Please check out his website, and help Bodie Smile! <--- CLICK
Good Morning!! As a parent we would do anything it takes to protect and in some cases save our children, well Bodie's parents,Jay Stephanie Gannaway, are no different. A few months back, I wrote a story about my precious little friend that had been to heaven and back.....This is a little of his story that I am sharing. His journey has been great and he is purely a miracle right in front of our eyes. His special parents have fought with every fiber of their being to ensure he has had the best care. I sat and visited with Stephanie the other day. She is a mom that is mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted....and her heart and words sing with the Love of our heavenly father. Please watch this video and share with others. This family needs help to continue this journey. I ask her of Bodie's feet, they are amputated from complication of surgery. Her words...." If a man can become an olympic runner with no legs... having no feet is not a problem, Gods plan is great for this little boy. Have a beautiful Thursday.... pray for this special family and my precious little friend Bodie. It makes me giddy to be apart of his future. If you can help... thank you. It takes a village yall and a miracle, the miracle is there and now we need the village:)
Please check out his website, and help Bodie Smile! <--- CLICK
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Good Morning!! About a month ago, something happened to my son....at the hands of his best friend. My whole family was angry including myself, we talked about it.... really could not believe it happened. After the momma bear in me calmed down, I started talking to both of my boys about allowing forgiveness into their hearts, at first that wanted nothing to do with that, they felt betrayed by someone they loved very much. I started praying about it for them, and his best friend. I also started talking to them about my own experiences.....forgiving someone is absolutely freeing of your heart....doesnt matter who was right or wrong. I learned this to late in some situtations so never again will I allow no forgiveness in my heart. Over the last few weeks I would see steps to move forward and then their anger would rise up again and they did not want to listen to me...betrayal is a horrible thing. This weekend, it slowly came to a head either give forgiveness and move on or have terrible resentment. I am writing this with a heart full of praise because my heavenly father opened my boys hearts ...all of my tears and prayers over this situation came to pass right in front of me. Happy Beautiful Monday yall....I heard a saying the other day, "Usually the things that hurt the most, usually come from the people we trust the most." Forgiveness is the most powerful thing you can give to others and I know when we are let down, betrayed or hurt its hard to let it go and open your hearts....but it what our heavenly father does with us everyday. Forgiveness yall......its honestly more important for your heart then the other persons heart. Watching my boys open theirs and allow forgiveness in.....absolutely priceless.
Good Morning!! I honestly can not believe it is the last weekend in July....It always makes my heart sad to see this favorite month of mine pass by. I feel as if I am saying goodbye to a good friend.This weekend I will celebrate this great summer and my favorite month with the best crew in town.... my CIG crew. As we gather tomorrow at the lake, for great food, a little ping pong, boat time and a little washer competition my heart will rejoice over the amazing people the Lord has so graciously put in my life. My sadness will be replaced with joy. Tomorrow is ALL about them....I celebrate each and everyone. Happy Beautiful Friday!!! God is so great to place "joy" in my heart even when I feel I do not want it. My prayer for yall today? that there is absolute joy in your life.... and you have the amazing opportunity to celebrate the people the Lord has so carefully placed in your life...its a gift!!
Good Morning!!!Yesterday I needed ice cream. After we closed up, I asked Shelby "How about some ice cream?" We were driving towards tech, deep in conversation. Shelby was on auto pilot, knowing right where he was going. After turning around twice, we were completely confused of where the ice cream shop was.We realized then it had closed up....we then see a sign that says candy, ice cream & coffee we decided to give it try..... we walk into the Arrogant Texan on university and I immediatly fall in love with the place, its my kind of joint....a little rustic, quaint, clean and comfortable, its funny when I walk into places my brain starts going crazy on the idea of it. We are greeted with so much enthusiasm by the young girl behind the ice cream counter. She tells us about the ice cream....we order our shakes, pay and wait. This girl behind the counter is full of enthusiam, excitement.... acutally giddiness, she made Shelby and I excited we were there. We take our delicious creamy shakes to a sitting area and watch and listen to her work. She comes by and I tell her..."You are extremely good at what you do and thank you" with a beaming smile she says..."Whats not to love about candy and ice cream its just so happy I love it." Yall this young lady gets it.... no matter what we do, do it with pure joy in our hearts. Happy Beautiful Thursday yall.... This is my vision and prayer everyday when people walk into the CIG, I want to honor my guest and my heavenly father by working with pure joy in my heart. No matter what we do thru the day... let pure joy radiat from you, you may not be dealing with candy and ice cream but your joy will make a difference, she made a difference in my heart yesterday, she renewed me in so many ways, I praise the Lord for this blessing of watching and listening to her:)
Good Morning!!Today is the day for me that women all over the country dread.....its time for my mammogram. Because of my moms history and she was so young I have had this done since I was 28 years old. Everytime it rolls around, I start getting a little antsy. From the day I make the appointment....its all I can think about. Last night I am trying to keep my mind busy by watching t.v when my phone starts barking, my oldest son Taylors ring tone. I answer and he says...." I'm fine don't worry, but I just passed out at a restaurant. He goes onto tell me what happened and my heart is sinking... my mind focused completely on him. His precious girlfriend is taking care of him, but I want him with me, I ask Mindy to bring him to the lake. When he makes his way to my room, Mindy tells me what happened and what she has given him to eat he lays by me with his head in my lap. My test today not even on my mind anymore. We love our kids more than words can say and as I was getting ready this morning, this is what came to me..... My heavenly father loves me more than I love my kids, I know pretty hard to even think about, but I have anxienty for what reason? Just as I wanted to hold and love on Taylor I m being held and loved on by him. Happy Beautiful Tuesday...Sometimes anxiety can get the best of us but he is there in his gentle way showing us.... let it go. May yall rest in his love today yall. I celebrate because I am Gods girl and he loves me...just like I wanted Taylor with me....he wants us to spend time with him. May your anxiety and stress be replaced with his peace and love....lay your head in his lap its big and full of comfort:)
Good Morning!! A few days ago we received a phone call for a room reservation, it was for breakfast. No company name was given, we were not sure who was coming. At the appointed time they started arriving. Obviously not a business, but a family. My co-worker went back to greet them and take their drink orders. We usually have big group family breakfast for 2 reasons..... someone they loved has passed or someone they love is in court, neither of these occasions very happy. As my co-worker made her way back to the front, I ask "Do you know why they are here?" she did not and proceeded to take care of them. They were loud, festive, excited....they were celebrating!! Ya know how most families look alike? well they were no exception, all dark hair with beautiful light brown skin, instanly you could see they were related, at the center of the room was a fair skin blond hair little boy, they were celebrating this precious boy. "This morning was adoption day" those were the words said. My co-worker came to me with tears in her eyes as she told me this great news. I too had tears in my eyes, I was so giddy for this precious child of God, he was receiving a family that was in full force celebrating him into their family. Happy Beautiful Friday yall!!! I dont know this beautiful blond haired boys story but I do know he is getting an amazing chance to have a family love him.....we all want that, no blood relation is needed to become a family. My cup runneth over with family......some look like me but many do not and we know none act like me(pure crazy)..... but I celebrate each one of them, just like this family was doing. Celebrate your family yall they are precious and priceless... our heavenly father celebrates with his "family" daily.
Good Morning!! In December,the Lord started showing me it was time to relocate the CIG. I decided to ignore him, never a good thing. His patience growing wreary in February he started to push harder. February came and every morning, I started praying for a clear vision and clear heart of what I was to do. There have been doors opened to me with great possibilities and the closer I have researched each opportunity and prayed each door has shut. Yesterday a final door shut to me....with tears rolling down my face....Shelby gently said to me.... "You are limiting your possiblities.... you want to stay downtown, but that may not be where he wants you." The only thing I do know, is he is not finished with "HIS" restaurant and so I come to yall for prayer and wisdom and maybe any of yall know a great place for this grill. I do not write this with a light heart. My precious staff are the ones that have been on this journey with me....they have experienced my excitement and then my total dissapointment and dispair. I do not have just my family to think about....I have 12 other families to think about and making the right decision is huge. I called my daddy yesterday and ask him a questions, "When do you know you are stepping out on absolute faith and when it is just a really bad business decision?" He gave me some pretty sound advise. Happy Beautiful Thursday..... I am remembering everyday, I will fear nothing, because I am his. I know his plan is great and sometimes I feel I am not up to the task ahead or where he wants to take my journey. I know I have come to yall a lot for prayer but here is the need laid right out. Please pray for this journey the Lord so beautifully put me on 5 years ago.
Good Morning!!! I have a few women that are going thru treatment. They walk into my joint....bald, bold and beautiful!! It shows the journey they are on. One of these girls are friends with one of my co-workers. The day my co-worker found out her friend had breast cancer she stood at the counter and cried and told me of her journey...we prayed for her friend. This friend is now a regular here.... we have prayed when she has bad days and we celebrated when her tumor was shrinking so much it couldnt be measured. Yesterday she comes in for lunch.... I always ask "Good day?", her reply was yes "Good day", she was feeling better from treatment last week. I leave her table and con't working. About 20 minutes later, my co-worker comes to me with tears streaming down and says "the guest on table 6 is buying my friend lunch, but he doesnt want her to know".....My guest on 6 had already left but my heart was singing and I too had tears. I messaged him on FB to express my thanks and these are the words I received back..."You are wlecome, I just wanted to put a smile on her face, its not a big deal, I just wanted her to know even strangers are pulling for her and praying for her and women like her daily". Welcome to the CIG, this is the kind of people that I have in my life everyday..... I talk about random acts of kindness, well it doesnt get any better than this. Happy Beautiful Tuesday yall, I pray yall all get to experience the best side of people....this is why I do what I do. What an amazing blessing.....my guest looked outside of himself and saw where he could make a difference in someones day, all I can say WOOT WOOT God is Good!!
Good Morning!!! Yesterday was one of those days that is completely exhausting.... My son was vending ice cream at the boat races and so to say there was a lot of work to be done was an understatement. I was trying to get all of my chores done before we started setting up and we received the news of our friend Rick. We start telling B what he had to do....we were heading into town. We made our way to the hospital, not knowing the situation we were going to find. After an hour or so we realized our son needed help. All in a matter of a short time, we had our boys fighting, ice cream that was melting and needed to be restocked and a friend that was lying in a bed with no reponse, we made a choice to leave covenant with heavy hearts.....sad and frustrated with the turn of events and even more frustrated with the situation at the lake. We get to the lake and resolve the problems....as I am talking to B, I see a couple that are not just my regulars but my friends. They tell me how sorry they are about my friend..... Mr Z starts to tell me of his journey with cancer. I have known this man for 5 years and never would have guessed he had battled and won this horrible disease. This dreaded disease was in 4 places and spreading.... he said he was as low as you could get BUT never out of the game, with tears in my eyes, I tell him I love him even more.....he is a cancer survivor. At that moment I knew I was right where I needed to be.... the Lord brought Mr Z to the stand to renew my HOPE in our heavenly fathers healing. Happy Monday yall.... we all live days like these....but what I have found, this is when I talk non stop with my heavenly father. Yall whatever is going on, your life may be down but you are never out...as long as there is a breath in your body, he has got this .......lean on him yall!!!
Good Morning!! Shelby and I are creatures of habit. Every afternoon when we get home, we pass by our house and take a drive around the lake. I guess its where we really relax from our crazy day. Yesterday as we are coasting along we spot my B's truck parked on the side of the road. Shelby gets out and starts looking for him..... he is found underneath one of the bridges with his fishing pole in his hand and a look of pure joy..... You see my B has two passions, one is being on a baseball field and the other is sitting by water and catching fish. My heart was GIDDY, as a parent when you see your precious child doing what they love, your heart sings. Later him and I were sitting in the kitchen talking..... we talked about his papa that passed last year, he loved to fish..... I told B that I knew papa was looking down with great joy over his passion for fishing. As I was talking to him, a thought slapped me in the head.... this is how our heavenly father feels when we are living a life that includes the passions he has given us. To watch someone do what they love... to use the talent the Lord has given them, WOW it actually brings joy to those around. Happy Friday yall....our precious heavenly father is so great, he has blessed ALL of us with amazing gifts and talents.... are you using your gifts or ignoring them,be passionate yall and embrace, when we use the passion and gifts he has given it brings absolute joy to you and him:)
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AuthorI opened the Cast Iron Grill in October 2007. Lots of changes have happened in the last 5 1/2 years. The CIG started with 55 seats in an office building located at 18th and K. After five years, we were bursting at the seams with now 167 seats, and 24 wonderful co-workers working on top of eachother to make it happen. 2012 the Lord chose a different journey for the CIG. We relocated the CIG and opened our doors on January 2nd, 2013, just four blocks away from the old location! It has changed my world completely! All of these stories are the happenings of the people and the joy and celebration that make the CIG what it is. Archives
May 2014
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