5 things for when life treats you bad & weather drama

April 17, 2018April 17, 2018 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

There are unfortunate circumstances that happen in life, that there is nothing you can do about. You didn’t create it. You didn’t do anything to make it happen. You don’t support it or even want it around. But there it is. And you have to deal with it. Everybody has things they just wish they didn’t have to deal with. Sometimes life is just unfair. When bringing this fact to my Daddy’s attention, he will always say, “Fair is where grandma takes her pickles.” Point taken.

If you have never encountered a situation that has completely pulled the rug out from under you, that you had no control over, you are so blessed. However, don’t get too comfortable, because there’s a good chance, it’s coming. What kind of events am I referring to?

Sickness– Either yours or someone very close to you.
A broken relationship– This could be a husband, wife, child, sister, brother, mother, father, friend. Anyone that means something to you.
Finances-losing a job, not being able to work due to sickness, etc.,.
Addiction– yours or someone close to you.
Loss– The loss of a loved one.

Y’all, this is just a short list. In our daily lives, there are all kinds of things that can be thrown at us. Unwanted things & situations we just wish we did not have to deal with. However, I am a firm believer, that’s just life. Life is not simple. It can be really hard sometimes. There are things that we go through that maybe we are ashamed of or don’t think anyone cares or understands. No matter what there is always, always, always something to be thankful for. Even if it’s that all days are not like the one you just had! Here are some ways to make it through a tough time.

Realize. Realize that not everyone was raised like you. Not everyone wants to change. Not everyone cares they are causing you problems. Realize you cannot change anybody. Realize you are in charge of you & that’s all.

II Timothy 3:6 (NKJV) For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lust

2. Think. Think about how you will react to situations. All the hollering and kicking and screaming will not change some folks. Don’t put yourself through it. Just don’t. Those are the people who are not worth it.

Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV) A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

(AND THEN THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT OUR FRIENDS. The quicker you take this into account, the better off you will be.)

3. Pray. I know this is just a given. But you know, sometimes the rug can be pulled out from under us so quickly, that we forget to go to the Lord in prayer. If you haven’t heard, the Lord has all the answers. We just need to make sure we are talking to him & taking it all to Him in prayer.

Nahum 1:7 (NKJV)The Lord is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him

4. Focus. Focus on the good. Focus on someone else, who may not have it as good as you do. Focus on helping others & being a light, in a dim world. Focus on what you can do to make something easier for someone else.

I Corinthians 9:24 (NKJV) Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

5. Encourage. Be an encouragement for everyone around you. I promise you, if you are thinking of others & loving them, your problems will most of the time take care of themselves. Be so busy loving others, you don’t have time to think of the hatefulness of others.

Psalm 31:24 (NKJV)²⁴Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.

I know hard times can be, well, hard. We just need to have a plan to make it. If not, things can spiral pretty quickly. We need to love others and be sure to not be selfish. Find someone to talk to about what you are going through. You may be surprised to learn, others may be going through the same thing or may have a way to cope until things get better. **I do want to mention, some people struggle with depression. It’s not really something that just giving yourself a pep talk will take care of. Sometimes you need to see a doctor. And that’s okay. There are all kinds of medications to help you cope. Don’t be ashamed. You don’t have to be on them forever. Just to help you out, when you need it. Know that you are not an island. Other people depend on you. So, take care of yourself.** And know, the Lord is there for you. He wants to help you through your challenging times. Bad things happen to good people. But, the Lord shows you how to weather the storm & learn lessons you can only learn through difficult times. Then, you will have the experience to help someone else. And isn’t that what it’s all about? Loving and helping each other.

I thought I was done, but I do have one more thing to say.

Bad times happen to everybody.

It’s just how we view them & work through them that make the difference. We accept good from God. We also have to accept trials.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned and saw under the sun that— The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.

I hope everyone is having a blessed week. It has been cold here. I wore my sandals to work the other day and about froze my toes off. 35 degrees is still 35 degrees whether it’s in April or December. LORD HAVE MERCY, I know it’s going to warm up, but it sure is taking it’s time! Beats all I’ve ever seen. We are still playing softball. And by we, I mean Miss Neenee. She is enjoying the fire out of it, to our dismay of long, cold nights sitting outdoors, at a ball field.

Until next time, I should be going, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: makeameme.org, , know your role, Calvin & Hobbes

Birthday wisdom & various photobombs & selfies

April 30, 2015April 30, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

It was my birthday. My Daddy called to say he wanted to take me out. Well, you don’t have to tell me twice. We selected a restaurant. Then me & some of my other peeps met up with him. You should know everything we do revolves around eating. I don’t know if that’s a Southern thing or we just like to make sure we are doing our part to keep farmers in business.

There was this girl who was supposed to be taking birthday snapshots. However, sometimes she was taking pictures of herself. Which is ok. Because she is really pretty.

Then, there was this cutie. I don’t know what she was doing. Just entertaining herself with selfies I suppose.

Pure

Entertainment

There were some pictures of me & my honey by the lake. Hey, who is that standing on the picnic table?? What’s the big idea??

Here is another picture of us. Wait, do you see the little girl sticking out from behind my honey? She’s waving. This is what happens when you have silly kids. You will never have another good picture again.

That is unless you can get them both in the picture at the same time. Don’t they look like angels?

Then here we are again. Still trying to get a good picture. Not that ya’ll care, but the wind was blowing like a tornado was coming through. My hair was everywhere.

Here’s this guy again. Miss Neenee says she loves him a lot.

Pretty sure he loves them a lot, too.

He is always in the mood to give advice. I was telling EA that night that I had found a way for her to save her money & have $2 million by the time she retired. In which Daddy advised her:

“Don’t save your money. When you get that age, you won’t feel like doing anything. Do everything you want to do, while you are young. While you can. Anyways, $2 million dollars won’t be that much by the time you retire anyway.”

I think he was trying to get across to her this:

James 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Life is short at best. We should make sure we take care of our problems the best we can & be ready always. I also think he was trying to make sure she understood money & earthly possessions are not important. They will all deteriorate in time.

Matthew 6:19- 21 says

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Daddy has always made it clear what the Bible says about what is important. I’m glad he takes the time to tell my kids about these life lessons. Pretty thankful for my Daddy. We laugh a lot when we are together. Sometimes so much it’s hard to get our picture. And by the way, this is one of my favorites right now:

I hope you have had a great week. It humbles me to know how blessed beyond measure I am. Count your blessings. They are everywhere! Until next time, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Learning to trust & can I get a marshmallow peep?

April 2, 2015April 2, 2015 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

I can remember when I was little, if I was scared, I would run & hide behind my mama. This was mostly when I had maybe perhaps done something to my brother. He would chase me & I knew, if I could find mama, I would be ok. I can remember her saying to him,

” You have to be good to her. She’s the baby. You have to show her how a big brother acts.”

(This was promptly followed by me poking my head out from behind her sticking my tongue out at him.) And oh MY word ya’ll, if that hasn’t been a reality check for ME in life. Because, you know what? People aren’t always nice to me. And they really don’t care if I’m the baby or not. But my sweet mama used this tactic to try to get us to behave. I can remember her having to stand in between me & my brother & I would hold on to her just as tight as I could. I always trusted her & whatever I did, if I could get to mama, she would take care of me. No matter if I were right, wrong, or indifferent. I had that wonderful, special trust.

Do you ever have troubles? Sometimes problems arise from a wrong choice or decision that you’ve made. At other times, you don’t really have to be responsible for any of it & here it comes. Either way, problems in life are just plain unwanted. What makes an incredible difference in bad situations? How you handle it. We can be afraid, angry, disappointed, or have a multitude of emotions. We might start to ask God, “Why me? Why us? Why this?”However, we can trust, in the middle of all the heartache, that:

1. The Lord will not leave you. Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”(NKJV)

2. The Lord will take care of you. I Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Things may not be exactly like you think they ought to be. However, there are times the Lord takes care of us in a way we don’t understand. Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. If we only go to Him & trust Him, He will help us, period. He will NOT leave us hanging out to dry.

3. The Lord will turn tragedy into blessings. One of the worst things that has ever happened to me is my mama’s sickness & untimely death. I will Never. Get. Over. It. But you know what? God has blessed our family with deeper love for each other. He sent people to help us through our hard times. We always had someone we could depend on, around us. He has caused me to appreciate life & to remember the wonderful example my mama left for us. I realize that for 30 years, I had a precious mama. Some people don’t have that. Some folks have never known their mother or don’t have a Christian mother. I was very fortunate to have had that. I can pass along those qualities to my children & family. I have a hope that I will be with her again one day. Until then, I have got to keep on keepin’ on.

John 16:22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.(NKJV)

The Lord is always working behind the scenes for us. We just have to trust in Him. We readily accept good from Him. As a part of life, sometimes we will have to accept bad, too.

Job 2:10 Shall we indeed accept good from God & shall we not accept adversity?(NKJV)

Life goes on. Even in awful circumstances. It’s ok to grieve the loss of a loved one, to get down & depressed about an erring child, or to feel like no one has any idea what you are going through. Those are human feelings. We just can’t unpack our bags & live in the land of desperation. There are times we get stuck going through the struggles of life. Just like a big ol’ tractor pullin’ a truck out of the ditch, the Lord can send people to help. Let them. I have said it once & will say it again & again. Folks, we are all in this big ol’ mess called LIFE together. We have to depend on each other. I hope you are at a point in your life you have finally relented to this fact. It makes things so much easier knowing you have people, who care about you. Isn’t it wonderful to know we don’t have to go through trials alone? We always have the Lord there with us. He can do things for us no one else can. We just have to simply trust. Is there a struggle in your life today? Pray about it. Seek others to help you. Look to the Lord for comfort.

The psalmist David said in Psalms 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. (NKJV)

I’m not saying your problems will vanish overnight. I am saying you will be able to bear whatever it is, until things are better. You will find peace of mind. Only if you are willing to trust. God’s love never fails. We must give Him a chance to show us that. Whenever I am facing something hard in life, I have to remind myself, there’s someone out there who has a worse situation than I do. There’s always something to be thankful for. Maybe it’s that things aren’t as bad as they could be. No matter what, I have to be thankful for a loving God I can depend on. It’s hard to see the other side of trials sometimes. We just have to remember to slow down & take things day by day & trust the Lord to take care of us. In times like those, we don’t know what we need. We have to let the Lord handle our needs. He’s good at that. Just like the trust that my mama was going to make everything all better, God can do the same thing. Even bigger & better. Promise.

I am so glad you came by to visit me today. Goodness gracious, I about got too serious & heavy hearted with all of this. But sometimes it’s just that way, ya know? This Sunday is Easter. I sure hope you have your Easter frocks ready for church. My grandbaby girl is going to look so sweet. If you see her, you will be tempted to eat her with a spoon. I would discourage any of that. She has a tad of a mother hen for a mama. My Miss Neenee is ready all but the shoes. We will be getting those this week. Oh the fun! The kids & grandkids will be coming over after church. We will be dying eggs, hiding eggs, running around chasing kids, eating good food, & oh the Easter candy. There is nothing that suits me more than a marshmallow peep. Until then, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: graphicsfairy, pinterest

Memory loss, the time change, & many other things that make you fretful at 40-ish

March 11, 2015March 11, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

It goes without saying, everybody has their ups & downs in life. I was just talking to a good friend of mine the other day about us being in our 40s. If you have not gotten to your 40s yet, let me just say IT’S NO WALK IN THE PARK PEOPLE. Things that you never really dream of or understand starts happening to you. You start to be more conscious of your over all well-being, because to be honest, it clearly becomes more of an issue.

For example, I used to could live with my contacts or live without them. I didn’t have to wear them if I didn’t want to. Now, it is a real problem if I don’t have them in. When I’m driving, luggage racks on top of vehicles start looking like a set of lights like the state troopers have. If I meet a car on the road with one of those, let me tell you how much I obey all the traffic laws. All in the name of poor vision. Could this be from being in your 40s?

Then, there is my memory. I don’t know where it goes. The other day my daughter & I were shopping. I kept saying I was going to wait to buy shampoo at Kmart because it was probably cheaper there. Miss Neenee exasperatedly reminded me several times,

“Mama, we ARE in Kmart.”

“You know I mean Kroger.” I said. Repeatedly .(May I insert here Mamaw referred to these stores as Kmarts & the Kroger. I will never forget that.)

Later on that day, we were talking & I said,

“Riddle me that, Batman.”

She said, “What does that even mean?”

I commenced to relive the torturous Riddler in Batman & how he always spoke in riddles to Batman. Then, it hit me. I could quote dialogue from movies upwards of 25 years ago, but just a short time ago that day, I didn’t know if I was in Kmart or Kroger. It’s being in your 40s.

And don’t even get me started on the time change. I don’t know why it’s so hard, but the struggle is real, ya’ll. I have a morning disorder, anyway. It’s all I can do to get up & get around. This ain’t helpin’ me none. Make the time & leave it. Seriously, enough with the time change. This must be from being in your 40s.

Digestive woes. Do you remember the Andy Griffith episode where Andy & Helen were broke up & Barney had fixed him up with another girl? They were going with Barney & Thelma Lou to Mt. Pilot to eat. They kept naming off places & Andy’s date couldn’t eat at any of them. She couldn’t eat Chinese because “Cabbage laid on her chest.” That was like the funniest thing to me. Until I got my own list of foods that have less than desirable effects. We just have a mutual understanding (me & these kinds of food that is) If I eat this, then that happens. Why? Just why? I have always had a stomach of cast iron steel up until a couple of years ago. Yup, it’s being in your 40s.

But there are some good things that come from being in your 40s. Here’s a little list (I love a list):

You don’t put up with a lot. You make a decision on what you want to take & what you don’t. Then, you plan accordingly.
You come to the reality that life is short. You begin to appreciate the loved ones you have, even more. James 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (NKJV)
After a stressful day, one begins to realize the power a Samoa (or Caramel Delight, just depends on where you are) can have over you. It just purely changes your whole demeanor. Those Girl Scouts just have my heart.
Pajama time becomes a real thing. Pajama time can start when I get home from work & given it is a weekend, can last until I go to church on Sunday. After church, back to pajama time.
You begin to have more understanding & empathy for others. Biggest reason is because you need more understanding & empathy from others. Times come when you clearly are confident enough to step back & say, “I am being ridiculous.” This is where other people’s grace comes in, for us. BOY, DO I NEED THAT! Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.(NKJV)
You know who you are, who your friends are, & know you do not have to deal with toxic relationships. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
It occurs to you, what you have is just plenty. Worldly possessions are not all they are cracked up to be.

(Matthew 6:19-20) “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (NKJV)

And there ain’t no way I am sending my soul to torment over greed & jealousy of what someone else has. I’m not sacrificing my family time nor my ethics to gain more either. You become just plain thankful for what you have. Which takes me to my last one

8. You know what’s important. You take care of that & everything else just falls into place.

On other note, my Miss Neenee had Flu B (just in time for Spring Break). She had RSV about 3 weeks ago. She’s not really gotten past all of that, until this happened. She has been around several people who have had the flu. She was just patiently waiting her turn. She’s a sweetie like that. My grandson, Mr. Sweetie Pants, had it, too.

Speaking of which, we made our very own laundry detergent, this weekend. Here he is being a big ol’ helper.

While I was snapping a couple of pictures of him, He said, “Grand, take my picture doing this.”

Such a good boy to help his Grand.

And by the way, if you want the recipe for the detergent it is below.

2 bars of soap (We used Olay Sensitive Skin, since we have some folks at home that require special attention. Like not having dry skin & recurring skin related rashes)

2 cups of Borax

2 cups washing soda

1 canister Purex Crystals or Downy Unstoppables (which I just now saw on the internet you are supposed to put the Purex Crystals directly in the drum of the washer. I don’t think it will hurt anything. I guess the smell will last longer putting it right into the washer instead of the soap dispenser. But we just mixed it in with everything else)

Grate the soap in a bowl. Measure & add all the other ingredients. Mix together. You only need ¼ cup of this for each load. It smelled so good!

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me today & read through my randomness. You make my day brighter!! Hope you are having a good week. Always remember wherever you are God it there to take care of you. Until next time, I should be going because I should be washing clothes.

Lessons from a 6 year old & warm weather where are you?

March 2, 2015March 2, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

There are times you just have to know there is good still in the world. As much as we hear of the horrible things going on, we must be confident there is good going on, too.

I was lucky enough to have 2 little girls, from my Bible Class, to sit beside me Sunday night at church. They had notebooks & were drawing different things. When I say notebooks, I mean we live in a place where these are still in style:

They enlisted me to draw a panda bear & a horse. It was pretty sad. Their pictures were MUCH better than mine. I was hoping the people sitting behind us could not see how truly pathetic my artwork was. I have taken art classes. However, my abilities are CLEARLY stunted when it comes to drawing things. The head of my horse resembled a lizard or dinosaur. I did add a mane & tail. One of my sweet little friends did ask what exactly the tail was. So, we made it a little longer. That helped out a lot. (Not.) They were drawing dogs, cats, & the occasional turtle. Then, I looked down & saw a picture I could not figure out. It was a stick figure with some lines drawn through it. I leaned over & asked the little artist to identify her drawing. She whispered,

“It’s Jesus on the cross.”

Really? I’m not even sure someone could have told me anything more precious right there in that moment. Here I am. Just a sinner, trying to make it through life, trying to make sense of it all, & I have a 6 year old sitting right beside me nailing it with her “what’s on her mind” drawings. She taught me some valuable lessons with her Jesus picture.

If I keep my mind on Jesus, well, that’s all I really need to do. I won’t have time to worry about being offended or getting my feelings hurt or much anything else.
I need to make sure I am living a righteous life everywhere. Especially in front of kids. Obviously, they are watching & listening.
I need to always be kind to children. Kids are wonderful blessings from the Lord. If we mistreat children, we are mistreating a work of God. Nobody wants to do that.
Kids are people, too. They think about things, wonder about things, & love like nobody’s business. We need to do the same.

Jesus loved children. He referenced how we must become as children to go to heaven.

Matthew 18:3 .. “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

This tells me I must be humble, loving, trusting, forgiving & always anxious to learn about what Jesus wants.

I hope you are having a wonderful week. I promise to you right now, if we ever get warm weather again, I will never ever ever complain about it. Well, maybe. I am just ready to go outside and it be warm. I heard the other day, this has been one of the top 10 coldest winters, in the Mid-South, since 1875. Now, you know why I’m so opinionated about the coldness. Southerners are not made for cold weather. Word. Until the weather is hotter than the backside of a cast iron skillet, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: http://www.poraora.com, pinterest

Don’t take yourself too seriously

March 18, 2014March 18, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

This morning my sweet Miss Neenee said,

“I wish we were writing this week.” (at school)

I got all excited, just thinking, my Miss Neenee might actually love to write her thoughts down, as I do. I said,

“You have notebooks in your room. If you have something in your head, write it down.

I always have & look how great my life has turned out.”

Of course I was being factious. However, I think she takes the opportunity to cash in on my craziness any chance she gets. So, she busted out laughing. Hmmmm…someone that was thin skinned, might have taken her laughter the wrong way. Someone with any ounce of feelings at all might have had them hurt. Someone who had any confidence in their life leading up to that time, might have been a bit miffed at this laughter. However, I knew what she meant. She lives around me all the time & knows what a grandiose lifestyle I live. Along with all the awesomeness in the world oozing out of me at all times. A spectacular life any & everyone would love to have. (You may also bust out in hysterical laughing right now, too.) Yeah, it’s not like that at’all. Her reaction reminds me, I can’t & should not ever take myself too seriously.

When we start to take ourselves too seriously, there are all kinds of things that can happen.

For one, you may start to thinking you can do things on your own. Without the Lord. It’s easy to get so caught up in the world that you forget to pray or neglect studying your Bible.

James 5:16 (NKJV) Confess your trespasses^[a] to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

However, once a person puts simple things like that to the side, it does not take long to reach the point you are out in the world trying to do everything on your own. Common sense is not a flower that grows in everybody’s garden, but we know better than to let the world creep in on us. We have to make sure we are daily keeping in contact with the Lord, through prayer & Bible study. If not, just know it won’t be long until we start thinking we don’t need God. And heavens knows that’s a dead end road.

Another thing to remember life is just a vapor. Meaning life is short.

James 4 :14 (NKJV) whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Who has time or the want to to run around being a pain to everybody constantly? Wait, before you answer that, I realize those people are out there. But, you don’t want to be one. If I take myself too seriously, I might just spit & spat at others all the time. Because, hey, it’s ok just to be rude & act on every feeling I have. If I feel bad everybody needs to know. If somebody makes me mad, well, I need to let them have it right then & there. My feelings, ugly or pretty, needs to be on my shoulders at all times. You know, I am keeping it real & this is who I really am. Not a fake.

“Lawdy chile, you know better than that!”

That ain’t no way to act. People like that can drain the life right out of you. They can take the friendly out of you right quick. Don’t hang around folks like that. Better yet, don’t be one of them. Be kind. At the end of your time, you want to be proud of the person you were. Don’t get so caught up in yourself that you forget, there is a whole world of people living around you. A world putting up with you, whether good or bad.

When my oldest & middle daughters were little, the younger one would tell my oldest daughter,

“You think you are so popular!”

This was in a hissy fit of being bossed around by her older sister. This was her way of saying, “what makes you so special that you can tell me what to do?” We laugh about these little arguments they had, which sometimes were quite frequently. However, people get to being too “popular” when they don’t consider the feelings of others. If you take yourself too seriously, you can begin to think you have the right to tell others what to do & to treat them without consideration. Thankfully, I have a daughter, that without trying, reminds me not to get too ahead of myself. And I pray that if I ever get to thinking I am too important, she or someone will love me enough to set me straight.

Thank you for coming by to visit with me today. I hope you make it a habit to laugh at yourself. If not, you might want to give it try. It will help you more than you realize. You take care of yourself. Because I would miss you if you didn’t stop by! As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credit: lifeisaprayer.com, mission venture ministries

Memories in the making……

September 17, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

An unshared life is not living. He who shares does not lessen, but greatens, his life.- Stephen S. Wise

In a fast paced world of jobs, school, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and household chores, it’s easy to forget to spend time with the people you love. Togetherness gets lost in trying to coordinate schedules & keeping up the workload & activities in a busy life.

I know of some families that still get together on loved ones birthdays, that have passed on. It is just simply a meal with reflections of that person. Wouldn’t that be admirable, just to honor someone in such a way? Another family goes on a trip each year on the date of a passed loved one’s birthday. It’s just a way of them keeping in their remembrance the joy they had for that person.

Another thing to do is to make a tradition with your family. One thing our family used to do is on Christmas, at my grandparent’s house, was exchanging gifts. One of the gifts was always a box with 2 ugly neckties. Whatever lucky person got them, had to save them until the next year. Then, they could give those 2 ties & add any other article of atrociousness to it, if they chose. It was fun each year to see who was going to end up with the ties.

Just know, when you look back on your life. It won’t be the big promotion or the grade average that will warm your heart. Rather, important memories of the times you shared with loved ones will warm your heart. Enjoy your loved ones now, while they are still here. Celebrate life with the people dearest to your heart.

Challenge: Mark on your calendar & make a date with someone you love. Have dinner with your family, take your grandmother or grandfather on a picnic, go walking with a friend, take a pet or a child outside & play in the yard. Make some memories!

I hope everyone takes time out this week to spend some time with someone you love. Let me know what you did & how it turned out. I can’t wait to hear about the fun you have. But right now, I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes!

Parts of this article was taken from a book- 101 Ways To Make a Difference Today by Candy Paul