Frosting

I love frosting. In fact, I could do without the cake and just eat the frosting. The sweeter the better. Frosting goes on last when making a cake. It is the best part, the sweetest, it is the part that completes the cake and makes it pretty. My youngest daughter is our Frosting. She is the sweetest, the part that completes our family, and the part that makes us pretty. 

Tomorrow is Frosting's birthday. Today we made her cake together. She asked me how I learned to decorate cakes and I told her that her Nannie taught me. I told her that Nannie made my birthday cakes and when I grew up she gave me her bag of cake decorating stuff and now I am making our birthday cakes. Frosting was dazzled and said we had been making cakes for generations :) Yes, Precious, we have. Then she said she would be able to make cakes for her children one day with the bag of stuff handed down. 

When we were discussing which decorating tip makes what shape for a cake, it was pointed out by Frosting that most of the tips don't look like what they are intended to produce when frosting is squirted through them. We are like God's decorating tips. We are walking around here on earth looking like one thing when we were made to make another when God squirts His frosting through us. Do we lay dormant in the bag because we don't know what we make?  Or do we take a leap of faith and realize that if we allow God to make us uncomfortable and squeeze His frosting through us that we will make beautiful things in His time and His plan. 

Happy Birthday Frosting!  You are my sweet!  The Icing on our family cake!

Thank you so much for reading my blog! Don't forget to hire me to speak at your next event!  I would love to be there!

Jennifer

Body Image

I haven't blogged in a while.  That doesn't mean I haven't had any thoughts, it means that I have been spending the summer with my children being home.  It was a wonderful summer.  I thoroughly enjoyed my college girl being home for the summer as well as no schedules and lots of fun.  Anywho, the kids are back in school and my thoughts will be back on paper.

I love to thrift shop.  My youngest and I were at Goodwill Saturday when a random woman walked up to me and said, "I don't mean to be weird, but you have the prettiest legs of anyone I have ever seen. They are the prettiest shade of brown and they have a gorgeous shape."

Well I handled that comment by thanking her and smiling but it plagued my mind for the rest of the day.  These are things that went through my head:
Did she notice the cellulite I am getting on my thighs?
Did she see how fat my upper legs have gotten in the past year?
Did she notice how flabby my belly is and the brown spots that are forming on my face from age?

And then I realized something very important.  I should quit picking myself apart in the mirror and start appreciating God's creation.  God made me just the way I am and I take care of myself and I feel good and am healthy.  Each age spot appearing on my face is a mark of a life well lived.  Each dimple of cellulite is a beacon of time well spent with kids, with family, with friends.  I should get off the scale and do my best to eat and exercise in moderation and stop micromanaging my appearance in the mirror.  Acceptance.  Appreciation of who I am and what I look like.


By no stretch of the imagination am I stating that I feel bad about myself regularly.  I don't.  I have enough self esteem to share with the free world.  But I do get aggravated with my reflection from time to time especially now that each day it seems a new mark of age has shown up somewhere on my body.
Here is the bottom line for me and you.  We need to be happy with who we are.  Accept ourselves for the shape and frame God gave us.  He created us to be salt to the earth and a city that is set on a hill.  Salt and cities come in all shapes and sizes just like we do.  New York City is big and bold and Woodbury Tennessee is small and rural.  Kosher salt is big and iodized salt is small.  All have great purpose and have their own special qualities to bring to our world.  People also have all shapes and sizes and all have a great individual purpose.  May we all focus more on our purpose than our shape.  To the lady who complimented my legs and Goodwill, Thank you.  Thank you more for the lesson than the compliment.

Have a fabulous day and thanks for reading my blog!
Jennifer

A Life of Purpose, Even in the Elderly Years

Don't let aging get you down.  It's too hard to get back up.-John Wagner

As you get older, three things happen.  The first is your memory goes, and I can't remember the other two...-Sir Norman Wisdom

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.-Lucille Ball

You know you are old when you don't pinch an inch on your waist anymore, you can pinch it on your forehead.-Unknown

I'm so old they cancelled my blood type.-Bob Hope

Oh to be 70 again!-Unknown

A stockbroker told me to buy a stock that pays dividends every year.  I said at my age I don't even buy green bananas.-Unknown

Doesn't pay to get old.-Unknown


As you age, you feel like everything is falling apart, you can't do what you used to, and you are slow.  What is your purpose in the fall and winter of your life?  If you look at the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew Chapter 5, Jesus starts out speaking of the Beatitudes.  He then speaks of us being the salt of the earth, a candle on a candlestick, and a city that is set on a hill.

What does it mean to be the salt of the earth?  Salt on our food gives it flavor and saves us from bland tastes.  In the same way, we are commanded to be the flavor to those around us.  Jesus says we would not light a candle and put it under a bushel.  But on a candlestick and it gives light to all who are in the house.  We are that candle.  We should be on a candlestick, not hidden for no one to see.  A city on a hill can not be hidden.  We are to be that city.  I am suggesting that in all phases of our lives we have purpose.

This life isn't about us.  It isn't about whether we can walk or clean our homes or remember what we did yesterday.  It is about being salt of the Earth giving it flavor and glorifying God even in our elderly years.

Elderly people bring light to my life.  They help me keep focus as I raise my children.  They keep me on track as I strive to serve God.  They give me an opportunity to serve God through my job at the old folks home by helping them walk, helping them get things they need, or taking them to the doctor.  If there were not elderly people who need help then we younger people would be deprived of the opportunity to serve.

As you grow older you have unique ability to be a light to those around you.  To be a city that is set on a hill.  You do this with declining health.  You become someone who teaches young people how to be humble and kind.  You have purpose.

Titus 2:2-6

English Standard Version (ESV)

2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

We are all actors in God's screenplay.  He has a purpose for all of us in every phase of our lives.  But what about my mother-in-law?  She is in a skilled nursing facility with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Disease, and has had a stroke.  The doctors said she would most likely not walk again.  She has not known who we are in quite some time.  She is bedridden and doesn't speak coherently any more.  What is her purpose? She gives others the opportunity to serve God and minister by caring for her basic needs.  

Matthew 25:31-46

New International Version (NIV)

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fireprepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

In the above passage, we learn that Jesus wants us to minister to those who are hungry, thirsty, need clothing, sick or in prison.  In other words, take care of basic needs for those who can't care for themselves.  So if there were not elderly people in beds or any person who is in need, then the younger folks would have no one to learn from, minister to, or ability to do something for God.

So if you are elderly, may you  never sit and wonder why you are still here.  You are here for God's purpose.  God wants us all to be servants and also to give other servants opportunity to serve.

Thank you so much for reading my blog.  Subscribe in the box to the right by putting in your email address.  You will receive an email each time there is a blog update.  Also, please visit my website and have me come speak live at your next event!

Have a great day!
Jennifer

The Day I Wanted to Strangle Someone

I work at an assisted living facility. I drive the bus to transport residents to doctor's appointments, Walmart, etc. As I have grown accustomed to be transportation extroidenair, I have learned that I am an advocate for those who sometimes can't advocate for themselves. Which brings me to today's blog post. I had a situation this past week that made me want to strangle someone.  I will change the names and some of the content as not to violate any HIPPA regulations. The point is still the same. 

I arrived at work to check the transportation schedule for the day. I had to take a resident to the doctor. The resident has an injury that causes them to have memory issues and wander. They can't be left alone. 20 minutes before it's time to leave I try to find the resident to no avail. I got help to find them. Finally, I found the resident who had no recollection of an appointment that day and got them to the bus. By the time we drove to the doctor's office, we were 20 minutes late. (I left out a large part of what I went through to round up the resident). I walked them up to the desk, signed them in, only to have the receptionist say to us, "Oh I am sorry. You are late and we can't see you today."  

Now I have sat in almost every waiting room in Hendersonville, Gallatin, and Goodlettsville and I have waited with residents for up to 2 hours to see a doctor but I am late and this doctor won't see them?!  They have NO IDEA what we went through to get there 20 minutes late. It wasn't planned. We did the best we could to get there. I WANTED TO STRANGLE THE DOCTOR.  How has our society become to insensitive to the plight of others?!

To the rude waitress, maybe she is having marital problems. To the inattentive child, maybe they are watching their mother battle cancer. To the boy who is in special education, maybe he is the best electrician you could ever know. The list goes on and on. Tolerate others and have compassion on them. We all have a story. 

I would like you all to know that the doctor's office that turned us away for being late was Dr. Cruz, a neurologist in Hendersonville at Hendersonville Medical Center. DO NOT go to this doctor. They have no patience with neurological problems because they turned away a resident who had neurological problems because they were late due to their neurological problem. 

I stayed mad about this the rest of the day. The poor resident had no idea why we rode over there and right back. 

May we all be more tolerant of others. Most people are not intentionally late, mean, disconnected or rude. Everyone has a story. Try to understand even if you don't have the facts. 

Thank you for reading my blog!!  And don't forget to hire me to speak at your next event! Visit my website at www.funthoughtsonlife.com

Be Kind to Others,

Jennifer 

Fun Things to Do with Little or No Money

This year has been a whirlwind.  I am so glad that today is the last day of school.  I love summer.  I love every season, but I love summer because my children are home.  I am especially excited this summer because my oldest is home from college.  It is a treat to have her around.  I missed her.  I am also excited because I am not working 5 days a week.  I love my "job" at the old folks home, but I am a stay at home mom.  Someone asked me what I do the other day and I said, "I am a stay at home mom."  Then someone else who was with us said, "You drive a bus."  Well, yes I do, and I am also a teacher by degree, but I am a stay at home mom.  It is all I ever wanted to be.  You see, my priority is my children.  If you think about priorities as balls, Family is a glass ball.  Work, Time to Myself, Friends, Activities, Demands, They are all rubber balls.  They bounce when they are dropped.  Family is a glass ball and it breaks when you drop it.

I have many fun things planned for my family this summer.  If you spend your life looking forward to the big vacation then you will spend 51 weeks of your life disappointed.  I choose to savor the little things.  Last year I wrote a blog on fun things to do with the family on little or no money.  I deserves a reread this year as summer is here.  Here is a link to it.

http://funthoughtsonlife.blogspot.com/2013/06/fun-things-to-do-with-little-or-no.html

I would like to add a few things to that list for this year.  I am going to take my children to Burgess Falls in Sparta, Tennessee.  I have heard great things about it.  Here is a link to check it out.http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/burgess-falls

A trip to Rock City is a quick drive from Nashville and is something any age child would love.
http://seerockcity.com/

The Frist Art Museum is free on Mondays and I plan to take my children there this summer.  Even if you go on another day besides Monday, youth aged 18 and under are always free.
http://fristcenter.org/

Regardless of what you do with your family this summer, remember that the family ball is glass.  Treat is accordingly.  I wish you all the best summer ever!  I know I plan to have that with my family.

Don't forget me when you need a speaker for your next event!  Check out my website at http://www.funthoughtsonlife.com/ for more information and how to contact me!


Enjoy!
Jennifer

The Best Advice I Ever Received

I have been working on a book for close to a year now. At this point, I am not convinced that I am a book writer. Life gets in the way of long term writing. If God wants me to finish the book then it will happen. If not, then my children will have a nice memoir of their mother someday and her musings. It takes a lot of time to sit down and write a book. And the problem for me is I feel like my thoughts are all random. To put them into a book seems more like a toilet book or a coffee table book that would be something people would read while on the toilet or sitting for a moment. 

And then there is the topic of what to name the book. Fun Thoughts on Life?  Uniquely Genius?  Everyday Extraordinary?  These are things that keep me up at night. I feel that if I had a title, it would all flow. I think that God doesn't require a name right now. I think he says, "write it and don't worry about what it will be called. I will let you know when it's time. It will all make sense soon."  

My "job" is what is getting in the way of finishing the book right now. I don't have enough time to keep it flowing and the chapters coming when I am focused on driving Blue Hairs to doctor's appointments and Walmart. It's where God has me right now and I like it. So I feel like He doesn't need me to finish the book right now. He needs me to feed those who can't feed themselves. I'm ok with that. 

The best advice I ever got was from an elderly lady in a fabric store. I wish I could remember who she was but I can't. What I do remember was what she told me. She was looking for fabric for a quilt. I stated to her that someday I wanted to make a quilt. I said I would wait until my children are grown because now I can make clothing for them and want to focus on that and not worry about a quilt. She said, "Honey, if you want to make a quilt, make one now. Look at my hands. I said the same thing when I was young like you and now that I have time to make a quilt, I can't because my hands are crippled with arthritis. Whatever you want to do along the way, do it then. For tomorrow may never come, and if it does, you may not be able to do it."

I have never forgotten that advice, made a quilt at that time and now have no desire whatsoever to make a quilt. So I am glad I took her advice and did it when I wanted to. There are quite a few other things I have done when I had the chance. I'm still working on the book, but it is slower going than I ever wanted it to be. I am going to be like Nike and Just Do It when I want to because I may not be able to later when I have more time. 

Seize the day today and do something you always wanted to do. Let me know what you do!

Thanks for reading my blog. Please subscribe in the box at the right. If you are on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom and click on "view web version". Then you will see the box at the right. 

Also, don't forget to hire me to speak at your next event!  I can speak on your topic of mine. Visit my website at www.funthoughtsonlife.com for more information!  

Jennifer

Tattoos

I love tattoos. I don't have a single one and I would not get one. There are several reasons why I would't get one. First is that I never could decide what I would want to have for the rest of my life. I think if I like to rearrange my furniture I would decide that I don't like my tattoo anymore and it would be permanent. I also would never get one out of respect for my mother. She would flip if I got one. 

But I really like certain tattoos and people who are covered up in them don't scare me. I like their company. Some of the nicest people I know are covered in tattoos. If you turned my skin inside out I am covered in tattoos too. I think they are cool. Something that bothers me lately is that I think we are judgemental towards those who have a lot of tattoos. This trendy look of 2000 will be what the generation of war veterans who are now in their 70's-90's who have the pin up girl on their forearm or the Marine Coat of Arms on their bicep. It's normal to see an elderly man with their military tattoo. So many have them. The same will be true of the tattoo styles of today. It will be normal to see a heavily tattooed elderly person because many folks will be in that catagory in 30-50 years. 

Tattooing is also keeping our artists employed and making money. Artists have difficulty finding steady work and income. Their canvas is skin. Some tattoo artists may have been starving artists if not for the trend of tattoos. 

I am suggesting that we refrain from passing judgement on people who have tattoos nowadays. Most of them are the nicest people out there. And some of the most judgemental people fill our church pews on Sunday. If Jesus came back today I am convinced he would not darken the door of the church building. He would be in the tattoo parlors and on the streets mingling with the people, the lost. Not suggesting tattooed people are lost, just saying that I think Jesus would be out among the people instead of filling the church pews. Maybe we should be more like Jesus and mingle among the people in addition to worshipping with the congregation. 

May we all be less judgemental today.  Thank you for reading my blog. Please subscribe in the box to the right to receive updates when I write a new blog. 

Jennifer