A Quiet Halloween

Halloween was an extremely quiet one this year. Usually, our family is the enthusiastic one that is planning out the evening, rushing home so that we can hook up the trailer, throw on some bales of hay, put on spooky music and then rush out to meet friends and do some trick or treating. But this year, we just weren't feeling it. Not having Sophie here to take part in the festivities like last year, really put a damper on our emotions. Nobody had the will to decorate and "Stuffy" the scarecrow remained un-stuffed and put away for yet another year. Our annual "Fall Family Fun Night" didn't take place and silently we all hoped Halloween would pass as just another day. But, as the day progressed and afternoon got closer I realized that sitting home and ignoring the holiday wasn't going to make anybody feel any better. So I sent Skylar to the local grocery store, where her and Peyton picked out what I believe to be "The Great Pumpkin", lol.(Not really, but gosh it was heavy!) We enjoyed taking turns scooping the sticky seeds out of the bright orange cavity, laughing at how we each had our own method and tools to use. Peyton was crowned the carving king this year, he got to draw and carve it. This is usually his daddy's job and as you can see he had a hard time giving the job up. But he was determined to have a shot at it and I must admit he did a DARN GOOD JOB! We made a dish of lasagna, a pumpkin pie and set the television to record some spooky shows. All in all even thought it lacked the PIZAZ of years past, it was extremely enjoyable. I don't ever remember having a more relaxing Halloween evening. I have a strong feeling that since the kids are getting older now, there are going to be many more in our future. But between you and me..*whispers* "I hope NOT"! Who knows, maybe just maybe since we had no scary decorations up, we might have invited a few very familiar sweet spirits near instead of scaring them away. If they were close, I know they were pleased to see that we are moving forward, still thinking of them, missing them terribly but keeping our smiles as we go.

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

The autumn air has finally arrived here in South Texas (for now) and just in time for Halloween! You can smell it in the air, see it in the trees and feel it on your skin.I love how every little country store you enter has the smell of pumpkin spice burning. It's like flavor for the nose! Mmmmm! What a inviting and welcoming smell it is! The tree's here are mostly evergreen's but we do have some change in color. Unfortunatley it is nothing compared to the states up north but Texans don't mind and indulge in what we can get. I enjoy the time change when the nights are longer and the days are shorter. It means deer season is close and lots of campfires are in store. The cool fronts start coming more frequently so we know the temps won’t reach triple digits for awhile, and we hope they won’t even come close!! But...It seems that as fast as it arrives...it is gone again. So we take complete advantage of it's visit. Each year around this time, I put out my pumpkin that has my favorite fall saying inscribed on it, “Harvest Blessings”. It serves as a reminder to me and my family of the scripture that I take very personally and one that I feel is a very valuable lesson for everyone. 2 Cor. 9:6-15 (TLB) “But remember this—if you give little, you will get little. A farmer who plants just a few seeds will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much. Everyone must make up his own mind as to how much he should give. Don’t force anyone to give more than he really wants to, for cheerful givers are the ones God prizes. God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more so that there will not only be enough for your own needs but plenty left over to give joyfully to others". So we should all go out and plant as many blessing as we can and not do it half heartily; because come harvest time we want to all be rewarded abundantly!

Many Blessings,
Shannon

Heartfelt Gratitude!

Blessings trickle into our lives everyday, but we seldom take note of them. Often, we are to busy with, well, LIFE. I am guilty of just that. Now, that I have time to breathe and reflect I see where in my weakest hours, God reached in and gave my heart a much needed hug. Those hugs generally came in the form of family, friends, and complete strangers. The acts of kindness that Sophie and I felt were genuine “Angel Embraces”. Like blessings sent straight from heaven, each day we experienced them. Everyday that my doorbell rang and I opened the door to a caring and compassionate smile that held back tears, bearing dinner for a family that some had never met. Everyday that I opened my mailbox and got to see the expression on Sophie’s face when she saw that she had mail...She got just as tickled when she saw that her Shanny got some too. The blessings came through facebook notes, text messages, phone calls and even random hugs from strangers at public places.

I feel that you who are new friends, as well as those of you who have been by my side for years…are indeed treasures sent from heaven.

My gratitude can never be expressed in words, on an email, a post on my blog, or a message on facebook. I can only pray that you feel the words hug you as many of your words hugged me through these past months.



Sophie’s journey helped me to find an even bigger expansion to my Faith. I know that we all will go through different “seasons”. Right now even in the “Season” of sorrow my heart is full to overflowing. I know that it will not always be there and it will dip at times but I have unlimited access to God and his word, so it will fill again.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of sweet Soph and sadness doesn’t grab hold, but to know that she is soaking up the rays from a rainbow while chasing frogs and butterflies in a strong and healthy body, getting embraces from the good Lord and is keeping our space open for when we at last join her….MAKES ME SMILE!!!! Sophie’s life inspired so many including mine.



I will end with one last heartfelt, “THANK YOU”! You made a difference in many people’s lives. You showed first hand the importance of love, support, and encouragement. Your love and prayers helped carry us. And your acts of kindness made one little girl feel very important.



Much love,

Shannon

Storms of Life

The storms that rolled in a couple of weeks ago were a VERY welcome sight after a long, hot and very dry summer. I was awoken by the crackling of thunder, and flashes of lightening. The sound of the raindrops on the roof was almost tranquilizing. I grabbed my camera and my notepad and went outside so that I could completely engulf myself in the feeling. I remember thinking that it isn’t very often you see blessings pour down and effect so many people at one time. I knew that not only was my family smiling at the sight of such beauty, but many, many families were feeling the welcome relief of the rain. I also remember thinking how refreshing the storms of nature were for my spirit; almost as refreshing as it was for the earth. I spent much of my morning that day in devotion. I was realizing how alike the storms of life are to those storms of Mother Nature. Some are huge causing mass destruction and others pass through with just a little wind. I pondered on Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your path straight.” Life storms are sometimes as uncontrollable as the natural ones. We sit and watch Mother Nature do her thing from a covered shelter, with excitement and joy knowing that eventually it will pass and the sun will shine again. The storm will renew the earth, give a drink to the critters, and provide bath water for the birds. However, Life storms come in and we have the need to stop them; we fear that the feeling it brought on will last us a lifetime. It is hard to find shelter and a sense of calm in the midst of a life storm. It is easy to trust our Lord when storms only bring the much needed rain we have been praying for. But it takes the strength given to us only by God to trust him when when the storms are delivering life altering blows. It’s during these moments in life that we must fully believe that He will make “Our paths straight, again.” Isn’t that why after every rain we find a rainbow; and those rainbows always seem to deliver a feeling of calm. The storms of both nature and life help us to know of God’s power and love. Reflecting on scripture during a storm helps remind us of God’s faithfulness and presence during these rough times. Life will NEVER be without storms, but with FAITH in God, you will weather them much easier. God is ALWAYS larger than our troubles and WILL be our life preserver when we feel we are drowning. We must always seek His shelter in any storm; either delivered by life or nature. Just like the storms of nature, the storms of life to will pass eventually and life will go on. It is how we move forward from those storms that will depict our path ahead. Have a super blessed day!

SPARKLES!!!

This was such a FUN post!! I hope you smile and enjoy it as much as I did writing it!!!

"Words" seem to be the item of choice to blog about these days. And today I have chosen the word "Sparkle"---a word that has always been a favorite of mine. So it makes me wonder, why? The 7 year old girl in me wants to say because it's pretty, shiny, it makes me happy and always brings a smile. The more mature woman in me wants to say the same, but also looks even deeper. The word "sparkle" to most is defined by something you see and because of this; I don't feel the word is given the credit it deserves. To me Sparkle is zest, aliveness, lightness, joy, its magic. Sparkles light things up. It's the beauty of a clear night sky, the glisten of the sun on the lake, the twinkle of a Christmas tree, a firecracker on the 4th of July but most importantly...it's the light in our souls that draw others to us. Without that sparkle, your spirit isn't working up to its greatest potential. Sparkle is, pretty much, infectious. Sparkle is faith, hope, trust, love, enthusiasm, the Light of God rekindling our inner spirit. There is nothing sweeter than seeing the sparkle in a Childs eye on Christmas morning, the skip of a pair of kindergarten friends, and the giggle of a baby. As we grow up we tend to lose that sparkle. Life has a way of robbing things from us and doing it without our permission. It steals time, loved ones, our youth, etc. Those things we don't have control over but I think we should put an end to it being a thief to the things we do. And our SPARKLE should be first on the list. After all it is what makes us smile, delights us with light and brings us a sense of MAGIC! And so what would happen if we all brought a little Sparkle back into our lives?? MAGIC, magic would happen!! I'm ready to pour a little more "Sparkle" into my life so my family better watch out! LET'S ALL GET OUT THERE AND SHOW THE WORLD HOW TO SPARKLE AND SHINE!!!HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!

"THOUGHTS"

I am known to do my best thinking around 4am. I'm not quite sure why my brain chooses this odd time, but I would assume it is because the house is quiet and I am alone in my thoughts without any fear of distraction. This morning I was thinking of just that---"THOUGHTS". The last few months have been difficult to say the very least. Torn between sitting and crying for hours on end as my heart aches for our dear Sophie; and being the happy go lucky Mom I was just a year ago. Finding a balance in life right now is hard. My heart feels like it has been on a roller coaster of emotions for over a year now. Watching someone slowly be taken from your world that you love so very much is hard. And yet I know I have a family looking at me for comfort and strength. They too have been on this ride. Sometimes I feel like I am the brace that holds the roller coaster together and slowly, one by one my bolts are popping out. So when I woke this morning, I decided it was time for this roller coaster to stop, close down for repair. Re-align my heart, my emotions....my "THOUGHTS". I was thinking how true it is that our THOUGHTS are vital to our existence here on earth. Our lives are being played out just as our thoughts are telling it too. Our "thoughts" play a huge role in who we are and how we react to "LIFE". Our "Thoughts" have the potential of turning a negative into a positive. This is how I have lived most of my life. This is how Sophie and I were able to have so much fun while enduring HELL! Our "Thoughts" are huge magnets that attract either negative or positive energy. Our "Thoughts" transform our lives. As Christians, we believe that God created this world from just his mere..THOUGHTS! It say's in Hebrews 11:1- "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" and Hebrews 11:3- "what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen." This tells us that before GOD'S word, there were His "Thoughts". Our thoughts are powerful and truly define the direction of our life. Sophie was God’s example to us. She planted MANY seeds along her journey and drew positive energy from the growth of them that enabled her to LOVE the life she was living; despite the many reasons she was given to just give up . We must stand strong in the presents of negative people, places and things and once we learn how.... THE BLESSINGS ARE POURED ON US!
It is important that we are careful about what we pay attention to, where we allow our thoughts to go.
Because our life will move in the very direction our thoughts take us. I truly believe that the most beautiful quotes come from nobody other than the word of God. Our Bible is truly filled with the words to the secrets of life. One of my favorites...
”Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” Proverbs 4:23

We should all evaluate our life and see what type of life we are leading....would it be a more positive or negative life? Do you say the words--"yes, sure and great" more than you say-- "no, can't and whatever." Do you get belly laughter from simple things and for no reason at all? Or do you laugh more because you have to have a reason? By jokes that would offend someone? Would God laugh at what your laughing with? I believe a Godly smile on the face of people, shines brighter than any light I have ever seen. I have not always been the person I am today, but I am the person now, who I will remain to be for the rest of my life. :)

So I guess it's time to for me to get back to the person I was a year ago...to refocus my "Thoughts" and re-align my heart while my rollercoaster is under repair! :) All machinery needs maintenance and everything in life needs a good cleaning. I guess my spirit just needed to be rejuvenated, cleaned and repaired! :) I hope those of you who took the time to read this are left with a SMILE AND are inspired with positive THOUGHTS!It has been a long time since I have blogged and I had forgotten how much I LOVE IT!!! Have a SUPER TERRIFIC AND BLESSED day!!!!!