Smorgybord Saturday - This Is Halloween

This post is a tad delayed because my life has been merged with the season.  It has become My Life In Harvest Season... or My Life In Pumpkin Peddling, as it were.  In either case, my life has become a blur of pumpkin, straw and cotton candy; it's a bit like having Halloween as a conjoined twin.  It's been good though. 

As the Halloween season comes to an end, here are some new things I've learned after helping run a pumpkin patch for a couple of weeks:

1. The MSRP of a vehicle is no indicator of what a person intends to spend.  A semi-rude lady pulled up in a brand new, blacked out Jaguar and was annoyed we wouldn't sell large pumpkins for $4 like Trader Joe's.  She left with nothing except the frown she came with.  Conversely, a very kind lady in a 20+ year old k-car made sure to buy a couple of very nice pumpkins for her daughter and grand-daughter.  She left happy and was given a very sizable discount.  Lesson:  Be nice to people, if for no other reason than you might get a better deal JUST for being kind.  Unless you are at Target or Walgreen's or some other retailer that operates on price tags and predefined register buttons, there may be a "Jerk Tax" included on your next purchase.
2. Most people don't realize how heavy and awkward pumpkins are and ignore suggestions to grab a wagon.  Aside from those coming to pick a single small pumpkin, most people return sheepishly to the wagon area and grab one, force to give us that "You were right." smile.  Lesson:  If someone is more familiar with a situation than you, at least consider their suggestions.
3. Cotton candy machines should be outlawed.  They are too simple to operate and too easy to flip on.  Also, once you've purchased all of the cones and sugar, it becomes that much easier to justify cone... after cone.... after cone.  Lesson:  See first sentence.
4. Our pumpkin patch was located within a short jaunt of a Baskin Robbins/ Togo's, which was very convenient for restroom breaks.  However, they also have 88¢ soft serve cones available for purchase from 10am until 10pm.  With 4 kids, it's still a great deal especially when you're searching for a quick and cheap reward for hanging out at a pumpkin patch 19 days straight.  Lesson:  Though soft serve is near impossible to eat on a sugar cone without making a great big mess, it is totally worth it.  Oh, and, eventually, the reward value is diminished when the kids just complain because you won't buy them the good ice cream from the cold case.   
5. People genuinely appreciate it when you offer to take a picture of their group, once they feel confident you won't steal their camera.  I don't think it resulted in extra sales, but I always felt appreciated and that was enough, only because I really wasn't trying to sell them product they didn't want to buy.  Lesson:  When you are genuine in your motives, you will never be disappointed in the outcome.  Also, really try not to come off as a person that will steal their camera or phone.  It helps if you work there OR have kids.  Kids always give a person moral cred, even if they don't deserve it.

I might yet do one last blog on the pumpkin patch; it was definitely a memorable 2 1/2 weeks of my life.  I pray that my kids will have fond memories of this time and I also pray that they will think of their time relegated in the POD truly as a boys club house and not as the pumpkin patch prison.

All and all, it was a good experience.  I know that I had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people, eat my weight in cotton candy (which is difficult feat, so be proud) and play a part in making fond family memories for every person who wandered onto the Wybie's Pumpkin Patch grounds.  All except for that lady in the Jaguar, of course. 

Here's a Cute Lil Punkin on Her 1st Birthday!

On the Real: The Truth Is...

The truth is that unless you are my husband or children, you probably don't really know me all that well.  The truth is that even being my husband and/or children doesn't really get you past the red rope of my mind; they too find themselves limited in their access to what makes me tick. 

The truth is, the same could be said about you. 

Regardless of the facade we project to our friends, family members and even perfect strangers, there is a real person (soul) neatly tucked away in each body that walks upon this earth.  We may identify ourselves by what we see in the mirror each morning or by the "About Me" section of our Facebook, Twitter or blogging account, but the genuine "us" is found beyond the primping and coordinated clothing and the clever personal descriptions we leave for others to read. 

My Grandmother once told me when I was in my twenties that I needed to know who I was, beyond my titles as mother, wife, employee, friend, daughter and the numerous other interchangeable references that float above my head on any given day.  At the time, I thought, "Yes, absolutely!  I know who I am!"  But as time slipped by, and continues to do so, likewise has my grasp on who that woman is or was, if ever I even had a grasp at all. 

Who am I really without any reference to who I am to others or what I do for them?  Sadly, I'm not really sure.  I know that I'm a property manager/lease administrator/girl friday from 8 to 5, Monday through Friday.  I know that I'm a mother of 3 boys and 1 girl every moment of every day.  I know that I'm the wife of Rob; married for nearly eleven years.  I know that I drive a minivan.  I know that I help with Scarlet Revolution, however scattered and inconsistent I am.  I know that I volunteer at the "volunteer table" as well as the 2SM tent at church.  But, there should be more, right?    

I know that I have brown hair that is ever being grown out or chopped off.  I know that I have hazel eyes and hands that are too large for women's gloves.  I know that I'm 5' -7 1/2" tall, yes, I'm including the 1/2", it matters!  But, there must be more, right?

I know that I'm not a goal oriented person, preferring to travel the path of whim and scheduled chaos.  I know that I genuinely care about connecting to and helping girls and women I meet, though I'm still not entirely sure how to do that effectively.  I know that I love Jesus, however silly that sounds to you, and hope that my life will result in a "Well done!" at it's close.  I'm sure there's more, but this is at least a start, right?

Have you taken a moment out of the daily hustle and bustle to take your own pulse?  To check your motives and your life's trajectory?  Who are you, really? 

Here are some little known facts about me, some of which I intend to adjust, some of which I intend to embrace, and others of which just, well, are:

• I'm a terrible housekeeper.
• I hate folding clothes and will often leave baskets of clean clothes untouched for days.
• I've never really gotten on board with the idea that work should come before play, thus the first two facts.
• I love to watch cartoons.
• I hate to yell at my kids, but I do more often than I'd like to admit.
• I snack like a stoner, do with that information what you will, just know that I'm not actually a stoner.
• I hate to get up early.
• I love to make forts in my living room with my kids.  There is a chance that I will still do that when they move out.
• I love to make my kids laugh; love, love, love it!
• I am dedicated to learning to love people, I'm not really that good at it yet, but I'm committed to getting better.
• I hate to exercise, but I'm trying to wrap my mind around becoming a runner.  Since, the only "extra" time I have is in the morning BEFORE I wake up, it's been a difficult undertaking that hasn't really "took" just yet. 
• Lately, I haven't been spending as much time with my kids as I should.  This sucks, but it's about as honest as the color of my roots.

So, there you have it.  Again, I ask, who are YOU, really? 

To blog or not to blog, that is the question.

I have enjoyed reading my whole life and my ability to write has been present since elementary school.  I had never given much thought to writing as a talent since it has primarily been used for school and work projects, though I did dabble in poetry for a short time during my own, personal dark ages.  It's only been recently that I began making an effort to write on a regular basis, thus The Pact.  In my efforts to write consistently and see where it leads, I've also been reading blogs about writing and, more specifically, blogging.

Though it has been useful and I've even implemented some of the recommendations, I have found that it's also become a bit of a sick, self-inflicted torment.  I would compare it to a young girl obsessed with beauty magazines to get tips on weight loss, makeup, fashion and boys, only to feel worse as they close the pages because they realize they will never be like the women plastered on those pages.  In case you thought it, reading about and seeing pictures of less than successful, overweight women wouldn't make them feel better either.     

Reading magazines (and blogs, for that matter) for fun is great!  However, using this material as the point of reference in judging oneself is not.  I read a great and timely blog today about accepting one's own abilities.  After reading it, I realized that I, as it relates to the blogosphere, am but a slightly overweight preteen with braces, looking at Victoria Secret commercials wondering when I too will turn into a 6 foot tall, Brazilian model.  Much like the 99% of girls in this world that will not become a famous actress or model, I too must come to terms with the fact that I just need to be happy in my own skin and with my own blog.

With the intent of becoming a better writer, I've read so many blogs about writing and blogging that I may have gone on overload.  The following is just a sampling of the topics discussed:

• How to get published.
• How to make money blogging.
• How to become a guest blogger.
• How to build the number of followers.
• How to format your blog.
• How to write a great blog.
• How NOT to write a great blog.

The list could continue, but I think you get my point.  There is a lot of information out there and most of it is incredibly useful to a person in my position, as fresh meat in the world of blogging.  But at what point am I doing myself a disservice?

This issue doesn't just apply to me and my journey to discovering the plans God has for my life, but it can be applied to anything that any one of us desires to be great at or accomplish.  At what point does all of our information gathering and comparison making discourage us from our dream?  Yes, we can read articles online about healthy living and we can look at online instructions for effective exercises; we can read testimonials about people who have lost 140 lbs and watch the Jenny Craig commercials with Jennifer Hudson, but at some point, if we don't implement some of it, all of that information can become a burden and overwhelm us.  Then the months and the years go by and we're not any healthier and our BMI may have even increased as a result of my pity induced and guilt inducing "midnight snacking".

The Take Home

Here's what I took away from today. 

• I may never have more than 11 followers, that's ok, I'm gonna keep at this.
• I may never be published, that's ok, I'm gonna keep at this.
• I may never figure out a niche for my blog, that's ok, I'm gonna keep at this.
• I may never make a dime blogging, that's ok, I'm gonna keep at this.
• Despite all of this, I will get better and, possibly, one day, I'll write something significant for someone and have fulfilled a purpose on this earth through my writing.

Yes, I will continue to read some articles so that I can grow in my craft, but no longer will I look at every blog I come across as proof that I shouldn't be wasting my time on this.  I'm gonna keep at it. 

Is there something that you beat yourself up about?  Perhaps it's a goal you've set for yourself or a dream given to you by God, perhaps a talent that you've let stagnate.  What have you done or what do you plan to do to get things moving in the right direction?  Feel free to share your thoughts or experiences in the comments. 

Smorgybord Saturday: The Dance

As the couple glided across the dance floor in unison, everyone was amazed.  Had they really been married for 60 years?  The game at the wedding, in lieu of the garter and bouquet toss, had been quite clever.  All married couples were ordered to the dance floor positioned at the center of the banquet hall.  As the couples gathered, it was explained that the game was such that the couples would be excused by length of marriage, shortest to longest.  Immediately couples left who were married less than a year, less than 2, then 5, 10 and so on, until only one couple was left who had just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary earlier in the year. 

They didn't appear old enough to have been married 60 years, but family members quickly verified it as fact.  The proof, however, could be seen clearly as the wedding guests watched them move fluidly as one.  What they could not see were the triumphs and troubles that they had passed through together to arrive at this moment in time.  The truth was that though they had had always danced well together, they had not always moved so fluidly in life together.  60 years of marriage had required a great deal of work and a blind commitment to an uncertain future regardless of circumstance. 

Divorce, as Bill had discovered fairly early on, was not an option for Helen.  He suggested it once and she flatly explained to him that it was not possible, she was Catholic.  In his youthful inexperience, he assumed it was truly impossible and didn't realize until later that she simply refused his efforts to open the escape hatch that so many pass through.   

Bill and Helen had married young, running away to Nevada at the green ages of 17 and 15, respectively.  They legalized their union in the only way they could, they lied.  If the wedding guests realized this bit of information, it might have explained the discrepancy between their appearance and their 6 decade long marriage. 

Shortly after they were married, they started their family.  Bill had joined the Navy and traveled for extended periods of time.  Despite his time away, they still managed to have 6 children, though 2 passed shortly after birth as a result of prematurity.  It was during this time of difficulty that Bill realized he needed God, and God changed everything for the both of them.

60 years is a lifetime for some and for this couple 60 years represented a lifetime together, building a strong marriage, building a close-knit family, building a powerful ministry and building the Kingdom of God in this earth together.  There are many tales told around the Thanksgiving table each year in their home, tales of joy, heartbreak, rebellion, love, triumph, salvation, forgiveness, amongst others.  On those special days, their home is filled with 4 adult children and their spouses, 12 grandchildren, some grown and married some still single and at home, 8 great-grandchildren and the promise of many more to come.  Still dancing as one and living as one and at the core of it all is God. 

As the song wound down and the guests rejoined them on the dance floor, the question as to how they made it 60 years slipped from their minds.  The young unmarried people returned to their thoughts of love being a feeling or an attraction as evidenced by butterflies and distractedness.  The various newlyweds believing that they would be just like Bill and Helen when they themselves had been married so long, not realizing the hardships they would have to pass through, the injuries, pain and loss they would endure to get there.  Those couples who found themselves a decade or 2 into their nuptials understood what lay ahead, hoping and praying that they too would persevere. 

Love is a commitment, a covenant that is sealed through marriage and refined over a life time.  It is a choice, not just at the altar on the big day, but in every moment of every day.  Our marriage relationships are a big part of our overall spiritual journey in Christ and we must consider His example as we make our choices. 

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

To spend time with Bill and Helen in the comfort of their home would only show that they are not lucky to have made it 60 years, but they have daily chosen to endure the obstacles of life with one another.  They continue to move through this life just as they do on the dance floor; gracefully, fluidly and comfortably as one.               

My Chair

Lately, you may have noticed that I have been posting information about The Chair series at my church.  I know that in the past I've posted videos and plan to do so once again once they become available.  If you've never seen a segment, you really should, it's the most real and authentic way to see the difference that Jesus can make in a persons life.  The thing to understand about this series is that these are real people, most of which I personally know.  Some may only be acquaintances or people that I've stood next to in line while waiting to pick up my kids or sat behind in service, but they are real people with real stories of freedom and salvation.  It's amazing.

I remember when I first started attending Celebration Church, I was recharged as many times a week as I could manage in the chairs there.  They are extra wide, black metal chairs with dark gray fabric, more comfortable than you'd expect, but not so much that you might get too comfortable and nap during service.  They have no arms, so when you sit you are immediately adjacent to the person lucky enough to take the seats to your right and left.  They are sturdy and easy to sit in and jump out of when Pastor says something stirring.  They are perfectly uniform and unassuming, easily stackable and useful in any number of situations.  They neatly fit at long rectangular tables and round tables, likewise they line the perimeter of classrooms and are suitable for all ages.  They are neither too dowdy for weddings or garish for funerals.  They don't mind if all they do is hold your purse during a prayer meeting or get pushed out of the way to make room for people who find themselves prostrate at the feet of their God.  They neither condemn you nor celebrate you for your consistent attendance or lack thereof.  On the seat-backs of each chair are pockets, different types depending on if you go to Clovis or Fresno, but each chair dutifully holds the giving envelopes and connect cards and the blue info card that explains the tithe and offering.  There's even a spot for a pen or two.

The chairs play many roles on any given weekend.  They are great places to hide for the littlest church goer's as they wait for their parents to finish chatting.  They are also great places to hide for the not so little church goer's as they wait for service to start and avoid talking to all the happy, shiny's outside and in the lobby.  They become a place for counseling and encouragement between believers and friends, a place to pray with others or cry out to God alone.  A place to simply catch up with friends old and new.  The chairs toward the back often hold newborn carseats and become miniature playgrounds for toddlers not wanting to attend class.  The chairs toward the front are often for students, the brave, the familiar and the hungry.  Never choosing, but always being chosen.

There are so many significant seats we take over the course of our life, the chair in the doctor's office, the driver's seat, the chair in our counselor's office, the chair at our dining room table or our favorite restaurant, the chair in our own living room or the chair we sit in at work; each of these chairs represent good and bad memories, freedom, sorrow, comfort, joy, pain, fear, boredom, excitement as well as so much more.  All of these chairs have had the potential to change your life, but you had to choose to take the seat.  Similarly, the chairs at Celebration, or any church really, have the potential to change your life, but you must choose it.  You must choose to sit and be open to the experience and the ride of a life time.

Each and every moment in one of these chairs is the moment that could change everything.         

Click to Go to Website and View Promo Video

  

Tis the Season for... Pumpkins!

About a week and a half ago I was called abruptly into a meeting with my boss and our pumpkin patch/Christmas tree lot tenant.  I innocently gathered up my notepad and my pen and headed in expecting to take notes so that I could draft the leases needed for him to operate at the properties in Fresno and Clovis where he had been last year.  To my utter shock, I began taking notes on how my co-worker, husband and myself would be operating a pumpkin patch this year.  Nay, (yes, I said nay) how we would begin operating a pumpkin patch in about a week.  In it's most basic form it sounded simple.  Peddle Punkins... what could be easier.  Well, we are on day five of operation, after 7 days of planning and coordinating, and I can think of several thousand things that are more simple than organizing and operating a pumpkin patch.  I suppose that the operating of the pumpkin patch is fairly simple, but the preparation is incredibly trying.

Here's the Kids When it was Still Fun, On the First Night!

Fortunately, I have friends that have truly rallied around us and have pitched in however they could by lending us wagons, wheelbarrows, easy-ups, generators, tables, chairs, and children.  Yep, teenage boys are awesome, they are helpful and can carry a 70 lbs. pumpkin.  We've also had lots of friendly faces show up and buy their pumpkins from us.  Sure, it sounds crazy to take on this effort given our already full plate, but it's been fun too and I suspect that the real fun and excitement will truly begin as we get closer to Halloween.  It's been an adventure and I do like me some adventure.  Here are a few things that I've learned during my time as a punkin peddler:

1. My husband is a talented artist.  No really, he is and sadly, I was very surprised.  After fifteen years, one would hope a wife would know something like that.  But I know now and plan to take advantage of that gift.
2. Pumpkins are cool!  No really they are.  We have several varieties and as different as the varieties are, each individual pumpkin is unique too.    
3. Light towers are hard to come by less than a month before Halloween, especially with the fair going on.
4. Kids get tired of a pumpkin patch more quickly than you'd think.  After spending some SERIOUS amounts of time at the patch, my kids beg me to go home.  Though, I suspect their story will change when the slide, face painting and cotton candy is made available on Friday.
5. Facebook is not the master marketing tool I thought it was.  Even after blowing up Facebook about our Pumpkin Patch, I still have friends that don't know about it, who I see post regularly.  If that is you... it's ok.  I don't read every single post that floats down my screen either.  
6. A pumpkin patch is a wonderful place for a baby to really learn to walk.  The hay softens her fall and uneven ground challenges her ability, encouraging her to get better and stronger every day.  It's also a great excuse to buy baby, bedazzled combat boots.  Stylish and utilitarian.  Perfect.
7. Eating homemade food at home is a good thing.  Though convenient, sometimes all you want to do is eat food that wasn't passed through a window or over a counter... unless you have a cool pass-thru counter from your kitchen to your dining room like we do.  

Here's the Coraline Display for Taking Pictures

By the time Halloween actually arrives, I suspect that I will have had my fill of pumpkins and the festive fall season, but for now, I will enjoy inspecting pumpkins each day and deciding which is my favorite.  I will enjoy sitting and seeing Bubba's face peeking through the hole in the picture of Coraline, Wybie and Cat painted by my husband.  I will soak in this wonderful opportunity that few get, to actively participate in building family memories for friends and strangers alike.  To provide little patch of childhood for every customer that walks on the lot.  I mean, our family gets to help run a pumpkin patch!!  How cool is that!  Just more proof that my God is good and that He has planned good works for me to accomplish in this life.  How awesome that I get to meet so many people, make new friends and simply be kind to them!  Sometime I'll tell you about all of the other exciting adventures I've experienced without even leaving California... 

Have you ever been presented with an extraordinary opportunity that may have stretched your talents, but also expanded your horizons and opened your eyes to God's incomprehensible creativity when it comes to "Life Plans"?  Please, please share!  I love to read comments and promise to respond.      

Smorgybord Saturday: Sung Heroes

Typically on Saturday, The Pact would require me to do something creative. However, on  this particular Saturday my maternal grandparents are being honored at their Diocese Bishop's Awards Dinner, which is established to honor Bright Lights in their Catholic Community.  Given this special occasion, it seems appropriate to honor them myself in the only truly public platform I have readily available, my blog.

If you've spent any extended amount of time with me, chances are you've heard of them; Bill & Helen Warren, or Poppa & Dama as they have lovingly been referred to since my eldest brother dubbed them when he was mastering the english language.  It's odd growing up with family in ministry.  When I was young I  didn't see world changers, I saw a woman that made the best cream of wheat and the biggest, most huggable man I had ever met.  The reality, though, is that they are world changers.  They have touched the lives of so many people through their testimony, their love, their prayer, their teaching, their example, their generosity, basically their life and more specifically how they choose to live their life.  Some people choose to spend their time trying to get ahead, some people spend their money on extravagance and comfort, while other's spend both for the benefit of the Kingdom of God.  Fortunately for me, my grandparents are the latter.  Now that I am older, I am able to recognize them for the world changers that they are and strive to be more like them, which to be more like them is really to be more like Jesus.

Their life story is a testimony to God's unfailing love and enduring faithfulness to His people.

"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him." 2 Chronicles 16:9


The Lord's eyes have rested upon Bill & Helen Warren and because of their faithfulness, He has shown Himself strong in not just their life, but in the lives that they have touched and impacted.  I heard it said on several occasions during the awards dinner that it was "amazing" that they were being honored, but I disagreed.  I believe that lives that my grandparents lead, as well as the lives of all of the honoree's last night, are amazing.  Truly an example to us all of what the life of a follower of Christ should look like.