OLW

....not to be mistaken with OWS

Word-one word can change your focus, your attitude, and if we get dramatic, I suppose it could change your life! Look what it did for Wilbur!

But seriously, after years of New Years Resolutions gone awry....I really don't think I've ever kept even one. I still drink coffee, I still don't exercise regularly, and I still need to lose 20 pounds. So this year I'm going to embrace the theory of just One Little Word. OLW. I've been reading some thoughts of others on this and have grappled for my own inspirational little piece of power.

Here are some great ideas of others that I love, really....but they are too "scrapbooky" for me.

• Peace-That's great! We all need more peace. Forgiveness...less strife...
• Believe-to believe in myself and my abilities...hmmmm...
• Edit-I like that~as in "weeding out the unnecessary"
• Unclench-huh.. I would guess that some would think that to be a benefit to me...
• Forward-this is good. To try to move forward, just a little, every day

These are all concepts that I need to incorporate into my life but none of them spoke to me 100%. Then I remembered something that Shelby said to me.

in·ten·tion·al/inˈtenCHənl/

Adjective:	Done on purpose; deliberate.
Synonyms:	deliberate - wilful - willful - purposeful - intended

I want to be in·ten·tion·al. With my words, with my thoughts. With, not only the things that I put into my mouth but also the things that come out. I want to remember the grocery clerk and be intentional with my words towards her. I want to be intentional with my relationship with God. No more "fly by night" prayers (or at least not as many). But an intentional time to listen to Him as He guides me in the new year.

There's a blog on this idea and even a class that I think I'll take. And I guess I'll make the Resolution to actually finish the class....

Still Have Some Mommy Influence!

You know, we were super involved with our girls growing up. Like, so involved we were most definitely irritating! Between homeschooling, constant soccer games and requiring the girls-along with their current boyfriends to attend "Family Nights," we were a pretty tight knit group! But, as they've grown up and moved away it doesn't seem they need us as much....don't get me wrong! I don't want a 24 year old still living at home and I do love the freedom of a "no kid" life, if you know what I mean. But sometimes I really do miss those days of Mommy Influence!

Driving home after a wonderful Thanksgiving, we were listening to Taylor Swift and she started sing some sweet song about never growing up. Yeah, it brought tears and sniffles to both of us. We really, REALLY, loved raising our little girlies. I started feeling sad and only essential to my crazy Poppy puppy. I went to sleep feeling a little melancholy. Typical.

But today I got to use my Mommy Influence and it was delightful!

First off...Casey was impressed enough about the lotion bar that I gave her, that she's decided to make some for Christmas gifts for her friends. Score 1 for a good idea!

Second...Dear Dannon texted me for the infamous blog recipe of Chicken Pot Pie and shared it with some girlfriends and it was a success. Score 2 for a Betty Crocker Recipe!

Third...(a little humbling yet realistic) Shelby accidentally ruined a table at a house she was housesitting and figured I'd done the same thing at some point in my life so she called to get some quick advice. Yes, indeed I have discovered that some very fine sand paper is essential if you own any wood furniture valued over $100....Score 3 for my ability to fix my predictable blunders!

And later, we received this very sweet tweet!

So, you know, it's all okay. Really...I'm glad you're all grown up, and happy. And that's a season of our lives that we cherish more than any other gift God could have ever given us.

29 Years Ago Today....

I said this to my boyfriend!

.....and he said "Yes!" So, we did!

And this is the day we'll celebrate our 29th anniversary! it's a good day!

Photo of the Day

Dear City of Vail-Thanks for the great accommodations. We'll be back!!

Things to Think About

Today in my journaling time, the subject was raised to name three people whose lives I have improved. Not as easy as it first sounds. I know that I can't cavalierly announce that I've made impact on lives in general. Sure, I impact my girls and husband, but outside of my immediate circle, not so much. Well, after a bout of minor depression on the insignificance of my stay here on earth, I started getting some revelation on the subject. Well, I have two so far...

Years ago Ches and I worked in a homeless ministry. We hung out at the "Homeless Park" and talked to the old men and the families and the druggies. We fed them breakfast, bought endless sleeping bags, and obtained copies of birth certificates. One day we met "Jane". Jane was a very angry mom. Her husband had abandoned her and her 2 girls at the local grocery store and left town. Jane didn't want a handout, she didn't want breakfast and she didn't want to hear about Jesus. All she wanted was a job. And she would tell me that in her own special colorful language.

By a wonderful string of events, I was able to get Jane a car and a job cleaning at the church. After a few months, she finally qualified for a low-income apartment and leave the Homeless Shelter. A couple of years ago I was blessed to help Jane and her three kids move into a home that they all built through Habitat for Humanity. The four of them pulled together as a family and volunteered hundreds of hours to earn this home.

Jane still has her job at the church and her oldest son just graduated High School. I am so proud of her accomplishments and the fact that God gave me the honor to help her on her journey.
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Nancy~Nancy was diagnosed with cancer when her youngest daughter was in 3rd grade. It was a devastating blow to her and her family. We barely knew each other when she was diagnosed, our daughters were friends at school, but I was working out of my home and had quite a bit of extra time so we became close friends fast. I took Nancy to appointments, sat through chemo with her, and helped her wash her hair. We spent hours copying Bible verses and singing hymns. Well, she sang...loud and proud. Through Nancy's fight with cancer she became such a Woman of Faith. The doctor's original diagnosis gave her 6 months to live and Nancy lived 10 more years. She was able to see her youngest daughter get to college.

I helped Nancy hold out hope when she felt hopeless. I would pray with her on the phone when she couldn't pray herself. I helped her pay bills and run errands. The guilty secret is that after awhile, it exhausted me. I was worn out and would sometimes avoid her. And it breaks my heart because I was her main support system and would often complain. That breaks my heart. I remember once when we were out to coffee, she told the barista that I was her guardian angel and she would give her life for me. That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.

The last day I saw Nancy was the day before Christmas Eve. She needed a ride to the bank to withdraw money. She wanted to send a bunch of cash to her brothers for Christmas and she knew she only had a couple more days to live. She had me pull over at a Salvation Army bell ringer and put a wad of cash into his little red bucket. And she told me that she didn't want to die, she wanted to live and knit sweaters for her grandkids. I really miss Nancy. I wish that I'd told her how special she was to me and how she enhanced my life. She gave me a purpose and a very real faith in God.
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