Tonight, I am sitting here thinking about everything that has happened in the last month, and let me just say...it has been a crazy busy month! Our family got to have C home for holiday block leave for 14 days (which definitely is NOT enough time), we celebrated Christmas and New Years surrounded by family, friends and loved ones. There was lots of laughter, love, and there were even some tears as it got closer to time for our soldier to head back to Alaska. K started her last semester of high school (which I am definitely NOT ready for), we have been on three college visits, and she has made a decision as to where she will start the next chapter in her life in the fall. I have watched J work, doing what he loves, and I have watched him make some tough "grown up" decisions. I could not be more PROUD of my three kids...they are definitely my biggest accomplishment! In the middle of all of the happy times, I have also watched friends and loved ones struggle with heart ache and loss. I have watched as they have laid their loved ones to rest and said goodbye. I have watched a person who has become very dear to me, handle extremely tough times with dignity and grace, and I could not be more proud of the person they are. Tonight, I was sitting at JH's house watching football and we started talking about Vince Lombardi and his speech "What It Takes to be Number One." I knew bits and pieces of it, but had never sat and listened to the entire speech. So... he read it to me:"Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.
There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that's first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don't ever want to finish second again. There is a second place bowl game, but it is a game for losers played by losers. It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win.
Every time a football player goes to ply his trade he's got to play from the ground up - from the soles of his feet right up to his head. Every inch of him has to play. Some guys play with their heads. That's O.K. You've got to be smart to be number one in any business. But more importantly, you've got to play with your heart, with every fiber of your body. If you're lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he's never going to come off the field second.
Running a football team is no different than running any other kind of organization - an army, a political party or a business. The principles are the same. The object is to win - to beat the other guy. Maybe that sounds hard or cruel. I don't think it is.
It is a reality of life that men are competitive and the most competitive games draw the most competitive men. That's why they are there - to compete. The object is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules - but to win.
And in truth, I've never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn't appreciate the grind, the discipline. There is something in good men that really yearns for discipline and the harsh reality of head to head combat.
I don't say these things because I believe in the ‘brute' nature of men or that men must be brutalized to be combative. I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man's finest hour -- his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear -- is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."
- Coach Vincent T. Lombardi As I was sitting there listening - I started thinking, "this speech is applicable to almost everything in life." It applies to my job every day...I show up each morning, do my job to the best of my ability, and help entrepreneurs succeed. It applies to my walk as a Christian...you must give your heart to Jesus and with every fiber of your being live to honor and worship Him. It applies to C's life as a soldier...you must be smart and use your brain on a mission, but you also must have heart and discipline! So...as I have sitting here thinking about everything that this speech means - I think this will be my goal moving forward into 2018...enjoy the grind, be disciplined, always use your head and your heart, never settle for second place, and ALWAYS strive to do your best! Yes...Vince Lombardi was a very smart man!
Let me start by saying...I love the holidays!! i love everything about them! I love having all of my kids in the same place if only for a little bit. I love having time with my sweet nieces that I completely cherish. I love traditions! I love our yearly trip around Nashville looking at Christmas lights. I love going to my parents on Christmas Eve, followed by the Christmas Eve service at church. I love Christmas day spent with family enjoying all the loud laughter and the crazy of having everyone together! There really isn't one thing I don't love. This year, it's just a little bit different. We are missing someone - we are missing C (our soldier)! This year has definitely been different for us. One year ago - I sat down with C at dinner, he had just enlisted in the Army and had been given his ship date. On January 15, we dropped C off and he left for OSUT (One Station Unit Training) for 15 long weeks. From the moment I dropped him off - I started counting the days until graduation...110 days. He got to come home on leave evening of May 5, and I immediately started counting down the 10 short days he would be home. When I left the airport on the afternoon of May 15, it hit me on the way home... I had nothing to count down. I didn't know when I would see him again. It was a horrible feeling - my baby was moving 3,144 miles away, and I couldn't do one thing about it. But then, I got the phone call in October that leave had been approved for him to come home for Christmas. So...guess what happened next?? You guessed it - the count down. I had something to look forward to - 63 days! Now... we are at 17 days and I could not be more excited!!! As I started thinking about the number of days that have consumed me this year - out of 365, I have gotten to (or will) see him for a whopping total of 32 days! That means K, J and I have missed him for 333 days! I knew I would miss him - but I didn't realize just how much! So - this year, we will all enjoy having our family time just a little bit more. We will continue to love on each other and squeeze in as much family time as we can while C is here for 14 days and more importantly - we will celebrate the reason for the season!
Anyone who knows me knows that I love my sweet nieces as much as I love my own kids. They also know that they have a heart and willingness to serve. They love their family, but most importantly they love God. On spring break next year Lil B has been given the opportunity to serve in Ecuador and live with orphans in two different cities. This mission trip is sponsored by The House, which is an on campus ministry at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and they are partnering with For His Children (www.forhischildren.org). This group will be helping with physical therapy, caring for special needs children, and simply playing with and loving on these sweet kids! They will literally be living with sweet souls and being the hands and feet of Jesus for 10 days. The other thing to know about my nieces is they have an amazing talent and passion for music. Lil B is combining two of her favorite things - music and Jesus! She is making and selling guitar string necklaces for $10 each, and all proceeds will go towards her mission trip. If you would like to donate to an amazing opportunity, or to purchase a necklace - please complete the form under the Contact tab. I will happily deliver locally or ship necklaces to anywhere in the world, and you can pay by PayPal.Please pray over this opportunity and give Lil B the opportunity to live out James 1:27."Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."
According to Oxford Dictionary, the definition of tribe is, "a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked." Well, let me tell you about my tribe! In 1989, I left home and went to college at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) - while i didn't complete my college education there (that would not be done until years later), what i did gain were friendships that would last a lifetime. When I chose to rush (now called recruitment), I really had no idea what to expect. There were a bunch of young girls thrown together in a room, but we would all wear the same letters on our chest. We would all go through this thing called college together. It's kind of amazing when you think about it - we all came from different parts of this country, were all different ages, had different interests, different backgrounds - all we had in common originally was this sorority called Kappa Delta. We believed in what KD stood for, and we were"sisters" from the beginning. As the years passed - something truly amazing happened. We formed a bond... a sisterhood... that would withstand the test of time and could never be broken. Here we are, 28 years later, and we all are still the best of friends. Over the years, as our friendships have grown and our circles have broadened - we have had other people come into our lives who we love just as much! They are the ones that make you realize, its not really about the letters you wore in college (yes, that is a bond that will never be broken) but about the person with a kind heart, who makes your life better by being in it. We have been through marriages, divorces, births, deaths, kids growing up, people moving away and many other things! But i can tell you the one thing that never change...we don't judge one another - we support one another. We laugh until we can laugh no more, and sometime we cry. When one of us hurts - we all hurt! When one of us celebrates - we all celebrate. It doesn't matter if we saw each other last night, last week, or last year - we pick right up where we left off. We simply love and support each other unconditionally! So, this my friends...is why I LOVE my tribe!!
We all have our favorite memories while growing up. For me ~ some of my all time favorites are of my grandparents. They were my heroes growing up, and although they are both gone now ~ they are still my heroes today. Growing up I would spend weekends at their house, and I truly loved every minute of it. We would all sit downstairs in the den and watch TV...HeeHaw, The Lawrence Welk Show, my all time favorite - The Jeffersons, and whatever else they may want to watch. As the "good shows" were over, granddaddy and I would sit for hours and play cards - he taught me how to play Rummy and Solitaire (with a real deck of cards). We would sit on the couch at the table (which I have in my house today) ~ the table was carved and had a scene on the top. He would tell me stories of what he saw on the table. We would get done with card games, and then move upstairs to the chess table. Then, if I was still bored we would grab Granny, and we would play Sorry. When it was nice outside, we would play yard darts (yes... the real metal darts), climb trees or play golf. There are so many memories that I have with them, that I would NEVER trade for anything! We always sat at the table for dinner ~ that was family time! There was ALWAYS dessert ~ because that's what you had with dinner. I can still remember one night after watching HeeHaw, I asked Granny for a popsicle ~ she said, "Sugar, we don't have any." I thought the world was coming to an end, and just like any good little girl did ~ I went to Granddaddy. I asked the exact same question, but I got a completely different answer. His answer was, "Sugar, we don't have any, but let's go to 7 Eleven." And... off we went. It's funny, he has been gone for years now and I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I was in the 9th grade at Hawkins Jr. High School, and my dad came to pick me up early. I was pretty sure my heart would break that day! As the years have gone by, I so wish he was here to meet my kids and share in their lives. I just know he would be proud! I can imagine what he would have been like with the boys, and how he would spoil my princess. He was my hero, he fixed everything and always made everything right! One big bear hug from my Granddaddy and all the sadness was gone, and everything was right in the world! It's funny... I think I may miss him more the older I am ~ and I did not think that was possible. Tomorrow, he would have been 107! It's hard to believe, he has been gone for so many years ~ but the memories never fade. Happy Birthday Granddaddy! I love and miss you!!
So... tonight I'm sitting at home with an extremely heavy heart. As I get older, I realize that true friends are rare and hard to find. I know that my friend circle is small and I am okay with that. I know I have a friend that I have had since birth, and that friendship is unshakable - whether we saw each other last night, last month, or last year. We pick up right where we left off and it is like no time has passed. I know that I will have her as a friend until the day I leave this earth. We grew up in church together, although we were at different elementary schools our friendship was strong because of church. We went through the awkward middle school years together, calling each other every night, staying on the phone for hours - talking about what we were going to wear, when we would go to the mall on Friday night, and who our latest crushes were. When we got to high school - that is when we were together every day at school for four years. We ended up rooming together in college - since that day, we have had first jobs, weddings, divorces, the birth of our kids, the death of loved ones, and so many memories they cannot all be remembered. And through it all - no matter what, we have schemed, laughed until we almost peed our pants, supported each other, prayed for each other, and have always been there for each other no matter the circumstances. There is no judgement in this friendship - just unconditional love! With all of this being said, when you find out that someone you love like a sister has been going through hell, and you have not checked in like you should have because life gets hectic...your heart breaks! So.. what do you do? You sit down and talk, you catch up, you vow to be a better friend, you cry, you pray, and most of all you LOVE unconditionally!!!
I am very grateful, that I have a few "no matter what" friends - and I am so thankful that God put them in my life. So, today, pick up the phone...call them, text them. Let those people in your life know that they are loved, and that NO MATTER WHAT you will always be here!!! Y'all, we all need more "no matter what" friends!
