Clever Characters

For Valentine's Day Katie Beth unwrapped an over sized, super soft, bright red towel from Brad. His gifts always have a special meaning so I waited for the full explanation. He explained to Katie Beth that when she is cold and alone he wants her to feel safe and warm all wrapped up in a big hug from him. It was a very sweet moment between a daddy and his little girl. I think John Mayer song Daughters has a lot of truth in it regarding the relationship between a daddy and his daughter. Lyrics to Daughters I know a girl she puts the color inside of my world. She's just like a maze, where all of the walls all continually change And I've done all I can to stand on the the steps, with my heart in my hands Now I started to think maybe it's got nothing to do with me Fathers be good to your daughters Daughters will love like you do Girls become lovers, who turn into mothers So mothers be good to your daughters too Oh you see that skin, it's the same she's been standing...

Everywhere you turn experts are sharing the best vitamin combinations to keep you from feeling sluggish and safeguard you from getting ill. The busy calendar of Autumn seems to produce weariness followed by a hefty portion of exhaustion. I have my family on a vitamin regimen to protect us from the dreaded viruses and germs bouncing about at school and church. Spiritual exhaustion and weariness can leave us vulnerable as well. I would ask you to consider a spiritual supplement regimen especially if you are highly involved in your local church. Some of the best advice I ever got while in full time ministry was to stay well fed. In fact the statement was followed by the suggestion to regularly visit another local church for the sole purpose of nourishment. At this point in history we are blessed with superb resources online. Sermons from great ministers are a simple click away. It is my belief that a healthy spiritual regimen includes : a faith community with intimate authentic "bea...

Sunday night I put the mix into the bread machine and anticipated a wonderful smelling loaf the next morning. Sadly this was not meant to be. As you can see in the picture something went terribly wrong. Up pops the ugly head of disappointment . I have a difficult time with disappointment. Disappointment in childhood If it is Thursday there is a high probability that Katie Beth will have a meltdown as we drive home from school. She has done this since she was 18 months old. It starts with a whiney voice and is followed by the list of all the things that have gone wrong in her world. It always ends with the phrase “And mom (sob) my heart is (sob) just so broken (SOB, SOB, SOB).” Between you and me this list can be pretty funny because horribly wrong to an eight year old is just nothing compared to horribly wrong to this forty year old. I usually pull over and join her in the back seat. She crawls in my lap and I hold her. Sometimes she is still stuck in her meltdown even after she has ...

Couples, families for that matter have their own inside jokes that are uniquely funny to them. Last weekend I was out of town and returned home to discover a dinosaur in my make-up drawer. I smiled because for the last eleven years a dinosaur has shown up out of no where when I least expect it. It has been on the coffee mugs, by the dog food, in the shower, in the fridge, on the stack of books I am reading and so on. Equally funny is that fact that this dinosaur has never been spoken of. It simple floats from destination to destination with an understood I LOVE YOU attached. And so with each placement the game continues. Ridiculous probably, but precious in ways I can only explain as the unique ambiance of my marriage, absolutely. I was reminded a few days ago of how quickly things can change and the one you LOVE can become the one you LOVED. This video prompted my post . If you are like me it will make you want to take a minute and say thank you to the ones you love for simply doing t...

1. Parents pack your JUST SAY NO t-shirt. The marketing is brilliant. The girls went trick or treating through EVERY store. 2. Story hour by the big tree in the lobby is wonderful. Keep in mind it is usually the children who wear their jammies to it, NOT the adults. 3. Sleep is important. You never know what might happen so bring some type of pill to knock you out and ear plugs in case the people you are staying with want to listen to a marching band as you fall asleep. If all of this goes wrong and you awaken exhausted then remember level 2 has a Starbucks. 4. Ask if the people you are staying with have any allergies. If you don't the fragrance in your product might accidentally put one of them in anaphylactic shock. It's all good. Analisa's mom gave Analisa's grandma her shot that stops the LETHAL allergic reaction. 5. When on the tour and they say "The Great Wolf Lodge is green. What does green mean?" Don't be like the cute little boy and say "Rich...

What is yours going to be? About five years ago Brad went on his usual Saturday morning hunt for arrow heads. He was gone the usual amount of time. But he returned to me a bit unusual. He had found all sorts of treasure in a mound. He showed me the pottery, the arrow heads, the fossils and then he shared.“This was someone’s treasure. This was special to someone and now it is off in a pile where no one even cares for it or about it. See this someone took a long time to make it and now it is smashed and in pieces. ” Then his tone changed. “Deana every day I work so I can provide for my family. I am buying us things that will someday be in a pile somewhere and simply left behind. My treasure will just be trash.” I would have to say this was a defining moment for our family. It led to a study as a family of the things that mattered, our legacy. How would we, the Herds, make a difference and what would our legacy be? We read through the book Twelve Pillars by Chris Widener and Jim Rohn. We ...

The summer between 3rd & 4th grade our family moved from Lubbock, Texas to Richland Hills,Texas. This was a devastating blow to my security. I was crushed and clearly struggling when my dad took me to Braum's for a conversation about friendship. His first recommendation was to "Be the friend you are seeking in others." He believed if you concentrated on extending friendship to others in a kind and gracious manner you will always have an abundance of friends. He also shared that I should become know as the person where the gossip stops. He said that it would always be spoken to me but I alone had the choice on how to use my influence. And he described the person who mixed gossip with their influence as one who walks around with gum on the bottom of their shoe. By that he meant something originally thought a tasty morsel becomes both annoying and embarrassing due to it's connection to you. And he taught me how to listen for people's story and validate it. He sai...

When I created this blog I picked the name CLEVER CHARACTERS because both words and life are made up of characters that have left me changed, usually in a good way. I am hoping to update more often and share with you the world as seen by me. NEW JOB: I am loving it!!!! I have clients from Laos, Vietnam, Mexico, Honduras and even Chicago. Those from foreign countries have incredible stories of immigration. I am learning about their cultures and their heritage and hopefully helping shape their legacy. The other half of my class are Americans who have caught some rough breaks and are now seeking life skills and strategies to pass the GED. Some are trapped in the pain of their past and do not trust me to help them walk into their future. It is easier for them to goof off and know they will fail than it is to actually make the first attempt toward success. KATIE BETH: I am thrilled to share that KB is thriving in her new school. I have seen a marked difference in her confidence. This improv...

Monday I begin a new job teaching adults strategies for succeeding in life and passing the GED. I will have the pleasure of working with each student 6 months at a time. I am thrilled to work with these individuals as they transition from their current circumstances toward the life they want. As an added bonus my hours are within the time frame of Katie Beth’s schooling and I have Fridays off to pursue my other passions.