His Heart, My Desire – Page 2 – Loving Llfe while striving for a Heart Like His

Fabulous Living in the Empty Nest Years

I have the honor of having new friends and lifelong friends who are my age or older. I thought it would be fun to share some of the amazing people that I know who haven’t let the empty nest years slow them down. Some have reinvented themselves after all the cuties have flown the nest and some have just kept on keepin’ on doing what they have always done.

I know that some people enter this season of life without a thought or care and then there are some like me who think….”Oh my, now what do I do?” “What’s my purpose?” “Does anything I do make a difference?” “People aren’t interested in what a 50 plus woman thinks or does.” “So much for 20 year goals…I may not even be here.” Sounds like a pity party, doesn’t it? Well, I refuse to have a pity party. I want to embrace this season of life with all that God designed for me with all that I have…. and I know you do, too!

My husband and I are enjoying our season of empty nest as much as possible. We have been traveling and seeing things that I only dreamed of. We enjoy our kids and grandkids and love being around them. I don’t take anything for granted and I know where my blessings come from and because of God’s amazing grace am I able to do the things that we are able to partake in.

I know I have some young moms and even singles that are readers of my blog. That makes me happy. I want to encourage you that someday, you will enjoy life after you have raised your children. I always struggled with that thought as I couldn’t imagine living without my children close by. Yes, I’m one of those. I love being a mom. Now I have the joy of being a Mimi and watching my children in their marriages and as parents. My heart smiles when I think of my children as adults and I will hold the memories of them as little ones that depended on me for everything in my heart forever. Seasons of life are sometimes hard to get used to, but, if we are prepared, it will make it easier. Personally, I wasn’t prepared. I’m still learning.

All that to say….I really hope these articles of introducing you to some amazing ladies will only inspire and encourage you for the future. Also, for those like me….it’s never too late to be inspired and make any changes that need to be made. Are you ready to meet my first inspirational friend?

I met Rhodema 4 years ago. She and her husband were moving to our area from East Texas and the leader of a writer’s group that she was a member of, gave her my email address to see if there were any writer’s groups in her new city. Rhodema is a writer. She has been published in a few magazines and is working on a historical fiction book.

When I received her email and answered her questions, I also told her to contact me when she made the move and we would go to lunch. Once she got moved and all settled, she contacted me and we attended a writer’s group and also went to lunch and became instant friends. We were the same age and had a lot in common.

Rhodema had recently lost her father whom she loved very much. She has four grown children and 4 grandchildren who are basically all around the world. Rhodema homeschooled her children through graduation. Her oldest is married and has 4 adorable children and she and her husband are medical missionaries in a far away country. Another daughter is a nurse at a hospital in another city. Another daughter is a Moody Bible Institute graduate and is in the process of moving to another country as well. Her youngest is an aspiring actor in Hollywood and has been in several television shows and movies.

Rhodema is also the wife (38 years) of a busy doctor who has his own practice. So, you can see she has a busy and full life. Once she moved to her new city and oh, so far away from family, friends and church, she found herself in the throws of the empty nest world. She loves writing and she loves gardening and that kept her pretty busy, but, she felt something was still missing. The quietness was still hard to get used to. So one day, she picked up a paint brush and gave it a whirl. She loved it! She enrolled in some painting classes and joined a painters club.

Long story short…..

This very week, she is a featured artist with over 40 pieces of her work on display and for sale at a local venue. She is now known as a local artist of our city.

If all of that isn’t enough, she is also a tutor for some college age students and she volunteers for a mission in our city.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know my friend, Rhodema! If you would like to follow her on some of her social media, here are her links:

Website

Instagram

A couple of years ago, I shared in a post, a friend of mine in Oklahoma who is also an artist. She is another one who picked up a paint brush one day and is now a well known artist. Click here to read about my friend, Karin and follow her work. She is amazing!

Yes, I picked up a brush and tried to paint. It didn’t work. I just don’t have it, evidently! I know many artists and it seems everyone has their own style and what fun it is to watch them in all of their creativity. I can do a stick figure and that is about it.

Thanks for being a reader of my blog and I hope you will subscribe and receive updates in your inbox each time I make a new post. I’m trying to build my reader list. If that isn’t your thing, that is okay. I do hope you will come back and visit again. My desire is that you will be inspired and encouraged by something you read.

Until next time….

Wednesday Medley – Pigs In a Blanket

I have a dear friend who I met at a blogger/writer’s conference a few years ago. I always enjoy reading her blog, CiCi’s Corner. She participates in “Wednesday Medley.” Each Wednesday she and other bloggers receive the same questions and what fun it is to read the answers. I have so much in common with my blogger friend that I’m always thinking…”we have to be sisters!”

I decided to give it a whirl. I made today the day I would begin Wednesday Medly and the questions are about Pigs in a Blanket. I then thought, maybe this is a mistake, this isn’t for me. But, I said, “Beverly, get out of your box and answer these easy questions about…. Pigs in a Blanket!” So, here we go…..hang with me!

1. Typically served as an hors d’oeuvre, have you ever made or had a Pig-in-a-Blanket? Do you like Pigs-in-a-Blanket?

I have for sure had Pigs in a Blanket! I think they are a staple at parties….at least in Texas they are!

I have also made them several times. When my kids were young, we would get a can of crescent rolls and put a Lil Smokie in them and bake. Sometimes, I would put an actual hot dog in the crescent roll with a piece of cheese. Pretty good and kid friendly!

2. Pigs-in-a-blanket are also known as devils on horseback, kilted sausages, and wiener winks. (Seriously.) Please make up another name for this fun little appetizer!

I’m thinking…….

Well, I can’t think of a thing! I’ve called them Pigs in a Blanket forever, so I feel bad renaming them!

3. In the UK, pigs-in-blankets are small sausages, or chipolatas wrapped up in bacon. Which country’s version is most appealing to your taste buds?

Image result for sausages wrapped in bacon

I think they sound fairly good. They don’t look as appetizing to me as the crescent rolls though.

4. The first written record of pigs-in-a-blanket occurs in Betty Crocker’s Cooking for Kids in 1957. In this digital world, do you still have a favorite cookbook you use most of the time? Is there a recipe you can share with us from that cookbook?

I LOVE cookbooks of all kinds. Matter of fact, I collect them! I know, you think I’m an amazing cook, right? Well, I collect cookbooks, but, I don’t like to cook! I read cookbooks and dream of cooking, but, then when it comes right down to it….I don’t want to! Secretly, I picture myself getting back into the cooking routine and baking some amazing pies, cookies and cakes. We will see what happens. I’ll let you know if the cooking bug hits me soon!

I adore reading through the old Betty Crocker Cookbook. I have memories of my aunt making recipes out of it and she had notes all over the pages. When she passed away not too long ago, the first thing I thought of was her cookbook. How I’d love to read through that again and see her hand writing on her favorite recipes.

I have made the potato salad that is in the Betty Crocker cookbook several times and it is delicious! I would share the recipe, but, I’m out of town and I don’t have it with me! But, trust me, it’s a good one!

5. What is your favorite cooking show on TV?

I enjoy watching the Pioneer Woman. She amazes me! She seems down to earth and cooks normal things all while smiling the entire time. I’ve bought some of her cookware and dishes hoping that would inspire me to get to cooking…..hasn’t worked yet. She has a fairly new magazine and it is so much fun to read! I also have all of her cookbooks! I’m even thinking I would love to have decals on my kitchen aid mixer like she has on some of hers. Maybe that’s the answer to getting in the kitchen to cook….decals on my red mixer!

6. Tell us something random about your week, please!

Well, we came to the Texas Hill Country to our get-a-way home. Our grandchildren live around the corner, so it is alway a treat to see the family. We enjoyed Easter services together and a brunch at the country club. A couple of evenings ago we were watching the two young ones while the rest the family went to dinner. We had the evening filled with a shopping trip to Target for Lego’s and burgers and a movie. I then got a call that my mom had fallen at the movie theater. She had taken her granddaughter to a movie. My niece and her friend had ran on and my mom was walking up the hall alone and she tripped and fell. She fell into the wall and hit her head on a door jam. It happened so fast, she said she remembers thinking to herself, “this is going to be bad!” She was bleeding horribly and couldn’t get up as her knee hurt awfully bad! She yelled for help and some people came to her rescue. They found my niece and she called her dad. (my brother) Long story short….an ambulance, 7 stitches and blood everywhere, I was a nervous wreck! I was 300 miles away and couldn’t do anything but pray! Our sweet little grandsons prayed with my husband and I and were very concerned. Needless to say, I wasn’t much fun for the little boys that night, but my husband took over as I was on the phone most of the night. So thankful for my two brothers that beat the ambulance and were there for her and took care of her. My niece was so sweet to help out in anyway she could. I’m sure she was scared to death! I received pictures of everything. If you know me, I am a very queasy person and I can’t take the site of blood, stitches or anything, but, I was able to handle this….it’s my mom! Bless her little heart! She is a strong lady in so many ways and obviously very strong when it comes to a horrible fall. She didn’t break anything and all was clear with her head as we feared something worse than a horrible cut on her forehead! It’s a miracle…. that’s all I can say. If you saw her face, you would be amazed. But, there is no way I’m going to share those pictures. My pet peeve is when people post pictures of horrible accidents on social media. I’m not doing that! I can’t wait to get home to see her and take care of her.

One more thing about this week. Yesterday, we drove a couple of hours to see my aunt and uncle. I haven’t seen them in quiet some time. My uncle is 91 and he and my aunt are amazing! We took them to lunch and visited for a few hours. I have so many memories of them as a little girl. We lived around them for a couple of years when I was about 6 and 7 years old and I loved being around them. I wish you could meet them….they are precious. I’m sure I’ll be sharing things every now and then about some of my memories about them. I have a feeling my aunt probably made pigs in a blanket when I was at her house. She was always making fun little things like that!

Now this has definitely been an eventful week! I’m also wondering what next Wednesday’s questions will be about!

Until next time….

An Over 50 Girl and Social Media

Social Media! Is it just me or does anyone else have a love/hate relationship with it?

Where It All Began

It all started in 2004. I went to my first writer’s conference. If you haven’t been to one, trust me when I say this….. your brain will explode! I just wanted to write a book and BAM! So much information, I didn’t even know where to start! Business cards, followers, writing, more conferences, books to read on writing, books to read in your genre and other genres to learn writing styles, online courses, blogging, facebook page, instagram, on and on and on. The Facebook and Instagram came later as those platforms became more popular. You come home from the conference with a bag full of notes and worksheets and new books that you bought at the book table. I think I put everything aside and didn’t touch them for a couple of weeks.

I had always homeschooled our two children while they were growing up and our son had just graduated from high school and that left me without a “job.” I figured writing that book that I had dreamed of even before I was married all those years ago was about to happen. I took an online writing class.

I then started a full-blown women’s ministry at our church from the ground up and oh, what fun that was. I loved every minute of it and that kept me busy for the next 9 years.

In between women’s ministry and family life, I would work on writing, but, I kept pushing it back further and further. Social media became my writing platform. I had a blog for women’s ministry and then my personal blog. Facebook became a huge platform as well. Then Pinterest and Instagram came along. I tried Twitter and didn’t even have time for that one.

Do you see where I’m heading?

I have come to the conclusion that FOR ME……social media is a time taker upper! Is that a correct phrase?

Remember when I said social media was a love/hate relationship?

Here is what I love about social media:

It’s quick and easy to get answers; faster than texting or calling sometimes.

You can see pictures of friends and family that otherwise you probably would never see.

Great articles on subjects that interest me.

Lot’s of encouragement in areas that I need encouragement.

I love to laugh and there is always something cute or funny that bring a smile.

You get to share parts of your life with others and get feedback.

When you look at your friend count, you can say, “Wow, I have 850 friends?” Who knew! Some have over a thousand….double wow!

Here is what I hate about social media:

*Note: It’s hard for me to say the word “hate.” When my kids were growing up, I didn’t allow them to say the word hate…..ever! One time I was talking to our son and I used the word hate. I have no idea what I was talking about….probably something like, “I hate brussel sprouts!” Anyway, that cute little red headed boy said, “ummmm…..you said hate, you aren’t supposed to say that!” So let’s change that word hate, to dislike!

Here is what I dislike about social media:

Time! Once you get on and you begin reading one thing, it leads to another and another and another….when you look up it’s an hour or two later.

Our society is addicted to social media. You see it when you get out. People are on their phones 24/7 and not talking to the people around them. Kids are growing up seeing mom and dad staring at their phones and talking to someone else other than them. I’ve seen groups of young people and they are all on their phones.

Did you know that there are exercises to help you not get a neck problem from looking down at our phone so much? I just read that yesterday. So, yes…bad posture is one of those things.

Out of all those friends, who can you call if you have an emergency and they are there for you in the flesh. 850? Don’t think so. All that to say…..what is a friend? I’ve known people who check their friend count, their likes, comments regularly. But, are they really friends? Have you ever read into someone that is on your social media and they don’t give you the time of day. And you just conversed with them over Facebook recently…now that’s funny.

I talked to a lady who said that she is only on Facebook so she can see her grandchildren’s pictures. Evidently the parents don’t “share” pictures or details of their lives unless it is on social media and the entire world gets the pleasure of seeing the pictures before the grandparents.

I think the worst is when you realize someone unfriended you that you thought was a friend. Then when you run into that person and it’s a bit awkward as you wonder what you did to make them drop you like a hot potato!

Here is my disclaimer. I can count on one hand how many people I unfriended. I know each reason. One was for foul language that I didn’t want to read, another was a person said some really mean things about me and my family, another was because I heard something that this person did to try to hurt my feelings. I was hurt and the only thing I could do to get back was click….unfriend! This was all before I knew you could actually unfollow instead of unfriend. Oh well. I don’t think they missed me as I haven’t ever heard from them. I have asked a couple of people if I did something when I saw they unfriended me. Awkward again!

That is probably the worst about social media. Feels like grade school. Friend, not a friend, like, don’t like. Do we really have time for all of that?

This is something to remember while on social media.

So, where does this over 50 girl draw the line on social media? I can say over 50 now because I have one month to go before I have to say, 60. Yes, I’m in mourning, but, I’ll be okay.

Where do you draw the line on social media? Do you set a time limit? Do you only check once a day?

Now we have insta-stories and videos. I’ve sat and watched people that I don’t even know tell me their life story and I don’t even have anything in common with them. I’ve watched young moms give tips on raising children, decorating, organizing. But, I watch because I’m intrigued and amazed. When I was a young mom, there is no way I would have ever had the time to make a video of myself showing my day, or putting my make-up on or modeling my outfit for the day. Oh, or cooking our meals, now that would have really been hilarious! It actually makes me laugh out loud to think of it.

We definitely live in a new day. A lot has changed in the last 20-30 years.

I read a report that even with all the social media and all the many followers, and likes and comments…that by the year 2020, more women will be depressed and on medications for depression than ever before. Hmmm….makes you think a little bit about that doesn’t it?

Disclaimer #2 – If you love and manage your time with social media, I am thrilled and I in no way am criticizing anyone that has it wired when it comes to social media. I envy you and would love to learn from you. I’m just sharing my thoughts today on something that seems to be an huge part of everyones lives these days. For us older folks, we know what life was like without it and life was just fine…so we are having to work it in and make it as normal as life was before. Oh, I also heard this the other day. Young people are flocking to Instagram because all the old people are taking over Facebook…..yep…that’s what I heard. Who knew!?

Social Media……do I love it or dislike it today? It’s a new day. I think I will go see what my friend in Alaska is up to.

Until next time….

On The Road Again….Hilton Head Island

I had great intentions of taking pictures and journaling our entire trip. That’s always my plan when we travel. The problem is, I get caught up in enjoying everything that I forget to take pictures. So, I’ll just share a few of my random pictures. I hope they make sense and give you an idea of how beautiful and fun Hilton Head Island is. I have always heard of Hilton Head and I love anywhere in the East. I wasn’t disappointed!

We traveled with a sweet couple that are dear friends of ours. Traveling with friends is always fun and this couple is so easy to be around and oh, so much fun. The guys golfed several times and us girls….shopped! I know, you are shocked! The week went fast. We dined at delicious restaurants, shopped, golfed, rode bikes…..yes, you read that right…rode bikes. I can’t even remember the last time I rode a bike…..needless to say, I was a bit nervous about that as everyone was very excited about riding bikes and I secretly was worried I would ruin their time by not being able to stay up on a bike! All was well…..I rode around the parking lot a few times and I did it! Hallelujah! I had to keep my eyes on the road because if I looked up I would go all over the place. It got easier after the third hour of biking. What a beautiful place to ride bikes, that is for sure! My only catastrophe was when the riding path narrowed and went between two trees; a young man was coming my way and he went off the path so I could squeeze in between the trees. He crashed. I looked back and said, “so sorry!” He was riding with a young lady and they were having a fun time….I think he was okay….at least he was laughing. Guess what? I think I like riding bikes! I’m now looking at bikes to buy and deciding what I want. It must have a basket and a bell….very important. The bell will come in handy instead of saying “coming through!” I’ll keep you posted of what I decide on.

Okay, enough of that….here are a few pictures of our week. Remember, I didn’t do too well in the picture department.

I found this map of Hilton Head. It is about 2 hours from Charleston, SC! We flew in to Charleston and rented a car for the week.

This was our first stop for dinner! Delicious and the atmosphere was so fun! They had a huge aquarium that was very intriguing. I saw Nemo and Dory. They looked happy.

How can you not have Key Lime Pie! This was one of a couple for the week. What diet?

We were out shopping and found a great place for a salad. My friend, ordered a Mango Tea! The glass was so pretty, I had to take a picture. I thought it turned out great! She looked very pretty and matched her drink. This could be an advertisement for them!

I love the ocean! There is something about watching and listening to the waves. So peaceful to me! Except for the jelly fish laying around.

Jim and I strolled down the beach. Yes, my hair is huge….in humid weather, my hair gets bigger and bigger. I don’t know what I’d do if I lived there!

There it is….the bike path…..my favorite was when the path was very wide and no people.

This was like a boardwalk where the boats were….so beautiful! Looks like we are all taking a break!

We were posing for this picture to look like we had a rough 3 hours biking….my rough look was a bit more rough than my friend!

There they are! Our little golfers! Aren’t they cute? Especially the one in the orange jacket. By the way, they had an alligator on one of their holes by the water. Fortunately, they weren’t eaten.

This is the sign next to were we stayed. Not very comforting.

This is the drive up to one of the golf courses. What a view. I can only imagine how beautiful it is in the summer…..and the fall.

Beautiful flowers everywhere and it wasn’t even in full bloom yet.

Love this view. We dined at a restaurant in this area.

What is this!? Oh, this is my view as we flew in to our part of Texas. Oil fields as far as you can see. Back to reality!

Thanks so much for following along with me on our trip to Hilton Head! I can now mark it off my bucket list! Have you been there? What was your favorite thing to do while there?

I wonder where to next? We will see.

National Beer Day!

Who knew? National Beer Day! We have special days for almost everything, don’t we? Not too long ago, I noticed it was National Doughnut Day…..and I missed it. I love doughnuts. I have one every now and then. They are awfully sugary and also fattening…which I don’t need in my life. All that to say, I was catching up on some news this morning and they announced it was National Beer Day and they shared several brewers who have developed their own brand. The newscasters were telling all about each one and at the same time made it clear they were not allowed to drink any. I wondered why not? If it’s so wonderful and amazing, why can’t you drink it while sharing with the world how amazing it all is. I think the only good thing I gained from the report was the entrepreneurial spirit of the “brewers.” I love seeing people that have a dream and develop it and then are passionate about it. They were definitely passionate about their “brews.”

I thanked the Lord that I wasn’t passionate about beer. I know so many are and they live for the end of the day to sit down with a “cold one.” Thank you Lord, that I had the thoughts (wisdom) to not make that a part of my life. I can honestly say, that I have ZERO curiosity of how it tastes and obviously about making it a part of my life. I try so hard to have an open mind and respect those that have a taste for it and have made it a part of their lives. I don’t shame people and I don’t say anything as they sit and sip on their alcohol. But, I have been shamed many times for not partaking. When you don’t consume alcohol you are often left out of the loop on certain get togethers, etc. Snide remarks are made in your favor of how crazy you must be to not want to sip and take in the effects of alcohol. I’ve had things said to me such as:

“Oh, you are just a good Baptist girl!”

“I guess you can’t eat Rum Cake, it has Rum in it, you know.”

“How can anyone not drink, look what you are missing!”

“Oh, a little wine never hurt anyone!”

“Beverly! Jesus turned the water into wine!”

“I get it, you don’t drink because you are afraid of being an alcoholic since it’s in your family!”

“You are such a dud!”

The list goes on and on….

But, let’s talk about National Beer Day!

From 1920 to 1933, the Prohibition was in effect. Click here to read more about it. Those pesky Protestants! -wink Seriously, it’s a quick read and explains a bit about the Prohibition.

And then, thanks to President Roosevelt….

“On April 7, 1933, President Roosevelt took the major first step toward ending Prohibition and signed a law allowing people to brew and distribute beer in the United States. Upon signing the legislation, FDR famously stated, “I think this would be a good time for a beer.” For the first time in thirteen years, beer drinkers celebrated and were happy to be able to purchase beer again. On that same day, 1.5 million barrels of beer were consumed, inspiring the holiday celebrated today. For all you beer lovers out there – remember, always drink responsibly and never drink and drive. So, take a toast with us by celebrating National Beer Day on April 7, Cheers!” (This is the opening article on the site for the National Beer Day. Click here to read more if interested.

You, my readers, probably know why I stand firm on my personal beliefs of alcohol. My only goal is to prevent others from the heartache that I’ve experienced first hand and the major heartache I’ve seen others go through. All I can say is, you don’t want that heartache…..trust me. It’s not as pretty as they make it out to be. Like I have said many times, no one says to themselves, “I think I’ll become an alcoholic!” “I think I’ll kill someone today while driving while drunk!” “I think I’ll abuse someone today, because I drank too much!” Those are just a tip of the iceberg of the things that happen in someones life because of alcohol.

I know, I know…it looks very cool and most importantly, it looks like so much fun! You do know that if you want people to know that you are the life of the party and are having a super good time, it is important to hold up your glass or your bottle of your drink in your photos. Now, that is proof that you are a fun person! -double wink

If you missed my recent post on this subject, you can read it here.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and I promised to write more on the subject during April and what better way to get me motivated was to hear that it was National Beer Day. Again….who knew!? I obviously didn’t!

If you would like to read some stories of people who have lost loved ones in tragic accidents due to alcohol, click here. Mother’s Against Drunk Driving is an organization that is doing an amazing work to bring awareness to the problem.

I do hope that my writing on this subject doesn’t offend anyone, I only hope that it makes you more aware of the dangers and effects that alcohol has on us and our loved ones, especially, our children.

I heard this a few years ago. When the basketball team from Utah, that is comprised of mostly those of the Mormon faith is playing in the championships etc., the alcohol sales are way down. The alcohol companies and their vendors don’t make as much money so it isn’t their favorite event. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if eventually that is how it would be everywhere…alcohol sales are way down…..beer companies going out of business……..I can almost confidentially say, that will never happen. For some reason alcohol is something that so many will never give up regardless who it has hurt. That’s just the way it is. So, I will just keep on keeping on sharing with whoever will listen of what alcohol did to my family and to so many other people.

My last statement for this post:

Alcohol must really taste great to take such a high risk of so many tragedies. I wouldn’t know……I’ve never tasted it. Well….wait a minute….when I was a little girl, my dad gave me a sip of his beer. He drank Coor’s. I can still see the cans of it in our refrigerator and sitting between his legs as he sat in his chair and yes, driving! It tasted terrible! He thought it was funny! I laughed that day too, as he laughed at me. That was the last time I laughed at alcohol….

Always remember, if you are a partaker in alcohol and we are friends, I will never disown you, I will just pray that the next drink you take tastes like something you would never want to taste again! -triple wink! I have sat at many tables while someone is drinking and I don’t think less of them….I just pray that they will eventually hate the stuff……all with a smile!

Thank you for being a reader of my thoughts today! Blessings on your Sunday and until next time…..

Drink responsibly! Whatever that means! -yes, I’m winking again!

Do You Bounce The Ball Back?

When my kids were young I taught them how to bounce the ball back. No, I’m not talking about a real ball or even the game of basketball. Although, Nathan was a good little basketball player when he was growing up. I loved watching him play. I’ll have to share with you sometime soon about me starting a basketball team. Yes, you read that correctly. It was a hilarious experience. Well, it wasn’t hilarious at the time…..but, now when I think of it…..I can’t help but laugh. But, for today, I wanted to talk about bouncing the ball back to others.

Several years ago I was attending my first writers conference. I didn’t know a soul there. During break, I was sitting on a sofa in the lobby and a lady was sitting close by. We started chatting…..just small talk. I could have easily, just said, “nice to meet you” and gone on my way. But, between this sweet lady and myself, we ended up in a deep conversation. Today, she is one of my very dear friends and someone I look up to for wisdom. On another occasion, I received an email from someone I didn’t know. She had been given my name from someone that knew of me in the Dallas area. She took a chance and sent me an email to ask if I knew of any writers groups in my city since she was moving here. I could have easily just forwarded her the information. Long story short, I wrote her back and asked a few questions and made it a point to contact her when she made the move to my city and we went to lunch and from there, we became close friends. She is an encourager in my life and an inspiration to me.

That is what I mean by bouncing the ball back. When someone reaches out to you…..reach back….bounce the ball back. When someone says, good morning as you are out shopping or sitting in church, tell them the same and add something to maybe get a conversation going. You never know what could become of that.

How many times have we sat in church waiting for the service to start and everyone is just sitting there staring straight ahead not speaking. Reach out and strike up a conversation with someone. I know….there are many people who don’t want to talk and they aren’t interested….you just go to the next person. Or, how about maybe not even a conversation. How about a smile or a pat on the shoulder and say something positive to them, such as, “I love your shoes.” Maybe you don’t love their shoes…there has to be something about everyone that would be easy to compliment.

A smile is the easiest. I just got in from doing some shopping. I passed a lady on the way to my car. I smiled at her and she said, “What a beautiful smile.” Isn’t that sweet? I don’t think I have a pretty smile, but, she was so kind. I want to be like that, don’t you? When you pass people who are in a hurry, just smile. If they don’t smile back, that is okay. When they smile at you, smile back and say, “hi!” So easy.

A few years ago, I was leaving church and a lady stopped me. She had her arms folded and looked down at me with a look that seemed she wasn’t too sure of me. She said, “Who are you… and where did you come from!” I proceeded to tell her my name and that my husband and I had moved back to the area, blah blah blah. She never changed expressions. She wasn’t impressed. I then excused myself and left. A few days later, I was walking through a department store and I saw this same lady checking out at a counter. I walked over and patted her and said “Hi, how are you doing?” She looked over at me as if I were bothering her and as she looked me up and down she then said “fine!” and turned around and walked away. From that day forward, I kept my ball from her. I was no longer going to try. There is something about me that I don’t like too much and that is, I have a tendency to give up on trying to win people over. Especially, people that are rude and mean spirited. Granted, I know that if I keep trying, someone may come around. I have tried working with someone in ministry purposely that I knew without a doubt didn’t like me…..I never won them over. It’s hard work and it takes a lot of humility. I’m a very discerning person and I usually know when someone is purposely rude, is shy, is going through a hard time, or just doesn’t have any manners. It’s easy to be patient and keep bouncing the ball back to them except for the purposely rude ones. They take much patience and prayer. Then there are always the genuinely kind and happy people. They are a piece of cake! We all need people like that in our lives, don’t we? WE can be that type of person for others.

With this day of social media, it’s interesting as well. Have you ever been friends with someone on social media and then when you meet them in person, they have nothing to say or they don’t really want to acknowledge you. But, on Facebook you know everything about them; what they ate for dinner, where they went for vacation, who their friends are, what they like and don’t like and even when they can’t sleep. If we were that interested in talking face to face, we would probably have some really “true friends” wouldn’t we?

Then we have texting and comments on your social media. If someone goes to the trouble of looking our name up and then taking time to type out something or share a picture with us, we should always respond. Not answering a text or a comment on your social media pages to me is like just not answering someone if they were talking to you face to face. Or turning your back on them. We would never do that, would we? Well, there might be some people that would. -wink!

On my Facebook, memories from up to 5 or more years ago will pop up. I love looking at pictures and reading what was going on years ago. A couple of times I cringe when I see that someone left a comment and I never responded. All I can think of is that I never saw it. I’m so tempted to comment back, but, this particular one that I recently saw was from 6 years ago. If I comment, the picture will start circulating again….how embarrassing. So, I just learn from that and I carefully acknowledge anytime someone takes the time to connect or comment now.

You may be saying….”Beverly, what makes you such an expert on this subject?” Well, I’m not….I’m learning everyday. I blow it too many times in this area and I can probably recall each time I did and regret it horribly. I was extremely shy growing up and I basically still am….I just work at it really hard. When I was about 15 or so, I had a man at church shake my hand as I was walking out and he he called me “stuck up!” It hurt deeply and I was determined to not let people think that of me ever again. I’m sure they did as I was shall I say, “painfully shy!” So, I’m a work in progress and I’ve worked hard at it. No expert….just a crazy girl trying to be all that God created me to be!

Bouncing the ball back is hard sometimes. You may be humbled or you may make a new best friend. Who knows, you may be able to share some good news with someone who is going through a hard time or is in desperate need of a Savior. Even though it’s hard at times, the rewards are worth it.

I have a challenge for us today:

Bounce the ball back……….or better yet, you bounce first!

Until next time….

Spring 2019 Is Here!

Spring has sprung! Well, it’s cold and cloudy here in West Texas, but, I’ll take it. I like cloudy days. I am ready for the warmer weather, though. Not the hot summer weather. I’m not really a summer girl. I’m a 75 degree and calm weather girl. Thinking Hawaii is a good fit for me. But anyway, enough of the weather.

We just returned home from our annual Branson trip to attend the PraiseFest. PraiseFest is a 3 day event that is full of southern gospel music. Some of the groups that sang were, Legacy Five, Greater Vision, Triumphant, The Booth Brothers, Jim and Melissa Brady and several others. It was non-stop singing along with hilarious stories. I love to see the groups interact and have fun. It was a sold out crowd with 3,200 people from all over the country. We finished off the event with a concert by Guy Penrod. His pianist was Michael W. Smiths son. Who knew! The comical part was that his band looked like they could have been teenagers. When he introduced them, they were all married and had several children each. I think that’s what happens when you get older. Everyone looks like they are 10 or 12 years old.

What made this year so much fun was a blogging friend that I met 5 years ago at a blogger/writer conference attended PraiseFest with her husband. We briefly visited at the conference years ago and I have followed her blog all these years. When we met at PraiseFest, it was as if we were lifelong friends. Our husbands hit it off and we enjoyed dining together and even got in some shopping. What a fun trip. I would love for you to visit Lea’s blog. Just click on the link and it will take you straight to her site. http://ciciscorner.com

My mom loves PraiseFest and Branson and we always stay a few more days to enjoy some shows, shopping and site-seeing. This year we went out on the Branson Belle Showboat, Legends in Concert and SIX. Many of the shows were not up and running yet. My favorite store, Secret Garden was closed as they were moving in to a new building. We did manage to get in plenty of shopping though. Our favorite spot to stay, The Keeter Center, was awesome as always. I LOVE that place. When we received our arrival letter along with chocolate covered strawberries, the note said “Welcome to your 19th stay at The Keeter.” I told Jim that we were out of control and we just needed to buy one of their rooms. Wouldn’t that be fun! The students of College of the Ozarks work the lodge and you are treated to first class service. It is immaculate, clean and everyone is so friendly. Not to mention the food in the dining room is top notch. Most of the ingredients to the dishes served are grown and raised at the college. Honestly, I can’t say enough about the college and the Keeter Center. I could be their spokesperson. Good idea, we could live at the Keeter and travel for the college and recruit for them! Perfect!

I’m so glad I decorated for Spring before we left. It was nice to come home to the First Day of Spring and be decorated. I’m still working on my closet. I move all my fall and winter items to another closet and move in spring and summer. My closet will keep me busy this week.

I thought I’d share a few pictures of some spring decor around the house.

I’ll share more pictures in other posts in the next couple of weeks! I do hope you have a wonderful first day of Spring. We have a breakfast patio and I have plans to load it up with flowers. We will see what happens. If it is a success, I will share with you. Just remember… we live in West Texas and it’s a miracle if anything grows or doesn’t blow away.

I am linking this post to A Wise Woman Builds Her Home. Welcome to all the readers that are visiting from such an informative and encouraging blog.

Happy Spring!

Alcohol…No Respecter of Persons

I have been wanting to write on this subject for some time now. I am in the process of actually writing a book on this subject. My book will be an easy to read workbook that will be full of information to educate someone on all that is involved in drinking alcohol. We actually have a choice to drink or not to drink. It seems in our culture, it is a given that when you turn 21, you now get to drink. I often wonder if that 21 year old is ever sat down and discussed in detail all the risks involved in drinking. I know, you are thinking, “Beverly, do you really think young people actually wait until they are 21?” Right, I wasn’t born yesterday. I also was once a teenager as well. I can honestly say that I don’t recall anyone ever sharing with me all the risks in drinking. It was handed to me at the age of 13. Literally put in my hand. I didn’t take a drink, I just passed it back. By the time I was 13, I had seen enough of alcohol and wanted no part of it. I made up my mind in my wee little brain at a young age that it would not be a part of my life. Who would ever think that it would be a battle to…JUST SAY NO. Trust me, when you decide to say no, you will be ridiculed and challenged regularly. Saying no is not for sissies! -wink

In some of my research, I found out that April is the 33rd Annual Alcohol Awareness Month. 33rd! I am now 59 and I have never in my life heard that there was an Alcohol Awareness Month. Where have I been?!

My husband and I support two children from other countries through Compassion. Each month I print out the monthly prayer calendar. One of the prayer requests caught my eye; A prayer request for a young boy in Brazil. The request was to pray for him and his family due to his alcoholic father. It broke my heart. I thought, out of all the hardships that this young boy lives with; bad water, no food, extreme poor living conditions and education and now, this young boy has to live with the ravages of an alcoholic dad. If life isn’t hard enough, right?

When alcohol takes a hold and takes a bite out of your life, it doesn’t matter, how old or young you are, how poor or wealthy you are, how outgoing or shy you are, how likable or unlikable you are and it doesn’t even matter if you are a Believer or an Atheist. Alcohol is no respecter of persons. No one is above the perils of alcoholism.

Here are just a few statistics to get you to thinking:

*These statistics are from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Also, note these are 2015 statistics and in the United States only. Also, they use the term, Alcohol Use Disorder instead of the word, Alcoholism.

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in the United States:

* Adults (ages 18+): According to the 2015 NSDUH, 15.1 million adults ages 18 and older had AUD. This includes 9.8 million men and 5.3 million women.

I have to jump in here and say “Do you think that ANY of those 15 million adults said to themselves, “I think I’m going to be an alcoholic!” I would pretty much be willing to bet 15 million on the fact that “NO! Not one of them did!” Okay, back to the statistics….

» Youth (ages 12–17): According to the 2015 NSDUH, an estimated 623,000 adolescents ages 12–17 had AUD. This number includes 298,000 males and 325,000 females.

» An estimated 88,0008 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

» In 2014, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 9,967 deaths.

I will be sharing more in later posts between now and April in honor of Alcohol Awareness Month.

I do hope you will follow along with an open mind and in no way do I intend to hurt or shame anyone in their choice to drink alcohol or not. My desire is to show another side that just may save a life or prevent some not so good things that could happen to you or your family.

I’ve lived the life of that little boy in Brazil. I know first hand how it feels to have a daddy that is addicted to alcohol. My dad began drinking at the age of 14. He has shared the story of how his parents were having a party and he and a friend sat under the table where it was being served and hid while partaking in the drinks the adults were having. He gained an appetite for more and he loved it. What I would give, if someone had reached him before he took that first drink. My life would have been much different than what I lived through for many years. It wasn’t pretty and it leaves many scars. My dad and many others had no idea they would become a slave to alcohol and it would change the entire course of their life.

One thing to remember is:

“It’s not about us!”

What we do and partake in will effect others, especially, our children and grandchildren.

Until we get together again on this subject, I have a challenge for you.

Get a piece of paper and draw a line down the center of your paper. On one side put a heading that says, “Positives of Alcohol.” On the other side, write, “Negatives of Alcohol.” Begin writing everything you can think of under each column. This is just for you, so you can begin thinking and deciding what stand you will take on the consumption of alcohol.

Heavy subject, I know. It is something that I know way too much about and yes, I have strong opinions on it. But, I am mature enough to only want the best for you and to share another side than what the world is pouring for you. Get it…” pouring.” That just popped in my head as I was typing. Seriously, I hope you will follow along and we can learn some things together.

Until next time,

Iris, A Special Lady

Today is the Iris’ birthday. The only problem is, I can’t call her and wish her a happy 91st birthday. Iris passed away 4 months ago.

I met Iris about 25 years ago. I had just started a local group with Concerned Women For America. Iris was very active in local politics, church life, leadership in Eagle Forum and in her spare time she loved her work as a Landman. She traveled across the country doing land work.

Iris taught me everything I needed to know about politics. I traveled to Washington D.C. with her to Eagle Council as well as St. Louis. I met Phylis Schlafly a couple of times along with Clarence Thomas and numerous other conservative leaders. Iris was active in our local Republican Women’s group and encouraged me to do so as well. I attended three Texas State Republican Conventions as a delegate. I learned more about politics than I cared to know. It is all very exciting and at the same time “politics.” Many times someone that was running for political office would come to town and Iris would be the one to take them to all the “important people” to ask for their support and I had the pleasure of driving several of them to their various appointments.

Iris loved her country and she prayed faithfully for God to continue to bless our country in a great and mighty way. She loved her son and grandson with everything that she had. Iris became a single mom when her son was very young. She did an excellent job in raising him. She also cared for her mother until she passed away.

When Iris was young, she was a Rangerette at Kilgore College. I loved to hear her stories about those days. She went on to graduate from Baylor University.

When I first met Iris, she put together a tour to various small towns around our city and had a team of speakers on different subjects. At the time, I was working with Concerned Women for America and our goal was to rid our community of pornography. That’s a whole story in itself, but, Iris convinced me to give a speech on what pornography does to a community as well as families. It took a lot of convincing and a lot of prayer to get up in front of a room full of strangers and speak on that subject. Iris always encouraged me in my speaking and my writing. Every time I talked to her, she would ask me about my book or where I spoke last. She also loved my family. She prayed for each one of them and always said the kindest things about each one. She loved my Jim and even made sure that he would preach her funeral. She was confident he would share the gospel. She knew everything about both of our kids and their lives and prayed for each one regularly. She loved my mom and always asked about her.

Iris introduced me to a lady named Carol over 25 years ago and we have been dear friends since that day. Together we have traveled on a regular basis to visit Iris when she moved to be closer to her son. What a time we had. Iris could walk, but, we could get places so much faster if we pushed Iris in a wheel chair. When we visited, Iris was ready to go shopping, eating out and going to church. We kept the road hot in The Woodlands for the 3-4 days that we visited each time. Iris lost her eye sight the last few years of her life, but you would have never known it. She insisted on going to movies, especially, the movies that our son worked on. She wanted to know every detail. Iris needed hearing aids and rarely wore them, so, what fun Carol and I would have wheeling Iris around to shopping centers, restaurants, movie theaters and church while talking very loud and describing everything we see.

The last couple of years Iris spoke a lot about Heaven. She told me she couldn’t wait to get there and see Jesus face to face. We talked on the phone about that for hours. She wanted to listen to books on tape about Heaven. Right before she passed away, she had a trip planned to go to The Cove, the home of Billy Graham and the Bible Museum in Washington DC. Not much slowed Iris down. Carol and a I would get home from our trips with Iris and have to take a couple of days to rest. I was the driver of our excursions once we got to The Woodlands. Iris would sit in the front seat with me and even though she couldn’t see a thing, she always knew if I made a wrong turn or not. She could tell me where to go and how to get there. She would describe the location and what the place looked like that we were driving to. She also heard everything Carol and I would say when we were trying to figure out our plans for the day. She was a smart little cookie! Nothing got passed Iris!

One last story to share that makes me smile when I think about it. About 4 years ago, I was having lunch with Iris and she asked if I would take her to Roswell. Roswell is a few hours from our city and I told her that sounded good and I would check my calendar and let her know for sure if and when. I talked to Jim, checked my calendar and called her and asked her when she would like to go to Roswell. She said, “Honey, I didn’t say Roswell, I said Toronto, Canada.” Long story short, her son took her to Toronto.

Here is a link to a post I did years ago of a recipe Iris gave me. Click here to read.

Happy Birthday, Iris! I know you are seeing such beauty and hearing the sweet voice of our Savior!

Dirty Little Words

Is it just me or have you noticed the questionable language that is rampant right now. Yes, I know people have been using foul language for a long time, but, it just seems that now it’s even cool to use words that you don’t expect to hear even on a news cast. It’s a common thing to hear a beep when interviewing people at a scene of an accident or rioters in the street. I can’t help but be curious when the beep goes on for a long time, what they are saying! I always think how can they say that many curse words in one long sentence. Or a famous “movie star” or “rock star” accepts his award and as he is talking, the silence button is on and you see his mouth moving for several seconds and wonder, what in the world is he saying that lasts that long. I’m guessing we probably don’t want to know.

I can hear someone saying, “oh no, poor Beverly, she is so fragile, she can’t stand to hear curse words.” I had someone tell me once, “Beverly, cover your virgin ears!” My virgin ears? What does that mean?

I grew up in a home where I heard plenty of questionable words. Granted, I didn’t know they were questionable words. I thought they were normal words. Words you use when you are happy, excited, mad or sad and especially when you are in trouble. I remember a few times my younger brother trying some out and he got his mouth washed out with soap. Yes, literally with soap. And back then we used a soap called, LAVA. Ouch! Needless to say, I didn’t want to try any words out. I really didn’t think about it. It was just life and that what grownups do.

I was in Jr. High and a group of girls were picking on me. We call it “bullying” now days. I seemed to be a pretty good target for bullies in jr. high. Anyway, one day, I was hurt and I was mad and someone asked me what was wrong. I let out a string of words that I had no idea I even knew how to say. I remember being embarrassed and almost ashamed by what I said. I didn’t like the way I felt. I felt ugly and I felt dirty. I also didn’t like the idea that people would think I talked that way. I made a choice that day…. I would not say ugly words like that ever again.

Today, I am 59 years old and I can still hear in my head the words that were used towards me and around me while growing up. I can still hear the dirty jokes that were told in my ear shot while at school. I’m almost pretty sure that it’s safe to say that, I’ve heard it all.

Anyone that knows me well, knows that I am very picky about the movies I watch and the music I listen to. I can be watching a very good movie with an actor that I really like and when the language starts, I am done. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why Hollywood can’t make a movie without bad language. I just don’t think it’s possible anymore. I recently watched a 30 minute program because someone I knew was starring in it. This show featured kids and of course, bad language is used. I think it’s sad that we now know that it’s a normal thing to hear bad language even in a program that is primarily about young kids. If you say anything, then you are the strange one. Everyone knows that bad language is just a part of life. You can’t protect your children from it and if you try to, you are, well…..let’s just say…..strange…..out of it………miss goody two shoes (that was always my go to name from others)….the list goes on and on.

Now, we have politicians, newscasters, comedians, speakers and writers who just use whatever word they choose for the day, taking no consideration of who it will offend. Because, obviously when you can use bad words you are powerful and tough. You mean business when you can throw in a choice word or two. As one speaker I listened to at a conference said and I quote, “I’m a bad*** for Jesus!” Yea, she got a round of applause! So cool, right? Nah!

If you are like me and you made a choice that bad language would not be part of your world, you may find it a bit difficult sometimes. If you choose to not be around people that use bad words, write bad words, make fun of those that don’t use bad words, watch movies without bad words….well, let’s just say, you may find yourself alone and even thinking….”What is wrong with me?” “Why can’t I tolerate all of this?”

That’s when you go to God’s Word and hear what He has to say. You know, the one who created all of this. He gave man the free will to do whatever he wants to do. The problem is, if you chose to give your life to Christ and make Him Lord of your life, there are a lot of things that you may choose not to do and one of those are the words that we choose to say and think. When the Holy Spirit moves into your heart….thoughts, words and actions change. You have a total life change! And, oh am I so thankful for that!

When I was 13 years old, I made the choice to not use bad words because of the way it made me feel inside and how I thought others would view me. I didn’t want to be the kid with a dirty mouth.

When I was 14, I gave my life to Christ. I knew that He died for me and my sin and I then wanted to live my life for Him. I had a new reason not to talk ugly and dirty. I wanted my life to reflect that of my Heavenly Father. Oh, my, yes, there were a few times I slipped and I can actually remember one and I thought, where in the world did that come from. When your mind is full of junk, it will eventually come out. My mind had listened to it for a long time. 12 years in the public school system plus life outside of school, trust me, you will get more of an education than you bargained for.

When we set our children in the movie house or in the movie room and let them sit and watch whatever is popular and let their minds fill up with dirty words, it will come out. We buy them the latest music hit that is filled with choice words and let it fill their minds…it will come out eventually.

I know I have shared this so many times. There is a site called Plugged In. I challenge you to search the latest movie and read all about it. Then ask yourself if this what you want to put in my children’s minds. Or better yet, is this what you want to fill YOUR mind with. Two hours of 45 s words, 60 F words, the list goes on and on. We are just talking language now, not all the other.

I think it’s comical when we as adults do, say and participate in things that we don’t want our children doing. I haven’t figured out the logic of that one yet.

So, when we watch the news and wonder what has happened to our young people…what has happened to our culture? Take a look at what we fill our minds with. Newsflash…as parents we are responsible for what we let them fill their minds with. WE are responsible for what we fill OUR minds with.

In our Christian culture, I’ve noticed it has become popular to come as close to using bad language as possible. It always gets an easy laugh. I’ve heard preachers use language that I remember my brother getting his mouth washed out for and we laugh and say, “Isn’t he the coolest, he can use risky language all in the name of Jesus!” The one that is the rage right now is a word that is used for someone going to the bathroom, yea, that one. “Now, when they use that, they are seriously upset about something and yet so with it and cool!” What I wonder is, what is the next step for the next cool word that as Christians we can use and not think anything of?

Oh, Beverly, you better stop now. You are really a peculiar one, aren’t you? Yes, I am and thank you. I will take that as a compliment.(-wink)

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;” – I Peter 2:9

Love that verse….I have been called out of the darkness! So very thankful!

Are you wanting help in cleaning up your language? Fill your mind with good things. Make a point to delete things from your life such as movies, music, books, etc. that are filled with bad language. Ask the one who loves you so much that He died for you to give you strength and to renew your mind. I know you can do it!

Thanks so much for following along on my blog and all of my latest thoughts. I sincerely do not intend or want to offend anyone. My goal is to encourage and edify. My other goal is to give you something to think about. I’m always anxious to hear your thoughts and challenges.

I’m linking this post with the blog, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home.

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