Tumbleweed Love......

Do you see what I see?   Tumbleweeds galore...

Tumbleweeds, Cactus, and mesquite bushes....I saw PLENTY of them this past weekend..

Sam needed to make a business trip this past weekend to South Texas and he asked if I would like to go.   Of course!!!!!....was my answer.  

I really never knew that South Texas had so many miles of NOTHING!  One thing that I realized was that Texas is a much bigger state than what I have believed it to be...all these years.

I hear people say that they love the Hill Country...they love South Texas....They love the cactus and the rock!!! 

 (I) can not say that I even half way LIKE this kind of landscape and I would definitely not want to live there.   

Back to the tumbleweeds....It amazes me how these plants are rooted into the ground.  Rooted, well enough to absorb all that it needs to grow to be a huge, strong plant.  

And then....the wind blows and they are suddenly turned loose to blow wherever it is that the strong winds take them.   While they may be fun to see, most are unwanted and considered to be a big nuisance for most people.  

If we look deep enough.....We can always find some kind of goodness in everything.   Even the most wanted things are beautiful when given enough attention and love. 

I suppose I should have stopped and gathered a few tumbleweeds....I don't think anyone would have noticed if some were missing...

What do you think??

Shug 

The Wintered Tree.....

In the midst of the deep Winter, I find, myself to be captivated by the character of big trees....

It is clear to see the manner of hardships that a tree endures throughout it's limited life span.  A naked tree clearly validates the insult of how our "Seasons" shape a tree's character.

I am able to recognize that like a tree....WE too have many twist and turns in our life. We even have "seasons in life" to endure. Sure, we have seasons as in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.....but what I am referring to....are the seasons in our life that bring us to the top of the mountain or sometimes in the depth of a valley. 

 In the Winter months, secrets of a tree are distinctly revealed....Leaves have fallen and there is nothing that can hide the spindly, broken and sometimes dead branches of a tree. Nor, can each rough knot be disregarded.   

Yet, a tree continues to grow and it is during the season of Hope that....God covers each branch with a bounty of lush green leaves.  Once again....It's beauty is restored.   

Just like the tree....We are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. During our difficult times....if we learn to wait on the Lord, HE will once again cover us with Joy and Peace...

Each wintered tree has a different story to tell....Just the same as you and I.....

Wishing you all a beautiful week ahead...

blessings,

Shug ~

We are a Family.....

Hey Y'all......I have something wonderful to report.......It's has been 
snowing here this afternoon!  How exciting is that?  

This is exciting for us here in Chandler, Texas!!  

The only issue??   The beautiful flakes are melting as fast as they hit the ground. 

The ground is warm......the streets are warm and our temp is hovering around the 32 degree mark...

The kids are excited.....I'm excited.

****************

This is a must for me.....I definitely (Need) want this sign.

A supportive, loving family is of the essence when it comes to having an advantage in this life.   Did you notice that I did not say MONEY is the core of having an advantage in life??

 I do admire people who are able to succeed  even though they have not had an abundance of encouragement from home.

 There are many lessons to be learned in this journey we call life......    It is of the utmost importance to learn  Right from Wrong.  The Right way to treat people....the Right way to be honest.....the Right way to have a forgiving heart.   The wrong way is when we intentionally hurt others, when we lie, when we cheat.....when we lose respect for ourselves.

 LOVE AND RESPECT......THESE TWO GO HAND IN HAND!   When we learn to LOVE....we learn to appreciate...we learn to have honor and we learn to be humble.

FAMILY.......helps us to grow into happiness!!  Loving parents teach their children about serving  God, they set examples for living the way God has ordered us to live.  Truth, security, loyalty, believing in one another.....trusting,  these are the attributes that make a family strong......what makes a house a HOME!!

I will admit.....our family is sometimes Loud......and are very PROUD!   We have tons of

Fun....together...    We laugh together, we cry together and we

always put God at the Center of our lives.

YES........I........NEED this sign!!

Big hugs to all of you.......

Shug ~~

Voice of the Day

We are Blessed by the Grace of God......

It was a late night for this girl....My precious dad was living in a different date and time from the rest of us. I had to spend some time helping him understand that his brother (who passed away some 20 years ago) was no longer here. Lol...  I do have to laugh ..... if not I would cry because of the devastating deterioration of his mind caused by this horrible disease!  

I suppose we all have voices that speak to us on occasion.  Like me for example.....I have several voices speaking to me this morning!  

(Don't click the OFF page......YET)  let me explain!

First of all, I have the voice of laziness whispering comforting words in my ears.   Like:  "It's ok to do nothing today...It's cold outside....grab some food, curl up on the sofa, watch TV, take a nap...BE LAZY"
                       "You Deserve It!!"

The voice of kindness is knocking on my heart.....
"Get up...bake some cookies....share them with friends."    "Do Something Kind for someone today!"

I hear the sound of the IRS saying:  "Don't be late on your tax return."  "Get it DONE."

It seems that I can clearly here noises radiating from my utility room....."Laundry....Stinky, Smelly Laundry......do the laundry!!"

Yet....I'm thinking of that creative spirit that lives within me.  Begging me to allow my imaginative expressions to flow.......    I'll give this one a A+

My mind is racing....it's soaring....gears are spinning!!

Which voice will influence me the most today?

Hmmm....  we shall see!!!

God is Good and Life is Beautiful!!

shug ~