1. At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.
2. Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.
3. Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.
4. Put your garbage can on your desk and label it "In".
5. Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
6. In the memo field of all your checks, write "For Smuggling Diamonds".
7. Finish all your sentences with "In accordance with the prophecy".
8. Don't use any punctuation.
9. As often as possible, skip rather than walk.
10. Order a diet water, with a serious face, whenever you go out to eat.
11. Specify that your drive-through order is "To Go".
12. Sing along at the opera.
13. Go to a poetry recital. Ask why the poems don't rhyme.
14. Put mosquito netting around your work area and play tropical sounds all day.
15. Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.
16. Have your co-workers address you by your wrestling name, Rock Bottom.
17. When the money comes out of the ATM, scream, "I won! I won!"
18. When leaving the zoo, start running towards the parking lot yelling, "Run for your lives! They're loose!"
19. Tell your children over dinner, "Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of your go."
20. And the final way to keep a healthy level of insanity...
Share this with someone to make them smile!
Enjoy your stress-free day!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Three Bullets
There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat.
He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner.
As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away.
Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.
As he went further, he saw a large wild 'Tom' turkey in the tree, but he had only one bullet remaining.
A voice spoke to him and said, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused."
However, at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill.
He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake.
Still, the voice said again to him, "I said 'Pray, aim high and stay focused.'"
So, the man decided to listen to God's voice.
He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey.
The bullet passed through the turkey and killed the deer.
The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it.
And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond.
When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to eat for his family.
The snake (Satan) was dead simply because the man listened to God.
Moral of the story:
Pray first before you do anything, aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God.
Never let others discourage you concerning your past. The past is exactly that, the past.
Live every day one day at a time and remember that only God knows our future and that God will not put you through anymore than you can bear.
Do not look to man for your blessings, but look to the doors that only God has prepared in advance for you in your favor.
Wait, be still and patient: keep God first and everything else will follow.
Here's to a stress-free holiday season remembering why we celebrate in the first place.
He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner.
As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away.
Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.
As he went further, he saw a large wild 'Tom' turkey in the tree, but he had only one bullet remaining.
A voice spoke to him and said, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused."
However, at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill.
He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake.
Still, the voice said again to him, "I said 'Pray, aim high and stay focused.'"
So, the man decided to listen to God's voice.
He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey.
The bullet passed through the turkey and killed the deer.
The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it.
And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond.
When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to eat for his family.
The snake (Satan) was dead simply because the man listened to God.
Moral of the story:
Pray first before you do anything, aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God.
Never let others discourage you concerning your past. The past is exactly that, the past.
Live every day one day at a time and remember that only God knows our future and that God will not put you through anymore than you can bear.
Do not look to man for your blessings, but look to the doors that only God has prepared in advance for you in your favor.
Wait, be still and patient: keep God first and everything else will follow.
Here's to a stress-free holiday season remembering why we celebrate in the first place.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Something to Think About
There was a man who attended the same church as my daughters and I do. He was a “poor sort”, if you will and was often sitting alone near the front of the church. Every week, at least once and usually several times, he’d stand up, turn around and then sit back down. There is a clock in the back of our church and I always figured he was standing to check the time.
A few weeks ago, he passed away leaving no family behind and during the following Sunday’s church service, the pastor honored this man’s life. He mentioned how he’d always stand up during the service but instead of assuming, as I had, that he was checking the clock, he suggested that he was looking for Jesus as it’s been said He may show up anywhere. What a nicer thought than mine!
So, may we all keep looking for Jesus; particularly as we await the celebration of his birth and may we live as he would want us to so that if and when we finally meet him, he looks favorably upon us.
Have a wonderfully stress-free day!
A few weeks ago, he passed away leaving no family behind and during the following Sunday’s church service, the pastor honored this man’s life. He mentioned how he’d always stand up during the service but instead of assuming, as I had, that he was checking the clock, he suggested that he was looking for Jesus as it’s been said He may show up anywhere. What a nicer thought than mine!
So, may we all keep looking for Jesus; particularly as we await the celebration of his birth and may we live as he would want us to so that if and when we finally meet him, he looks favorably upon us.
Have a wonderfully stress-free day!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Dirt Roads
What's mainly wrong with society today is that too many Dirt Roads have been paved.
There's not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency that wouldn't be remedied if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character.
People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy ride.
That is can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes, but it's worth it, if at the end is home...a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.
We wouldn't have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along.
There was less crime in our streets before they were paved.
Criminals didn't walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they knew they'd be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and double barrel shotgun.
And there were no drive by shootings.
Our values were better when our roads were worse!
People did not worship their cars more than their kids, and motorists were more courteous, they didn't tailgate by riding the bumper or the guy in front would choke with dust and bust your windshield with rocks.
Dirt Roads taught patience.
Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly, you didn't hop in your car for a quart of milk you walked to the barn for your milk.
For your mail, you walked to the mailbox.
What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family time, roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and pony rode on Daddy's shoulders and learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody.
At the end of Dirt Roads, you soon learned that bad words tasted like soap.
Most paved road lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole.
At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn't some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini.
At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, from when city dudes would get stuck, you'd have to hitch up a team and pull them out.
Usually you got a dollar...always you got a new friend...at the end of a Dirt Road!
- Paul Harvey
And, I'd be willing to bet there was a whole lot less stress at the end of a Dirt Road as well. Sometimes, I think, we need to be careful how we use change.
Hope your week starts off Stress-Free!!!
There's not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency that wouldn't be remedied if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character.
People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy ride.
That is can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes, but it's worth it, if at the end is home...a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.
We wouldn't have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along.
There was less crime in our streets before they were paved.
Criminals didn't walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they knew they'd be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and double barrel shotgun.
And there were no drive by shootings.
Our values were better when our roads were worse!
People did not worship their cars more than their kids, and motorists were more courteous, they didn't tailgate by riding the bumper or the guy in front would choke with dust and bust your windshield with rocks.
Dirt Roads taught patience.
Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly, you didn't hop in your car for a quart of milk you walked to the barn for your milk.
For your mail, you walked to the mailbox.
What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family time, roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and pony rode on Daddy's shoulders and learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody.
At the end of Dirt Roads, you soon learned that bad words tasted like soap.
Most paved road lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole.
At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn't some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini.
At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, from when city dudes would get stuck, you'd have to hitch up a team and pull them out.
Usually you got a dollar...always you got a new friend...at the end of a Dirt Road!
- Paul Harvey
And, I'd be willing to bet there was a whole lot less stress at the end of a Dirt Road as well. Sometimes, I think, we need to be careful how we use change.
Hope your week starts off Stress-Free!!!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
A Good Story
A young couple moves into a new neighborhood.
The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.
"That laundry is not very clean," she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."Her husband looked on, but remained silent.
Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this?" The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows."
And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.
We should always remember; attitude is everything...
Have a terrifically stress-free day!
The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.
"That laundry is not very clean," she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."Her husband looked on, but remained silent.
Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this?" The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows."
And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.
We should always remember; attitude is everything...
Have a terrifically stress-free day!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Quotes to (hopefully) make you smile.
These are quotes from famous ladies. If you can't laugh, what is there?
"Inside me lives a skinny woman crying to get out. But I can usually shut
her up with cookies."
Unknown
"The hardest years in life are those between 10 and 70."
-Helen Hayes (at 73)-
"I refuse to think of them as chin hairs. I think of them as stray
eyebrows."
-Janette Barber-
"Things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse."
-Lily Tomlin-
"A male gynecologist is like an auto mechanic who never owned a car."
-Carrie Snow-
"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry with your
girlfriends."
-Laurie Kuslansky-
"My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being, hitting my
head on the top bunk bed until I faint."
-Erma Bombeck-
"Old age ain't no place for sissies."
-Bette Davis-
"A man's got to do what a man's got to do. A woman must do what he can't."
-Rhonda Hansome-
"The phrase "working mother" is redundant."
-Jane Sellman-
"Whatever women must do they must do twice as well as men to be thought
half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult."
-Charlotte Whitton-
"Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your body
starts falling apart."
-Caryn Leschen-
"I try to take one day at a time -- but sometimes several days attack me at
once."
-Jennifer Unlimited-
"If you can't be a good example -- then you'll just have to be horrible warning."
-Catherine-
"If high heels were so wonderful, men would still be wearing them."
-Sue Grafton-
"When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping. Men invade
another country."
-Elayne Boosler-
"Behind every successful man is a surprised woman."
-Maryon Pearson-
"In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything
done, ask a woman."
-Margaret Thatcher-
"I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a
career."
-Gloria Steinem
"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission."
-Eleanor Roosevelt-
Have a terrific day!
"Inside me lives a skinny woman crying to get out. But I can usually shut
her up with cookies."
Unknown
"The hardest years in life are those between 10 and 70."
-Helen Hayes (at 73)-
"I refuse to think of them as chin hairs. I think of them as stray
eyebrows."
-Janette Barber-
"Things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse."
-Lily Tomlin-
"A male gynecologist is like an auto mechanic who never owned a car."
-Carrie Snow-
"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry with your
girlfriends."
-Laurie Kuslansky-
"My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being, hitting my
head on the top bunk bed until I faint."
-Erma Bombeck-
"Old age ain't no place for sissies."
-Bette Davis-
"A man's got to do what a man's got to do. A woman must do what he can't."
-Rhonda Hansome-
"The phrase "working mother" is redundant."
-Jane Sellman-
"Whatever women must do they must do twice as well as men to be thought
half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult."
-Charlotte Whitton-
"Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your body
starts falling apart."
-Caryn Leschen-
"I try to take one day at a time -- but sometimes several days attack me at
once."
-Jennifer Unlimited-
"If you can't be a good example -- then you'll just have to be horrible warning."
-Catherine-
"If high heels were so wonderful, men would still be wearing them."
-Sue Grafton-
"When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping. Men invade
another country."
-Elayne Boosler-
"Behind every successful man is a surprised woman."
-Maryon Pearson-
"In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything
done, ask a woman."
-Margaret Thatcher-
"I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a
career."
-Gloria Steinem
"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission."
-Eleanor Roosevelt-
Have a terrific day!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
I've been thinking...
My family and I were eating dinner one evening last spring when a woman came up to us and told us she was very sick and didn't feel safe to drive herself home, she'd been making phone calls and couldn't reach anybody to come pick her up. Could we drive her to her house which was across town. My first thoughts were, "What's she really up to? She doesn't look sick. I can't take a chance letting a stranger into our car with my daughters also there." Scott, on the other hand, piped up immediately that we would absolutely help her. He even offered to drive her home in her car and have me follow in his car. So, that's what we did. On the drive to her house, she told Scott that she'd been sitting praying in the restaurant that someone would help her and she thought we looked like kind people who would.
As it turned out, she was sick (I cannot even remember her diagnosis), she wasn't trying to con us and everything turned out fine.
How un-Christian-like of me to turn my back on someone in need and how truly trusting of Scott to say he'd help regardless of what might have happened. I think of myself as a Christian and yet, when the chips are down, am I willing to take the leap of faith and help someone who needs a friendly hand?
I read how Jesus could appear anywhere and would we treat him "right" if we didn't know it was really him? What if that lady had been Jesus? I would have failed that test.
I keep coming back to that day knowing I need to have more faith and trying so hard to have that faith. One is almost always rewarded in some way for doing those deeds which take the most faith to carry out.
Just something to think about; if we all had that faith, would our lives not be less stressful?
Have a fantastic day!
As it turned out, she was sick (I cannot even remember her diagnosis), she wasn't trying to con us and everything turned out fine.
How un-Christian-like of me to turn my back on someone in need and how truly trusting of Scott to say he'd help regardless of what might have happened. I think of myself as a Christian and yet, when the chips are down, am I willing to take the leap of faith and help someone who needs a friendly hand?
I read how Jesus could appear anywhere and would we treat him "right" if we didn't know it was really him? What if that lady had been Jesus? I would have failed that test.
I keep coming back to that day knowing I need to have more faith and trying so hard to have that faith. One is almost always rewarded in some way for doing those deeds which take the most faith to carry out.
Just something to think about; if we all had that faith, would our lives not be less stressful?
Have a fantastic day!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Gardasil?
If you're like me with daughters, you've probably been debating the new gardasil vaccine. It's amazing to me, and a little scary, that legislators are trying to make it mandatory that our daughters get this vaccine. How can they tell us we must do this to our daughters when there is increasing documentation of the serious, even deadly, side effects of this vaccine?
Apparently, the FDA has been aware since 2003 that Human Papillloma Virus (HPV) does not cause cervical cancer. So, even women who have HPV are no more likely to develop cervical cancer than uninfected women.
That doesn't take into consideration the moral aspects of the vaccine. Whatever happened to teaching our daughters not to sleep around? The fewer men (or boys) they are with, the less likely they are to come into contact with HPV. That's an old fashioned point of view, I know, but one that could be argued for nonetheless.
And, speaking of that, I think it's outrageous that young celebrities (and regular teens) who are choosing to wear purity rings are ridiculed. What's up with that? Perhaps, if more teens were taking purity more seriously, there'd be no need for a vaccine at all.
So, before you just give the go ahead to your doctor, make sure you do your homework. Sure, it all depends upon who you choose to believe, but at least read and make an informed decision for your daughters. Don't just jump on the bandwagon and then later regret it.
Just food for thought to try to take some of the stress out of our days.
Apparently, the FDA has been aware since 2003 that Human Papillloma Virus (HPV) does not cause cervical cancer. So, even women who have HPV are no more likely to develop cervical cancer than uninfected women.
That doesn't take into consideration the moral aspects of the vaccine. Whatever happened to teaching our daughters not to sleep around? The fewer men (or boys) they are with, the less likely they are to come into contact with HPV. That's an old fashioned point of view, I know, but one that could be argued for nonetheless.
And, speaking of that, I think it's outrageous that young celebrities (and regular teens) who are choosing to wear purity rings are ridiculed. What's up with that? Perhaps, if more teens were taking purity more seriously, there'd be no need for a vaccine at all.
So, before you just give the go ahead to your doctor, make sure you do your homework. Sure, it all depends upon who you choose to believe, but at least read and make an informed decision for your daughters. Don't just jump on the bandwagon and then later regret it.
Just food for thought to try to take some of the stress out of our days.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Food for Thought...
An Interesting, and sad Obituary
An Obituary printed in the London Times........ Interesting and
sadly rather true
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has
been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since
his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be
remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
Why the early bird gets the worm;
Life isn't always fair;
and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more
than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in
charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy
charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended
from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for
reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job
that they themselves had fa iled to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent
to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform
parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and
criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a
burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to
realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her
lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his
wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
Just maybe his passing has something to do with our stress levels...
An Obituary printed in the London Times........ Interesting and
sadly rather true
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has
been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since
his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be
remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
Why the early bird gets the worm;
Life isn't always fair;
and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more
than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in
charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy
charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended
from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for
reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job
that they themselves had fa iled to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent
to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform
parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and
criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a
burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to
realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her
lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his
wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
Just maybe his passing has something to do with our stress levels...
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Muddy Dandelions
When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard.
My kids see flowers for mom and blowing white stuff you can wish on.
When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly dirty person who probably wants money and I look away.
My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back.
When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry a tune and don't have much rhythm so I sit self-consciously and listen.
My kid feel the beat and move to it. The sing out the words. If they don't know them, they make up their own.
When I feel the wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk.
My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.
When I pray, I say Thee and Thou and grant me this, give me that.
My kids say, "Hi, God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my Mommy and Daddy."
When I see a mud puddle, I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets.
My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross, and worms to play with.
I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from? No wonder God loves the little children!
Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
I wish you BIG MUD PUDDLES and SUNNY YELLOW DANDELIONS!
Have a terrific Thursday!!
My kids see flowers for mom and blowing white stuff you can wish on.
When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly dirty person who probably wants money and I look away.
My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back.
When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry a tune and don't have much rhythm so I sit self-consciously and listen.
My kid feel the beat and move to it. The sing out the words. If they don't know them, they make up their own.
When I feel the wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk.
My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.
When I pray, I say Thee and Thou and grant me this, give me that.
My kids say, "Hi, God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my Mommy and Daddy."
When I see a mud puddle, I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets.
My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross, and worms to play with.
I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from? No wonder God loves the little children!
Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
I wish you BIG MUD PUDDLES and SUNNY YELLOW DANDELIONS!
Have a terrific Thursday!!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Whose job is it?
So, you call the cable company cause there's a problem with your cable service. After days of going back and forth, they tell you the problem is fixed. But, it's not. More phone calls and more frustration and finally, perhaps, the problem is solved. Keep your fingers crossed. :)
Same thing with teachers upon whom you call to help solve a problem. From not getting any answer to getting a quick answer to get you off their back, it can all get pretty frustrating.
And, don't even get me started on attornies who are "earning" the big bucks to do nothing on your behalf. We'll save that frustration for another day! lol
Some days it feels as if you have to do everybody's job for them. Isn't it enough that you're doing your own job? Wouldn't it be nice if everybody did their own job? I think the days would be much less stressful if that were to happen...
Same thing with teachers upon whom you call to help solve a problem. From not getting any answer to getting a quick answer to get you off their back, it can all get pretty frustrating.
And, don't even get me started on attornies who are "earning" the big bucks to do nothing on your behalf. We'll save that frustration for another day! lol
Some days it feels as if you have to do everybody's job for them. Isn't it enough that you're doing your own job? Wouldn't it be nice if everybody did their own job? I think the days would be much less stressful if that were to happen...
Friday, October 10, 2008
Good Morning!
If you're like me, there are plenty of things in your daily life that can cause stress. I'm hoping this space can alleviate some of that for all of us. Whether it's your job, your kids or other things that stress you out, check in here for something that will, hopefully, cause you to at least chuckle during your otherwise stressful day.
Hope your weekend is stress free!
Lisa
Hope your weekend is stress free!
Lisa
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The Invisible Mother
Invisible Mother......? It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'
Obviously, not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible.
The invisible Mom.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this??? Can you open this? Can you get me something to eat??
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?'?? I'm a car to order, 'Pick me up at 5:30, please.' I¢m a cook to request, ¡Please make me lunch.¢ And this is one of my favorites; I¢m a tracking and tracing device, ¡Where¢s my blue t-shirt with the green swirl on it?¢ I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated with honors - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from Europe . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about what she did.
I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe .
I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book.
I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, no one will ever see it.?¢ And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.
It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no hole you patched, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.' I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.'? That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.'As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right.
And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women. Great Job, MOM!
Hope this encourages you when the going gets tough as it sometimes does.
Obviously, not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible.
The invisible Mom.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this??? Can you open this? Can you get me something to eat??
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?'?? I'm a car to order, 'Pick me up at 5:30, please.' I¢m a cook to request, ¡Please make me lunch.¢ And this is one of my favorites; I¢m a tracking and tracing device, ¡Where¢s my blue t-shirt with the green swirl on it?¢ I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated with honors - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from Europe . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about what she did.
I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe .
I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book.
I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, no one will ever see it.?¢ And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.
It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no hole you patched, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.' I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.'? That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.'As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right.
And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women. Great Job, MOM!
Hope this encourages you when the going gets tough as it sometimes does.
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