfort and humor in your day today.

Contemplating opening a can.

I am in the middle of an inner struggle of not knowing if I should step in or sit back and wait. I have been waiting and trying to allow the situation to be a life lesson for my child but today I am not so willing. You mess with my child you mess with me and I am not doing very good at being mature at the moment. It is a good thing that I am at home and incapable of confronting the offender or the offender's parents as I am not in a good place.

I'm only writing this because it is my form of therapy and I'm hoping it will help me out of this massive hole of anger I am digging.

Why are kids so mean and why are some parents so oblivious to their own children's behavior? If your child is getting into trouble do you automatically just assume that there is no way it could be your child because they are perfect? Are you completely unaware that your child might just might be lying to you?

As parents, we are called to direct the paths of our children and if you are always having to cast your child in the role of victim you might need to investigate as to why. It might be that your child is indeed a bully.

I have been trying to allow a certain situation to be a life lesson for one of my children for the past 6 months and I have explained to my child that if it gets too much for them to handle then tell me and I will step in. I am picturing a boxing ring where my child finally hits my hand and I am allowed to unleash all this aggression that I have been holding back on this offender. It would be wrong, but it is my fantasy so back off.

There have been two pretty significant offenses just recently and I am sitting here bubbling to do something about it. I will ask that you pray for me and for this anonymous situation that it will be handled in the best possible way for all involved.

You know before I have to open the can. Oh, and I can open a can.

Thank you for listening my friends. Mama bear needed that.

Sweet Joy of Happiness

When I picked up the kids from school today I handed each of them one of those little 4 piece box of chocolates from Whitman's. I had found them on clearance at Kroger and thought it would be a nice treat for their after school snack.

My son's reaction was complete disbelief. He said, I get to eat this entire box of chocolates? All by myself? Right now? When he realized I wasn't kidding I didn't hear from him again until he was done.

My daughter's reaction was as follows. Well, I'll tell you what this is this is sweet joy of happiness right here that's what this is.

I love my children.

I didn't realize that I had put such a restriction on sweets. I can't remember the last time I ate something sweet without feeling guilty about it. I'm not saying I'm going to run and jump off the deep end I'm just saying I would like to experience guilt free chocolate consumption just once in my life.

Mmmmm....chocolate...good. In other news, I think I'm allergic to the stuff. Every time I eat a piece now it makes me sneeze. Weird huh?!

God can do bigger than you can dream.

I just got off the phone with one of my nearest and dearest and I want to tell you a story. I won't tell you who so that all will be sacred but I want to share my opinion as I think it might be helpful to you.

A friend of hers confided in her an amount of school loan debt that the friend had sustained due to seminary education. It is large. It is scary, and it might make some think how on earth could debt be God's will for her life.

Now, settle down Beavis as you need to open your mind a little bit.

Walk with me to a land where money has no value. This person truly believes with all her heart, soul and mind that this path is God's will for her life. This is her firm belief. Therefore, it should be her path and whether you agree or not isn't important. Debt means nothing to God he can put on someone's heart tomorrow that they are supposed to pay off that debt for her or he can have her inherit that very same amount.

God is not held down by our small minds. God is able to do more than we can even imagine. Do not allow your fears and your logic to interfere with that which God has planned for you. If you truly feel God tugging on your heart about anything you can and will succeed. It won't always be easy and it probably won't go as you might think it to go but you can't see the map, God can. He might be protecting you from something, or he might be putting you into the path of someone else that needs to feel his love. We are incapable of seeing the big picture of what lives we are changing with our decisions.

No matter how good you are at planning or managing or understanding, bless your heart honey you have no clue. One small event can completely change your world and then where would you be? Trust only in what God has planned for you allowing nothing else to direct your path. This does not mean your path is going to be straight or smooth, but it does mean that your destination is so much more than you can even imagine.

God has the map my friends and he doesn't need us to be his navigators. Just get on board and let him use you in the way he needs to use you.

Have a wonderful day my friends.

Tennessee is beautiful....sometimes.

My family and I took a much needed day trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to go to our favorite restaurant there. If you have never been a trip needs to be planned in your near future. It is called The Pancake Pantry and it is fabulous. Everything on the menu is someone's favorite, and you are served by little old ladies that have worked there forever and there is just nothing negative to say about this place.

I have a new love which is Banana Pineapple Triumph. Sweet Merry Christmas that stuff is good.

It was a gorgeous day in the middle of February where no coats were needed and we were even able to get in a round of mini golf and not freeze to death. A most excellent family moment.

Now, the sometimes portion came from two different individuals that I noticed walking by me. 1. Was a highly overweight young woman who was wearing a shirt that said "Lick this". Why. Why was this shirt made, Why is this woman wearing this shirt, Why is this image now burned in my skull? When selecting one's attire for the day and one selects such a tshirt what on earth is going through ones head? Is she wanting others to randomly come up and lick her? Cause I'm pretty sure that those that were to adhere to the command would not necessarily be those that she would have dreamed them to be.

Is she thinking ha ha this shirt is hysterical? Cause it's not. Commands are not funny. A shirt that says you were prettier on facebook is funny cause its true. Lick this is not funny.

Another disturbing sight, and I want to say that whilst in Gatlinburg you will see way more than just two but this isn't that kind of post, was a 6 year old wearing high heeled black leather studded boots. Why? You could tell the things were hurting her feet and why on earth high heels? Why? Women of the world your daughters have the rest of their lives to make bad wardrobe choices please don't make them for them when they are still young.

I guess my suggestion is when in Tennessee look up to the mountains, look up to the sky and look at the many babbling brooks and streams and rivers that surround you. Tennessee is a beautiful place and you will enjoy it's splendor. I can't necessarily say the same for the characters that are taking it all in with you but I will say just use them as comic relief.

Take a lesson from Ellen Degeneres.

February is Love month. Cue the flying birds and harp like music. Can I just give a hint to you guys...if you haven't been doing it all year you better make up for it now.

I personally hate Valentines day. I have a Valentine. I have had him for 22 years. I'm okay with the thought of remembering your loved ones. I just don't like the pressure that Valentine's day brings. I can't stand the fact that it is like a horrible card game of what did your Valentine do for you on Valentine's morning.

It goes something like this...Oh, he made you breakfast in bed? Well, my valentine did that years ago this year he hired me a chef. Oh, you have a chef on staff? Well, Marcus has been with us for years, my husband bought me a farm. It is never just between the two valentines.

I propose that we all take a lesson from Ellen Degeneres. The talk show host not your neighbor. If you were to have a neighbor named Ellen Degeneres which you may or may not have whoa...you can tell I'm on a diet I am way off track...reeling it back in.....

My point is. I don't expect that you will give someone in need a car or $15,000 or both. Mrs. Degeneres has a staff and sponsors and the where with all to be able to afford that. If you do then by all means give someone a car, but if you don't how about just a cup of coffee?

It is so easy to spread love. First of all you need to come down from the Me cloud and take a look around you. Yes, you probably do have way more problems than everyone around you but just for February let's pretend like we don't care K?.

Be observant. Listen. Ask questions. Write a nice note and stick it on their car or mail it. Oo Oooo!!! Mail it. Then instead of bills they will get a letter of happiness and joy plus you will be helping the economy...where is the lose in that?

Watch what they buy themselves. Do they stop at Starbucks every morning? Get them a gift card. Leave them a funny message on their phone. Plants are good. So is chocolate. I'm also fond of laughter. Get creative. I'm not asking you to do this all year, even if I think it would be a most awesome thing to do, just February.

Spread Kindness, spread joy, spread LOVE, and the next time you are crying your eyes out because Ellen gave the single mother with a creepy ex a car and some money you will know that on your own scale this must have been how you made your person feel.

Go on now...do it. Get around. Give to several people. Random people. People you don't even really know. Tell me what you did. Here, on the wall for others to read so that they can get inspired too. Go on.

Have a great day friends!