Don't Worry...BE HAPPY MON!

If our trip to Antigua, West Indies taught me anything it taught me to live like they do! “DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY MON”!!

Having found myself drowning with people in the ocean of negativity too many times I made the decision to avoid the undertow in the future, and boy have I been reaping the rewards! Once a victim of horrible anxiety, I learned a new way of living. Listening to more upbeat music, limiting the use of television, and completely weaning myself from CNN, FOX and FRIENDS, and most mainstream media, has been the best thing I have ever done. This advise coming from a friend who taught me by example!
I have learned that NOT all opposites attract.....for example, Misery loves company not Happiness, oil doesn't mix with vinegar, and Grief hates HAPPINESS!!!

No doubt, we are all aware of Philippians 4:6 which instructs us to cast our cares upon the Lord and He will care for us. But, if you are like me, you wonder exactly how we do that. Does that mean simply pray or is there more to it? I think there is more. I think there is a lifestyle we must adopt that will, over time, replace our depression and anxiety with peace, joy and comfort. Before we look at that lifestyle, let me say it is not simple, nor instantaneous. It will take work and time. If you are depressed or anxious today, there is nothing I can say that will have the problem fixed by tomorrow. There are no band-aids for this, only a change of life based on the word of God

I have challenged my family to watch everything they say, and if it must be negative then to say it in a way that could be positive…we are allowed to point out when we see one another falling victim to negativity. The results have been nothing but POSITIVE.

Having a positive attitude makes you feel good about yourself. Your self esteem and self confidence is also affected in a positive way. When your thoughts tend to be positive. You feel happy.

Your thoughts and attitude can strongly affect others and the world around you. By being positive and focused on happy thoughts, your positive outlook tends to attract people to you. People are drawn to things that make them SMILE. These happy, positive people tend to have more friends and live healthier lives.

The more time we spend in negative thinking and acting, the more it becomes who we are….and eventually we find ourselves overwhelmed by it. It takes on a life of its own in us and produces anger and resentment over things that normally we might not even notice, and things that are certainly none of our business.

If we stop this negativity and start trying to be positive we can pull ourselves out of it. Soon we’ll realize just how heavy the cloud of negativity was and things will start appearing more pleasant. Negativity and complaining can leave you feeling sad, depressed, and emotionally drained. But when you begin your journey into positivity then you find much needed happiness. You will hear the sounds of birds and see colors of vibrancy in a complete different way. Smiles are contagious, just as a laugh is. It lightens the heart and forces you to see beauty.

So remember that if your attitude is positive, it affects the world around you in a positive way. People feel good being around you and you will attract a more positive crowd. You will have a happier and more confident life. LIVE, LAUGH, and LOVE!!!!!

WOW!

WOW! That one word describes my weekend. Unexpected acts of kindness mean so MUCH!!! The weekend started with a phone call from my mom asking me if I would want my Grandpa and Grannies antique furniture. My Aunts along with mom and uncle had discussed who they wanted to have it and they agreed it would be me. WOW!!!! I will never express to them how much it really means to me! I cant quit staring at it. This furniture brings back a flood of HAPPY MEMORIES!!!!! It will be cherished FOREVER!!!! I can't wait to complete our new game room!




Then, out of no where a bouquet of daisies appear on my table in my kitchen along with a note attached that read "Just because I have always loved the person you are"! My hubby surprised me with them! WOW! WOW! WOW! Romans 12:9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Not intended to be a sermon but words of encouragment!

When you are struggling with something grab your bible and read the above scripture. =)

Lately so many around me and including myself are facing something that is challenging their faith and their very being. I feel as if God is testing so many of us. And this is one test I want us all to PASS! We all know somebody that is battling something. Pain seems to be the root of all our problems. Not just physical pain but pain of the HEART! Pain of the heart can hurt just as bad as any joint pain. Watching a family member go through something that you know only God can help with (which so many families are going through right now) can be just as painful as what the injured person is actually going through. Pain of the heart can be through watching a son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister or friend go through something that no matter what you do, it doesn't help. We must watch how we speak and act towards others and know that in the end Prayer will see us through. Words can't be taken back, and actions speak louder than any word. Letting go of something may be necessary for our own personal and spiritual growth, whether we agree with the consequences or not. Staying stuck inside of an immovable situation can cause personal pain, suffering and result in feelings of lack of self-worth. I have been blessed with certain people in my life that have entered it for a reason. Some have been there a lifetime, others I parted and rejoined, and some that just entered.

Ultimately, does it matter what the source of the insight is so long as we can become a better more loving person?

I have been lucky enough to feel the true meaning behind the following prayer, so I wish to share:

May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.


Remember when your day seems to be going rough, that it is a bad moment...not a bad day.

The LUMPY BED!

So this morning starts out unlike the usual morning. Glenn has been out of state with work and he is typically our "morning man"..(gets everybody up and going before he heads to work..then I come in the picture and finish off their morning by shouting orders, making sure lunches are taken care of and driving them to school.) SOOOOO, I am not to great at replacing the "morning man" to say the least. We overslept, only to be woke by the phone who just happens to be our "morning man" making sure that I am up and going in which I respond "of course". This causes great HAVOC in the Kosub house...I jump up only to see that Trevor has missed his 6:45am Poultry Judging practice and so we decide to make the best of it and try to just be on time for regular school. Trevor is normally gone much earlier than the other kids so he is exempt from bed making on these mornings, but NOT this morning! I remind him that his bed must be done before we head out. I would LOVE to know what that kid was thinking as he made his bed. You see I do a daily "room check" after returning back home. Well this morning as I turn down the hall towards his room, I get a glimpse at Trevor's bed. What I see SCARES the living CRAP out of me! His bed appears to have somebody sleeping it!



Now I am thinking "who the hell is here, I just dropped the boys off", so not knowing what exactly to do..I say (loudly).."I AM CALLING THE COPS", still no movement. So I get our dog K.B. (like seriously, what is a 8lb bundle of HAIR going to do), and make him come with me to pull the covers from the bed to reveal whatever this "THING" is in my son's bed. As I pull the covers back I fell to the ground in HYSTERICS! For only Trevor would do something like this to me and probably has laughed many times today in class just waiting to hear hear the story about the LUMPY BED!

SPRING! Beautiful Hummingbird..you bring me JOY!

HOORAY for SPRING..my favorite time of the year! I love how everything is new and fresh. Even the sun seems to shine a little differently. Well I saw our first Hummingbird this week. I tried to capture a fantastic photo but every time I did a darn leaf would fall from our Oak tree and scare it away. Hummingbirds are extremely special to me. I was taught a love for them MANY MANY years ago by my Granny! They took on a different type of special a few years back. You see my Granny who happened to be one of my very best friends became terminally ill with Lung cancer. The day before she left us, I wheeled her on the front porch and asked her what she could come back as when she makes it to heaven, to let me know she was okay. She told me she would come back as a hummingbird. That was all that was said and for the rest of the visit we never mentioned it again. My family knew at this point that we were lucky to have any conversation with her at all since she was on such heavy medication for pain. The next morning she quit all verbal communication, and we lost her later that day. The day we lost my Granny me and my family sat on the porch (the same porch we had just spoken on the day before)talking and mourning when I heard a LOUD and fast BZZZZZZZZZZ rush past me and it was so incredibly close to my ear. Frightened that it was a bee or hornet, I without thinking SHOOED it. I then jumped and yelled "WHAT WAS THAT, IT HAD TO BE HUGE". My aunt looked at me and said "It was a hummingbird" I then turned saw the hummingbird hovering by me for a split second and then flew off. That hummingbird did a lot for me that day. You see it went past my ear and hovered for a quick second and then kept going. It not only brought my soul sunshine on a very, very DARK day, but it told me that my Granny is not only in my past but is waiting for me in my future. So now when I see a hummingbird it makes my soul leap with JOY, and I thank God for letting me have that real last talk with my grandmother. It is a reminder to hold the ones you love in your arms while you can, because you never know when you might be able to only hold them in your heart!

MOMENTS! LOVE EM'

Today is one of those mornings that the birds are chirping, the sun is shining, the fog is rolling in and yet in 30 minutes you know the fog will be gone. It is a lot like "problems"...problems are usually here now and gone in a moment. As I step outside to see my chirpy morning friends, my son Peyton comes and stands beside me. He says "you know mom, I may not be able to marry you...but you can't make me move!" I started laughing so hard, since I guess the many conversations we have been having about Skylar's future (college) must have his little wheels turning. My response was, "Can we go draw up a contract on that?"

Now that my children are getting older I thought my days of "Mommy, will you marry me" were over. My response to both Trevor and Peyton was always, "No buddy I cant, cuz God has someone just as special picked out for you, we just have to wait and see who that person is"....then I would go cry, thinking how I would miss the days when they out grew that stage. I guess this is God's way of showing me that there are plenty other just as precious moments ahead if I keep my mind focused on the positives and relish EVERY moment. My sweet friend Tesi and I were shopping one day when we saw a picture and it read "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of MOMENTS that take our breath away"....well this was one of those moments!

The Creation of Our Cross!!

Funny how little things mean the most! Glenn took it upon himself this weekend to do something for me that I have been wanting for years! I have been walking around with a smile ever since. I took pictures to record the creating of OUR CROSS!! My hope is that it will serve as a faithful reminder to me and my family that Christ is a huge part of our lives and that with God all things are possible. (Luke 9:23-25)
"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?"

Picking the perfect logs was the first thing we had to do:



Then bringing it home and stripping all the bark:



Now it was time to bring out the tools and notch where we would place the "t" part of the cross:



Starting to look like a Cross!!!!



Placing it in the perfect spot and finally the finished product:



Our BEAUTIFUL Cross: All that is left to do is have Father Stan come bless it and we plan to do that when he comes to Skylar's graduation dinner in June.

Moment of Bragging!

Well Lent has begun in the Kosub household, and this weekend was PROOF of it. Lent is a Catholic tradition that goes for forty days marked by fasting, and by other acts of penance. The three traditional practices during Lent are showing justice towards God, justice towards self, and justice towards others. Some people give up something of theirs, add something that will bring them closer to God, and often give the time or money spent doing that to charitable events. This weekend we chose to work at the La Vernia Food Pantry. I was so proud of my family. Glenn and Skylar stayed in the warehouse stocking shelves and unloading crates of donations, Trevor and Peyton helped the eldery carry-out heavy bags, and I helped the many needy families fill their grocery bags with food that will hopefully last them a month. It only took a couple hours but what we learned will last us a lifetime. We found that the more we participated in meaningful activities, the happier we are and the more purposeful our lives feel.

1 cup of Giggles

HAHA...as I watched this U-tube Ad I had the best laugh! It reminded me of my younger years with my dad and how he is still today with my children. We should all keep the inner child...it makes the days a lot more fun for others and rewards your life in ways you can't even imagine.

Playful Pals!

Just minutes before this picture was taken...our Lab (Mona) was literally ROLLING around with his best friend. Of course when I walked out to snap the picture, they heard me and jumped to watch what I was doing..haha..It puzzles me how animals of different species can get along so well when humans struggle at it.

Who said only women cook!

This is Glenn preparing breakfast at Cooksey Camp (yes, I know you see butane and not a boyscout fire)! We LOVE our camping trips!!! We compromised with the boys, that we would gladly stay in tents as long as we get the accommodations of nice restrooms, electricity, and we wouldn't have to totally go "roughing" it. Camping is something my entire family LOVES to do!!!! Often the less expensive trips are the most spiritual and rewarding!

The Stem of the Flower

My children and husband are my petals, my mom is the center that holds them but my dad is the stem that supports it. My father is someone that everybody should be so lucky to know. Proverbs 22:6-11, primarily verse 6 which reads, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Dad...I LOVE YOU!

Moms are drops of Sunshine

I had to add this picture of my beautiful daughter Skylar and my very special mom. These are two VERY special women in my life who have molded me into the person I am today. I found this next phrase and wanted to share it..,Modeling with Integrity – living what you say, being a model by which a child can learn by “catching” the essence of godly living (Deuteronomy 4:9, 15, 23; Proverbs 10:9, 11:3; Psalm 37:18, 37).
The Bible never states that every woman should be a mother. However, it does say that those whom the Lord blesses to be mothers should take the responsibility seriously. Mothers have a unique and crucial role in the lives of their children. Motherhood is not a chore or unpleasant task. Just as a mother bears a child during pregnancy, and just as a mother feeds and cares for a child during infancy, so mothers also play an ongoing role in the lives of their children, teenagers, young adults, and even fully-grown children. While the role of motherhood must change and develop, the love, care, nurture, and encouragement a mother gives should never cease. I know I use the word blessed a lot...but I was truely blessed when I was given Pam Robarts to be my mother.

Our newest purchase

The photo was taken with a phone, so the picture quality is not the best! Our family just purchased a pool table and man has it brought MANY HOURS of FUN!!! I wasn't a huge fan of pool before but my family has turned me into one! My son Trevor was being a DORK, while Peyton acts like a SOLDIER..thank goodness Kody acted normal for the picture.

YESSSSSSSSSSS!

My SON Peyton showing his excitement after placing "last" on the auction sheet for the sale of his FFA project a turkey tom at the La Vernia Livestock Show. This year we knew our turkeys were not the best but with the grace of God we were fortunate enough to place 7th and sale at the San Antonio Stockshow and Rodeo. Then came our local La Vernia show and we bombed and didn't place high enough to sale. Yet again, with the grace of God other kids who showed and placed a turkey and another project, chose to sale the other project which in turn allowed Peyton to be bumped up into the sale. MAN did he feel BLESSED!

BLESSING FROM ABOVE!

Last September my family was blessed up close and personal...my younger brother Lawrence (Bruz ) was in a horrific shooting while serving a warrant with the S.A.P.D., lucky to come through it alive although not wihout injury. He has been battling on going pain due to his injuries with his leg that a bullet shattered. He has come through many surgeries, and still has surgeries in his near future. While my family struggles with hard times I must find strength in scripture..“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

With the power of prayer, I know his life will return to normal with time! Keep him in your prayers please!

Fabulous Rainy Day reciepe

Today we have been fortunate with some MUCH needed and WONDERFUL Rain!!! My daughter Skylar took it upon herself to prepare a great meal last night that I thought I would share it with you.

Skylar's Cowboy Beef Chili!

2 lbs ground meat

4 med potatoes

5 carrots

2 ribs of celery (chopped)

1 med onion (chopped)

2 pkgs Taco Seasoning mix

1 jar Ortega Thick and Smooth Taco Sauce

2 cups water

2 cups shredded cheese

Brown beef, with onion and celery. In another frying pan place a small amount of oil and brown potatos and carrots until soft. Mix the beef and potatos/carrots together and continue cooking. In a small bowl add water w/seasoning mix and then pour over beef with the Taco Sauce. Salt and Pepper. Serve in bowls, and top with Cheese and tortilla chips. Cornbread goes great with this meal.