nothing but sunshine and blue skies...

so today i was driving with my oldest when we got caught in an absolute torrential downpour. you know the kind, where it's raining so hard that even with the windshield wipers on full blast, you can barely see the road ahead of you. you're surrounded by darkness even in broad daylight because the clouds are so thick and heavy. in the middle of this downpour there were clouds (obviously) above us, but they were also behind us and to both sides. the interesting thing was that straight ahead of us there was nothing...not even one tiny cloud was visible in the perfectly blue sky ahead of us. so i thought of this...

Sitting under a cloud with a torrential downpour, straight ahead, not a cloud in sight...metaphor for life?

over the past while it seems like there have been so many dark clouds surrounding us and such a downpour that the road ahead was impossible to even catch a glimpse. i think that a lot of times it's mind over matter and our outlook can definitely change the way things look. you know, you have to choose to be happy, no one can make you happy, and all that jazz...

so i looked at that rain cloud as if it were the cloud over us that is finally dissipating, and up ahead there are no clouds in sight. isn't that amazing? i do believe that phrase in proverbs that says "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." if we think we are a failure, we will be a failure. if we think we're not good enough, we won't be. if we think we will always be poor, then that's how we'll stay. if we think we will succeed, prosper, and be blessed, then we will be. i have been working on changing my own point of view, to think about what i want to become compared to who i am, not worrying about things i can't control, and controlling what is in my own power to and that's about it. but i can also think about how good the future can be instead of dwelling on "how sucky it's been and probably will continue to be forever and ever".

as i continued to drive out of that downpour today, i emerged from under that cloud, refreshed and renewed from the rain, and looking forward to the excitement the future holds, and now...

Dark clouds behind us, nothing but sunshine and blue skies ahead!

waiting for change?

What are you waiting for? You think it's going to change itself? Now is the only time you can act. --adam mclane

i saw this statement posted on adam's FB status and had to borrow it! i know a lot of times we sit around waiting for things to change, hoping something will fall in our laps to make life better. i suppose things do come along now and then that could change things for some people, but most of the time it takes us taking a step in a direction (any direction) to get the ball rolling to change things.

i know that i want change for our family. i don't know what that change is going to look like. ministry, location, business, etc....it all seems to be up in the air right now. but i know that if things are going to change, we have to act.

this concept is obvious for "changing the world", but i think more people need to think about how they can make changes on a smaller level too. big change starts with a series of small changes.

i have begun making small changes, hoping that they can eventually lead to some bigger ones...a few recent ones include eating healthier, trying to get in the habit of working out, planning out my day and budgeting my time, and such. just the habit of working out can not only change my weight and health, but it can be a catalyst for changing my mental outlook as well. i use the time i am on the treadmill, or swimming to take my mind off of the cares and stresses i have and focus on nothing...sometimes i focus on the view of the woods out the window from the treadmill, or just the weightless feeling of my body when it's surrounded by water as i swim laps. as i make these small changes in my outlook and attitude, i can see where bigger changes are in store...

what small thing can you change today to allow you to act on bigger changes that need made?

not a follower...

i think it is important to be your own person, though in this society, where everyone wants to belong, it's easy to get caught up in trying to be like others and live out the old adage of "keeping up with the joneses"...which is funny because in my life, i've only known two families with the last name "jones"...and i haven't tried to imitate or outdo either one.

living in suburbia, you see it all of the time...people trying to show each other up with the best hairstylist, how many times a month they get pedicures, what pretentious place they ate or drank coffee, who has a new car, who just put in a new pool, who bought a new house (though that one is pretty much a moot point around here these days)...it's fun to sit back and people watch.

in order to stay sane in the midst of all of this, you do somewhat need to conform, but it's good to be your own person too. my plan is to do something different (than the perceived "norm") at least once a week...something that seems a little offbeat, or go somewhere that isn't part of my usual routine or "rut". everyone talks about going to busch gardens and universal studios...i want to make cool memories with my family of the unique places we checked out, and exciting things we did that most kids don't do.

what path will we be traversing this week? stay tuned and you'll see...even i'm not sure yet!

just a beginning...

i am working on changing my internet image, along with my whole mindset. i've been stuck in a rut for awhile and i think it's just what i need...starting a new blog "home" and linking my other stuff to it.

i grew up on a wheat and soybean farm in kansas, and our property was at the end of the cicero road...thus the name of my blog home.

"life begins just off the beaten path"...and i think it ends there too...if you can't get off the beaten path and live there (literally, or figuratively), then i don't think you are really living. why follow everyone else? why be "normal"? is anyone really normal...well, yeah i guess so, since everyone has issues and that's truly the "norm".

i have several blogs that i am linking here. stay tuned, you might miss something pretty cool if you don't!