“I search for love, when the night came,
And it closed in, I was alone,
But you found me, where I was hiding,
And now I’ll never ever be the same,
It was the sweetest voice,
That called my name saying

You’re not alone, For I am here,
Let me wipe away your every fear,
My love I’ve never left your side,
I have seen you through the darkest night,
And I’m the one who’s loved you all your life,
All of your life”

“You cry your self to sleep, cause the hurt is real,
And the pain cuts deep, all hope seems lost,
With heartache your closest friend,
And everyone else long gone,
You’ve had to face the music on your own,
But there is a sweeter song that calls you home saying

You’re not alone, For I am here,
Let me wipe away your every tear,
My love I’ve never left your side,
I have seen you through the darkest night,
And I’m the one who’s loved you all your life,
All your life

Faithful and true, Forever,
Oh my love will carry you

You’re not alone, For I, I am here,
Let me wipe away your every fear
Oh yeah, My love I’ve never left your side,
I have seen you through the darkest night,
Your darkest night,
And I’m the one who’s loved you all your life,
All of your life”

This lamp has been around for a while. It used to be my sister’s, at which time if was white with pink stipes. Later it was passed on to me and I painted it white and blue to match my room. However, after becoming such an eyesore it was retired to the attic for several years. Today it underwent a transformation.

Before:

 After:

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!”

How many times in your mind have you played through scenarios? If you are like me you probably began in your childhood. Upcoming events would spark wildfires in my mind… “What if it went like this… or maybe this way.” “That would be awesome.” An upcoming Christmas play at church where I would deliver my lines perfectly and give a stunning performace. This would be quite a feat indeed considering my dislike of public speaking.

I can always remember playing through events, situations, and such in my head, making them up to be something grand… something apparently most unrealistic. It’s no wonder they frequently fell short of my expectations. So now, instead of being dissapointed that life doesn’t always live up to my expectations, I will have no expections… I will take life as it comes and enjoy it for what it is. No more preconceived notions about how life should be.

This is different from goals, or dreams. I’m talking about the things in life that are not always in my control. A dream is something sacred, and it’s owner is the only one who can see its true beauty. Other can share and be a part of it, but the dreamer is the one who must hold on to it and chase it.

So, don’t have expectations about specific events or circumstances in your life, let them play themself out without any preconceived idea about how they should go. Then, it is more likely that you will enjoy the events in your life, rather than be dissapointed that something did not go as good as you had hoped. 

This is a lesson I learned a couple years ago, every once in a while I have to pull it out and remind myself.

I’ll be the first to admit I am not the biggest fan of winter. I don’t like the cold, the ice, the dirty brown lumps left all over the countryside after a heavy snow, or the muddy mess it creates. However, no matter how much I might complain about the cloudy, dismal days of winter, there are a few things it has in its favor. Yesterday it sleeted for probably about 2-3 hours, enough to put a good layer of ice on my car and make the roads slick. Last night we got about I’d say 1/2 inch of snow, maybe 1/4. It was enough to cover the gravel driveways and roads. Sitting here, looking out my window *cough* at work *cough* I realize just how quiet it is outside. Not only is the ground frozen, but life is operating at the speed of molasses. It’s quiet, calm, and almost as if time has stopped… but alas I look at the bottom right hand corner of my screen and it’s still ticking.

Snow, after its fall, is a pretty thing. It’s clean, white, and pure. Unfortunately like alot of things after they enter this world, it starts to melt and grow dirty… becoming one with the World.