Flight of The Gypsy Bird

  Storm Damage. I think video footage of massive storm damage is among the most heart-wrenching things to watch. Video footage of people's lives, well-being, dreams, hopes....just....leveled. It's been 6 years since a tornado ripped through our small town and the lives and hearts of many were permanently affected .  6 years since hopes and dreams were crushed and life as many knew it changed forever. Every day we drive past the scars...although houses have been rebuilt and lives have slowly moved on, the land has yet to recover.  Once majestic trees now stand as ghostly reminders that something terrible happened. We pass one of the paths that the tornado took, everyday on the way to and from school...to and from town...to and from anywhere. At first, it was a solemn reminder of lives lost, a beacon of hope that humanity was not lost, and for our family, a grateful prayer was said every time we passed it for the sparing of...

This is Süßi (pronounced "Zues-ēē) and her sleeping sister, Schatzi. They are our new kittens who will live OUTSIDE once they are big enough to fend for themselves against hawks and such. They have no tails and are...OMGSH!!!! SO FRIKKIN CUTE!!!!  Being litter mates and tail-less are the only things these two have in common, lol. Süßi is super sweet and a little shy and Schatzi is super sweet, sassy, and completely fearless.  This is Po...  Him's my fweet-punkin-smooshie-face-baby....not a mean bone in his fluffy body until... The twins arrived.  I have never heard him hiss or growl in his whole 18-month-old-life until the two little, no-tailed, kittens joined our family.  From the first moment he investigated their tiny, tail-less bodies, he decided, "Thanks, but no thanks" and proceeded to let them know that he was in NO WAY interested in their kitten shenanigans.   Süßi was easy to convince, being the shy and timid one...and she avoide...

The baby grand. The single most desire of this little girl's grown up heart...And Jesus wants to give me one.   My love affair with the piano started when I was very young. My grandmother had a small one in her parlor and I remember closing myself into that room and playing random notes...trying my hardest to mimic the sounds that I could hear so loudly echoing in my heart. When other parents would have told their child to stop, because it was most definitely NOT lovely, haha, they allowed me to explore the endless possibilities of musical combinations and sharps, flats, naturals and accidentals that a piano keyboard holds. Unlike other a lot of other small children,  I rarely banged the keys.  It was more like...oh, I don't know...an unspoken respect that I felt for that instrument and I played it with an almost reverence. It was full of mystery for me and I remember spending hours in that room...just me and the sounds of exploration.  There was a genui...

I sat outside this morning, on my spiritual mom's patio, with my Papa God waiting to hear from Him as to what He wants to speak to his kids this evening. He was quiet and so was I....just enjoying our time together in the silence.  Words are overrated at times.   Sometimes we just need to BE with Him... And thennnnn.....  Riley.  See, my "mama" has this dog. He's quite a character.  He's grumpy and a tad bossy, lol.  He's an opportunist. Do NOT leave your food close to the edge of the table...or unattended. PERIOD. He's a sneak and he's completely adorable in all his spoiled-rottenness.  He's Riley. And he taught me something.  On this morning, he insisted to come out with me, so I obliged him. (If you know Riley at all, you will know that, oblige or not, he tends to have his way, haha. ) I sat there, soaking in the cool morning breeze...loving the embrace of my Father, and I noticed Rile...

About 8 months ago, a dear friend prophesied over me that I would write 3 books and not to get distracted by the illustrations. I thought, "Ok. I've got 2 already in the works...but....I really....don't need illustrations..." And then she said, "And there are children's books too." Wait. I know I didn't hear that. I'm not a children's author. She must've heard wrong. The books I write are novels and blog-style...definitely not children's books and I CERTAINLY don't feel a pull in that direction....At all. But I know this woman....I know she hears from Papa.... So I chalked it up and put it, wrapped ever-so-neatly, onto the shelf in the back of my mind for another season. Then, in December, I was sitting in the recliner at our former house and one of the littles came through and said, "Mama can you tie my shoes? I been tryin' and tryin' and it's just too hard!" He was quite upset...

Oceans. That song. Dangerous to your faith. ...And your life. Not too long ago, I read a blog post that circulated throughout facebook that talked about not singing the lyrics to "Oceans" unless you meant it. For those who may be unfamiliar with it, here are the lyrics that will cause you great difficulty if actually taken to heart: "OCEANS" Matt Crocker, Joel Houston, Solomon Ligthelm (c) Copyright 2012 Hillsong Music Publishing VS You called me out upon the waters The great unknown, where feet may fail And there, I find You in the mystery In oceans deep, my faith will stand CH And I will call upon Your name And keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine VS Your grace abounds in deepest waters Your sovereign hand will be my guide Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me You've never failed and You won't start now BRIDGE Spirit lead me where my trust i...

As I'm preparing for a word I'm to speak soon, and I'm studying through my talk relating to my blog post on "Slayer"... I hear " Cheat codes." And it gets me to thinking. Hmm...Cheat Codes. Well, let's explore this a sec. In relation to video games, Cheat codes are for those who want to advance quickly without having to actually learn the game...without actually having to struggle through the battles.  While it is CHEATING, and normally I would be adverse to skipping out on the process, I can see how this is beneficial. Don't hate. You know at some point you have pulled out that owner's manual looking for a hint only to find just enough info to piss you off. I mean  COME ON!!  Help a gamer out!! JEEZ!! And! If you think about it...the writers of the games come up with these codes...well...writers and hackers, lol. ANYWHO!! So! For the sake of argument, let's assume that God is the writer of this game...