Kids say the darndest things...

So, last fall I went to visit my cousin Courtney & her husband, Brett, in Springfield.  There was a UFC fight one of the nights I was there so we went to their neighbors house and below is an actual conversation I had with an insightful 4 year old named Ethan.  I ran across this in a note I had posted on Facebook after it happened and it still makes me laugh.

E: "Do you have a son?"
A: "No."
E: "Do you have a daughter?"
A: "No."
E: "You mean it's just yourself?!?!"
A: "Yep. That's right."
E: "Well why don't you have any kids?"
A: "Because I'm not married."
E: "Well, why aren't you married?"
A: "Because I...wait...where are your parents?"

E: "Girls don't drink beer."
A: "Shouldn't you be in bed?"


I couldn't help but laugh. Anyway...just a little funny to brighten your weekend.  Actual post coming on Monday so come back & visit soon. =)

Taking my own advice...

So, I was cleaning out my e-mail earlier today and ran across this message.  I sent this e-mail to a friend who was struggling at the time, but it's funny how I read it when I needed to hear it.  Definitely needed to hear this and take my own advice.  I hope that if you're at a point of uncertainty in your life that these words help you too... as much as I hope they helped my friend and as much as they helped me.  Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Until next time...

_____________________________________________________________________

It's so crazy you e-mailed me because you've been on my mind/heart alot lately.  I just have this feeling lately that you're not happy...like at all. Trust me when I say that I can completely understand how you feel. I've been there...more than once. Sometimes I feel like nothing works out for me...ever. But, by the grace of God, I can wake up with an honest smile on my face because I trust that in HIS perfect timing my life will workout and I can look back on everything and say wow...it really was worth it.

I can do all I want to try and fill the voids in my life, but I will be disappointed every single time because if I'm doing things because I want them to happen then they will never work....no matter how bad I think I want them to.  It's hard to let go of something you love (hardest thing I've ever done), but at some point you have to just give it to God and let Him make of it what is to be made of it. 

I hope that you're still seeking the Lord with all your heart.  That is the only way you will find true happiness. Sometimes you have to lose everything in order to gain anything and thats scary! There is only one thing you have to do in order to get this amazing future God has promised...you have to pray about it...all the time.  Its all about surrender and just falling to your knees. Praising God should be your first reaction instead of your last resort and always remember that prayer is just as important when the sun is shining as it is when it rains.

I pray for you every night for you to find your way. But like I told you before, I can want this for you all I want, but your heart has to be in it...110%. Things happen in this life that I fail to understand daily, but I rest in the fact that God will never put something in my life without giving me the strength to deal with it first.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

So, tomorrow is my dad's birthday.  If you know me, even a little bit, you know even though my mom is my best friend, I'm a daddy's girl through and through.  I am so blessed God chose me to be his daughter.  We have an incredible relationship that I am beyond thankful for.  He is an amazing husband to my mother (for 34 years), a brother, son, uncle, friend, coach (to a bunch of awesome young ladies), and a wonderful father (to me AND Maggie!).

He coached me in little league, has been there for all of my firsts....kindergarten, high school, college, grad school, boyfriends, & breakups.  He fixes my flats when I run over potholes - yes plural (sorry, dad) and is an extremely hard working man.  I love talking sports with him and our little inside joke of making this crazy face when no one else is looking....until my mom gets mad because she thinks we are leaving her out,(oh, Sandy).  I could seriously go on and on!  My dad is awesome and I thank God everyday for putting such a stable, honest, dependable, loving man in my life to teach me all the ways of the world.  I'm almost 28 and he still calls me Tootie and I love that.  So, happy birthday dad.  Thanks for always being there for me, for loving me (& mom), and being the best dad and one of the most amazingly cool people I have ever met. Every girl should be as blessed as I have been/will be. I LOVE YOU!

Life as I know it...

It's amazing the things you can figure out at night when you're laying in a cold dark room, staring at a ceiling you can't see with your mind wandering in circles about things that make you go hmmmmm..... Jason Mraz lyrics fill the air with the music that is like a soundtrack of my soul. Searching for meaning in this ever changing world can be exhausting because its a journey with no end. I've discovered that simply being alive is good enough for me. Doing things that make me happy and living my life with a faith in God that sets my heart on fire. I am completley unafraid of what life might throw at me. Embracing change with open arms and loving that tomorrow is a new day. A clean slate to make the most of. Reconnecting with the me that makes me happy. Stepping out into a cruel world with scars on my heart. Some of which are almost too painful to look at and others were self inflicted. Realizing this is who I am...and being completely content with it. I will close my eyes and drift off to sleep, only to wake up to a reality that is better than anything in my dreams. Ready to take on the world and be the very best me that I can. Unique to the core and happy that the smile on my face is the best accessory I will put on all day. Loving everyone in my life for all the things they have taught me, what the new ones will teach me, and for loving me in return for just. being. me.

 

Until next time....