Did the twig know it could do this?

So, at the beginning of garden season last year, I decided to try something new. A friend of mine takes her tomato plants and wraps them up with plastic wrap to make mini green houses. As a result, she is able to put them out super early in the season and then get tomatoes early as well.

I tried it. A couple of my tomato plants were OK, a couple of them died right off, and a couple of them were hanging on by a thread. I didn't pull up one of these barely hanging on plants, and I let my marigolds grow up around it.

It was basically a twig in the ground.

Then, at the end of the season, I found this! One lone tomato, decent in size, hanging from the top of that twig. No leaves, no color, and no growth. But on the top, a nice, juicy tomato.

I had another nice, big plant that I think only gave me one or two tomatoes.

Even when you're feeling like you are hanging on by a thread, don't count yourself out. Your influence reaches farther than you know, and more people rely on you than you realize.

And when someone comes along that seems like a better "plant" than you, just remember that looks are deceiving.

Sweet dreams are made of... cheese! Apparently.

How could I not post this picture? Whoever wrote this is pretty sharp. 

And I guess I just want to say...

For those days when you are feeling blue, and you feel like those around you aren't very curd-eous. Remember that others' actions are nacho fault.

You hear swiss all the time, when someone feels they are to blame for someone else's choices. It makes me want to scream! People Colby feeling like this for several reasons, but what it comes down to is it just isn't true.

And one more string: not only are you not responsible for some one else's choices, their choices do not reflect on you.

Que-so, you got this?

True Story: Would you like to pet the bee?

My cousin and I decided to meet at a local garden. We thought the kids would love to see all the pretty floral designs. Personally, I like to feed the fish in this garden's pond. But that is for another post.

At one attraction, where the flowers are planted around a fake carousel, the kids all stopped to admire a cute little bee on the flower. Specifically, the bee pictured above.

My cousin crept close and asked the kids if they wanted to pet the bee.

She was serious! Apparently this wasn't her first encounter with bees and she knew what to do. She reached forward, and gently pet the bee. 

I remember holding my breath, sure that she was about to get stung. Luckily, she didn't. 

Of course I was amazed. I mean, seriously? How can you pet a bee and not get stung?

I thought about being bold and just going for it. How cool would it be to say that I pet a bee? Unless, of course, it stung me. In which case it wouldn't be cool. It would be embarrassing, in fact.

Someone: "Hey Jenelle, how'd you get stung by a bee?"

Me: "Oh, you know, I tried to pet it."

Super embarrassing.

We all know someone that seems to have superpowers. They can handle or accomplish things that you would look at and think, "I couldn't do that," or "I couldn't handle that." And that's OK. We all have our strengths, and my strengths are different than yours. It's OK for us all to have different super powers and weaknesses.

What seems easy to one person, may seem hard to someone else. Like how my cousin could pet a bee and I froze, unable to accomplish what she made look so simple.

Someday I'll tell you about my other cousin and her wild tarantula powers. Again, true story. And again, not a super power that I have. But that is OK.

Um... this is awkward.

Wow. I found this beauty watching me from a bin at Walmart. It had massive, staring eyes and a wide, stalker-like smile. My initial reaction was, "What the... crud?" My second reaction was, "Someone actually took the time to come up with this product?" And my final reaction was to take a picture.

There are lots of people trying to sell us loads of crud. The trick is seeing it for what it really is.  Whether it's a lie, a cover-up, or sometimes someone will want us to do things for the wrong reasons. In this case, it's an over-priced, creepy pillow.

Stare at it for 10 seconds for maximum creep-out effect.

When you feel like a Dandelion

Pictures from www.get2thephoto.blogspot.com

If you ever feel like a dandelion,

One of Many. Small. 

When you start to wonder if you've made a difference in the world. 

When you question your importance.

When you start to feel like the winds in life, your trials, will blow you away. Never to return.

Remember that Dandelions are designed for the wind. And before they know it, their influence is far stretching. 

The one small, "inconsequential" dandelion may not be aware. But how they weathered one storm can plant a whole field around them.

Your ideas, your example, your work, your existence. You will never know how far they have spread. Especially in the wind.

The wind doesn't kill the Dandelion. It turns it into a field.

I could see exactly what was going on...

There has been this weed growing on my neighbor's property, right on the edge of mine. Whenever I'd gotten one of these weeds in my yard, I always found it easy to pull. In fact, it is a weed I enjoy pulling because it always comes out super easily. No hard work, no worry, and no mess. 

Well my neighbor's weed was getting pretty big. Luckily it is one of those flat kinds that spiders out along the ground so it wasn't really noticeable unless you happen to walk past it. So even though it was covering a good portion of their side yard, it wasn't too obvious. 

One day I decided that I was going to be a good neighbor, go over there, and just yank the weed up and throw it away in my can. I was excited, knowing that I could get that massive weed up easily.

So there I went, in my black flip flops and yard gloves to pull the weed. I reached my hand down and started pulling up, only to retract my hand quickly. Something had poked me! And not just a little poke, but one that felt like a small bite.

Weird.

But, I dug back in. Pulled up a little more and poke! Ouch!

I realized that little, mean looking pokies were covering the weed. This wasn't the weed I knew from my yard! This wasn't the weed that never gave me any trouble! This was something else. Something I'd never dealt with before, honestly.

But at this point I'd already pulled enough of it up that I was too involved. I had to continue.

The pokies kept slicing through my gloves and dropping down on the ground around me. They were everywhere, raining down from the weed. Which was fun to clean up, let me tell you.

In the end, my black flip flops were pocked with the little pokies that cut into my feet. See the picture above.

I thought I knew what problem my neighbors were dealing with. I thought I knew exactly what was ailing them. It was a trial that I'd conquered many times with ease, and I thought that there yard would yield the same results.

But in the end, I had no idea. And I wasn't equipped to handle their weed. I didn't go in with the right tools, I wasn't dressed to handle it, and I didn't know what I would be facing. I came away with little hurts of my own.

And all because I could plainly see what my neighbors were dealing with and thought I knew how to handle it. 

                                               

Review: Florence Foster Jenkins

Warning: this post is full of spoilers. If you have any interest at all in seeing Florence Foster Jenkins, don't read this post.


So, I was excited to go see the movie Florence Foster Jenkins. It looked fun, interesting, and like one of those "feel good movies."


On the surface, and what I understood from the trailers, is that the movie is about a woman who wants to sing, but can't. Her attempts to sing, however, are inspiring.


The movie itself was visually beautiful. It was also very well made. No expenses spared.


What I didn't realize before I went to see it, is that the whole movie is about her husband's affair. Yes, the WHOLE movie. If it was purely a show about her singing, they could have had it over in 20 minutes. Instead you were either watching her husbands affair, watching other people find out about his affair, seeing the affects of his affair, or wondering about his affair.


Even while she was singing I was thinking, "But what about his affair?!!"


The worst part is that there was no resolution. There was no "I shouldn't have had an affair" or "Wasn't she an amazing woman for working this out with me" or even a "look at all the things I missed out on because I was wrapped up in my affair."


I felt like the whole point in the husband's character was that he felt like he could be completely devoted and in relationships with both his wife and his girlfriend.


If there was any real resolution, I missed it.


The movie was based on real people. However, not all real couples should be broadcast on the big screen.


The movie was not poorly made. The costumes were great, the characters were interesting. Visually, it was a beautiful movie. I also love Hugh Grant and Meryl Streep. There were many times I laughed out loud, there were many times I enjoyed watching the musical parts.


But the overlying message was awful. Even watching Florence's success at living her dream was dampened by also watching her husband's affair.




So... well made, poor message.

The Help

I just finished reading The Help. by Kathryn Stockett. I think it was one of my all time favorite books. Though I wish I had read it before watching the movie, because I couldn't get the movie out of my head. And, I'll admit, I LOVE the movie.


Aibileen, one of the main characters, finds that she has a talent for helping the children she raises to feel good about themselves. If you've seen the movie, you'll remember her saying:


"You is smart,
You is kind,
You is important."


In the book, she recognises that the more someone hears negative information the more they will believe it. She many times hopes that it isn't too late to teach the little girl she is raising about self-worth and respecting everyone.


I think it is never too late to realize your self worth. Or re-realize your self worth. There will always be the "Miss Hillys" who think they know all. I'm sure you personally know at least one "Miss Hilly" who tries his or her best to assign you the value that they made up.


There will always be people that treat you like that.


But, to quote Kathryn Stockett:


“Ever morning, until you dead in the ground, you gone have to make this decision. You gone have to ask yourself, "Am I gone believe what them fools say about me today?”
― Kathryn Stockett, The Help


And then you just have to live by the mantra, "I am smart, I am kind, I am important."


Wonderful, wonderful book.


If you've never read it, go check it out on Amazon:

Ideas to start forgiving your spouse

Do you have a hard time forgiving others? Or does it come easy to you?

Note: forgiving someone does not mean that you turn a blind eye to the situation. And it does not mean you ignore actions. If someone held up a store, the shop owner could forgive them and at the same time try to get a court to order the robber replace what was taken/damaged. And if someone is an abuser, their victims could forgive them and at the same time get a restraining order. 

A while ago I had someone ask me if it had been hard to forgive a person in my life who had done some serious things. Repeatedly. My answer was no. 

Why? Lots of people have a hard time forgiving others. Especially when they've done something serious. So why was it easy for me to forgive?

Because of a couple of reasons 1) I wanted to forgive. I knew that it would help me heal personally, and I knew that I should forgive. So, I wanted to.

2) I felt bad for this person that made these mistakes. Sure, it was their choice and it was their decision. But I felt bad for all the pain he was causing himself.

3) Grudges aren't worth my time. 

Last Friday I had an article come out on KSL.com, titled: 5 ways to begin to forgive your spouse. I interviewed Lois Haroldsen from loisharoldsen.com and LifeStar and she had some great things to say.

Go check it out for help in forgiving.

 Click here or follow this link: http://www.ksl.com/?sid=41408880&nid=1009&title=5-ways-to-begin-to-forgive-your-spouse

It doesn't need water

This picture is from a dried up river bed. 

But does it need water? Heck no! Just look at it. It looks amazing! So . . . inviting. And healthy looking. 

... yeah right.

This is how people look all the time when they are depriving themselves of something important.

"No, I'm good. I don't need to talk about it."

"No, I'm good. I don't need God."

"No, I'm good. Rest is for losers."

"No, I'm good. Peaceful moments are way over rated."

"Education? Who needs it?"

Or, my personal favorite:

"It's only a porn addiction."

Don't be a dried up river bed. 

It's what's inside a person that matters

Would you like fries with that?

This is your friendly reminder that it's what's inside that matters.

Introducing: Captain Jack Sparrow!

Welcome to the 2nd annual Individual Worth Week! 

To kick off the week, I thought we'd visit Jack Sparrow. Ehem, sorry: Captain Jack Sparrow. 

Ignore the part where he lies and steals (not the best message for individual worth week), and focus on the boat. Or lack there of. Even when things are going south, even when the boat is literally sinking, Jack never lets go of his sense of self. He knows who he is, he has his goals, and he isn't going to settle or put himself down.

Think back to the time when you first saw this movie. The opening shot of Jack standing boldly above the sails, insinuated that he was standing on some grand ship. But why? It isn't like they really showed any of the ship itself. No, you think he's on a grand ship because of the way he is acting, his boldness, his confidence. He is taking what he has and making the best of it, sticking to who he knows he is.

Then he jumps down and you realize that he is in a tiny, sinking boat. I bet you laughed the first time you saw it. And yet, did it lessen your views of Jack? You might have been surprised, but in the end you knew that Jack was serious. That he took himself seriously, and that he had a strong sense of self.

Throughout the movie you know that Jack is a pretty big deal because of the way he treats himself and views himself. Not because of the way others viewed him

Crunch! Shriek! Ewww!

Can you see what is in this picture? Let me zoom in for you.

And that's how my story began . . . the day my visit to the local Lawn and Garden store scarred us.

It was a normal stroll through the garden section until a small, rather cute mammal showed up. A mouse! Just like Angelina Ballerina, Gus Gus, and the Rescuers! 

We jumped backwards, startled. And as the mouse scampered towards us, we kept moving away. It may have been cute, but not cute enough to let it near us.

At that moment, a worker gentleman started to walk past our aisle. "Sir?" I got his attention, "I thought you might want to know that you have a mouse here."

His eyebrows shot up as he started to follow the mouse and he said something like, "Oh! We do!"

He started walking after it, presumably following it to know where to set a trap or something. 

The mouse sped up, not too thrilled about being followed, and tried to scamper away. 

And then, with speed like a cat, the man hopped forward and stomped on the mouse with his boot. 

Crunch.

I repeat.

Crunch.

Now, I don't know if I really heard a crunch, or if it was just my imagination  filling in the blanks. But ewwwww, right?

Crunch!

I shrieked.

Then the man stepped back, picked up the flattened mouse by the tail, and left the guts on the floor.

Sorry I didn't get a picture of that part, but, no. No.

I'm sure we had a look of shock on our faces. It wasn't quite the warm and cozy family experience we were planning for. 

But eventually the experience turned into a story that is fun to tell. And that man probably acted like any farmer would have. And, if nothing else, he was efficient. That mouse was gone instantly!

Do you have any stories like that? Experiences that started out . . . interesting . . . but that you are now able to look back on with a different perspective.

Like maybe that experience made you stronger, or smarter, or more aware, or happier, or more merciful. 

What is your mouse?

Note: No other animals were harmed in the making of this blog post. 

Overcoming Obstacles | Olaf's Frozen Shorts

Repent! Said the old Lady

When I was much younger I had the opportunity to attend church with a group of aging senior citizens with mental deterioration on multiple occasions. It was quite an experience, and very interesting.

One day we were listening to a talk on repentance and an old lady with some kind of mental deterioration stood up, lifted her arms and yelled "Repent! Repent!" Her voice, which was shaky from old age, was firm and determined. She was very intense and serious in her loud admonition. "Repent! Repent!"

I remember some of the workers there reminding her to sit quietly. I wish I could remember how everyone else responded. But multiple times she would start yelling again, calling us to repentance.

The younger me found this kind of amusing. It was a memory that I have always thought back on with curiosity and laughter. The sweet, but crazy, old lady who yelled at us all to repent. It was quite the scene to my young mind.

I often liked to peek my head in to her room and say hello. She was a nice, sweet, and funny lady.

I found out later that she passed away not too long after that.

Every once in a while something will remind me of the time she stood and screamed for repentance and still I found it funny.

Until this last time I thought about it.

The last few years especially I have had a front row seat to what happens to someone when they are riding the downward spiral of bad choices. Especially when they want to pretend that there is nothing wrong with their actions. You just want to pull them out of it and say, "Can't you see that this is tearing you (and often times your family) apart? Stop now!"

But even if you don't have that experience, we all have things we could improve on or change.

Suddenly I saw that old lady's yells as something more than just a funny outburst to be shushed in the name of reverence. Suddenly her hilarious act was thrown into the sharp light of seriousness.

At the end of my life, when my energy is gone, what advice would I give? What will I yell out? What will I hope to teach people? What will be worth my energy to stand up out of my wheel chair and use my shaky breath to yell?

At the end of her life, this old lady plead for repentance. Who knows where her mind was at that point. Was it in the present? Was it somewhere in the past? Who was she really pleading for to repent? Or was it just the general advice that had moved her so much?

Now I look back on her yells as the advice from someone who had lived her life and was close to moving on. After all of those years of living, "Repent" is the message I heard her share. The message that survived the mental deterioration and stood firm in her mind. The message she felt compelled to stand and shout.

Now I hear her echo, "Repent!" And I understand why she would shout it out like that.

True Love and Roxberry

I was talking to a friend a while back, and she was complaining about the way her boyfriend treats her. I told her to go find someone who treats her well. Because, if your boyfriend doesn't respect you, he won't change just because you are married.

I think we all deserve someone who treats us with respect. We all deserve someone who says:

"Of Course I Love You, Now Lets Go Get A Roxberry."

Now that is true love.

If you don't believe me, you've never been to Roxberry and had their P-Nut Butter Blast.

Everyone has problems

Sometimes people feel alone, that they are the only person or family that has do deal with crap or get through hard times. Especially with things like Facebook and Pinterest which frequently give the impression that most of your friends have perfect lives.

Which... is a lie.

Everyone has problems.

The problems are different, of course. Some people have to deal with health problems, others financial problems, or marital problems, etc. etc. etc. Or more likely a combination of hard times.

That's life. Choosing how you get through the hard times.

And apparently, I had no idea how wide spread it was, there is a pandemic of warped feet spreading throughout the world.

Otherwise, how do you explain this:

Or these:

The store was full of them!

:)

So, remember that no matter what hard times you are going through, you are not alone.

Everyone is dealing with something.

Who else doesn't know where their kid is?

Does anyone else not know where their child is for the next month?

Let me explain.

My little sweetheart is on an extended visit with my Ex right now. And if there is one thing that my ex hates, aside from me, it's having to tell me anything. 

The other week I asked him about plans and he litterally started whistling. 

I even have sole legal and sole physical custody, and I still don't know where my sweetheart is.

I've mentioned before that divorce does not solve everything. I still have to deal with secrecy. I still have to deal with deceit (especially in the court room). And I still have to deal with personal attacks. I can't tell you how many times he's told me I'm a bad parent, that I'm crazy, that I'm stupid, that I'm whatever else he wants to call me that day.

Another thing I deal with on a regular basis is the misrepresentation of history. Being told that one thing happened when in fact I know that something else happened.

I mean, seriously? I was there. I saw and heard what happened. On some things I have texts, on some I have e-mails, on some I have computer files that prove my memory is correct. And still I am constantly told that something that isn't even close to the truth happened.

So, what do you do? In all of this, how do I deal with it?

I'll tell you. 1) I always stick to the truth. There will always be people in the world that want to convince you that the truth is a lie and that lies are truth. Don't let them. If you always tell the truth, then the truth is on your side and will help you. There is a peace and protection that only comes with telling the truth.

2) I try to always act respectfully. Even when I am disagreeing with something, or am frusterated. Your interactions can still be respectful durring those times. You can
't be resposible for how other people act, but you are responsible for how you react.

If the whole world would just 1) tell the truth and 2) handle things respectfully, then we would be so much better off.

The sign said walk...

The sign said walk...

True story.

I was standing on the corner of an intersection, waiting for the little blue man to pop up on the crosswalk sign.

When he arrived, and the sign said it was safe for me to go, something else arrived as well.

A train.

A train!

A train arrived at the same time the sign told me to cross the intersection.

I believe this is commonly referred to as a conflict of interest.

Because last time I checked, sharing a crosswalk with a train was not a good idea.

And yet people metaphorically do this all the time. Like with pornography. I heard a gal on the radio yesterday defending the use pornography, even claiming that it had helped some couples.

And I'm sitting here thinking, can't you see the dang train coming down the track?

The train that will inevitably bring unrealistic expectations, a feeling of lessened self worth, and the chance at a raging addiction that takes you to more and more grotesque things with every stop.

At some point the metephorical pornography train makes a surprise appearance at everyone's crosswalk. Sometimes it's a picture that pops up on the internet, something on the tv, a not-so-good friend, or a spouse that brings it into the home.

And at that point, you will have to make a decision. Do you try to beat the train across the walk, do you try to get just close enough to see the train up close, or do you stay firmly on the sidewalk and refuse to play chicken.

If we are talking about an actual train, the answer seems obvious. You don't mess with the train, you stay on the sidewalk.

But talking about something more psychological and emotional, it is amazing how many people choose to try and beat the train.

You can't beat the train. Commit to staying planted on the sidewalk.

Call it what it is: a monkey...or is it an ape?

Not only do I get this song stuck in my head virtually every time I go to the zoo, it is quite educational!

If it doesn't have a tail, it is an ape. If it has a tail, it is a monkey.

Until Larry the cucumber starts applying this concept to everything: comets, cows, etc.

Which I think we all do sometimes. We try to explain others' situations by using our own experiences and knowledge. It doesn't always work.

I do this all the time with my garden. I look at other people's gardens and think, why aren't I getting the same results? I have a monkey, they have a monkey... shouldn't we both have the same thing?

No. Different soils, different gopher and vole problems, different experience levels, etc. will make a huge difference. Which is comforting to know. Your experiences will always be unique to you.

This is a cute video!

What the Canada Fire teaches us about our lives. This fire fact will shock you!

Unless you've been living under a rock somewhere, I'm sure you've heard about the burning fires in Canada.

Massive, massive fires that just keep spreading. Many of them out of control.

But, did you know that fires that look put out can survive underground during the winter?

I know, I know. Crazy, right? Fires are supposed to be put out by all that cold, wet, snow. Right?

According to this article, the fires can last underground through the entire winter. Like burning coals, feasting on peat in the ground. And then next season, up springs the wild fires you thought you got rid of last season.

What a mess!

So many things in our lives are like this wild fire. A habit, an addiction, a specific fight, sadness, a memory, etc. etc. etc. You think you've gotten rid of it, you have a nice, comfy winter and then boom! it strikes again. That same old wild fire that just keeps on coming back.

You know, the firefighters do a couple of things to stop this from happening. They 1) watch for those fires to come back and then do their best to put them out. and 2) if they know where the underground hot spots are, they can basically take a back hoe and rake water into the ground to put out the spot.

For more info, check out this article: http://www.kpax.com/story/31947814/when-wildfires-hide-underground-then-rage-again

"Tomorrow is a new day."

Call it what it is - a bucket of Lard.

It really is just a bucket of lard.

Is this sad news? Maybe. It might have been cooler if it was a bucket of ice cream or something.

But instead it is a bucket of pig fat.

MMMMMMMM......

But, don't  be too disappointed. It is good to be honest about these things and call it what it is. Because now you know what to do with it.

It's like when you hear someone say, "I always knew something was wrong in my marriage, I just didn't know what. And then when I found out my spouse had an addiction, I was devastated. But now I at least know what we are dealing with, which means we know what kind of help we need and we can hopefully figure it out."

It's like you've been eating lard all these years, thinking it was ice cream and wondering why the taste was so wrong.

It doesn't work like that.

Lard will never be ice cream. But, with hard work and a little bit of help, it can become stronger... I mean, it can become a flaky pie crust or yummy fried chicken.

But it will never become stronger... I mean a flaky pie crust or yummy fried chicken...if you keep calling it ice cream.

So, yes. You have a bucket of lard. But at least now you know, and can look forward to a hopefully yummy dinner.

For lard inspiration, visit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/28/cooking-with-lard-baking_n_5212804.html

Have you seen the 2016 Dirty Dozen List?

Have you seen the yearly Dirty Dozen List put out by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation?

The idea is that these dozen companies/organizations are the 12 leading facilitators of sexual exploitation.

HBO, Sexpresso Cafe (shocker that this made the list, right?), and the DOJ are a few of those on the 2016 list.

Follow this LINK and see for yourself. Also, scroll down and see some of the victories from the past Dirty Dozen Lists and NCOSE work!

You have to choose.

"It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad." 

-C. S. Lewis 

Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/cslewis131286.html?src=t_change

You have to choose greatness, you have to choose the good. It won't just happen.

The first step is admitting it.

Wow. I saw this license plate frame the other day and just had to take a picture.

I don't know where to start...

Like that I am 98% sure that the driver of this car is a woman.

Like that this is the worst possible frame to have on your car if you get pulled over.

Like that no one should admit liking a teenage vampire romance THIS much.

But I suppose the first step is always admitting that you have a problem. So, good for them.

Now is the next step taking a refresher drivers ed class or joining a book club...

In case of fire, use the stairs?

When there is a fire, you aren't supposed to take the elevator.

You are supposed to take the stairs, and keep moving.

They even put up signs that say this very thing!!!!

Dare I suggest that it is the same thing for our trials?

Do we need to give healing, growth, and goals their due diligence? Take the time and focus needed to get it right? Of course keep moving, but doing it with purpose?

This is just my opinion, but...

Of course there are times we need to move fast, even in times of trial.  Just make sure you are holding on to the rail, either way. :) 

My personal rail is made up of prayer, scripture study, family, and hope.

What do you think? Are you a stairs or elevator kind of person?

And what is your rail made up of?

2016 Fake Therapy Week Day 5: When your problems come along, you must . . .

And finally, for our last day of Fake Therapy week, we end with some of the most solid advice I have ever heard. From Doctor . . . Devo?

Sometimes, in life, a problem comes along. And you'll need to remember to whip it. To whip it good.

2016 Fake Therapy Week Day 4: Smile

Welcome to the fourth day of this year's fake therapy week! Today I leave you with one quote:

"Smile, it's free therapy." - Douglas Horton

2016 Fake Therapy Week Day 3: "Death Therapy"

Last year we visited "Doctor Leo Marvin" (From What About Bob), and this year we are happy to welcome him back to our Fake Therapy Week!

Note: Death therapy might get you life in prison or maybe even the firing squad. It isn't actually a thing.

However, finding a way to conquer your fears can be a good thing, right?

That depends on what your fear is, I suppose. 

Fears:

Fear of hard work :            Conquer it!                - Hard work brings better things

Fear of 1970's music:        Don't conquer it         -Don't bother. It isn't worth it.

Fear of failure:                   Conquer it!                -If you don't try, you won't succeed

Fear of man buns:              Don't conquer it         -Man buns are truly disturbing

Fear of Spiders:                 Conquer it!                 -That thing is like, 1 bazillionth your size. Step on it!

Just my opinion. :) 

2016 Fake Therapy Week Day 2: When Support Groups Go Bad!

Welcome to day 2 of Fake Therapy Week! Today we are visiting the toy support group led by . . . the mermaid?

I once went with a friend to her any and all issue support group (She was nervous to go, and I was the emotional support). I was shocked! The group leader had no qualifications, and the session turned into one big complain against religion meeting.

I was sick inside. What kind of support group was that? 

There are all kinds of support groups. Everything from support groups for people who have lost a spouse, to support groups for people who are adopting, etc. etc. etc.

It isn't therapy. It's a support group. It may be therapeutic, but it isn't therapy. In my opinion. 

The point should be to uplift, support, and maybe give ideas.

My personal view is that you shouldn't stay in a toxic support group. If I were to find a support group for gardeners who hate weeds and I got there and the whole session turned into people always blaming their problems on garden gnomes, I would leave. Why would I waste my time with that?! And then I'd go find a gardeners support group that focused on finding ways to weed your garden happily.

I'm just saying.

2016 Fake Therapy Week Day 1: "I'm a veritable cornucopia of high octane maladies..."

Welcome to the first session of this year's "Fake Therapy Week!"

Today we are joining "Nurse Mackaroy's" group therapy session.

Watch the video and then we'll talk...

"Goodness! I've never encountered a patient who suffers from so many diseases that don't exist."

-Nurse Mackaroy

Haha! So funny. 

And then in the end, to convince her that he really does have issues, he tells her that he's from the future.

...

Here's the thing. Even the most normal of normal person in the world is a "veritable cornucopia of high octane maladies." 

Whether they be big or small issues, we are all figuring something out. Like, maybe you aren't a good listener (I believe that is called Earsclosed-a-titis). Or maybe you are grieving over the loss of a loved one, maybe you have insecurity, you may be overwhelmed by a situation. Maybe you are having a rough time at work or school. Maybe you wish you weren't an introvert. Maybe you are stressed, sad about something, impatient.

That's life. We all have things we are dealing with. I mean, who hasn't had issues at work or school, right?

It's normal.

Take a deep breath, and don't feel the need to tell people you are from the future just so they will care about what you are going through.

6 important steps in quitting porn

Have I told you recently that LifeStar therapy is amazing? They help so many people who are struggling with the effects of sexual addiction, they offer a life line to both addicts and their families.

Recently LifeStar published an article, "How To Quit Porn, 6 Important Steps To Breaking Your Addiction." 

I would highly recommend this article, whether you or your loved one are at the beginning of breaking this addiction, or are somewhere in the middle.

It is a good reminder of hope, that with some elbow grease anything is possible, and that you don't have to go through the rest of your life with this awful addiction.

It can be overcome.

It can be conquered.

Read the article and let me know what you think!

Penguins - Enjoy the swim

This is my video that I posted to YouTube.

While trying to fly, don't forget to enjoy the swim!

How cute are these penguins?!!!

"Dang," thought the cat

The cat clung to the branch, praying that it didn't start to rain. Again.

That had been the worst, really. The cold, wet rain that fell without notice and without mercy. Being up in the top of the tree, sitting on a branch that could barely hold the weight was punishment enough. And now it had to rain, too?

"Dang," thought the cat. "I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for the rain, I didn't ask for the fear of falling. And I sure didn't ask for an empty stomach."

The lady from the nearby house had left a can of tuna below the tree, hoping that the smell would lure the cat down from the high perch.

"That's just mean," the cat meowed to himself. "She's forcing me to look at this food when she knows full well I can't reach it."

As the day wore on, and word of the cat's predicament spread through the neighborhood, all sorts of humans came to gawk at the cat and ask questions. 

"What got him up there?"

"Is the branch strong enough to hold him?"

And the most important, "How is he going to get down?"

The cat rolled his eyes, "Of course I know how I got up here. It was innocent, really. That trunk just looked so enticing. So interesting. So I explored it, of course. After all, I am a cat. But then I saw the first branch. I knew that had to be better than the lowly trunk, so I jumped. Just like any cat would. Each branch had a better looking branch above it, so I kept jumping and climbing."

"There is no problem with jumping and climbing. I've heard that's normal for a cat."

"And I know that I can get down. I know that I can go back. But it scares me. Even though I see the tuna waiting for me, I can't bring myself to do it. Besides, there is no reason to get down. I'm up here in this tree, and I am comfortable. Really. No really, I am."

"I wouldn't call this being stuck, I'd call it . . . a life choice."

Bit by bit, his stomach slowly began to growl louder. Drop by drop, the rain slowly began to fall. Little by little, the branch slowly started to crack. 

He would have to get down. The whole time wishing he had never gone up.

Today the cat spends its time sponsoring other cats and teaching about the dangers of trees. 

"She laughs a lot"

I saw this apron in a store the other day and loved it! Because you don't have to be perfect to be happy. Which, frankly is a good thing. Because none of us are perfect.

Of course we should all aspire to not have "sticky floors," but there is joy to be found along the way.

Betrayal in the produce section!

I go to the kitchen and decide to eat a plum. I can't wait to bite into the plump, juicy fruit! As I go to wash it and take off the sticker, I find this!

This happens to me ALL THE TIME. It makes me so mad. I've decided that the produce companies do this on purpose. If a piece of fruit has a blemish, they'll cover it up with the sticker if at all possible. Thus my seemingly perfect snack is actually mushy and sick looking.

People do this to themselves all the time too. We naturally want to cover up our flaws and imperfections so that we seem as perfect as possible. 

But there is not flaunting your trials, and then there is covering them up to try and trick someone.

I've been betrayed by a plum!

But don't worry, not all is lost. The produce section isn't completely out of hope. I'll be more careful in the future, that's for sure. Maybe check under the stickers from now on. But a lot of good plums come out of the produce section too. Not all plums have a mushy spot under their sticker.

You Are Worth it to Him

Advice from my Future Self

A few years back, sitting in a meeting for the Spouses of Addicts, I was having a very rough time with some devastating news I had just learned. This news was a game changer, an escalation, a crossing of a line that should never have been crossed. It was the time period in which I found out that the situation I was in was so much worse than I thought it was before.

I mean, I knew it was bad before. I knew that things weren't good. But this news changed everything. 

I remember sitting in this meeting, a huge range of emotions going through me. 

Disappointment. Sadness. Shock.

Plus, I wondered if there would be more news. More things I didn't know about.

And yes, yes there was. But that is not a part of this story.

Obviously I can't tell you what happened in that meeting. But there came a point where I imagined meeting my future self and what advice she would give me.

I bawled.

Because my future self knew how sad I was. What I had imagined was not going to be. The future I had hoped for was not going to be. I had learned that my family had entered into a dangerous area, and I knew that nothing would ever be the way I had dreamed it would end up.

No rocking chairs on the porch kind of feeling.

Picturing my future self, she was calm. She knew the situation, she knew what I was going through, and she had survived it. She knew, just as I did, what direction things were going in.

Like I said, I bawled.

Now that I am "the future self," I would still tell my past self to be strong. To pray, to stay close to God.

And now what would my future self tell me? Honestly, the same things.

I have a guess that if any of us were to meet our hopeful future selves they would say the same thing.

I know what you are going through. I've literally been there, in your shoes. But I survived it, I prayed and asked God to guide my decisions. I stood firm in the places I needed to stand firm, I changed what needed to be changed. It won't be easy, but you can do it. You'll have plenty of opposition if you are doing the right thing, but you can do it.

Life is not about trials, It's about the decisions you make in getting through them.