Is it ever going to be possible for me to attend the temple without it turning into an episode of "As the World Turns"?
Sometimes I swear my life is not my own... it's just a skin I slip into in order to experience a form of holographic reality. I'm probably in a coma on a distant planet with tubes and wires hooked up to me enjoying my 'life' via some kind of video interface to my brain.
Just call me Borg.
The weathermen were all in league with the devil trying to keep me from getting out with Beth to attend the temple. Forecasts of dire snow, ice, sleet and every other type of wintry precipitation threatened to derail the trip. Schools were being delayed or cancelled before the first flake or frozen drop left the skies.
Jared can't be left alone with Gypsy at the house!! Neither are trustworthy and both would blame the other for the raucous party that would take place in my absence should school be cancelled and I decide to forge ahead with my own plans.
Of course, I'm kidding, but I never underestimate the mental machinations of an 18-year old and a wicked hound.
The drive up to the temple was a bit slower than normal due to the winter weather non-event, but caution is always welcome on these trips. Don't want to make any trip to the temple a detour to the mortuary even if my hair and makeup looked good. There were enough slick spots on the road to ensure that Beth drove below the posted speed limit most of the way up.
When we arrived at the temple, we were informed that the prayer meeting for the ordinance workers was still in progress and that the patrons weren't being ushered in quite yet. We went to the waiting room antechamber to enjoy the warmth.
Winter isn't fun anymore for me. The cold and wet weather just makes me ache like a 90 year old granny. I remember when winter was snowballs and sledding and fun. Not so much anymore. In the cold, old bones don't break... they shatter.
Finally, it was time to go and get changed into ceremonial clothing and prepare for our temple day. Just as I was in the locker room cubicle beginning the process, my cell phone rang. Yep.
A definite no-no to have a live phone in the temple.
You can't smother a ring tone. Fumbling for any way to shut off the ringer, I realize with a certain level of horror that I also have absolutely no clue how to turn the phone off because it's new.
Sure that the door to my cubicle will be pounded down in mere seconds, I did the next best thing. Standing there panicking, I flipped the phone over and popped the cover off and removed the battery.
Let's see you ring NOW, you technological Chinese finger trap!!
I may be a redneck hick little girl from a jerkwater part of the state in a jerkwater part of the country, but I can remove the battery from just about any device. So there!! I am skilled... just not very.
When the day was concluded inside the now quiet walls of the temple, Beth and I made our escape to find our favorite 5-star restaurant.
There was a Subway closer to our jumping off point than we realized so Beth decided we should give them a try at our patronage. We split a foot long turkey sub, which seemed to mystify the gal behind the counter. I found that hilarious because technically, we would have split it ANYWAY had we both chosen to get the 6 inch turkey sub.
Last time I checked, and admittedly my math may be rusty, 6 inches plus 6 inches equals 12 inches which averages out to a foot long sub, more or less.
For the counter chick, it was all about making money, for us, it was about saving some. While Beth was loading up the sandwich with food, I went to get drinks for us in the convenience store portion of the shop.
We laughed and talked and discussed the relative merits of scratch off cards and vague promises of winning the jackpot.
It was a 'dessert' kind of day and we got three cookies to share. There was a simply delightful raspberry cheesecake cookie, a crispy and tender oatmeal raisin and, of course, a chocolate chip cookie. Mighty tasty! Mmmmm!
I put my phone back together and called Kari, who was the earlier in-the-temple-cubicle-caller. It was just what I figured, she wanted to check on Mom Merrill's condition, but I didn't have any news to share.
Unfortunately, Mom Merrill had fallen and broken her hip and was going to have surgery to place rods and pins to secure the bones. Zero fun. I put her name in the Birmingham and Nashville temple's respective prayer circles and also spent time praying for her, for Dad Merrill and all the family in this time of medical concern.
On our return trip, I found out that Beth is also still a technology redneck as the microphone portion of her cell phone no longer functions and she is required to text message whomever calls her rather than making any voice calls.
Should make it hard to get bail...
Not that that sort of thing crops up for decent people.
But I don't recall indicating that we were decent people...
So there you have it.
A cold day filled with technological mayhem and redneck know-how. If it don't work like the manufacturer intended, then make it work your way.
I'm sure T-Mobile and AT&T would LOVE to have us as their spokeswomen.
Can you hear me now???
Yeah, but we don't want to listen to your message. It doesn't sell a lot of products to advertise the alternate ways you are compelled to use the phone when you are too stupid to turn off the ring tone or forced to text everyone because the model phone you have isn't made anymore and you don't want to learn how to use a different one.
Y'all take care... and if you see us on the highway, steer clear. It's probably safer for all concerned.
February 5, 2011
January 29, 2011
Who's Fault is it Anyway?
With our own recent job uncertainty and the continued inflation of the basic necessities of life, I have pondered over the income and outgo of the money in our life.
In absolute assurance that the next few statements I make are absolutely true, I offer up this insight.
I have made mistakes with money. I have made poor choices that have resulted in hefty fees, interest and penalty. And because of those mistakes, worthier monetary goals have suffered because the greed/need of the moment took over. I take the blame.
For that alone, I may well constitute the beginning of a new minority class. The class of people who are willing to own up to financial stupidity, financial risk and financial embarrassment from time to time.
This isn't to say we are running hard and fast to the poorhouse, but it is at least a truth that there are times we have, individually and as a couple, at least skipped down the path toward financial disaster.
I find myself angered that there are so many people willing to blame financial problems on 'other people' without any regard for the realities that they are also willing to hide behind vagaries.
When you make X number of dollars a year and take out a mortgage of XXXXXX dollars and have no real way to even make a minimum payment on the mortgage - double stupidity comes into play.
The lender who ALLOWED you to take out the money is a fool. They should know that a tiny salary will NEVER pay off a McMansion.
You, who went to borrow it, are also a fool. To allow greed and a sense of 'entitlement' to overwhelm financial truth is the road to ruin at light speed. And sadly, it doesn't just ruin you personally.
The financial institution and other borrowers are now compelled to help cover your stupidity.
Let it be said that the unexpected happens. Sickness, accidents, job loss, sudden death all remove money from the family coffers. Sometimes effectual planning and preparation are wiped out leaving the once able to become the now disabled. Life has a way of showing up on everyone's doorstep.
But the expected also happens.
When you contract to take on payments of any kind, you know how much money you can afford to pay under normal, expected circumstances.
And like Daddy has always told me: "Them that don't understands interest pays it. And them that do understands interest, earns it."
That's fact.
When we borrow money, we are agreeing to repay not only the principle amount of money that was lent to us, but a usury fee for having borrowed from another who had the resource we lacked. In essence, we pay a premium for having to borrow.
So, in fairness, we give back what we borrowed plus interest to get what we need, what we want and what we simply desire through the eyes of green-eyed jealous hearted greed. It's the same old story from time immemorial - 'my neighbor has it, so I have to have one, too'.
The truth is, we don't.
We can do with less, do without, use it up and not throw it out because it's last year's model.
It's something we practiced in our early married life that we got away from. Now, from necessity, we are revisiting that truth.
Living BELOW our means is the new goal.
And no one is to blame for the financial entanglements we have allowed ourselves to enter. NO ONE.
The bank didn't hold us at gunpoint and compel us by force to take their money. We went, hat in hand, to them. We said we could pay it back.
Sure, they have the responsibility to tell us "NO" when our income is not sufficient to pay back even a percentage of the debt we contracted with them.
But what if they don't?
Does it make them the wolf in sheep's clothing or does it just make us bigger dupes to believe consequences are never for us?
That is a level of chutzpah that would astonish even the boldest among us. To shamelessly look into the eyes of fate and say "No thanks! I'll pass!"... you have to be kidding.
So the financial crisis is upon us all now. Whether we borrowed or lent, whether we repaid in good faith or defaulted on our loan -- the new truth is that now everyone is on the hook for 'their brother'. Talk about a brother's keeper scenario that makes us all blanch from the responsibility!
While I don't want to sign up for more debt, we already have.
Every time we go to the store, we pay more for goods because someone has loans outstanding that must be repaid.
We can't fill up our tanks with gas without helping fund those who can't pay for their own.
Interest rises to cover operating costs because borrowers default rather than paying what they contracted to pay. So we all get to bear the loss.
Yes, unforeseen circumstances happen.
Yes, jobs are lost and income disappears.
Yes, people sicken and die and bills replace their presence.
But I wonder if it would be less financially painful if we were willing to all live below our means? To say no to the greed and the want for 'stuff' and be content with having our needs met? To save for the rainy day and leave the money there even when the rain comes?
Fault is an ugly word that should be 4-letters.
But something worse for most people to swallow is another 5-letter word and that is "truth". And the truth is, this mess is of our making.
We have taken in and believed the lie of conspicuous consumerism. Like a fish on the hook, we have taken the bait and now are fighting for our literal lives hoping to escape with only a small wound instead of being consumed by our shortsighted choices. By truth I am compelled to say that fishermen are more successful than the fish.
But by compassion, I am also compelled to say that the fish that gets away doesn't do so unscathed by the encounter. The issue isn't the encounter. It is whether the fish can learn to be content with the offering provided by the pond or the lake.
And if not, the fish will be doomed, in the due course of time, to be consumed by the "I want it now" snatching of the bait.
The question is not who is dangling the bait. The question is are we smart enough to resist it, no matter how attractive and shiny and new it appears to be. Are we smart enough to say "I may be 'entitled' to the bait, but I can't afford what's on the other end of the fishing pole"?
I hope so.
Because I fear that there isn't much time left for blaming someone else for our own reckless choices.
P.S. Rick starts his “new” new job tomorrow working with computers and technology for the same company Pete is employed with and it looks to be a true winner. God opens the door through Pete and a priesthood blessing that Daddy was voice to, and we walked through it. It can prove to be a huge difference for our family in the long run.
In absolute assurance that the next few statements I make are absolutely true, I offer up this insight.
I have made mistakes with money. I have made poor choices that have resulted in hefty fees, interest and penalty. And because of those mistakes, worthier monetary goals have suffered because the greed/need of the moment took over. I take the blame.
For that alone, I may well constitute the beginning of a new minority class. The class of people who are willing to own up to financial stupidity, financial risk and financial embarrassment from time to time.
This isn't to say we are running hard and fast to the poorhouse, but it is at least a truth that there are times we have, individually and as a couple, at least skipped down the path toward financial disaster.
I find myself angered that there are so many people willing to blame financial problems on 'other people' without any regard for the realities that they are also willing to hide behind vagaries.
When you make X number of dollars a year and take out a mortgage of XXXXXX dollars and have no real way to even make a minimum payment on the mortgage - double stupidity comes into play.
The lender who ALLOWED you to take out the money is a fool. They should know that a tiny salary will NEVER pay off a McMansion.
You, who went to borrow it, are also a fool. To allow greed and a sense of 'entitlement' to overwhelm financial truth is the road to ruin at light speed. And sadly, it doesn't just ruin you personally.
The financial institution and other borrowers are now compelled to help cover your stupidity.
Let it be said that the unexpected happens. Sickness, accidents, job loss, sudden death all remove money from the family coffers. Sometimes effectual planning and preparation are wiped out leaving the once able to become the now disabled. Life has a way of showing up on everyone's doorstep.
But the expected also happens.
When you contract to take on payments of any kind, you know how much money you can afford to pay under normal, expected circumstances.
And like Daddy has always told me: "Them that don't understands interest pays it. And them that do understands interest, earns it."
That's fact.
When we borrow money, we are agreeing to repay not only the principle amount of money that was lent to us, but a usury fee for having borrowed from another who had the resource we lacked. In essence, we pay a premium for having to borrow.
So, in fairness, we give back what we borrowed plus interest to get what we need, what we want and what we simply desire through the eyes of green-eyed jealous hearted greed. It's the same old story from time immemorial - 'my neighbor has it, so I have to have one, too'.
The truth is, we don't.
We can do with less, do without, use it up and not throw it out because it's last year's model.
It's something we practiced in our early married life that we got away from. Now, from necessity, we are revisiting that truth.
Living BELOW our means is the new goal.
And no one is to blame for the financial entanglements we have allowed ourselves to enter. NO ONE.
The bank didn't hold us at gunpoint and compel us by force to take their money. We went, hat in hand, to them. We said we could pay it back.
Sure, they have the responsibility to tell us "NO" when our income is not sufficient to pay back even a percentage of the debt we contracted with them.
But what if they don't?
Does it make them the wolf in sheep's clothing or does it just make us bigger dupes to believe consequences are never for us?
That is a level of chutzpah that would astonish even the boldest among us. To shamelessly look into the eyes of fate and say "No thanks! I'll pass!"... you have to be kidding.
So the financial crisis is upon us all now. Whether we borrowed or lent, whether we repaid in good faith or defaulted on our loan -- the new truth is that now everyone is on the hook for 'their brother'. Talk about a brother's keeper scenario that makes us all blanch from the responsibility!
While I don't want to sign up for more debt, we already have.
Every time we go to the store, we pay more for goods because someone has loans outstanding that must be repaid.
We can't fill up our tanks with gas without helping fund those who can't pay for their own.
Interest rises to cover operating costs because borrowers default rather than paying what they contracted to pay. So we all get to bear the loss.
Yes, unforeseen circumstances happen.
Yes, jobs are lost and income disappears.
Yes, people sicken and die and bills replace their presence.
But I wonder if it would be less financially painful if we were willing to all live below our means? To say no to the greed and the want for 'stuff' and be content with having our needs met? To save for the rainy day and leave the money there even when the rain comes?
Fault is an ugly word that should be 4-letters.
But something worse for most people to swallow is another 5-letter word and that is "truth". And the truth is, this mess is of our making.
We have taken in and believed the lie of conspicuous consumerism. Like a fish on the hook, we have taken the bait and now are fighting for our literal lives hoping to escape with only a small wound instead of being consumed by our shortsighted choices. By truth I am compelled to say that fishermen are more successful than the fish.
But by compassion, I am also compelled to say that the fish that gets away doesn't do so unscathed by the encounter. The issue isn't the encounter. It is whether the fish can learn to be content with the offering provided by the pond or the lake.
And if not, the fish will be doomed, in the due course of time, to be consumed by the "I want it now" snatching of the bait.
The question is not who is dangling the bait. The question is are we smart enough to resist it, no matter how attractive and shiny and new it appears to be. Are we smart enough to say "I may be 'entitled' to the bait, but I can't afford what's on the other end of the fishing pole"?
I hope so.
Because I fear that there isn't much time left for blaming someone else for our own reckless choices.
P.S. Rick starts his “new” new job tomorrow working with computers and technology for the same company Pete is employed with and it looks to be a true winner. God opens the door through Pete and a priesthood blessing that Daddy was voice to, and we walked through it. It can prove to be a huge difference for our family in the long run.
January 26, 2011
Potty Training and Other Mishaps
Thankfully, I am not currently potty training anyone or anything.
I well remember the days of carrying a set of spare clothing "just in case". That isn't a bad thing, it's just part of the merry-go-round of reality when someone you love is learning that they can take themselves to the potty.
The real reason for writing this is some of the hilarious potty mishaps I have heard over the years from friends and family who have endured and and now smile over the accomplishments of children who have now learned where the bathroom is, both at home and as they travel.
With that in mind, here are a few stories I hope you will find as amusing as I have:
#1
A woman who's son was recently starting to potty train had taken her kids to the pool for a sanity break. The other children happily swam, splashed and dove into the water to give her a much needed respite from the daily grind. Soon, however, her pleasant little reverie was shattered in spectacular fashion. Her newly potty trained son whispered to her that he 'had to go potty' for the hundredth time. She was feeling somewhat uncomfortable to be seen in her old bathing suit out of the water, so she quietly and nonchalantly told him to "just go in the pool".
Figuring that the chlorine, which was nearly burning a hole in her old suit and which was also burning her eyes was sufficient to the task, she assumed that it wouldn't do much damage since her son would only pee about a few tablespoons anyway.
Unfortunately, what she thought and what he thought were two wildly different things. To her horror, this intrepid and exhausted Mom turned around to find her son standing at the edge of the pool with his swimming trunks pulled down around his ankles peeing into the pool like a Greek fountain in front of the world.
Yelling at him in a panic, she told him to stop and he pouted back, “But you told me to just go in the pool, Mommy!”
Yet another living example of how we should choose our words very carefully... kids take things so dang literally!
#2
Bearing in mind that hastily tossed out words have unintended consequences, this tale comes from another frazzled Mom who was just trying to make it through the day: After a very long day running errands, this Mom was over-tired and truly eager to get home.
Her newly potty trained daughter started whining from her car seat that she needed to 'go potty'. Exhausted and close to home, this intrepid Mother just urged her to "try and hold it" mustering up all the patience she had left.
Finding herself to actually be surprised that her little girl had ceased complaining until they got home, this Mom was in for the surprise of her life. When she went to unbuckle the car seat to get her little girl out of the car, her daughter held out her urine-filled hands that were cupped together like she was preparing to take water from a pond singing, “Look, Mommy, look! I hold it, Mommy, I hold it!”
#3
Some kids are just a pain to train. They almost seem to enjoy wearing diapers eventually Pull-Ups®. One mother tried everything she knew and then some to get her son to use the toilet.
About 5 months into her son's potty training journey, they were invited to go camping with another family. Their reserved spot was quite a ways from the campsite bathrooms.
The friends who had invited them to camp had a child that was just a bit older than their potty training son. When he asked to go to the restroom, his parents told him to "go find a tree".
The Mom who's child who was 5 months into potty training watched with great curiosity as his friend found a tree a few yards away from our site, unzipped his jeans and 'let it fly'. A few minutes later her son, observing this male camping ritual, walked over to a tree and did the same thing.
Yeah! His Mom was SO excited! Maybe this was what he needed: another kiddo about his age as an example! He stayed dry the entire weekend and his Mom was certain that they were on the right path.
We they returned home on Sunday evening, Mom dutifully led him up the stairs to our bathroom so that he could go and he looked at her like she was just plain nuts.
Needless to say, Mom was confused and asked him what the problem was. He simply refused to go.
Mom and Dad just chalked it up to him being over-tired, and bathed him and put him to bed. The next morning he got up and came downstairs for breakfast. Mom kissed him on the head and asked if he "needed to go potty".
Saying "Yes", he walked to the kitchen's sliding door, opened it and went outside.
Curious, Mom watched from the window as he calmly walked into the grass and then pee'd on the tree in the middle of the back yard. Mom said, "People will never know how many days it took to convince that child to pee inside the house IN the toilet!"
Apparently he enjoyed, "Watering the trees."
Parents, grandparents and caregivers have employed all kinds of gimmicks and gadgets to get kids to potty in the toilet.
Cheerios for target practice, M&M's and fancy undies, sticker charts and prizes, outright bribery in cash... all in the name of getting rid of the diaper before your child turns 16...
It's all part of the fun of loving a child.
I well remember the days of carrying a set of spare clothing "just in case". That isn't a bad thing, it's just part of the merry-go-round of reality when someone you love is learning that they can take themselves to the potty.
The real reason for writing this is some of the hilarious potty mishaps I have heard over the years from friends and family who have endured and and now smile over the accomplishments of children who have now learned where the bathroom is, both at home and as they travel.
With that in mind, here are a few stories I hope you will find as amusing as I have:
#1
A woman who's son was recently starting to potty train had taken her kids to the pool for a sanity break. The other children happily swam, splashed and dove into the water to give her a much needed respite from the daily grind. Soon, however, her pleasant little reverie was shattered in spectacular fashion. Her newly potty trained son whispered to her that he 'had to go potty' for the hundredth time. She was feeling somewhat uncomfortable to be seen in her old bathing suit out of the water, so she quietly and nonchalantly told him to "just go in the pool".
Figuring that the chlorine, which was nearly burning a hole in her old suit and which was also burning her eyes was sufficient to the task, she assumed that it wouldn't do much damage since her son would only pee about a few tablespoons anyway.
Unfortunately, what she thought and what he thought were two wildly different things. To her horror, this intrepid and exhausted Mom turned around to find her son standing at the edge of the pool with his swimming trunks pulled down around his ankles peeing into the pool like a Greek fountain in front of the world.
Yelling at him in a panic, she told him to stop and he pouted back, “But you told me to just go in the pool, Mommy!”
Yet another living example of how we should choose our words very carefully... kids take things so dang literally!
#2
Bearing in mind that hastily tossed out words have unintended consequences, this tale comes from another frazzled Mom who was just trying to make it through the day: After a very long day running errands, this Mom was over-tired and truly eager to get home.
Her newly potty trained daughter started whining from her car seat that she needed to 'go potty'. Exhausted and close to home, this intrepid Mother just urged her to "try and hold it" mustering up all the patience she had left.
Finding herself to actually be surprised that her little girl had ceased complaining until they got home, this Mom was in for the surprise of her life. When she went to unbuckle the car seat to get her little girl out of the car, her daughter held out her urine-filled hands that were cupped together like she was preparing to take water from a pond singing, “Look, Mommy, look! I hold it, Mommy, I hold it!”
#3
Some kids are just a pain to train. They almost seem to enjoy wearing diapers eventually Pull-Ups®. One mother tried everything she knew and then some to get her son to use the toilet.
About 5 months into her son's potty training journey, they were invited to go camping with another family. Their reserved spot was quite a ways from the campsite bathrooms.
The friends who had invited them to camp had a child that was just a bit older than their potty training son. When he asked to go to the restroom, his parents told him to "go find a tree".
The Mom who's child who was 5 months into potty training watched with great curiosity as his friend found a tree a few yards away from our site, unzipped his jeans and 'let it fly'. A few minutes later her son, observing this male camping ritual, walked over to a tree and did the same thing.
Yeah! His Mom was SO excited! Maybe this was what he needed: another kiddo about his age as an example! He stayed dry the entire weekend and his Mom was certain that they were on the right path.
We they returned home on Sunday evening, Mom dutifully led him up the stairs to our bathroom so that he could go and he looked at her like she was just plain nuts.
Needless to say, Mom was confused and asked him what the problem was. He simply refused to go.
Mom and Dad just chalked it up to him being over-tired, and bathed him and put him to bed. The next morning he got up and came downstairs for breakfast. Mom kissed him on the head and asked if he "needed to go potty".
Saying "Yes", he walked to the kitchen's sliding door, opened it and went outside.
Curious, Mom watched from the window as he calmly walked into the grass and then pee'd on the tree in the middle of the back yard. Mom said, "People will never know how many days it took to convince that child to pee inside the house IN the toilet!"
Apparently he enjoyed, "Watering the trees."
Parents, grandparents and caregivers have employed all kinds of gimmicks and gadgets to get kids to potty in the toilet.
Cheerios for target practice, M&M's and fancy undies, sticker charts and prizes, outright bribery in cash... all in the name of getting rid of the diaper before your child turns 16...
It's all part of the fun of loving a child.
January 15, 2011
Hero or Sidekick
While watching "Sky High" tonight, a question floated in to my subconscious.
Am I a hero or a sidekick?
Odd question for one who doesn't even possess the power of glowing in the dark or turning into a hamster (if you haven't seen the movie, go see it!).
Deep down, all of us mortal and extremely fallible beings wishes to be more. From the guy with two teeth at the truck stop to the old guy pumping gas at the Midway Gas-N-Go, we all want to be something we are not.
It's as if who we ARE isn't enough.
Do we ever truly know what our 'power' is?
How much of our life is spent looking at the stereotypes placed before us and wishing we were the popular one or the cute one or the one who had all the friends?
We want to be taller, shorter, thinner, heavier, blonder or more brunette or just more - period.
Whatever we are, we have come to believe it isn't enough.
Who says so?
Satan. The Father of Lies. It is his job to make us miserable like he is and the only way he truly accomplishes his diabolical purpose is to make the divinely created Child of God we are feel like we are nothing.
We buy potions, lotions and cremes of all sorts. We run, walk and pump iron trying to keep off even a miniscule reminder that age is part of the bargain of coming into mortality for our turn here on the earth.
Egos are bruised and hearts shattered when we just don't measure up to the airbrushed, photo altered perception of reality we are spoon fed from the time we open our eyes at birth.
It doesn't have to be an either/or proposition and it doesn't have to make us losers if we are always found in the supporting role instead of the lead part.
Sadly, all of us have taken a heaping helping of the "I'll never measure up" tonic that makes just getting through daily life harder than it has to be.
Who's yardstick are we supposed to be measuring our progress by anyway? Satan's? He is our ENEMY! He would have us believe that not only are we sidekicks by designation but that we are piss poor even in that.
He wants us to grovel, suffer and while away our lives wishing for something better because it completely blinds us to all that we truly are.
God, the Father, did NOT send us here to fail or fall. He sent us here as a loving parent knowing that part of our learning would be in leadership and part would be in learning to follow willingly. There will be bumps, bruises and tough times. But we are not alone on our path.
Through all of the hardship, our loving Elder Brother is right there coaching us along. Whisperings of the Holy Spirit encourage us with messages of hope, faith and the promise that not only are we enough, we can become more than our feeble mortal dreams could imagine - if only we are willing to push off the blinders of our enemy and embrace the hope of those who truly love us enough to help us grow through our struggles.
I don't have to have a cape to be a hero. And it doesn't make me lesser to be the sidekick when it's another's turn to be in charge.
If I can remember that when times are tough, I think it will all work out just fine.
Am I a hero or a sidekick?
Odd question for one who doesn't even possess the power of glowing in the dark or turning into a hamster (if you haven't seen the movie, go see it!).
Deep down, all of us mortal and extremely fallible beings wishes to be more. From the guy with two teeth at the truck stop to the old guy pumping gas at the Midway Gas-N-Go, we all want to be something we are not.
It's as if who we ARE isn't enough.
Do we ever truly know what our 'power' is?
How much of our life is spent looking at the stereotypes placed before us and wishing we were the popular one or the cute one or the one who had all the friends?
We want to be taller, shorter, thinner, heavier, blonder or more brunette or just more - period.
Whatever we are, we have come to believe it isn't enough.
Who says so?
Satan. The Father of Lies. It is his job to make us miserable like he is and the only way he truly accomplishes his diabolical purpose is to make the divinely created Child of God we are feel like we are nothing.
We buy potions, lotions and cremes of all sorts. We run, walk and pump iron trying to keep off even a miniscule reminder that age is part of the bargain of coming into mortality for our turn here on the earth.
Egos are bruised and hearts shattered when we just don't measure up to the airbrushed, photo altered perception of reality we are spoon fed from the time we open our eyes at birth.
It doesn't have to be an either/or proposition and it doesn't have to make us losers if we are always found in the supporting role instead of the lead part.
Sadly, all of us have taken a heaping helping of the "I'll never measure up" tonic that makes just getting through daily life harder than it has to be.
Who's yardstick are we supposed to be measuring our progress by anyway? Satan's? He is our ENEMY! He would have us believe that not only are we sidekicks by designation but that we are piss poor even in that.
He wants us to grovel, suffer and while away our lives wishing for something better because it completely blinds us to all that we truly are.
God, the Father, did NOT send us here to fail or fall. He sent us here as a loving parent knowing that part of our learning would be in leadership and part would be in learning to follow willingly. There will be bumps, bruises and tough times. But we are not alone on our path.
Through all of the hardship, our loving Elder Brother is right there coaching us along. Whisperings of the Holy Spirit encourage us with messages of hope, faith and the promise that not only are we enough, we can become more than our feeble mortal dreams could imagine - if only we are willing to push off the blinders of our enemy and embrace the hope of those who truly love us enough to help us grow through our struggles.
I don't have to have a cape to be a hero. And it doesn't make me lesser to be the sidekick when it's another's turn to be in charge.
If I can remember that when times are tough, I think it will all work out just fine.
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