Everyday is a NEW day!

This is the perfect example of how great God is. Everyday is a new day. If you have ever watched the movie "Ground Hog Day" with Bill Murray you know that living the same day over and over again would be pure torture. That is why God created day and night. We rest at night to renew our bodies, minds and souls. That way we can greet each morning with a fresh set of eyes. Have you ever started a puzzle, a really big puzzle, and after working on it you just can't seem to see any pieces that fit together. Once you take a break and come back to the puzzle you see it with new eyes and suddenly you see lots of pieces that fit together.
If you ever feel stuck in a rut, take a break. Get outside for awhile. Take a walk. Take a nap. Walk away from whatever it is that is bothering you. Next talk to God. He will be listening. You may just need to vent. This is a task that I have had to learn to do. Especially now that I am a single mother and I have no other adult at home during the "meltdown" times. You know; before dinner, before bed, in the morning before church. I have had to create a kid free zone for myself. I take a time out whenever I need it.
I was talking today to a gal who has ovarian cancer. She has two small boys and the cancer has come back after she had a complete hysterectomy last year. She said that she still finds herself getting short with her boys sometimes and then she stops and realizes that there is no good in it. She looks at life in a different way now. She lives life out loud.
Doug and I knew that his health was poor. But you would have never known it by the way he lived. We embraced every day with fresh eyes. I have gotten a lot of comments about the picture I chose for the blog. Everyone loves it. To me the picture says "Living Life Outloud". His expression, his pose, are awesome. Just as Doug was.

Have comfort in knowing that tomorrow brings a new day,

Live Life Outloud!

Fun in Sun

Long ago when Doug and I where first married we were broke! Which is quite normal for newlyweds. We also did not have children for the first 4.5 years of being together. We had a home, 3 cars, a dog and Doug had lots of toys. But we were broke none-the-less. So big daddy created a game for us to play to help us save money for a trip to the beach. Here is how is works:
You take a jar of anykind and write on it "Fun in the Sun". Next everyday when you get home you open your wallet or dump your pockets/purse of all of your change. Now the rule is you can not spend any change during the day. You would be surprised how fast it adds up. Then the month prior to your trip you save $1 bills. That's right, you can not spend any $1 bills. If you feel really smart, save $5 bills the week prior to your trip.

This is something that we have done for years. Parker loves this game. He holds me accountable everyday. The day prior to our trip, we go to the grocery store and use the Coinstar machine to get our change turned into cash. You can of course be more wise with your money and roll the coins yourself. The money we save from our game is our spending money; food, activities and shopping.

Try it. You'll be so happy the day you leave for your trip!

Doug and Parker during our beach trip in 2006

A New Day Has Begun

As I reflect on the past year I start to understand God's plan for me. Although I do not understand why at such a young age I would be without my parents and my spouse, I do know that my children are gifts from God. It is so important to remember no matter how fustrated we get with life that each moment is a gift. Try to slow down. My life has changed so much in the past year. I do things now that I never did before. For example, today I strolled Brady around an outdoor mall and then across a busy intersection to meet my sister for lunch. You might say, "this is weird and where is she going with it". My point is instead of dragging Brady in and out of the car, I walked. Simply, walked. He gooed, I breathed. It was good.

In the past, I rushed into the shower and put on a suit just to sit in traffic for an hour ride to go 15 miles. Now I stop and sit on the floor to roll a ball for 15 minutes with Brady. I put on my tennis shoes and play outside with Parker. God wants us to be successful. He wants us to have wealth. He gives us time to spent with our family and friends. I have never seen "should of worked harder" on anyone's headstone. I have seen

"Lived Life Outloud"

Take time to live life outloud, today. For you never knows what tomorrow brings.