Changes

Change is hard.
How many times have you heard that in your life? How many times have you wrote it off?
I like to pretend that I do a pretty good job with change. Sometimes it's even true but no one's perfect and I'm no exception. Change can be difficult, the question is how do you react to it?

The simple answer is that you have two options, react positively or react negatively but we all know there's a lot more to it then that. Every situation is different and therefore every reaction is different. You can't analyze what situation you will encounter for the rest of your life and how you should react to each one. Life doesn't work that way. Don't give up yet though, that's not the end of this blog.

You may not be able to predict what kind of changes you'll face but what you can do is start working on your attitude now. Learn to not be afraid of change, don't hide from it or run away from it, don't try complaining about it, instead try remembering and implementing the serenity prayer once in a while.

Lord give me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage the change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

It sounds simple but it's not. It's a lot harder then you might think but it works and the secret isn't in the prayer itself guys, the secret is that very first word.

Whether it's changes or hurdles or whatever else life might throw at you rely on Him, he'll find a way to give you the strength, courage, wisdom or anything else you might need to get through that particular situation you're in right now or get into later.

Generosity

Have you ever caught yourself offering a friend something, that you'll buy lunch, or the loan of a favorite sweater, only to regret the offer the moment they accept? Too often we want to make the offer to make ourselves look good but we don't really want them to take us up on it, when they do we're left in a difficult position. Instead of offering in generosity we offer in selfishness.
Now some of you are thinking, "well I don't have that problem" and that's great! But don't let yourself  off the hook just yet. What about when it's things more important then clothes or a meal? What about something that you really care about, what about sharing your family?
Here's something I've struggled with bloggers, my family. They are the single most important group of people in the entire world to me and they are also some of the most loving and generous people I've ever known. I grew up in a home where our friends were welcome, if they needed a safe place to stay, a parent figure in their lives, some friendly advice or a loving hug our home was the place to be. I've always know that there was enough love to go around, but I haven't always acted that way.
Too often I invite a friend to "share" my family so that they can experince that because they don't have that in their own lives. At first things go really well, then that old green monster starts to crawl up onto my shoulder and whispering in my ear. Things like "what if I'm replaced?" or "what if they love him/her better?" Sometimes it's even "why do they get along with him/her so much better then they get along with me?"
Now believe me, I know how childish this sound but I'd be willing to bet that if you examine your hearts closely at least 90% of you know what I'm talking about. But here's the facts. That's not how it works!!!! Did you hear me? Let me try again, IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT!!!
My family doesn't dimish their love for me in order to love someone else and neither does The Lord. The more people love, the more that love grows. It's not a matter of either/or but a matter of growth. By sharing my family I am blessed to watch them love someone, watch that someone be blessed by them, and by knowing that I had a part in that. I can't be replaced and I won't be rejected.
Open your heart and let generosity in, chances are, you won't be dissapointed.

Falling for Fall

You may have noticed from the change of background that I'm embracing the change of season as we transition from the summer's heat to the cool breezes of fall and it occurred to me that there are so many fall traditions that we celebrate as children yet forget about as adults.

Think about it bloggers, remember when you were a kid and you used to rake up all the leaves then jump in the pile! You're in the air for less then a second and yet for that moment in time you're flying! You're a super hero or an airplane and nothing can touch you! When you land you're surrounded by these russet colors that seem to light up the world and make everything around you more alive.
Then when you go inside there's a bowl of hot soup and maybe a cup of cocoa on the counter. You can curl up next to the fire as you plot with your siblings what great Halloween costume you'll come up with this year. Or maybe you listen to your mom and dad planning out Thanksgiving dinner and wonder whose getting kicked out of their bedroom for Grandma and Grandpa this year.
A few days later there's a thunderstorm and maybe you're like my sister and sitting up to watch it through your window or maybe you're more like I used to be as a kid and looking for the closest place to hide until you discover the magic of watching the lightening draw designs across the night sky.
On your way out to school the next day you discover that the rain has filled up all the pot holes and what could be more fun then splashing in puddles as that muddy water sprays up around you and the cold liquid seeps into your jeans but you don't even realize because you're having too much fun!

It's fall again bloggers! Instead of hiding away inside your houses and complaining about the rain and cold, go out, celebrate, embrace your childhood, dance in the rain, splash in a puddle, take in the changing colors or then tell me your own way of falling for fall!

Incomplete Sentances

So as an author I should actually know how to complete a sentence however, as my family can attest, I often don't. I actually have several people in my life who are the same way, they start talking but never seem to be able to form the thought into a complete and coherent sentence structure, I'm sure an English teacher would be upset but I look at it a bit differently.
Think of it this way, when you don't complete your thought or sentence who in your life understands you? Nine times out of ten, it's people who are close to you, they know you well enough to know what you mean even when you're not sure yourself. And the opposite is true, the people you understand are people you know well.

Speaking of incoherent sentences, this might be a little confusing so let me just sum it up. We all have people in our lives who know us, maybe better then we think, those are the ones who can read our moods, finish our thoughts or interpret a look from across the room. Be grateful for these people every day, they're a treasure and a blessing who's value is immeasurable.

Changing Seasons

It's that time of year again, when the heat gives way to the chill, the sun plays peekaboo with the clouds and the lighting and thunder start to roll across the sky. For those of us in the Western Hemisphere that is.
There's so many changes going on around me as people trade shorts for sweaters, pool time for school time and fireworks for firesides, that I can't help but wonder if we're letting the Holy Spirit do His work to change our lives. So often we (and I'm as guilty about this as anyone) get so caught up in the little things, getting somewhere on time, making sure all the bills are paid, or wondering what on earth to make for dinner that we forget about all the blessings we have. It's not that those things aren't important, of course they are but don't get so caught up with those things that we forget to enjoy the amazing life that God has given us.
As seasons change there are some times of year that we tend to take stock of these things. At Thanksgiving we take time to name our blessings, at Christmas we remember all that we've been given, at Fourth of July we celebrate our freedom and at days like 9/11 we remember what it took to get us to this point but what about the rest of the year? What about every day?
1 Chronicles 16:34 says "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."
Think about that for just a moment, His love endures forever... that covers every single day, every single moment of our entire lives and beyond. How can we not be grateful for that?
In Psalms the well known verse says "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
We know that he made every day but do we live like it?

Here's the thought for the day bloggers, as the seasons change let your hearts be changed also, remember to be grateful for what blessings God gives and take a moment to revel in the wonder of His enduring love.

Twelve Years Today

There are moments in life that are seared into our brains, never to be forgotten. For those old enough to remember these are things like Pearl Harbor Day, JFK's assassination, Columbine, or the World Trade Center Bombing. For those who are lucky enough to have lived them there are other kind of memories, like your wedding day, the day you first held that precious baby in your arms, the day you came to know the Lord as your savior or that day you had to say good-bye to a loved one. These are the days that we remember, days that we swear at the time we will never forget.
This was the mantra of that day twelve years ago, do you remember what our nation cried out? "Never Forget". And yet some people want to. Please understand that I'm not condemning these people, in fact I understand exactly where they're coming from. As a flawed human race we don't want to dwell on tragedy, we'd rather move on to all that's good in life but as Sir Winston Churchill once said "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." If we let today slip by without so much as a thought or a moment of prayer for those thousands of lives lost what kind of people does that make us? What does that say about our country?
Today I want to challenge you, as you go about your normal, everyday life to take a moment and let yourself remember what happened twelve years ago. To pray for the families of those brave men and women who gave up their lives both in New York City, D.C. and in Pennsylvania where
they're brave actions kept those terrorists from furthering their plan. Pray for our military men and women who are still out there, still fighting against the evil that attacked our country. And pray for our country, this great land of the brave and home of the free that so many have laid their lives down for, not such twelve years ago but over and over again throughout the years since this great nation was first founded. Above all I ask that you would pray for each other, that we, as a nation and as individuals  would never forget.
I can still remember what I was doing that day when I first heard the news. I was with my mom and brother in our van and we heard the news on the radio but it wasn't until I got to school and our teacher explained the situation that I began to grasp the seriousness of this awful day. Even now as I write this I can see the image of those planes running into the Towers. I've been to Washington D.C. and I saw the Pentagon where the plane hit. I can tell you exactly what I was doing when I first heard the news that after ten years one of the men who orchestrated these attacks, Osama bin Laden, had been killed. I remember these things as if they had just happened, and I choose not to forget, not to dishonor the heroes of 9/11 that way. These men and women didn't wake up on September 11th, 2001 and just decide they would lay down their lives for their country but when the time came they made a choice that might be best described in the words of Patrick Henry, "Give me liberty or give me death!" They believed in this country and they believed in what it stood for, now the question is do we?

Let's Play A Game Final Post: Father, Pesky, Kite

Well bloggers, we all have them whether we like to admit it or not every one of us has a father. Maybe you don't speak to your father, maybe you don't even know him, or maybe (like me) you have a great relationship with him. But, no matter how amazing your dad is there's no denying the truth, every now and then all of them can be a real pesky nuisance. So the question becomes what in the world are you supposed to do with them? In this blog we'll explore some of those methods.

Method 1) Every now and then pesky fathers get this idea that they know what's best. There are few things that you should know before attempting to deal with this problem. First of all, they're probably right. Secondly, they're not likely to change their minds however take heart, there is hope! It comes in the form of illogical argument!
This is a bit of a confusing system so let me explain, first of all there are two kinds of people who excel at illogical argument, first, women, and second, teenagers, if this describes you then you may be in luck! The trick to illogical argument is that you don't actually have to make sense. All you have to do is make enough sense to confuse the pesky father then continue talking in circles until you confuse them so much they just shake their heads, throw up their hands and give up. But be warned! Depending on their stubbornness level this could be a long road.

Method 2) If you're looking for a shorter path around the pesky father then the road of illogical argument you might try this tried and true tactic. The Mother.
Sometimes when fathers are being especially pesky the best route is the not the most direct but rather the slightly roundabout direction. In some civilized circles this is called using a mediator but in reality it's easier to just say The Mother. When you come to a crossroads this is often the best method to employ. Let me give you a few simple steps.
1. Take a break from arguing, preferably before emotions get out of hand.
2. Step away and go find The Mother.
3. Explain your point in a calm, rational way or if that fails, try the illogical argument method but be warned that's taking quite a risk as mothers are less likely to fall for this so use this weapon from your arsenal extremely carefully.
4. Bring The Mother to your side then act like the vulnerable child and ask her to talk to the pesky father on your behalf, if you play to her sympathies you may get the answer your looking for but be careful, Mothers are smart and tend to catch on to this trick quickly.
5. Wait for the Mother to do her job and you're home free!

Method 3) Our next method that we'll explore today is the hardest to employ correctly so think long and hard before employing it. I like to call it by it's old, universal term, The Silent Treatment.
Occasionally when pesky fathers are being particularly difficult this may be the time to walk away. Now this is a very risky method so watch out. It often backfires but if played right, and if the pesky father is in the right mood then he may cave just to be on speaking terms with you again.

Method 4) Now when all else fails there is one more method, my personal favorite as a matter of fact, but also the one that requires you to bend just a little bit. I call this the Kite Method.
No, you don't actually have to go fly a kite with the pesky father but this method calls you to spend some quality time together. From fishing to playing a board game to just going for a drive together this will often help you and the pesky father calm tempers so that you two can have a rational conversation and possibly reach a compromise.

So there you have it bloggers, four tried and true methods to dealing with those pesky fathers from illogical arguments to the Kite Method. Now tell me your story! Have you used any of these in the past? What worked the best or tell me any other methods you have, I'm always up for new ideas!

Let's Play A Game Post 3: Penguins, Racecar, Hotel

All right bloggers, this one was a bit random too but I'm an author so what better way to meet this challenge then with a story?

Once upon a time there was a penguin who drove a racecar. Mr. Penguin decided to go on vacation so he found the Iceberg Hotel online and was very excited about his upcoming trip. When the day finally came Mr. Penguin got in his racecar (which was not street legal) and drove to his hotel. He couldn't wait to slip and slide down the ice ramp and maybe even shoot down the black ice tunnel that was supposed to go at super sonic speeds! But when he went inside he was appalled to find that the hotel didn't have any other penguins inside but a lot of stuck-up seals!

"You can't stay in our hotel!" The lofty seal concierge told him, "There are no penguins allowed!"

"But what about the ice slide and the black ice tunnel?" Mr. Penguin asked.

"Those are for Seal children," the seal told him haughtily. "Not for penguins like yourself."

A very sad Mr. Penguin walked away, climbing back in his racecar sure that his special vacation was ruined. But he was so sad that he wasn't paying any attention to where he was driving so instead of getting on the road that would take him back home he ended up haplessly lost in some town he'd never even heard of before!

Quite certain that this vacation couldn't get any worse Mr. Penguin started looking for a place to ask directions. But then lo and behold, what a wondrous sight! Mr. Penguin saw a sign for a racetrack up ahead! Immediately he started towards the track, wondering if his vacation might be saved after all!

Pulling off the road he turned down the dirt driveway but he was shocked by the sight in front of him, for there was not just a racetrack but also an Ice Castles hotel! And wouldn't you know it but there was an ice slide even taller then the one at the Iceberg Hotel and they had lots of black ice tunnels, not just one, they even had a diving ramp to slide off of into the icy pool!

Mr. Penguin was so excited, he got to race all evening then go back to his hotel to play on the slid and tunnels before going to sleep on his perfectly chilled iceberg then getting up in the morning to do it all over again.

The End

Let's Play a Game Post 2: Alligator, Dog, Laugh

All right bloggers I admit that this one took me a while but my family can attest to my stubbornness so I was determined to make it work. Hopefully you enjoy!

I love dogs, I've always had them and their very presence just seems to calm me when I'm upset but I only like big dogs. Little dogs freak me out, I mean you never know where they're going to come from and one moment they're no where to be seen then suddenly they're under your feet, launching their attack at your ankles! And trust me guys, your ankles getting bit hurts more then you might think it will! So what do little dogs and alligators have in common? The sneak attack!
Well little dogs make their sneak attack by yapping and distracting you by thinking that the worst thing about them is that very obnoxious sound then all the sudden their doing their best to sever major tendons or cause serious damage to any artery that they can reach!
Alligators have a bit of a different sneak attack, one moment you're simply swimming along in some beautiful lake or river, trying to cool off from the heat and then all of the sudden you're getting eaten by an alligator!
So here's what we've learned, alligators are a lot like little dogs and if this random, twisted logic hasn't made you laugh then go read the post 'I like books but I don't like bookstores' and maybe that will do the trick.

Have a great night bloggers but be sure to check back in to read the next post for penguins, racecars, and hotels.

Let's Play A Game Post 1: Merry Silver Bells

Christmas is right around the corner! It's already September bloggers so in just three short months Santa Claus will be on his way with eight reindeer pulling his sleigh!
Out of all the holidays Christmas has always been my favorite, it means so much to me for so many different reasons but let me just try to explain a few.

Reason 1: Christmas is the time of year that we celebrate Christ's birth, now the fact that the Savior of the world came here in the first place is incredibly unimaginable but it gets better! Jesus didn't just come here as a king and a ruler like so many expected him too, he came as a baby, a helpless infant born to an ordinary young couple who were probably (like most first parents) absolutely terrified! I could continue on this subject for hours but I'll keep going.

Reason 2: The shepards, out of everyone in the Christmas story the shepards have always been my favorites. I mean think about it, your hanging out at work, enjoying some down time, hanging out with your friends and swapping stories when all the sudden the sky lights up with angels telling you not to be afraid! What's your reaction going to be? Because for my part just reading about the angels sends chills down my spine! But they don't stay cowered back in their fear, they hear what the angels have to say, they listen to the good news and immediatly they go to worship the Savior of the Universe! Immediatly! Think about that word for the moemnt, when was the last time that God called you to do something and you responded with that kind of urgency? For me, I usually like to spend some time arguing first. =)

Reason 3: Family. I adore my family, if you've been reading this blog you've probably figured that out by now but it's true, they are the most important people in my life. Especially as we started to get older and people started to move away I started to cherish our time together more and more. Christmas is one of those rare times that we get to see each other, to spend time together and to just love each other. Wether it's teasing each other, playing pranks, or catching up on each other's lives I always leave with a happy feeling in my heart knowing how much I'm loved and how much I love my family.

And real quick I'll list a couple of traditons I love!

Tradition 1: Baking with Mom.
Tradition 2: Singing Christmas carols with my Grandma when I was just a littl girl.
Traditon 3: Setting up the Christmas village.

Well bloggers that's my summary for Christmas for now but I want to know, what are some of your favorite Christmas traditons?

Let's Play A Game!

All right guys so here's the thing, I don't know about you but some of my best ideas (and some of my worst ones too) usually come to me when I'm trying to go to sleep. Like last night for example when just before I fell asleep I came up with the idea for this blog.
Let's play a game!
Step 1: Over the next three days leave me a comment with 1-3 words, they don't have to go together or make any sense, they can be a subject that you want to hear about, a random thought, something you want advice or an opinion on or just a random word that you pulled out of thin air.
Step 2: I'll use those comments for my next three blog posts. If I have a ton of people reply then I may not be able to get all the words in there but I'll do my best. If I have a lot of people leaving the same words those will be the ones that I choose.
Step3: Come and read the random posts that come out of this! Remember, the more replies the funner this will be! (And no funner isn't a real word but I'm going to use it anyways just because I can)

Have fun with this and I'll talk to you soon!

Silver Linings

We all have tough days, no matter who you are or what you do there's going to be some days that just can't end soon enough. And everyone's heard those great little pieces of advice that sound fantastic until you're having one of those days and then they're just annoying too, but that's not what this post is about.
A lot of people want to know the author behind the books, if you're following this you may be one of those people so let me give you a sneek peek into my life. You know those bad days that I was just talking about? Well today was one of those days for me. Okay, okay, for those of you who are into technicalities it's after midnight so it was actually yesterday but you get the idea.
First, I've gotten lost several times in the last few days and I woke up a little nervous about whether or not I knew where I needed to go today. Then the dog I was babysitting was sick and I was worried but couldn't delay because I had to get to work. Of course I get lost (again) on the way there then ran over a curb in the traffic circle of all things! So by the time I get there I'm really upset. I tried to call some people before I started work because they always cheer me up but they didn't answer and I'm just a nervous, exhausted, teetering-on-the-edge wreck. Well trying to convince my coworkers/boss that I'm all right (which of course I wasn't) I just made them worry more.
Finally I'm getting through the day at work and things are starting to get better until... I got pulled over. Now for those of you who are laughing at me right now you may want to hold off, I wasn't speeding or anything there was a minor equipment infraction but get this, it's not even my car! I've been borrowing it from a friend for a few day. Now this is the first time I've ever been pulled over and thank goodness the officer was very kind and patient as he explained the problem (and no he didn't give me a ticket) then assured me I didn't need to be scared. So I get done with that and I'm on the road again and wouldn't you know it but I get lost for what? the third time today or something ridiculous like that before I finally make it back.
Now here's the silver linings.
-I ran over a curb, but no one got hurt and the car's fine.
-I got lost, but I wasn't late and God has blessed this world with the GPS!
-The dog was sick, but is doing better now.
-My co-workers were worried about me but it led to a really great talk.
-It was a rough day, but I got to talk to my awesome brother and later my amazing parents!
-I got pulled over, but as Mom pointed out now it's over and I never have to dread that "getting pulled over for the first time" thing again.
-I got lost again, but it's me and I get lost a lot so that's hardly a surprise and I did make it here in one piece.

Here's my point, life's rough, it can be hard but things happen and you have to look for those silver linings or you'll end up going through life absolutely miserable and is that really worth it?