Good Morning!! Saying I am sorry….. Last week found me in a very stressful place.
It was Tuesday and I was down 2 guys in the kitchen, Shelby was in Plainview with my
B for baseball and another guy was having a stress test done, by the way, I am glad I was not the
one taking it, I would have failed. I made some adjustment to the duties of the staff and I worked
in the kitchen for the day. Both of the shifts ran amazing and I was so proud of the guys in the
kitchen…they really stepped up to the plate and we were a great team….the front of the house
was a little different, some of my staff was very upset about my decisions of how the door and tables were going to run that day and their attitudes evident…..I held my emotions in until halfway through lunch and I snapped and let my temper get the best of me. After the lunch shift one of the girls came to me and said
“you ready to talk?”, my response was absolutely, “let’s do this” when I really should have let myself calm
down . We walked up the stairs and our discussion started and it was not pretty……I actually hold my head in shame over the conversation we had…..I was very angry!! I try to live my life everyday with the reminder, “Make your words kind, because they could be your last to that person”, well obviously my words were not kind and all during my vacation I thought about the words to my co-worker. Happy Beautiful Tuesday… when the grill opened back up I ask my co-worker to come upstairs, I am sure she dreaded what was to come. “I owe you an apology for my words last week, the conversation needed to happen but my words did not reflect my heavenly Father and I am so very sorry, I never want my words to hurt you girls and I know mine did, I ask that you please accept it and I will do better.” Tears flowed from her beautiful eyes as she accepted with a sincere yes…..and told me “Thank you, for this”. Saying I’m sorry can be tough and very humbling but it does something to your heart. I am thankful she accepted but I was not sure what was going to happen but I needed to say them to try and make it right. The Lord blessed me with the opportunity to make the situation right, is there an apology you need to make? We are not promised tomorrow, nor are we promised that person will accept it but saying the words “I am sorry” is the start of something beautiful…. I will do better next time, I never want my words to be hurtful… I love the phrase, “For beautiful lips say beautiful words!” 

Good Morning!! What I learned on my vacation journey..... I am not as carefree as I use to be when I made this exact journey years ago. Making sandwiches and packing a cooler for your family is work, it is not the glamorous vacation life. My boys at 20 & 18 can still fight as if they were 10 & 8. I still look through the thousands of sunbaked, screaming, splashing vacationers in search of my boys just to make sure they are safe and having fun & ask 100 times if they need sunscreen. When does it change from" boys be careful , don't do that " too "mom be careful dont do that, you are going to fall.. As I am standing on the running board of Taylor's car telling him "let's go!!" I have learned that some things will never change, if my boys ask me to do something, i will, and so there i was free falling and hanging from a bungy cable because my B ask me too.I have learned sitting in a tube & going down rapids is ALOT of work.... No rest for the weary unless u want to be floating upside down ... I have rolled my eyes a thousand times when traveling this country with my parents & they wanted to stop in all of the towns that time seemed to have forgotten & now my kids are doing the same rolling of the eyes.and my words to them ......." Stay in the car, we will only be a few minutes", as I leap out of the car and I am giddy over what we may find in these amazing small towns. I believe that every Texan should take a drive across this beautiful state. I have learned the music blaring and windows down are still some of my favorite things in life.... Repeating the phrase "if it is too loud your too old!!" I have learned Shelby still cant read direction and no matter how much we get turned around, we still find our way, just like life. I have learned being away gives a great perspective and I should do it more often Happy beautiful Monday... Rest and my precious family brings me peace and a smile to my heart. i have learned that i take my amazing family for granted sometimes , i give others the best while they get the rest and I am loved way more than i deserve,there is nothing better than to be swallowed up in the arms of my boys, and I have learned I still have a total blast with Shelby after traveling together for over 21 year. What a wonderful time away...Come see us the CIG is opened !!

Good Morning!! The CIG crew receives a blessing everyday..... no matter the turmoil, sadness, fear or anger that we are experiencing in our personal life we get a reprieve everyday. We become so busy and focused on the hundred's of people coming in that our heartache takes a back burner for a few hours, of course it comes rushing back to mind and soul after the crazyness is over but it is an absolute gift that I am thankful for, so many people do not get this everyday and the crew here does. I have had so many messages regarding my Sam, I am. The loss of his precious daughter has been extremely tough. The messages of prayer and how he is doing has been passed on to him.....I have not really sat down with him since he has returned from his leave, I do not want to upset him and have him talk about all that is going on. This morning I asked him to come up to my office to visit....immediately he says "Am I already in trouble, it is only 5:00!!" We both laugh at my smart mouth reply and then the talking starts..... "How ya doin Sam?"...He talks of how hard it has been....not sleeping is really tough.....but ya know Teresa I am so blessed and that is what I am focusing on, relying on my Faith because HE will carry me through, everyday I am remembering my what my grandmother use to say, "If the Lord does not do one more thing for me....he has already done enough to last my life." Happy Beautiful Tuesday yall....what a beautiful statement that we all can relate to. Yes....all of my blessing and gifts from HIM are enough to last a lifetime. Continue to pray for my Sam and his journey......his words of thankfulness touched my heart....."Teresa it is such a blessing to work and during the rush I get to escape my pain and heartach, even if it is for a short while, I am so ready for joy to return and I know with HIS healing and comfort and perfect peace it will." We all have received more than we deserve.....HIS love alone is enough...AMEN!!

Good Morning!! The other day I was talking with a young lady about the prospects of becoming a manager with the Cast Iron Grill.....as my words unfolded and I described this amazing place I was trying to stress that it is more than great food and great service, it is truly loving the guest that walk through these doors. You are blessed by being on their journey through life....wow I realized it is going to be very hard to train someone for this job . I start recalling all of the people that are apart of my life and have been for almost 6 years. The precious couple that comes in at least ones a week....he shuffles in, always a step behind his precious wife, he has dementia and some other health issues. He does not always speak clearly but he always has a smile and hug for me, he is apart of my life. Another one of my regulars was diagnoised with Alzheimers last year and I keep waiting for things to change.....but he still is the same ole guy, onary as ever and always greets with a smile and hug. The Wednesday morning dads that have been coming for years now, I have watched all of their precious children grow and the Tuesday morning group that the Faith room was built for......I can't convey the feelings, to a manager, how I have felt when I have received the calls that one of them has passed from this earth and celebrating with our heavenly Father.I have so many, that I have lost count of, the grieving spouses that have lost their other halfs....their hearts broken, they were lost, angry and full of despair and then slowly overtime they began to heal...forever changed but with joy and hope slowly restored. I have been apart of so many diagnosis, prayers, tears and healing.....geez I can not put all of this in a training manual because it is life not a job. Happy Beautiful Monday yall.....Our heavenly Father has placed each of us on a very special journey.....our training manual is his word that guide's us and my experiences will be different than whomever runs the grill with me or after me.....Eventually there will be someone that takes my place and I am already praying for them, they are truly blessed if the Lord chooses them to run HIS grill.....I know they have to have a servants heart, love the Lord with all their heart and they have to love others, no matter what mood they are in. I was given a gift when I started reflecting over the job qualifications of this place...... I had none of the requirments when he gave me my job.....he has equipped me for what was to come..... I was lacking in every area......Do you feel you are underqualified for what he is calling you to do? He will equip you perfectly for the journey ahead....no more stressing for me on who will run this place in the future, he is already equipping them and preparing them and they do not even not it and that makes my GIDDY!!