Cinderella

If anyone knows me very well they know that I love kids. I like kids that are older than 10, Hubby likes kids younger than 10, it's a balance.

My favorite kids are 5th,6th, and 7th grade girls...Probably because I have the same mentality that they do. I like the same music and watch the tv shows they do. I have seen more than one episode of Hanna Montana and I know who Justin Beiber is. I have read the "Twlight" books and have seen the movies. Maybe I can relate because for such a long time I just wanted to be loved for me. So many of girls this age just want them to be loved.

They are in such a transition time in their lives. So many decisions they make during that age affect the rest of their lives. In my experience I have learned that this is when they choose who their friends are gonna be, if they are gonna drink and smoke, what kind of guys they will date. I know that they are not gonna wake up one day and say "I think I'm gonna try some alcohol today." But the type of friends they choose will guide gradually in to the point were they will or will not try alcohol.

The same girls are bombarded with images of girls that are thin and pretty and wear t-shirts that cost $100 and the message girls get is that is what you have to do to be accepted. They are trying so hard to fit in. I want them to know that that they are loved, unconditionally regardless of what they look like or dress like or act like. I want them to be themselves. If they are funny and silly then they need to act that way. If they are serious then they need to act that way.

When you think of people you want to emulate you usually pick a great person; a preacher, a missionary, a great teacher. Someone older and wiser. In my life there have been three people younger than me that I look up to. They are all girls, very strong girls. One of them dances the beat of her own drum and although she has had people tell her she needs to get in step she refuses. Another one looks different than anyone else in her school and she doesn't care. She has decided that if someone doesn't like her that is their lost and no sweat off her back. And the last one has gone through a terrible tragedy and yet she is strong and independent and loves life, but she appreciates her friends and family. This is what I want ALL girls to be, independent and able to stand up against storm that comes up. To be their own person and not an Abercombie & Fitch walking billboard.

I want them to know that they are loved regardless of what they look like or act like. Not only are they loved by me but they are loved by the Creator of the Universe loves them. I want to shout this from the mountain tops. They need to know that they are Princesses, daughters of the KING! All girls deserve to feel like they are Cinderella, they need to feel that way before they turn 40.
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Cinderella

Steven Curtis Chapman


She spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I'm sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders

It's been a long day
And there's still work to do
She's pulling at me
Saying "Dad, I need you

There's a ball at the castle
And I've been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone...

She says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of the dress
She says, "Dad, the prom is just one week away
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone

She will be gone

Well, she came home today with a ring on her hand
Just glowing and telling us all they had planned
She says, "Dad, the wedding's still six months away
But I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone

I want to talk about me

Earlier this week the lady that I share an office with had a wreck. When she came in the next day she talked about the accident and how she was stuck in the car and the police officers and all the stuff that goes with being in an accident. Of course I so wanted to tell her MY accident story and really refrained myself from sharing.

Another friend was telling me about her kids and their accomplishments which is quite amazing. When I was telling my hubby about it he asked if I asked a question and I said no. Had I been paying attention I would have asked the question but I wanted to share MY story and I did.

Time and time again people tell me stuff and for some reason I don't pay attention or I try to one up it. (One upping is one of my favorite games!) I know they want to know because the world wants to know all that I do. I have forgotten when a friend said they were going to the doctor and I never asked how it went. I forgot my best friends birthday (who does that?) Generally if it doesn't affect me I don't pay attention.

I have been sick for the last several weeks and I finally got a diagnosis. Before I knew what was wrong I told everyone and forced them to listen to me. I was horrible. Today I talked to a good friend and she asked me what I did today. I told her, she told me a story about people she knew several years ago (like 35!) and she went shopping and got some bargains (!) We talked more then we got off the phone. After she got off I asked hubby, how she could remember a vehicle someone drove that long ago but couldn't remember that I had an ultrasound this week.

After stewing and getting upset it dawned on me that she did exactly that same thing I do. In fact if we were all honest its what we all do. We all have accident stories and we like to share them. We all have children that we are proud of and we want everyone to know how smart/pretty/talented etc they are. But this week I have realized that we don't need to share all the time. There are times when I take the glory away from some body's child. I have been to known to hijack a story or two.

I just can't picture Christ saying "Now Matt, I know your house is nice and all but dude MINE has pearl gates..it's tight!" (Yes I know how that sounded) Christ knew Matthews need and met it. He had to pay attention to those around him, He had to know those who were hurting. He did all the teaching and healing and walking on the water without ever drawing attention to Himself. If we are to follow his example that means that we need to pay attention to others. Let others have their moments, we don't have to share everyone of our accident stories every time someone has an accident.

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Philippians 2:1-4 (The Message)

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Umm...I'm not sure

When I was in high school one of my favorite classes was Creative Writing, the teacher, Ms. Green, was big on free writing. That is when you put on paper whatever comes to your mind, then you use that material for stories and poetry and that kind of stuff later on. On a rare occasion I was actually able to do that. I feel like that is what I'm doing now, just writing without a conclusion in mind.

The last few weeks I have felt discombobulated (that didn't register as misspelled!) It seems things have been piling up on me and I really just wanted to stay under the covers and hide. I had convinced myself no one cares (I DO know that people care about me but its had to know that and go around saying "nobody loves me, everyone hates me, I'm going to go eat worms" lol)

So there have been things that I wanted say. I typed one thing up and it was really long but after I read it it sounded real judgmental and I didn't want anyone to be mad at me so that got trashed. I wrote about a particular person in my family that I was having a hard time dealing with but that got trashed too cause I didn't know if they read my blog (I mean EVERYONE should right?) Then I had a really cute lighthearted thing but I couldn't get it to sound right in my head so that went away too.

(I think Ms. Green would be proud of me and my free writing)

All of that to say this....

I am sitting on my front porch and I can smell fall. It is 80 degrees and there seems to be a nip in the air, even though I am barefoot right now. It may be because my husband is listening to a Razorback (GO HOGS!!!) game on the radio and watching another college game on tv, he loves college football. It may be because I went to the first high school football game last night (GO CATS!!) It may be because we opened the windows this morning and turned off the ac. It may be because my dog wanted out so he could play and the last three weeks he has been stretched out on whatever cool surface he could find. I love fall. I love to see the leaves change. I am one of those people who will drive hundreds of miles to see changing leaves. When I married I knew that I wanted to get married outside, initially I wanted to get married in the fall on top of a mountain so the changing leaves would be the backdrop to the ceremony but the Lord had other plans (we got married on a mountain but in the spring, I will tell you the story of you ask me)
I like fall too because people start wearing sweaters and everyone looks a little bit more fluffy like me.

I never feel closer to the Lord than when I am on a mountain and there is a multitude of color before me. I mean who else can be than creative other than our Creator? I would to give you some spiritual reason why I feel that way, that we all need to slow time and rejuvenate so that we can be all He wants us to be. We all need to be pruned so that we can grow in the direction that He wants us to. None us are the same and God's family has all kinds and colors of people. To be honest I am just in awe of God at this time of year.

To be fair the verses (and song) about there is a time for everything reminds me of fall so...here are the verses and the song that Byrds made famous.


Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

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Byrds
Turn! Turn! Turn!

Words-adapted from The Bible, book of Ecclesiastes
Music-Pete Seeger

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late