Category: Silliness

THINGS TO REMEMBER; STUFF TO NEVER FORGET

On By mdannels3In Silliness, Thinking about Family, Thinking about God, Thinking about Love, Thinking about RelationshipsLeave a comment

Okay, I’ll admit it…. I’m old. I’m older than I wish I were, but with age comes wisdom — hopefully. The last six months have had a few highs and unfortunately, it feels as though they have had a lot of lows. But then, that’s the way that life goes, isn’t it? As we look back and then look ahead, we realize the value of things that we’ve experienced and things that we’ve learned. So today, maybe with a dash of sarcasm and a bit of seriousness, I am thinking of things that are important, things that matter, things that should be remembered. Hopefully these ideas will remind you of things that you need to remember and stuff you should never forget.

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Things to remember…

Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8.)

SEE people, no I mean really SEE them. Listen more; speak less. Hugs are good medicine. If someone comes to mind, pray for them first, then touch base with them. Chances are you will be a lifeline and you’ll never know that you were. Send the card, the email, the text. Make the phone call. Invest in people. Enter into their hurt and love them through it.

Save more; spend less. Whatever you do, begin with the end in mind. Live generously.

Don’t plug your nose when you sneeze, your brains will blow out your ears. 🙂

Music is good for the soul, the spirit, and the heart. Play it, sing, dance, listen… enjoy it!

Laugh. Laugh more. Then, laugh again. Smiles are free — share them often. Share whatever you can. Meet the needs of others whenever possible.

Be kind ALWAYS.

Pets make life easier in many ways. They make it harder in others.

Live a positive life: “Two men looked out through prison bars. One saw mud; one saw stars.” Look for the stars.

Take pictures — lots of them! Share them, enjoy them. Remember those treasured moments and when days are hard, look back at the pictures to celebrate the life that you’ve been blessed to live and the people who’ve shared your days.

LET PEOPLE TAKE YOUR PICTURE!! Seriously. Let them. And if you’re holding the camera, REMEMBER — that embarrassing picture you thought was so funny, probably isn’t. Be kind. Take more pictures than you think you need. Then there will always be at least one that you will love and the subject won’t be embarrassed by. One more thing, I know — I don’t always like having my picture taken, but I don’t want the only memory of me being that there were pictures taken so I must have been there holding the camera. Take the camera and make sure everyone is represented in the memories.

Cry. Grieve. Mourn.

DREAM BIG!!

Remember, we must have both sunshine and rain to make the rainbow. Hard times and good times work together to make a complete life. Without one, we will not appreciate the other. And when they come together — we learn, we feel, and we grow.

Try new things… learn to paint, to sing, to play an instrument, a new sport, or a new hobby. (No. I won’t be trying tuna.) Become a runner, a weight lifter, a biker. Become a foodie — practice your chef skills or enjoy being a taste tester for a friend who is practicing their chef skills. Whatever you try — add something new to your skill set and enjoy the process of learning. You’re never too old to learn or to try something new.

Stuff to never forget…

Jesus loves me, this I know.

You don’t need to know what other people think of you. Forgive early. Forgive often. Move on. Don’t live in pain and hurt.

How to drive a stick shift. If you didn’t learn — you can’t learn any younger so start today.

“You can’t go back and begin again; you can start from here to make a brand new end.” It’s never too late to start something new; never too late to begin again.

Trust your gut.

Other people’s choices belong to them. Their choices may hurt us, but they aren’t ours. We pray, we love, we support and we allow others to live their own lives. And sometimes yes, we watch, support, and love them as they face the consequences of the choices that they made.

There are seasons to our lives. There are seasons in families, in friendships, in careers, in education, in health. Navigate through these seasons with help from the Lord.

Life isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey. Enjoy the journey.

Say what needs to be said. Say I’m sorry and tell special people that you love them. Make sure that when you lose someone there will be no regrets because you’ve said the important things.

Weigh your words. Weigh them again. Now, weigh them one more time then speak kindly, gently, and lovingly.

Treasure friends and family. Invest in them. Invest in the relationships.

Time is a treasure. Spend it wisely.

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So yeah. I think I could probably go on and on and on. I won’t though. I’ll let you think about and be annoyed by the things I’ve already shared. Smile. I hope that you laughed at least once or twice and I hope that like me, you’ve given thanks for people who’ve spent years teaching and investing in you. Hopefully, someday we’ll have some wisdom and we will actually put it into practice.

Lessons From the Dog

On By mdannels3In Silliness, Thinking about Love, Thinking about RelationshipsLeave a comment

I must confess, I have been harassing our dog.

It’s not like he doesn’t harass me back, but maybe I’m being a bit of a jerk to him. You see, our son lived here with us until just before Covid hit. That means that Yoda has been used to having people around him all day, most days. Lucky him.

(The back story to all of this is that Yoda has a collection of toys — a toy box full of fluffy, stuffed, noisy, squeaky, rolling, annoying toys. And yes, it’s partly my fault.)

When I was home for 2 1/2 months — only going out to go on a drive or to pick up groceries — I started a new little “game” in which I would grab everyone of his 15 million toys that he had strewn about the living room and would chuck them into the guest room. I was then guaranteed at least 20 minutes of time where he wouldn’t be begging me to throw something. Because of Yoda’s “No man left behind” mentality it was a successful ploy for months.

Then, he figured it out, not everything is worth carrying with you into the next room, the next space, the next year.

Yes, he always brings out his five — count them — five pigs, his two dragons, the squirrel tail, racoon, and lamb-i-kins that have no stuffing. They matter; they are important.

But he’s started leaving the fluffy yellow tail to the orangutan that got thrown away a year ago on the floor in the guest room. The mostly chewed to shreds blue softball is rarely carried out and the new looking, incredibly annoying chicken is only brought into the living room when I bring it. He’s learned the value of leaving some things behind — the things that have lost their value and the things that really just annoy him. He’s also learned that just because someone else finds value in something, it doesn’t mean that he needs to. (That stupid chicken cost more than it should have and he hates it!)

I’m trying to follow his lead.

Just because something once had a value and served a purpose doesn’t mean it always will. Even though something has a numeric value, doesn’t mean that it is something I should treasure.

Yoda’s pig family is a treasure to him. He knows the difference between the purple pig, yellow pig, big pink pig, baby pig, and small pink pig. Yes, I’ve been told that dogs don’t see in color — but somehow, he knows. His dragons are important too. The newest one is fairly large and when he carries it around, it’s tail and wings flop everywhere. But that new dragon and his old little one — they matter. For these seven toys, that “No man left behind” mentality applies. But for most of the other stuff…. he doesn’t care unless I care. Except for the chicken — he NEVER cares about it.

What I’ve learned from chucking toys into the spare room is that really, Yoda doesn’t care all that much what I throw. What he cares about is the time I spend with him.

Again, I’m trying to learn from my dog.

Recently he was sick. He ran a fever for a few days, was on antibiotics, and in general didn’t have any energy. He took a lot of naps while sitting by my side, and when he did, he would get his big dragon and hug it as he slept. When I looked at the floor beside the chair, he had carried most of the pigs to sit beside the chair. If he wasn’t going to leave them behind, he wanted to make sure they didn’t leave him behind either.

The stuff around me doesn’t all need my attention — the people in my world do. The people, those who God has placed in my world matter and they need to be treasured, valued, loved, and cared for — even when I may be struggling. I’ve learned that when I struggle, if I invest in others, my struggle is less because my focus is elsewhere.

In 2021, I’m leaving some stuff behind and I’m only taking the things that truly matter. But the people, I’m bringing them with me — encouraging them, spending time with them (virtually?), and investing in them.

They matter.

Bucket List

On By mdannels3In Silliness, Thinking about GodLeave a comment

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It all started with Facebook.

Actually, it was one of those long list posts where you are supposed to copy and paste and then check off the things that you have done. It was titled “Bucket List.” It had most of the typical things that these posts have. Here, I’ll show you.

Some of those things that I’ve actually done include: firing a gun; going on a blind date; skipping school; going on a cruise; recently coloring with pencils; swimming in the ocean; paying for a meal with only coins; making prank phone calls; laughing so much I cried; doing something that could have killed me; eating just cookies or cake or ice cream for dinner; being in a car accident; driving a standard car; getting married; driving over 100 mph; living on my own; and riding in the back of a police car. (Please remember, you do not know the whole story.)

And then the others, some of the things I haven’t done: flying in a helicopter; serving on a jury; going water skiing; driving a motorcycle; jumping out of a plane; stealing traffic signs; eating snails; getting a tattoo; nor have I been scuba diving.

To clarify, I actually went on a few blind dates and there is a huge difference between good ones and bad ones – I had both, before I met Mr. Gorgeous, of course. Prank phone calls were a childhood thing. Skipping school – well, I was actually doing a good deed – at least once. The whole cookies, cake, or ice cream thing for dinner, I have been in a hurry and grabbed a couple of cookies for a meal a time or two in my life. Yes, I rode in the back of police car; no, I wasn’t in police custody. And of course, driving over 100 mph…I plead the fifth, however, my husband does occasionally call me Parnelli. (For those of you not as old as we are, Parnelli Jones was a race car driver.)

On the other hand, why does anyone step out of a perfectly good plane that has successfully achieved lift and altitude and is capable of landing safely?

But there was one…

A few days passed and one of the things on the list kept coming back to my mind. Honestly, I’m not really sure why. That thing that keeps replaying in my mind is, “Doing something that you will regret for the rest of your life.”

I have definitely done some things that I regret. Haven’t we all?

But, regret for the rest my life? That depth of regret is not something that I’ve experienced.

Or is it?

Romans 8:28, NIV, says: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

This does not mean that we can do anything – no matter what it may be – and God will magically fix it. It does mean that even in my humanity and my past, the mistakes I’ve made, the sins I’ve committed, the dumb things I’ve done are redeemable by my Heavenly Father. I can be assured that He is in control. I can rest in the knowledge that He can accomplish His will and His purpose even when I fail.

I came to a personal relationship with Jesus when I was seven. However, like most kids, I was stubborn and rebelled a bit, challenged authority, disobeyed, acted disrespectfully, and in general, was an obnoxious teenager. Do I regret the way I acted? Of course.

Yet, some of that behavior, some of those struggles, and some of the choices I made as a result of living through them have helped me to become who God has made me to be. On both of the horrible blind dates I went on, I discovered things that later became nonnegotiable in my relationship – including my relationship with Mr. Gorgeous. While driving more than a hundred miles an hour, I realized how incredibly stupid and irresponsible I was acting – okay, probably after I arrived at my destination. But still, I figured it out.

I guess the reason that I struggle with the idea of regretting something for life has to do with the fact that I trust the Lord. I mean, I fail. I really blow it, but God doesn’t. He takes my stupid mistakes, my arrogant sin, and my self-righteousness, and He redeems it as I confess and give it to Him. He forgives me for my behavior, and even though I have to live with the consequences of my self-centered behavior, He uses what I have done to help me become more like Him.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Is this permission to do what I want to do without considering the consequences? Can I do whatever I choose without thinking of how my actions will impact others? Am I able to make decisions about my behavior without evaluating how my relationship with my Heavenly Father will be impacted?

Of course not.

My decisions, as a mature adult, need to be made carefully and thoughtfully. I need to spend time praying and in God’s Word so that He leads those decisions. By choosing to follow Him, I’ve chosen to serve Him and to live in a way that would please Him and reflect who He is. Therefore, my decisions need to be based on who He is and what He expects of me. I cannot do whatever I choose and expect that He will fix it.

Have I done something that I will regret for the rest of my life? Yes. I’ve broken the heart of my Father in Heaven when I’ve chosen my way instead of His. By doing so, I’ve accepted less than His best for my life.

Yes, I do regret that.

A Musical Christmas

On By mdannels3In Silliness, Thinking about Family, Thinking about GodLeave a comment

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Okay, who is your favorite musical artist? Now, the tougher question, who is your favorite Christmas musical artist? Hmmmm… I wonder who I should pick?

Mr. Gorgeous and I have been married for 28 1/2 years, making this our 29th Christmas together. As newlyweds, we decided to buy one Christmas CD every year, we started with Mannheim Steamroller. (Thank you, Jerry Dannels, for introducing us to their amazing music!) For years, we would always buy the newest Mannheim Christmas CD. Yes, we have them all.

Of course, we couldn’t stop with synthesized, contemporary versions of Christmas carols, could we? Enter Amy Grant… and Alabama… and The Carpenters… and Big Bands… and the Rat Pack… and Michael W. Smith… and Jim Brickman… and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Shhh! Don’t tell Phillip!)… and a Spanish Guitar Christmas… and a Steel Drum Christmas… and A Cow Christmas (yes, it’s a real CD and I love, “The 12 Days of a Cow’s Christmas!”)… and Third Day… and Selah… and… and… and… and the list goes on and on and on.

To be honest, there simply aren’t enough days to listen to all of the amazing Christmas music on my I-pod, let alone in the basket that holds the Christmas CDs. Piffle!

I do believe that we could start listening to Christmas music in June and still not repeat a CD in December. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration… but only a slight one. Seriously, we’ve spent a ton of money on Christmas CDs and I don’t regret it a bit. Granted, there have been a few CDs that have been disappointing, but truthfully, very few.

I think it’s the content and the message and the reason for the music that makes it special.

After all, the carols and hymns and ballads follow the pattern set for us by the angels as they sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those upon whom His favor rests.”

Christmas music: synthesized, sung, played, classical, country, Christian. Whatever form it takes, it brings us to a reminder of this season. No, not every song talks about the Christ child. Some of them talk about snowmen and Santa Claus and reindeer. Even so, can’t we allow God to redeem the secular things of this world and to use them as reminders that it is a special season?

When I hear a Christmas song — any Christmas song — I remember WHY it is Christmas. That’s why we collect Christmas music. It reminds us that in Bethlehem a baby was born and He came to be the Savior of the world. But even more, He came to be MY Savior. I pray He is your Savior too.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

The Battle of the Blankets has Begun!

On By mdannels3In Silliness, Thinking about Family4 Comments

John and I enjoying the beautiful autumn color.
John and I enjoying the beautiful autumn color.

Beautiful leaves billow in the breeze and fall to the ground. Extra blankets have been added to the bed. And now, the battle is on.

In 27 years of marriage, I can honestly say that Mr. Gorgeous and I have had very few fights. Okay, we’ve disagreed about things, but we don’t fight very often. We share the same values and believe the same way, so when we struggle about something, those values and beliefs bring us together rather than pull us apart. There is one thing, however, about which we fight.

This fight is frustrating because it’s done in silence.

This silent battle is carried on in the midst of the night, in the darkness — in the cold. The winner is determined by the one who starts the season in the most determined fashion. For the winter of 2013-2014, I plan to be the winner. I started last year’s season off badly and never recovered.

This battle is for the blankets.

Yes, I know, it’s silly. But when you throw in the 10 pound, four legs and a tail that sleeps between us, controlling the blankets — and who has them is very important. You see, we turn the heat down at night. It’s energy efficient, it saves money, and it helps us to sleep better. The challenge with this fact is that we have two windows in our bedroom and the room is poorly insulated. As a result, there are some mornings when I fear that meat hanging in the room would NOT be in danger of spoiling.

The key, I’ve discovered, to winning the battle of the blankets is to hold on to the blankets all night long. John holds onto the sheet — this allows me to tug, pull, and “steal” the blankets to keep me warm. There are definitely times when I feel guilty, but then I stick my nose out from under the covers, shiver, and think….”oh well.” Actually, if Yoda didn’t hog 1/2 of the bed (he takes his half from the middle, by the way), we would both be able to have blankets and stay warm. But, as long as he’s laying on the bed, I’m going to keep holding on to those blankets and keep winning the battle; I don’t like waking up cold!