Monday's Mindsweep

I've had a lot on my mind lately.  Some of it I'll just keep there, but some things I'd like to share.  First, a little about my weekend.  Brian and I went to see The Dilemma.  I thought it was really funny and sad too!  It reminded me of the consequences of our decisions.  We put people in horrible predicaments sometimes.  ALL of our decisions have consequences and often times it is those we love the most that pay the price.

Saturday the kids had school.  Brian and I went and exchanged my glasses and I got some really sweet Ray-Bans.  They may not be for everyone, but the are definitely for me!

Saturday night I had a basketball game.  My girls lost, but I think they had fun.  Lennon had a game too.  I've never seen a 7/8 boys game where a kid goes to the ER in an ambulance, but it happened.  I think he cut his head and probably needed stitches.  I'm not really sure.

Sunday we had an awesome day at church.  Jimmy preached on giving.  It was a great message on the feeding of the 5,000.  I've heard that preached on so many times, but this time he brought up points I had never thought about.  One of the questions he asked was, "Do you think a little boy's lunch was the only lunch there or do you think there was a man with a man size lunch there?"  Of course the answer is there probably was a man sized lunch.  The difference is that the little boy offered what he had to be used in ways only God could use it.  He didn't wait until he had more food, he gave what he had.  God used it EXPONENTIALLY!  He wants to do the same for what we have; all we have to do is offer it to Him.  I encourage you to always listen with fresh ears.  You never know what you may hear.

I've been thinking a lot about openness and honesty in relationships.  I've already blogged about expectations so I won't go into how that can ruin relationships, but I think the biggest problem these days is secretiveness.  I want to be clear that I'm not blogging this about Brian and I!  I don't want any of you to get the wrong idea!  I've just been thinking about these things.  We have a society that secretiveness can happen so easily.  We can text without anyone knowing it.  We can even text to people in the same room as us about someone else in the room with us and they would never know.  We have social sites and email accounts where we can receive private messages.  I wonder how much the divorce rate has gone up because of Facebook - we reconnect with people from the past, send private messages and before you know it a marriage is ruined.  When I started thinking about this, I realized that I have passwords on my Facebook and emails and that Brian may not know them.  I emailed him at that moment to give him my passwords - keeps me accountable and everything in the open!  It's not a problem for us, I just decided to do it.  I hope that you will all check your relationships - marriage, friends, family, etc. and make sure that you are being honest in all you do!  Life will be better for it!

Enough for now, gotta run to basketball practice.  Hope you got something from my mindsweep!  Thanks for reading!

Aerosmith Amazing Lyrics

The other day I posted a status update that said, "If you are hoping for something unexpected does that make it expected?"  I was a little surprised that there was no conversation that followed. 

Usually when I am at my lowest it is because of expectations that I have put on others.  Most of the time they have had no idea of those expectations.  I usually rationalized those thoughts by convincing myself that those expectations are just a common sense way to do things.  I am always the one who ends up disappointed and typically angry. 

I'm trying these days to live with no expectations.  That's really hard to do.  I don't want the unexpected to become the expected!  I love surprises and rarely get them, but when I do, I don't want to think in the back of my mind "that's what should've happened!" 

So here's to a day with no expectations!

I love this song!  Hope you enjoy it too!

Weird Week

What a week!  It all started with about 5 or 6 inches of snow followed by 1/4 inch of ice.  As most of you know, I hate this weather!  I can't believe that 7 days later it is still on the ground.  I am SOOOO ready for warm weather and flip flops!  Because of the weather I have had a tremendous amount of down time.  I spent the first three days of the week mostly in my sweats and watching a lot of Netflix.  I was so very thankful to go back to work on Thursday!  On Friday, I went to see The King's Speech.  It was an excellent movie.  It made me think about how we treat others.  Other things this week have made me think about that as well.  Sometimes things seem so harmless, but are they really?  Do we ever stop to think about the things we say - or don't say - to those around us, including the ones we love the most?  Sometimes the most innocent of things can hurt someone else so deeply.  Do we take the time to know how we can be the most considerate and respectful to others?  I know I fall really short of this sometimes.

Today's message from Jimmy Britt at Rocky River Church was awesome!  I'll leave you with this point from the sermon:  In order to live a compounding life, one that leaves a legacy of meaning and not mediocrity, we must decide to influence others toward God.  This will cost you some of your time and energy and there will be changes that you have to make.  You may have to step out of your comfort zone, but someone's eternity may be at stake.  God has a divine appointment for you and me and everyone else.  Are we simply going to blend in and be part of the crowd or are we going to do all that we can to point those we encounter to Jesus?  Every moment counts for something.

Tomorrow I'm back to the college grind.  Moments with nothing to do will be rare, so tonight, I will enjoy simply that - nothing to do.

Sunday afternoon thoughts

So today I've spent a lot of time alone.  The boys are gone and Brian is hanging out with some buddies.  Lilikoi has been in her room most of the afternoon playing. 

I've been looking through pictures all afternoon.  I've looked at pictures from high school and college, wedding pictures and pictures from Florida.  I loved spending the afternoon thinking of all the people that I've had in my life over the years.  I've thought of teenage heartache and silly high school girl stuff.  I've thought of dear friends who are no longer here on earth and wondering what their lives would be like if they were still here.  I've thought of people that I would love to reconnect with.  I've imagined a warm sunny beach in Indialantic that seems to call my name in the back of my head.  As I've thought of those things from days gone by, I came back to the here and now.  As much as I think about the past, I know I am right where God wants me to be.  Even with a winter storm waiting to attack tonight, I have peace with all of it.  Funny how being in God's will can wipe away tears and make things you never wanted to deal with ever again seem right!

Welcome to wherever you are
This is your life, you made it this far
Welcome, you gotta believe
That right here right now, you're exactly where you're supposed to be...


I've never felt more in tune with God's will for my life than I have for the past year.  As I've thought of 2011, I've made some goals for myself and over the next few weeks I'm putting together a plan to make them reachable.  I've never been big on New Year's Resolutions but this year I've made some.  Most I'll keep to myself.  Looking forward to a great year!

In today's message I was challenged with "Do you want to leave a legacy of mediocrity or a legacy of meaning?" I'm striving for meaning these days!  Hope you are too!

Getting Started

Ok, so I've chosen to blog!  I'm really excited about it and hope I'll actually do it. I've always had a secret desire to write a book although I am a horrible writer.  Maybe no one will even read this!  Maybe they will read the first couple of blogs and decide it's boring!  We'll see.  I'll actually write about some things I've been thinking about and things I'm learning later.  I just wanted to get something up there.  So stick with me - hopefully it'll get better!