Here Comes Fall

There is just something about Fall time. Maybe its the chilly nights or the cool days. Maybe its just the relief from the heat. During the July months it seemed Fall would never get here. Just a distant dream. Now we stand on the precipice of our first Fall cold front. The long wait is about to be over for all of us lovers of Fall. 
   I love most everything that comes with this time of year. Lots of great memories growing up.  It would be the time of year we would start preparing for the winter. That involved chopping logs and kindling for the fireplace. We would make sure all the outdoor water faucets were insulated for the winter months. There would be raking the yard for leaves to compost in the garden for the next spring. The heavy blankets were brought out for the beds because we didn't have central heat or air. We just had a few gas heaters spread throughout the house.
    There were football Sundays for the 5 guys in my house growing up. We would sit and spend an afternoon watching our Cowboys. Sometimes we would be at our high school football field with a group  of friends making like we were the all pro players, at least that's how I saw it. I loved hanging out with my older brothers.
     The fall brought Thanksgiving celebrations growing up that are hard to replicate. There was love and you could feel it. Our extended family was together and in a word, it was greatness. The food, and there was a lot of it was spread out over lunch and dinner. There was laughter and joy. Lots of great memories.
    As I have gotten older I have made lots of great Fall memories. Working in a pumpkin patch, lots of high school football games and trips to the state fair. In a little over a month we will prepare for another Thankgiving. We will all get together to give thanks for blessings from the past year and there was a lot to be thankful for.  Right now for instance I'm am so thankful summer is behind us. Enjoy the changing of the leaves, the weather and this time of year. PS make a great memory by getting out to The Texas State Fair.
 

All We Need Is Love

The Beatles had that right. All we need is love. Love will go a long way in correcting what is wrong with our society. Sometimes we get caught up with our own life we forget to show compassion for others. We are selfish to a point. I admit that because of the actions of a few panhandlers I rarely give to those asking for money on the street. I have to just ask myself what if that person were me? I don't know the circumstances that led them to where they are. I am guilty of judging and that is wrong. I even think to myself " Hey if you can stand there for hours on end, couldn't you find a job somewhere ? " Who am I to judge? The truth is if we saw Jesus Christ on a street corner he probably would resemble a lot of homeless people. He depended on others for sustaining him. He did not work a paying job. Those who refused to give to him missed out on a blessing.
     That is just one example of not loving one another.  We are living in a nation divided. There are the haves and the have nots. Look at our Presidential candidates. Both are wealthy with millions spent on campaigns. We have racial tension now in our country the likes not seen in decades. We have people protesting our National Anthem. We are celebrating 15 years since a horrible terrorist attack took thousands of lives.  Why can't we as a nation go back to that mindset on Sept 11? We came together as a nation. Churches were full and prayers were sent up coast to coast. There was love amongst every race. There was no judgment amongst us. We were just concerned how to take care of our nation. We have lost our way. We need to stop wagging our finger at one another. There is racism all around us from every race. There is criticism and judgment coming from all sides. Who are we to judge anybody. I was taught in God's eyes sin is sin. We were all born into it. No one is perfect. We want to put labels on it and say this sin is worse than that one.  We are all guilty.  That's a pretty unpopular belief and I'm sure I will take some grief over it but that's cool.
   The point is this we need to love more and judge less. We need to put  God back to first into our country.
   All we need is Love.
My hats off to those who lost their lives
On 9/11/01
 
  
  

I Promise

I sit tonight and think as the big day approaches. We've both been down this road before but its different this time. We both have come out of 20 year plus marriages so we know what to expect. We both know what we want and what we don't. We have been together 4 years so there are no surprises. That being said I still feel the need to say this.
I promise to put you second only to God. I honestly believe you are the gift God has sent me. After our first go round with marriage we could have both been turned off by the thought of committing to another human being. I will not take lightly that you believed in me enough to give me your heart.
   I promise I will be with you for as long as the Good Lord gives me.  I have never had a another person love me like you do. Therefore I choose to stay. You have my heart.
    I promise to always take interest in the things that interest you even if it means watching a thousand hours of Harry Potter or getting all geeked out to go to some Harry Potter resort for vacation.  I want you to know that first its not all about me. Second your likes and dislikes are important to me.
   I promise to spend as much time doing things together as possible. Even if it's just sitting on the patio watching a sunset.
   I promise to protect you. I want you to always feel safe. I want to be your protector your muscle. I will always have your back unconditionally.
  I promise I will be your sounding board when you have had a rough day and accept I can't fix everything. Sometimes you just need an ear and a shoulder.
   I promise that I will be here through good and bad. I will be your constant. I want to be the one who wipes the tears from your eyes or hear your laughter.
  I promise I will always provide for you to the best of my ability. We will work together to build not just a house but a home. I will support your family to the best of my ability whether it be financially or emotionally.
   I promise to always try to make you laugh. Your laughter brightens my day.
    I can't wait to grow old with you and show you I am a man of my word. Words are cheap but actions say it all I promise.