BLOG | MJ Rodriguez

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Jul 26
2 min

Stupid Things

Do you ever think about all the stupid things you’ve done? Or maybe you’re not like me and have never done anything stupid. I sure wish I...

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MJ Rodriguez

Jul 2
2 min

Puppet fun

I’m so blessed to have grown up with sisters. Even though they were older, we were close, and I remain close to the one sister I have lef...

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MJ Rodriguez

Jun 25
2 min

The day of the inebriated animals

Making sorghum is hot, hard work, and long days. My family worked together as a unit, each of us with a specific job. The boys ran the mi...

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MJ Rodriguez

Jun 18
2 min

I’m poor?

I grew up poor but didn’t know it. Dad and Mom taught us to work hard and to have a good attitude about it. Dad had a great sense of humo...

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MJ Rodriguez

Jun 11
3 min

Games we played

Because of the size of our family, we had few store-bought toys with which to play, so we made our own toys and games. A favorite game wa...

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MJ Rodriguez

Jun 4
2 min

Lessons learned on the island

Lauren Shoaf who owned Island 26 lived with his family in a big house next to the school. Some of his children attended school, but one s...

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MJ Rodriguez

May 28
2 min

School on Island 26

My family moved to Island 26 in the Mississippi River when my twin brother and I were about five. We started first grade in the fall when...

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MJ Rodriguez

May 21
2 min

Spring and Oinky

I love spring! I love the newness of nature: the variety of greens of the grass and trees, new flowers blooming everywhere, baby animals....

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MJ Rodriguez

May 14
3 min

Growing up with brothers

Having seven brothers was treat enough, but to be smack in the middle made it even more fun. I grew up with three brothers older, three y...

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MJ Rodriguez

May 9
2 min

Being a Mom

For me, being a mom is the greatest thing ever. There’s nothing like holding a newborn baby, especially when it’s yours. Everyone wants t...

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MJ Rodriguez

May 7
2 min

What I learned from grass

Don't you just love Bermuda grass? It is a popular grass for lawns and hay. But I detest Bermuda grass in my garden and flowers. It grows...

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MJ Rodriguez

Apr 30
1 min

Are you a supporter?

Everyone needs support. We need to feel we are needed. We need to believe someone cares about us. We need to have confidence that someone...

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MJ Rodriguez

Apr 23
2 min

Can children just be children?

My mom was a saint. Ask anyone who knew her. One time she returned from a month-long trip and her church family lined up all the way to t...

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MJ Rodriguez

Apr 16
3 min

Positive Attitudes

Don't you just love being around positive people? It seems they radiate light. They can lift your spirits when you feel down and put a po...

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MJ Rodriguez

Apr 9
2 min

Just maybe.

Maybe I’ll get it done. Maybe it’ll happen. Maybe my life will come together. It’s kind of like ‘what if’. What if I’d done that, gone th...

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MJ Rodriguez

Apr 2
2 min

Are you listening?

I read a while back that listening is quickly becoming a lost skill. I place an order at a fast-food place, and they get my order wrong. ...

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MJ Rodriguez

Mar 28
2 min

16 ways to dishonor your loved ones

A few years ago I read a book by Gary Smalley called Love is a Decision. One of the best books I’ve ever read. I have made a list of thin...

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MJ Rodriguez

Mar 21
2 min

What's your mood?

Those of us who are in relationships with others—which includes the majority of us—must consider the feelings and the needs of those in o...

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Where the river goes, it will bring life

MJ Rodriguez

Mar 14
2 min

Where the river goes, it will bring life

There is just something about a body of water that intrigues me. A small creek runs across the property where I was raised, and as a chil...

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MJ Rodriguez

Mar 7
3 min

Do hard things.

Sometimes life is hard and I feel like I need a break. But sometimes life is hard because I refuse to do the hard things I need to do to ...

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