Whether we mean good, or bad.

bible.com/bible/111/isa.55.11.NIV

Do you ever look back on something you have worked so hard to overcome, and you are amazed at just how far you have come? It can be awe inspiring, even though you are the one that managed that feat, spurring you on to accomplish even more, to go farther than you already are. How far are you willing to go for yourself? How far will you go to show yourself your own belief, in you?

We are nearing the end of the year, have you reflected upon what you have accomplished this year, the past few years, or maybe on a specific focus in your life? I see lots of personal growth and strength in my year of 2022, and while that has been very positive and forward moving, I feel like I just started. This leaves me so much room for growth and progress in the year of 2023, and I am very much looking forward to it. In fact, I feel it is the turning of the corner I am needing in my life to get to where I am not only meant to be, but want to go.

Drop me a line, let me know what you accomplished this year that you are proud of. Tell me what you have overcome! Don’t hold back or be shy, let me know what you have been focused on, that you have progressed in, I would love to know and celebrate you!

If you could wish for one thing, what would it be? No, you can’t wish for more wishes, just the one. I will go first.

I wish that the world was free of corruption.

Drop me a line, let me know what your wish is, maybe we can speak some positivity in to existence!

Bill, Avery and I signed up for the Rudolph Run/Walk a couple years ago, but we ended up not being able to attend. Then Covid, you all know how that ruiner has worked, and finally this year, we signed up as soon as it was announced and we finally walked for our first time! It was a great evening to spend out doors, as it was fairly warm, and the rain held off until we were done, which was truly a gift with this crazy Ohio weather.

Bill and I were all aglow with our neon necklaces and our flashing red noses, as well as our brightly colored sweatshirts. I had failed to pick up our shirts for the event prior to start, but next year will definitely do so!

Bill and I had no idea what to expect, and we were truly surprised by the turnout of people. Lots of runners, lots of walkers, some dogs and plenty of strollers too. Bill said he felt pretty good walking instead of running, and the little kids in front of us made him feel better about that choice too…until their grandma asked them if they wanted to run! Lol.

It was very nice walking with all of the other people around us, we struck up conversations and felt like part of a pack. There were groups of people along the route that cheered us on, that was pretty awesome and supportive. We also got to see the Christmas light from different vantage points around the park, and that was a beautiful sight to behold, and the whole reason for the walk!

The finish line was so festive, the emcee was announcing people as you were coming in or crossing the line, and plenty of people greeted you with smiles on their faces and water bottles in hand for you. It truly was a fun time, a great opportunity to get a walk or run in, time for camaraderie, and what a terrific way to support and help light up our beautiful town!

We will definitely be signing up bargain next year, and if you are local, I would highly suggest you do too! Drop me a line, let me know if you were there and I missed you!

As we enter in to a season of family events, shopping along strangers, and possible utter chaos and bustling busyness, I want to give you some tips of how to deter bad feelings, save you from having a meltdown, or worse, not enjoying the season. Let’s get to it then!

• Don’t have expectations
• Take a pause before you react, speak, or act
• Don’t over extend yourself
• Take time to make sure YOU are enjoying the season and finding joy
• Prioritize your time, and don’t feel bad about it
• Say NO
• Be kind and courteous, even if others aren’t
• Make tough decisions, if it saves your peace

The holiday season puts a lot of emphasis on family, and for many, family is a definite point of contention. Dealing with family is often hard and fraught with negative emotions or interactions. When I tell you to not go to save your peace, and you hit me with, it will be worse if I don’t, then really you need to take a hard look at what you are enduring and what you are ultimately enabling. You are choosing to cause yourself harm in those situations, and in the end, is it worth it? If you decide to go anyhow, you must place your focus where it can aid you or bring you joy, otherwise you leave empty, deflated, depressed and then dreading it agin the following year or following holiday. Pick your poison or pick your peace.

People get very rude while in a store amongst strangers, it’s as if they have a green light to be horrible, because they don’t know you and don’t care about something affects you. I always will give the other person the right of way, or offer to let them go in front of me if they are in a hurry, and so on and so forth. I go out of my way to be cordial and polite because their behavior often has nothing to do with you or the store, but other underlying things. The store, patrons and overall chaos is just too much for them to deal with and they take it out on others. I find it best to be the bright spot in their day, or maybe save someone else from their wrath, after all, I am going in knowing these things.

This will be the year my kids get more adult gifts, tires for cars for one, car equipment for the other, and I feel really good about it. The spending limit is lower than last year, but inflation is up, and our income is down. It truly is better to get a few meaningful things, than to get many things you don’t want or need. Don’t go broke trying to make one season some grand gesture, that sets everyone up for failure, and it isn’t the reason for the season. No, that isn’t a Christianity speaking point, but a multicultural viewpoint/perspective. It truly is about gathering with those that you love, that love you, people that value you, and vice versa, and people you can’t live without and the reverse. It is about the people and the connections, truly.

Take the Pause. Seriously, I have been saying this to people for years. When we take the pause, we can assess, observe, evaluate, cool down, and ask ourselves if it will be beneficial to react, typically the answer is no. Why add fuel to the fire? Why cause ourselves inflammation or harm?? TAKE THE PAUSE. Then either be kind, or politely firm…but remember, deescalating something is better than being right, because odds are, no one is right.

I did not go in to depth about some of these items on the list, as I feel the ones I did discuss, span across the others. I think most of you think or feel the same way, but there are so many people that have nightmare holiday experiences and this is meant to bolster their courage, patience, perspective and mindset.

I am wishing you all a merry, jolly, happy, delightful holiday season. Merry Christmas, May your season be merry and bright!

Hoo-wee!!! Christmas came early in my house and I am not afraid to show it!!!!

We all have fond childhood memories, of some sort, and some of my favorites are Christmas related with my cousins, and my dad’s family. We would gather in my grandma’s tiny house on Christmas Eve, have dinner where pickled cucumbers and cream cheese celery were amongst the favorites, culinary delights if you will. It was an honor to sit at the kitchen bar to eat supper, and present exchanges were a ton of fun, second to watching grandma open her gifts. The highlight of it all though, the pinnacle that those memories can be found wrapped in, is a walnut bowl with crackers and picks. Some of you may have had the same walnut bowl in your Christmas memories, at a grandparent or relative’s home, so you’ll know exactly what I am talking about. For those of you that have no idea what I am referring to, let me show you.

This gem is the centerpiece of Christmas memories for me. Look at her shine in all of her laquered beauty!! What genius decided long ago to take a part of the tree, lathe it, make a bowl to fill with walnuts, and to include the tools needed to indulge in walnutery?! *Swoon* Thank you to the person that made this amazing invention!

Every December when grandma would bring the walnut bowl with walnuts out, you knew you were IN the Christmas Season. Things were brighter, shinier, happier, warmer, cozier, glowier…ahhhh!!! Christmas! There were games and activities to be had, family all around, all leading up to that day, December 24th, when we would gather, celebrate and rejoice in our love for one another and the season.

Bill also had a walnut bowl in his childhood memories, but my affection for the setup, runs much, much deeper. He did tell me that he didn’t always use the cracker, he could crack walnuts with his bare hands…okay Bill.

Apparently so. I stand corrected. But I did ask, why would he deny himself the pleasure of cracking the nuts with the crackers? He said, he enjoys cracking by hand. Aight then.

As we sat cracking walnuts reminiscing on childhood Christmas memories, I was transported back to a more simple time in life, a time that I miss and reflect upon fondly. As I sit, looking at my walnut bowl, I am reminded that while we can’t recapture the past, we can definitely purposely live and move towards more simplicity. We can also make our time better by focusing on those around us that are more meaningful, that cultivate more joy in our lives, and for the first time in about 30 years(or so), I will be spending time with my cousins that my bowl memories are associated with! I cannot wait to enjoy an evening laughing, reliving shared memories and making a new tradition for years to come…and to think, a walnut bowl will be holding all of this together, the rest of my life! I love it.

Drop me a line, let me know if you have a walnut bowl, or a similar item that signifies Christmas for you! I would love to know!

Have you started your calendar for next year yet? When my kids were younger, more involved in things, I would obtain my following year calendar by September or October at the latest. Now that the general school years are winding down for me, it is December and I am thinking about getting a calendar.

In all seriousness, I have 4 planners in my Amazon cart. They will all have different purposes, 2 for business and different at that, 1 for family/daily life, and 1 for spiritual/wellness. I will be more intentional with my time and day, and this has proven helpful for me this year. Want to see one in my cart?

https://a.co/d/hQ19NiG

I have come a very long way in returning to myself this year, and I am ready to take on more as a result. This makes me happy, excited, and better prepared to get going on the next step in my future. I can fail to plan, or plan to fail, and while I will grow, I learned that planning my day is a huge part of my success.

Drop me a line, let me know if you are started on your 2023 calendar, do you have multiple planners, and do you have a system you like best? I would love to know and to talk planners, calendars and organizations with you!

Yeah, so 9:00 isn’t really late for you night owls, but for me, I have been posting late here lately and it feels about midnight, when it is only 9! I have been productive the last few days, and probably most all of this week, so who knows what kind of post results this will yield.

Anyhow, came across this gem last night and while the caption is funny, the reality of doing tornado drills in elementary made me a bit nostalgic…I even dreamt of tornados the other night, but that is a tell tale sign that I am being stressed beyond my control. Ah, you see my late night posts are bit random too.

Tell me, do you remember tornado drills in elementary? Do you dream of specific things when you are stressed? Drop me a line, I would love to know!

I saw someone on social media, ask the question of what you feel is important when raising your kids. This is a segment of my answer.

I have always strived and endeavored to teach my kids important values and lessons in life. I packaged this in basic ways, stories, epitaphs, and parables. I also demonstrated lessons through experiences, my own and those of others’. I purposely did not take my children to church, but always permitted them to attend with others when asked. Why did I do this? What did I think I was teaching them? Why didn’t I trust others to teach my kids the Bible? Well…

I went to church as a child. I was a very observant child, and I always picked up on nuances and subtle hints from adults as to what they really felt or thought. As a child, I was under the impression that Christians must be perfect(haha), or at minimum display kindness and care, especially to children. I was shown that adults are judgmental, cruel and careless, even those at church. So, when I was 8, I decided not to go to church, and that is where my front porch sessions with my grandmother came in to play. We would discuss scripture, ideas that sprang from the Bible, morales, ethics, etc. My grandma wouldn’t judge me or my thoughts, she would listen intently, we would converse, and sometimes she would challenge me to look at things differently, and she would follow up with me on that. She also would call me out if I was going against what I said or if my actions didn’t match my words, but she would do it in a kind, questioning or concerning way. This allowed me the room and freedom to adapt, change or implement better, and I wanted the same for my kids. Besides, I can say what I thought I knew of adults as a child, was only a snippet of the truth, and instead of believing what I thought I knew of them, I had to become an adult before I understood the pitfalls of being an adult, and a Christian.

As children, parents, relatives, teachers, and close family friends are typically the biggest influences. These are the people kids look up to and trust. Kids are following actions and words, consistency is key, and trust is a major player. As a parent, I was assigned the task, duty, responsibility and blessing of guiding my offspring, and I took that very seriously. So, having had an amazing teacher myself, I set out to teach my kids the Bible in a non traditional way too, hoping these lessons would build a solid foundation on which my kids could learn to make their own decisions and hopefully good choices the older they got.

I have been fairly proud of how my kids treat others, their inclusivity, their kindness, their ability to apply what they have been taught. A couple years ago, Avery informed me that she was an atheist. Oof. Where did I mess that up? I felt horrible that I had failed her, that I had failed God. I started praying about this, that God would show up and show himself to her, in the amazing ways he does. And so he did. One day she called me, and said that she realized I had been teaching her the Bible and God’s ways all along, but that I had been discreet and indirect about it. I told her that I wanted it to be her choice to accept God in to her life. This period didn’t last too long with Avery. She found herself at college, waffling, wavering, uncertain and a bit disbelieving. She had attended various churches and services to see where she fit while at college, and when she came home, she tried to find a church here too. She made some great connections, found a place she enjoyed attending, but she had a bad experience with another fellow goer, and this made her feel uncertain again.

This was all occurring during her summer internship, which was not the best experience for Avery. One day while she was at work, she had a panic attack. She had been asking God to show her signs, to give her direction, and in true fashion, he showed up via a stranger. These are her words:

This was the calm Avery needed to regain control, to see how God can and does work. She was amazed, overwhelmed and a lot less uncertain. Avery attends church when she is home, and asked the last time asked her sister to go with her.

Brooke has always been a Jesus girl, but never went to church either. Brooke is very quiet about *most* things, but if you ever look at her tattoos, you will see a theme. They all are faith based, or influenced. Brooke has been wanting to attend church for a while, Bill and I have been encouraging her to go, but she didn’t start attending until Avery went. Now you may ask why we didn’t take her, and I will tell you this: a person must actively choose their faith and relationships with God. It is personal, and it is intimate. Does that contradict what I said earlier? No. Brooke must freely choose what she pursues. Avery taking Brooke once has resulted in Brooke attending church by herself, frequently. She has requested Sundays off from work to attend, and she is developing relationships with people at her church of choice. The irony is, I know the people she has told me about, and I am pleased for her to develop friendships with these people. To me, this is a signifier that she is in the right place for her, that God has placed people I also trust to be included in her life. This is a major blessing!

The great part? A teacher that both my girls love is who directed this current situation. Greg Phillips is such an amazing person, he is truly a godsend to many, our family included. Avery had reached out to him for counsel, he invited her to a local church that he would be filling in for that Sunday, and the girls had decided to go. Brooke is looking to attend this church regularly, and Avery will attend when home. This is the part where I tell you this all comes from faith and trust. I know that it is time for others to have a large influence on my kids, as God is directing. This doesn’t render me useless, or done, but lesser in the requirement of me from them, but also greater faith from me to trust God and others’ role in this part of my kids’ lives. I feel really good about it, and I am so very happy and proud of my girls for pursuing their faith as they choose, not as I choose for them.

Everyone has their own ways in which they facilitate the relationship between God and their children, no one way is best. However, I do believe that the freedom to choose is important, whether that be where they attend church, if they attend church or if they believe in God. Sure, as a believer, I want them to believe too, not because it serves me, but because it serves them. I hope they see and know that life without God feels one way, and life with God feels an entirely different way. One day I would love for Bill to give you his testimony, as well, it is pretty powerful, as most testimonies are.

Whether you understand the importance of the season, and whether you can see the crossing patterns for the season, I am wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, a wonderful season of Christ, and blessings of abundance.

I will write a word, show you a picture, tell me what you think, or what popped up for you, sound good?

I thought fresh, tart, sweet, summer warm, happy, sunshine, aromatic, fresh air. Your turn!!