Its Friday!

Image by ~jjjohn~ via Flickr

For all of us:


Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined.


Henry David Thoreau





(Side note: I was looking for this quote and stumbled across this one - which made me think of tonight's Big Game.  And a couple mouse "clicks" later, the second one (which for a mom is very true!))


Success demands singleness of purpose.

Vincent Lombardi

Football is not a contact sport - dancing is a contact sport - football is a collision sport.

Vince Lombardi

The Key to Change is to Let Go of Fear

Image by her wings via Flickr

The above was posted on my niece's site and it struck me as relevant.  Very relevant.

Throughout these past months as I've been focusing on change in many aspects of my life, Fear played a much bigger role than I would have liked.   My age certainly plays into that, I think.    As the years go by, we certainly get comfortable in what we know and expect.   Its what we said wouldn't happen when we were younger!!! (LOL!!!!)   (But all those things we said wouldn't happen, happened.   I remember telling my mom how my kids were going to get to do whatever they wanted.   I know she's looked down many times and laughed at that one.)

Fear kept me in my job for longer than I should have been there.   Fear kept me from reaching out to a new church and participating in groups.    Fear sat on my shoulder as I started in real estate, nagging me that no regular income stream would result.

So today I examine where I am.   I am not in the job that sucked the life out of me!  I am participating in bible study.   And, while real estate will never provide a "regular income stream" I am very, very busy.  This past week we are now representing a local subdivision, are averaging a new listing a week, and  have buyers looking more frequently!  Two months in a row we've been top selling or listing agent in our office.     (And this is during a season where typically we sit back, plan and enjoy some down time!   Oh Well!!!)

My answer to Fear has been Faith.    My Faith in God as well as other's faith in me, people who along the way supported and encouraged me.    Its interesting in these situations who those people are.  They are not the ones you expect, believe me.    In fact, in some cases the people you expect to walk with you stand on the sidelines.    They have been acquaintances and some I had not even met.    That is not as important as recognizing the path you need to be on, and finding the strength you need to let go of fear.

Holidays: Happiness or Horror

Image via Wikipedia

Recently, I listened to a friend describe decorating for Christmas.   It struck me as I listened to her description that this wasn't something she enjoyed; rather, it seemed to be a chore.  While I don't decorate as much as I once did, I have always loved decorating my home for Christmas and consider it a demonstration of our family history; some items I've had since we were first married.   And really, for me, holiday decorating started with Halloween, transitioning into Thanksgiving (just have to lose the witches and jack-o-lanterns and bring out the Pilgrims!)   With Christmas, our tree has always been a focal piece for me.

For several years when the boys were young, we would go each year to a tree farm, spend time looking for the "perfect" tree (determined by me!), cutting it down and hauling it home.  Once there we would usually find that despite our careful attention, the trunk was crooked and the tree would lean!   (One year we actually used a "bunge" cord and attached the tree to the staircase!  Thank goodness for lots of garland and ribbon!)  Anyway, this was our tradition which I mistakenly believed was loved by all.   A few years ago they (all my boys!) confessed that this tradition was only loved by ME!   There were high-fives behind my back the day I agreed we could purchase an artificial tree.  From there, my focus moved to decorating the tree.  

Every year I have purchased each boy an ornament and marked the back with the year.   Sometimes it was representative of an activity they loved that year (example: Boy 2 and soccer when he was 7) and sometimes it was just something that caught my eye (skinny Santas).    While I decorate most of the house and some of the tree myself (or with Wonderful Man!), I have insisted that the boys help with adding their ornaments to the tree.  Its a time for all of us to remember Christmases past and the changes (good and bad!) we've had over the years.   I realized now that Boy 1 has moved out, he may ask for his ornaments.   I am just not sure I am ready for that!!!   Maybe he will let us have just one more year of sharing.   I have no right to ask that but I think I will anyway.   I'm just not ready to let go completely.    I'll turn them over after Christmas!!