A Touch of Family, Fall and Football

It's opening day for Arkansas Razorback football, and myself, like most other "folk" in the Natural State have been "calling the Hogs" all week long. We're a fairly small state, and we love our Razorbacks. Unfortunately, I don't have tickets to the game in Fayetteville, but that hasn't stopped the excitement from building. Whether you attend a game, watch from tv or listen to radio, all across our state today Hog fans will be out and about, football flags will be flown, Razorback shirts and hats will be the popular attire of the day. Casie, my oldest, received a scholarship and marched in the Razorback band her first year of college. She still talks about the pride of being involved in such a huge event every Saturday in the fall of that year. Today's game will be followed on the radio, since sadly it isn't being televised, but I'll be listening and singing along with the fight song.

The temp is 55 degrees outside...a tease of fall is in the air, and that's all it took for a fall arrangement of sunflowers, multicolored leaves and a scarecrow to grace my front door. I'm poised with pumpkins and other things, but debating over whether it's too early or not. Myself and my cup of coffee are about to step outside and breathe in this glorious day.

Both girls are sleeping peacefully, and I went and peeked in on each of them. Nevermind that they are 22 and 13, I still tiptoe in, peek, and smile whenever I see one or both of them sleeping. It's still a sweet sight all these years later. We had a late dinner after Casie arrived last nite, and a nice evening just hanging out. Today, they will spend the day with their dad, which is a good thing. I'm slowly adapting to our new reality of "sharing separately" instead of sharing them together. It hurts more than I ever knew, but after all these months, I've learned ways to help me cope when they drive away. Staying busy seems to be the key. We haven't quite figured out plans for Sunday or Monday, but I'm just happy to have both girls together.

Today I am thankful for the cool weather, my girls, and yes, my Razorbacks.

Soul Food

Over the last few days, I've been able to have some really good soul food. I'm not talking about food for my body, but food for my soul. THAT kind of "soul food".

Laughter and tears, silly talks and serious talks, encouragement - both given and received.

God knows when I need nourishment.....how amazing is that?

Counting

"Count your many blessings, name them one by one,And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain:Count your blessings, name them one by one,Count your blessings, see what God hath done!Count your blessings, name them one by one,*Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.[*And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.]

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;Count your many blessings—wealth can never buyYour reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,Do not be discouraged, God is over all;Count your many blessings, angels will attend,Help and comfort give you to you till your journey's end. "

Lately, I've been intentionally viewing life with an "attitude of gratitude"... trying to do that in my circumstances, my relationships, my words and my actions. This weekend, I was shaken quite a bit by something way beyond my control. Panic begin to set in....thankfully for me, I knew to reach out to a few and let their encouragement lift me up...I did just that, I reached out - and true to form, they encouraged. Panic gave way to prayer.

And this morning, I woke up with this hymn playing in my soul and my mind. A wonderful reminder that I am truly a blessed individual.

Today I am thankful for:

1. My Lord....who who always good and faithful.

2. My prayer warriors and encouragers....may we always continue to be there for one another!

3. My blessings....which are truly overflowing.

Circling the Airport

As I'm learning more and more about A.D.D., I feel like someone has shined a flashlight into my world and all of a sudden, I can see the little small things that I often overlook.

In a book that I am working through, one of the descriptions given for A.D.D. is "circling the airport but never landing." When I read that, I almost jumped up out of my chair yelling "YES!! THAT'S ME!" However, I was sitting in a doctor's waiting room next to a sleeping man (who was also snoring) and I really didn't have the heart to scare him awake.

Words are powerful, as we all know. And these words hit me with a mighty force of self-recognition. Often when I am faced with a big task, I feel overwhelmed and simply don't know where to start. So I will think about it, analyze it, plan it out, talk about it, take notes on it...which are in and of themselves good things. But here's the problem for A.D.D. folks....we simply don't know how to dive in and start. So, we "circle the airport without landing". I can even do this on a regular or fairly small sized task, if it is something I am dreading.

So as I tackle this particular A.D.D. trait, I am going to focus on "the landing". We'll see how it goes!

Today I'm grateful for:

1. The tease of autumn in the air.

2. The feeling of "Bazinga!" when all of a sudden a confusing area is illuminated.

Weeds

Merriam Webster's definition of "weed" "1. a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth; especially : one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants 2. an obnoxious growth.

Weeds pop up when we don't want them. Without proper treatment, they will totally take over a yard or flower bed. Believe me, I know firsthand. This summer you could have nicknamed me the "Lazy Gardener" and you would be right. I wasn't diligent, and with the exception of my container plants, my yard has suffered this year. I chose to pick my battles, and the flowerbeds and well manicured yard weren't on the list this year. I did the required maintenance work, and that was all. The result: a mowed lawn, but one that has weeds popping up instead of just a soft green carpet of healthy grass, and beautiful containers but a messy bed of perennials. When I realized that weeds grow much faster than grass, and that I just couldn't mow fast enough, I finally stopped turning on the sprinkler mid summer.

This morning as I was reading during my quiet time, I came across an article entitled "Don't Water the Weeds". This particular article was written for divorce recovery, but it got me to thinking about all the different types of weeds I've had in my life over the years.

Our weeds can be tied to relationships, past failures, disappointments, bad habits, low self esteem, weaknesses or sin.

The "short" list for me - not finishing my college degree (low self esteem and in MY mind...a personal failure), struggle with my weight (low self esteem again), relationships that weren't always healthy, and most recently, my divorce. Years ago in my teen years, I struggled with gossip and a sarcastic sense of humor...two very bad habits that could be hurtful to others. I also had at times a tendency towards a rebellious nature that could lead to bad decisions - ending in bad consequences.

I'm learning not to dwell on those negatives...that is akin to "watering the weeds". If my focus is on the negative, it will choke out the positive. I also have learned that my soul needs tending to. And just as it is with my yard and flowerbeds where an unexpected weed can pop up seemingly out of nowhere, I am realizing that my mind and my soul need to be re-examined on a regular basis so that the weeds don't pop up unexpectedly. If I don't pull out the weed when it is tiny and easy to remove, it will grow quickly and spread like wildfire. Pretty soon, my soul can end up as messy as my bed of perennials. I'm going to intentionally work on my mind, heart and soul....I don't want to water the weeds in my life.