Doodlers, Unite!: Maggie's Story

Doodlers Unite!

Okay...so for many years I have fought teachers who insisted that our talented artist and daughter MUST stop Doodling on her homework and test papers, also while they are teaching.  They said it was distracting...

To whom, may I ask?!! 

Apparently, to the teacher...a child with their head down and doodling must be goofing off and not paying attention.

RIGHT?!

In fact, one teacher that Maggie LOVED (despite) punished her all the time for Doodling on her papers or called her out to stop while she was teaching the class. I would get notes, phone calls and even a Parent/Teacher's conference primarily on the topic of her "continual" Doodling!!

Maggie's Doodle in 3rd Grade

I was told at one said meeting that the continual Doodling was not a measure of good discipline and that she would not tolerate her doodling while she was teaching..."it was not fair to the other children...that they had to have their eyes front on her concentrating on the subject at hand, while, my daughter, was off in 'dream-land' doodling. (Please refer to the video below as this theory is debunked) 


As for her doodling on her test and homework papers..."this was just a distraction and made her work look messy."

I challenged this teacher saying: "First, let her doodle and then quiz her on the material, then have her not doodle and quiz her...see how she does." 

You know what happened?

Reserved Parking for Hybrid Cars...Say What?

Yesterday, my family and I checked out our new historical park at Great Bridge in Virginia and was surprised to find this sign right down in front at the docks alongside the handicap spaces.


I don't get it!

Why would people with hybrid cars get preferential parking? Do more handicapped people buy hybrid cars or is this a perk of being a hybrid car owner?


In my humble opinion, this little perk is so minuscule and so out of left field it is ridiculous!


I would rather their be more handicap spots to allow those with large handicap vans to park or those with wheelchairs who need access and off load.  Now this makes sense...doesn't it?


But giving a person a parking perk for buying and owning hybrid car is crazy progressive thinking! It will not make me run out and buy an expensive hybrid car!


Could it really be a progressive idea to help promote the sale of hybrid cars?

Sunday Smiles....

Have you ever seen what your smile can do for someone? 

I have seen older people come alive when they looked lonely and sad when someone has smiled at them. I have seen others in cars brighten up when I have given a smile and a wave. I have been able to change the mood of my children when I have cajoled a smile out of them when they were down.

Smiles are wonderful Non-Verbal language that no matter the language, we ALL understand.

USE YOUR SMILE TODAY and make the world a brighter place!

"Hero" by Abandon with Lyrics

This is My Hero!


He saved me from myself and to think that years ago He sacrificed HImself for my sins...because hHe did this for me...I will take the mess I have made and serve HIm by helping others.


"The Hell that you have gone through was to make you who you are so you could reach others that are where you have been. Here's a reminder, Whatever the devil took from your life and made a mess, God cleans up and makes it your message. God never puts more on you than he has put in you!" Kimberly Jones-Pothier

On Maunday Thursday and the next several days, may we all understand the sacrifice and miracle of this time of year! 


(video is graphic)

The Final Rose that Just Won't Die!

Just when I thought I had seen the last of Courtney Robertson from The Bachelor, she shows up in my mail promising me deals at Stein Mart!

Courtney Robertson in recent Stein Mart Ad

This arrival of postal paper garbage only affirms my theory that her appearance on the show was primarily promotion, to get her on magazine covers and lots of visibility for her modeling career!


But please...after Omarosa Of Celebrity Apprentice fame...Courtney may be the most hated reality star contestant since and like Omarosa, she is a horrible gift that keeps on giving! 


Will this gal ever go away?!


I mean few people were convinced she was genuine during the show...Viewers tweeted and Face-booked about how Ben should give her the boot every week and then...sure as shootin' Courtney got a rose and then gloatted off camera.  "Winning!" 


Here is my theory...hypothetical...of course! 

Courtney was picked for the show in the first place because...

Seasons of Our Life: Spring and Motherhood

Picture from Esteem Yourself Facebook Page

I want and need this welcome mat!!  I would not be embarrassed about putting this outside my door...at least those who enter are forewarned!! 


I used to have poem posted by my front door that was titled "Excuse this House" which pointed out to those entering that I chose to play with my children,  enjoy my life with my family and husband instead of being worried about making sure my house looked like something out of "Martha Stewart" or ready for an "Architectural Digest" shoot.


I have five children and at the time they were all young and

Jason Gray - Remind Me Who I Am (Official Music Video)

Drop the negative labels and replace them with positive affirmations of how God sees YOU!!


Forgive yourself above all things...Let go!


...and allow God to do GREAT WORKS IN YOU!


Let me remind you...


You are beautiful and wonderfully made!


You are precious in His eyes.


God loves you and so do I!

When God Whispers: Are you lost?

If you feel lost today...

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish."

NIV Matthew 18: 12-14

Beside Still Waters by Greg Olsen

You WILL be found...He will leave the 99 to find the one that has wandered off...YOU...WE...I am that precious to the Father...His search is tireless.  You can not run or hide...He will find you and bring you back to the flock.

There is HOPE in this verse....even when we find ourselves running....escaping from ourselves...the lives we have created by filling holes with people and things of the flesh. 

Long ago during one of the many "prodigal journeys" of my life, a woman whom I had met at a conference and hardly known for 24-hours came to me saying that God had spoken to her during her prayer time. God had laid His message for me upon her heart so strongly that she had to relay it even though we didn't know each other well.  She apologized for being so bold but proceeded to tell me things she could never have known about my family, marriage and recent bad decisions I had made. She then warned me to stop what I was doing as it would destroy my marriage and family, and if I continued I would not be able to retrieve the relationships ever again. This woman then told me I was one of the 99 and God knew that I was lost and running. She told me to stop running. We can never outrun the Almighty because we are His children. The Shepherd will always search until He finds us and will carry us back to the flock even if we don't want to return. This woman stopped me in my tracks. I was amazed. 

How could she have known? 
How could she have guessed the details?
God does see and know everything.
We can not fool or outrun Him.

I tried.

I am blessed that He found me and dragged me back to the flock. I am blessed that this woman, who to this day I do not remember her name, heard the Father and relayed His message of hope to me. No other person could have delivered it. I would have ignored anyone that I knew personally. It was the only way I would have believed...to have a stranger know my most secret sins and tell me that God saw them and it was time to stop. 

I did listen. 
I did stop.
I changed that day because I truly saw God save me from myself.


If you need encouragement, prayer, please reach out here at the website. 

Do you have a "When God Whispers" story?  Please share it with us and you could be published on our new website called "When God Whispers" and possibly be included in a "When God Whispers" a compilation of stories. More details are forthcoming. Message us here.

Parking Lot Random Act of Kindness

To the Lovely Woman with the Kate+8 haircut and the Hairy Eyeball:

Thank you for walking my Bloom grocery cart all the way to cart corral, while giving me the stink eye and then dramatically slamming the cart into the others as you vigorously strode back to your car.

I am truly grateful, as my daughter was standing alone up at the high school in the dark waiting for me to pick her up.

You did me a great favor. I hope you understood me when I mouthed "Thank You" as you stomped to your car.

Believe me, I wanted to mouth something else...even use some sign language...but decided your random act of kindness should not go unnoticed.

So...Thank you!

BTW: I believe you may have been so caught up in your random act of kindness that you didn't notice the cart corral was much farther away then the front of the store.  You could have taken less stomps to the front of the store then to the corral...but then maybe you needed the exercise.

Bonus for you, I guess! :-)


Sincerely,


A Grateful (Menopausal) Bloom Shopper

Do you have any stories like this...Stories where the Random Act of Kindness came from you by NOT reacting negatively...but positively...then turning or making the other person think about their own reaction to YOUR action? 


I would love to hear them.

Can you "Catch more flies with honey then vinegar"?

Dr.Oz Gives Voice to the Mid-Life Silent Scream

Dr. Mehmet Oz of The Dr. OZ Show finally gave the mid-life silent scream a voice and a label...Periomenopausal Rage.


PMR, in my opinion, is the root or the first place every women who suspects that they are going through mid-life transition or crisis should investigate to deal with the physical and emotional upheaval that can come at this time in her life.  

Dr. Mehmet Oz of The Dr. OZ Show

For the past several years at this blog and my forum called Women in MLC, I have addressed  PMR or Periomenopausal Rage...the language that I used may have been different, as I didn't label it as PMR, but purely as hormone imbalance that may be attributed to the hormone changes that are occurring prior to menopause.


As teenage girls we are prepared and educated for the emotional and physical changes that occur when "our time of the month" begins...


BUT...no one prepares OR educates us for the the multitude of changes that occur within our body as it prepares to stop our monthly visits by "our"little friend".


So, when we suffer from fatigue, confusion, memory loss. lack of patience, irritability...even split second rages...then falling back in to equilibrium or calm; we have no clue as to what may be causing it or what is happening.


In fact, when we do go to the doctor and our hormones are checked the results, in many cases I have heard of come back in "normal" ranges.


WHAT THE HECK IS "NORMAL"?...for me...for my neighbor...for YOU!!