My thoughts on Advice

I love the 3 Stooges and sometimes, I just wanna be MO!!

Advice


We've all given it, we've all be given it, but here is my rule of thumb on advice.

If you ask me for my opinion, I will give it to you. I will try to be honest, but kind. If it is a matter of consequence, I will try very hard to pray, listen and only share what I believe the Lord would have me share or I will share out of my own experience.

I am not perfect, but this is my guideline for myself. Because....

Advice not asked for is just meddlesome!

That is also my opinion. I have found in life that I am much more receptive to other people's input when I'm at a place to ask for it and receive it. Other than that I am not ready, willing or able to accept someone else's opinion simply because they have one. Don't we all?

I'm a processor. It takes me time to realize what I'm feeling and work through it. It takes me time to decide a course of action on any given situation. For all those who mean well, please give me that time. I need to hear God first and foremost.

OK, so this is a rant. I still love you all. And in my humble opinion, you are all terrific!! Not that you asked for it, but my advice is... stay terrific!

peace.

Kind of Weepy

I found myself kind of weepy this weekend. I don't think it was this and if it was, I don't want to talk about it.

I think it was the Father's Day thing. Now please understand, I don't have the beaver cleaver kind of experience with my dad. But he was my dad and he's gone now. I think I was sad for the loss of opportunity. While he was alive, there was always hope. Hope that he'd come around, be a good dad and even at 46, yes I wanted that. But his choices and eventually Alzheimer's stole that hope from us both.

I was given some sweet time with him over the last 3 years of his life. God's gift to me. My heavenly Father filled many holes left by my earthly father. I have always known I was loved. Even in the times my earthly father failed, my heavenly Father never failed. I am so blessed.

When I finally figured out that I was just a little sad about dad, I got better. After all, my girls were in town and we celebrated their dad, the love of my life.

But it took being quiet with my heavenly Father to finally hear. There's my real challenge, being quiet. But I don't want to talk about that now either. :-)

peace.

Father's Day

This picture was taken last year as we walked in the Alzheimer's Association Walk in Bricktown in honor of my father who passed away in November. You can read about that here.

The reason I picked it for this post is this...my husband Jim has shown me how a dad impacts the lives of his children. How he shows them the love of God, how he protects and provides for them.  These were not things I experienced with my own dad, but I'm so blessed to have experienced them through my husband.

You may not know that Jim's dad was not a part of his life for most of his life. Jim didn't have a healthy upbringing to show him how to be a dad. He didn't have fatherly wisdom imparted to him on a regular basis. He grew up in a single parent home with a vacant father. He saw him rarely, lived with him only shortly, and until a few years before his dad's death, didn't have a relationship with him at all. 

But my husband loves God. He has grown, studied, humbled himself, changed and through all of this, God has blessed him with a father's heart. My daughters have seen it happen, just ask them.

So Happy Father's Day, Jim!

peace.

I've always loved Fiddler on the Roof

Do You Love Me?
Jim and I crack up at this one. "I'm your wife! I know! But do you love me?"

Sunrise, Sunset
And I love, love, love this song. So much joy, so much celebration, so much remembrance all rolled into one. I think I understand it now more than ever. One day, I would love to play the role of the mother in a stage production. Can't you just see me? :-)

peace.

so many surprises

We made a wild trip to Texas, party van of 8 including me, jim, adrian, jenny, michael, brandon, emily and gammaw! We were going for Andrea's 26th birthday and unbeknownst to almost everyone (yes, we knew and didn't tell anyone!) a surprise engagement too! These 2 videos are a little bouncy, but you'll get to share the surprise, the joy and the love that surrounded this very special event.

peace.

Surprise Birthday Party!
and then...!!

love love love

My heart is full today. I'm thinking about my older daughter, tomorrow is her 26th birthday. We're going on a road trip to celebrate with her. And I found this wonderful site for incredibly creative, beautiful jewelry. Life is beyond good!! Enjoy.

peace.