What it's all about...

I am going to start off by saying... I have the best friends and family EVER!  As my birthday week is coming to a close, I could not be any more thankful for the people who surround me on a daily basis. When I look back over the week, I realize the reason it was so special is because I have been surrounded by the ones that I love the most!

This month I did something that never in a million years would I have expected to do... I went SKYDIVING!  No... I did not wake up one day and think, "I'm going to jump out of a plane today."  J called on a Monday morning, and said, "Mom, do you have plans this weekend?"  - I told him that I didn't think so.  He then said, "well, I want you to do something with me" - when I asked what, I never expected the answer I got.  He said, "I want you to go skydiving with me."  I originally just told him whether I jumped or not, I would definitely go, if nothing else but to watch him.  He told me he didn't want me to just be there, he wanted me to jump with him. So... what does a mom do when their 21 year old asks them to jump out of a plane?  She goes skydiving!

I woke up that morning... super excited! I woke J up, and we went to go meet his friends.  Yes.. me and 6 kids that ranged from 18 - 21 went skydiving!  And... I would NOT trade one minute of that day for anything.  On the drive down (JD rode with me), I got to talk and listen to a 20 year old's view on life.  I got to understand a little more about what makes J & his friends so special and unique.  This is a group of kids who truly live life to the fullest, and they appreciate the little things.  They all understand that life is short, and you deserve to be happy.  They are an AMAZING group of kids!

And.. for the record - my favorite part of the day, was right after we hit the ground.  J met me and gave me biggest hug, and said, "Mom... I'm so glad you did this with me."  The look on his face was worth every dime and minute spent on this adventure.

On a different note... have you ever realized that happiness comes when it is not expected?  Sometimes we are looking so hard for something, that we get hit by a truck we weren't expecting.  I have always said, that everything in life is about His timing - not ours.  That we have to patient... and let God's will be done.  In Romans 8:25 it tells us, "But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance." No matter what it is in life, it is important to realize that our lives are about His time and not ours. We just need to be ready to listen, and act upon His words!

Friendships of every kind...

Friends...I'm not even sure where to start, but I truly believe I have the best friends in the world! I have been very blessed in my life to have great friends.  I have childhood friends, high school friends and college friends.  Then, I have the friends that I met when I got married and I have the others that I met at the various places I have worked. Then... there are those friends who you met through other friends - and they changed your life forever.  The best part about these sweet people...I don't have to talk to them everyday.  I don't have to see them every week.  I know they are there ~ always only a phone call away.  I can go for years and not talk to or see them, and pick up exactly where we left off.

In Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10 it says, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up." We all make mistakes in life, and we all say things that we regret.  Sometimes we really wish our filter would work when speaking - but it doesn't always happen. The fact is... we are all human, we all make mistakes and bad choices and we all wish we could take things back.  But...we can't.  Once the words come out, it is impossible to take them back. We all have times when the world is crashing around us, and we need our friends to pick us up. Our friends are the ones who have faith in us, when we don't have faith in ourselves.

So tonight... I am very thankful for the people in my life that I am blessed to call friend!

Graduation day...

Today is graduation day for the Class of 2014. This is such an exciting time - the end of one chapter, the beginning of another.  There will be new challenges to face, new opportunities, and new friends to be made.  For me... today is the day my sweet niece graduates!  It is hard to believe she is 18 and will be moving on to start a new chapter in her life.  From the moment I received the phone call that my sister was in labor... I could not wait to meet this sweet baby.  I sat in the hallway at the hospital patiently waiting.  The moment she was born...she stole my heart! 

When she was in kindergarten, I would pick her up and we would have "our time" for an hour before the boys got out of school.  There were many trips to get ice cream, to the park or we would just go home and be silly! There have been many cookies made and Easter eggs dyed - all while making me laugh.  It is truly the little things I enjoy with her! I have watched her grow into the most loving, kind-hearted, compassionate and caring young lady.  Her sweet smile lights up a room, and steals my heart over and over again.  I could not be more proud of her!!! She is truly one of a kind & I could not imagine what my life would have been like without her in it!  I am so very excited to see what the next chapter of her life holds!  

Congratulations Class of 2014!

Plans...

How many times in life do we simply hold on to things when we should have let them go?  Maybe it's a relationship, a friendship or anger.  How many times do we let our need to be right get in the way of being happy?  Or... how many times do we let our need to be right get in the way of forgiving another, because we are trying to prove a point? Being angry, holding a grudge.. these things use emotional and physical energy - and honestly, I believe they are a waste of our time.  Is it not easier simply to leave the past in the past, and let go of what you cannot change? Maybe things did not work out the way you wanted them to because God has a bigger and better plan for your life.  Maybe... while you are praying for one thing, God is answering you and you are not listening.

In Jeremiah 29:11 He tells us, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Isn't it time that we all start trusting in His plan, and not our own?  As I look back over my life, I am so very thankful that He had bigger and better plans for me than I had for myself.

Happy Sunday y'all!

21 years ago....

This week 21 years ago, my life was getting ready to change forever... and I really did not have a clue.  I was 21, married and pregnant with a sweet baby boy.  I was absolutely miserable - he was due April 15, and was no where close to being here.  I had no idea where to begin with a baby, and I certainly had no idea how to take care of one.  Honestly... I was still a baby myself.  On April 30, 1993 at 2:59 p.m. a 9 lb. 11 oz., 21 1/2 inch baby boy was welcomed into this world!

As I look back over the last 21 years, it is hard to believe how much has changed in my life.  It is also hard to believe how much one sweet little boy can teach you about love and life.  Over the years, I have watched him overcome obstacles, and succeed time and time again.  He is a true inspiration to anyone who knows him, and he is definitely loved by all.  He is the best son, big brother, grandson, nephew, and cousin that anyone could ask for.  He is a loyal, and faithful kid - who has his own beliefs and truly marches to the beat of his own drummer. I am so very blessed to have been chosen to be his mom!

Life changing...

As most people know, my favorite time of day is before my kids wake up, and everything is calm in the world.  I'm sitting in my kitchen (my favorite place) and enjoying my coffee.   Last night K got home from her first mission trip.  We left the church, went to dinner, came home and unpacked her bag. As I sat and listened to her tell me stories from the week, I was in tears.  I asked her one question at the end, "how would you describe your week?"  - without hesitation, her answer was very simple,  she said "life changing". 

Over the past week, I have thought about the mission trips I went on as a teenager and the impact they had on my life.  When I was 16, we went to Lake Bambi in Michigan, where we were camp counselors.  While we were there, the lady that ran the camp (I wish I could remember her name) told us the first night there were three things we should always remember - "who you are, whose you are and whom you represent".  Those words have stuck with me over the last 26 years, and they are still written in my Bible today.  

So... this morning I am very thankful for the blessings that my sweet daughter received this week, and for the impact she made on these kids lives. We just all need to remember that God is good... all the time!

Pain....

As I sit and look back over the last 10 years of my life - I have a lot of truly great memories. There are memories that are simply sad and I have a lot of painful memories.  When we look back, our memories that were good, we cherish and relive.  When we have a bad memory that is sad or painful, we tend to want to simply forget.  We just want that thought - that memory to go away.  We only think about the negative aspects of pain, we do not typically find anything positive in it.  For me, I know I tend to learn more from pain than from pleasure (maybe it's my stubborn nature). If you get hurt (whether physically or emotionally) chances are - you will try to figure out what you have done wrong, and correct your actions so it does not happen again.  For example, if you have a failed relationship - when it ends, there will be pain.  But.... it doesn't mean that nothing good will come from that pain.  What if you ended an engagement, yes... the initial action is painful - but it is a lot less painful than a divorce years down the road.  Or... if you are suffering from physical pain, it could be an indication that you might have an undiagnosed problem.  Since you are suffering from pain, that could lead you to go to the doctor and have them examine you - and be able to correct the issue.  I am a believer that just the passage of time will not fix pain.  You may have to take corrective action for the pain to subside.  You may have to ask for forgiveness, there may need to be a reconciliation in a relationship.  Although, you may want to avoid emotional pain - you cannot live your life avoiding relationships.  Although some people may cause you pain - others will bring friendship, meaning and purpose into your life. I believe that in order for us to truly appreciate what life has to offer, you have to experience pain - you must take the good with the bad. The key is for you as a person, to figure out how to deal with your pain, and not be a pain towards others!