Well, at least there’s that...

Some people wait a lifetime to find their "niche". Do you know how I know? There's a song about it. "A moment like this." by Kelly Clarkson. I've tried a lot of things to find my "niche".  I create art, in hats headbands and even teddy bears, but I just couldn't fine "IT!" People say that the thing you were born to do is right in front of you. Nope, I tried  many things, they weren't my "niche". Tonight, I think I found it. If you read my blogs "Domestically Challenged", "Where Did I put the Potatoes?" and "What did the tomatoes say to the burnt beans?" You will see that cooking has NEVER been my thing. I don't really know why? It makes me very nervous. Growing up my mother and sister spent their time cooking and they would sweetly look at me and say, "Why don't you set the table?" Okay, that worked. Then I got engaged and I said, "here's the deal. I don...

Cooking... (again). You know I can't make this stuff up. Here we go. I was using my "air fryer". I watched a video on YouTube. What could go wrong? I paid close attention, I sprayed the oil on after I put the chicken legs into the basket, I turned them every few minutes and they turned out wonderful. So, what's the problem, right? Well, I also made mashed potatoes. They smelled amazing. They looked amazing and I was so excited.  I also like to clean up while I'm cooking. It makes for a lot less mess. I'd finished the potatoes and was waiting to serve dinner so, "Hey, why not clean the floor up?" It  also a good time to rinse the dishes and prep them for the dishwasher. Doesn't it sound amazing? So, after I  finished up the floor and the chicken was ready and the potatoes were ready...it was time to serve dinner.  I started looking for the mashed potatoes. Where did I put them? I mean, I saw the pot I boiled them in, then the pot I had r...

Isn't that an odd question to ask? I've discovered something very real about myself and my relationship with God. I've "expected things" of me. Yes, you read that right. I have expected me to be "perfect"....no not in the way that you may imagine, but in the way that I am "supposed to be".  Growing up in Church was both good and bad....please do not jump to a conclusion until you've read the whole story. The good part is that I got to know Him, the bad part is that I got to know Him through the lens of other people's visions of Him. Stick with me, it will all make sense. I had a vision tonight as  I was with some ORU students and we were worshiping God with a group from "The Upper Room". You can find them on YouTube. They just worship the Lord. I bet we probably sang three songs in three hours? Nobody noticed. There was silence and there was shouting and there was...Jesus. In my vision I saw a group of children in the ...

“Does anybody know what time it is?”  I’ve heard that song by “Chicago” and thought “look at your watch  already”. Lol. Today I’ve been considering  looking at that question with a new perspective: now and later. We all understand that there are seasons in life. It’s pretty obvious. But what about time? For example I realize that it’s time to get out of debt. Why? Well, in all reality there will come a time when I may be unable to work. I need to recognize and prepare for that time.  Let’s say that I have 10 more years to work. That means I have ten years to get out of debt and prepare for the next season . When I was raising my children it was time to prepare them for their futures and to meet their current needs. It was time  to prepare them to meet their own future needs. Did I do it perfectly...lol. Now that’s funny. Do you know one thing I realized today ? It’s always “ time” for relationships. If we don’t make time for people, our lives will be voi...

Don’t you just love how my brain works? I’ll tell you this. It’s much better to laugh than to lay down in the dark crying. So here’s a little secret.  Do you know why I know so much about depression, PTSD and anxiety disorders? The enemy of our souls likes to pin us down with “labels”. So my label has yellow caution tape that says,” depressed, PTSD, anxiety disorder, asthmatic, allergic”... you get the idea. I could walk around wearing the label “broken , unlovable...” To be honest with you, sometimes the unkind labels pop up out of nowhere and try to define me. People have asked me “why don’t you cook?”  I usually say that I play the piano instead. Or that I don’t like to cook.  Want the truth? Cooking causes me great anxiety.  Cooking for other people is a high anxiety trigger. Have I let it stop me? Yep. Pretty much. So. God sent me a roommate. Yes he does that kind of stuff. I’ll explain later. But in order for me to have healthy food to eat and not run...

Have you ever felt like this? You've fought for other people and now you need someone to fight for you, but you don’t see anyone? I was thinking about the people in the Bible that came to Jesus with that kind of honesty. They were people who were willing to do what they could but they couldn’t meet their own needs The man at the pool of Bethesda. Jesus asked him if he wanted to be well. How do I know that he’d done all he could do? It wasn’t doubt that caused him to answer Jesus by saying,”yes, but I have no one to help me.” You see the man only knew of one kind of help. He knew that when the angel stirred the water people got healed. So, he did what he could do. He got as close to the water as possible. Do you realize that Jesus did not rebuke the man by saying, “ well if you had more faith you could get to the pool by yourself!” Sometimes we hear the scripture that way, or at least I have had the underlying thought that Jesus was unhappy  with what the man was doing. Now that...

Have you ever purchased a product that said its results were "guaranteed?" Well, what does that mean? Guaranteed if I follow your steps, guaranteed if I work really hard? I don't get it. Do you know the best way to share your relationship with Christ is not by using a Bible? It's through using your experience. People can argue with theories all day long, but they can't argue with results. Today I'd like to talk to you about depression and how I deal with it on a daily basis. I've been taught "coping skills" they help. Below is a list of "coping skills" that have helped me. 1) Talk to somebody 2) Take a warm bubble bath 3) Read a book 4) Watch something funny on TV or YouTube 5) Take a nap 6) Make sure you eat enough 7) Pray more often 8) Journal 9) Write a Blog Those are all EXCELLENT ways to cope with depression, but they do not cure depression. Depression is a chemical imbalance... period. It is a way of thinking about...

As I watched the Rose parade today with its theme “life through music” my brain went into overdrive. Please sing along if you know the words. So, I’ve had some “interesting “ dates since I became unmarried 9 years ago this month. Let’s just say that only one made it past the second date. It’s not that I ask for a lot... it’s just that crazy is out there and I’m allergic. My last date made it through to date number 7. Things were looking up. I was honest and straightforward with who I am and what I want out of life and he didn’t run. He talked about his life and I didn’t run. It was good The first song we heard together was,  “If it’s meant to be it will be.” Ok. Sounded good. One date at a time. There was hope but no pressure. He was cute and kind and interesting.. that’s all good. I had no idea what the next song in this story would be. Then it happened.  He contacted me, but it was a little strange. He was telling me that he was going out of state to do some work. Ok...

Have you ever heard a song that really inspired you? For example “Live Like You Were Dying”   I’m not 100% sure of the words but it goes something like this,” I went sky diving, Rocky Mountain climbing, rode 2.7 seconds on a bull named old man shoes”... I don’t teally get that last part.  What’s so special about a bull named “ old man’s shoes “?  Anyway, I have been craving adventure the past ... well... awhile. But there’s been nobody to “play” with. Nobody to ride horses with, four wheeler, do stuff outside the box of everyday living with. So my mom and I went to “Silver Dollar City “ in Branson, MO.  We had the usual plans, go to shows, see the Christmas tree lighting and watch a parade. Doesn’t that sound nice? But... when we walked through the turn stiles adventure called my name ,” mam have you taken our tour through the cave?”  I’d wanted to in the past but was never quite up to climbing down over 300 stairs. But adventure called my name. ( I guess...

So, what’s the worst possible and most frustrating thing about yarn? I mean, when used properly it produces soft and lovely products .  But... if you do this one thing wrong you can literally waste hours and end your day frustrated and feeling useless. I learned how to crochet. Yep, took a few times, but now I get it.   When I was growing up I was given a tangled up mess of yarn and I would spend hours untangling it and rolling it  into a ball. Why? I have no idea. But I proved that I was the most patient person in our family or maybe... the world! Lol!  If I had known then what I know now, I wouldn’t have developed “super” patience.   So, back to my “yarn”. Yes, I just did that.  I bought some fabric to make what are called “lovies” for children in crisis. If you want to help with this cause there’s a foundation called, “Joy in the Cause”. http://joyinthecause.org/ You can find them online. It’s a great organization and it’s why I lea...