June 30 - marriage

Love is blind,
but marriage restores its sight.
~Georg C. Lichtenberg

I have so much to say about this quote, but I think I am going to just let you think about it and what it means to you. It will mean different things to all of us depending on our situation. Enjoy and celebrate the sight!

June 28 - Anniversary

Today is Todd and my wedding anniversary. We were married in 1986 at the ages of 19 and 20. Now that our daughter is 17 we ask ourselves, “What were we thinking to get married so young?” I know we were thinking we were in love and it was just the next thing to do. At the age of 19, I did not know that marriage would take so much work. For some reason I thought that we would always be “in love” and that love could fix anything. While, we have been married a while now and we both know that marriage takes work, dedication, energy, patience, commitment and most of all we need God to be the center of our marriage.

The next couple days of Blessings will be dedicated to marriage.

Blessings
Robin

June 29 - Annoyance

I would like to share the quote on front of the anniversary card that I gave Todd this year.

“It is so great to find that one special
Person you want to annoy for
the rest of your life.”

Happy Anniversary!

Todd and I had a good laugh about the card. Sometimes in marriage it does feel the like other person is just there to annoy us. I get annoyed about some of the smallest things, like socks on the floor, dishes in the sink, etc. Overall, it is really just an annoyance. We realize that we can annoy each other at times, but that is part of marriage.
Blessings
Robin

June 27 - problems

“Problems viewed in the future appear to be obstacles

while problems viewed in the past are revealed as blessings.”

June 26 - Morgan is 17

Today marks the 17th anniversary of the day Todd and I became parents. Yes, Morgan is 17 years old already.

There is nothing in the world that can compare to the day a woman becomes a mother for the first time. It is an emotional high, filled with excitement and fear. The day we left the hospital and drove away with our new baby. We looked at each other and said, “ Wow, they let us leave with her! What do we do now?” There have been plenty days that we have asked ourselves as parents, “What do we do now?” The most important thing that we have learned we can do for our children is to pray for them daily.

Parents prayer

Lord you have given me these children to watch over and care for.
Grant them your safety and your protection against all the schemes and temptations of the devil.
Grant them the wisdom to get through life.
Grant them the security of knowing that they rest firmly in your grasp.
Thank you for giving me these children.
All these things I pray in your name Amen.

June 25 - Baseball

Baseball?
It's just a game - as simple as a ball and a bat.
Yet, as complex as the American spirit it symbolizes.
It's a sport, business - and sometimes even religion.
~Ernie Harwell, "The Game for All America," 1955

It seems fitting that my quote today is on baseball. Both boys are playing baseball this summer and tonight was the fourth baseball game of the week; we have three more on Saturday. It is fun to watch the boys learn to play as a team and encourage each other. So many life lessons can be learned on a baseball field.

June 24

"When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives

but are grateful for the abundance that's present....

we experience heaven on earth."

June 23 - YBA

This week Morgan is attending YBA (Youth Business Adventure) at Dakota State University. A couple days ago Ross asked me, “What is the name of the camp Morgan is at this week?” I replied, “YBA”. He looked at me with a puzzled face and said, “Why Be A, what?” We had a good laugh over the whole thing.

After thinking about it, it is good to ask ourselves this question ever now and then. “Why be a ______?” Here are some questions a person could ask themselves.

“Why be a self centered person?”
“Why be a crab?”
“Why be a gossip?”
“Why be a poor listener?”

These questions can go on and on and on. The answer to all the questions is… “Because it is easier than being the opposite.” The easier answer is not always the most rewarding or fulfilling in life. Listed below are statement that are fulfilling and rewarding.

“I am giving.”
“I am positive.”
“I am trustworthy.”
“I am a good listener.”

Life is not easy, but it is worthwhile when we invest our time and energy into making the most of it.


Blessings
Robin

June 22 - Doable

Life is always doable
if we remember
we only have to make it through one day at a time.

I received a touching e-mail from a long time friend. The quote above was part of her closing. This was the perfect message for me at the exact time I need to be reminded; that I only have to make it through today and tomorrow is a new day. I hope this is meaningful to you too.

June 21 - Meal with Friends

I have learned
that one of the best blessings is a

meal shared with close friends.

June 20 - Attitude

I've learned that either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I wish I could say that I always remember this quote. I have found myself in a place where my attitude is controlling me. That is not a place that I like to be. It is so much better when I take control of my attitude. Life is just too short to have an attitude that is anything less than positive!

June 19 - last a lifetime

You have heard the statement, “When it rains, it pours.” We it has been pouring at our house. A couple weeks ago the clutch went out in Todd’s tractor, then the starter when out in the four wheeler, next belt broke on the vacuum (I was able to fix that one) and lastly the engine blew up in riding lawn mower. It is all overwhelming and I am not even the one that has to fix it. Todd has been fixing something for weeks it seems. It is not that things broke, because they were not cared for. They broke because they were used for their purposes. “Things” are not built to last a lifetime.

This makes me think about how fortunate we are as people; we are built to last a lifetime. As we use our bodies or minds for the purpose it was built for we become better, not just worn out. Some examples are: by exercising we get into better shape and strengthen our bodies; by reading we sharpen our minds. We are so fortunate that we were built to last a lifetime!


Blessings
Robin

June 18 - Mud

Boy Fun

A couple nights ago, I came home to find clothing strung across my yard and piles of it in the garage. It was all wet and full of mud. When I got in the house, Andrew informed me that he had a great day with his friends. I asked what they did and I was sure that the wet muddy clothing had something to do with it. They went “mud bogging”. They rode the four wheeler through every mud hole they could find, then went to the play in stream to clean off. Unfortunately, they found out the stream just produced more mud on them. Andrew said, “It was great -- Boy Fun, girls would never do this!”

Blessed by MUD!

June 17 - Strawberries

I have been waiting for this day for four years!

Four years ago, I planted my strawberry patch. I worked hard that first year weeding and caring for my new little strawberries. I knew that the first year would not produce any fruit. I also knew that the second year would not be a year of abundance. Last year, my strawberries took off and I actually had produce. The berries were small, but there were berries! This year is the year I have been working and waiting for --- my patch is beautiful, the berries are abundant, big and juicy.

I am glad that I did not give up on my strawberry patch. The work was worth it! This reminds me to have patience as abundance will come.

Blessings
Robin

June 16 - Blessings

Some days we just need to count our blessings and not worry about our problems. I have found that when I focus on my blessings, my problems just do not seem so big anymore.

Blessings
Robin

June 15 - A Mother's Guilt

Guilt

I try to be a good daughter, but sometimes I disappoint my mother. I bet this is a statement that all daughters have made. Mothers of course are the best at making a person feel guilt. I hope this is a skill that I do not feel the need to use on my children as they become adults.

I wrote about my Grandmother’s birthday yesterday. I am very happy for her and I love her with all my heart. Today, mMy mom and her siblings had cake and ice cream at the nursing home for Grandma. My mom called a couple weeks ago to let me know that they would be hosting a “small” party for Grandma, if I wanted to come. She told me it would be simple. I thought about driving out for the event. I did not have anything conflicting on my calendar, but the rest of my family either had a conflict or did not want spend a beautiful summer day in the car, driving two hours each way and only spend a couple hours visiting. I did not want to drive by myself, so I took the selfish route and did not go home for the day. My reasoning --- Grandma would be so busy with the other guest that she would not know I was there or not. I can go another time and spend more quality time with Grandma.

Then the dreaded call came about 5PM. My mom, “What came up that you did not attend today?” I told her the truth. She told me the names of all 40 people that did attend Grandma’s “small” party today and how far they traveled to be with Grandma on her 95th birthday. Yes, the guilt set in! She told me how cute my cousin’s baby is and all the thing she is doing and it was too bad that I missed it. She told me about all the people that asked where I was. Grandma did not ask about me, but she asked about my brother. Mom explained that he was not able to make it. Grandma scolded my mom, for not raising a better son. I got the message it meant daughter too. More guilt!

I knew when I made the decision I would feel guilty about not attending. I did take the selfish route my not attending. I could have drove by myself and been just fine or I could have played the guilt game on one of my family members to get them to go with me. I took the easy way out, but I did learn from the day. I learned that investing time is more important than investing energy or resources into people. It was important to my mom to have me there today and I let her down. I hope I remember this the next time I am faced with a decision like this.

Blessings
Robin

June 14 - Grandma

Today is my Grandma Kok’s birthday. She was born in 1914. In July 2008, she suffered from several heart attacks. She was ready to go to heaven and the doctors confirmed that she would probably not make it through the night. The family was called in to stay good bye and be with her. She informed the family that she had all her arrangements prepared. In her Bible she outlined the entire service. She asked me to read the poem “Faithful” at her service. We do not know if she wrote this herself or found it somewhere, as the author was not listed.

To everyone’s surprise, Grandma’s body was not ready to give up. She recovered from massive heart attacks at the age of 94 and continues to be faithful.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Faithful
This lady began, yes right from the start
Learning to share, “Lord I give you my heart.”
A child of God, upon bended knee.
Just make me faithful “Was her constant plea”.

A Faithful wife, to her husband she’d be,
For God had called her his helpmate, you see.
She labored faithfully by his side
Following each move with him she’d abide.

In God’s time He blessed with a child
She proved to be a faithful mother so mild;
More children were given from heaven above
And “Faithful” simply expanded her love.

The grandchildren came and then their mates
In following years, along came “the greats”.
Yet Faithful remembered them all by their names
A prayer warrior strong, still more of the same.

She was known by many as a faithful friend
Along with the cards, her prayers she would send.
Of all the qualities, one stands out above
She stayed faithful to the Lord that she loved.

To whom she was faithful none shined like the one.
A faithful believer in God’s only Son
With steadfast faith in her Lord gone ahead.
She talked to him daily in chair or bed.

Then she heard the summon from Heaven above.
Come home to me now “Faithful” my love.
I was the “Faithful Savior” who called it is true.
And welcomed her home, just beyond the blue.

To you her family, I repeat it again.
The call to repentance and forgiveness of sin.
“Be still” calls your “Father” from Heaven on High.
May you be found “faithful” when death draws nigh.


Blessings
Robin

June 13 - Time

Time is too slow for those who wait,
too swift for those who fear,
too long for those who grieve,
too short for those who rejoice,
but for those who love....Time is ETERNITY.


A good friend shared this quote with me. I just love it. Time is something we deal with each and everyday of our lives. We are aware of time without being aware of time. How many “times” a day do we look at the time and think about time?

Blessings
Robin

June 12 - Wind

“The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
The realist adjusts the sails.”

June 11 - Sunshine & Rain

“Life is like a rainbow.
You need both the sun
And the rain to
Make its colors appear.”


After the rain I appreciate the sun so much more than several days or even weeks of sunshine. I guess that is life. We appreciate the sunshine after a good rain.

Blessings
Robin

June 10 - cheer up

The best way to cheer yourself up
is to cheer someone else up.
~ Mark Twain

I love this quote.

This morning I stopped at Perkins to pick up muffins for a morning meeting. The hostess assisted me and on my way out the door she said, “Thank you for your business and have a great day.” I replied, “You too.” Then she made the statement that made my day, she said, “You look really pretty today!” Talk about the right way to start the day! I hope she found cheer in making my day.

June 9 - Prayer

Time for Prayer

I have good intentions of praying and studying God’s word, but push come to shove, I get busy and forget to make time. Here are some tips that I have found to work.

• Set your alarm clock a little early. WAKE UP and spend time in prayer. This is one of my favorites. Todd still questions whether or not I am praying or snoozing.
• Morgan used a set time of the day. At 11:11 twice a day she prays. It is short but it is a time that reminders her to pray.
• Many of us pray before going to bed. If you do not already do this, ask your spouse to pray with you a loud. It is a great way to build your marriage and your relationship with God.
• Driving – I do not recommend closing your eyes, but there is not rule that we must close our eyes to pray.

Blessings
Robin

June 8 - Giving

“Giving opens the way to receiving.”
~ Florence Scovel Shinn

June 7 - Kittens

Kittens

When I was a kid I loved finding the baby kittens each spring. The mother cats always had their kittens in the hay loft of the barn. It was an adventure to find the kittens. Once we found them we would spend hours playing with them and making a special home for them.

I guess finding kittens is a genetic thing, because it is a favorite thing for my kids. Each year we have a stray mother cat that makes her home in our barn for her family. The kids usually find the kittens when they are beginning to play and still do not have fear of humans. This year we have four kittens in the barn and of course the boys have them named -- Snickers, Indiana Jones, Runt and Mickey.

A couple of years ago, we had several mother cats that had kittens in the barn. I think we had 11 kittens. The boys thought it would be a good idea to find the kittens new homes. So they set up a Lemonade and Kitten stand on the corner.

Lemonade 50 cents
Kittens $2.50


By the end of the day the sign changed to kittens FREE! The boys had a great time, but they were unable to find homes for the kittens. They did agree that they sold a lot of lemonade that day!


Blessings
Robin

June 6 - Point to agree on

Find a point to agree on

We are rolling out an important project at work and this week I sat in on the training for the representatives. The project has to do with building relationships with customers. Tonight as I prepared to write “Blessings” I decided that you may enjoy the story I shared with my staff.

Last fall, Andrew’s football team scrimmaged the other Dell Rapids team. It was clear that the other team out performed Andrew’s team. When Andrew got in the van to go home he just could not hold back his feelings. He had fear of the teasing that would take place the next day at school. After talking about it, Andrew decided that if anyone said something about the game, he would reply, “Your team played very well last night, good job.”

The next day a boy started with the teasing and Andrew replied, “Your team played very well last night, good job.” The other boy was a little surprised by the comment, but replied, “You did good, too.” and that was the end of it.

Think of how many arguments could be avoided if we could all find a common point to agree on. It is hard to argue with someone that agrees with you.

Blessings
Robin

June 5 - Help

Why are we embarrassed to ask for or need help?

I enjoy helping people. I get great satisfaction from knowing that I have help someone. I do not know about you, but I do not like needing help or asking for help.

There was a time in my life that I need help. I needed support and encouragement to get through a difficult time. I could not ask for help, it was just too hard to do. Fortunately, I had some good friends that supported me and got me through the challenging times. I remember saying to a friend, “I am the person that helps others, not the person in need.” She was so kind as she told me, “Today, you get the receive. Please allow me to help you.”

I hope that I am never the person that is in need of help, but if I am, and I know a time will come that I need help, I will accept the help, support and love. In the mean time, I want to help others.

Blessings
Robin

June 4 - Baseball

Those were the days…

As I sit in my office I can see about ten boys in our neighborhood playing a friendly game as baseball in the backyards. This brings back memories of when I was a kid and we played baseball.

I grew up on a farm in central South Dakota. We had neighbors that lived close, but it was not like it is in town. In town, my kids can always find someone to play with. Many nights, on the farm, we would play baseball as a family. We had old disk plates as bases and the pitcher’s mound. For those of you from town, disk plate are a parts from farm machinery. I need to remind you that we were a family of four! So that means, Dad or Mom pitched, one person is up to bat and the other two are in the field. Home plate was close to the barn so the ball could bounce off the barn as a backstop since the batter was also the catcher.

I was a homerun queen in those days. It was so easy to get a home run! First of all, there were only three people in the field. Secondly, we had a slight hill on our yard, so if the batter was able to get the ball rolling down the hill, it would keep going and going as the fielder chased it. By the time the ball was return to home plate the runner was sure to have a home run!

Those were the days… Life was so simple.

Blessings
Robin

June 3 - Old or Overweight?

Old or Overweight?

Not long ago we had dinner with a childhood friend of Todd’s and his family. It was a wonderful evening of friendship and fun. My friend made a wonderful comment that I would like to share with you.

She said, “We are getting to that age, we can either be older looking or overweight. Skinny just does not work for me. My skin needs all the extra fill to keep it in place. If I lose weight, I will get wrinkles, so I choose to be a little overweight, verse looking older.”

Blessings
Robin

June 2 - Hope

Hope is being able to look at our world
with all of the joy and wonder of a child.
~ Jack Croft

May you be blessed by hope today!

June 1 - Warren Buffet quote

Only when the tide goes out
do you discover who's been swimming naked.

~Warren Buffet

I heard this quote this morning in a business meeting. I really liked it considering the times in our economy and social events.