Listening to country music on the cloud of your choice. Thankful to be together and hearing each other's voice.

Having a joyful time with no worries or fears. All happy thoughts and no more tears.

Living in beauty that you had to see to believe. Rejoicing with your Father knowing you never have to leave.

Let my soul be awakened and my mind be clear. Help me to be still and quiet so that I might hear.

Let my eyes be opened to see the glory you bring. Fill me with your spirit and let my heart sing.

4th of July

Hanging out with friends and family with drinks by the pool. Grilling burgers and eating homemade ice cream... trying to stay cool.

Yards decorated with flags and everyone wearing red, white and blue. Cities with activities planned, people choosing what to do.

Dark sky filled with loud sounds and light. Fireworks booming with colors so bright.

A fun time to celebrate but let's not forget why. Let's remember our history on this 4th of July.

We will gather together with much to do and see. Let's be proud Americans and be thankful we are FREE!

Sadness held inside, hiding it so no one can see. Putting on a smile, but when I'm alone I let it flee.

Things get complicated and my world falls apart. Trying to hold things together, especially pieces of my heart.

When we leave this world what will people think and remember most? A person with character and dignity? Or our judgements and opinions on our Facebook posts?

We like boiled peanuts and high school and college football. We like country music and we have a southern drawl.

We like peach ice cream on a hot summer day. We like sitting on the porch, even though we have to fan the gnats away.

You may find us drinking beer on the tailgate of a pick up truck. Or you may find us waiting in the woods for a doe or a buck.

We believe in southern hospitality and saying yes or no ma'am. We believe in sitting around a table eating fried chicken or ham.

We always say ya'll and we drink sweet tea. And to us, south Georgia is a great place to be!

Be still and quiet....let the noise fade away.
Breathe deep and sigh.....pushing the negativity away.

Kneel down and close your eyes...release all from within. Enter into prayer...let your new day begin.

Times are crazy right now, we all know it's true. People are running around , not sure what to do. Grocery store shelves are empty and schools are out. Some people are scared, others have doubt.

But one thing is certain, everyone has something to say. There is no silence, the noise grows everyday. Everyone is busy telling each other what's wrong or right. Chaos is among us and we are all losing sight.

It's not a time to judge or criticize decisions that have been made. No one needs us giving them a passing or failing grade. Instead, let's respect each other and be kind. And realize we don't always have to speak our mind!

We are all human trying to make it day by day. Everyone won't see things exactly the same way. But we can practice patience and pray for wisdom through this storm we are trying to weather. And remember at the end of the day we are all in this together!

Why are we in a hurry? We seem to move in a constant scurry? Why do we want everything right now? We act like we can't wait or maybe we have forgotten how. What are we teaching our kids? Is this how we want them to be? Is our busy lifestyle all they will ever see? We tell them to be patient, but we do not show them the way. They watch us rush day after day. We complain about the long drive thru line, but we are too busy to go in and dine. They hear us say move fast, that we have to go. But what's wrong with taking a break and moving slow?
Perhaps we are not as busy as we claim to be. Maybe it's what we are choosing as our priority. What we say to our kids and what we show them are not the same. Surely it's confusing and it really is a shame. We tell them we are too busy to play because we have to clean and cook.  But first we sit down and check facebook.. We tell them they should stop playing games...that they should go outside and ride their bikes. But we stay in and post a selfie and wait for all the likes. We say time has flown but how much of it was wasted staring at a phone.
We do not have to continue this way. We can choose to change today. I, for one, want to take a time out. Being busy is not what I want to be about. I want to enjoy my family face to face. My desire is to move at a slower pace. I want to live in the moment and look forward to what's next. I don't want to worry about responding to every text. I want to have a purpose in all that I do. Maybe if I stop rushing and put my phone down.... I will be able to.