Sweet Southern Belle

My dear friend, Queen Kelley, wrote a beautiful post on her blog about life at home with small children. Kelley’s post about her appreciation of life reminded me of another one of my “favorite” Kyle Matthews songs, Let the Ordinary Make You Happy.
Big shot, yes you are
Big dreams got you this far
Never let the small stuff slow you down
Time wasted’s money spent
Fun is for retirement
There’s no time to think about that now
But even though you’re running late
Your two-year-old wants patty cake
And if you’ll stop to play
It just might make your day
All the joy you’ve missed
Comes in moments just like this
Let the ordinary make you happy
Let the little things cheer your heart
When the search for something special
Makes you miss the things that are
Let the ordinary make you happy
Be amazed by this life we live
And you’ll start to see each day
As the gift it is
Browsing fancy stores
All you need is just one more
Something to make others envy you
But parts and warrantees
Storage and accessories
Make you wonder who is buying who
And all this trouble’s such a waste
Of this lovely summer’s day
Brought to you for free
With everything you need
Take the money you have saved
Buy a stranger lemonade
Rich kid on a plane
Used to being entertained
There’s no Playstation at this altitude
Making matters worse
An old grandmother and her nurse
Sit down in the seats right next to you
She says she hasn’t flown in years
And talking sometimes calms her fears
And to your great surprise
Her story’s quite a ride
And before the journey ends
You’ve somehow made a friend

This song speaks to me on many levels because by nature I’m a “fast” person. I thrive on being busy and always seem to take on more than is necessary or healthy. I also tend to look ahead to the next phase……when I get married, have a child, get a bigger house, finish school, and on and on and on….I’ll be happy. The truth is my gift is now! The “happy” moments are the ones I sometimes miss while racing around.

I also relate to the verse that begins with “Browsing fancy stores”. I admit I like nice clothes and accessories though I can’t afford them much anymore. I sometimes browse stores I used to shop in and long for the items on the rack. It really does make me wonder who is buying who!?!?!? The truth is however that in this day that is free to me, but bought for a high price I have everything I need and much more!

Not long ago my church had a Kyle Matthews concert which was fantastic! The whole concert was Kyle singing while he played the piano. I fell in love with his music so I bought a few cds. The lyrics to Kyle’s songs are heartfelt and honest and the music is grand. I have three favorite songs that really speak to me on the album, The Main Event. All three of the songs speak to my heart on different levels so I’m going to share the words here. My next three posts will be the words to each song.
Every Little Thing I Have
When I feel selfish, I tell myself this
Every little thing I have is a gift from you
The taste of ice cream, the breath I’m breathing
Every little thing I have is a gift from you
Though I ignore it, my planet orbits
Every little thing I have is a gift from you
And though I’m sleeping, my heart keeps beating
Every little thing I have is a gift from you
Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!
I have to thank you for…
New understanding, music for dancing,
Every little thing I have is a gift from you
The way a hug feels, the way my hurts heal
Every little thing I have is a gift
I know that life can be sad, even tragic
Frightening and unfair
But it’s because we’ve become so accustomed
To the goodness around us everywhere
Forgive me each time, I’m slow to realize
Every little thing I have is a gift from you
This kind of reverence makes all the difference
Every little thing I have is a gift from you
Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!
I have to thank you for…
A word to guide me, loved ones beside me
Every little thing I have is a gift from you
Help in disaster, the sound of laughter
Every little thing I have is a gift
I never asked for my friends or my family
The peace a prayer can bring
How could I pay what it’s all worth to me?
Why on earth would you give me everything?
Freedom to leave you, wisdom to need you
Every little thing I have is a gift from you
Courage to trust you, privilege to love you
All of this is a gift! All of this is a gift!
All of this is a great big gift!

I love this song because it is a reminder that many small treasures in life I take for granted are gifts from God! Just like the lyrics say…when I’m feeling selfish I try to listen to this song to remind myself just how many gifts I have. And, after my previous post I thought it fitting to start with this song first!

I had every intention of writing an inspiring post today for my return to the blog world but my day was less than inspiring. It started with the news that a part-time job I took at my daughter’s preschool for the year actually cost us money. After doing our taxes and taking out her tuition we realized that my working there COST us money. Now this might not be such disappointing news but the job has been so hard on my family and my only consolation was that it was “extra money”. Oh well!

Then it was one of those days where being a wife, mom and homemaker was just plain hard. My child did not want to cooperate, my husband misunderstood me, my house was disastrous and I forgot to take anything out for dinner so we had to eat out. It was just one of those days that I’m glad is over. I’m so thankful that God created my body for rest and gives us a fresh start each morning. I’m headed to bed, ready for rest and thankful for the promise of a new day.

I’m sure I have no one left that checks this site but I still think I’ll start blogging again. I have all these random thoughts and no where to put them.