Daddy & Daughter Photo Memories

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Today makes 3 years since my dad passed away.

There is so much that has changed since he left. Nothing is the same.

I learned in some business courses a few years ago that the only constant is CHANGE. That is so true not just about business, but life as well. Things always change.

I still feel “stuck” trying to figure out how life is supposed to be now. But no matter what or how confused I am, I know that I can always emulate my father. He showed me resilience and how to take it one day at a time. He always reassured me, “que no pasa nada.”

I miss you daddy. I hope you see me. I hope you’re proud. I love you.

The Power Of Words

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I love words! Words, have the power to HURT, OR, TO HEAL! Use them wisely.

“Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel.” Proverbs 11:17

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but hard words stir up anger.” Proverbs 15:1

“Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4

Image Credit: Unsplash – Perron, Emelie

Meme Credit: Unknown Original Source

Scripture taken from biblehub.com

All I Want, Is A Life Well Lived

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adeolu-eletu-28020-unsplash

“Happiness is not a goal. It’s a by-product of a life well lived.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

I feel like my life is passing me by so quickly.

I’m not where I thought I’d be.

And,

I’m not where I want to be.

When I graduated from high school in 2000, (YES, I’M THAT OLD) I had all these outrageous ambitions. I was going to go and travel the world, and write stories. I thought I would be writing stories for the Navy Flagship or some collegiate newspaper at some university. It saddens me that none of my dreams panned out the way I thought they would.

I feel like my internal “ambition” drive needs to be put on medications. It’s like one minute I believe….I have time.

“There’s still time!” I say to myself.

“I can still accomplish some of those goals.”

But at other times, I think;

“I’m just tired.”

And I am. I am tired of the challenges I’ve already endured. Do I even want the same things anymore? What is my purpose? I thought I knew. But I guess I don’t. Maybe it’s time to sit down and really think about what I want for my future. What is the most important thing to me?

I find myself in a routine of work and sleep, work and sleep, work and sleep. I’m thankful for God’s provisions. I’m content and I’ll continue to do my part in this season. But I find myself in a very lamenting state of mind. And a longing for some wisdom and renewed direction in my life.

At times I think I need to speed up, because I feel that I’m already far behind. Then other times I think I just want to slow down, because I’m missing out on too much already.

It feels like a battle. One I don’t want to be a part of. I just want to enjoy my life. God showed me this week that I am lacking JOY in my life. But when am I gonna have TIME for that? My days and hours are occupied with work…..and sleep. I know I have to find and make time.

Recently, I was talking with a friend, about a movie that came out. A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks who plays the beloved Mr. Rogers. She was telling me, how even though Mr. Rogers had accumulated an enormous amount of success, he still left this world with a lamenting spirit in his final days that he had not fulfilled all that he could or should have. He had always wanted to become a minister(preacher). He felt that it was a part of his calling.

Can you imagine? All that this remarkable man achieved….and he still felt like….there was more… he wanted to do more. He was broadcast in homes all across America and other nations……and he STILL left this world feeling like he hadn’t done enough, or that he hadn’t achieved everything that he wanted to do. He blessed so many with his show and yes….I say “children’s ministry”, but yet he felt he had failed because he didn’t do everything that he had wanted.

I find myself in a place where I’m both; grieved, and relieved, that I’m at this crossroads of not knowing what to do next in my life. It forces me to think about what I really want for my life, and what type of legacy I want to leave behind. I guess you can say that I’m doing a life evaluation and fulfillment exploration in order to READJUST my life. I guess that’s the point. Maybe we have to do these readjustments more often as we get older.

I’m anxious to see the movie already. I think it will help me in these next few weeks as I really ponder my own questions for life fulfillment. I will keep my readers informed with my journey. I hope to blog about my new joyous and fulfilled life.

 “Don’t be defined by someone else’s standards, have your own definition of success.”

-Duke Matlock

Works Cited

Quotes Taken From; Awaken The Greatness Within

Photo Credit Unsplash; Adeolu Eletu

🚦🛑Distracted Driving🛑🚦

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I was watching an old Oprah episode where a young Hollywood actress had been in a big car accident that injured her entire family, because she had been driving intoxicated. As Oprah interviewed the young starlet, she reminded her that this probably wasn’t the first time she had been driving drunk. She also reminded her that usually the universe gives us warnings, or we might have a little scare….but we continue to repeatedly ignore the warning signs, and the little nudges that are telling us….”this is risky”…. and “you know better.” We ignore it and continue to do that risky habit or behavior.

“An incident is just the tip of the iceberg, a sign of a much  larger problem below the surface.”

-Don Brown

After I finished watching the episode I felt the Lord convict me about my own pesky little habit of using my cell phone while driving. I too have been given the little nudge feelings. I do not want to ignore them. I gave my teenage daughters permission to take my phone away from me when I am driving, and to help hold me accountable. Being on our phones is an ADDICTION. When we start to become hypnotized by them it becomes a problem. I would literally just grab my phone because it’s the impulsive thing to do. At every light, I would check my phone out of a bad habit.

She was a Hollywood star, and she knew that drinking and driving was unsafe for her and her family. She went to jail. But the consequences could have been fatal. I too, am an adult, and I KNOW BETTER. So I am going to DO BETTER! Now, I hand over my phone to my daughters. If they see me try to reach for the phone…instinctively……they stop me in my tracks and say, “MOM….PHONE!” and “MOM PUT THAT AWAY!” Whatever it takes….to make sure that I don’t become distracted by things that can wait…….things that aren’t as important as our safety and our lives.

According to the Texas Tribune, Texas leads the nation in traffic deaths. (2019). Texas DOT says more than 100,000 crashes involved distracted driving in 2017 which killed 444 people and seriously injured 2,889 others.  WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION ON THE ROADS AND HIGHWAYS!!! Whether your habit is putting on makeup while driving, or eating while driving, or texting while driving, drinking and driving, no matter what it is, it needs to be stopped! For your safety, for your family’s safety, and for the safety of the general public.

“Prepare and prevent, don’t repair and repent.”

-Author Unknown