A Time for Reflection

Farmboy has been doing great in his MMA classes, and I'm very proud of him :) Wednesday night, as SImply N'rae, Farm Mama and I went to watch him train in Muay Thai, one of the coaches invited us girls to try it out, and on Thursday night, we did. N'rae's pretty sure she wants to join; as for me, I'm confused. It's a time for reflection: what must I quit/give up in order to take these classes? Do I really have in it me to be a fighter? Is that my motivation for doing Muay Thai-to be a fighter and release emotion, or is it to prove that I, Simply Jen, can? The latter shouldn't be my motivation, but I'm not sure if I have what it takes-and am willing to sacrifice my other plans-in order to do this? Thursday nights at the barn, possibly Lifeguard training/future job, being late to 4-H meetings, not training with the shotgun club? I'm so confused! I need to spend more time in prayer over this matter, and perhaps after a few more classes I will be able to decide. However, I also don't want to let my coach down, or to lose interest.
So many choices, so much to wonder and worry about; such a Time of Reflection-a reflection of what's truly in my heart and what my motivation is.
-Simply Jen

Drive

It was painted red the stripe was white
It was eighteen feet from the bow to the stern light
Secondhand from a dealer in Atlanta
I rode up with daddy when he went there to get her
We put on a shine; put on a motor
Built out of love, made for the water
Ran her for years, 'til the transom got rotten
A piece of my childhood that will never be forgotten

It was just on old plywood boat
With a '75 Johnson with electric choke
A young boy two hands on the wheel
I can't replace the way it made me feel
And I would turn her sharp
And I would make her whine
He'd say, "you can't beat the way an old wood boat rides"
Just a little lake across the Alabama line
But I was king of the ocean
When daddy let me drive

Just an old half ton shortbed ford
My uncle bought new in '64
Daddy got it right 'cause the engine was smoking
A couple of burnt valves and he had it going
He let me drive her when we'd haul off a load
Down a dirt strip where we'd dump trash off of Thigpen Road
I'd sit up in the seat and stretch my feet out to the pedals
Smiling like a hero that just received his medal

It was just an old hand-me-down Ford
With a three-speed on the column and a dent in the door
A young boy two hands on the wheel
I can¡¦t replace the way it mode me feel
And I would press that clutch
And I would keep it right
And he'd say, "a little slower son you're doing just fine"
Just a dirt road with trash on each side
But I was Mario Andretti
When daddy let me drive

I'm grown up now three daughters of my own
I let them drive my old Jeep across the pasture at our home
Maybe one day they'll reach back in their file
And pull out that old memory
And think of me and smile and say

It was just an old worn out Jeep
Rusty old floorboard, hot on my feet
A young girl two hands on the wheel
I can't replace the way it made me feel
And he'd say, "turn it left and steer it right,
Straighten up girl, you're doing just fine"
Just a little valley by the river where we'd ride
But I was high on a mountain
When daddy let me drive

When daddy let me drive

Oh he let me drive

Daddy let me drive

It's just an old plywood boat
With a '75 Johnson with electric choke


"When Daddy Let Me Drive" is another of my favorites, sung by Alan Jackson. This is the song I'd like to dance to with my father on my wedding, many years from now after I find Mr. Right. This song has strong meaning to me, as I'm currently being taught to drive by my father in what was my Poppy's, Daddy's father's, truck. Poppy was special to me, and this song also reminds me of him. He stood by me through some of my hardest times as a child, and I believe he'd be proud for me to drive his beloved Chevy truck.
    Back on track, this song has come to mean more than learning how to drive a truck; also how to drive through life. Being instructed by your parents isn't the easiest thing to swallow, I know. However, years later, you'll come across some memoir-a picture, a drive by a former house, a visit to a loved one's grave, or a song on the radio; suddenly, you'll understand why way back then your daddy did this, or your momma told you that. It'll make sense, especially if it doesn't now, and you'll come to cherish that memory, cherish the thought of how much they loved you in order to instruct and/or guide you in the ways you should go. They're teaching you to drive through life, how to manage the storms and the sleet, how not to speed through moments, how to move on after a set-back or accident, whatever it may be. Right now, Daddy's teaching me to drive-in more ways than one. I love him very much for that, and Momma too. We've had our go-rounds, but I believe we're stronger, closer, and better because of them. My parents have stood by me through so many things, and I often take them for granted, forget how important and special they truly are.
     Things aren't always easy in this life, and I'm learning new things each day as I mature and grow. God also helps us take the Drive of Life, and teaches us many things no one else can, and is the greatest help and comfort in a time of need.
     For now, there are things I don't and may never understand. However, I'm placing in God's hands, and I'm letting Him Drive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQe3DKDQRRs
-Simply Jen

My Wish

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,

 And each road leads you where you want to go.

And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get.

Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big.

     Rascal Flatts sings this song, and every time I listen to it, I think it has two meanings. The first, of course, is the band singing about a loved one or some such. However, if you really pay attention to the lyrics, you can read between the lines, see the possibly-unintended-meaning in the words. What I'm saying is that this song could be sung from a person to a person, or, if you think about it, could be a glimpse of what God wants for us each and every day. His wish is for us to live life to the fullest, to forgive and never regret, to find grace and love in His arms and strength, to make wise decisions, to live through obstacles-and keep searching until we find the way out.

     So this, is my wish for you-I wish you will live life. I wish you will search for God's grace-and when you find it, live for Him. I wish you will do someone a kindness, and ask only in return for a kindness given to another in need. This, is my wish.

    May God bless you greatly, make His face shine upon you, and may you ever find peace and love in the strength of His arms.

Love y'all!

-Simply Jen

P.S. Here's a link to Rascal Flatts' song My Wish:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxjVCBSa-Vs

Love....

.....is best expressed between a girl and her quadrupeds.

God's Coloring Book

As I was walking in a field just down the lane,

I sat down on a fallen log to pass the time away.

And as I looked around me, 

And the more that I do look,

The more I realize that I am viewing God's Coloring Book.

I saw a golden ray of sunlight,

A silver drop of dew;

Soft, white, floating clouds sailing 'cross a sky of blue.

A yellow dandelion, 

And pretty evergreen! 

And some red and orange flowers,

Floating wild along the stream.

And as I looked around me, 

And the more that I do look,

The more I realize that I am viewing God's Coloring Book.

The grayness in an old man's hair,

 The pink in babies' cheeks;

The blackness in a stormy sky,

The ground with fallen leaves;

And the multi-color rainbow stretched out across the sky,

 And the purple haze at sunset,

Just before the night.

And as I look around me,

 And the more that I do look,

The more I realize that I am viewing God's Coloring Book.

So I turned my face towards the sky,

 And said a silent prayer.

'Though God doesn't speak to me,

 I see Him everywhere;

He is all around me, 

He's everywhere I look!

And each new day is but a new page in God's Coloring Book.

This is one of my favorite songs by Dolly Parton, and I absolutely love singing along to it!

Enjoy my friends,

Love,

Simply Jen

The Promise of Spring

Oh so sweet with blue on my feet,

The Promise of Spring I bring;

The Promise of sunshine and flowers,

Of gentle breezes, of fragrant showers.

This promise I bring is shared where ere I fly,

Bringing hope, love, and joyful tears to your eyes.

Ne'er forget the promise I bring;

A promise of love, a promise of Spring. 

-Simply Jen

Happy New Year!!

2011 has finally come :)!!

Happy New Year y'all!!

-Simply Jen