Visits!

Short and sweet tonight. We found out the dates for some of our family to visit today!  That's for sure a blessing!  We are getting so excited to have family visit. It's been a very long time and there is so much fun to be had!

Check-ups, strike outs, and firm mattresses

I can't decide on just one blessing tonight so I'm going to talk about three. To start out today I had a doctors appointment. Simple annual but still worth noting. I'm blessed to be able to go to the doctor regularly and get good care. Then my new bed came!  It's a blessing for my back for sure. And it's several inches higher and I like heights. Then tonight I was blessed to enjoy a winning regionals Carolina game with my mom right behind home plate!  Saw several friends there as well which is always nice. So now it's a little past my bed time and I'm off to enjoy the new bed!

Girls just wanna have fun

Today was a fun day. It was a little rocky for a few minutes this morning but then it just became a fun day. Some of these fun things included going to YogHut with a friend, going to football practice, roughing up with the dogs, and having some fabulous Chicken Alfredo. Yes, I was blessed with a fun day today.  Everybody needs some fun!  

Celebrate!

I'm blessed today that my little glass painting business turned 2!!  And is still growing!  I've said before how great it has been for me to have a little side business. Today, I can say I'm blessed that it is still going strong after 2 years!

Happy media stories... No, really.

It's very easy in this crazy world to listen to all the negativity and become another negative drone. I do it all the time. I hear a negative and share a negative. It's very rare that a major news story is positive. Don't misunderstand, I don't suggest going through life with blinders on riding a unicorn through a magical cotton candy forest. I just mean that the good in the world gets masked and lost in the shuffle and it would be productive to everyone to hear more of the positives. 

Today, I was blessed to learn about two remarkable children. Children that at a young age care about things that matter in this world (not a wedding made famous by people made famous by being famous). 

First, this little third grader made a difference in our state. At such a young age to have such passion for change, even if it be only to have a state fossil, shows a drive and a desire that many of us have lost. I can only imagine the accomplishments she is capable of.  She's a great reminder of what everyone is capable of. She certainly revitalized my belief in dreams and hard work.  Below is the link to the article, it's a good, positive read. 

http://www.wjbf.com/story/25623469/governor-nikki-haley-signs-south-carolina-state-fossil-bill

The second child that struck a chord (literally) with me tonight oddly enough was on America's Got Talent. I rarely watch that show and I really just had it on tonight to have something on.  But then someone grabbed my attention.  This brilliant and talented nine year old that is in eighth grade and going into tenth (skipped five grades) played the piano. No, play is not an accurate description. He spoke through the piano. Although his playing and intelligence were out of this world, what impressed me the most was his wisdom. He said that the world has enough machines, what the world needs more of is emotion.  I think he may be on to something.  You can see his performance here: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wGJ4SCuy3Ao

To conclude tonight's blog, I'd like to say that there are many positive, happy, and inspirational people out there. Their stories are important and motivational. I hope to share more of the good and balance out the bad. Maybe setting a positive example and popularizing the good in the world instead of the bad we can make the world just a little bit better. 

Memorial Day

As many of us spend the day on the lake or by the BBQ it is very easy to forget what today is really about.  There are many families with an empty seat at their cookout because their loved one made the ultimate sacrifice for this great country.  These men and women are a blessing to us all.  They are heroes and the ultimate patriots.  Without them, we could not be the home of the free and the brave.  While there is no way to ever thank them or their families to the degree they deserve, we can respect their memories and honor them always.

Today, I saw many social media posts regarding the holiday.  Some I had seen before, some were new.  I'd like to share a couple I found most interesting and poignant.

KNOW YOUR HISTORY: Memorial Day was started by former slaves on May, 1, 1865 in Charleston, SC to honor 257 dead Union Soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp. They dug up the bodies and worked for 2 weeks to give them a proper burial as gratitude for fighting for their freedom. They then held a parade of 10,000 people led by 2,800 Black children where they marched, sang and celebrated.

Thanks to Abstrakt Goldsmith for this nugget of history that most of us never learned in school.  


COINS LEFT ON TOMBSTONES

While visiting some cemeteries you may notice that headstones marking certain graves have coins on them, left by previous visitors to the grave.

These coins have distinct meanings when left on the headstones of those who gave their life while serving in America's military, and these meanings vary depending on the denomination of coin.

A coin left on a headstone or at the grave site is meant as a message to the deceased soldier's family that someone else has visited the grave to pay respect. Leaving a penny at the grave means simply that you visited.

A nickel indicates that you and the deceased trained at boot camp together, while a dime means you served with him in some capacity. By leaving a quarter at the grave, you are telling the family that you were with the solider when he was killed.

According to tradition, the money left at graves in national cemeteries and state veterans cemeteries is eventually collected, and the funds are put toward maintaining the cemetery or paying burial costs for indigent veterans.

In the US, this practice became common during the Vietnam war, due to the political divide in the country over the war; leaving a coin was seen as a more practical way to communicate that you had visited the grave than contacting the soldier's family, which could devolve into an uncomfortable argument over politics relating to the war.

Some Vietnam veterans would leave coins as a "down payment" to buy their fallen comrades a beer or play a hand of cards when they would finally be reunited.

The tradition of leaving coins on the headstones of military men and women can be traced to as far back as the Roman Empire.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 

 

Something borrowed, something blue...

Great night!  We were blessed to watch our wonderful friends get married! Can't imagine any couple more suited for each other.  I couldn't be happier for them.  Tons of fun hanging out with everyone and on the dance floor too!