Que Sera Sera

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I have come to the realization that I will not be a few things. Our pastor is a phenomenal teacher and one teaching technique he has been known to drive a lesson home with is what the topic is NOT. While his topics teach us the more important things in life, I want to tell you some observations I have made.

Warning: These are not deep thoughts so read at your own risk.

1. I will never be tall and my arms will never be tiny.
2. I will never have thick gorgeous hair nor will I ever have a deep dark tan. (I have wrinkles to prove it from my younger years of naivete. Boy was I naive.)
3. I may never have the nerve (I am envisioning the lion on The Wizard of Oz singing “If I only had the nerve”) to stand in front a large audience and speak eloquently.

BUT

I can be me. The ME who can

1. Wear high heels to off set being petite. I just love that word. It is so much better than short or squatty.
2. Workout and have muscular arms. In fact, I told James yesterday I think I can ALMOST wrestle him to the ground. Working with our cattle tends to build some muscles and also doing these painful arm exercises a “friend” recommended on Pinterest.
3. I can wear a snazzy short hairstyle that takes less than 10 minutes to fix. That’s my kind of hairdo!
4. Have you heard of spray tan? It is the cat’s meow.
5. I can work on public speaking and overcome the fear. Being afraid of something is no fun. Does this mean I will become an amazing speaker? Not necessarily, but that is not my goal.

My GOAL: To present myself in a way that is pleasing to God and “may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

I can be ME because God “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

Do not worry about what you are not. Que Sera Sera. Be confident in what you ARE.

Buddy and Marshall

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Hello dear friends!  I have missed you.  Where has the time gone?  Well let’s see…we sold our house at the end of 2012 and converted a workshop into a cozy cabin on our land where we raise our cattle, donkeys and dogs.  Living on our farm has been a dream of mine and I am thankful it is coming to pass.

Windmill at sunrise

Honey, one of our golden retrievers, had puppies almost three weeks ago so puppies are underfoot. 

Honeys bunch

Diamond, one of our heifers, gave me the pleasure of watching her calf be born on Valentine’s Day. Our daughters want to name it Valentine except there is a slight problem. James said bulls can’t be named Valentine.

Diamond and Valentine

It has been a while since I posted because we have been “doing life” so to speak and loving it.  Am I saying everything is roses and daisies?  No.  Is everything perfect in our world?  No.  Every family has challenges and issues they must overcome.  2012 was a year of change, growth and greater trust in God.

Beginning in 2013 I made the decision I will grow stronger in my faith in God so I do not murmur for 40 years in the wilderness like the children of Israel.  Did you know when they originally left Egypt the trip could have only taken 11 days to reach the Promise Land had they trusted God and been obedient?  I choose to be on the 11 day plan and not the 40 year plan.

Beth Moore’s Deuteronomy Bible study teaches us “And He brought us out from there that He might bring us in.” Deuteronomy 6:23 ESV.  Has God brought you out of something to bring you into a better place?  If so, are you trusting Him?

Two brothers in their 70s bought our 40 year old tractor (isn’t it ironic it was 40 years old) this week so we can get a smaller one for me to handle. I want to work on a tractor, fertilize the pasture and learn to cut hay with James. God made me to live in the country and work the land with him. I love the smell of the animals (including what the cattle leave behind), the majestic sunrises, listening to Copper our beagle bark and chase squirrels up our pecan trees, the birds singing and soft donkey noses that brush up against my face. I was made for this. The joy of watching Sydney and Kenzie driving our truck in the pasture building wood piles so they can enjoy bonfires with their friends puts a smile on my face everytime.

Let’s get back to the 40 year old tractor. When I first saw a red pickup truck flying and bouncing down our gravel drive I thought “Who in the heck is that driving like their hair is on fire?” Until I saw two small white haired men in their seventies bouncing all over the cab of the red truck. They didn’t appear to have their seatbelts on. Their names were Buddy and Marshall. Buddy was driving, wildly I might add, and Marshall the older brother was holding onto the door and his Farmall cap. I do not normally call my elders by their first name but I will this time for the sake of privacy. Do you remember Paul Newman in the movie Message In A Bottle? Buddy and Marshall reminded me of him. They climbed out of their red pickup truck and adjusted their glasses and clothes as if they had been on the best ride of their lives. No fear, only smiles on their faces. As I watched them inspect the tractor and visit with James I had an epiphany.

We should approach every change God brings into our lives like Buddy and Marshall’s ride down our gravel drive–a wild fun ride bouncing and holding onto what God has for us so we can reach our destination with purpose and satisfaction. Those two men hit every pothole on our drive and I think they did it on purpose just to see how high they would bounce in the cab of that truck. To look at these two older men one might think they would cautiously putt putt down a road, but a person would be sorely mistaken. Instead, they were having the time of their lives with every bump and pothole, holding onto their Farmall caps and glasses.

This is how I want to live my life fully relying on God.

The Speed of Trust (The One Thing That Changes Everything) by Stephen M. R. Covey

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Many of you know I am an avid reader.  I constantly try to find new books to help me grow and learn.  I feel like I can’t read and learn fast enough.  Mother taught me patience is a virtue, I just haven’t quite grasped that concept yet.  I want to learn everything yesterday.

I have been reading The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey (with Rebecca R. Merrill) over the past several months and it has taught me so much.  I used to think trust was something I did or did not have with others, but it is deeper than that.  For example, if you do not trust someone or the environment you are in it can cause you to be so guarded that others are not able to trust you?  Have you ever thought about that?  Or what about standing for something?  There is a quote by George Fischer, “Be valued and principle based.  Know what you stand for, and live by those standards.”  We can stand for something, but be afraid to live by those standards and cause others to lack trust in us.

What about this quote, “To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.”  That’s deep.  It is detrimental to be dishonest to others and it is just as bad being dishonest to ourselves.

“Few things can help an individual more than to place responsibility on him, and to let him know that you trust him.”  Booker T. Washington

“What creates trust, in the end, is the leader’s manifest respect for the follower.” James O’Toole, Author of Leading Change

“You learn nothing from your successes except to think too much of yourself.  It is from failure that all growth comes, provided you can recognize it, admit it, learn from it, rise above it, and then try again.” Dee Hock, Founder and Former CEO, Visa International

What do we believe in?  Do we clarify these beliefs to others so they know our expectations?  How much do we trust ourselves to live what we believe?  Are we willing to give up a cushioned job to stand for what we believe in?  Do we have the gumption to speak what we believe even if it costs us our job?

Do others trust us?  If not, why?

Do we have the courage to work through relationships/situations when the trust has been shattered?  “Almost all conflict is a result of violated expectations.”  Blaine Lee, Author of The Power Principle

Trust affects the outcome of our lives.  If you have ever struggled with trust you will grow from reading this book and you will never look at this 5-letter word, TRUST, the same again.

Take Time to Smell the Roses

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Hello.  I trust everyone is getting back in the routine of school, college, etc.  One of my new daily goals (or every other day or every other other day if we are really busy) is running and I am happy say I can run one mile without stopping, walking or passing out.  I wish I could say I breathe gingerly and ladylike, but I do not.  I am heaving and gasping, just ask the poor lady and gentleman at our track that I ran up behind the other night.  The man put his arm up as if he was going to elbow me in the face!  LOL.  I told them, “It is just me, the lady who can’t breathe at all because she is trying run three miles.”  Thank goodness they had a good sense of humor otherwise I think he might have karate chopped me.  I have learned to stay in the far lane of the track until I get my breathing under control.  Like I said, it ain’t pretty but I am getting the job done.

Today I ran in the country and noticed all sorts of beautiful things.  Texas has been in a drought for quite some time so we have not had many pecans, but as I began my run today I noticed our trees are loaded with plump pecans.

I began thinking about what we see (or do not see) each day.  Are we so busy with our daily tasks we don’t recognize the beauty around us?  I believe in diligence, working hard and being all that we can be, but it is becoming more evident the importance of taking time to stop and smell the roses.

James and I have been married 22 years.  Kandace was almost four years old when we got married and I remember from that time to now asking everyone to clean their rooms, pick up their things, etc.  One day last week I was doing the usual bustling around the house tidying up and I went to each bathroom to get the laundry and put a load on to wash, but there was one thing missing.  Girls and laundry.  Kandace is grown and married and Sarah and Kelsey are settled in at college so for the first time in years I did not need to begin laundry at 5:30 a.m.  All of the years of murmuring about the laundry, but I knew at that moment I would take the laundry back and the messy rooms to have more time with all of our daughters.

I am happy they are pursuing their dreams and I love where we are at in our lives, but I also realize we need to slow down and enjoy each moment with them and see the beauty in each day.  Do not try to rush through the daily tasks.  Take time to smell the roses.

For Those of You Who Have Daughters

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Good morning.  I trust you had a great weekend.  My weekend was full of events.  Kandace graduated and is now a medical assistant and on her way to becoming a registered nurse.  Sarah is still working at a kid’s christian camp in the Ozark Mountains, we moved Kelsey into her dorm and she is ready to play some volleyball, Sydney had a volleyball tournament, and Kenzie helped JoLee at her second birthday.  All of the girls are great little aunties to JoLee!

If you are like me, sometimes you question are you being a good enough mom and teaching them about the four letter word, B O Y S.  This morning I read Beth Moore’s blog at http://blog.lproof.org.  Lindsee, one of her assistants, who wrote a post called “I’ve Rejected Not One.”  It is dated August 2nd and it is a great piece for mothers and daughters to read and discuss.  Aunts, mentors, grandmothers, etc. can share this with girls too.  It teaches and encourages girls to not feel rejected when boys seem to not be interested, etc.

If you get a chance hop on over to http://blog.lproof.org and read it.  It will be a great topic of discussion with your daughter(s), nieces, friends, Sunday school students, etc.  Thanks http://blog.lproof.org!

The Good Dream by Donna VanLiere

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Recently our oldest daughter Kandace brought our 1-1/2 year old granddaughter JoLee to a pageant and during it JoLee began running around, jumping, squealing and laughing.  She had many eyes on her and loved every minute of it but at one point Kandace tried to settle her down and make her be still.  JoLee was not having it.  She refused.  Really refused.  She continued running around and laughing causing a distraction so Kandace took JoLee’s face in her hands to persuade her to look her in the eyes.  JoLee wasn’t having it.  She picked up both feet in hopes to gain freedom, but fell to the floor instead.  She looked at Kandace with a shocked expression on her face of “How could you allow this to happen to me?”  The following thought went through my mind.

How many times have we been set in our own plans (or plans others try to force on us) and we buzz around like bees or run around like a chicken with its head cut off when all the while God is wanting to take our faces in His hands and say,”Look at me in the eyes and listen to what I have to say.  Look at me.  Follow me.”

I recently read a book, The Good Dream, by Donna VanLiere.  It is on the New York Times bestselling list.  I have been studying a lot because I am trying to obtain my bachelor’s degree in Business and doing a Bible study, but I wanted a good book to read for relaxation.  Sometimes we just need to kick back and relax.  I really enjoyed this book.

This book is set in Tennessee in the 1950′s about Ivorie Walker, a woman who is considered an “old maid” because she lives with her parents and works in the school library.  Her mother worries over her because she has not married.  The town pities her because ”her life is passing her by.”  Well, Miss Ivorie meets a mute little boy who has come down from the Tennessee mountains.  Miss Ivorie thinks raccoons or something are stealing the vegetables from her garden only to learn it is this filthy, ragamuffin little mute boy.  I do not want to ruin it for you in case you decide to purchase this book so I won’t tell you the whole story, but I will say this book is a must read.

It teaches the importance of following through with the plans of your life no matter what naysayers say.  It is a story that teaches us to push beyond our boundaries, reach out and help those who can’t help themselves even if it is scary; possibly even cost our life.  I believe this is one of our purposes in life.  To look to God, see the plans He has for us and help others.

I hope you read The Good Dream.  I think you will fall in love with Miss Ivorie like I did.