Bring me coffee and tell me I’m pretty.

Last night we had a dinner date with a few friends. We chatted about many things, but the one thing that stood out to me was the question, “Is your husband romantic?” The room was dark and loud, so I honestly didn’t see who asked the question, but I preceded to answer with “what kind of romantic?” Mushy? Then we all started talking about what romantic meant to us personally. It almost felt like a moment of fun marriage counseling. 😂

🤔There are SO many different ways to be romantic.

You have your spread the roses everywhere man😂, open up her door kind of guy, the arrival of unexpected flowers or the committed bring me a cup of coffee in the wee early mornings. 

Or you could be like the episode Andy Counsels: 😂

​​

After chatting for some time, we all came to the understanding that being romantic isn’t all about the mushy fluff. It’s simply doing or saying something for your spouse out of love. 

 That same day my husband walked into the kitchen and said close your eyes. I opened my eyes to a beautiful wind chime. 😍 He remembered how I love butterflies, and it had a butterfly imprinted on the chime, and now It’s hung on my patio for us to hear as the wind blows.🙆🏼

 Sometimes being romantic is in the small things. I believe I can speak for most women; it’s a cup of coffee poured, taking a brisk walk, or early morning talks before the day starts can help keep the romance burning in marriage.

Today our early Sunday morning started out with a nice talk on the porch and a cup of joe, but then baby decided to wake up and join us.☕️👨‍👨‍👧💕

Waiting on my best friend.

Best Friend, BFF, my person, and so on. You see it every day on social media, but you rarely see it out in public unless it’s an OMG teen or college girl still hanging out with old school buddies. You also see young ones go from one bestie to another in one week and dumping the last one like she has some disease. I mean seriously girls, is she a friend or not?! 🙄  
TD Jakes says there’s ultimately three kinds of friends in your life: 

Confidantes -👩‍❤️‍👩 these are the people in your life unconditionally. They are into you, no matter the state of life you’re in. They are for YOU. These people are with you for the long haul. These people know you inside and out. Every secret told and every secret kept. BFF. If you have 2 or 3 of these in your lifetime, you are truly blessed. 

Constituents – 😉👍🏻these are the people who are not into you, they are FOR what you are FOR. As long as you are for what they are for, they will walk with you, talk with you and even counsel with you. Never think they are for you, they are for what you are for. At the moment they find someone else that will further their agenda, they will leave you. They were never for you to begin with. Be forewarned that if you are not careful, you will mistake your constituents for your confidants.😐

Comrades – 😝🤔👍🏻These are those people in your life who are not for you nor are they for what you are for but rather they are against what you are against. These people will team up with you for a season to fight a common enemy but don’t be confused by their association, they are only with you until a victory is a win. These people come into your life to fulfill a purpose, and when the purpose is complete, they will leave. 

🤔 Hmm…which ones do I have? Ha! I got you thinking too. 😂

You see, growing up my family moved constantly. I can’t even count on my hands how many towns and schools I’ve been in. My parents were always searching and loosing. 😭 Everywhere we moved I managed to make a least one best friend but then losing them after the next move and now all of my past besties live totally different lives that I couldn’t imagine being their BFF. 😳 

 Throughout all of this it has made it difficult for me to make or keep a best friend thinking I will lose them again. There are those that I have met while being married that live a bazillion miles away but who wants to have a long distant bestie? 😩So, I have managed to keep the “every once in a while” 😚👍🏻BFF but being busy living the American Dream, a new mom, moving to a new town and new church has caused me to not think about pursuing a best friend where I live now. Yup my bestie has been put on the back burner for far too long. Sorry sister and I don’t even know you yet. 🎈👭🎈

🙋🏼So to my future bestie, I am now searching ——> my confidant, BFF, my person, I’m waiting for you. 😩Can you hurry up, please?! You’re part of my destiny!  In the meantime, I will keep on with my busy life. 🤗

Let Love Be Ever So Genuine.

 Starbucks. The place where people are unique in lingo and style. I can never relate to anyone, but the atmosphere of grabbing a cup of coffee relates to my personality and me checking out of reality into a place of where nothing bad exist. We all have a place to “check out” and mine just so happens to be coffee shops. ☕️ 

Today’s daily verse reminds me of a time not too long ago. I was in Starbucks placing my order, and I noticed the young blonde, red lipstick tattooed barista had the most uncalled attitude. She was slinging drinks from left to right. Of course, because she was in such a mood she screwed up just about everyone’s order. I totally ignored it and said thank you with a jerk face and went on about my day. 🙄👍🏻

 The next day I was craving a strawberry coconut refresher, and I jollied my way to Starbucks once again to find the same barista in such a mood. This time, I wanted to report her madness, but as I watched her, I started noticing that this young lady was in pain. I mean emotional pain. Just about anything anyone said would make her tear up as if a huge bottom of a cloud would prepare itself for a downpour. I felt helpless. I wanted to reach out to her, but the pace of everyone wouldn’t allow it. I tried to figure out what I should do, and the Holy Spirit within me said ever so gently…let love. I preceded down the line and waited for my drink. The young emotional barista messed up my order again and I made sure I spoke with love. It almost seemed as though it calmed her. 

 Then I was reminded of the writing on my arm. Let Love Romans 12:9-10. I want to be real. Genuine. Do I always get this Love thing right? Absolutely not but the reminder on my arm helps me to be better at something Jesus loves to do for us all every second of the day.

Verse of the day: 

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Romans 12:9-10 NLT

Let Love. ❤️

Oh Crap, Contentment.

     “You need to relax and just enjoy the now.” 

“You just hate Tennessee don’t you?” 

“After Highschool we just won’t ever see you again!” 

      Ah yes. I have heard it all. To Tennesseans, the fact that I do NOT want to live here following graduation is often offensive… (Disclaimer: I love my Tenneseean people and I love my Tennessean food. The following message is not directed towards friends, family, or Chow Wagon.) 

       God has given us each individual callings and passions. For some, they find peak fulfillment and comfort when they are curled up with their lifelong friends on the couch in their lifelong home with their lifelong love and their lifelong dog. And that is great! Really, I love that. (Some of my favorite people have this personality.)  

     And there are others who feel that graduating college, moving to that place, landing that job, marrying that guy, getting that house and having those kids is the most wonderful accomplishment and goal. (Security, no money problems, American Dream.. Ah yes.) 

…Annnddd then there’s me. Don’t want to live here, wouldn’t ever want to live there, I love that place but oh look! This place has insanely great weather. Would love that job, but omg this job looks so fun. But then ahh who needs a job, I will just marry rich and travel indefinitely. 

Literally, most stressful personality ever. Especially when you get trapped in a certain place for extended lengths of time, and then you get that I’m-doomed-to-small-town feeling in the pit of your stomach due to lack of travel (travelsickness.. It’s a thing.) Ugh, No fun. 

But yes, I have dealt with lack of contentment.. Since I was 10 years old if you must know. I lived in Thailand, and while there I only wanted to be here. Then I was back here and nearly always wishing I was there. And then there would be the guilt… My family is here. My friends are here. My life is here, why was there always that nagging desire to go go go?  

I went to a summer teen camp a couple months ago in Kansas City, MO and I remember sitting in the prayer room one day, whining to Jesus about this very problem. Something along the lines of: Ughhh God why can’t I just stay here? Or could you just make me happy to live in Tennessee? I don’t understand why I can never just be happy where I am. 

And then I sat there. And I sulked. And then suddenly there was: 

Calm down. You are there for a reason. 

Of course, I’m here for a reason. I knew that, I know it now.  And I am calm, well, most of the time. But somehow that little reminder gave me peace, maybe not permanent peace but it reminded me that hey, it’s going to be okay. I know He will give me the desires of my heart, and adventure is out there, even if it’s not hiking through Alaska or heading to São Paulo to see my Brazilian bestie. But anyways, the point of this is to say that

1. God doesn’t always speak in big profound ways that shake your entire core and alter your identity. 

2. Sometimes He repeats Himself, and sometimes that is exactly what you and I need.

3. I really love traveling and contentment is a major everyday battle. 

Oh and by the way, I came home from that camp and I did get that next great adventure. I signed up for my first year of public school, after a lifetime of Homeschooling. And that.. Oh that is a blogpost all its own. 

   Until next time! 

~Maddie

Staying for a while

Today is September 8, 2016. Our screened or I should say, my screened in porch is complete. It’s 7:10 am and I’ve had just enough time to sip on my coffee for a minute while swinging back and forth thinking about life before baby wakes. 

This summer we hustled to get our house in order to put it up for sale. Some folks might ask but why?! Well…simply just because we can, we like flipping houses for a huge profit and when we bought the house we didn’t plan the little one in on it as well as if we have another. Yep I’m a planner but I failed to plan a fourth room. 🙄 

Summer is just about gone and everyone that showed our house said, LOVE the house but that back yard…is a NO! We continuously laugh because that was one of the reasons why we bought this house. Small back yard = less to mow. Duh. 🙄

After lowering the price and making the home into a homey home we started falling in love with it all over again. We talked about it and with us not owing a ton on the house we decided to stay and finish paying it off. I said I’m okay with that for right now as long as we can make it feel even more homey. 🙆🏼

After all the talk, my dear husband gave me the idea to create another space to unwind. I shared with him what I’d like to have and a few phone calls later he made it happen. 

A screened in back porch. Ah I can hear the birds and listen to the crickets. I’m really happy that folks didn’t care for our small backyard now!

Will we eventually sale the home? Yep! Maybe in a few years when chic-fil-a gets here or if a wee one pops its little self up in my belly. 🙆🏼 

Happy to be staying. Home is the nicest word there is. ❤️

Ever wore your feelings and emotions a lot?

Trying not to ramble too much but today is Labor Day and I have an eyelash poking my eyeball that needs an eye specialist. Everyone is closed so I am wearing an eye patch and it hurts.. a lot. I can’t see my child and she looks at me like I’m nuts. She could basically roll out the door and I won’t see it. My husband is doing everything for me while I lie here texting my little best friend and Snapchatting just to keep my sanity. 

As I was texting my little friend she shared with me a story about her past. It got me thinking and I shared with her some of my thoughts. She said I should blog it. 🙄

Of course I used the 😂 emoji because that’s what every stay at home mother does and I told myself I would never do that. 

#1 I really don’t have time and I don’t like to be part of a fad. Well today I have time since I’m bound to the couch from the whole eye thing and I really don’t care about not being apart of the whole mom blog fad thing at the moment. 

Here’s what I shared with my friend…

We hired a builder to build our screened in porch. We’ve already dealt with contractors so we know that they’re slow, they mislead, and sometimes lie. Well pretty much a lot of that has happened and we chose not to get mad and to make sure we stay friendly because one of the workers is extremely nice. If anyone knows us personally you should know that we are a couple that gets things done, on time or sooner and do our best to be upfront, exact and honest. We go out of our way to appreciate so we expect that from others. Well, here’s the thing. That doesn’t exist in everyone and it won’t. So here’s some things my husband and I had to talk about…

Are the contractors doing a good job? Yes excellent even its taking them two months to build a room half the size of a bedroom. 🙄😂

Will we use them again? Probably not. 
Will we recommend them? Probably not but if we do recommend them then we will be honest about our experience keeping in mind that some folks won’t mind the way contractors can be and will be happy to use anyone. 
Will we pay them before the job is up? No.  
My thoughts about this….

Going into things in life whatever it may be, you really have to remember that everyone isn’t Jesus Christ and most likely will NOT operate the way he does. You will find some people in life that appreciates you but if you don’t then you’ll have to appreciate yourself and know that God sees all and knows all. How does this tie into the whole contractor deal? Well, we are paying them to be a service to us. We expect honesty and production. Total appreciation for being a human or even existing. Right?! Ha.

So..We have taught ourselves to keep being nice and keep doing good for others no matter the situation. Even if they don’t say thanks? Yes, totally forget that you didn’t notice or you’ll probably create some dramatic scene that you’ll wish and pray to God to get you out of. 

Also, pray for descernment. God can give you a sense of how things can turn out so you’ll know what to expect from a situation before you put yourself in it. Isn’t that awesome how he will do things like that for us?! ❤️

 Even as I’m thinking about all this my email received the scripture for today. 

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:18 NLT

 

So what is the moral of this story? 

Don’t wear your feelings and emotions on your chest when doing things for others or while someone is doing something for you?  
Idk maybe. I hope this makes since to someone who chose to take their Labor Day time to read this. Ha. 

Forgive me if my writing is all over the place. I can barely see out of my eye while writing this so I’m pretty positive the grammar and sentences needs correcting but it’s Labor Day so I’m passing on correcting it. 😳 Good thing is it’s made me feel better sharing this through one eye! 👁😂

Hope your Labor Day is a good one!