What happens when the worse is more than better?

Wow!  What a gorgeous Fall day in North Texas.  My first instinct upon opening my eyes was to drag myself to the back porch and wake up with a muffin and coffee.  Somehow that first sip of warmth makes the day seem brighter!  When I was a little girl, my Grandmother Maggie would pour some coffee in a saucer, mix in a little sugar and milk and offer me a taste.  She was famous for her egg coffee bringing in guests from far and wide to imbibe in her special concoction!  When she was praised, she would cover her mouth with her hands and with a twinkle in her eye say, "It's nothing ... just coffee!"  She was such a humble lady ... one loved by so very many.

This morning I was reading the latest issue of Country Living.  I enjoy an eclectic mix in my nonprofessional status of interior decorator and could identify with editor Sarah Gray Miller's enjoyment of using one's home to convey a kind of lived-in warmth ... a way for others to take a peek into the world I live in.  I am a magazineaholic enjoying many different medias of communication of information.  I am always on the look out to add to my knowledge whether it be in making my home uniquely me or helping me to be a better person.  I am grateful for my eyes that are the gateway to my mind and soul.

My mind never stops going ... before I close my eyes and go to sleep I feast my thoughts on things that are honorable and good.  I have found that if I go to sleep on those not so pleasant thoughts, I have nightmares and wake up feeling like I'd been fighting all night long.  The key in my own life is to acknowledge reality yet focus on the good and moving forward.

For many years, I read every self-help book released and used that information to not only better my own life but the lives of others as well.  Being a matchmaker was a natural bent for me.  I was able to study human behavior listening to the life stories of both men and women.  I wrote a column for singles and did lay counseling as a relationship coach.  It was amazing to me even though people recognized their relationships in the past as ugly or, possibly, idyllic, they tended to gravitate back to what they had.  Familiar territory was comfortable.  I would write up an analysis and meet with my clients.  My position taught me how to deliver the assessment ... the good, the bad, the ugly.  People tend to overlook their own faults and blame others when it really is the self that needs to change.  That certainly was true in my own case.

Families have their own styles and we are most comfortable living within those constraints.  The chaos of the alcoholic family is often perceived as normal, being sarcastic perceived as "just how we relate to one another," and, in the case of the idyllic family, reality is skewed to match what the mind wishes it was.  In reality, our families carried forward the accolades and crimes from the past.  With each new generation, it is our responsibility to sift through the pages of life and move forward making our lives and the next generation healthier.

I have been criticized for being too honest ... for dragging skeletons out of the closet ... airing my family's dirty laundry ... the list goes on and on.  The healthier I have gotten, the more I realize how much it has cost me.  Yes, being healthy comes at a cost.  I was and am willing to pay the price.  I stand for truth, forgiveness, and reconciliation!

Think about it ... to become healthy physically means you must exercise and stay active.  To become educated you must study when you'd really want to play.  To become financially sound, you must forgo frivilous spending.  To be a Christian means getting out your Bible and reading then putting words into personal application.  To be of sound mind means examining the past and being willing to accept it, change what you can, and move forward in the removal of stinkin thinking.  It's tough work but you get out of life what you are willing to put into it!!

What happens when the worse in your life is more than the better?  First of all, look within yourself and do what it takes to become healthier in mind, body and soul.  With that being said, take a good look at your family of origin (what worked for them and what drove them apart?).  Dr. Phil wrote a book called SELF MATTERS.  It's a great book because yes, self does matter.  It is our responsibility to become whole as people and to inform those around of us what we are feeling and thinking.  Healthy relationships encourage open communication.  Listen to others and truly hear what they say.  Empathy ... empathy ... empathy.  Why would you want to hurt someone you love?  Why would someone who supposedly loved you want to hurt you?  You wouldn't and they shouldn't either.  How we treat others and how we allow them to treat us speaks louder than a thunderstorm!

The Madison Belle Media Group

Yesterday, I registered my dba The Madison Belle Media Group.  It was an easy process ... the next part is tougher.  The Madison Belle Media Group will carry the Hamilton Elf Series of children's books as well as anything else I would write.  It will take focus when my mind is rittled with fibro fog and I can't think of words to put on paper.  Stress will need to take a back seat to encouragement and being in a positive environment.  When I was in Florida last February/March, I was able to write two books.  There was wonderful chaos around me ... such fabulous energy!!  When I was in Minnesota this Summer, my head was filled with words that flowed.  Hmmm...note to self...

Speaking of Minnesota, while I was there, I looked at a wonderful house built at the turn of the century.  As I moved through the rooms, I could feel myself there writing and munching on huge chunks of life.  I tried to purchase the little house but the owners would not take a contingency of selling my home here.  I was sad because it was "my" thought that this little house was perfect for my needs and what I wanted to use it for.  When God put a period of "not now" on my own wish, I wondered what else He had in store for me.  Something better?  I still look to see if it has closed...

It is Friday ... my favorite day of the week.  I guess, since I am retired, every day should be Friday but I have reserved this as my jump day to the weekend.  It's time to get up from my cozy spot in the sunshine and ready myself to get my cleaning bucket of tools out!  One thing about having a house on the market, it never gets very dirty so cleaning takes but an hour or so...  I look out to my garden and wish I could plant some new Fall mums and perennials.  My fingers are itching to get dirty!!

You have a great day my friends!  Always remember you are loved and prayed for ... YA YOU!!  My velcro buddy, Toby, and I are signing off!

YORKIPOO - It's not just a dog, it's an adventure!!

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom yu will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."~~Joshua 24:15