Take the time and watch the whole thing - This is SO funny.

There's a realm above the trees where the lost are finally found

I love the lyrics to this song!

A Mother's Hope

"Never let perfection be the enemy of good."

Mr T has the wisdom of a black buddha

I like to pull this video out and make the kids watch it whenever I'm feeling underappreciated. Happy Mothers Day all!

See? People who eat at McDonalds aren't so bad.

Driving through the McDonalds drive thru one day I decided to pay for the car behind me. When I told the lady at the window that I wanted to do that she asked "Do you know those guys or is it just to be nice?" I said "Just to be nice." She smiled and nodded then said "You know, every time I work the window there are usually about two people a shift who do that." I was really surprised - that's a lot, don't you think? I love that there are people in my area who are doing things like that just to be nice. Whenever I perform a random act of kindness I feel great doing it because there is something a little special about giving to someone who will never pay you back and never has done anything nice to you before. When you offer help to people you know there does seem to be a bit of a friendship bank account that both parties try to balance. But when helping a stranger, someone you will likely never see again - you are throwing your love out into the unknown as an act of faith and maybe as a declaration that we are all connected and when one benefits, we all benefit. It feels great to open your heart up to the universe and ask "May I take your order please?"

A Mother & her child

Kindness story from:   http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-stories/1416-a-mother-her-child

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karen2silver/8110345345/

Many years ago I worked in the city of Melbourne, I had just got off the train & was waiting to cross the road, It was winter,pouring rain & freezing cold, (I had a fur coat on that I had only just bought at a sale,)when I spotted a little girl & her mother, both had light dresses on & were sopping wet, I couldn't help myself, I took off the coat & gave it to the mother, she started crying & thanking me as she put it on & bundled her little girl inside the coat.  I cried all the way to work thinking how lucky I was to be able to at least help out a little bit.

your place in the family of things

Wild Geese, by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Ways to make the winter a little warmer

Story shared on the random acts of kindness website:


Photo by Patti O'Shea

One day, the entire city got nearly 3 feet of snow. Around 2PM before i set off to work, I decided to shovel my driveway along with my neighbours. I chose to do their driveway first cause it seemed like a harder task. After 1 hour of shovelling, I finished their driveway. Right as I was about to start mine, I got a call from my boss asking me if I can come to work earlier because many people called-in sick. I said OK and I walked to work with my driveway undone. After I got back from work, I asked my dad if he finished the driveway himself, to which he responded "The neighbours did it".
http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-stories/1545-boomerang-effect

Keep going, Utah!

A friend of mine gave a talk in church today that was so so good.  I wish I could put the whole thing on this blog but in the meantime have found a snippet she shared from a conference talk that I really loved.

"Several years ago, I had the opportunity to run the Boston Marathon. I had trained hard and felt I was prepared, but at mile 20 there are hills. The locals call the steepest and longest hill Heartbreak Hill. When I reached that point, I was physically spent. The hill was long, and because I was a novice, I allowed myself to do something no seasoned runner ever does—I started to think negatively. This slowed my pace, so I tried to think positively and visualize the finish line. But as I did this, I suddenly realized that I was in a big city, there were thousands of people lining the route, and I had not made any arrangements to locate my husband at the end of the marathon. I felt lost and alone, and I started to cry. I was wearing a big red T-shirt with the word Utah printed on the front in big block letters. As the spectators saw that I was crying, they would yell, “Keep going, Utah.” “Don’t cry, Utah.” “You’re almost finished, Utah.” But I knew I wasn’t, and I was lost. I also knew that even if I stopped running and dropped out of the race, I would still be lost.

Do any of you ever feel like you’re running up Heartbreak Hill and that even though there are people lining the route, you are alone? That’s how I felt. So I did what every one of you would do—I began to pray right there on that marathon route. I told Heavenly Father that I was alone and that I was on a hill. I told Him that I was discouraged and afraid and that I felt lost. I asked for help and strength to be steadfast and to finish the race. As I continued to run, these words came into my mind:

Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.

I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

That sweet answer to my prayer gave me the strength to continue on until I crossed the finish line. And despite my fears, my husband was right there and all was well.

That day I experienced more than a marathon. I learned some important lessons. First of all, never wear a big red shirt with the word Utah printed on it. Second, I learned that no matter how well prepared you think you are, there are hills on the course. I learned that people cheering for you along the way are absolutely essential. I learned again that day that we are never alone."

-Elaine Dalton, Conference Talk, April 2008


This made me think about the people in my life that I could be a better cheerleader for.  So for anyone reading this blog and thinking about giving up or quitting something that is important I'm sayin' to you:  Keep going Utah! (or wherever you're from) Don't cry Utah! You're almost finished, Utah! Maybe I'm sayin' that to me too.

The Muffin Men

"The world is so crazy and if people were more kind, it would be a little easier to live in."

Love Letters

This is so worth watching - warms my heart and makes me think of one of my best friends who loves to write love letters to those she loves.  I think we all have special gifts that we can use to reach out to others.  I guess right now I'm trying to find my thing after about two years of not really wanting to reach out to anyone.  this video has definitely inspired me.


 

How to be kind when cranky

I'm asking, actually.  I woke up cranky and am not sure what kindness effort to exert today.  Perhaps just not yelling at anyone would be a good act of kindness for me today.  Baby steps indeed.

That heart on her t-shirt makes me laugh.


Angry Redneck by JanetBoyerWrites

Be kind anyway

Cactus flower by Melissa Bowersock


“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway."

― Mother Teresa

One of my favorite songs

Give said the little stream
Give oh give, give oh give
Give said the little stream
As it hurried down the hill

I'm small I know but wherever I go the grass grows greener still

Singing, singing all the day
Give away, oh give away
Singing, singing all the day
Give, oh give away . . .

The Rooftop

The past two years of my life have been pretty crazy.  I went through a worse than difficult pregnancy, I was sleep deprived for a good 8 months after the birth and my older two boys have the energy and power of hurricanes.  There have been mornings in the not so distant past that I have woken up yelling.  Yeah, not in a great place.  I was living in survival mode.   But now, I'm feeling so much better, I'm sleeping through the night and I've figured out tricks to calm and manage hurricane season.  Now, I think it's time to consider living like a human being again, you know looking a little bit more outward than inward if I can.    I was just watching a CBC program about how we in Canada (it also included the US and the UK) seem to have ditched some common decency - manners, courtesy and respect.  The program highlighted a movement in the UK called Join Me.  The movement encourages random acts of kindness and some people who have joined have committed to doing more things like buying a hungry looking stranger a sandwich, or giving a ten dollar bouquet of flowers to someone hanging out in the park.  And now that I'm not in that self-centered living that new mothering brings, I thought maybe I should try some little efforts myself.  I started today and ACTUALLY e-mailed someone back who had thanked guests in a group e-mail for coming to her son's birthday party.  I wrote to her that Oliver had a blast and that he said it was the best birthday party he had ever been to. If I were her I would really love an e-mail like the one sent.....I almost didn't send it, that's how lazy I am.  But I'm ok with baby steps.  Don't judge, just love.

If you are an aspiring writer, or actually an aspiring anything I highly recommend you read this
very encouraging post by Kristen Lamb (author of We Are Not Alone). 

She's funny, smart and has some great wisdom to share.

Love is in the air

Scene:  Me in bed, Jord scrambling around trying to get ready for work.  He has come into the bedroom and turned the lamp on beside my bed while he changed Ruby's diaper and then left without turning the light off.  After a few minutes he returns.

Jord:  Char you have to get up, Oliver is doing a marathon poop in the bathroom and I think you'll have to drive him to school today.

Me:  Ok.  Why did you leave the light on?  I hate it - you always leave it on for me in the morning to make me get out of bed.

Jord:  I don't always do that I think I've done it twice.

Me:  Groan.

Jord:  Today's Valentine's Day, were you supposed to get Valentines day cards for Oliver?

Me:  I don't want to do that this year - there's a rule that you have to give one to everyone in the class if you're going to hand any out.

Jord:  Hmmm.  (he comes over the the bed and pats my shoulder.)  Well Happy Valentine's Day.

Me:  If you want to show your love for me turn that light off!

Lamp:  Click

Nice.  Very Romantic don't you think?   When I was going through Military Basic Training someone told me that you are not responsible for anything you do up to a minute after being woken up.  So if you woke up to your Sergeant yelling in your face and you pushed him away telling him to get lost - you'd be shown a bit of grace.  I don't know how much and I don't know if that was actually just an old army legend but it seemed fair.   Same rule applies in my marriage - Jord already knows that I have a certain amount of immunity first thing in the morning.

Calling all mothers!!!

I am writing a book on Motherhood and am looking for stories from mothers (within the next month ideally - sent to: charlamajeran at gmail dot com)

This would be a space for women to share their experiences anonymously in order to be able to find true, honest accounts of women in the trenches of motherhood. If you feel you have a story to share please do. If you have friends who you think have a story to share could you tell them about this (I would be forever grateful). Hopefully mothers from all walks of life will be able to read these stories and feel connected to the sometimes disconnected army of mothers out there. I truly believe that our honest voices sharing the good, the bad and the ugly can be a solace and help to other women who sometimes have to struggle alone.

I am looking for stories from the following two categories:
...
1) The worst and most difficult times of your mothering experience. I'm looking for tales of loneliness, isolation, bordom, anger, depression, financial struggles, difficult pregnancies/birth stories, the death of a child, single parenting. What has been the hardest part of being a mom for you?

2) The best of times of their mothering experience. I am looking for tales of happinesses found, fulfillment, growth, love, laughter, discovering the joy of motherhood, experiences of God guiding you in your efforts, miracles, angels attending. I would also appreciate tales of finding joy, comfort and support from other mothers/women in your life.

please send stories to: charlamajeran at gmail dot com
(a repost to women I am not able to reach would be greatly appreciated) Thanks to all!