What time is it?

It's almost concert time! Only 2 days and a few hours stand between me and a plane leaving for Texas! Can't wait to blog about it!

You can say that again...

“Experience is what you get when you do not get what you want.”
~Unknown

“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.”
Helen Keller

“Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.”
~Unknown

“To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.”
Elbert Hubbard

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
Eleanor Roosevelt

I have really been thinking about the quote that says "To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing." I kept thinking about Ernie's post on the MB about the "distractors" and I think that particular quote fits in well with the post. No matter what you say or do, there will always be someone there to critique what you are doing. Basically, to avoid criticism you must do nothing, say nothing.....BE nothing. What a way to live....

Only 10 more days....

Oh I can't wait any longer! Ft. Worth here we come :-)

I have not had the opportunity to fly anywhere in years, so this is going to be great! My niece will be experiencing her first flight encounter as we load up on the plane to Texas. I am hoping she does not have some sort of hypochondriac spell and think we are doomed to crash...nah, she is excited about it as well. I think she may actually already be packed! I am usually the first to do such craziness....packing a week early!

My mom is going to have a wonderful time I am sure of it! She really needs this break. I cannot wait for her to see a EH&SS SOLO concert!
In amidst all the excitement, I can't help but think of the worst....missing our flight home! I am on a very very tight schedule! Nursing school has no mercy over family issues, sickness, death, missed flights, etc...

On the other hand, I am so excited about meeting my message board family! There are so many great people that I cannot wait to meet. My camera will be full of so many great memories!!! This wonderful Ft. Worth weekend will be tucked away in my "memory chest" forever!

~Stop And Smell The Roses~

I feel like I have been going nonstop for so long....how do you adjust your 'breaks' on life when you have been speeding for so long? As most of you that read my blogs know, my step-father passed away last Friday after a long drawn out sickness. He had Alzheimer's and dementia along with the recurrence of cancer. My mom and I have been through a lot the past few years, so trying to get back into the swing of "normalcy" is going to be difficult for a while. After a LONG week behind me I start to wonder...."What would it feel like to stop and smell the roses?"

So, I did!

I made the first effort to "slow down" today after I got home from class. With the funeral just 2 days behind us, there are flowers everywhere at my house. I decided to fiddle around with my camera and try to relax. I took picture after picture of flowers, plants, and 'pretty things'.
Then (as always, I have enlightening moments when I least expect them) I thought about how much God loves us. Just think, these flowers are so beautiful and perfect....God made them just for us to enjoy....E-N-J-O-Y! When was the last time you really "enjoyed" something???? Yes, me too....it's been a while. So for now, I am sharing my moment of enjoyment with you. :-)

The Good Stuff

No explanation needed! :-)

On Our Independence Day

To be perfectly honest, the whole "4th of July" thing has never been a big deal at my house as far as the fireworks and cookouts go....I really started thinking about the 4th today on my way home from clinicals. Traffic is already a disaster in preparation for the upcoming holiday. I watched several cars go by with beach supplies, bags of ice, coolers, and fireworks hiding out in the back seats and I thought to myself, "Another family celebrating the 4th", but the 4th isn't all about cookouts and fireworks.
In passing all those going to the beaches, I also passed a SUV with a bumper sticker that said "I love my marine." That sticker is what sent the nuts and bolts turning in my tired head. I don't think we give enough credit to our soldiers....we get to sleep in our comfy beds while they have to sleep on the ground, we can sit around in our air-conditioned homes when it's hot, they have to be out in the heat all day, we can sit back and relax on the porch swing, they get no relaxation, we can come and go as we please while they are off fighting to keep it that way.
So in preparation for the 4th, go here: www.faithflashes.com/mpp.htm
Let's be sure to remember our military in our prayers not only on the 4th of July, but everyday!

**No exchanges or refunds**

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:38-39

Ah! Isn't that great to know! Once we accept Jesus Christ into our lives, NOTHING can take that away. It's our eternal gift that has already been paid for. God doesn't do "exchanges or refunds"....it's ours for the keeping!