Morning Relaxation: Watching the Clouds Pass In A Small Farm Town

Morning relaxation in the back yard watching the clouds go by and listening to nature. There is nothing like it. Grab your cup of coffee and join me!

Lesson Learned From An Eleven Year Old

My son came into my bedroom saying that he had a bad dream and wanted to sleep with me. He cuddled up to my arm in the bed. After about 20 mins of the stuffy nose, I asked him if he was feeling ok and why his nose was stuffed up. "I don't know"' he said. Five more minutes passed and he was still pretty stuffed up so I asked what his bad dream was about. At first, he didn't want to tell me. Then, he let it spill out with tears flowing.

He said, "I was dreaming we were at the beach and I found a toy Gatlin gun and there was a strange person there. This person told me that there was a house for rent that was close to his friends for only $200 a month. So we packed up our stuff and left the house we are in but when we got to the new one it was $2 Million instead. So we were homeless and it was all my fault."

I have the sweetest little boy in the world. I comforted him and told him that neither I or his father would ever let us be in that situation. I also told him that by no means are any of the bills or tough times his fault. Apparently, I should not discuss the budget out loud around him anymore because he worries about it more than he should and more than I realized.

After letting it all out, reassurances that we would not be homeless and that it was only a bad dream, and cuddling with me for a while, he fell asleep.

No, things are not that bad financially but kids pick up on things and what we look on as a minor hardship, they can see as catastrophic. When mom and/or dad get upset, even at each other, in front of the children, the child may perceive it to be their fault. Of course, it isn't their fault, but parents, I include myself in this, should never forget to explain that it is by no means the fault of the children when things get tight or don't go as we planned.

Lesson learned!

Coffee Chat: What Inspires You?

Basically, there are three things that inspire me or motivate me. God, my family, and nature are the forces that inspire me to take a step forward in life and to make life worth every breath. These are probably average, but for me they all have a different way of inspiring me.

God, first and foremost, inspires me to want to be a better person. He inspires me to want to give to others of myself, my resources, and my heart. He inspires me to live in service to others.This isn't about what religion I am, although that has huge impact on my life. It is about wanting to please Him, wanting to be closer to Him, and wanting to walk with Him.

My family are also a huge contributor to the inspiration and motivation factor. I want to do whatever I can for them and would be nothing without them. Though my siblings and I, there are six of us, may argue from time to time, I know they are always there for me. Having lost both of my parents who were the stability that made us close and taught us what it means to be a family, I am so glad to have brothers and sisters that I can count on. This being said, my motivation to make sure that they can count on me is very important. There will inevitably be hard times in which I will be present for support, love, encouragement, and just a listening ear. 

My children are a very large factor in my inspiration and motivation. Teaching children to be the best people they can be, to love God and hold Him close, and to learn to be there for each other is so important these days. There are so many bad things going on in the world and I want them to know that not only do they have me but they have each other to lean on. From the youngest to the oldest they should know that their support to each other will be one of the most important and dear things they will need to get through life. Never forget your family.

 There may be a lot of bad things going on in the world but there are magnificent things all around us. Beauty, peace, diversity, power, harmony, melody, and inspiration are all around us on a daily basis if we look outside of the "rat race", look to nature. Fantastic views of life and renewal of life fill the senses. I love nature, from the worst part of it to the best. There is beauty in even the most horrifying looking storm. Unfortunately, their can be destruction and loss of life which always pains me. It hurts my heart to see any living being suffer, including our planet. Those that have no respect for the beautiful world around us and it's diversity more than likely have little respect for anything. Those that hurt animals for sport or just plain entertainment likely have no respect for life in general. Nature inspires me to want to protect it and revel in it and to pass it on with respect to the next generation so that they may be inspired by it to. Pollution, deforestation, littering, and the destruction or killing of the wildlife hurts us all. Just because it isn't standing in front of you or you can't see it does not mean that it isn't happening. We all have a responsibility to be proactive in protecting and securing our future and I am not talking about money. Money has little use when you can't breath, eat, drink, and live.

What inspires you? Take time to think of the inspirations in your life and what they mean to you. Rediscover yourself and the meaning of the people and things around you.