Friends

"Remember, remember, the fifth of November,
The gunpowder, treason and plot
I know of no reason why gunpowder, treason,
Should ever be forgot" - V for Vendetta

Since today is the fifth of November, Kalin and I thought it fitting to watch this movie, as we do every year on this date. 

Today is also the first Saturday in November, and the last weekend of live horse racing at Retama Park in Selma.  Since my grandma had some free passes for us to use there, we decided to use them this weekend, and take a couple of our newer friends with us.  We will be taking 8 people alltogether, so this ought to be an awfully interesting evening.  I don't remember the last time I went to the horse races, but I am really excited about going tonight! 

So, today, I am thankful for our friends, Alex and Hannah.  They are a wonderful, Godly couple who have been together for 2 years (today) and have been married for 10 months.  It is so nice for me to have another girl around my age that I can talk to about just about anything. Hannah taught me how to crochet, and has encouraged me in more ways than one.  She is so much fun to be around, but she can also be serious when she needs to be.  She loves to laugh and have fun, and I have to admit, that I have been a happier person since we have become friends. I love having someone to share my ups and downs with and get another woman's opinion on my ideas. 

I will be posting pictures from tonight's races on tomorrow's blog, so keep an eye out! I'm hoping to catch some good motion shots, but we will see!

Thanksgiving

I don't know about you, but it seems to me that Christmas is taking over Thanksgiving.  Not that Christmas is bad, but I don't like the fact that it's the 4th of November and there are already Black Friday ads out.  That's a bit ridiculous to me...  Thanksgiving is a great holiday that should be recognized as such; a time where we get together with family and friends, and take the time to be thankful for everything that we have.  But it seems the corporate world doesn't want anything to do with that.  My guess is that they have decided that there is more money in selling Christmas presents than there is in people being thankful for what they have.  But what they are really doing is teaching this nation and this world to want more stuff rather than be thankful for everything they already have. 

I mean really, how many of us out there don't have the basics in life - food, water, a roof over our heads and clothes on our body?  Granted, there are those who are homeless and are in need of some, if not all, of those basics, but the vast majority of us have all of that and more.  We have more than enough food in our fridges and cabinets, more than a weeks' worth of clothes in our closet, electricty and water to heat our homes and wash our bodies and clothes, we have TV's, computers, cell phones, dvd players, and so much more.  But the big companies are telling us that that isn't enough - that we need more STUFF to make us happy.  We need bigger and better TV's; we need name brand clothing; we need the newest and hottest phones and apps and home appliances.  We need all the new game systems and the games to go with them and we need yet another DVD to add to our collection. 

We are told that we are helping the economy, and that's all fine and dandy, if us buying junk we really don't need is going to help, but what about those homeless people I spoke of earlier?  Who is helping them?  Maybe there is a homeless shelter in the town they are currently sleeping under a bridge in; maybe there is a job training center in that town, too.  But what if there isn't?  Take Seguin for instance - we don't have a homeless shelter, nor do we have the jobs to support the homeless people that would flock to the shelter if we did have one.  So what do the homeless people of Seguin do? Where do they go when the cold winter wind blows and the rain pours out of the sky? 

I guess I am passionate about this subject because my brother is, in fact, mostly homeless.  He is one of the lucky few that can usually find a friends' or relatives' house to crash out at when the nights get too cold, but for the most part, he sleeps in a cemetery.  I will say that this was mostly his doing;  he burned his bridges and he understands that he is paying the price now for it, but it doesn't change the fact that he's homeless.  I truly can't imagine spending a night like tonight, where it is supposed to get down to 39 degrees, without a heavy-duty coat, or a blanket to keep warm in, or even food in my belly to help my body stay warm.  I'm not sure anyone could, unless they have experienced it.

I read a Facebook status a few weeks ago that read, "What would happen if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?"  That really got me to thinking: What did I thank God for today?  It was then that I realized I didn't often thank God for what I had.  More often than not, I was asking God for help here, and can you do that for me over there, and that sort of thing.  I realize that if I had woken up with only what I had thanked Him for the day before, I wouldn't have much.  I have now made it a point, in my nightly prayers, to thank God for the most important things in my life - my husband, my two boys, my parents, grandparents, and friends, and health for all of the above.  Everything else is temporary.  We can't take all our accumulated stuff with us when we die, can we?  I don't think so.  So what's the point of buying all this new stuff at Christmas time, or asking people for gifts that we know we can't take with us?  There isn't one.  I mean, sure, it's nice to buy things for the people you love in order to show them that you love them, but is it really necessary to spend hundreds of dollars every year buying things for people that in a months' time, probably won't remember who gave it to them?

My point is, that it's time to stop focusing on what we want for Christmas, and start focusing on what we have that we wouldn't want to live without.  And not just at this time of year.  I believe that if the people of this country were more thankful on a daily basis for what they have, instead of lusting after something they really want, but obviously don't need, this world would be a much happier, more optimistic place to live in. 

So here is my pledge:  For the next 30 days, I am going to post a picture, either here or on my facebook page, of something that I am thankful for that day.  Today shall be day one.  I am thankful for my husband (who isn't here at the moment for me to take a picture of, so I'll just post one from the other night).  He has gone above and beyond for me and my kids, and I will never be able to thank him enough for the unfailing love he has shown me.  I would not be who I am today without him, and I haven't done much to earn his love for me; but he's still here, and I am truly thankful for that each and every day.

ThankYou

Yesterday, juts before we all sat down for dinner (baked potato soup), I asked Micah to say the blessing, like I do at every meal, simply because he enjoys doing it. I folded my hands and closed my eyes and waited for the usual "Come Lord Jesus, be our guest, let this food to us be blessed" that he always says. But instead, I heard my 4 year old say a new prayer - one straight from the heart. It went something like this: "dear Jesus, thank you for this food, thank you for my mom and dad and Elijah and grandma and grandpa and friends". I was just about speechless. I had never heard him say a prayer like that, and I was so touched by hearing that.

When I put the boys to bed last night, Micah and Elijah said their usual prayers, and I pointed out to Micah that he could say his own prayer If he wanted to, and he did. This prayer, like the one at dinner, was thank you for this and that, and then he closed it with "I just love you so much, God". I couldn't help but smile. That showed me that I must be doing something right.

I said all that to say this. I think we, as a culture and a country, need to learn to say thank you more often. I don't think we always realize how much we have - we are too focused on what we don't have. We need to remember that while it's nice to have nice things, that shouldn't be our main focus in life. We should always remember that if we have a roof over our heads and full tummies at night, then we have more than most people in this world. We may not have a bigger television than someone, but does that really matter in the big scheme of things? It doesn't.

So today, say thank you for the things you have more than you wish for the things you don't.

What is Love?

Since today is Valentine's Day, I thought it fitting that I write a blog on Love. 

So what is love? Is love what makes the world go 'round? Is love all you need? Is loving a movie equal to loving your spouse?  Is love just a feeling? Is love a myth?  Is love the one thing everyone is searching for and only the lucky few ever find? Is love remembering to order roses for your wife on her birthday, your anniversary and Valentine's Day?  Is love showering your spouse with expensive gifts, sparing no expense to make him/her happy? Or is love picking a wildflower from the side of the road and bringing it home to your wife for no particular reason? Maybe it's doing the dishes so your spouse doesn't have to, or running your wife a hot bubble bath after a hard day.

Every person has their own definition of what love is - for some its the bouquet of flowers from their husband for no reason, for others its the flutter in their heart they get when they see the person of their affection.  Some people believe that finding love is the ultimate goal in life, and that very few people ever find it.  Others believe love is an urban myth - that we never really find love, but we choose to settle down with the best candidate we find so we can procreate.

But I believe that love is more than a feeling - love is a choice.  Granted, when you fall in love with someone, you don't get to choose who that person is, so at first love is a feeling.  You get those butterflies in your stomach when you see that person, or hear that person's voice.  But when you make the commitment to spend the rest of your life with that person, there will be days when you don't feel the love, but you still choose to love them because you have made a promise to love, honor and cherish that person until "death do you part". 

One of the most well-known verses in the bible is John 3:16.  It reads, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  Verse 17 continues, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  These verses are the epitome of love - unconditional, unfailing and never changing.  God gave his only son, Jesus, so that we would not perish in our sin but that we would be saved and be given the opportunity to spend eternity in Heaven with Him.

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, we find this: "Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails."  I think these verses say it all.  Love is not just a feeling you get.  Love is not just receiving gifts.  Love means giving and giving without expecting anything in return.

On the other hand, love does not mean it will always be easy to do the above things. If you ask any couple who has been married for any length of time, they will all tell you that it wasn't always easy.  But the older couples who have been married upwards of 40 years will also tell you that it's how you handle the hard times that defines your love.  If you pick up and run when things get tough, your love wasn't quite right.  If things get tough and you stick by your spouse's side and work through it together, then you've got the idea.


This concept doesn't just apply to your marriage, although your marriage is the most important relationship in your life.  This kind of love can be put into practice in your friendships, your relationships with your parents, your children, and everyone around you, even people you don't know.  You can show everyone love, even if you have never even seem them before.  Letting someone out in a crowded parking lot, letting someone with just a few items in the grocery store go before you when you have a full basket, buying a homeless person something to eat, and holding the door open at a restaurant are all ways that you can show love to people.

So today, take the time to show someone love, take the time to tell your loved ones that you love them, and take the time to love yourself.