Random Thoughts of a Supersmock

I was dropping off my daughter at school this morning.   As she was getting out of the car, I said "Goodbye, have a great day." Her reply nothing.  I then said "I love you!" Her reply nothing.  I pulled away like... Wow. Now, I wasn't aware that I did anything specific to make my daughter angry or give her grounds to be rather rude but mornings aren't her favorite and the teenage moods are the real deal. Most of the time I am able shake off these kind of hurts (or at least put them in the closet for the devil to use later) but as a pulled away this morning from her school, I was kinda sad.  Then I was kinda mad.  Sad, that her attitude made me feel unimportant or disrespected. Mad that she's somewhat ungrateful and selfish.  I'm not a perfect mother (person) and I'm sure I slammed the door without saying anything to the people in my life.. Often .  But in that moment I realized that your attitude can really effect people... Both positive...

Every now and then, things don't go my way. Well, if I'm being honest, it seems to happen more often these days. Between trials, setbacks, disappointments, frustrations, and unexpected challenges, it sometimes feels like life has been serving up a little bit of everything lately. The other day, Google Music created a playlist for me called "Shake It Off." At first, I laughed. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that's exactly what I've been needing to do. There are times when I feel like I'm growing closer to Christ, becoming more patient, more trusting, and more focused on Him. Then something happens and I get knocked down a few pegs. It's as if the world wants me to become cynical. It wants me to be angry, bitter, discouraged, or depressed. And honestly, some days it's tempting. But whether I need to shake it off or simply refuse to be shaken , I know I can't stay in that place. I've found one of the best ways to shak...

Lately at work, I've been feeling like that dead office plant. You know the one sitting in the corner, all wilted, dried up, and barely hanging on. It's surprisingly easy to feel malnourished and deflated. For a plant, it's a lack of water and sunshine. For people, it's often a lack of encouragement, support, and motivation. I love buying plants. I love when they're full, green, and thriving. The problem is, I'm not always great at keeping them that way. Recently, I came across a checklist for growing healthy plants: Know your plants. Make sure the containers or pots are big enough. Provide the right amount of sunshine. Water them only as often as needed. Fertilize them. Check on them regularly. Keep pests away. As I was reading the list, I realized how much of it applies to being a manager. Know your employees. Make sure they're in positions where they can grow and flourish. Encourage and motivate them. Provide constructive feedback. Pay them fairly. Che...

Almost 28 years ago, I remember my mom waking us up one morning to tell us that my Uncle Larry had died. I can still remember trying to piece it all together and grasp the idea of life and death. My uncle was only 26 years old and was probably one of the most mild-mannered people I had ever known. I was confused and heartbroken. As the details gradually unfolded, I learned that my uncle had been out coon hunting when a juvenile neighbor, whom I'll call Steve (not his real name), stabbed him near the heart. My uncle died on the way to the hospital. Apparently, Steve didn't like my uncle and had gone out of his way to make life difficult for him. What made the situation even harder for many people to understand was that Steve was the son of a local preacher. I never went to the trial and was shielded from most of the conversations surrounding it. I remember bits and pieces from the news and snippets of conversations between the adults around me, but much of it was beyond my unde...

New year's... It's the time of year you say to yourself I'm going to do x, y, z... This year  it's been a major time of reflection. I keep asking myself "what am I doing?" I love being self-aware,  but every now and then I become clueless on what I'm doing any who I am. I keep going through life thinking I need to check the ALL of the boxes.  Or at least see many as I can. Get married ☑️ check.  Have kids but ☑️ check. Get a job ☑️ check.  Drive a race car ☑️ check. Lately I feel like I'm missing something really important.  My propose seems all jumbled and hodge podged. Time is also against me as it seems I'm running out of it.  It's flying by and I'm aging way too fast.  They say you get to fully enjoy life when you're retired but I'm selfish and I want it now. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a "Martha". - 100% I'm trying to make sure the meal gets prepared, complain I'm the only ...

It's FAR too easy to jump on the band wagon ... My son was recently learning about idioms and the bandwagon is a pretty famous one. In 19 century America, the bandwagon was a wagon that carried a group of musicians.  People often followed them preceding a parade or some performance.  Since then it's become an effect where people uptake a certain belief, idea, fad, or trend.  It's the individual following or adopting those things mostly because it's present and looked entertaining. I often find myself caught jumping on and off certain bandwagons.   I'm easily attracted to the songs and tunes of said bandwagon.  Oh that clever devil... I'm certainly caught between staying in the path Jesus calls us to and the path that the world follows... The one that says I should be, do, have... Be something special, do something grand, and have all the things my heart desires. Jesus doesn't promise his road is easier... He doesn't promise the worl...

I'm constantly reminded how good God has been to me and my family. Not long after our daughter was born we really struggled financially.  We always lived within our means and didn't go out and buy things we didn't really need.  We didn't go on fancy vacations or drive expensive cars. We didn't live in a giant house. My husband worked as a contractor at IBM and each year for three years they gave him a pay cut. We were told to just be grateful he still had a job and did what we could. I was pretty financially savvy so I bought things from yard sales and thift stores.  I used coupons and bought items on sale.  Sometimes I would gather up anything that we could sale at a yard sale just to have money for groceries that month.  We never asked anyone for help because no one really had the means to help us and we made due. When we didn't have any savings or any extra money in the budget, I was struck with the notion we needed to give money to the...