How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

The age old question:

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

 

How many people have spent hours counting the licks to the center of the tootsie pop?  How many have gotten tired of counting and given up?  How many have lost count and had to start over...another day? 

Life is like a tootsie pop.  (*insert mocking laughter here*) 

But seriously, it is.  We're handed this candy and told how good it is.  We're told how the center is the best part.  Instead of eating it slowly, enjoying every part of the candy, we're in a rush to get to the best part.  We end up biting the candy and before you know it, it's gone.

Now life...life is the same way.  We're given life and it's supposed to be great.  Good job, love, happiness, etc.  Too many people think it's all supposed to be the "chocolately center of the tootsie pop"...ya know, the best.  We have to go through tough times (the hard candy) before we can get our "soft center".  It may seem like you'll never get passed the hard times but keep going.  Do you want to be one of the people who have given up?  Lost count?  Said "maybe another day..."? 

Maybe all of this is babbling.  It might only make sense to me, but I'm writing this.  Maybe it's written for me.  Maybe it's wrtten for you.  Everyone has a "tootsie pop life"...how will you get to the center?

Just because something is called one thing, doesn't mean it is.  You can say you're a Christian, but that doesn't make you a Christian unless you live by the Word.  Christians who are sincere in their walk may not boast about it as people who are trying to prove a point to someone.  They're spirit is sweet unlike the person who is showing off their "best colors".  A carrot may have more color than an orange, but an orange is sweeter.  Carrots may look brighter on the outside, but as far as what's on the inside, oranges have them beat. 

This isn't one of those "It's what's on the inside that counts" speeches.  It's not.  I'm just saying that things aren't always as great as they appear. 

So, would you rather have a "colorful" appearance or be sweeter "spirit"?

People...ugh!

You try to help them...you try to show them the error of their ways.  Instead it blows up in your face and they still don't realize what they're doing.

Why?

I guess this has something to do with the juggling post from before.  Sometimes you just wish you were wrong about people.  People tell you things they've noticed about them and because you have so much faith in them, you don't see it.  Then things happen and your eyes begin to open.  You start seeing the things that they were talking about. 

But how do you tell them?

I have no clue!!!  That's what's driving me crazy.  You drop hints, you even say things in passing, but they don't catch on.  You do things out of the ordinary hoping they'll comment on them, allowing you the opportunity to bring it up, but nothing. 

You try to do the right thing but it ends up causing other things to fall instead.

Same with people. 

You can't expect to say things and do things that are gonna cause people to get hurt without people knowing.  It's nearly impossible.  I mean, I've never tried to set off fireworks in my basement, but I'm sure it doesn't work.  So, why do people think it's going to work with other people and their emotions?  I mean, if you're going to set off an "emotion firecracker" and expect it to be a secret, you got another thing coming.  People will find out, even the person who's emotions you're toying with. 

Bottom line:  If you mess with fireworks in the basement, someone's going to get hurt.  If you mess with emotions "secretly", even more people are going to get hurt.

These are just a few of the bizillion pictures we took.  Hopefully I can put a few more up later.

I had to write a short story for English last year..  I felt like blogging it for some reason...weird...anyway.  Here it is.

One very warm Tuesday evening, Mom, our two dogs, Shadow and Buddy, and I adventured outdoors.  On our agenda was to plant the remaining flowers in the flowerbed in the front yard.  We had to dig twenty-four holes to place the pre-packaged plants purchased in the greenhouse section of the home improvement store.  When we were done filling the holes with the flowers and dirt, it was time to water them.  We used the long yellow hose with the sprayer attachment purchased at the same home improvement store that the plants were purchased at.

Noticing our work was done in the front yard, we heading to the back yard.  There we found our vegetable garden.  The sun was still shining on the garden so we were unable to proceed with the watering of the thriving plants.

To pass the time, we decided to play a friendly game of badminton.  Our net was not yet set up, so we used the clothesline.  We each grabbed a racket and I grabbed a birdie.  The game was on.  I served first, hitting it over Mom's head and out of bounds.  Mom served on her deserving turn.  I hit it back where I scored a point.  This went on for about three minutes until our golden retriever of eleven months, Buddy, discovered that something was flying through the air.  Every time we'd hit the birdie, he'd wait for it to fall to the ground before picking it up and running with it.  To him it was a game of "get the ball off of Buddy".  Both Mom and I were experiencing frustration from the defiant dog.  We then came to the realization that he was not going to give it up.  So we called it a game.  I put the rackets and the birdie in the garage.  Mom proceeded in watering the garden.  From there, we turned off the hose and ventured indoors.

That night I learned an important lesson for the summer we were heading into:  Buddy is athletic and will try to eat your birdies.  Don't play badminton with the dogs outside.  It only leads to frustration, exhaustion, and slobbery birdies.