Mid-Life Crisis

It has been a while, but I met a man today at a gas pump who asked me about my blog. Yes, I have been neglecting the BLOG, but I have been busy. Last time I wrote, it was the beginnings of fall. Now here we are about to dive into spring. Our family has had a wonderful, but whirlwind winter. My son is now legally "a man", but he will always be my baby. Registering with Selective Service and choosing a college has really brought that fact home.

Other than that, I have been working on self-improvement (health-wise) and have been eating better and working out everyday. I have been in this process for almost a year now. It is strange how much your body and energy level changes when you actually do what it takes to be healthy! (you should try it!)

Spring break, graduation, and college visits are yet to come. I can see how some people would go through a "mid-life" crisis during this time of life. When life is changing so rapidly, the need to grab hold of control of something is very strong. Some people may find that controlling their age by trying to be young again may be an answer. Maybe my desire to become healthy is part of this process - I don't know. But I do know where stable solid ground can be found. If you don't know, read some earlier blogs for a hint!
God Bless- Robbi

The Busy Time of Year

Ok, so it has been over a month... well, like six weeks since i posted anything. Reason being - The Busy Time of the Year! Moms know that from Mid-August until after Christmas, that is how things are. I has been go go go for weeks now! Fall has finally arrived! Football, beautiful colors, family and friend get-togethers.... Fun times!

Might I suggest that during this busy time, you take a 10-minute breather regularly to watch the sunset or watch your children sleep? Enjoy all the blessings God has given you. Even if things are not going so great, you always have blessings in your life you can be thankful for...

Well, got to run! Will Blog more later... after all, it is the busy time of the year!

I Like Being Married and Other Oddities

I heard a man on the radio today say that he was against marriage totally. He said, why would anyone put themselves through something like that which is obviously going to end in disaster? Well, sir, I beg to differ. Why would anyone go into a marriage believing that it is going to end in disaster? People don't do that! They get married believing everything will be happily-ever-after! (note the cute reference to my blog) What they don't understand is.... love is not a feeling it is an action. They believe that the gushy mushy feeling they have while courting or dating is love, when really that is just hormonal and temporary. Real love comes after the mushy gushy feelings.

Real love is deciding everyday to forgive and over-look and grow to adore those pesky little things another person does. Real love involves sacrifice. And let me tell you... it is an EVERY DAY decision. We are sinful people which can be translated SELFISH. Selfish people want what they want and what they want is that mushy gushy feeling constantly. Selfish people want others to adore and love them... not realizing that real love comes from giving love.

Example, my husband ANNOYS the stew outta me when he eats cereal. No human should ever try to stack that much food and milk onto one spoon then try to fit it all in one big bite! ICK! However, I sit next to him and eat my cereal quitely while reminding myself that the cereal thing does not matter especially since he has so many other positive things that outweigh it! Number 1 being that he is a godly man who loves me.

Love is looking at your spouses fat roll and wrinkles and thinking.. is that not the cutest thing you ever saw!

But people forget that love is action and a decision and a lifelong committment. People commit to cell phone contracts and won't quit them because it might cost money, but they will quit a marriage (a lifelong committment before God) at any cost. Makes no sense to me!

Commit to choose to love today. Pray to God to give you a love-action attitude. Act loving and the feeling will come later.

God Bless - Robbi

Not On My Dime

Well, it was a whirlwind trip, but we went to the mountains for a quick vaca and now it is back to the old grind. I am sure you experience the same in your life... so much to do and not enough time to do it. (sigh)

We went to Gatlinburg for a few days and had a really great time. It is amazing all the different kinds of people you see on a trip like that! I love to people watch... people are so entertaining! More on that in a later post...

Anyways, we were able to visit Dollywood and Dolly's Splash Country. Dollywood (a theme park) has a new thing called Adventure Mountain. It is basically an up in the air obstacle course where you wear a harness and climb things you would never climb without a harness and walk across tightropes and such. It is quite a workout and it also makes you face your fears if you are afraid of stuff like that. You can stay on the course as long or as little as you like! YAY! It was quite fun and great exercise. I have to say that I was sore for days afterward.

Monday night, we went to the Miracle Theatre to see "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". It was really good! I have seen it before, but everyone does it a little different. My favorite part was when his brothers came back to tell Jacob that Joseph was dead and acted all western and stuff.

Well, I really don't have anything witty to say tonite, I am just blabbing I guess. Oh, and about the blog title... it really doesn't mean anything, I just thought it was humorous. :)

It Rains Everytime I Wash the Car

Are you the type of person who... no matter what you are doing, something will go wrong? Well, I am! And, how, you may ask do you keep a smile on your face and a good attitude (90% of the time anyway)?

Let me give you a one-week "summary" overview example of my misfortunes, on our way to Clarksville to tour a college for my son, a rock flew up and hit my windshield on my new Ford Edge and made a peck in the glass which quickly cracked all the way across! YAY! (that was Saturday). Then all kinds of unfortunate little stuff happens all week such as my daughter sleep-walking Monday night and getting in the shower with the curtain open and spraying water all over (don't worry, when the water hit her, she woke up). And then lo and behold today (Friday), while taking my kitty to the vet, he barfed then pooped all over (he gets car-sick, I guess) in my new car. NICE! But fear not, windows can be replaced, water dries, and poop/barf can be cleaned up and that is why God let some wonderful inventor invent cool things like cleaners and such. Oh, and also, today, since it was so sun-shiney, I washed my car, it started to rain. Am I disheartened, you ask! CERTAINLY NOT!

I will keep smiling and keep hoping for better and keep laughing at my misfortune, because I would rather laugh than just about anything else. This little life we have is so short (but a "vapor" the Bible says) and I for one am going to laugh and enjoy it, window cracks, poop, barf, rain, and all. And my children will see me laughing and embracing this messy life so that they will be encouraged to do the same when trouble comes their way.

God Bless! :)

Getting Over It

If you have ever been lied to by someone you consider a friend or even a co-worker or associate, it is hurtful (of course). Even a small little "white lie" makes you feel very betrayed, but most people can get over "little" white lies. On the other hand, getting lied to or misled about something that could cost you a great deal (as in... your livelihood) and is done in order to benefit the one lying (as in... for $) is something harder to get over.

The latter has been placed before me this week. It is funny the emotions you face... hope that the person will change direction, hope that he/she is not lying and you are just over-reacting, the need to expose the fraud.. but not wanting to hurt the other person (even though they could hurt you by doing this act). I have lost countless hours of sleep worrying about all of this junk this week. But today... (great phrase, don't you think!) But TODAY, I will stop worrying and stop hoping for the best. Yes, I said that I will STOP hoping for the best. "Hoping for the best" always sounds like a good idea, but reallly, you are just worrying that the worst will probably happen.

What I will do is drop the burden back off with the person committing the fraud in the most professsional and loving way I can. And I will drop my worry off with the Lord and let Him handle it. I also know that He will handle the person doing this haneous thing in the best way He can use to teach them, just as He teaches me when I do haneous, stupid things. Then, I will pray for them and forgive them and God will get me over it! It is not really a perfectly laid out 12-step plan, but it is in line with God's plan (Matthew 5:43-45). He doesn't need 12 steps to get us where He wants us, He just needs a willing heart.

An Attitude of Gratitude and Sleep-Walking

This has been a crazy busy week. Busy with typical things like laundry, juggle children and work duties, and of course church duties... but with a few extra hurdles to jump.

So, the night of my first post, my daughter got up at midnight missing her blankets on her bed. As I walked her back to her room, I noticed she was wearing two pair of pajamas... odd! Then upon entering her room, all of her blankets were gone from her bed and not in her bedroom. The poor child had sleep-walked and put on extra PJ's and took all of her blankets and sheets and hid them in the bathroom. Needless to say, she was embarrassed. But I am a mom and one of my jobs is to share every embarrassing story with the world. HA HA

Tuesday morning I had to speak at a real estate agency on FHA guidelines and the appraisal industry in general. I was nervous, but I generally am a pretty good speaker. I felt like everything went well and Thanks Be To God that I did not get any questions I couldn't answer. And I did get several thank you calls afterward and a thank you card the next day in the mail with a gift card to a great restaurant. I must say, sending thank you cards may be old fashioned, but it is still so cool. Note to self: show more gratitude because it makes the one who deserves it very happy.

Wednesday I had to speak for the women's mission group at our church (which I do monthly) and we learned about John 14: 1-12. I say "we" because as I studied for my talk, I also learned. A very familiar set of scriptures, but in verse 12, it says that Jesus said we should do as he is doing (paraphrase). If we do as he is doing then, the three things I learned is we should: 1) spend time with the Father God (pray, listen for God); 2) Love people (even those who seem unloveable); and 3) show people the Way to eternal life (which of course is through Jesus - as He said in the prior verses). Very cool. Now, just doing it is the key.