If Tomorrow Never Comes.....

My mom posted pictures of the headstones of my three family members that passed away this year. My two young cousins, Brandi and Zoe, have pictures, and my grandmother's has a symbol showing that she was a skin donor.

                           

As I was viewing these tonight, I started thinking about the fact once again that you just never really know when it will be your time or someone else's time to go. Only God knows the exact time and place. Because of this, we need to make sure that we tell the ones we love exactly how we feel about them right now. You may never have another chance in this life. If there are people that you love that you haven't exactly treated quite right over the years, you need to take time to call them and let them know that you never meant to be that way. Let them know, too, how much you really care about them, love them, and are proud of them. This is especially true for parents and children. Children, no matter how old they are, need to know that their parents love them and are proud of them. Please don't let another day go by without doing this. It is more important than you know. God bless!

I know I've shared this before, but another listen never hurts.

If Tomorrow Never Comes

New Beginnings

Well, there is finally some good news to report. Last night, at 8:26 pm (October 24, 2011), a beautiful new life was born to the Hart, Panno, Lyle, and Easteal families. Her name is Lillian Jeanette Hart, and she weighed in at 9 pounds and measured 22 inches in length. All of us here in Florida can't wait to see pictures and eventually meet her. Lillian's birth is a bright spot in a very dark couple of weeks. It's been very difficult to look at the positives in life, but Lillian gives me new hope for the future. Don't get me wrong. I love my husband very much and have never been as happy with anyone as I am with him, but we are worried about losing out jobs next. However, the new life that was born last night into our family gives me renewed hope. There is always a new beginning on the horizon, and there is a purpose for everything. Bill and I have both been divorced and, that was a hard thing to overcome for both of us. However, because of those divorces, we were free to meet one another and create something new and better. The people that were laid off may now have a shot at greater opportunities that before they would have disregarded.

So before you let the bad things that have happened to you destroy you, take a look at the positives you have in your life, and take the time to consider the new possibilities and new beginnings that may be around the corner for you. Don't count yourself out until you have explored all the options. Remember, there is always something new and better just around the corner. God bless!!

Lillian Jeanette Hart

Listen to the lyrics! They're awesome!!!

Sad Day

Yesterday was one of the saddest days I believe I have ever experienced in my life. I watched 19 people that I worked with get laid off from our company. This has been the second time in 8 months. Then it was 30 people. It is so incredibly sad to walk by so many empty desks and wonder if you are next. The sadness of yesterday is still so vivid, especially when I think of my stepdaughter's face when she heard her name called. I just wanted to run over and put my arms around her, but she had to go get her paperwork. This was the best opportunity she has had in a long time. I pray that she can take what she has learned and apply it elsewhere. She so deserves a shot at happiness and fulfillment. I made sure I hugged her before she left, and I cried along with her. Shirley, my friend from high school, was also laid off. I feel incredibly guilty because I encouraged both of them to come work at the company. I know it's not my fault, but I can't help but feel a little responsible.

What's even worse is the anxiety that I feel now any time I think about work. I am afraid that it is going to happen again, and this time, I'll be the one to go. I have always loved my job, ever since day one, and it bothers me to feel so uncomfortable there now. All I want is to find a company I can retire from. I was so hoping it would be at this company, but now I'm not so sure. I mean I still want it to be, but I'm afraid it just won't happen. 

It's Official

It's official!!! I have gone to the dark side!! I officially became a Democrat today. I can no longer associate myself with a party that seems to want others to suffer just so that they can have things the way they want them. What is so wrong with letting everyone have the same basic human rights as everyone else? Why can't my co-worker be allowed to marry the woman she loves and have a family? Honestly, how does that harm anyone else? Let me tell you about my co-worker and how she cares about others. Today, we found out that our paychecks are going to be delayed until possibly Tuesday. Well, she knew about my little girl's birthday party, and she was concerned that we wouldn't have decorations and a cake because we didn't get paid like we were supposed to. She and her partner were willing to bake a cake tonight for us. How sweet is that? How many people would have been willing to go to that much trouble for someone else? And yet people can call her evil and a sinner because she happens to be in love with another woman! I'm sorry, but there is no way I can associate myself with a group of people that truly believes that. My co-worker is more thoughtful than many of the so-called Christians I know. She actually displays the love of Christ more than my former pastor and others at the church ever did. And yet people call her evil? Sorry, but no!

Anyway, I just wanted to share that. It has been quite a trying day, and I am going to curl up with my husband, watch a movie, and just veg out for a while.

Getting in Shape

Good morning! I'm just sitting here and enjoying a wonderful day off with my husband. That's one of the things that I really love about my job. We get a generous amount of holidays off with pay and are given no flak about taking time off. In fact, we start earning time off with our first paycheck.

Anyway, as some of you may know, Bill suffered a TIA about 7 weeks ago. His triglycerides were through the roof (2600), and his blood sugar was out of control. The doctor told him in the hospital that his diet had to drastically change, and he had to exercise more. We already walk twice a day at work during our two fifteen minute breaks, but that evidently was not enough. While in the hospital, a dietician came in and talked to both of us, and we learned a great deal about how to eat a balanced diet. Also, Bill was put on insulin (he is diabetic). We learned that he had actually not been consuming enough carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, in moderation, are actually essential to a balanced diet. That is where our bodies get the energy they need to function properly. Also, he had been eating too much protein and too much fat (cream of anything soups contain WAY too much fat we learned). A medical tech at the hospital also got some information for us about a gym that was opening up very close to our house at a price that we could not pass up ($10/month each and no contract).

So, when Bill was released from the hospital, I told him that I would go on the diet and exercise plan with him if he thought that would help him stick to it. He was very pleased and said that it would. No one had ever been willing to do that for him before. Besides, I need to get in shape as well. I want to be around to see my future grandchildren one day, too, not to mention that I would really like to look good! ;)  So, we got started with the diet. We eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and can even get some sweets (in moderation) occasionally. We are very careful to monitor the amounts of carbs, proteins, and fats we are getting in each meal and each snack.  Believe it or not, we have found that we can actually eat a pretty good amount of food and can be quite satisfied with it. You really don't have to eat a lot of junk to feel full. We both have noticed that we actually feel physically much better, and it's because the food we are eating is food that is actually good for us.

We also started working out 5 days a week in a gym. It's been awesome! We've gotten to where we are looking forward to it. (In fact, I'm sitting wondering if we can hurry up and go right now!) Anyway, we go right after work Monday through Friday and exercise for about 35 minutes. Bill rides the exercise bike and will soon be adding some weight training to the mix. I discovered a wonderful machine called the Arc Trainer (see below) that works the whole body hard and burns a pretty good bit of calories. This past Friday, I worked off about 340 calories!

Guess what? The work is paying off. Bill is losing inches around his waist, his blood sugar is almost completely back under control, and his triglycerides have come down from 2600 to 357! He is also building up some muscle. I've always thought my husband was pretty good-looking, but he is getting even better looking as a result!!!!  Yahoo for me!!!! As for me, I have lost about 5 pounds and am working on more!! I'm feeling better than I have in a long time, and last weekend, I was able to get some new smaller clothes. I can actually get clothes to fit my shape and look good in them!! I'm excited about losing more weight so I can get some more!!

If anyone is interested in what we've been doing to lose weight, let me know. I'll be happy to help out. The best way to lose weight and get healthier is by simply adjusting your diet and exercising. Fad diets are not going to do it. You may lose weight, but it won't be in a healthy way.

LOL  I just realized that I have written ANOTHER happy blog post! Shirley should be very pleased! Love to you all!!!

Happiness

Hi! Well, my friend Shirley told me that I should write about happiness. I guess some of my posts haven't always been that happy. Therefore, I am going to write about some happy things tonight. First of all, I have a very happy marriage to a wonderful man. He is loving, caring, sensitive, and what I consider a real man to be. I thank God every day for bringing such a wonderful man into my life. I have never been treated with so much genuine love and respect before in my life.

Secondly, I am a proud mother of three beautiful, healthy children. Although two of them are not with me right now, I do love all of them very, very much. I am extremely proud of my son Alex. He is really growing up into a mature and sensible young man. I could NOT be prouder of him. Amy is doing very well in school and is getting ready to take dance lessons after the first of the year. My daughter Hayley is 18 now. I miss her and her brother Alex greatly. Hayley is not speaking to me right now, but I will always love her. She is my first-born, and I am extremely proud of her as well.

I also happen to be very proud of my three stepchildren. The oldest lives in Chicago, and his wife is pregnant with their first child. Yes, that means I will be a step-grandmother!! Who knew it would happen this quickly? Bill and I are very excited about it! (I'm secretly hoping the baby will call me Maw-Maw or Mee-Maw. That will be so cool!!!) I am very thankful to Joe and Sarah for making me and my children feel so welcome in the family. I will be forever grateful to both of them for that! The middle child lives in Pace and works with her dad and me at our company. Out of all three of Bill's kids, Rachel is the one who reminds me the most of him. I am so pleased to have gotten a chance to get close to her. She has such a wonderful heart and is much more intelligent than she gives herself credit for. Her dad and I are so proud at how well she is doing at work. They love her there!! Bill's youngest son is away at college right now at Melbourne, and he is the one that I got to know first and best of all three. I even got a chance to teach Geoffrey to drive! It was an interesting experience to say the least, but he did it! I'm so proud of him. He is incredibly intelligent, and I can't wait to see what he is going to become! He and I got really close, and I am so proud that he feels free to talk and even confide in me sometimes.

 

I am also happy to have a wonderful dog named Bella. We found her on Craig's List, and she is a very sweet Jack Russell terrier. She comforts me when I'm sad and follows me everywhere. She thinks she is a big, ferocious dog until a thunderstorm comes up, and then she needs me to protect her! LOL

Finally, I am very happy with my job. I have been working at Smart Horizons now for almost two years, and I love it! It really is the best job I have ever had. My coworkers and supervisors are really great, and it's a pleasure to go to work every day. I am very hopeful that this job will be the one that I get to retire from one day.

Some people may look at my life and wonder why on earth I am so happy. I don't really make that much money, I'm on my third marriage, and two of my kids no longer live with me. I miss my kids terribly, and I wish they were here. However, the life I have here with Bill, Amy, and Bella is actually a pretty good one. As my husband says, "We have everything we need and a fair amount of what we want. I think that's pretty good." Many people out there have it a whole lot harder than we do. I consider myself to be incredibly blessed and (yes, Shirley) very, very happy!! Love to all!

Is the United States Still a Christian Nation?

The answer I'm afraid seems to be no. In fact, I'm not sure that we ever were. Take a look at our history, and take a look at the way we treat one another today. I wonder sometimes if God is ashamed that we call ourselves Christians. People in our part of the country enslaved other people once simply because their skin color was different. In fact, we fought and killed each other over it. Do you really think God is proud of that? What about the people who were already here when we arrived? We just pushed them out of the way so we could take what we wanted! People think it's okay to hate other people simply for being different, and people don't believe in giving basic human rights to others simply because they don't live their lives the way those people think they should. If you stop and think about it, we are all basically the same and want the same things out of life. We all want to love and be loved, and we all want a chance to make something out of our lives. Why should anyone stand in the way of that?

Also, can anyone tell me what good it does for anyone to work against everything President Obama wants to do? Does anyone really want our country to improve or are they just willing to do everything it takes to make Mr. Obama look bad? How about we think about our country's future for once instead of just thinking about me, myself, and I?

I posted the link below to my Facebook page, but I'm not sure how many people actually saw it. If you haven't read it, you should. It's very interesting and exactly what Bill and I both have been saying recently. Check it out. It just might make you think!

Do We Really Live Like Christians?

Check out these videos as well and really listen to the words:

Casting Crowns--Does Anybody Hear Her?

Casting Crowns--Jesus, Friend of Sinners (Lyrics below)

"Jesus, Friend Of Sinners"

Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours

Yeah...

Jesus, friend of sinners, the one who's writing in the sand
Make the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of thieves
Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees
No one knows what we're for only against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs crossed over the lines and loved like You did

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours

You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

'Cause You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours

And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast
Yeah...
You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

The Eagles--The Last Resort

Life and Death

Hi. I'm just sitting here tonight thinking about life and how fragile it really is. You just never really know when it is going to be your time to go or someone's time that you really love and care about. About seven months ago, I lost three members of my family within the span of 24 hours. First, my grandmother passed away at the age of 84 from a heart attack. It was very unexpected, but when people get to be her age, you know that it could be anytime. We miss her terribly, and I regret not spending enough time with her. I sure am glad, though, that Bill and I were able to take her, my mom, and his mom all out to lunch a couple of times. We had a great time with them. Bill's mom and my grandma were born in the same month except that my grandma was a year older than Bill's mom. (I know that sounds weird but Bill and I are about 11 1/2 years apart in age) Losing MeeMaw (my grandma) was very sad, but what happened the next evening was so shocking that it all still seems so surreal, even to this day. My cousin was taking her daughter Zoe (who was 18 and a new mother) and my other cousin Brandi (who was 15) to buy dresses for MeeMaw's funeral. Sadly, they were in a terrible accident, and the two teenagers were killed instantly.

This shows us that death can come to anyone at any time. I was thinking about this tonight because headstones were finally delivered this week for MeeMaw, Zoe, and Brandi's graves.

It hadn't been that long since I had seen them when this happened, and they were all so full of life. I wish I had another chance to let them know how much I loved them. The picture below, though, is what really got me thinking:

The name on the bottom right of this headstone is my mother's name. This is a woman who has always been my rock. She has stood by me so many times and has loved me unconditionally. Seeing her name on that headstone reminded me again of how precious time with our loved ones is and how we just don't know when it will be anyone's time to go.

About seven weeks ago, Bill experienced a transient ischemic attack (TIA) also known as a mini-stroke. I thank God every day that he is still with me and that he has no permanent damage because I really could have lost him. That is why I am working so hard to help him get his triglycerides down and keep them down and helping to keep his blood sugar under control. I am exercising with him and eating the very same diet he is eating. It makes it easier for him when someone else does it, too. I also make sure that food he can't have is not allowed in the house. One thing that I am always sure to do, too, is let him know everyday how much he means to me.

I want to urge everyone reading here to let the people you love know how loved they are and how much they truly mean to you. You may never get another chance to do it. Thanks for reading!

RIP Brandi, Zoe, and MeeMaw
Garth Brooks--If Tomorrow Never Comes