Good Morning!! Ya know I have alot of guest, that have become dear friends, that are struggling through health crises. We have laughed, we have cried....we have celebrated and prayed. One of this amazing survivors is finished with treatment and the cancer is "gone" has been said. Last week she was in and ask me to pray for someone that was very dear to her.....this persons cancer is not gone...infact spreading rapidly. As my precious survivor looked at me with tears in her eyes she says "why me....why is mine gone and hers isnt?" I have thought about these words every since she said them. A few days ago I tell Shelby about this conversation and I cant keep the tears from flowing. So many people scream why me in the face of adversity yet so few people say why me when something amazing happens. Happy Beautiful Tuesday yall. What person does the Lord want us to be?. When your heart is focused on others around you, (yes we all know love thy neighbor as thy self) our rewards are great. In the last few weeks I have had the great opportunity to listen to others share a journey that is full of struggles....searching for the right path and direction for them and it puts my struggle with finding a new place to house this grill in perspective.It takes my why me and turns it into why not me in any situation. My heart is overflowed with love for my friend that is in remission.... she is loving her neighbor as herself. Have a beautiful blessed day....we all can learn from this beautiful survivor, my cup runneth over with the opportunity to witness this unconditional love.
 

Good Morning!! I talk often of having an instant connection when I meet people that have been touched by cancer, especially breast cancer. Shelby and his brother were vending this weekend at the bike rally in Brownfield. Shelby and I were sitting on the porch yesterday catching up from him being gone. I told him I really liked the shirt he brought home. Its a black shirt that was given to him from the rally....the group is called riders support alliance. He begins to tell me a story.....On Saturday he had left the trailer to listen to the band, he had this black shirt on. People were eveywhere, Shelby felt someone touch his back and he turned around to a big ole man, he was spanish with a crew cut, bike leathers covered his body. "Where did you get that shirt, my brothers name is on that shirt". Shelby looked at him and said "my dad's name is right there.....next to your brothers name." You see this shirt was honoring the fallen bikers. Shelby and this biker had an instant connection they hugged and talked of their loved ones that had passed. We all come from different backgrounds, we have different lifestyles, families, jobs, but we all feel the same way when loss hits. Happy Beautiful Monday yall. We are not so different....we celebrate when we are happy and we grieve when loss hits. Our heavenly father is so awesome to allow us to have connections. Shelby will will never forget meeting this man and learning of his brother...the loss of a loved one is so great but when you trust in our heavenly fathers healing hand you see amazing blessing pour out. Sometimes the journey we are on is so painful....but when you share a connection with someone, even a stranger....wow it will empact you forever.May your day be beautiful and full of blessings, share your journey yall you never know who has suffered the same loss as you and out of shared sorrow a difference can be made.
 

Good Morning!! Wednesday started with me being behind.....I had a lot of paper work to do(my least favorite) I went around the back way to my office so I would see no one.Yes I am a talker and love to visit with my crew and guest so I completely avoided everyone. One of my girls came in and told me of a new guest on table 6. I walked out of my cave and met this beautiful lady with her precious grandsons. I learned she was a teacher and her grandson rides sheep in rodeo's the thought made me smile....never met anyone that rode a sheep. My visit with her fantastic...she told me of being single after 28 years of marriage and of course my nosey self wanted to know wow after that long "what happens". She was so content where her life was...struggles and all. Lunch time came and I am sitting all of my guest waiting at the door. The next guest in line answered my question with "2". I escort these 2 ladies to there booth....The one looks at me with tears in her eyes and says.."I am going to try to say this without crying". She tells me of her journey. She lives in Florida and has had major health issues, as she is recovering from major surgery she becomes friends with the CIG on facebook and reads the CIG stories, she tells me, now with both of us teary eyed, they brought hope and faith and she came to the CIG to tell me this, I make my way back to the front with tears rolling down and ask Shelby to take over, my heart feeling all sorts of things. Shelby received word yesterday that one of his precious friends, that has been batteling cancer, is in ICU. On the way to the hospital Shelby says "So many people are hurting, our heartaches not so bad." Shelby and I had the honor to pray with this precious amazing family....as we gathered around this amazing mans bed,holding hands, I have never felt more love and heartache all at once.... their sorrow great. Happy Thursday yall.... Why do I speak of three completely different journeys? As Shelby said there are so many people hurting....for all different reasons but the one common factor is our heavenly father. He is the ultimate comforter the one to bring absolute peace. All of our journeys and heartache are so different but no matter the heartache there is a path to peace. May your sorrow be turned into blessings!!
 

Good Morning!! R yall watchng the Olympics? I have to say, with head hung low, I am not. Since I was a kid I have watched every one, but this Summer Olympics, I have had to much going on......I am consumed in my own little world. Last week, Shelby told me about the double amputee runner from South Africa. I was half listening, looked at the picture he showed me and then it immediatly left my thoughts. On Saturday, Shelby and I had been looking for places to house my beautiful grill and I was exhausted. When I get home, Shelby cops a squat on the deck and I walk right pass him to go lay down( never do I do this on a Saturday) of course yall guessed it all that was on was the Olympics.....as I am staring at the t.v there is the olympian from South Africa his legs made by man..... My heart was full,tears running down my face.... if you had a chance to watch, we were experiencing a miracle right in front of us. He was fulfilling his dream of running in the Olympics. His journey has been tough with a lot of people saying "No way" but he kept his dream alive with an extreme amount of hard work and never giving up.I received a scripture card yesterday from my precious regular. "Dont worry that you are not strong enough before you begin...It is in the journey the God makes you strong." I needed these words yesterday and I needed to experience this amazing strong Olympian. Happy Beautiful Tuesday yall.... This man became a runner with no legs!! what is the Lord pushing u to do and you feel you are not equipped with the right tools..... He has a great plan for all of us and through the journey he will give you the right tools. I pray yall have an amazing blessed day......experiencing miracles and blessing what an amazing life he has given:)
 

Good Morning!!! I have had the most amazing opportunity to watch unconditional love and friendship happen right in front of me. I have told yall about my friend Rick Greer. His journey and battle with cancer has been a rough road. What I have not told yall about, is the amazing person that is taking care of him. I actually stand in awe of her, her name is Karen. She has been in Ricks life for as long as we have known him. When the boys were 5 or 6 is when I met her(they are now 17)They dated at one time and realized that would never work. They became very dear friends, they tailgated together, they went to the lake together and skied every winter. They were a constant in each others life. A few years ago they had a dissagreement....they did not speak for a few years. The true testament of your character is how you handle adversity and Karen has taught me so much. She has done whatever she has needed to ensure Rick is taking care of. She has paid his bills, she went to MD Anderson and never left his side as she listened intently about her friends health. When He went into cardiac arrest and in icu she did not leave his side.... she sent updates to us letting us know about our friend. This amazing friend has left the comfort of her lakehouse and moved in with her friend. I was talking yesterday about her and my words... " We expect our spouses, our parents or our kids to take care of us, but I truly believe this is the most selfless act of love I have ever experienced." Happy Monday yall.....we so take for granted the friendships the Lord has so graciously put in our paths. I have learned from Karen what kind of friend I want to be... she so exemplifies what our heavenly father invisioned when he gave us friendship. Appreciate love and nurture your friendships yall.... ya never know who will be taking care of you when you really need it the most!! 

Good Morning!! Yesterday morning I had yet another appointment that took me away from my favorite place.....the CIG. I called in a few times to check with Alysha to make sure all was good. I blow back in here at 10:00, and immediatly Sam starts in on me(side note....he acts like one of my children) I proceed to tell him very loudly and animated that Jesus hears how he is acting. As we are laughing and carrying on Lacy steps into the kitchen and says table 2 really wants to meet you....oh mylanta as I am being loud someone is listening to everything I say and waiting on me. I step to their table and I immediatly say..."You know when I am here....it becomes very loud".As they introduce themselves I notice cards propped on their table.... "Is it yalls anniversary?" 32 years today was their answer. I was giddy for them....they travel in their RV around the country....the husband googled unique restaurants and the CIG website popped up .....he began reading all of my stories....he told is beautiful wife they were going somewhere special, my heart was smiling. I sat down with them as they told me of their journey and they listened intently to my journey. They are christians, two adult children with precious grandbabies. She and I had a kinship... we were both stay-at-home moms ,we laughed over each other stories. My time spent with them I will always remember. Happy Beautiful Friday yall.... I am so blessed that the Lord allows me to be able to share in others journey. I told them their breakfast was on me, of course they argued.... My emphatic reply "Anniversary's are always on me its an honor and blessing when couples choose the CIG for their special day". They then pull out cash and say "please allows us to help pay for the less fortunate u feed" and there it is yall, they were thinking of others even as they were being given a gift. This precious couple made a difference in my day. We are all so busy but if you take a little time to listen to others...WOW amazing things happen to your heart. Have a blessed day yall. Take some time today yall to really listen to others it is amazing what a gift it is
 

Good Morning!! Wow what a crazy, scary Tuesday I had....emotional roller coaster. I talked last week about having my yearly mammogram. The results came back with some questions...."please come back in more evaluation needed"...that is what my letter said. On Monday I called to make another appointment.Yesterday came and I was anxious...sick to my stomach. I drove down 19th street with k-love playing on the radio and a heart of prayer. They ushered my in and showed me the concern a little white dot on that black and white screen. I wanted to fall to me knees....this is how Donna, Jackie....my mom felt. Tears began and they said lets get busy.... after more pictures and waiting.....they came back and said "your good see ya in a year" and that was it. I go to my car and sat and cried for all of those women that there was not good. I was thankful...really thankful, for the first time in a long time I looked at things differently. Leaving work yesterday I had a lot to do and Shelby needed B to help him.... and of course he was no where to be found. We called for hours and the longer we could not find him the more panic I was becoming, I began calling friends... feeling more helpless every minute, in the middle of all of this I receive word that the building that this beautiful grill sits in has been sold....it will be a parking lot. Ironically this news would usually have made me a mess but after the health scare and me not being able to find my B it was the last thing that matter. The evening settle with all of my family safe, sound & healthy...B in a little trouble. Happy Beautiful Wednesday yall.... I truly believe we receive days like these to keep this precious life we have been given in absolute perspective. I woke with a heart of praise.....he knows my next step and having another beautiful day.... is an absolute gift:) Give your thanks and praise yall!!