Professional Review of "Bushels and Barrels"

In Bushels and Barrels, author Lee Ray takes a refreshingly positive approach to dealing with the struggles and adversities faced by Middle America today.  Of course we all grew up with an interpretation of the “American Dream” and we all thought we’d have exactly that by now, right?  But if we don’t, what do we do then?

It’s so easy to get bogged down and depressed under the weight of the world around us.  What people often forget is that it’s the struggles that make us stronger and the adversity that makes us better and more able to deal with things as they come our way.  It can be hard to see sometimes, but it is true.

The author writes “We’re all living the dream, right?  Sometimes we just need to change exactly what that term actually means.”  This is the tone and message of the book: to redefine our dreams and realize that maybe, just maybe, we’re already living them, and we just need to open our eyes and change the way we think to realize it.

All readers will be able to identify with the struggles presented in Bushels and Barrels.  The commonality of individual difficulties is widespread, even if the exact problems aren’t the same.  Lee Ray’s history and stories of his own life are easily relatable, and his choice to overcome them and move forward in his life and in his faith is inspiring.

Each chapter addressing struggle is immediately followed by another that highlights the blessings we each have, encouraging readers to alter the way they perceive the world they live in and the way they look at hardship.  From each complication we face in life, a blessing is sure to be there, too, we just have to look for it.

Bushels and Barrels is a thought-provoking read that helps to remind us that life is what we make of it, just as it always has been and always will be.

To read more about and to purchase Bushels and Barrels, please click here http://www.leeray.shorturl.com.

"Bushels and Barrels" Faith-based review

Most people who have a strong sense of faith have found that faith tested at times.  The world that we live in can bring us down, which can make us question our own beliefs and abandon our idea of the “American Dream”.  Sometimes, it can even seem that life was designed to be difficult, but Bushels and Barrels author Lee Ray sees things a little differently. 

Sharing and discussing his own difficult upbringing and hardships that he’s faced, Lee brings the reader into his world, and introduces them to the idea that maybe, just maybe, the difficulties we endure in our lives are there to make us stronger, better, and more able.  By terming the obstacles we face as “barrels” and the blessings we receive as “bushels”, Lee makes it clear that you can’t have one without the other.  He tells readers that they have to have the confidence to face the barrels and keep going, stating that “you can’t do this if all you see are barrels…once you start seeing the bushels, you will see the barrels as chapters in your life with lessons to learn to help you achieve your dream”. 

An inspiring and uplifting book for anyone who has ever begun to focus on the “barrels”, Bushels and Barrels encourages his readers to try and embrace the positive aspects of life and to try not to focus on the negative.  He suggests, “Revisit and revise life’s boundaries when necessary”, and make the changes you need to make to be a better, healthier and happier person.

Sometimes, redefining your version of the American Dream is all it takes to remind you that you are living the dream you envisioned when you were young, it just may not be recognizable yet.  Bushels and Barrels inspires readers to take another look at their life, and find the bushels that are just waiting to be noticed.

To read more about the book or purchase your copy today, go to http://www.leeray.shorturl.com.

Rating and Review by Darin Godby

Find below the review of "Bushels and Barrels" by Darin Godby, a Goodreads.com Christian, fiction, and Self-Help reviewer.


With a bushel representing opportunities and a barrel representing the
obstacles we will face, author Lee Ray takes us into
a descriptive view of the American Dream.  When one tries to
understand what the American Dream is all about there must be a soul
searching of self-identification of who one truly is within society.

When we are young we seem to have great expectations and later in life
have changed our view and focus of what those dreams encompass.
Getting out of one's comfort zone and moving toward the barrels that
we face in life is necessary to move forward and achieve our goals.

Here are the Ten Barrels and Bushels that Lee discusses within his book:
#1 is the barrel of abuse and the bushel is to discover God's love in
the midst of the circumstance.
#2 is the barrel of strained relationships and the bushel is family.
#3 is the barrel of divorce and the bushel is falling in love.
#4 is the barrel of overcoming self-doubt and the bushel is gaining
confidence and acceptance.
#5 is the barrel of the loss of loved ones and the bushel is community
involvement.
#6 is the barrel of the price of military deployments and the bushel
is the pride of military service.
#7 is the barrel of transitions in life and the bushel is morals and ethics.
#8 is the barrel of career changes and unemployment and the bushel is
the bond of friendship.
#9 is the barrel of financial landmines and the bushel is educational
opportunities.
#10 is the barrel of facing life's challenges and the bushel is
recognizing life's rewards.

Lee provides the reader with many of his personal stories and
insights.  There are topics such as: marriage, divorce, children,
stepchildren, money, determination, encouragement and so much more.
The reader will find themselves getting caught up within the story
that Lee is sharing and seeing how they can incorporate the positive
things within their lives and work on the areas that need improvement.

There is also a section on the military where Lee discusses his
involvement as well as how families must deal with deployment and the
pressures put upon them.  Many times Americans don't realize how
blessed we really are and how those in the military are standing in
the gap for our freedom.

Lee also shares:  "The bushels and barrels of an identity shift make
us who we are."   He also states:  "Life is not only wonderful at
times and painful at others....life is fragile!"

So one may ask will we be able to fulfill the American Dream?  Well
let's allow Lee to give us his words of wisdom.  He said:  "The
American Dream is a way of life, not something we can achieve with a
single accomplishment."  So each of us has our own duty in fulfilling
our dreams and desires.  Let's all do our part and make America a
better place to live.

I enjoyed reading this book and encourage you to read and grow from it.
This book was provided by author Lee Ray for my honest review and opinion.
You can read more about the book and purchase it from http://www.leeray.shorturl.com.

5 of 5 stars

Anticipation and Anxiety

As a young child, waiting for Christmas morning was always an exciting time.  You talked about it for weeks, months even.  When the morning finally arrived, you were so excited, yet scared the presents under the tree weren't going to be the ones you wanted.  The anticipation grew, the anxiety caused your heart to beat faster and harder.

With sporting events, when you have a particular team you root for and they are playing their rivals, you get the same sensation.  The game is about to end, the score is close, and it's your team's opportunity to score.  Or, if you watch racing, the laps are winding down and your driver is fighting for the lead and the win.  The closer to zero the clock ticks, the tighter the battle, the more engaged and involved you become.  The same heart racing and anticipation exist.  I've even seen it within my daughter as certain movies are about to be released.  The adrenaline rush!

The same anticipation and anxiety are existing within me these past few days as I await the delivery of my first batch of books.  Every time I see a delivery truck go down our street, I keep waiting for him to stop.  This is the day I've waited months for.  Actually, I've waited a lifetime for this.  The book has so much of my life within it, it's like it is alive...at least to me.  The urging of friends to write to a larger audience, the events in my life which are captured within the pages, and the honing of my writing over the years.  It all leads up to this moment in time.  It is a personal achievement, milestone even.  Just as I await the arrival, I also have the same anticipation and anxiety for people to actually be able to open the pages and read my story.

The anticipation, for me, comes from the desire to reach out and help readers rediscover the dreams that they once had and retrain them to pursue those very dreams.  The anxiety is from the not knowing.  Not knowing how the book will be perceived, if it will even be liked.  So much time went into the creation, how will it be accepted and judged?  My heart races, yet the anticipation is just as strong.  I can't wait!

What gets your heart racing?  When was the last time you felt that rush of blood and rapid-fire of your heartbeats?  If it's been a while, it's time you found a way to get the rush back...live again.  Go get it!

Free To Be Me!

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending my wife's family reunion and meet more members of my extended family.  Four generations were represented, two of which were also represented by our attendance.  Hearing the stories and seeing the relationships around me took me back to a time in my own youth.  A large portion of the family in attendance were from the area, but there was also those of us who traveled in.  The location was in a small, midwestern USA town with country values and small town appeal.  In my childhood, visiting my grandfather's land was a point of happy memories, so this put me at ease immediately.

There are times in all of our lives where we feel out of our element and uneasy.  We are constrained in how we feel and what we feel we are able to do in these situations.  On this day, in this place, this is absolutely not how I felt.  There was no uneasiness.  There was the comfort of conversation.  There was the ease of acceptance.  There were no excuses to not be myself and let them accept me that way and to for me to accept them in the same manner and fashion.

Even though I knew very few of these people, I felt as if I had been part of this group forever.  In the years to come when we attend, I will learn more about these individuals, their lives, hear their stories, and get a greater sense of closeness with my wife and where she came from.  We have had such an amazing relationship already, this is only going to bring me even closer to her and allow us to carry forward the traditions with the next generation.  What a great weekend!

When you enter a new group and instantly feel free to totally be yourself and are accepted as such, that is where you belong...this is where I belong!  I can't wait until next year to learn more and begin to share me with them as well.  Let's see what this next year holds!

Military Tribute and Retirement

Good afternoon!  This morning, I had the honor of attending the retirement ceremony of a great friend.  MSgt(ret) Bob Delloma worked with me closely over the past 5+ years and I knew him professionally and some personal things.

Today, I learned more about the man and what drove him to be such a great comrade-in-arms, husband, father, and son.  To hear his accomplishments for his 21 years of honorable service was not surprising.  However, when it was his turn to speak, this is where I learned more about a good friend.

He was presented with his father's flag, his father had passed early on in Bob's military career and had been a military man himself.  He had made Bob promise to make a career out of serving his country.  Today, Bob fulfilled that promise and presented the flag ceremonially to his father while Taps played.  Just talking about it and reflecting on what that meant still brings chills to my spine.

Bob also has three young sons as well.  He presented each of them with articles of his uniform from the time period each was born.  This was a special presentation to each young man.  However, the significance of this momento will not be realized by them for some years, I suspect.

MSgt Delloma...Bob...my friend...thank you for honoring, protecting, and serving our great country.  It is my distinct honor to welcome you to the ranks of veteran!  Today was your farewell to arms and your introduction to your future.  God Bless you and your family!

Life's Reality Checks

Sometimes it takes the smallest of things to remind us that life is a series of gives and takes.  If things get out of balance, relationships get strained and friendships can crumble.  However, true relationships are the ones where someone says something before it gets too late.

In an era where we are "trained" by society to share our lives with social media, we sometimes forget the art of listening to others.  We have good things to share, we are struggling with our newest challenge, or we simply have an update on our lives.  All of these things are worthy of communication.  Yet, we also need to remember to stop and listen to those who care.  What is going on in their lives?

When friendships date back for years, it is easy to fall into this trap.  I know I have.  My best bud lives in VA and works in the DC area.  For years, he has personified this strong individual with great advice and an understanding ear whenever I've needed him.  Whenever we were younger, we shared in the troubles we got into equally.  With all that's been going on within my own life recently, I forgot to take the time to return the gesture and really listen to what was happening in his life.

Being really great friends, this is easily remedied by returning to the roots of our friendship.  Taking the time to call when I have no news, but a genuine concern for how his life is going is all that is needed.  We've spent hours around bonfires discussing life and its many issues.  It's been too long since that has occurred, but that doesn't mean we can't still have those discussions.

The traps of life are so easy to fall into and our lives can become so consuming we become blinded to the events happening in the lives of those we care about.  Remember to hit pause on your own life from time to time and reach out to those who are there for you.  They may not reach out when they need you, after all, we are all different in how we communicate.  All it may take is a simple phone call to reconnect, but it requires an open ear and a shut mouth.  My friends have always been there for me and I would do anything for any of them.  Listening is perhaps the easiest and most forgotten "thing" we can do.  The effort is so worth it and it really takes nothing but a few minutes and dedication to those we care about.

Whom shall you call today with an open ear?

Snowball Effect Gotten You?

Have you ever started off your day or week on a really positive high and then the world starts falling down around you?  When the first thing happened, did it just seem to continue non-stop?  This has seemed to be my week.

The first half of the week went great and then a single event started the avalanche.  Why were all these things happening when things were lined up and going so well?  They say to only control what you can and let go of the rest, but it's just not that easy at times.  I understand and am living that this week.  Yet, we must and I shall too.

Sometimes a hard day or week can be overcome by perspective and attitude.  Human nature is a tough beast to alter, but the effort lifts not only you, but those around you as well.  If you drag them down, they can't lift you up.  This is my lesson for the week.
When you take the snowballs and break them down, they are only snowflakes and easily melted.  I've started doing that this afternoon.  There are parts of this week outside my control and I let them affect who I am and that is not a good thing.  That drags you down and that is not where we want to be.

So, when the snowballs start to launch in your direction, duck and cover!  Each storm has an ending and a new day comes along for the recovery.  I'm not saying I'm ready to get back into the fight, but when I do, I'll have plenty of snowballs piled up to arm myself with.

Let the games begin!

What Motivates You?

It is a beautiful spring Sunday afternoon and I am loving life.  There are some really major things going right in my life now and a large part of this fact is due to attitude.  I have been down and out before and, to be honest, it stunk!  Life is so much better when you enjoy it, it really is.  So, my friend, what motivates you to get out of bed every morning?

I am listening to the wind chimes sing in the breeze and holding a cup of coffee on our quiet neighborhood street and simply soaking up the tranquility.  This is a word I have come to love over the past several years and hope it never leaves my vocabulary again.  It is who I have become and I will not be ashamed to admit it.  My life motivates me to rise each day.  There simply are too many things to mention, list, or acknowledge here, because they are all part of the positive.  Even the negative isn't so bad these days.  Why?  Because I choose them to be minimal!

The job search has taken so much longer than anticipated, yet that too has been ok.  If I had left the Air Force and jumped right back into the employment pool, my realization of life might not have been as clear.  My ability to recognize the good when bad is around me would not be so honed.  It takes practice to understand the beauty of life.  The more I practice, the more brilliant life seems to be.

So, what motivates you this beautiful June day?  Friends and family?  Memories of years past?  Thoughts of what is to come?  That project you have put off and you can't wait to see the outcome?  Perhaps the look in your child's eyes and the future you know the can have if you teach them the beauties of life?  Tell me, what motivates you?

Without motivation, we are stagnant and complacent.  When the world has us down, motivation seems to have disappeared.  Yet, if we can just find the corner of the motivational blanket and yank it out from under the bed and wrap ourselves in its protective fibers, we can emerge and soar again.  Find your motivation, embrace your life, and get up...today is the day you can see more beauty than yesterday, and tomorrow, you shall see more than today.  Yet, in order to do this, you must step out, open your eyes, fill your lungs, and smile.

Today is beautiful.  Tomorrow is beautiful.  Life is beautiful.  You are beautiful.  I am beautiful.  God's work is an amazing masterpiece.  I don't want it on my wall, I want my life to be the canvas so all can see.  How about you?

Spring Fever's Oxymoron

We have finally made it!  The cold, windy months of November through parts of April are now behind us.  The weather is increasingly sneaking towards the summer swimming temperatures we all long for through the chills of winter.

As the sun entices us to open the windows and come outside, we struggle to remain productive.  Those with jobs indoors lose focus on the work and start to stare out the windows at the beautiful, plush greenery seducing them to slack and take a break outside, if only for a few moments.  The winter months have kept us prisoners inside for too long!  Because it was easier to stay inside than to venture out, we cooked, cleaned, and worked our proverbial behinds off.  Spring is our payday for such productivity...it's our time to slack.

So, with the flowers blooming, lawnmowers buzzing, and tanning efforts underway, why is it called Spring Fever?  Typically, fevers are higher than normal internal temperatures caused by our bodies fighting infections which are making us sick and weak.  Springtime does no such thing to us.  Spring brings life back into our souls as we flock to the ballfields and parks.  There is no illness here, there is no medication needed to rid us of this most welcome of things.

Perhaps, instead of Spring Fever, we alter the phenomenon's name to Productivity Fever.  Yes, that is more like it.  Productivity suffers during spring as our bodies do during sickness.  Even though we remain productive in the projects of revitalizing our lawns, we tend to lose focus on other inside chores.  Dinners still get created, yet more meats get grilled than broiled, fried, or baked.  Work still gets accomplished, simply because it has to, not because we are dedicated to remaining focused to it.  We simply want to be outside, folks!  Admit it.

Even though the name Spring Fever is among the most erroneously named oxymorons, the contagious effect is the same.  Like all the rest of you, I too suffer from Productivity Fever.  The only known cure is rainy afternoons and even they have their own ritual of family movie time and sleeping in.

Even though it makes it so much more difficult to get necessary tasks completed, I do not want to be cured of Spring Fever.  I shall suffer the consequences of Productivity Fever in joy and savor every scent produced by cut grass, freshly blooming flowers, charcoal grills, and suntan lotions.

If you need me, I'll be outside!  See you in the Fall.