Tag your it!

Tags, we all wear them, some proudly, and some not so proudly. We like to think we keep some in our pockets and only share them with a chosen few... Problem is when those tags get to be so many shoved in there, that they all just start showing anyway. We are only fooling ourselves if we think others can't see what we are trying so despartely to hide. I think it is amazing what we tag ourselves with....some are okay, I guess. What tag I display first is,unfortunately that, -I am overweight. If you can get passed that.... the next tag is- I have a nice smile and if you look a little further you might see one that says that- I am 40ish, or that- I have a fun hair cut (Thank you Aunt Mary and Diane for keeping me coiffured), or one stating that- I try to wear my make-up well (a child of the 80's) and another that says- I am a Christian. -I dress a little trendy sometimes.-I am still not over my parents divorce (20+ years ago) and -I like the color purple (my toes are always painted purple!). Those are just a few of the millions I wear. What ones do you wear?

I like to think I am more than just what tags I display on the outside. If you are my friend you know the real me. You have spent time getting to know the Miki in REAL LIFE.  As I have said, I started a new job this week...and traveled many of the long narrow passages of my new cube land. I would pass people and smile politely and say "Hello!"  Sometimes, it was returned and others saw me as invisible or tagged me as such- not worthy of a simple hello. When that happens, I always blame my weight. I most likely shouldn't- but, I do. I am sure that there are just as many thin people that never have their "hello's" returned either, but, as an overweight kid and then teen, I was made fun of -teased and ridiculed by a few mean people throughout my school days and after. I really don't care if someone makes fun of me-anymore, but, I will stick up for someone else in a second. I have gotten tuffer in my old age to the teasing and bullying that I faced back then. One of my tormentors in grade school, made up a song that he would sing to me whenever he could.... I of course, remember it well, because over the years I have played it over and over to myself in my head... I am sure he doesn't know what seeds of self hate he planted all those years ago...  I don't even remember his name...but the song stuck with me. Here it is, "Hey Fattie, Hey Fattie, what a way to grow!, Hey Fattie, Hey Fattie, what a way to grow!" this was usually followed by, "Watch out! You don't want her to sit on you!" or one of other numerous statements. That was the bully of 5th and 6th grade. He went to a different middle school- thank God! I heard that he had to go through 7th grade a few years in a row. God's paybacks are much better than our own. Maybe he is in the music industry these days? He didn't take the time to get to know the real me....he just saw one tag on the outside.


Tags, everybodies got them....big and small, short and tall.... Are we all not just human beings? Gods creations.

I was having lunch at restaurant the other day and... I tagged our waitress immediately. 40 something, tuff, taking care of herself -her way, waitress. She may have not been any of those things...I was her judge and jury....I assessed her and tagged her just by how she looked. It was all in the persona she displayed for the rest of the world to see. I was doing just what others do to me... is that wrong? Yes! There are 2 sides to examine on this coin....First, what do we display to others? Are we putting out there the image that we would like the world to see? And secondly, are we judging others by the image that we see and not the heart within? God looks to the heart. If we have Jesus- He sees us as whole and clean through the blood that His son shed for us. It is His desire that we all come to know Him. Don't assess and not share God's love with someone just because of the tags you have given them.

God loves you just as you are....we see all the muck and mess that we have gone through or are still in and God sees us as His precious creation...He desires to know you more. God is not mad at you!  It is so refreshing to feel His presence in your life. If you don't know what this is like.... Ask Him, say this-

God- I know I have messed up. I want to know you and have your presence in my life everyday. I want to see through your eyes how precious your creation is around me. I can do nothing on my own power to earn your love and forgiveness. I accept that you want me to give my life over to you... to share your love with the world around me. From here on out-help me to gain wisdom, give me the knowledge to know truth, lead my feet, guide my hands and fill my heart with your love. Let me impact the world for you! Let me love others as you love them. Give me your compassion toward them. You are my ultimate authority. Thank you for sending your son, Jesus to die that I might live! I want to see you in heaven- earth is now my temporary home!

I prayed that prayer with you.... I need it everyday....as the bumper sticker says: I'm not perfect- Just forgiven. It's true..... show that same compassion for those around you. If you meant what was written here...pick up a bible...start reading it. Start in the book of John or Luke. Those books are in the mid to back of the bible. They are called the gospels and give an account of Jesus's life while he was here on earth. Study His love. Find someone to ask questions too.... someone to pray for you. Someone whom you can tell by how they live... they love God. Don't get caught up in the docturine of men. Read His word. It's foundational truth.

Share with a friend-
Tag your it!
Miki 

Me at the Doctors office.... See I look happy!

Are you a "Leading Lady" in your own life?

I was on vacation last week and some very dear friends-whom I love and respect their opinion, basically told me... In the most recent past, I have not been looking or acting like the "Super Star" that they have known me to be. They both have known me for many years and know my style, personality, the standards that I hold myself too and others around me... And well... Feet to the flame- lovingly told me it's time to step it up! I love that... Do you have friends like that? Ones that know you better than you do? I know I haven't been getting my hair done and I haven't really made sure to get myself something new lately...or plucked my bushy eyebrows (I thought the Brooke Shields look was coming back?) So, I have a new do, new eyebrows and a new attitude! I am starting a new job tomorrow and needed to get myself back in order to bring out the best me that I can.

There was a movie called "Holiday" staring the girl from Titanic and she is befriending an old man who is a retired movie writter and he tells her... In the movies there is all ways a leading lady and a best friend... You my dear are a leading lady acting like a best friend in the movie of your own life... You need to get back to being the leading lady- If you can't star in your own life... Someone else will!

I love that.... Ladies we are all leading ladies and best friends.... It's up to us to make sure that we are the "Super Star" in our everyday lives.

We as women need to also be that "best friend" to other ladies around us... Be that friend who can loving support another by saying, "it's time to step up and be the leading lady!"

Love and kisses or as they say in North Carolina-
Hogs and Fishes!

Miki as herself!

Road Trippin'

Me and one of my best girlfriends headed out today on an adventure....halfway across the country. We are headed to visit some of my other best girlfriends and the family in Charlotte, NC. We headed  out at 7:30 am and spent a beautiful day in the car.... the trees are at peak fall color and as we hit the start of the Smoky Mountains...it is beautiful! We have stopped in Knoxville, TN for the nite and then we are headed out in the morning to Ashville, NC to see the Builtmore Mansion. I have never been there but, my friend Vicky got engaged there a few years back... WE are going to take some pics and I will post some tomorrow night. We plan on having lunch there and just sight seeing and then heading into Charlotte before dark.

We were having breakfast this morning and saw this couple.... they were complete opposites visually. They were likely in there early seventies. He was a nicely dressed cowboy about 6'8" with a black hat on and she was maybe 4'6" and both were dressed in the same colors and looked like they had been together forever. Do you ever wonder how God puts people together? What attracts people to one another? Love? Why do we prefer what we do? Even in friendships? I have many great friends. I am so blessed for each of them being in my life. Vicky and I have known each other since I was 23..so about 19 years and we have been through it together. Isn't it nice to have that feeling of knowing someone that well. What if our relationship with God was just like that? Think about the person in your life that knows you through and through..... God knows you well enough to count the hairs on your head.... That's beyond our understanding... or at least mine.  I want to know Him better... everyday.

Keep an eye her for pix...

Happy Trails!

Raindrop by raindrop

I went to the doctor on Thursday. I had officially lost 20lbs.!!!!! He was happy for me and wanted to know the how and why... My answer to him was.. Dan and I have cut out as much fast food as possible, drinking water or tea... No sugary drinks, and we are walking. I also told him, that I am blogging to make myself accountable and to take others with me on the journey.

He told me that the shoulder pain that I am feeling could be related to my heart...and that, I have to go to have a stress test next Monday. This totally freaks me out. He took an EKG in his office and it showed some irregularities... and with my family history... We need to make sure the stress I am feeling is just stress! Pray that it is, and my arteries are clear and my heart is working fine- In Jesus name!
I had my last day at UHC today. Moving forward, changing jobs... Have you ever watched rain fall on a window - how as it slowly falls- drop by drop... the drops will run together in lines of water... like little streams. I feel like these changes in my career etc... are like that, where God is moving me into my right path... It might be little stream by little stream... One just slightly moving catching another drop to the right or the left and then flowing to catch a little bigger stream. With each change I am learning a lot. Meeting some wonderful people along the way... I have never been a person to change jobs, but, I guess- I am on my way to yet another a new adventure.

I have always been a person who believes that God has me where He wants me to be, when He wants me to be there, to meet the people He wants me too, to learn what He wants me too,for the season He wants me too learn it! So, I am off to learn the mortgage industry. I think that all this experience is going to aid my knowledge in running my own business someday- soon! Something that, Dan and I can travel together and it can be a write off for the business! Maybe, like one of my favorite ladies...Liz Curtis Higgs- author and encourager of women.(if you don't know her look her up on youtube...she is FABULOUS!) Traveling the world making sure that women know how important they are to God and what He has called them to be and do!


Just by you reading this blog... Our streams have run together... Thanks for joining me here. After all the more water in the stream- the faster it runs and the more wet you get when you mess around in it! PLAY!

Picture Perfect!

Have you ever said to someone, "Don't get ME in the picture!" or "Only shoot me from here up!" or "No-please, I don't have any make-up on!" Hm mm??? I have said these plus...or, I have made sure that I was the one behind the camera and not in front of it. Is either one of these you? I have gone so far as to load the pictures on my computer and photo shop them until I didn't even look like myself. What does this say about us? me? It says that somewhere along the line somebody told us that we should/could- "fix ourselves" before we get our picture taken. Fix ourselves? How? Why? Just so Mom will get a good picture of us from school? So that we look fake and posed? YEP! If you are like me....we would get the school pictures back and my Mom and or Dad would say...either..."You smiled good" or "That's a fake smile!" I promise - I tried to mean it....but, I guess I didn't.

I have come to the realization that, I look better in a picture that's less posed and more just taken whenever...it's "Miki is real life!" My husband loves to take pictures of me with my hair in various dis-a-ray. He thinks it's cute and I am just goofy enough to comply.

I have a few friends that are fabulous photographers... but, one wrote this in his blog and I thought it was so beautifully profound and well worded. That, I asked if I could share it here. Check out his site while you are there. http://jharderphotography.blogspot.com/2010/10/pretty-please.html , I told him that he needs to give this statement to everyone he photographs. We should all follow his lead... Memories are important. Keep the GOOD ones and hold them preciously in your grasp, they make us who we are today and shape our future.

Out there...

What a cool thing it has become to be able to communicate with so many people via the Internet. I am consistently amazed by the amount of information out there on the web. (True or Not!?!) I know that we need to judge everything that comes before our eyes... I know it hardens your heart toward certain things if we allow those images into our being. As we are made, we remember images and thoughts and feelings that these things have over us...it effects us in even our chemical balance. We can use images to inspire us or to make us feel lonely, or even depressed. We release certain chemicals when we see certain things....like food we love on the TV, nudity, violence.... we can get addicted to anything. We as humans....our minds and flesh can become addicted to anything that we allow. In saying that, my husband is a huge fan of Law and Order...all of them. Death, rape, murder, incest and more is on every show. It's like looking at a car accident. You really don't want to see someones blood on the road... but, you look anyway.(I have made it a conscious commitment to just pray for the people involved and not to look at what happened.) It creeps me out to think that most of what they have on Law and Order is from the REAL news...happening in REAL life as we know it. There are really some messed up people out there in the world!

As I have said I am an artist. I feel that God has given me an ability to create art. I have not been using my gift for sometime and I know that I need to be creative everyday. I will get somethings done and post them here on my blog even if it's some older stuff I have done... loaded in pictures. I know that God cannot bless what we don't set our hands to do. I told my husband I need some inspiration... Images to create from... We are going to Taste of Missouri this weekend at the Botanical Garden and Shaw Art Fair...it is our yearly ritual...as this week marks 8 years of marriage for us. I will get inspired. I will draw! I promise! It is all about putting things in front of our eyes! I am going to do that this weekend. What are you going to set your eyes on???? Something to inspire? A book? magazine? Museum? Fair?

 Be creative....the world needs YOU to be creative! I commission you....GO CREATE!