I LOVE FATHER’S DAY! I LOVE MY KIDS!!!!!!

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY 2010

Father's day weekend 2010. Happy Father's Day to my father and to father's everywhere, may is be a blessed occasion for all. This father's day brings mixed emotions for me. I am torn between joy and sadness. Joy at how far we have come, and what we have overcome as a family, and pain over what was left behind. The moments of precious childhood are so fleeting and never more so than when you hold them in your arms and watch them grow. I still smell the top of each of their sweet little heads. It felt so good to just squeeze em and they loved it. Blond headed knights and dark haired princesses and the joy of their kingdom like Narnia in full bloom. Life in it's fullest. The stories of a thousands worlds at our fingertips, magic dripping off of the walls, (or is that peanut butter?) Noise and chaos, excitement and fascination, oohs and awes over every adventure or discovery. Those were some of the best and most painful days of our lives. We have had some great times and suffered some pretty hard stuff along the way but look at us now! All of these years growing up together became the defining glow of family essence that draw us back to our center again and again.
Now I have been a dad for over half of my life and I wouldn't want it any other way. My children are what God used to shape me into the man I am today. Their lives are the primary reason for my existence and the force that keeps me interested in living. Being a father taught me to face my pain and struggles head on no matter how hard. Anything can be overcome with unconditional love. No illness or difficulty is too much in the quest to care for the ones you love. It is miraculous how being a father can change a man in so many positive ways. The sacrifices are immense and the inadequacy felt when it comes to parenting prove that God indeed gives us what we need to care for life in such a vulnerable position. Loving children is like nothing else in the world. The gift of life is the greatest gift of all and to have children is to be fully alive in a very wonderful and dangerous way.
I wanted to be creative but the deep emotions that all of the memories and feelings brought to the surface made me scratch that idea in favor of a more serious, positive father's reflection. I want to say on father's day from the bottom of my heart to Ryan, Amber, Nathan, Ana and Katie how much I love you and care for you. You are my father's day gift every year and I want you to know that I thank you for being mine. Nothing matters more to this daddy's heart. I know we are all apart this father's day but please lets all be together at least once more before Nate leaves in September. I love you so much it hurts, and I want to take this opportunity to publicly profess my eternal love for you, my children.  So before God, my friends and family and  the whole world!
I LOVE YOU kids, each and every one of you! more than life itself. I love you and cherish you and pour out my heart for you each and every day.  There will never be enough words to adequately express how much I love you, but still I make this feeble attempt for you.   I am sorry for all of my weaknesses and shortcomings but know that I always strive to be better for you all, and with God's help I try. Thank you for putting up with me and loving me anyway. You have no idea how much your love means to me.  I feel so blessed and loved by God to have all of your in my life, you have no idea.
So to all of my friends and family everywhere let me take a moment before I go to say thanks to you all and may peace and prosperity be yours in abundance. Happy Father's day and happy fatherhood to all dads and future dads, may it be a day to remember!
asa

Windows Live Writer is A Great Tool

Hi all sorry for the mix up.  I have been experimenting with Windows Live Writer and I put the same post on both blogs at the same time that I networked them all together.  Windows Live Writer is the absolute most fabulous tool in the whole wide world for writing blog posts.  At least that I have found in my short time playing with these things.  You can create all of your blog posts from one location no matter how many blogs you have or post to.  I feel this tool will help me advance farther and faster with blogging and writing.  Windows Live Writer is great and I recommend it for any one who like blogging made easy.  Thanks for your time and look for my next post on books that I have listed on Amazon.  Thanks and see you soon.
asa  

Swamp Wisdom

been stayin in the swamp
long enough to know
that people in the big time
gonna show
you a thing
or two bout livin
in this big ole world
but don't you listen
cause dey don't know
bout livin in the swamp
and the swamp does show
that she surely knows
a thing or two bout
livin and dyin herself
so listen to the swamp
as she calls your name
you'll be better off
never be the same
cause what you don't know
you don't need to know
and that big ole city
ain't got nothin to show
but a hard time for anyone
especially a country boy like me
but the swamp is old
and the swamp is wise
mystically speaking
from the earth and sky
“follow the ancient pathway”
come kick off your shoes
and kick up your heels
sit back a minute cause
there's taters to peel
rest a spell
stay a while
be in no hurry
be quiet and smile
and the swamp may whisper
secrets to your heart
asa

Three Dog Day

another three dog day

out in the yard to play

back porch not far away

come a rainy day

got nothin bad to say

the sun is shinin today

so let the music play

cause I'm glad to stay

here in this three dog day

where it's hard to say

the sky's are ever gray

when every single way

leads to a three dog day

so on my knees I pray

that each step of the way

each day left to play

in the game or the fray

will be a three dog day

that's all I have to say

so have a three dog day

asa

back porch

Hi all, hope life finds you well taken care of.  I am happy to be here.  It’s a new month and I was looking for something  positive to share.  I came across this picture of my porch before we  remodeled it  and a poem that I wrote about it.  They went together well so I shared them with a few friends and got a positive response.   I decided to share them here, I hope you are encouraged as well.  This is my retreat and a favorite spot for many a friend and family member as well.  More than once a struggling soul dear to our hearts has come and stayed with us and refreshed themselves in this haven.  It is always a joy to share this place of   escape, everyone loves it and I hope you will too.  There is nothing more positive and refreshing than to get away from the grind of life for a moment and breathe.  In these moments we can “center down” and get in touch with our source of being.  We can only live well when we live from our center, and you only find your center in quietness and rest.  In every endeavor I try starting at the center and then work my way outward to completion.  Peace, silence, and solitude of heart and mind also makes for a more enriched journey along the pathway of life.   It is in the solitude that I find what I need to face the harshness and frustration that comes with living in this modern world.  Here I not only find what I need, but I find an abundance and it gives me something positive to share with others. I  have always believed that “if you cannot leave others better than you found them, then you should leave them alone.”   Thank you for reading, I hope you are blessed with a moment of solitude and peace and enriched from it. 

********************************************************

sittin on my back porch

not doin much at all

writin down a few lines

watin for u to call

strummin on my guitar

I ain't got far to go

and thats ok with me cause

I'm feelin pretty slow,

out here in this haven

I'm just lying low and

I'm glad it ain't far to nowhere

cause nowhere's where

I've got to go, so

I'm sittin on my back porch.......

ain't doin nothin at all.....

just me and my dogs

on the back porch

waitin on a call

asa