Wine Into Water

"You've heard a multitude of prayers on my behalf.  I pray one more is not too much to ask.  I've tried to fight this battle by myself but it's a war that I can't win without your help."  T. Graham Brown

This one I promise will be some deep thoughts.  Luckily I've not struggled with a true addiction like alcohol  but I do have friends that have.   One particular lady I worked with years ago is who comes to mind right here.  She lost her family, her job and eventually her life.  For the life of me I couldn't figure it out.  She was the most "put together" lady I had ever met and could work circles around me, even on her worse day.  She did not drink when I first went to work with her but for whatever reason she became unhappy with her life and started.   She fought the battle by herself along with many of her friends, but she just couldn't win the war and eventually lost the the will to fight.

"So many times I've hurt the ones I love, I pushed them to the edge of giving up.  They've stood by me but how much can they stand if I don't put this bottle in your hands?"  Other friends have struggled with alcohol and others struggling with drug addiction have pushed their loved ones to the edge but we don't give up.  We don't give up praying God will take the need for whatever drug of choice it is and we don't give up loving them.  I've been called more times than I can think because a friend needed someone to talk to just because they were standing on the edge of giving up.  The worse thing a friend can do it give up on the hope that God will heal their addiction.

"I shook my fist at heaven for all the hell that I've been through.  Now I'm begging for forgiveness and a miracle from you 'cause tonight I'm as low as any man can go.  I'm down and I can't fall much further.  Now on my knees I'm turning to you Father could you help me turn the wine back into water?"  If you're fighting these demons and you're down as far as you can go, begging for forgiveness and a miracle, my prayer for you is God will hear your prayer and turn your wine into water.  I pray there is a friend that's been there for you more times than you can count, will hear your cry once again and run as fast as they can to be there for you.  I pray their hand of comfort can pull you from the edge of giving up and I pray God will turn your wine into water.

My lesson today?  Don't wait until the situation is really bad ~ reach out for help NOW!!!  If you have been thinking that you can handle it or it will get better and it hasn't.  Reach out TODAY before things become worse.  Call that friend that's always been there.  I would be willing to bet he/she would be there again because they love you.  Let them help you turn the wine to water.

    Love to all,
    Sweet Southern Sass

  

Jesus Take the Wheel

"Jesus take the wheel, take it from my hands, 'cause I can't do this on my own.  I'm letting go so give me one more chance and save me from this road I'm on.  Jesus, take the wheel."  Carrie Underwood

WOW, what powerful words and where do I go with this one?   I'm not sure, but ya'll know I will give it my best shot.  This song starts with a mama going home to see her mama and daddy with a baby in the backseat.  "It had been a long hard year, she had way too much on her mind, and she didn't pay attention."  She was going way to fast when she started to skid on ice.  No time to cry she throws her hand in the air and says the words "Jesus take the wheel."

This scenario reminds me so much of my young single mother days.  So many times going to see my mama and daddy with the baby in the back seat.  Even though they only lived down the road a bit, an accident could have easily happened.  What this brings to mind for me is how careless I was during those days.  How many weekends I would leave my small child with my mama and daddy or sister or the neighbor next door.  So many weekends that I can never get back of his life.  So many things I missed because I was too busy living MY life and not taking responsibility for his.  Thinking about this now that he will be 38 years old in a few weeks, I know Jesus had the wheel all those years.  He gave me more than one chance to save me from the road I was on and thankfully that road only lasted a few years.

"She saw both their lives flash before her eyes, she didn't even have time to cry.  She was so scared she threw her hands up in the air."  Luckily and I mean ever so lucky I never had this to happen on my road to self destruction.  I never came close to an accident but only because I know Jesus had the wheel.  The wheel that would keep me safe during my crazy years and the wheel that kept me safe from an abusive relationship or two.   Maybe my mama had a hand on that wheel too because she was the one that finally said enough was enough.  She said I was a mama and I needed to act like one.  Ya'll know there was a lot more in that statement from my mama, but ya'll get the idea.

"She's a rock, she is grace.  She's an angel, she's my heart and soul.  She does it all." I hear people saying I'm starting to look like my mother does.   She sees everybody for who they really are.  I'm so thankful for her guidance.  She helped me get this far."    Lauren Alaina

My mama truly is a rock, an angel, my heart and soul.  I am so thankful for her guidance and that she had the wheel all those years ago when I didn't have sense to "act right."  I am thankful she was there holding that wheel steadfast while I went on my way to make more mistakes than I can count on both hands and feet.  There with her head bowed I'm sure asking Jesus to take the wheel.  The wheel to save me before it was too late.

Lesson today?  Don't take too long to ask Jesus to take the wheel.  Don't tarry on that road to self destruction because you might not be as lucky as me.  Hopefully if you're on that road, your mama is a praying mama and she's got her head bowed every night that Jesus take the wheel to bring you back.  Wake up before your hands are in the air, you're scared to death and maybe no time.

  Love to all,
Sweet Southern Sass

Life Ain't Always Beautiful

"Life ain't always beautiful.  Sometimes it's just plain hard.  Life can knock you down.  It can break your heart."  Gary Allen

How many times I have thought these exact words.  I can't think of any particular time right this minute, but I do believe that life ain't always beautiful and sometimes it's just plain hard.  I've been knocked down a time or two and my heart has been broken in a million pieces more than once.  But as the saying goes, you gotta put on your big girl panties and deal with it.  You can't let life knock you down and not get back up.   They say everything happens for a reason.  Well there have been things I've tried to figure out the reason and sometimes I can't figure it out so "what the hell", I just "let it go" and move on.  Yep, just sing the song with me now.  Let it go, let it go.  Yes you get it now.  Let it go...let it go...

"But the struggles make you stronger and the changes make you wise and happiness has it's own way of taking it's own sweet time."  I'm not 100% sure my struggles have made me stronger but I can say the changes that I had to make certainly made me wiser.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  LOL  and yes, Lord yes happiness has taken it's own sweet time arriving at my door, but praise the Lord it finally found me.  No, not because I found a boyfriend or husband or heck even a significant other, but simply because I chose to be happy.  Some days are harder, but being happy feels better to me than being sad.  

Some days I miss your smile, I get tired of walking all these lonely miles and I wish for just one minute that I could see your face.  Guess I can dream but life don't work that way.
What I would give to see my Aunt Dot, my friend Andrew and many more people that have already found their wings and left this world.  But life ain't always beautiful and God didn't give me a stairway to heaven for when I need to visit or a phone to call when I need to hear a familiar voice on the other end.  So I can keep walking these miles here on earth and one day I will see all my friends and family and Oh what a beautiful ride it will be.   

No, life ain't always beautiful but I know I'll be fine.  Life ain't always beautiful but it's a beautiful ride.  What a beautiful ride.

Lesson today?  Life ain't always beautiful, but you can make it beautiful if you want.  Take the first step when you wake up in the morning and say, OK, today's going to be amazing.  Whatever other ridiculousness happened yesterday, well, that was then.  Today only happens once and by golly I declare it's going to be a good one.  And always remember:  "EVERY morning we are born again.  What we do today is what matters most."  So go ahead...Make it a beautiful day!!!

You Can't Make Old Friends

What will I do when you are gone?  Who's gonna tell me the truth?  Who's gonna finish the stories I start the way you always do? - Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers

Ya'll better buckle up for this one, it's gonna be one to hopefully make you laugh out loud.  Ya'll know I love that kinda laugh.  The one that comes from your toes and you can't stop.  

This weekend was a girls weekend and Lord have mercy it was one for the books.  One that kept us all laughing and only one that cried.  Yeah, not me this time.  But the one that cried (my opinion) just needed her eyes washed.  I mean there is something blooming somewhere.  LOL.  

There are six of us in our group we call The Birds.  Yep, I guess you can figure that one out.  We're a flock of birds that four of us have been friends almost 40 years.  The other two birds, not really sure how many years we've been friends, but I just like to say we're all friends and the years doesn't really matter.  These ladies are the ones that gonna tell me the truth, finish my story, tell me how bad I look but most importantly how beautiful they think I am even if I don't believe it myself.  (which is usually most of the time.)  

"How will I sing when you are gone 'cause it won't sound the same.  Who will join in on those harmony parts when I call your name?"  None of us can "carry a tune in a bucket" except Mrs. Bling and she loves to sing.  Me on the other hand use to be able to sing anything I wanted but dear old age with it's menopause and crap has settled in and I truly can't carry a tune in a bucket.  SUCKS!!!  BUTT...that doesn't stop me from trying to sing a little harmony when Mrs. Bling needs help.  OK, I know it's only in MY mind she needs some help.  But on occasion she has asked me to sing a little doo whop back up.  Surely ya'll getting the picture by now.  It ain't pretty or should I say it doesn't sound pretty.   

"When somebody knocks at the door, someone new walks in I will smile and shake their hands but you can't make old friends."  Trust me there have been others who have tried to fly with this flock but for whatever reason couldn't quite get off the ground.  I'm sure there was a good reason but I'm thinking it's just as simple as Dolly and Kenny's song says.  "You can't make old friends."  Old friends that gonna hold my hand if I'm scared, old friends that's gonna build me up when I'm down, old friends that will give me a hug just because. Old friends that simply 'gonna be there because the "show must go on."  

There will come a day when St. Peter will open the gate and we will fly away from this flock of friends.  But one thing I know for sure, whoever goes first will be waiting on the rest.  Waiting on their friends who will be young again, waiting on their friends with open arms 'cause we all know, you can't make old friends.

Lesson today?  Heck, let's just run with something to make you laugh.  Don't worry about how many facebook friends you have (you probably don't know half of them any way), hold on to your old friends, hold them tight every chance you get and tell them you love them.  Go have lunch with them or better yet if you're lucky enough, have a weekend like we just did. 

Love to all,
Sweet Southern Sass

Thank You For Being A Friend

"Thank you for being a friend.  Traveled down the road and back again.  Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant." -Andrew Gold

This might get a little serious so hold on tight.  I'm writing this as I'm thinking about my pal and confidant that lost his battle with cancer a few years ago.  Tomorrow is his birthday so I've really got him on my mind.  Traveled down the road and back again, yes we did.  I met this young man when he was 24 with a head full of curly hair.  As things happened, we lost touch but thank you Jesus the road made a turn back to us about 5 years ago.  As happy as I was to find him, it just didn't last long enough.  He had just been diagnosed with cancer and had lost his head of curly hair.  But let me just say he was as handsome bald as he was with all that curly hair years ago.  Why you may ask.  Well ya'll know me well enough now that I'm going to tell you why.

You see his heart was true.  He was a big man and I swear his heart was big as him.  He loved people and people loved him.  He would light up a room just by walking in it with a smile that made you want to just squeeze his cheeks like your grandma did when you're little. A smile that went from ear to ear, showed every tooth he had and in a few short minutes had everyone in the room wanting to hug him.  Yep and when he hugged you, you knew you had been hugged.

"My old friend, I recall the times we had.  I wouldn't trade them for gold 'cause they laugh and they cry and somehow sanctify me.  They're woven in the stories I have told, and tell again." - Tim McGraw

The stories I could tell if I had all the time in the world wouldn't fit on this page.  This man made me laugh so hard tears rolled down my cheek and in the next minute I would be crying because I would realize his time was limited.  His time may have been limited here on earth to a short 42 years but I can promise you he made the best out of every one of them.  He didn't know when his time would be up so he lived every day, every minute of every hour to the fullest.  He told stories that had nothing to do with anything, but he could have you believing whatever he made up, just because he could.  The more I laughed, the more he added to the story.

"And if you threw a party, invited everyone you knew.  You would see the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say.  Thank you for being a friend."  A party he could throw, especially on his boat on the lake with that stinking Tennessee flag flying like he lived there instead of Georgia.  And yes of course he invited everyone he knew and most of the time they all came.  They all came because they knew a party it would be, a party they wouldn't forget with plenty of food, laughter and stories.   I'm fooling myself if I think the biggest gift would be from me because everyone at the party would have a card probably the biggest one they could find and it would simply say..."Thank you for being a friend."

"My old friend, this song's for you 'cause a few simple verses was the least that I could do to tell the world that you were here.  "cause the love and the laughter will live on long after all of the sadness and the tears.  We'll meet again my old friend"
"You'll hear me call, I'll say your name.  Then once again...Thank you for being a friend.
It's not a song and it's by no means written by a professional writer but this post is my way of letting the world know I miss my friend more than words can say.  This is a feeble attempt to honor my friends memory with a story that will bring a smile to your face like he would want it.

My lesson today?  I think my friend would want me to say...Life is too damn short.  It's like a bull, so grab it by the horns and ride it like it's your last day alive.  Tell your friends and  family you love them...every single day.  Don't drift through life telling yourself "maybe tomorrow."  Make TODAY that day and every day after that.  Spend your life actually living it instead of watching it blow away like candles on each birthday cake.  And while you're at it, have an extra slice or two.

    Thank you for being my friend,
    Sweet Southern Sass

It Ain't My Fault

"But it ain't my fault, no it ain't my fault.  Mighta had a little fun, lotta wrong I'd done...but it ain't my fault."

- Brothers Osborne

Ok folks I'm hoping this one will bring back some childhood memories or fun times that will make you laugh and hopefully not any bad things that may or may not have been your fault.

When I first heard this song, I'm up and dancing with my hands in the air (as the song says) remembering so many times I said to my mama..."It ain't my fault."  I am certain there were more times it was MY fault than not but I wasn't going to get my butt in trouble when I could blame it on someone else.  I mean why would I?

"I got my hands up I need an alibi.  Find me a witness who can testify you made a mistake.  I'm only guilty of a damn good time.  No it ain't my fault."  So many times I would come home late when I was younger and say something like, so and so wouldn't come home or so and so had to go by her house first.  Whatever came to mind at the time to keep my butt out of hot water, that's what I told.  Need an alibi?  Heck yea I needed an alibi.  I wasn't going to take all the blame, even though I'm sure it was more my fault than who I was with.  If the truth was known it was a true story that the only thing I was guilty of was a damn good time.  Come on now, that is why I was out in the first place.

"Blame my reason on my name."  As another famous songs says "I'm the only hell my mama raised."  That may not be totally true because my two brothers are right there with me, but as for the girls, I'm sure I was the only one.  That,  my friends is why I can blame anything I did on my name.  All five of us girls could be together and my mama would know it was my fault for whatever the reason.  Must have been the name.

As I'm writing this I'm just wondering how much my mama believed all those times I blurted out that it ain't my fault.  Now that I'm a mother, I'm thinking she probably never believed me so I guess that's what us mama's are suppose to do.  Give our kids a little lead way if it's not anything bigger than being late being out with friends.  However, I can promise you right this very minute, my mama would have "jerked a knot in my tail" had it been anything else more serious.  Believe me I have felt the sting of that little hickory switch and I don't like it.  I may be however old I am that I don't want to say just yet, but I'm still afraid of my mama's switch. She may be older too but I guarantee you she could "wear me out" right now and I would still be going round and round in circles trying to miss that switch.

Lesson today?  It ain't my fault!!! LOL

  Love to All, 
  Sweet Southern Sass

Good people

"Sometimes it's hard to pray.  Sometimes it's hard to stay grateful.  It's painful, hurts so bad.  Sometimes it's hard to breathe.  Gets hard to keep goin'.  We keep holdin' on to what could have been."  Empire Cast

There certainly have been times in my life I wondered why me Lord?  Certainly there have been times when it was hard to pray and times when I wasn't very grateful.  Lord have mercy I have tried to hold on to things or people that I shouldn't have.  The first thing that comes to mind is my ex-husband, but I guess he doesn't count now since it took me a hundred years to finally let him go.   Yep, it seemed like a hundred years and yes I finally let him go.  I tried to blame it all on him, but we all know it takes two for a relationship to work or not work.  Now that he's out of the picture, my second thought is my clothes that I keep way, way too long.  Come on, you know you're guilty.  Holding on to those pants or that little black dress because you like it and you will wear it again one day.  I can see a "little black dress" in my closet right now I haven't worn since 1972 and I won't throw it away because it's my favorite and I just know I will wear it again.  OK, reality check...that dress is a size two so we all know wearing that dress will never happen.  But it sure is pretty hanging in my closet.

"Sometimes it's hard to pray.  I know sometimes it's hard to be patient."  Praying is not hard for me, I pray for everything and yes I say thank the man above every day.   But being patient on the other hand is a different story.  I do not have the patience of Job as described in the bible and I probably never will.  When I google the patience of job it says "the ability to remain patient and to do what you think you should do despite having many problems."  That may explain why I have no patience.  I react before I think and that reaction causes me a headache which makes me lose all thoughts of being patient which cause me MANY problems.  Maybe I just need to take a chill pill as they say and learn to let things happen on God's time and not Mine.  The song He's An On Time God says that Job said he may not come when you want him. But he'll be there right on time.  He's an on time God, yes he is, yes he is.

We all know "Life is easy when you're up on the mountain and you've got peace of mind like you've never known.  But things change when you're down in the valley.  Don't lose faith, for you're never alone.  For the God on the mountain is the God in the valley.  When things go wrong, he'll make them right and the God of the good times is still God in the bad times."

Lesson today?   It seems I'm always at a loss for a lesson but I think today I want you just to be grateful. Make a list of what you're grateful for.  I'm thinking if you make a list and you see it in color you might just realize how much there is to be grateful for, even when you think there isn't.  One more thing...for the love of Pete, throw out that dress you haven't worn since 1999.  Clear way for something new.  Something that will make you feel sassy!!

  Love to all,
  Sweet Southern Sass