A cheerful heart!

Hi chickas! How's it going? Awesome I hope!! Praying for you to have JOY today and to be filled up with tons of "cheer"!!

"A cheerful heart is good medicine!!" Proverbs 17:22

I had a few fun ideas I thought I would pass your way and I am hoping that you have some you could pass back! I am always looking for new fun things to spice up life, you gotta keep things interesting! Plus it is always fun to share cool finds!

First, my coach just left for an away game. It had been a rough week of "to do's" and working on eligibility requirements for some players, tough practices and then the thought of spending 6 hours on a bus....well lets just say there won't be febreeze handy :) The kids and I won't be going on this trip, but we still wanted coach to know we love him and we would be cheering him on! So we pulled together a quick travel bag of goodies...nothing too fancy, but it meant the world to Toby. It really is all about the simple things in life and sometimes I think I make things way to complicated.
Today we didn't have much time, but we used the time we had along with a little bit of cash and we whipped up something sweet and special for coach. We bought two sport's illustrated magazines, I printed off 3 of our favorite game day pics and put laminate over them (Scotch brand has some awesome "do-it-yourself" laminate I found @ Walmart to cover photos!), and wrote some inspirational quotes and scripture on the back, as well as two big zip-lock baggies of Oreos!
Ladies it doesn't take much, they just want to know you love 'em and you believe in them to do the job at hand!

I also have a website to give you. My friend has started making some adorable hats and she made me one for SWOSU, well it is just too cute so I have to share!
Thought it would be a great gift idea for other wives on your staff as well as being a new gift for yourself! Her web address is www.hannaspaige.com and it has her info on there to order and design your own hat!

I love you so much and I so respect the job you do! Keep it up! It isn't easy, but you are doing an INCREDIBLE job!!!

Love, love,
Cari

The Cracked Pot...

I am re-reading an awesome book that I LOVE! It is Warrior Chicks by Holly Wagner...anyone that is needing an extra boost of confidence from God should grab and devour this book...I seriously love it that much :)...anywho...I was reading today and there was a story she tells that I thought was perfect to share today! Enjoy!

"A water-bearer carries two large pots on a yoke across his shoulders up the hill from the river to his master's house each day. One has a crack and leaks half its water out each day before arriving at the house. The other pot is perfect and always delivers a full portion of water after the long walk from the river.

Finally, after years of arriving half-empty and feeling guilty, the cracked pot apologized to the water-bearer. It was miserable. "I'm sorry that I couldn't accomplish what the perfect pot did."

The water-bearer said, "What do you have to apologize for?"

"After all this time, I still only deliver half my load of water. I make more work for you because of my flaw."

The man smiled and told the pot. "Take note of all the lovely flowers growing on the side of the path where I carried you. The flowers grew so lovely because of the water you leaked. There are no flowers on the perfect pot's side."

I would like to say that there is no "perfect" pot. All of us have a past or hurts or issues we are dealing with. The point is that our past - or what we might see as flaws - can create beauty. You and I must understand, really understand, all the way to our core, that we are beautiful. Just the way we are. Only when we realize this will we be able to extend our hand to help-which is one of the reasons we are still breathing. We were created to join God in doing the work He does, the good work we had better be doing. Believe it or not, God is counting on you and me to co-labor with Him to bring His love and goodness to the planet. We are not just spectators; we are participants. And being a participant in His army makes us soldiers. And if we choose, we can become a warrior-and since we are beautiful, that makes us beautiful warriors!"

Yeah...I'm fired up!! If that isn't a great locker room pep-talk I don't know what is!! Ladies I hope that encourages you today like it encouraged me. Man, it makes me what to charge the field in like a "crazy lady-gone Braveheart" kinda way ;)!!

I read that and I realize that as long as I keep learning from what I think might be a mistake or a misstep God can make a beautiful garden grow! I just gotta keep stepping, keep cheering, keep loving, keep growing and keep reaching out to help those around me!! So fellow "cracked pots" ;) let's keep spilling out living water!!

"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water." John 7:38

Love to you from a very cracked pot ;),
Cari

No gas, no cell phone and no garage door opener...awesome! :)

It has been a while since we have spoken and I apologize for that, but I am so happy that today the Lord has brought us together to chat about life! And today was a doozy, so our chat should be pretty good! :)

As the kids and I headed out the door this morning to run some necessary errands I realize that my husband is still working on my new cell phone and won't have it ready for me to take while I run errands. I think to myself as I pass out pop-tarts and sip my coffee, "Oh, it should be fine...we will only be out for a bit. And we live in Weatherford now so nothing is too far from home or Toby's office. Yeah it's okay we'll be back in a minute." We pull out of the drive way, turn up some of our new favorite music (Matt Papa - amazing worship!), start singing "How He Loves Us" with my little people and head for the first stop on the list.

1. Put gas in the car

I have decided to include that as a #1 listed item because I am a list maker...I do # things that I need to get done, but I am the master of relocating items to different numbered positions - like any good mom/wife/multi-tasker :)- thru out my day. I usually try to be as effective as possible. I am also writing it as a #1 item because it was obviously important, but it got relocated....big mistake. :)

So we head to the gas station. I pull up to the pump, to which Cade says "Mommie are we going back to our Weatherford house now?" as he is known for doing the moment we step out to do a long list of "fun" mommie errands. It's like no matter how fun I try to make them sound it's like they just know. Kiddos are pretty smart. As I am answering Cade and sifting through my Mary Poppins bag to find my newly organized money envelope system for the month, I realize they are sitting neatly on my night stand. I don't want to cheat and use my debit card when I am really trying to be a good girl and stick to the system so I decide I'll have to go back to the house! Stink!

"Oh, well." I say out loud to the kids, "We will just relocate item #1 down a few and knock out some of these other errands and then swing back by the house pick up the envelopes and THEN go get gas. I mean the gage reading LOW FUEL RANGE doesn't really mean that, I have a few more miles in there...hahahhaa! It's aaaallll good! We pull out of the gas station, turn the volume knob to the right and start rockin' out to Matt Papa again, only this time we get to a great older worship song "Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, Here I am to say that your my God. You're all together lovely, all together worthy, altogether wonderful to me." All the while rollin' through my newly adjusted "To Do List" in my head and singing, but not really paying attention to what I am singing. Then as I am turning right the music in the car turns off, the air shuts off and the power steering starts laughing at me as I am having to anchor my body against the console to make a right hand turn....

...oh no, I just ran out of gas.....stink!

The long and short of how this particular scenario plays out is this....I immediately reach for my cell phone in my purse.....

.....oh no, I left my cell phone with Toby....stink again!

So I look up and notice this guy that is mowing yards - to which I of course case several scenarios of safety in my head and evaluate that it is safe to ask for help - hey you never know! I flag him down and precede to give him my sob story - however I am hesitant to admit that I ran out of gas because I feel so stupid...but I do confess and he proceeds to offer some help and even some gas from the gas tank for his mowers....then even offers to give us a ride back to my house...awesome....only problem is that when I finally get to my house and he is driving away I realize Toby is not home and....

.....oh no, I have no garage door opener....stink, stink, stink!

So the kids and I journey back to the car, which does turn in to a lovely nature hike. Cade was definitely happier with the way the day turned out! ;) As we are about to reach the car a police officer drives by...what do I do? I flag him down too, tell him my sob story to which he says he is in route to check out the suburban that's rear was judding out in to a main street...they had received some calls. :)

Obviously I was glad to confess to being the owner of the car...it's called sarcasm folks ;) He decides that we should all pile in his cop car and go get more gas from the gas station...my son at this point is having the greatest day of his life...nature hikes, cop car rides...and oh I almost forgot to mention as I am chatting with the officer, holding on to Ainsley that is clinging to me for dear life terrified that I might forget her today in all my "forgetful list repositioning" craziness and instruct Cade to stand by a tree while we are talking. He makes the executive decision that it is a perfect place and time to take a bathroom break...right there, off a main street in town, and by a tree...I'm surprised I didn't think of it myself. LOL! Thankfully I did not actually see this happen I only hear Cade say "Hey mom, that was perfect....I just went ahead and pee*peed right here by this tree." All I can say at this point is "Okay, whatever, we'll talk about that decision making process later." ;)

Okay so long story, longer...we get to the gas station, I have to spend $25 on a gas can, wow...we fill it up with gas, get back to the car and put the gas in the car. While the officer is helping with the gas I put the kids in the car and watch as they both climb to the back. I open the back window only to hear Cade say, "Hey mom, come see the caged animals at the zoo and tell 'em you love 'em!" All I can do is chuckle and give my two caged zoo animals kisses.

By this time we have contacted Toby at the college, who arrives shortly and fixes the "oh it's okay not to have my cell phone for a few short errands, oh it's okay not to put gas in the car just yet and oh no I don't have my garage door opener" situation. Whew.

We have been pretty hectic around here as I am sure most of you have that have started your respective seasons. We are moving about zero to sixty these days. The Trotter troops successfully moved from Texas to Oklahoma, have settled in to an adorable little house in Weatherford, Ok and are smack dab in the middle of the Southwestern Oklahoma State University football season! Sounds easy enough right?! You coach's wives out there know better than that!:)

It's football season, which is code for "You just coach 'em up, we got the homestead covered!"

I love my coach and love that when asked the question "What would you do if money was no option?"

Simply answers, "I'd coach football." I love that and feeling that Toby is doing exactly what God has created him to do makes my heart as a wife so happy.

Those answers don't mean that being a coaching family is easy and that you are always loving the "job". It definitely isn't easy. But as I got home from my almost productive errand running day, fed everybody lunch, tidied the house and put everyone down for naps...I got quiet. I got humbled. I realized that it might be okay to leave my cell phone, or run out of gas (although I am hoping to learn from that experience), or even not have a way in to the house and spend the morning on a nature hike back to the car and cop car rides to get gas....but for the sanity of my soul and the soul of my family leaving God behind won't work.

I started this post by numbering my first errand. I'll tell you what our fist errand every day should be....

#1. Run, sprint, crash, fall, tumble, sit, kneel or stand before Jesus - get His instructions. Get His inspiration. Gather your thoughts and position your heart. Do not reposition this item.

Our seasons aren't going to be easy. Even if you win every game. Something will come up for you or someone you are close to because of your position as a coach's wife and if we choose to leave Christ at home, or take a chance on repositioning what should be #1 position in our lives or even take a chance to "run a few more errands before we fill up with God" we'll miss it. We will miss where God wants to use us and I can guarantee we will miss being the effective wives, mothers and influencers Christ wants us to be.

Being a coaching family, if you will let it, will stretch your faith beyond your capacities. That's why we have to fix our eyes on Jesus...not on winning or losing, not on success or failure...not on circumstances, agony of the past or the "might be" of the future...not on the perfect job, place or home....we have to fix our eyes on Jesus...It's not easy ladies and we can't do it alone. I'm with ya and today's happening is just one in a list of a thousand experiences over the recent months some with a good amount of comedy and some that are not so funny that have reminded me of the song that started my day and I just breezed right past. Don't miss it.

Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You're my God
You're all together lovely
All together worthy
All together wonderful to me

As we journey through funny moments of "holding down the fort" while coach is on the field let's encourage each other to position ourselves in front of the Father that loves us so much each day so that our gage reads FULL.

"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns." Psalm 46:4-5


Love, love, love you
Cari

By the way...I just realized I had my car keys with my house key on the ring the whole time...nice. :)