Category Archives: Life

Little house slippers

Family, Life

We had a family get together this past weekend with my brothers and sister and all the children. Our granddaughters have their own rooms at our house for when they spend the night and they have clothes, toys etc. and it is their own space.

At some point that night my youngest granddaughter had gone up to her room and put on her house slippers and came back down to the party. When she left to go home, she changed back into her shoes and left her house slippers by my chair.

That evening I couldn’t sleep and got up to go read for a while and when I turned on my reading light by my chair I looked down and saw her little house slippers. Its funny how some things just stop you in your tracts. That night those little house slippers did that to me.

I realized at the moment how precious life is and how fast it goes by. When I saw those shoes, I thought about when my own daughters would leave their shoes downstairs and how that seemed like just a couple of years ago. Here I am looking my granddaughter’s shoes 30 years later. I was struck with a feeling of nostalgia and awareness of how fast time gets by. One day you wake up and realize that 20 years have passed while you were busy.

Getting older is scary. You began to think about things and events that you used to never think about. You were too busy living it and didn’t realize how quick those moments slip by. This Christmas look at the little house slippers (metaphorically) in your life and remind yourself of the best of life and what is important. The new phone, car or bank account do not compare to the importance of a little pair of slippers to remind you what matters most in your life. There will come a day in all our lives when there are no little slippers on the floor. Cherish each moment and be there in that moment. I think this may be the best gift we could give ourselves this Christmas. The gift of being aware. KT

Life is like a pair of shoes

Life

I heard a story about a boy who was given a beautiful pair of expensive sneakers. He was so afraid he would mess them up that he kept them in the box. One day he decided to wear them and realized that he had outgrown them. He never got to enjoy them because he was afraid he would mess them up.

In many ways, our life is like the story of the pair of shoes. We have been hurt in the past and afraid to use our heart to believe again. In essence, we keep our hearts safe in a box, so we don’t have to take the risk of it getting hurt.

Whatever failures, hurts and life missteps you have made in the past will not define your future unless you let it. You might want to read that last sentence again. I could take the next five pages and tell you about the mistakes financially I have made but I can also tell you I was fully prepared to keep failing and keep getting hurt in order to find the path God had for me.

Thomas Edison failed 1,000+/- times before he invented the light bulb. When asked by a reporter “how did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” he replied “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.” As a child, Thomas Edison couldn’t speak until he was four years old and couldn’t read until he was seven. His life was always challenged but he never quit trying. At the end of his life, Thomas Edison owned 1,093 patents.

So, my point is that shoes, like a heart, need to be worn because if not, you will one day find out that you have outgrown them. Keeping them in a box because you are afraid is no way to live. Make this Christmas season merry and bright by choosing to take your heart out of its protective box even though it may get bruised up a little. KT

The power of words

Family, Life

Words are perhaps the most powerful thing in the world. It was words, that God used to form the world and it has been words that set in motion ever major event in history. Words are critically important for the ones hearing them but just as important for the one speaking them. Words heard or spoken, go straight to the soul and many times set in motion the course of life. Clearly there are situations where people/children have been told they will never amount to anything and that they have no value etc. Even in those tough situations, it was the spoken words (negative words) that forced the person to make a decision to rise above them and become somebody.

For many people, they never had a parent tell them that they loved them and believed in them and that they could accomplish anything they set their mind to. There are others that had only one parent that believed in them which was true in my case. It was my mom. Clearly, just the spoken word is not enough to change a life as there also must be decisions made by the ones hearing the words. But make no mistake. it is words that set the stage and in many situations start in motion the events of life.

While history has no record of this, I must believe that Nancy Lincoln, Morrow Graham, Muriel Waley, Pauline Einstein, Sara Roosevelt, Francis Nightingale, Alberta King and Cassandra Austen told their children that they believed in them and that they were loved. See, it was not them that changed the world, rather it was their children. Ps; see if you can guess the children’s name. A few are obvious but you might have to dig deep on a couple.

There is power in words and a special power and influence in the words of a parent. This Christmas when you are speaking to your children and grandchildren, regardless of age, tell them in actual words what they mean to you and give them words of affirmation, encouragement and let them know you believe in them. KT

Taking things for granted

Life

In life there are so many things that we all take for granted. The term means to underestimate the value of a person or thing. To expect someone or something to always be available.

Last night we were watching a show about a little boy (10 years old) who had lost one eye to cancer and then developed cancer in his remaining eye. His and his family’s choice was for him to live blind or die from cancer. I don’t why, but that image of that little boy has captured my attention. I have thought about it 20 times since last night and have some thoughts.

We/you/me take so much in our lives for granted that we just assume will always be available to us. Physical abilities, eyesight, memory, health, speech, legs, arms, spouses, children and so many more examples that there is not enough room to write them all down.

There are many people who are depressed, down and feel sorry for themselves because of something someone said or did. I have a friend who lost his 16-year-old son in an automobile accident and I can’t imagine and don’t want to ever have to imagine that kind of loss. He told me one day that it put in perspective many of the issues we come across in life. What he meant was those issues mean nothing compared to the loss of his son.

I have often said that there is no such a thing as an atheist. They are just people who have never been afraid yet or held a sick child or gone through a death of a close family member. When America was fighting world war II, in my humble opinion, there were no atheists over there on the front lines, on the ships, in the fighter planes or in the trenches.

Today, right now, look at your life and say a quiet word of prayer and thanksgiving for the things you might be taking for granted and recognize and acknowledge that much of your life is not within your control. This little prayer may help you be thankful this holiday season and help you see joy in the simplest of moments. KT

Road Signs

Career, Life

When you are driving, there are road signs that help keep you safe and out of trouble and warn you of potential danger ahead. In life I believe we also have road signs along the way. Some people pay attention to the signs. but many people just ignore them.

Everyone reading this blog understands what I am trying to say. We all know there are warning signs in life and many of us at times have ignored them because we thought we knew what was best. We all are smart enough to see danger and adjust. The real question is if you want to acknowledge it or not.

Some common examples of road signs are – stop, do not enter, speed limit, yield, do not pass, detour, buckle up, steep decline ahead, proceed with caution, speed bump, no left turn, slow-dangerous intersection, dead end, wrong way,

When you see these road signs, think with your heart for a moment. We have many of these instructional signs in life. Right? Take the signs, stop or wrong way for example. I don’t know about your life and the decisions you have made, but I remember buying those restaurants 31 years ago and God giving me signs that I needed to stop. I just didn’t want to listen. The result was eight years of financial struggle. Had I just listened to the signs, it would have saved me much heartache.

Therefore, there are road signs in life that we need to pay attention to. It is God giving you the driving instructions. When you sense danger ahead, don’t just ignore it and plow into it. The older you get (I have found out) the more you see road signs that warn of possible danger. Many of these I would have never thought of when I was younger. That is why the bible says in the book of Job 12:12 “is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long-life bring understanding?” KT