Good Morning!! Sometimes its really hard to sing praises when things seem dark..... My B received word the other night that one of his friends was in the hospital. This precious, blond haired boy had just swung by the house Saturday to pick up B. On Tuesday I had talked to his mom, her concern overwhelming.... he was very sick, high fever, dizzy and stomach issues, she was concerned of him already missing school. The doc said "severe flu". Wednesday morning he walks out of his room burning up with a dangerous temp she makes the split second decision to go to the hospital.They start blood work and tell of the cause of what is going on....yes alarming.... but they can take care of it. A scan is ordered out of precaution.... and there on the screen a tumor in his brain. As a mom this just sucks the breath out of you. The reason I am sharing? This precious boy's grandfather is my regular.....as he entered the grill yesterday my heart skipped a beat, I immediatly went to him and the tears started flowing, as the craziness of the grill was going on around us we sat at a table and cried. This man is a cancer survivor, strong in everyway, but to see his heart broken over his precious grandson no words can describe.The words out of my mouth had been said hours earlier to Shelby.... "Our heavenly father is SO Good..... this horrible sickness came so they would find this tumor".... and when I say it, it just makes my heart sing. Happy Friday yall...out of great sorrow, anger, frustration and great concern for this child of God we can find a great praise and amazing peace. If life seems really dark right now, look deep and find a praise, its there yall because as we all say it God is good all the time and the plan for us and this precious child is great!! May you sing his praises today yall:)
 

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 CLICK HERE to Help Bodie Smile!!!

Good Morning!! A few weeks ago Shelby walks into our bedroom and ask where the clippers are?.....I immediatly yell out "Your ICE Cold!!!", he looks at me and realizes I am playing the game we all played as kids, of course him being my best friend and knowing,after 20 years of marriage, my thoughts are usually of a 5 year old he begins to move slowly chuckling the whole time and of course thinking is she for real? I begin blurting out with his forward motion "your getting warmer.....oh mylanta you are burning up!!!" He finds the clippers and he really had no words for me.This game reminds me of real life, we go thru the motions with no passion, no drive....NO fire!! Happy Beautiful Wednesday yall, As christians our lives should be full of passion, I would rather someone describe me as ice cold, than lukewarm...... at least they know where I stand and as a child of God I want to be described as on Fire, full of passion and love. How would those around you describe your life? Cold, lukewarm or on fire.... Have a beautiful blessed day yall....playing childish games can sometimes bring a new clarity to life and a smile to you and others:)
 

Good Morning!! 4:30 yesterday Shelby and I pull up to St Benedicts mission. This has been our routine for 3 years. My mind not really focusing on the task ahead, I was waiting for a call from my B telling me of his 1st day if school. I really just wanted to go home and wait for him. We were greeted by two volunteers with big hugs and entered in with all the food. St B was already a hub bub of activity volunteers getting ready to feed the hungry, 4:55 came quickly....70 or so people were waiting to come in. I told the crew lets do this and we all proceed out the front doors. As we gather on the front porch I yell my usual Happy Monday and most of them respond with words, smiles or giggles. I tell them remember women and children first..... and then I ask John to pray. One of the guys that I have been feeding for 3 years pulls me into the crook of his arm(I have wrote of him...ice cream guy) he lays a gentle kiss on my head.....as I am nestled in his arm I listen to John's prayer. It was a beautiful prayer.... he then says "Thank you Lord for the Cast Iron Grill and for the food provided by them"..... this group of homeless, hungry,ignored and down on their luck men and women errupted with a loud AMEN!!! and it stole my heart. Happy Beautiful Tuesday yall.... as I stood there and received this amazing prayer, I was surrounded by people completely different than me...heck I was nestled in the arm of a drug addict but not just people different than me....I was surrounded by Gods children. There is a sign hanging in the mission the words keep me focused when I feel like I am not making a difference, "Feed as if you are serving royalty", it would be an honor to serve royalty but even more so to serve Gods children. We are not suppose to do the Lords work for thanks and gratitude but its an amazing gift when you here a Thank you or an Amen. I went to the mission yesterday distracted and emotionally not there and gently the Lord brought me back full focus.... My prayer for each of you is that in some form or fashion you have the opportunity to serve in some way. I was feeling like I was not making a difference anymore and my friends and my heavenly father gently showed me Yes a difference is being made. May your cup be full and a difference made....there is no better feeling!!!
 

Good Morning!! WOW I walked into the CIG this morning and told the staff "Happy Monday" one of them looked at me and said "What's so happy about it"......they were completely stressing over the first day of school. I started thinking..."Why am I not stressing out?" B starts his junior year at a new school. They proceeded for 30 minutes to gripe and complain. I finally told them "Yall are freaking me out.... breath and focus". This time of year can be a little overwhelming, for the Stephens it has been a few months of total change and also great concern over our friends that have been sick. At 4:50 this morning as Shelby and I were walking out of the house and I mention B, Shelby said I am surprised you didnt wake him up, "Oh I did!! what kind of mom am I that he his starting a new school today and I am not here for him". I know parents all over are feeling overwhelmed, stressed out and full of worry and the kids are excited and some full of anxiety. Happy Beautiful Monday yall!! If worry and anxiety start creeping in today remember this verse...Phil 4:6-7 Dont worry about anything instead pray about everything. We cant do both you have choose to worry or to pray and when you choose to pray you are giving it ALL to him. I pray amazing blessing for all the kids starting school today and for all the parents out there remember....worry is a waste of the imagination relieve your stress and take a prayer break. Happy 1st day of school!!!
 

Good Morning!! I love to read and I love to hear what others have to say. The other day I read something from one of my friends that has stayed with me all week. She was talking about the Love chapter 1 Corinthians 13. She wrote these words.... Insert your name where the word love is said.... Love is patient, love is kind.... Teresa is patient, Teresa is kind, she does not eny or boast she is not proud. After I inserted my name I realized yes sometimes this is me, but most of the time not so much it honestly made me sad, I am not living up to who the Lord made me to be. Shelby and I have been working and writing a eulogy for our friend Al. The word that has come to our hearts over and over was love. He loved his family and friends with all of his heart, he was kind. When others see you would they describe you in this way, its easy to live these words with people you love and cherish but what about the people you meet on a daily basis. Do your actions and behavior show that your heavenly father is living in you? Happy Beautiful Friday yall.....this is what has been on my mind and I believe it is a great reminder of how our heavenly father created us. As Shelby speaks of his friend Al this morning he will share the kind of man he was..... his lasting impression and memories are a man that loved ALL of those around him he never excluded anyone... he was kind and fair. Whenever it is our time to meet our heavenly father our family and friends will usually say great things but dont you want to be the kind of person that when you walk away from meeting a stranger the words from 1 Corinthians describe you.________ is patient, ______ is kind.May your friday be blessed and may your actions reflect the love chapter!!
 

Good Morning!! It was a beautiful day at the ball park, southwest little league.... the memories that I have at these fields will be with me always. If you know anything about little league, ya know wall ball is a game that ALL kids grow up playing, they finish their game and go straight to the wall. The first time I met him, he was standing by the concession stand and proceeds to be hit by the ball that these little leaguers were hurling with all their might... after the 3rd time he hollers at the kids. I turn around and see a big man with his hat on and a big loud voice, I ask Shelby "Who is the guy standing in the wall ball area hollering?", his reply "AL". I have said his name a million times since that day and have loved him for a long time. He and his precious wife Jean would come into the grill and we would spend time talking and laughing. He loved baseball with all his heart but his family meant everything to him. My family had the great honor to spend Easter with them a few years ago and to experience the love this family shares was very special. When we received word last night, that our friend's battle and pain were over, it was like the breath was sucked right out of me. No grief for our friend...he is celebrating with the angels and our heavenly father, but great grief for those that love him. This family, that he cherished, is waking up this morning in a world that has been changed forever and my heart grieves for them.. and Shelby? his sorrow great over losing his friend, that he talked with, laughed with and watched a lot of baseball with. What an amazing legacy Al has left behind, I am so honored that he was my friend. Happy Tuesday yall. I pray for his family, "Perfect peace" today and in the months to come. The memories that they have, we have and a whole little league community has will always be replayed in our hearts. His love and his robust laughter will live on. I am thankful his pain his gone but selfishly I will miss him always. His words when a home run was hit..."HELLO BASEBALL" will always be remembered!!
 

Pulling out with our last load. Today was moving day.... Moving all of the Lakehouse to Idalou for my B to go to school there . As I looked around the Lakehouse that I love so much my heart was sad. First summer is over and second change is happening right in front of me. My heart is full of praise because I know this is where we are suppose to be. I thank the Lord for this new adventure he has put us on. I am now a resident of Idalou Tx and my heart is full:) 

Good Morning!! Yesterday I made a split second desicion that would change the course of our lunch rush.....ya know they say hindsight is 20/20. People often sit at the bar with their mouths wide open as the watch the amazing CIG crew work their magic. Our guest often say.."Its a well oiled machine". Yesterday the oil dryed up and complete chaos was all around. I am still training some new girls and for them the CIG is very overwhelming, my girls that have been here a long time still become overwhelmed. 11:15 yesterday, our lives had finally calmed down from breakfast (crazy) I just came off the line from helping the kitchen get set-up for lunch, yes way behind. One of the girls came to me a said "16 guest are at the door, I knew where I wanted to put them but I had no one assigned to this room. I gave her my desicion, I told Alysha "you take them before you get busy in your own section." It never quite works that way, within in 15 minutes all 167 chairs were seated and a line at the door. My bad choice effected a lot of people yesterday, as I watched my crew going down (I can usually fix it) and my precious guest not being taking care of my heart was angry and broken my desicion caused this. I saw a friend at the door, that use to own a restaurant, I told him, "I have managed to tick off every person in Lubbock in an hour, has this ever happened to you?"..he laughed and him being my friend told me it had happened to him. 1:50 came and I said turn off the sign we are done, the damage done. My co-workers were sharing their war wounds stories, some guest kind, some really upset and some were mean, as my co-worker told of her lunch rush, she had tears running down her face, her heart was broken because the guest that she loves so much did not get the best she or the CIG had to offer. Happy Beautiful Rainy Friday yall!! The choices that we make everyday can change the course of not just your day but everyone around you. Stop and think yall!!
 

So this is what I do... I write, I write about others and the happenings at the CIG. Y'all know about my mom... But what I have never mentioned is loosing one of my best friends she 19 I was 20 to this horrible disease, cancer. We traveled on a great journey from the time she was diagnosed at 13. The heartache great. Before i opened the grill, one of the hockey moms was diagnosed with cancer , I also was on her journey... As we fought, prayed, laughed and cried . This journey was different, it wasnt a teenager saying good bye to her mom, it was a mom saying goodbye to her teenagers. This journey sucks and those are the only words I can say. My precious Shelby has received word, that both of his precious friends have been sent home to hospice. Wow the tears and sadness have been great .... He has never traveled this journey and my heart breaks for him, I have known to often this feeling. For now we have a heart of prayer. That our precious heavenly fathers brings peace, strength & comfort. This is a journey I wish on no one but this is the journey that all of us involved have been put on. Prayer & praise y'all!! God is good all the time........