Renewing your determination

In these economic times and with all the doom and gloom the media is spitting out, it's hard to keep a positive attitude. We don't always have the courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other when the chips are down. I guess the hardest thing I've had to learn over the past 18 months is the fact that I really have no control over anything that's happening. I know we all think "I can" do anything I want to do, but then we have to come face to face with the fact that sometimes (make that most times) we are NOT the one who is in control, we just think we are. Faith is not just a word, it is a fact of this life. I have faith that God is in control and when the world is spinning around me and I feel I'm upside down and totally out of control, I have to get a grip and realize that even though I don't know where I'm headed, God is in control and I just need to do my part and he will do the rest. We aren't supposed to stop striving or trying just because everything around us is falling apart. We have to gather up our strength and remember to trust in the Lord with all our heart, acknowledge him in all ways, and he will direct our path! Wow, that really is wonderful. Doors open. Doors close. I think we sometimes knock down the closed doors and that's where we tend to go wrong. Letting go and Letting God do it takes more strength than I realized. When things are going great, a good job, bills paid, it's easy to "believe" that God is in control, but really, we at that point are the one in control and it takes losing that job, no money coming in, before it hits us in the face and we realize, boy, was I mistaken. I never really had any control. I thought I could do it and I could take care of anything that came my way. Once the job was gone and I had to face the fact I wasn't in control, it was scarry! Now, I'm learning that letting God have control is easier said than done. But I have to say that SLOWLY I'm learning to do just that, let God do it. The devil fights me tooth and toenail, but my faith is growing stronger and I'm taking baby steps toward letting God lead me instead of trying to do the leading. Am I totally there? Not by a long shot. Am I headed in the right direction? You bet! Am I confident? Off and on. I will take one step at a time and I will hang in there and I will let God lead me and I will get stronger and I will move in the right direction because God is in control!

Storing Memories

Life is hectic and sometimes in the rat race, we get a little lost. Over the last eight years, my sister and her two daughters and I have been going to the Texas Coast for what we call our re-energizing time. We do only what we want. No kids, no pets, no spouses, just us "Girls." Each year has been unique, weather-wise and event-wise. We laugh, we cry, we talk and talk and talk, we sleep, we stay up, we swim, we ride the waves, we build sand castles or whatever, and through it all we regain our strength to go out and meet the following year head on. Our trip time is always in September, after the kids are back in school, but before "winter" weather sets in. Today I was drawing from the memories to gain the tranquility of the time and to help me get through another week. The economy being as it is, our trip for 2009 may not happen. I'm so glad we've had the time together and will always cherish the memories. My hope is that everyone has their day in the sun, their day on the beach, their time of replenishing.

Bertram Library

It's great to see the changes taking place in Bertram. The Bertram Free Library has received a $2 million grant from the Roy F. and Joann Cole Mittee Foundation to construct a new "green" library in Bertram. This is exciting news and will be a great addition to our community. Features listed at this time include electronic self-checking equipment, a bank of high-speed Internet computer terminals, a conference facility, a cafe and a courtyard. I will keep an eye out and take pictures as the library begins to take shape.

A new blogger!

Everyone is blogging these days, and I have decided to join the party! Networking is a great tool for friends, family, and business associates. Please join me as I begin my blogging journey. Maybe along the way you will learn more about me, the Highland Lakes area, and the Real Estate Market in today's economic times. I look forward to all my new followers and sharing my stories with you as I learn the art of blogging.