Fall Is Here!

I just love fall.  I love most things about nature, but it is quite lovely in the fall.  Leaves change, the weather gets cooler -but not unbearably so, my area starts to get busier as we have more tourists arrive, stores start hiring, menus change, clothing styles change, people become more generous (in general), and for some reason hope becomes brighter.

Some people do not have these things happen, I realize that the above is a blanket statement.  But many people I know do experience these things in the fall.

In the fall, many people participate in long-standing family or community traditions.  I don't know that my family has kept any particular fall traditions, but we did have a fun time doing something others have often enjoyed: pumpkin carving!

When my brother graduated from basic training, the joke was that the day before graduation was called "Hot Mama, Hot Sister Day".  We had mused about making t-shirts and wearing them that day, but decided against it overall.  We did, however, decide to represent this little piece of Army tradition in our fall decor.

And since we have a new female in the mix, we added a line to those titles:  Hot Mama, Hot Sister, and Hot Girlfriend!!!  Look at how our "decorations" came out!!!

When she got to her third word, Jeanna decided that the "friend" part of her new title would probably not fit on the pumpkin's face, so we just left it at "girl".

What a fun night!  After we cleaned up our mess, we roasted the pumpkin seeds and have enjoyed them for over a week!

Did you carve a pumpkin for part of your fall decor this year??

Pumpkinstein to the rescue!

It is a well known fact that flowers mean a lot to most females.  This is one reason why I was so delighted when I had this cute arrangement waiting for me when I got home the other day!  I like to call it my Pumpkinstein bouquet, because the pumpkin face has a scar on the top left side of it.

This sweet gesture meant so much to me when I was having a rough day.  What kind of things make you feel cared for?

Good People

Nobody can take the place of my brother.

Still, there are people in my life that fill the role of a brother.

I have two friends that I meet and have lunch with periodically.  They're two awesome guys married to two awesome women and they all love God and love people with everything inside of them.  They're professionals.  They're courteous, yet true.  They're the kind of guys that have your back.  To me, they're brothers. 

There's never awkwardness between us, because they guard their conversation as if they were my brothers.  They give me advice and encouragement like a brother does.  They laugh with me and I harass them back.  They're not fake, they're discretely honest.  They treat me with respect as the lady I am, just like a brother. 

Every time I leave their company, I feel like I was just given a gift.  If nothing else, that there are still good people in the world.  Good, honest, real-life, no-joke, strong, kind people. There are still people that look out for good in the world, don't dread the next day, and thank God for what they have and not what they don't have. 

I leave knowing, assuredly, that I am important, that I am cared for, that I am someone others can enjoy, and that I am an integral part of this huge tapestry God is weaving in creation.  And no matter how good my day is going, it never hurts to be reminded of that.

You know what I think is the most incredible part of it all?  They don't say it.  I just leave knowing those things. 

That's how it is with good people.

That's how it is with a brother.

Redemption (I)

Matthew 12:34
You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.

Have you ever done something that you have regretted with everything inside of you?  Oh, have I.

It's at times like these that I am so angry at the person inside of me.  I think of this verse and ask myself "what the heck is in your heart, Crystal??"

I can't figure out where these epic failures originate inside of me. All I know is that, try as I might, I still have them. 

And all I know to do is to admit them, ask for forgiveness, do what I can to correct them (if possible),  get back up again, and try to weed out the ickyness inside of me.  I know that with this comes the risk of failing again.  But when I stay down after I've fallen.... that's when I truly accept defeat.

It doesn't make the thing I did right, but it certainly redeems the act. 

Redemption is one of the most beautiful words.