Sheepdog Up this Christmas

On the 19th day of December my daughter gave to me...........(my gifts to Jesus)

My Sheepdog.......... my soul mate, my hunka hunka burnin love, your resident deputy, the protector of the sheep, the thin blue line between order and chaos...

Today is Wear Blue to support Law Enforcement day and not only did I wear blue but I dyed my hair with a thin blue line. I figured I'd show my appreciation and support everyday. You will never know my heart for this man unless you have loved a deputy or police officer. The slightest sound of a siren or a story on the news get's me going every time.. My heart is always on edge when he is working. Listening to radio traffic, when a horrific incident he was smack dab in the middle of, just hoping to hear his voice to know he was ok. My heart is always on edge. With all the hate lately against law enforcement it really scares me. Of course , as in every field, there are some bad apples but come on people don't you realize the things the Sheepdogs do for you. They don't know you but they will respond in your time of need. They don't know you but will put themselves in harms way to protect your child. They don't know you but they work way past shift's end to finish up a report for you all the while their family waits for them at home. They are trained to react to the world of chaos and have to make a life or death decision in a split second. My sheepdog came home the other day and said he hesitated to react on a call of what to do because of all the media flack from recent news. People, that scares me...he hesitated.. his mind was thinking of media and news and hate instead of at the crisis at hand. That is not okay. BUT! Jesus knows this and I know He is watching over my Sheepdog while he protects the sheep from the wolves. I know no matter what the outcome of a day brings I know Jesus has him in the palm of his hand and He has me there too. So today I will let down my guard..I will rest in the knowledge of God's perfect plan .... because I want to...because I need to. 

 (old English sheepdog, the protector of the sheep and Christmas trees, singing a pinterest carol)

(me sporting my thin blue line hair! )

Yakkity Yak...don't talk back!

On the 18th day of December my daughter gave to me..... (my gifts to Jesus)

My communication......... talking, writing, typing, body language, facial expressions, yelling screaming, laughing...

I am a communicator..... well actually, I just talk too much!  I interrupt people..it's a horrible habit and I am working on it. I tend to be thinking too fast and jump in with my thoughts before I am supposed to. (If you have experienced this when with me, I am so very sorry...I was not intending to be rude) But I do love listening to people and talking and typing to communicate my thoughts. I have decided to write down more with pen and paper...or perhaps with fingers on a keyboard, to communicate my thoughts to Jesus and to all of you. It's my way of sharing His love and why I am who I am... Just like God made me to be. I will give Him more prayer and talk time because I need Him and He deserves my time. I will also communicate to people why I appreciate them and love them more than I have. I appreciate you...yes, you.  Don't look over your shoulder like I'm talking to someone else in the room..YOU! I appreciate you! Whether I have known you for years or days or haven't met you face to face yet, I appreciate you taking your time to read my feeble words and getting to know me. I am pretty gosh darn transparent and that makes me pretty vulnerable. It's kind of scary putting all my feelings and thoughts out there, but basically I have always been a "what you see is what you get" kind of girl. So thank you for wanting to get to know the real me! Communication can build up or tear down.... I'm going to try my darndest to build up!  I am going to stop....try to stop..... interrupting.. my next thought is not as important as YOU are!! How are you going to change your communication skills?

(cute little one mailing a card to Santa at the Pinterest mailbox)

If you're Happy and you know it.....

On the 17th day of December  my daughter gave to me.... (my gifts to Jesus)

My wit....... sense of humor, funny bone, laughing til I cry, the best medicine, 

I love to laugh. It hasn't always been that way. I went thru a bout of depression related to my PTSD from the 1992 6.9 earthquake that epicentered under our house. Those were not fun days.... not at all. Living rural and not wanting to go on long trips to a "shrink" I asked Jesus to help me get thru it and He did. (this is not to say that no one needs a Dr. I just wasn't so sick that I was able to work it out on my own) But here is what I did. I started on a JOY journey. I wrote down 3 things every night before bed that made me smile. The first few weeks were rough I could find much to be happy or joyful about. I'm breathing, the sun came up, a cup of coffee... those were some of the things that made it to my list. So sad, I know. But lo and behold I started to notice more and more that made me smile. Then I told myself "Self, now that you are able to see the joy, laugh out loud about it". So I started laughing more. Oh my goodness, oh. my.goodness! Of  course at first it was forced but then it flowed naturally. Do I have bad days? Of course I do.... remember my little holiday tantrum I had the other night? But honestly, laughter is great medicine! Joy should be the base line of our health because with it comes healing. I think Jesus laughs alot. I think I give Him reason for any laugh lines He has... I am always doing silly things and perhaps making a fool of myself. Those of you that know me would probably say I laugh alot...I even shout Hooray and Yeehaw alot ...oh! and I even clap my hands in joy!! You should try it sometime! Strap on some antlers and a red nose and go out into the world! 

So today I give Him my sense of humor. My ability to find the Joy in life. That He may help me to enjoy it even more and spread the laughter and Joy in a sometimes dark and scary world. Yippee!! 

(hilarious Rudolf bullie... how can you not smile when you see his pinterest experession!)

Amazing stuff

On the 16th day of December my daughter gave to me....(my gifts to Jesus)

My wonder...... awestruck, can't believe my eyes, questioning the amazingness of it all

Have you ever seen something that just hits you hard in the awesome department? The thing that leaves you amazed at how wonderful it is?  Well I have. In fact I get amazed at so many things. Things that the normal Joe might not think is very amazing.  I'm amazed at the amount of stuff that creeps into my house and scatters itself everywhere while I sleep. Those clutter elves are pretty hard workers and do a really good job. I'm also amazed and how many pairs of socks get eaten by the washer/dryer. It is so hard to comprehend how amazing that is!  Ok, I jest ... I am actually amazed at how blessed I am for having a wonderful husband and awesome boys. I just don't understand how me, a silly girl with so many imperfections, is blessed with so many wonderful things. It really does blow my mind. But how about this.....  God looks down onto the earth He created and sees this silly girl and He sees you too... and He says I need to save them so they can come live with me someday.... what shall I do?   He decides to send His son, Jesus, (now mind you, God has one Son... one!) as a teeny tiny baby that grows up in our imperfect world. Who goes on to tell everyone of God's plan  and how much He loves us. Then he dies on a cross for a silly girl, and you too, just so we can be saved and go live with Him someday. Now that is amazing..... and that is what makes Christmas so special.. It's about the giving of the most amazing gift of all time.  It kind of makes that sweater or fruitcake gift seem so insignificant doesn't it?   I hope you are all filled with God's wonder today!!

(pretty decorations on the pinterest tree ... www.jenniferhayslip.com)

An Apple a Day and an oil or two!

On the 15th of December my Daughter gave to me.... (my gifts to Jesus)

My Health...... Physiological and mental health, feeling good, sickness free, an apple a day

I'm pretty healthy...knock on wood.. I think. However, I am a tad nervous today as it is time for the dreaded yearly physical exam and blood work.... girls , you know what I mean. Ugh.  I'm nervous because I am getting older and "fluffier" and some of my friends are having serious health concerns that make me anxious to find out about my insides. I try to be healthy in my food decisions and I have recently fallen in love with essential oils to help me deal with aging issues like those darn hormones and pain and my "fluffiness". And boy do they work! I know I should move more but if it involves the word exercise, then I am adversely allergic to it! (I'm looking for an oil for that!..lol) All I know is that if I do my part in keeping healthy then the rest is in Jesus hands and if I find out I am sick or diagnosed with a scary disease or ailment then I know that He will carry me thru the process. My heart is so full for my precious friends who are on a scary ride regarding their health or that of their children.... I wish there was something I could do to heal them but alas I am not a healer. Jesus is! But what He chooses to heal might not be our definition of healing. So today I give Him my health. That no matter what condition my body is in I will lean on Him!
oxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  to my girlfriends near and far who are battling for their lives.......♥

(vintage girlfriends hugging on Pinterest)

Ghost of Christmas Past

On the 14th day of December my daughter gave to me....(my gifts to Jesus)

My Christmas Spirit....... the anticipation of everything Christmas, my love for decorating, the sweetness of traditions, the festive atmosphere, the movies & songs, Jesus laying in a manger ....... the Grinch and Ebeneezer Scrooge.

I love Christmas. I always have. From "Pucki", the elf who visited every year in Japan, where I grew up when I was teeny tiny (the original elf on a shelf), to even hanging the dreaded tinsel on the tree. Oh, how I hate tinsel. (probably because when we had tinsel growing up it was real metal and had to be saved and ironed... yes you heard that right...no wonder I hate it, right?) But everything else about Christmas, I love!  Then when I became a mommy we got to start our own traditions with two precious little boys. Oh what fun we had! This year though, something happened. The Grinch and Ebeneezer Scrooge came in the dark of night and stole my Christmas Spirit. They replaced it with apathy and "ehhh". The whole Christmas experience is changing for me. No more little ones to dazzle, tiny house constraints, working on Sundays, schedules to work around... basically an empty nest... it's been empty for awhile but I am feeling it this year like none other before. So here's where it got special for me last night.... Jesus came and sat with me in the light of the half decorated little chubby Christmas tree while I fussed and complained and cried.. (ok, some of that was due to Hormones). I've always known it but it really hit me last night that Christmas isn't about all the fluff of festivities or traditions or decorating. It's about me and Jesus and discovering once again the crazy, amazing love that Jesus has for me. That God, loved ME so much that he sent Jesus to not only die for me but to sit on my sofa with this hot mess of a woman dealing with a Holiday temper tantrum.

(vintage little girl with scrawny Christmas tree found on the streets of Pinterest)

Bonus photo of my little chubby Christmas tree hunted and gathered by 

my hunka hunka burnin love and littlest sonshine in a rain/sleet storm

Jesus Goggles

On the 13th day of December my daughter gave to me....(my gifts to Jesus)

My critical spirit........ judging, comparing to my set of standards, my way or the highway...

I am pretty gosh darn critical. I hate to admit it but honestly, I am. I have this idea in my head of how something/someone should be and anything that diverts from that idea sparks my critical spirit.  Really?!  How bad is that? Like I am the supreme authority on all things. I am NOT.... But I do know who is and I need to put my Jesus goggles on and see things in His perspective.  Most things that get my grumblings going are so petty and have no consequence in eternal things that it is pretty pathetic. The BIG things are another matter and with love I can see them thru Jesus' eyes. But these dumb little stupid things that get my ire up...these have got to be dealt with!  So today I will put my goggles on, the Jesus ones that filter out the petty things, and smile!... and by using the Texan saying many times "Bless their heart" (but actually meaning it) perhaps my critical spirit will subside and grace will take it's place.

(Little decorating Santa pic by milkandhoneyphotography.ca/ )