Missing You...

So, I moved back to the central time zone :) That would have made you happy to not

have to calculate the time difference, lol.

I celebrated a birthday without you. I can’t even tell you how many times I thought of you that day, as you would not have let it pass without singing to me :) My dinner was amazing, you would have loved it! I see you in everything! It is that time of year...time to decorate for Christmas to combat the ugly decorations LOL! I miss hearing you laugh and making you laugh. No one else laughs at my corny jokes. Feeling like this really wasn’t fair, you got to go to Heaven, I’m still here. I can imagine your awe and wonder at the beauty of it all. Is the crystal sea as amazing as we imagined? Is JESUS too beautiful to look upon? Did you dance before Him or were you still and in complete awe? I miss our long conversations about everything and nothing! Thank you for being my friend! I can’t imagine the Holiday season with out you. Every time I see a snow globe I will think of you! Especially those with Nativity scenes in them :)

I gotta go, take care of earthly things...but I will continue to miss you my friend!

Always

Me, a hoarder?

Confession time! I am a recovering hoarder. I didn't realize I was one, but I definitely have been! We were able to go to California for a job for the past 2+ years, and keep our town home in Texas. We took along some essentials and then just got things we needed there. We had a nice size apartment that I tried hard not to fill, knowing it was a temporary situation. Upon returning to Texas I have realized that I lived with out a lot of this stuff that I thought I needed! SO MUCH STUFF! I would take a picture of what is going to the thrift store this weekend, but I am a bit embarrassed. This is not the first trip to said thrift store either. Yikes!
So, I have had alone time this week, and I have asked the LORD why? Why did I do this? Why did I stuff my closet, drawers and space full of stuff? I believe I have the answer that fit what has gone on in my life for quite awhile. It's fear! All of this has been motivated by fear! Fear that there won't be another chance to get that cute item, or it won't be on sale later, or fear of not having a pay check, or fear of not fitting in, or fear of lack, or fear of not enough. It's an illness, for sure. But, it was fear! And the advertisers play on it, it's in our nature apparently, why else would they say things like "Never see this low price again", "lowest price of the season" or "One time offer" or "Hurry before they are gone". "Sale now!"  And these slogans are everywhere, from cars and furniture, to clothing, jewelry, shoes, handbags, soaps, decor, even the arts and crafts stores!
I'm not blaming the advertisers, but they certainly don't help. They have their best interests in mind, not yours or mine! My life circumstances have caused me to want to have stuff, and keep stuff. Military living, moving around, death of parents and loved ones, uncertainty, but stuff will not cure me! It has become a burden. I have to deal with it. I have to go through things, and it is a  painstakingly slow process! Praise GOD I know the cure and the Curer! HIS name is JESUS. HE alone can fill my empty spaces in  my heart and life. HE alone can fulfill me, HE alone can heal me, bring me peace and be my Peace! And that my friends, is better than any sale! :)
So, if you find yourself with too much stuff, try living without 10 items for 6 months, after 6 months if you find that you don't love it, need it or that you really did not miss it, pass it on. We are a country of too much stuff. The evidence is clear with all the storage lots in every city in America.
This is my confession, and I hope I can stay free! I know if I keep my eyes on JESUS I will stay free of the weight of stuff. Praise GOD!

Saying "Thanks"

This is my guy! The guy who gets me. The guy who I have been married to for 31 years now. The guy who has seen me at my utter worst, and my very best. He's been there with me through the death of both of my parents, the raising of our 3 daughters, the birth of said daughters, the college years of those daughters. His military career and retirement. The adventures we've had, some good some laughably bad! Some great! This picture was taken this past weekend on a great adventure up the west coast, Big Sur area. It was incredible!
We talked last night about what keeps us together, he caught me off guard when he said, it's because we are thankful for each other, and we thank each other. Yes, we thank each other for the big things yes of course, but for the small stuff too. He thanks me for cooking meals, for doing laundry, for taking care of the bills and all the mail. And I thank him for going to work every day, for taking out the trash, for getting me a glass of water, and the million other little things we do for each other. We say "thank you". I think we are all guilty of taking people for granted sometimes in our every day lives. But don't! Life can be short! Say the little things, they add up to the big things! Say thank you. Say I love you. Say I'm sorry. We can start to assume that our spouse knows that, I am grateful or that I love them, or that I am sorry. I'm here, right?  It is important to verbalize our thanks, it's not hard and it is not expensive, but it is valuable! Knowing that someone appreciates you makes doing something for them more enjoyable and it makes us want to do more. It's how we are wired. Just like mean or bad words are harmful, grateful and sweet words and uplifting, encouraging and valuable to our hearts, our minds and our emotions. We can all use more kindness. Let's start at home and say "thank you" to our loved ones today. Even if it feels weird, I promise you no, one ever stood at a casket and said, "I told them I appreciated them too much!"  No quite the opposite, most people say
"I wish I would have told them how much they meant to me." Seize the day! Start this evening, when you say good night, say thanks too.

What If...

I was challenged today by my Bible study with this question, What If?
Ya, What If? As I pondered that question I had this thought, what if I lived like my playlist?
What if I believed that GOD is a "Good Good Father"? That HE is the "Chain Breaker"? That I am "Good Enough"? That if the rocks cry out "So Will I"? What if I lived like I sing along to "Glorious Day"? What if I believed in GOD'S "Reckless Love"? or HIS "Resurrection Power" living on the inside of me?
What if? I believe I would be more bold, and courageous, and not doubt, if I truly believed what I listen to and sing along with.
I was gently convicted today to start again. To believe like that, to step out in faith like that. HE is trustworthy and faithful and true! I feel a little like that guy in the New Testament that said to JESUS, at Your Word LORD. Then the next sentence was "Help my unbelief". The next sentence! One second he was all you said it JESUS, so it is done. The next he was asking for help to believe it. We are so often weak, and fragile. But HE is reckless in HIS love for us, HIS pursuit of us, HE really will leave the 99 to find you (me, us). If we just believe.
So ya, what if? I challenge you to ponder this in your life today. Let's be brave ❤