Social Security for Brooke

Keith Lambert, if you had known what I was going to get from your Social Security for Brooke upon of your death ... you would be alive and partying in Canton tonight!

From your new & improved heavenly perspective, I know you are smiling down on us. =)

Thank you, Jesus!

Finding Beauty

There was this couple that moved into a new neighborhood. Early one morning while they were eating, the lady looked out the window and saw the neighbor hanging her wash out on the line to dry. She noticed that the wash was so dirty and so dingy. She said to her husband, "That neighbor doesn´t know how to wash. Her clothes aren´t clean. I wonder if she even uses detergent." Day after day, she made these same comments. "I can´t believe she lets her family wear those dirty, dingy clothes."

Several weeks later, she looked out that window, and the clothes were just as bright and clean and beautiful as could be. She was so surprised. She called her husband and said, "Honey, look! The lady finally learned how to wash. I wonder what happened?”  The husband smiled and said, "Honey, I got up early this morning and cleaned our window.”

The problem was not that the neighbor had dirty laundry. The problem was the window she was looking through was not clean. She was seeing everything through a tainted filter.

It´s the same way within beauty; you only see the scratch in the floor and never the amazing house; if you never see what your loved one does right and only what they do wrong, then my encouragement to you is to clean your window. The problem is not with your loved one. It´s an internal issue.

In life, no matter how much good there is, you can always find something bad if you look for it.

You see, you can train yourself to see strengths or you can train yourself to see weaknesses. 

Focusing on good qualities or you can focus on what you don’t like and magnify the things that bother you.

Some people have become so critically minded that no matter what the other one does, it’s not going to be right. They’ve forgotten the reasons they fell in love in the first place.  – Joel Osteen

Finding beauty in frustrating circumstances takes heart effort. 

Sometimes it comes too easy for me ... sometimes I struggle and it takes a gentle reminder.

Today, I'm thankful for my gentle reminder.

The Biggest Loser

The “smack” talk is alive and flowing today!

I am a very competitive person.  Loving a healthy competition, I started a “Biggest Loser” weight loss competition at our corporate office.

This competition runs from December 1^st – June 1^st, allowing 6 months for healthy weight loss in preparation for summer.  Weigh-ins are the first work day of each month. 

The grand prize is a $500 Visa gift card.  I plan to use it for a new summer wardrobe!

We have 25 participants. Ages range from 20 years – early 40’s … 23 females, 2 males. 

Guess who I have challenged as my main competition?  Tyler, a 22 year old male with a high metabolism!  I like to remind him he is going to lose to a girl and that I am old enough to be his mother!  J

Like I said, I am highly competitive and I don’t find women in their 20’s or 30’s to be much of a competition.  That is a bold statement to make, I realize that! 

But guess what it does to me?  It makes me have to work 10 times harder, pull out every trick in the trade, because being a 40 year old female with a slowing down metabolism, I have to give 200% to WIN!

I won this month!  Down 6 pounds since January 3^rd!  Oh yah, I rubbed it in then sprinkled a little lemon juice over his open wounds … but that’s how we all are here. Cut throat, but all in good fun.  I had my moment in glory, now I have to step up my game even more!

Four months to go.

They say the human head is 8 lbs.  Let’s just say … I really hope it doesn’t come down to a 7 ½ pound difference!!  

Tenderness

Last night I picked up one of my Christian books, searching for words I desperately need to hear.

I’m sailing through the chapters, feeling rejuvenated, and thankful for the will to search when I really need it.

I came to a chapter on Forgiveness.  This is easy.  I have pretty much mastered forgiveness in my life. I have forgiven unthinkables, simply to release their powers to no longer hurt me. 

I’m reading the lines where God wants us to “walk this way:  loving, forgiving, and interceding for those who do not get you, who have hurt you, who don’t deserve your love.”  I am reading, but my mind is wandering to one person, a real thorn in my life.

“You have it in you to be tough against the lies of the enemy and tender toward the things of God.”  I know this. I’ve tried, God.

“We have to be humble enough to receive God’s grace, and gracious enough to give it.”  A text comes through my BlackBerry.  It’s Debbie (not the thorn in my life).

What a timely God we have.  Debbie was Keith’s “other” girlfriend.  Debbie was his partner/best friend for 15 years.  They bought a home together last summer.  

Debbie has been there the last 15 years. Roann the last 5 years.  Follow me here.

I found out about Debbie when I was 2 months pregnant with Brooke.  We spent years “getting even” with one another.  It was an ugly time.

Debbie has always been in Brooke’s life. Years ago, I stopped hating her and appreciated her for being so good to my daughter.  Let bygones be bygones. 

Our relationship grew to where she picked Brooke up for their weekend visits.  Would come into my home and conversations were nice. 

Debbie is the one who found Keith on December 19, 2010.  Heavily medicated to cope and she hasn’t been back to her home since that day. 

Debbie text she misses Brooke.  That she is in counseling to get through her pain. What a broken admission for her to make ... to me. 

Okay, I get it now.  Beyond forgiveness, I have to be tender towards the things of God.

I reply that it was tragic and encouraged her to reach out and get and the help she can.

I invited her to stop by whenever she would like to see Brooke.

Some battles come easy, some take real heart effort on my part.

I try not to do things the common way, rather the uncommon way. With hopes of turning ordinary into extraordinary.

                       

You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman ...

Lookin' out on the mornin' rain
I used to feel uninspired
And when I knew I had to face another day
Oh it made me feel so tired
Before the day I met you
Life was so unkind
But your haircuts are the key to my peace of mind …

You make me feel, you make me feel,

You make me feel like a natural woman

I love to get my haircut! 

Today was my February 1^st celebration reward for making it sanely through January 2011!

Tim has cut my hair forever. He has the best hands when it comes to washing my hair and I feel hypnotized as he works his magic cutting, blow drying, and styling it.  He loves to run his hands all through my hair and it feels amazing.

Tim’s life partner and business partner, Kurt, a super nice guy, watches hypnotically as well.  I’m not sure if he is learning tricks of the trade or simply enjoys it as much as me.  We just smile at each other.

I savor every moment and when my hour is up, I am transformed from bouncy curls to chic straight! 

This is my Saturday look, but today is special … it is February 1^st.

January 2011 … good riddance!

Groundhog's Day - February 2nd

In the beginning, not so long ago, someone I love very much claimed the film comedy Groundhog’s Day was the metaphor of his life. 

Like Bill Murray, waking up every day to the same day. How sad. That was enough to put me on a quest, because this is not what life is about.

Life isn’t about living the same day over and over.

Dawn is the time that marks a new day. It is the time recognized by the presence of light, while the sun itself is still below the horizon.

Appropriately named, I am one of those rare people that can claim to be an eternal optimist. I wake up to renewed hope & faith every day and I never cease to give up hope in something I believe in. I expect a favorable outcome no matter how high the odds or how grim a situation.

Grounghog’s Day, formerly Candlemas Day was a superstitious custom of predicting the future weather that began back in the Dark Ages in Europe.

If Candlemas be fair and bright,

Winter has another flight.

If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,

Winter will not come again.

I’m glad tomorrow is Groundhog’s Day.  In modern day tradition, Punxsutawney Phil can emerge from his home in hopes he doesn’t see his shadow … early spring. 

To someone else, it is a gentle reminder of what life used to be.

Every dawn brings a new day … my mission accomplished! J

Ice Storm

I woke up at 3:00 a.m. … listening to an icy rain. 

I smile. I am thankful for my warm and comfortable bed, and I don’t want to stop listening to the sounds of nature creating an orchestral symphony.

I love the rain! 

I love a soft summer rain that gently waters the earth. I love the power of a mighty and thunderous storm in its full glorious nature. I love to sit outside and anxiously await heaven touching the earth.

An icy winter rain leaves behind a quiet and heavy glass covering all in its path. 

How beautiful to wake up to a world covered in crystal.

I sent out a blast to close the corporate office … I can’t wait to whisper in my girls ears … snow day!