Be a weed!

Yes, you read that right. I said be a weed. Two weeks ago I started working in my flower bed, getting it ready for some mulch and to plant some new flowers.  I started off by spraying all the weeds with weed killer. Today I went out to start spreading my first load of mulch and I noticed somethings.

That got me to thinking about how people are or could be like weeds and the following is what I came up with.

1. Weeds will hold on for dear life no matter what they face.
Weeds are almost impossible to kill. They will fight all of our efforts to get rid of them. It doesn't matter if you are spraying or pulling them up, they are not going to go down without a fight.

2. Weeds can have really big root systems.
Their roots don't necessarily have to go down deep into the ground, but they do spread out.   They can connect to the root system of other weeds and continue to grow.  They normally have one strong main root with many small web like roots growing to the sides.

3. Weeds can be beneficial to our lives.
You might find this hard to believe but there are actually 8 different types of weeds that you can eat. I think this would be important information to know if I am ever stranded somewhere.  I recall reading a story of a family during the Great Depression that had no money to buy food, but the mother had an amazing knowledge of edible plants. She was able to keep her family going with that knowledge until the father could find work. So you see, knowing about which weeds you can/can not eat could make all the difference to your survival.

The following is a link to a website that I found with a few edible/medicinal weeds.

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/10/06/surviving-in-the-wild-19-common-edible-plants/


4. Weeds can be beautiful.
No matter how my day is going or what I am  dealing with the sight of a little yellow headed dandelion in the yard always makes me smile. I know when I start to see these little "weeds" pop up that spring is well on it's way and the cold, dreary winter is over.

5. Weeds can teach us so many wonderful lessons in life.
I remember being a little girl, going into the back yard and picking a whole bunch of dandelions for my Mama. I didn't know at the time that they were just weeds, but my Mama acted as if I had giving her the grandest, finest bouquet of flowers in the world. That is something I will never forget.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PbTggeLlxc

You may still be asking yourself why I think we should be like weeds. Let me explain my idea a little further.

1. We should always hold on for dear life no matter what we face and never go down without a fight.
2.We need a root system and by that I mean family.  Not everyone is blessed with a good family life, but we can still have those special people that are like family to us. They will connect with us and help support us in difficult times.
3. We should  be beneficial to others. How many times would a kind word or act have made a huge difference in someone else's life? We should always be on the lookout for a chance to do something nice for someone else.
4. Even in the times that life is difficult, we can still see the beauty in it. Trust me I know how hard that is to do. There have been times I have struggled with it, but when I look for the beauty in life I always find it.
5. We can be teachers too. We all have certain talents or life lessons that we can pass on to others. It is  a wonderful thing to  leave our wisdom and knowledge with those that may cross our path.  

What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Fortune of the Republic, 1878.

"That's my 'two-cents worth', what's yours?"

His Grace is Sufficient

The only way I know to start this post is by defining the main words, Grace and Sufficient. When you look to the dictionary you will find that Grace has several meanings, but the one I want to use is the one for the Christian. 

The definition is this: the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.

Now lets look at the definition of sufficient: enough, adequate.   

Seeing both of these words together reminds me of the story of the Apostle Paul in the Bible. Paul has, what he referred to in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, a thorn in the flesh. 

2 Corinthians 12:7-9  (KJV)

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Some people believe that his "thorn" was bad eyesight from years of reading and writing while in prison. I am not sure what it may have been, but I know that each of us at some point in our lives will experience our own  personal "thorn in the flesh". 

My first experience with God's grace was when I asked him to save me in August of 2005.  I can remember it so well. I am normally a talker,but that night on the way home from church I was really quiet. After getting my daughter to bed, I talked with my husband about it and we knelt in our bedroom floor. It was right then and there that Jesus came into my heart, forgave me of my sins and made me a new creature. As I continued on with my life journey there have been many times that I have needed his Grace. During each miscarriage, our daughters battle with cancer, money problems, etc., the list goes on and on.  Each time we prayed and sought the Lord and he always provides a way for us.

Here is when I have to say that there may be some out there, like the Apostle Paul (and yes, me as well) who will never lose their "thorn in the flesh". For me I know that I will carry my thorn for the rest of my life. I am certain I will never lose it and it will never leave me. It is a hurt that will be my constant companion. Do I notice it everyday? No. There are days that the routine of life keeps it in check. Then all of a sudden I will have what I call a "trigger" making that thorn almost unbearable. (Notice I said almost.) When that happens I just have myself a good, cleansing cry while I pray and I get through it.  

That is what I mean by His Grace is Sufficient. It does not matter if your situation is physical, financial, spiritual, or even mental/emotional. Whatever we face daily or live with forever, the Lord is always there with his Grace to give us the strength to keep going. It is in truth, the free and unmerited favor of God. 

Today

Today

Today I will grieve,

Today I will hurt

and I will cry. 

Today I will remember.

Today I will wish

and I will mourn. 

Today I will wonder. 

Today I will long

and I will question. 

But.....

Today I will love.

Today I will hope 

and I will dream. 

Today I will think.

Today I will pray 

and I will go on. 

Today I will breathe. 

Today I will just breathe

and I will just be.

Happy 5th Birthday in Heaven to our little August. We love and miss you everyday, but I know that part of you is here with me and part of me is there with you. 

The Breastfeeding Debate

First off let me say I don't even know why we are having a breastfeeding debate. I mean is it such a big deal that people have to just keep talking about it? After some thought on that question, I realized it is not breastfeeding that is the issue, but how women do it.

Let me begin by saying that I believe that breast is best. I breastfeed both of my daughters, the oldest until she was 8 months old (I had to stop then, those 8 teeth were killing me) and my youngest until she was 14 months old.  It was an experience that I was delighted to be able to have. Not only did it create an even stronger bond between us, but neither of them were sickly when they were small.  My doctor told me that most women lose weight when breastfeeding, sadly for me that was not true, but I did once I stopped. If you google the benefits of breastfeeding you will get so many sites and so many benefits. Benefits for baby, benefits for mommy, the list just goes on and on.  It was so many that I decided to just list what I would call my top 10 benefits.

My Top 10 Benefits of Breastfeeding:
1. It contains antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria.
2. Babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months, without any formula, have fewer  ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea.
3. The physical closeness, skin-to-skin touching, and eye contact all help your baby bond with you and feel secure. 
4.Breast milk provides the ideal nutrition for infants. It has a nearly perfect mix of vitamins, protein, and fat -- everything your baby needs to grow.
5.Breastfeeding also lowers your risk of breast and ovarian cancer. 
6.It is expensive to buy and measure formula, sterilize nipples, or warm bottles, it saves you time and money.
7.Breastfeeding your baby around the clock—no bottles or formula— will delay ovulation, which means delayed menstruation. 
8.Mothers who breastfeed are less likely to develop osteoporosis later in life
9.Breast milk is more digestible than formula
10. Breast milk acts like a natural tranquilizer for baby. 

I consider myself blessed and fortunate that I was able to do this for my babies and I understand that not all women are able to. I have known women who have tried, but just couldn't produce enough milk for their baby. I understand that some women just don't have the time and even some don't want to. I think it is a each and their own decision to make. It really aggravates me to see women put one another down because of it. Why should we make other women feel guilty about nursing? What if the issue is medical and they can't? I know if that had been the case for me I would have felt like a bad mother if I had that venom aimed at me.  I do believe if you can, you should. Even if it is only for a couple of weeks.The early milk, colostrum, has all types of antibodies in it,made just for baby. 

Now to the actual debate part. 


I do not really believe that anyone in this country is against a woman breastfeeding her children.  I think that they way it is being presented is the problem. I can remember being in public places and needing to feed my children. I would always use a blanket or something thin to cover myself up. That way the baby got fed and the covering was thin enough not to effect the baby being able to breathe. What I see today are women who think just because they breastfeed they have the right to sit in public with their breast exposed while they feed their baby. Let me just say that is not classy!!! Have some consideration and respect for those around you. I am not saying you have to go to the car or even the bathroom, you can still sit comfortably at the table or wherever you are, just cover it up! I have never seen such a society of people that have the "I can do whatever I want and there is nothing you can do about it" attitude.  The fact is I can do something about it. I can take my family and walk out.  I don't have to sit and be disrespected by anyone. Just because you can show your breast to the whole world, doesn't mean you should.  I honestly believe some women choose to breastfeed just so they can show their boobs in public they way they do.  I guess they just want to be seen, that they need that attention to feel good about themselves, or maybe they just want to see if they can stir something up.  

I am sure my opinion on this will not be taking well by all, but the fact is that it is my opinion and my blog. I do call it My Two Cents Worth for a reason. 

"That's my 'two-cents worth', whats yours?"

My Grief Experiences

I feel like it is important to define my topic before talking about it.

According to the online version of Merriam-Webster dictionary the meaning of Grief is : deep sadness caused especially by someone's death, a cause of deep sadness, trouble or annoyance.

I am sure most of my readers  know about my grief. I can say most days I handle it pretty well, but I still have the occasional day that it gets the best of me.  It was during one of those days that I begin to think about my own personal grief journey and how it was totally different than anyone else I knew. I wasn't sure if this had to do with the amount of loss I have faced or just to the fact of how I took it. I begin to think about all the times in my life that I have experienced grief and how my grief experience was affected by what was lost. So, I decided to look a little deeper into the topic and I discovered something interesting about my experiences that I would like to share with you.

1. The loss of love:
 I remember my very first real love. I was 18 years old and just beginning my life. I had been in college for about a year and had decided that the nursing field was not for me, so I dropped out and took some time off. I started dating a friend of my cousins and it was wonderful. He was sweet, loving and very good to me. We spent the next year always together. As I think about him now I can still see him sitting around the table with my family, he just seemed to fit in. Unfortunately we each wanted different things in life so we went our separate ways. I saw him a couple of years ago, the meeting was awkward and strange. I started wondering how my life would have been had we married and I know it would never have worked. We would have made each other miserable. I am grateful for the year we had and all the things it taught me.

2. The loss of a dream:
I have faced this a few times in my life.  I can think back to my childhood and all those dreams I had for my future.  I remember how I had dreamed of traveling and seeing the world. How I dreamed of finding my true love and living happily ever after. How I dreamed of three children running around calling me mommy.  There were so many dreams. Some of them came true, some did not and some I am still hoping to see work out (I really would love to do that traveling).  I can see that having dreams is important in our lives. They teach us not only to hope for our future, but also the truth that no matter how hard you try not all dreams come true.


3. The loss of my loved ones:
I have dealt with this a few times through the years.  My first real experience with death was at the age of 12 when my Granny Sadie passed away. Even at 12 I still had trouble really dealing with and understanding things. Then my Uncle Wayne when I was 16. His death was very unexpected and hard to deal with. Then my Grandma passed when I was 24 and my Pa when I was 35.  In the last four years I have lost my Uncle Lee, Aunt Gertie, Uncle Billy and Aunt Shirtey.  It seems that the older I get the more people that I know pass away. My husband says it is because all the people I know are getting older and that makes sense.  Still not everyone lives to be old, I can't help but think of my three little babies in Heaven. I wonder what that would have been like? What type of life they would have had? Those are questions that have no earthly answer, for they did not have an earthly life.

 I have always been told that grief has 5 stages that we work through:

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Looking at my own experiences, I can see these are stages I went through. Some were short,while others were long. I had times when I had moved into a new stage, only to back up again. I have to say for me the Depression stage was the longest, in fact, I still deal with it during certain times of the year.

Grief is a part of everyone's lives, no matter how we try to avoid it.  No one should feel ashamed or embarrassed by it. If the tears start in the grocery store, mall or even at a family function it is ok.  Remember you are the one going through this. Give your self the time that you need and be gentle with your self, acceptance does not happen overnight.

"That's my 'two-cents worth', what's yours?"