Life is NOT like a box of chocolates

Well, it isn't!!  The truth is, I love chocolate, and life is nothing like it.  I enjoy eating a box of chocolate, and I savor every bite, unless it is coconut, then I stop eating.  Well, life and friends can be like that as well.  A lesson I have had to learn the hard way recently.

Well a lot has been going on the past several weeks, so I can fill you in.  I already blogged about the pageant, and yes, I need to get some pictures up, but that will have to wait a little longer! LOL!  The past several weeks I have dealt with so much heartache and realization all at the same time.  I have been battling a horrible accusation from my ex-husband.  This could have torn our family apart, but it only made us stronger.  And what have I learned from this?  Some of the people you thought you could trust and you thought were your friends, end up being the ones that hurt you.  You see, I thought my ex's current wife and I were friends, but I come to find out that we aren't.  I have realized that there are people who appear to be strong, but are truly cowards.  Why do people insist on ruining other people's lives?  Are their lives so horrible that they feel the need to ruin someone else's?  You see, the way I handle situations is to sit and talk about them.  Let's get everything out on the table, and let's talk.  Don't go and make false accusations, call police, call other authorities without going to the problem first.  But alas, I guess I am a better person than some.  I am not a coward, no, I will confront you and ask you to sit down like adults and talk about it.  But other people feel the need to deny any wrongdoing, all while secretly plotting to destroy a life, a family, a person they called a friend.  This is why life is not like a box of chocolates.
The funny thing about all of this is, we were innocent the whole time.  This was proved in the end, so God still had the victory!  You see, I am a human being.  I am a person.  I have feelings.  I hurt, I bleed, I cry, I scream, and I love.  When I call you a friend, this means that I will support you, talk to you, work things out when things seem to be going wrong.  I will not undermine you, I will not create problems for your family, I will not do hurtful, painful, devestating things to you.  But I guess there are those people that will.  And do you know what is so bad about all of this?  I cannot seek the revenge that I so long to do.  You see, I am a follower of Christ.  Christ loved his enemies, I mean, he washed the feet of the person who betrayed him and the person who denied him!  He also spoke and said that vengeance is His, so I cannot do anything.  Everything in me screams and fights against this, but I know that being the bigger and better person will win in the end.  But my human nature is tearing up inside just wanting to explode and destroy something. 
But do you know what the even better part of all of this is?  God is in control!  Instead of dividing a family, this brought them closer together.  Instead of turning a mother against her child or vice versa, they have only brought them closer together.  You see, Christ is always in control.  He was, He is, and He forever will be.  One day, people will see that.  One day, I will be able to look those same people in the eye and tell them that I forgive them.  That may take time, but I know it will happen, because God command us to forgive our enemies.  But all in due time my friends, all in due time.
As I finish this up, I am reminded of a song that I heard a lot during all of this mess.
I know I'm not strong enough to be
everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up
I'm not stong enough
Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be
Strong enough
Strong enough
For the both of us
I know that God came in and took care of us all.  I know that He has been watching over me my entire life.  I will never give up, I will fight, and I will never back down.  People may take me as a naive, sweet, mellow woman, but that is far from the truth.  I am just a woman who has given EVERYTHING to the Lord, so it is Him that works through me.  You see, I am dead, but alive in Christ!

Yes, I am still alive...............I think so anyway!

So, I must apologize for not blogging for so long!  I know how you long to read my blogs, don't you?  LOL!!  I'm just kidding!  But I didn't realize how long it had been until I started reading other people's blogs and realized it had been over a month since I last blogged!  WOW!  Time flies!  Well, it has been a rough month or more, thus the reason I have not blogged in a while!  So, let's go back to when the madness began shall we??
My oldest daughter Katelyn decided she wanted to be in the Junior Miss Dogwood pageant back in January.  I was very skeptical because pageants just aren't her thing.  I asked her almost every week to make sure that she really wanted to do it, but she never hesitated and never changed her mind.  I finally began to enjoy the experience with her, dressing her up, seeing how much she is growing and becoming ever so beautiful.  So a little over a month ago the everyday practices began, so this is where I dropped off the face of the earth I think!
Practices were good, just stressful for me.  The girls had fun, and I wanted them to practice and be serious.  I eventually got over that and just enjoyed spending the time with her and watching her laugh and talk with the other moms.  It was bliss I tell you, pure bliss.  Then the pageant finally showed up!  Man, she was beautiful and held herself very well. Her on-stage question was done so much better than she had practiced and she was poised and beautiful.  I could not have been prouder!  I wanted to cry on so many occasions, but my pride swelled up inside and all I could do was stand in awe. 
I know that as parents, we will make mistakes and that as teenagers, they will say and do things that are hurtful, but I know that we are all growing through this process.  But as I watch her, I continuously pray that God would lead her and that she would follow.  She has an amazing heart, a contagious personality and she is growing into a beautiful young woman.