Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing

Sewing inspiration for the day. Found this gal by her book and then her website is just cool too. I love that she does simple sewing projects. I get overwhelmed with the sewing pretty easy and it's exciting to think that I could make cute bags and linens like these. I do plan to get the book and start an entire grouping of projects revolving around those patterns. Extremely cute and extremely me stuff here people.

So last night while John was at school I was hard at work (well sorta) making pink cupcakes and trying desperately to race to the end of this Harry Potter book. It's just so dang good and I can't imagine how their going to make it out of this mess. They will mind you. I'm just so astounded at JK's incredible writing style. Very detailed but not enough to get you bogged down in the story. Keeps it moving pretty well and makes sure to reflect back on previous story (just in case you haven't read the previous books) to help you get the full picture. I've got one more to read before July. That's when the next and final book comes out. It's bittersweet.

So it's Thursday. The sun is coming in and out of the clouds here. It can't decide if it wants to rain or be sunny. BE SUNNY! Tomorrow night is tax night at the Martin house. I'm not looking forward to it. It seems it's always very tedious and makes us all grumpy. Must be done though.

Boy if there were anything ever written to call me out, this would be it. I've been noticing a lot of that lately. God just has a way doesn't he?! =)

Radiant Certainty
by Jon Walker

“I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (John 16:20-22 NIV)
Worship/Fellowship — There are some days when, frankly, I don’t feel much like worshiping God. There are probably more days like that than I’d care to admit.
But usually those are days are when I’m staring at my circumstances and making faithless judgments about what I see around me. And I struggle with the God-truth that he is in the circumstances that surround my life – all the circumstances.
Have you ever considered that heartbreak is part of God’s plans for you, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”? (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV) We put so much energy into avoiding the hurt when God would have us embrace it. He wants us to know that he can heal our hurts, even use our hurts for his benefit, and for us to faithfully believe that sometimes the circumstances we think are harming us are actually positive situations God is engineering.
God, who is omnipotent, sees the breadth and depth of our circumstances, and he knows his plans for our lives. Thinking, then, like Christ, we can slowly, ever so slowly, begin to understand that avoiding the pain in our lives is actually an act of faithlessness. God calls us to faith in him during difficult circumstances; we’d rather place our faith in avoiding the circumstances.
As always, Jesus shows us the way – because he is the Way. Jesus embraced the pain of God’s plan for his life, and he did it with full faith that God was still working the plan to bring a “hope and a future” to your life and mine. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV) Christ was so sure that his grief would turn to joy that he showed a radiant certainty in God’s faithfulness (“Radiant certainty” is a phrase William Barclay uses to describe the attitude of Jesus at the Last Supper).
Our Brother Jesus, who is also our King, was heading into a crisis that would cost him His life, yet He was so certain – radiantly certain – of God’s faithfulness that not one of his disciples even discerned the gravity of the crisis! Jesus was so certain of God’s faithfulness that it radiates throughout his whole being.
And we, too, can have this radiant certainty about God’s hand in our lives. We can say, when it comes to God’s faithfulness, “I know because I know that I know.” That’s radiant certainty! The Cross was Christ’s glory, not His penalty – and the same is true of difficult circumstances in our lives.
So what?
· God’s faithful character - You will develop this radiant certainty in God when you learn to trust in his faithful character. Your daily worship of God is irrevocably tied to your faith in God.
· Praise God anyhow - You must choose to praise and worship God every day, no matter what the circumstances of your life. Developing a radiant certainty in God begins with simple steps of faith and obedience.
· Respond to God, not your circumstances - When faced with a painful or difficult circumstance, ask God, “How do you want me to respond to this?” Keep your eyes wise for the ‘Why me?’ traps that lay about your circumstances.
You can be radiantly certain of this: Difficult circumstances are opportunities for you to intentionally focus your faith in God and to see what he will do to give you hope and healing.

Ok. So it's Monday again. Kinda draggin today. Not feeling great. The weekend was awesome! Weather was so good. I spent as much time as I could out in it. John was sick most of the time, so sadly he missed a good portion of it. We did manage to get out for a walk last night though with the girls in tow.

Gran arrived safely back on Friday night. Saturday was filled with errands and then we did the monthly play at Crown Center. It was a good one this time. I cried and cried. Sunday was spent getting ready for the week and trying to enjoy the weather. We stopped off at the grocery store and they had the most beautiful flowers out. The colors were so great!

So after John being sick all weekend and me feeling fine, last night I jumped out of bed feeling rather gross and ran to the bathroom. Took some meds this morning and I'm pushing through it. Don't really want to but am push at this point. I really could use some sleep though. Stomach is just aching so much. Seemed to only last two days for John. So it will be over soon at least.

One more picture to share for the day. She's just so dang pretty...

Beautiful Inspiration

So with such wonderful quilts like this out there I just simply can't WAIT to get old!!!!

Boing! Spring Has Sprung...

So today was turning out to be promising. I was working along getting so much stuff done. I mean really workin it baby! And then...the system crashed. Now I'm stuck here doing...um..this. Sigh. Guess it gives me an excuse to take a break and check out some cute shoes or something. I am looking forward to all the cuteness that comes along with spring though. Our plants are starting to bloom i noticed and the lovely soaking rain we got yesterday should speed that along nicely. Oh! I was also treated to so yummy grub from the cafe her at work. They sometimes treat me to lunch when they wanna try out a new recipe and need a tester.

Lucky for MEEE!!!!

So What's My Obsession With Summer All About?

Lately, All I can think about is warm weather and the cute clothes that go with it. I get giddy at the sight of grey linen summer dresses and bermuda shorts. In turn it makes me wear totally not for the season clothes to work almost everyday. So I sit freezing at my desk with ten cups of half full hot tea sitting around me while I look at pictures online of bathing suits. I'm sick in the head people! I really can't stop myself however. I am what I am.

So despite the weather, things are looking up. I've been doing this new work out tape that's making me feel wretchedly sore but I know it's a good thing, I've got a new favorite hot tea, Lemon Mint (bought at the amish store in Tunas, MO), AND I'm getting a lot of work done today (despite my brief break to blog my little heart out).

So here are a few things that are inspiring me today:

So we didn't get to see Ty but...

He's Not Staying But...

Look how cute he is! A friend found him running around on the road and he appears to belong to someone. He's got a collar (but no tag) and he's really well behaved. He's gonna come chill with us for a few days till we find his owners. They are calling him Ted but I don't think it suits him. I'm gonna call him something else. I need to meet him first though.

And We're Back...

So we're back. Since most of the people who read this blog where actually there (and the other half I'll be seeing in a matter of days) I probably won't go into massive details but I do want to share some pics for the trip. I somehow forgot a million times that I had a camera and missed shots I should have gotten. Oh well though.

I will say that we had a wonderful time while in the great state of TN. It's a lovely place with lovely people (and some pretty good food too). The weather was just fabulous the entire time. Couldn't have had a better time.

Downstairs bath at David's house. It's original tile work from the 30's. So cool. Lovely aqua green color. Love the black mixed in too. The floor is a mosaic of the green and blacks of the room. So cute. So 30's.

John pre-pirate party. I was so excited to see him dressed up like this. It actually looked pretty natural. He had a great time.

Other pic is of the actual party. It was a great time and Dad had a good time.

And me.

And this is Little Don. He tried to run away with me because well, he's a world traveler you know. Anyway, he was a gift from Peggy Govan. He's just truly the cutest thing. He comes complete with a gun in his belt and a knife in his boot. He'll shank you in nothing flat me maties!

So I found this to be very funny and wanted to share with you all. We seem to have a cat/dog relationship similar to this at our house...

http://www.comics.com/comics/getfuzzy/archive/getfuzzy-20070228.html

Summer Skin

So this weekend flew by at light speed but it was absolutely lovely. We spent Friday night with Gran. We got some of her last minute errands done and ate Chinese food at the bar of her house. We talked and laughed till we cried. It's always nice to have something fun to remember her by when she leaves for a long time. Three weeks this time. Paris. London.

Saturday morning I was up early bathing dogs and rushing around trying to be a good momma for them. Going to Granny's house is always exciting but they get so nervous when we leave. The drive was nice. Snow flurries made the extremely dull journey a bit magical. That and my Ipod. We had a great lunch with M&G and spent some time just talking. The drive home was equally good, although we were minus the babies and it wasn't the same. I didn't sleep all that well Saturday night because I kept missing them being there. It felt weird to have the two extra spots of bed I normal lack. I could move freely and without worrying about knocking them out of bed. I didn't like it. Not. One. Bit.

Sunday we slept in. I woke up to sunshine and read till John woke up. We made breakfast and got our list for the day lined out. We spent the day cleaning but it was strangely relaxing. No rush. No deadlines. We cut his hair too. It was just wild and out of control. He looks and feels so much better. We had a lovely day. I didn't want the weekend to end.

It did however and I'm at work now. The day is almost over for me now though. I've spent it doing a few minor things but mostly just getting caught up from the weekend. I did however stop off at one of my favorite websites for some sewing inspiration. I sat down to work on my grey dress last night but my sewing machine is so touchy. I have to work on it more tonight. I'm hoping to get some cotton fabric for a hippie tank to take on vacation.

Speaking of, it's only four days (counting today) till we leave. I'm getting things all lined out for that. Lists of things I don't want to forget, clothing options, things to do before we go. I'm excited because the weather has really warmed up here and I'm hoping it will stay nice for our time.

Anyway, BACK up to the inspiration for the day. Wanted to share some things I'm in love with right now:

And For My Next Trick...

So it's Friday finally. Sheesh! Thought it would never get here. The sun is out at least today. That makes is a little more bearable that it's FREEZING out! I'm ready for warm. I know it's pretty much all I talk about these days but still...WARM.
So tomorrow we head down to mom's for the day. We're dropping our dogs off and we've got to get back because I have to have some time to get things done. Seems like every night this week we've had some "thing" that had to get done. None of it however involved cleaning my house or doing our laundry. I am looking forward however to the car ride for some reason tomorrow. I'm sure about two hours into it I'll be over it but right now, I'm looking forward to it. I love just traveling, listening to music together, talking about nothing important or sometimes really important things, stopping at gas stations for water and skittles. I am not however excited about leaving my babies at mom's for two weeks. I just don't want to be away from them. I miss them so much when they are gone. I know they will have a good time without me but still.
Seven days till we're on vacation. I'm so excited I could just pee my pants but that would be messy and embarrassing. So I guess I'll just squirm in my chair like a giddy school girl instead. I hope like heck it's warmer there than here.
Ok back to work. I've got a lunch today and then a doctors appointment. So much for workin...

I get teased at work here for always writing a wall of text. In the spirit of NOT doing only that...

Here's a cutie pie picture for your weekend.

Just About to Have a Fit!!!!

So yesterday while blogging I get this update that needs to be downloaded. Seems blogger is now going to be run through google (At some point the entire world will be owned by Google). So I update. This morning I get online to send out a nugget of random stuff to you in cyber world and I can't get to my blog. I can't get the dang thing to let me sign in. I can't find where I'm suppose to DO anything. Sigh... I just took a break and came back later when I wasn't frustrated. Working now. Thankfully.

So back to that random nugget. Reading Joel O's daily message today and something clicked that I've never thought of before. Read below:

God is all-powerful, which means He can do anything that He desires. If He wants to bless you, He will, but that's not necessarily how it works with God. God works on principles and laws, and when you prove yourself faithful with little, He will give you a little more. You can't reap a good harvest without planting your seeds, so don't hold on to them! Just as Jesus illustrated in the parable of Matthew 25, our Master will reward you when you are faithful to Him. Live your life by the principle of faithfulness, and watch God bless you for a job well done.

Now the part in red's what got me. So simple (like most everything with God actually is at it's core. We make it complex. Or should I say Me makes it complex.) yet so profound and glorious. I thought of ways in my life right away where I seem to not be able to handle what I've been given but am frustrated because I want more. I never stopped to think about the fact that it's a trust issue. We as humans are the same way. We trust people with a part of who we are until they "prove" they capable of handling more. I love this idea. It's almost like a game with God. Somehow it makes sense to my mind because it automatically places an order on God's blessings for us. Sometimes it's easy to believe they're random and without thought. Not so. Really cool.

In other news, Emma is unhappy. She comes by this honestly from her mom. She can't help it. She's a lot better with the expression on her ears than I am though. Really now though, How cute is my hair!!!

So I sometimes feel upset because it seems like I have no life. Nothing exciting going on but then when we actually go someplace or see people, I don't get pictures. What is wrong with me?
This weekend was good, very fun and pretty cold. Friday I was on the hunt for a few sewing things and talked John is to driving me all over creation to find them. No luck. I have two patterns I want but can't find them in the store because I guess maybe they are from last season. Fashion! I tell ya! Anyway, I guess I'll just order them online. What would I do with out you wireless online internet connection? My world might be cold and black.

Saturday morning we met up with Gran for a fun filled, hit the ground running, side splitting day of shopping for stuff. We did really good though. She got everything she was after and then some. She of course flys out again this saturday for who knows how long to Paris. Anyway, back to the weekend. Sunday we slept in because after trying to keep up with the likes of Patti and another day of things to do, we needed the rest. She picked us up around 1:30 and we headed out to our monthly play at Crown Center. This one was good. Different than others we've seen there but still good. We somehow got suite seats which we thought we be great but they ended up being terrible and we all froze the entire time. Weird. Nicer isn't always better I guess. After the play we went to Crown Center's Milano resturant for a drink while waiting for our dinner spot to open up. It was nice. I of course can't have alcohol of any kind and telling people that is weird. They automatically think I'm pregenant, which to me is creepy for some reason. So I drank cranberry juice with lime. It was worth the trip however because I hear the bartender was great and we did happen to get an eye full of an interesting "man" dressed as a "woman". Love Crown Center. Always see something fun and out of the ordinary life there. Headed over to Lydia's for dinner. I just LOVE that place. We somehow got right in at a great table over looking to city. They have this pasta trio that is served table side from the pan. They change the selection each day of pastas. It also comes with a great salad and dessert. Perfect for us. We all love to try everything. Food was outstanding. Then dessert came. Well the dessert was good but I did something I shouldn't have. I had a cappicino. Didn't even think twice about it. Only really drank half because it was stong and cold by the time I really got to it but drank it non the less. Got home and relaxed and my guts went CRAZY! I ran to the bathroom and it wasn't pretty. So I had the stomach ache. Took my medicine right away but it was just to late. We went to bed later than normal and i figured I would fall right to sleep but no. I was up for all but two hours of last night. Then when I did sleep all I did was dream weird stuff that woke me up. So I'm hoping today flys by because I just wanna sleep for a really long time.

What else...? Oh I started (again) reading The Purpose Driven Life book. I have read it before but it's one of those that you can just read a thousand times and still get something new and really good out of it. The first chapter is about you life not being your own. About how your will, emotions and desires aren't your own and aren't meant to take first place in your life. Only God should fill that roll. It's always a wake up call to read something like that. You start trying to think through areas of your life where you may not be putting God first and how you life would change if He was were he belonged. I came in to work this morning and below is the blurb from John Fischer for today. Funny how God ties things all together:

Under new ownershipby John Fischer
“You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

What does it mean to not belong to myself? I can think of a few things.

It means that I should probably do a lot of consulting with my new owner. There is more to consider than just me and what I want to do; there is God and what he wants me to do.
If you’re anything like me, this makes sense until you begin to wonder over what he wants you to do in certain circumstances. It isn’t always clear.

For this we have Scripture and gifted members of the fellowship to consult, but in all instances it is the attitude of the heart that is most important. It is a submissive attitude toward God that he is looking for – what the Old Testament calls a broken and contrite heart. It’s being always open and teachable because I realize my new owner has a different way of looking at things than what comes natural for me. In fact, over time I begin to realize what comes natural for me is often my biggest problem.

Instead of “how much can I get away with here,” God is looking for an attitude that says, “Even if I’m not sure, what do I think God would want me to do here.” God is not going to lead astray a humble person who is seeking to do his will.

Our new ownership also means there will be inner conflict. It used to be just me. Now I have me and the Spirit and we may not always be in sync.

In Roman 7, Paul concludes that an inner battle over right and wrong is a good thing because it proves at least that something good is going on. “But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.” (Romans 7:16) Or in other words, he may have done the wrong thing, but at least he knew it was wrong.

Consider even the Son of God whose joy was always to do the will of his Father in heaven, who in the garden of Gethsemane cried out after sweating blood over it, “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Luke 22:42)

It used to be easier. It used to be just me left to the whim of my desires. But all that has changed. I am not my own anymore; I have been bought by God at a high price – the blood of Jesus – and he has a plan and a purpose for me as my new owner.

John Fischer Blurb

"Real faith does not win mass-market appeal. True faith is a challenge of wits. It’s the mover and shaker of the status quo. Faith kicks us out of our safety net and into the world. If nothing’s on the line, then there’s no faith required. That’s dangerous, but all the more exhilarating when God shows up and shows himself to be true to his promises."

Sometimes Good Intentions Pave the Way to...

Doing the dishes and yoga while watching a movie. So my intent was to make cupcakes for John. I was excited about it and once he left the house I got my cook book out and was ready to start. Then however, I realized that I didn't have enough eggs. So I thought about going to get some but then I found a recipe for a fruit crisp that look wonderful and I knew John would love. I wanted to to be warm and smelling good when he arrived home from school so I put it off. I did an array of other things. Dishes, picked up the house, made my first crafty project in a while (see photo), did yoga while watching Chocolat and THEN decided to get to work on the crisp. So I got into it. Flour, baking powder, salt...oats. Wait. Where are the oats? I thought I had oats. So needless to say I didn't get to make the crips either. By this time it was to late to run to the store because John would have been home and wondering where I was. Dang! Maybe this weekend.
So this weekend we plan to start a house reno project. Cutting up the laundry room floor and leveling it out. I'm going to paint our new night stands. They're miss matched but so functional. I think they will look better with a coat of paint. I haven't decided on the color yet though. Maybe black, maybe grey. Also going to go pick up a jacket pattern I had my eye on saturday but didn't get. John found some extremly pretty houndstooth light weight wool. I think I might make the first jacket out of this. I know I'll use it again because it's a wicked cute pattern. Would be great in a linen. I'm thinking of making some linen suits for work this summer. Not sure yet though.
In other news, today is tuesday. I wore one of my new short sleeved drape sweaters today and I have to say it's just right. So soft and cozy but not to hot for the office. It's a really pretty burgandy color and just my favorite at this second. We all know I'm fickle though. Oh so fickle.
So some of the other blogs do this thing where they show, periodically mind you, corners of their home. Just little places they feel are special or cozy. I thought perhaps we'd start that tradition here. Since most you of don't come to my home on a regular basis, it might be fun.

Things That I Heart...

-Warm Winter Days (We're talking 50 and up)
-When the dogs let us sleep in on the weekends (Sleeping in being 7:30)
-Breakfast at Starbucks with my Honey (Killer Orange Cranberry Muffins)
-Fabric for killer tweed pants on SALE
-Two Cute shirts on sale for under $15 (for both!)
-Giant Cheeseburgers from Red Robin w. bacon
-Man vs Wild on Discovery Channel (Bear is just the coolest!)
-Luna Bars, Naked Juice & Crystal Light Travel Packs (All working together to make me a healthier me)
-Coming to work on Monday and only having 10 emails in my inbox

So this pretty much sums our my weekend. I left out a few parts (like the giant headache I had all day yesterday and that John wasn't feeling well either) but nothing life threatening. It was pretty relaxing. The weather yesterday was great and only supposed to get better. I'm more than excited. I've sworn to move to Texas or the likes if this weather doesn't get better! So far I'm out voted. Tonight I'm going to get some things around the house done but more importantly I'm going to try and bake something sweet for my sweet because tonight is his last math class (for three weeks at least). He'll have a ton of pressure lifted off his very strong shoulders once that's all done. I'm thinking cupcakes because who doesn't love a good cupcake? Pictures to follow. Today seems to be flying by with less stress the longer it goes. I'm looking forward to being at home and baking tonight. I'm also going to figure out the new pattern I got Saturday. It's this really cute dress pattern and I bought some so cute grey stretch fabric to make it out of. I'm ready to get back into the swing of sewing. It's so relaxing in a pull all your hair out sort of way. Pictures of the dress to follow as well. Warm weather to all (except Gran who is currently in sunny FL without me, shopping. I hope they get a blizzard!)

Minor Irritations of Women Everywhere

So from the title you might have guessed, I'm irritated once again. What is it with the clothing companies? I've got four inches of snow on my front lawn and they're trying to sell me flips flops and bermuda shorts. WHAT?!? I understand that they have to get us ready for summer but don't you think you should wait a little closer to, umm...summer? I'm just as ready as the next gal for sleeveless and sandals but sheesh! To Be Continued...

So last night Gran and I are out shopping for her some warm weather clothes for her trip to Florida coming this weekend and it's just down right colder than crap outside. We did however have a great time and ended up stopping in to Ghengis Khan for some fabulous mongolian food. Here's what I had. I love how you always have so many dishes on your table that you don't know where to turn next. It feels so extravagant. Anyway, the food is always good, it's sorta healthy and they have awesome hot tea. Now I know what you're thinking, "You aren't suppose to be having tea little missy!" well...thanks to my mom we figured out that some herbal teas (peppermint, jasmine, green tea) don't have caffeine and therefore I should be able to drink them. So what if I'm working the system. I'll take what I can get!

Anyway, back to the story. We shopped in the cold to no avail. She got nothing. Not even a pair of shoes. Talk about sad. So we're heading back out tonight to hopefully stumble apon some really cute something, someplace.

The weekend looks to be "fun". John and I are going to cut out and repour the floor in the laundry room. Heaven will be smiling down on my washer and dryer as they will now be able to sit completely flat on the completely flat floor. I wish you could hear the angels singing right now. I've also heard talk of doing something for valentines. Not sure what but something. More details to come I'm sure. We also are suppose to experience something of a heat wave come tomorrow morning. Seems we may top out at 40ish. Everyone is actually excited about it. It's very sad when you get excited about 40. Twenty one days till we fly out to Nashville. It's going to be a great time. I'm feeling excited and nervous. Lots of people I haven't met before and I'm also suppose to be sewing trousers for the trip that I haven't gotten around to. Fabric shopping this weekend while John is tearing the house to pieces. I WILL have trousers!

In Other News...

It's Valentine's Day! I nearly forgot due to the fact that John and I are doing our valetine whatever this weekend. He's planning, I'm not privy to the details.
So I hope everyone is having a great one so far. I know I am. I've received a Batman valentine card from my friends little boy (who by the way is just the cutest ever) and I've seen a few old friends that haven't been around for a bit. So far pretty satisfying.
So with that, I'm out for the day, unless something just simply unbelievable happends (never know!). I love each of you dearly and hope your Heart Day is going splendid.

Kisses!!!!

Here's to Stomach Aches, Doctor's Offices and No More Chips and Salsa...

So my life is officially over. Well it seems as such right now. I'm sure in the very near future I will come to be fine with the news I received yesterday but at this second, I'm peeved.

So I've had this stomach ache (as we all know. Not the one I've had most of my life but a new one. One that's lasted going on week two now) and figured it was just fluish gross that is going around. Alas, I pine for the flu. I lust after the flu. Why? Because it goes away and I don't have to deal with it again till, well the next time I get it. Somehow the doctor believes (and far be it from me to say he doesn't know what he's talking about) that I have something called Gastritis. Something borderline to an ulcer due to food not stress. He's put me on a once a day medication that is suppose to block acid but then there's the kicker, I have to give up a bunch of stuff. No caffeine, no liquor, no choc, no tomato based things, no spicy stuff, no fried anything, no garlic, not a lot of cheese. I think the only things that are really bothering me at this point is the no hot tea (which I have each morning for breakfast), no chips and salsa and no chocolate. I mean what am I'm going to do with out periodic chocolate? So I've been looking around this morning online about foods I can have and recipes for meals that follow the guide lines. So far I think I can handle it. Lots of grilled meats, steamed veggies and fresh fruits. Pretty much what I know I should have been eating all along. Now I just have to eat them. It's going to be a hard road folks. Sometimes you just get the need for chicken nuggets or ice cream. I am trying to look at it in a different way though. Trying to look at it as blessing that now I have a medical reason not to eat junk stuff. I guess in a way it makes it easier to talk myself out of things and it makes me be more creative with meals. I'm sure a much healthier me will come out of this. Help keep me strong people, I'm going to need you!!!!

“God, please don’t send me to Africa”
by John Fischer

What do you love to do? Chances are that love can be tapped into as service for the Lord. This kind of thinking may seem obvious, but it is radical at least to my Christian upbringing.

I grew up with a kind of warped Christianity that taught that if I was passionate about something, it was probably wrong. God was the great killjoy in the sky. Virtue was painful. The good usually felt bad. The bad (we were told) felt good. Denying yourself meant never doing anything you really wanted to do. Conversely, if you hated doing something, that was most likely what God was calling you to do. “God, please don’t send me to Africa” was a prayer you’d better not pray, because that was the first place he would probably send you if you prayed that prayer. As you might imagine, this kind of thinking turned out a generation of very dull, boring Christians who were always suspicious of having fun. Where do you think the Church Lady on Saturday Night Live came from, anyway?

Actually, God is one who delights in giving us our heart’s desire. In fact, he’s the one who gave us our desires in the first place, and he gave them to us not to frustrate us but to help us be useful and fulfilled in our service for him.

Think of what you know about King David in the Old Testament. Now here’s a guy who obviously loved music, poetry, women, and war. So he became a warrior/king and all his passions, in their proper places and under the Spirit’s control, drove him to be not only a great king, but a man after God’s own heart. God didn’t give him all these passions and then tell him to spend his life being a scribe in a cave somewhere. (He saved that for me!)

As a child, I had a passion for music. I would spend hours doodling on the piano, and when I got my first guitar, it became the goal of my life to make the same sounds I heard in my favorite songs. When, as a young adult, God put the idea in my head to use all these passions and skills to write and perform music about his Gospel and his truth, I thought I wasn’t hearing correctly at first. That couldn’t be serving God; that would be too much fun! It took an adjustment of my understanding of God and his ways to really believe God was in this. Now I know that this is the way he works. If he wants us to do something, he’ll put a desire in our heart to do it.

God is not in the frustrating business; he is in the fulfilling, joy-filled business. So if you are desirous of serving God, think first about what you can do and what you love to do. Serving God will be along those lines.

So last Friday I got the pleasure of attending a Cerner event for the entire day. What a wonderful way to spend a Friday. A group of about 20 of us (four of these people being pretty good friends of mine) were shuttled around all day to all the hotels Cerner partners with. We toured to the rooms and basic were treated like queens for the day. It was a marvelous time that was made even special by the drawing I won single handedly at the only 4 diamond hotel in the KC area. They gave away a one night stay in an executive suite w/ a limo ride to the hotel and back. I was in shock. I'm truly so excited. Also got another treat, we eat lunch at Skies restaurant on the top of the Hyatt. Now I've been there once before (for another Cerner event) but it was just as cool this time as last. It's so cozy and yet modern in there. It's just the perfect place to have a great lunch on a sunny day with friends. Even more enjoyable because it was free. Here's just a small taste of the view. It was just simply lovely. So my day ended holding a box of special made pastries from Andres, a new stainless steel coffee mug, a night stay complete with limo ride to a great hotel and tired feet. What could be more perfect? Perhaps if they would have given us pedicures or something but I was just so enchanted as it was by the day. Why ruin it huh?!
So by Friday night I knew trying to top my day was pretty much not going to happen and it was cold. I'm talking well digger in a flash freezer box with no clothes on in Alaska cold. So we staying in all weekend and did not much. Watched movies and moved furniture. Not eventful but fun. We finally got the chance to watch the remake of The Stepford Wives. It was pretty fun. I of course haven't seen the original but I liked this version. Christopher Walken and his weirdness makes pretty much every movie better. I made a big pot of bean and bacon soup and I was in heaven. Monday set in a little to early. Work just wasn't something my sleeping pattern had in mind. I made it though. Lastnight John and I cleaned like devils because tonight his friend from way backy times is coming in from TX to visit. We're only really a spot on his journey but it's going to be great to see him. He's really only on of two friends who seem to still give a crap John. I'm so excited to see him but more excited that he's made an effort to visit. Should be a great time.
In other big and exciting news, Gran flys in tomorrow night. Talked to her yesterday and she said it's warmer in Germany than it is in KC. Sick and Wrong.
Ohhhhh and on Saturday night we're having a Valentine Cocktail party at her house. It's gonna be fab! Lots of folks and lots of food. I'll try and remember to take photos.

Seeing Things Clearly...

So I just got back from the eye doctor. My contact came in and well we had to have a fitting. Now my idea of this is that I would put these in myself for the first time. But no. This gal tries to jam these tiny pieces of clear plastic in my eyes (and I'm SOOOO not an eye toucher it's ridiculous!) without me closing them tightly at the sight of her finger. HELLO!!!! It's natural to shut your eye when something is poked at it lady! Anyway, after forever we got them in and then I had to take them out and vice versa. They feel good. I can see of course but I also see things completely different than with glasses. Things seems so much more 3D. So do I look funny?

So it's snowing here AGAIN today. We've got a cover on the ground and it's still flurries. When I was out driving to the eye doctor it was a little slick even. People are going really slow though.

Tonight I'm going to make this new chicken dish. I got a really cool cook book over the weekend and I have made a few really tasty things this week out of it. This dish is some kind of balsamic garlic chicken thing. Looks really good. I'm going to roast some veggies with it as well. Hopefully it will turn out yummy. On a day like today you just want something hot to eat for dinner.

Ok, I Am Here

So just in case you thought that I'd totally disappeared, I haven't. Lives been a little crazy lately. A very dear and sweet man passed away a few days ago and we were all just dealing with it in our own way. I think this is the first time that a person who I haven't been really related to or knew that well dying has effected me. I think I'm old enough now to understand that life in these bodies isn't eternal. At this point I would not be honest if I didn't say that fact makes me a little happy and a little sad. The thought of going to heaven is this wonderful thing but can't really be perceived by human minds. I can read about it but the full measure of what we'll experience is lost on me. The sad part is more about leaving family but mostly John. I've always struggled with the not being married to that person anymore when you get there thing. That's just my human mind not being able to wrap around the concept that being in the presence of God will be so wonderful that it won't matter. Or that I'll love everyone the way I love John. Again, something I'm just going to have to experience first hand to believe fully. The difficult part of the funeral was seeing the wife of many many years say good bye for one last time. I imagined myself in that spot today after only four years of marriage. I would be slain with grief, so I truly can't imagine the pain of losing your partner after so many years.

So on a lighter note, It's bloody cold here today. Like all of seven degrees bloody cold. Everyone at work is just chilled to the bone and walking around with steaming cups of misc drinks. My wonderful hubby even warmed up my car this morning it's so cold. I just dislike old man winter. He's a nasty old man. I'm just so ready for tank tops outside, bar b q parties and sun tans. I'm excited to work in the yard again and put landscaping in at our house. It's gonna be a fun spring/summer.

Also, a hair cut was in order. I was a bit panicked at first because my hair had become so long and I was used to it but I am really liking the cut now and it's just SOOOO easy.

So I'm Off to Get Puffed, Poked and dilated

Oh the joys of wearing glasses! I'm off today to get my eyes checked. It's such a pain and I'm so not looking forward to it. I am thinking however about asking the doctor about contacts. I would love the option of not having to wear glasses if I didn't want to. Makes having to wear them a little more fun.
Weather is still cold and gross. The snow and iciness are still stubbornly hanging out. We've been in the single digits each night. Makes getting up early so much fun!
I'm excited to spend some time this afternoon with my hubby. He's coming to chauffeur me to and from the docs. He hurt his back yesterday at work. Pulled something. Went to the Chiropractor yesterday and is just very sore today.
Almost time for Granny to fly out again. She leaves very early on Sunday morning. She's be out of town for a long time this time. Sad.
Well I'm off to the doc. Hope everyone is having a great day!

Warm and Toasty

So Friday we all braced for the worst storm so far this winter. They said lots of ice, snow and cold. John, Gran and Myself decided to eat some warm comfort food and then stock up on groceries and fun things to do. So basically all weekend we slept in, make good warm food, worked on a puzzle and sat by the fire. It was lovely. But what I wanna know is WHERE'S ALL THE SNOW? We truly didn't get anything to speak of till this morning around 8am. It started snowing pretty steady and it's been going ever since. Here's what we've got so far. The driveways are all solid ice but the main roads weren't to bad. John got today off (lucky dog) and most of our classes here at work are cancelled. My kitchen here at work is down again. Not sure that I mentioned it before but this is about the fourth time in four days that it's been down. No water, coffee or ice. People get grumpy without those things.
Today also has something else very important going on. It's Mom's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAY MOMMY! I'm sure they're probably snowed in, which I know makes her crazy. Hopefully, it's a good day anyway!

$10 Heaven

So the weekend was great. Picked Gran up on Friday and we gabbed for hours about Texas and such. Having the afternoon off was great! Saturday we slept in and made breakfast before departing for a long day of tote bag hunting. The quest continues. I did however score some great deals the entire day. TJ Max: $10 Max Studios Linen Blazer = Killer Cute & Comfy, Marshalls: $5 Gold and Black Beaded Dangle Earrings & a "Radar Hat" (as he calls it) for My Love, Express: $10 Grey Turtleneck Sweater, Target: $17 Grey Leaf w/ Lime Green Trim Tote Baf for Summer. Pretty productive.
Sunday was church. Killer message. Tim just gets better and better. Feel free to download it here and listen for free. It's actually a two parter. Both are out there. http://jacobswellchurch.org/audio
Water heater is getting fixed on Friday. Will be glad to have that done. Makes me nervous something in my house not working properly. I miss Maggie. I'm a terrible mother to her little kittiness. I'm excited to get that old PC out of the office. I'm excited to get my sewing studio decked out and running. Spring wardrobe here we come!!!! I'm also realized that I REALLY miss thrifting. I have done it in ages. I miss the thrill of finding really great shoes or a great book for next to nothing. I just haven't been honest with myself about who I am in that space and I'm totally a thrifter. It's fun to take a Saturday and just hunt around the shops for cheap stuff that's either already cute or you can cut up and make into something else cute.
Oh and last piece of news for today. I think my hair is getting whacked off again. I've been trying to grow it but I get to this stage where I can't remember why. I'm not a long hair person am I? It's pretty but I'm not sure it's for me. I mean everyone else has it first of all (which I really like doing my own thing, as we all know) and it's just so much blowdrying/hairspray. I hate hairspray. So in the spirit of hair cuts, what do we think of this? I've had it before and it's EASY and OH how I love easy. Plus, I'm so ready for spring to spring. This is festive for Spring. We'll see. I'm not rushing. That's something I'm getting increasingly good at is not rushing into thing. That ability could have only come from God because I'm the ultimate rusher. And...GO!

Something to Make You Smile

I saw this and laughed so much...

A Little Something from the Past

So this is actually for the 20th of Dec but I kept it because I knew I wanted to post it here. To me it's a reminder to live more like Jesus would. More out of a heart of love and acceptance and not coming from that religious place that we all have inside us. There's such a fine line between loving unconditionally and shutting your eyes to something you know is wrong. Just something to ponder for today.

Love and Miss You All!

The whole truth
by John Fischer
Author Phillip Yancey tells a story of a man in his church that can't help comparing being late for church to being late for his regular Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. When he's late for church, he says that he has the distinct feeling from everyone around him that he's not as responsible or he would get to church on time. When he's late for an A.A. meeting, however, the meeting stops, everyone jumps up to hug him because they realize he almdidn'tdidn't make it, and they are so glad his need for them won out over his need for alcohol.
What's the difference? The whole truth. The people who got to church on time may have gotten that one thing right, but they have a bunch of other things wrong with them, making them just as needy as the alcoholic. Felloisn'tip isn't going to mean anything if we don't tell the whole truth about ourselves. Real fellowship means stepping into the light of God's truth where everything is revealed, and when we bring ourselves to the light, we discover we are not alone. There's a roomful of other believers all struggling with something too, and that sense of shared need is part of the bond that holds us together.
Yes, we're people following Christ, but we're all a bunch of forgiven sinners, too, who wouldn't have a chance at life were it not for what Christ has done for us. So grab someone and let's walk into the light together, where the blood of Jesus purifies us from allIsn't our sins. Isn't that the group you want to be in?
But if we walk in the light as he [God] is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7 NIV)

21 Life Lessons Found

Ok. So I had to post this too today. I've been doing some cleaning up of my files and found it. Some of these are so true and so wise. Something fun for you pseudo Monday.

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

Holiday Update

So I'm back to work today, it's cold outside AND I forgot my breakfast. Boo. Other than that, today is great! Holiday's are over for a bit now. We had a pretty good time this weekend. John's family seemed to be less obnoxious than normal. Maybe I'm just getting used to them. Our late Christmas turned out great. We got some nice things. Killian played Santa for about two point two seconds till he realized there were presents under the tree for him. It was pretty cute though. Hung out with Mom and Gary on Sunday too. Weather started getting gross though. The farther north we got the less yuck there was though. Monday was just hangin out. John spent some of his gift card money on some shoes he's wanted forever. He is cute.

Looking through all the pictures on the web of people's holiday craft projects has made me wanna get back in the swing. I haven't done anything crafty in ages and it's truly a passion of mine. Just love to make cute things that are unique and make people (and myself) smile. I think this year that will be something on my goals list. I don't normally make resolutions for new years. It seems like setting yourself up for being disappointed in yourself later if you don't do them all. This year I've thought of a few things though that makes sense and are easily done with little effort:

-Get back to crafting. Bakin, sewing, painting.

-Get healthy. I don't wanna lose X amount of weight. It shouldn't be about that. I wanna start eating right and exercising for myself. I don't want to feel like I have to buy disposable clothing because I'm waiting to get thin to buy nice things. I just need to stop being lazy and be healthy.

-Focus on being a great wife. I got a great great book for Christmas that I've started reading on this subject. It's opend my eyes a lot. I'm not always going to be perfect but being the wife God intended is important.

I feel like three is a good attainable goal. Three things that I can actually reach. Not fifteen really out there resolutions that I'll never got around to or feel overwhelmed each time I look at the list. Ok, your turn. What are some of your new years goals?

Oh! I wanted to write to the gals who read my blog. I discovered a new to me magazine yesterday. I'm a crazy magazine reader and have seen this one for ages but from the cover it seemed like something an older crowd would enjoy. Not so. I pick up a copy due to the cover model and my obsession with Law and Order. Ended up being my favorite new mag and I'm totally getting a subscription. It's called Self. Not a new mag but like I said, new to me. It's got everything. A little fashion, some makeup goodness but most importantly it's got loads of exercises to try and recipes that look GREAT! Also has some really good articles. It's just clicked with me. You might want to check out the January issue. It's out now of course.

So it's the day AFTER Christmas and I can hardly believe it. Four days flew by at lightning speed. Friday was just spent at our house. Just me and the gals. John went out shopping for "drugs" as he calls it. That means presents for me. Packed up our lives and went back over to Gran's house. Saturday started out to be a promising day. Slept in, made a lazy breakfast and generally just took our time. We finally decided however that showers and real clothing were in order. Wrapped all our gifts and then realized that Gran's house (we're currently back staying there because our lovely hot water heater went out) had NO trace of Christmas to be seen. So we rummaged through that basement rubbermaid and pulled out a few things to liven the place up. Just when it was getting good, John's friend came over and proceeded to spend four hours of my precious time with John jacking with new computer stuff. Sigh...BUT at least John got his new computer all squared away. It's a cute little thing. He loves it and I'm so glad we were able to get it. Will make school so much easier for him. Sunday started much the same but without the breakfast part. Mom and Gary rolled in around two and we headed over for a fun filled Christmas Eve dinner at Aunt Batman's house. Food was good and always nice to see them. Monday we spent some time at Gary's parents. Funny stuff. Lots of people in a little tiny house FULL of furniture. Made for some interesting times. Nice to see everyone though. John and I just spent the rest of the evening watching movies and relaxing. Weird how it didn't really feel like Christmas at all until I was driving home from our house alone with the radio on. By then Christmas was all but over. Sad. I'll get more into it next year. Oh! Two things I almost forget. We dog-sat the CUTEST baby ever. He was such a sweet little guy and was so good all weekend. I didn't want to take him back!
And the best for last! Presents! Got some CUTE things. JZ got me a docking station for my Ipod (car one and house one), some beautiful gloves, comfy jams from VS, and a cute hat for him that I wanted him to get a while back but he hated it. He still does but decided he would wear for me as a present. He's so sweet. Got a cute little white tea pot, personalized calendar and sweet pic of my pups. Gran got me a beautiful watch and some perfume from Paris (which I'm obsessed with). Over all GREAT year for presents. Fun thing is that this next weekend we get to do it all over again with John's family.
Back to work today. I rolled in a little late but nobody was here anyway. Still pretty dead even now. Oh well, back to the salt mines!

Who Would DO This to Their Baby???

Well, besides me.

Scandal, Secrets and Scary Pink Medicine

So I'm almost on the ball here. Left work a hour early yesterday to "sneak" to Target and get all of John's stocking stuffer goodness. I was so excited to find stockings that matched our bizarre color scheme of the tree and then I proceeded to stuff that stocking till it's little seams were about to pop. I can't WAIT for him to open. Tonight I have to make Christmas. Decorate the house, make brownies for all his coworkers, wrap all the presents and manage to get a brow wax in there someplace. This morning I was less than pleased to find a nice little pile of hershey wrappers on the carpet of the living room. Seems Yorda had her own holiday party while John was in the shower this morning. I had to go to work though. I didn't have time for the vet just then. Got here and squared it all away. Called mom in a panic after reading that 2 oz of choc can be lethal. I have NO idea how many of those hershey kisses she actually ate. So we take a trip to the vet. He's a nice guy but pronounces my childs name wrong and that frustrates me. Then I realize it's because the lady at the counter miss spelled it on her chart. Way to go. Anyway, he checked Yordie out. Heart rate was good, stomach felt fine, eyes looked clear and she was jumpin around like she hadn't a care in the world. I'm sure he thought I was a over protective nut job to bring her in but I would rather be safe than sorry. We ended up with some nasty tasting (well apparently from the look on Yorda's face when I shot it down her little tiny throat) pink medicine for the next two days. Hopefully suppose to prevent any vomiting or squirts that might occur due to her pre holiday bash. Oh What A Night!!!!!

It's Sick and Wrong!

So I just realized that I haven't posted in FOREVER and that's just...well, sick! I haven't been up to much really. Guess that's the biggest reason for lack of fun news. Back to work at my normal location. I forgot how busy it is here sometimes. I also just realized today that Christmas is so close. Like REALLY almost here. So this weekend I've got to finish up the shopping and get the Christmas cookies in the oven. I haven't even decorated my house. How crazy is that! I know mom and dad's mouths are dropped open at this point. We all remember when I was a kid and right after Thanksgiving turkey we HAD to bust out the ol' tree. Drag it up from the basement on the suicide steps and out came the tinsel! Oh I loved it. For some reason though I'm just not getting into it this year. I think it's because I really thought I had more time.
What else...got a new PC at work. I was going to hold out for the Dell's but they ran out and I didn't want to wait until next year (date undetermined) to get it. So I went with the Toshiba. So far it's been GREAT! It's like a working off a movie theater screen. I just don't know what to do with myself!
Got Christmas with John's family all worked out. I know you all have been in on that saga at one point or another. We decided to go one weekend (not two in a row. Sheesh!). We'll be headed down there the weekend of the 30th. Less traffic hopefully anyway. Not sure what we will do on the day of but we can figure that out later. Even if I just sit at home and watch Christmas movies in my pjs with my hubby, I'll be happy.

Snow in the MidWest???

So we didn't get the HUMUNGO storm they told us we would. At Gran's house there was really only about two inches max. Here's a pic from out front of her house.
Notice anything missing? That would be the mail box and it's not there because, well, we backed over it while sliding on ice down the driveway. It's was exciting! I'm sure eveyone else got more snow than we did and it's melting off today as I type. It's just cold. Bad cold. Nothing like 70's one day and teens the next to get your winter juices flowing!
It's weekend time. I've heard some talk of the new Bond movie in my future. Also, we are going to finish up Christmas shopping. Gonna be so happy to have it done. Also thinking about getting out all the christmas stuff and decorating. Not sure though.
Anyway, have a wonderful weekend. Be safe and DON'T work (You know who you are!!!) :)

Hey Baby It's COLD Outside

Just wanted to share a little idea of how cold it is here today. Hope everyone is staying warm and safe!!!

Relationship and Sleeping Cute Boys

Holiday time!!!! Food, Food and more Food. The weather has been just lovely almost everyday. So far this season has been GREAT!!!
Here's a cute little pic of John on Turkey Day...

Also, here is an email I recieved today about being in relationship with people. It gets you to thinking about how you interact with people on a daily basis. Does me anyway...

It's all in the relationship by John Fischer
“I try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what I like or what is best for me, but what is best for them so they may be saved.” (1 Corinthians 10:33 NLT)
This is an important question to have in mind whenever we are talking to anyone: “What is best for this person?” It’s a way of both getting out of ourselves and being in a position to truly help someone else. It requires finding out more about the other person – asking lots of questions and paying close attention to the answers. My job is to gain insight into a person’s thinking so as to understand who he is, where he is at, and what he is trusting in. Only then can I have a real relationship with someone. If my primary focus is on me, and what is best for me, that doesn’t even constitute a relationship.
This doesn’t mean I never talk about myself. It means that when I do, it’s for the purpose of identifying with another person. Real relationships reveal holes in our lives that others can relate to. And if Jesus will accept someone like me, surely people can recognize that Jesus will accept them. But this only works when we tell the truth. We have to first introduce our real selves to people before we introduce Jesus; that way they can understand why we need Jesus. Out of real relationships, God has a chance to work.
Paul says that the essence of his impact on people is to introduce himself to them. As he puts it, “We commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:2 NIV) To commend himself is to commend Christ, because Christ is his all in all. It’s all embodied in the relationship. Think of it this way: All our relationships are godly because God is all wrapped up in the people he created. People are God’s priority. They’re ours too, if we are following him.
People can understand relationships, even if they do not trust them. Everyone wants a friend. Everyone wants someone to care. Everyone wants to know he or she can count on someone to be there. This is where Jesus picks up in true and trusted relationships. Our relationship with Jesus and with people is intertwined. Whether they know him or not, Jesus is the essential element in all our relationships. And we’ll know when it’s important for someone to know that. Most likely, they’ll be asking us to tell them.
Aim high. God places a high value on relationships. It is what makes up the stuff of eternity. Aside from God and people and the love that holds us together, what else is there?

Couldn't Resist...

Something about dogs on couches just makes me laugh. Look at these little guys.

Turkey in the Straw...

Well I have to say it's been a long week. I think Tuesday was the longest day of my life so far but things could have been much worse and I'm grateful they weren't. Hopefully this weekend we'll all get some much needed rest.
The weather is suppose to be nice and I'm looking forward to get out for a nice walk at some point.
Thanksgiving is next week too. I can't wait for pecan pie. I truly love this holiday. Family is together, everyone is stuffed to the gills with the best food ever and then there's the parade. I'm not sure why but I love the parade. This year I have a lot to be thankful for.
1.Granny is still with us and healthy to boot
2.The unconditional love that God continuously gives me
3.My wonderful Hubby and Pups
4.Dad, Mom and Gary
5.My job, even though it stresses me out sometimes. At least I have one.
6.My car. It's just so dang cute.
7.Pecan Pie that is to come

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all! (Just a little Paula Dean for everyone)

Opposites Attract

by John Fischer

How do you become like Christ? Interestingly enough, God is more committed to this than we are. And it’s a good thing, because if it all depended on us, we would never get very far in this process. We would probably be too easy on ourselves.
“And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.” (Philippians 1:6) He started it; he will finish it.
OK, but how does this happen? One of the ways God does this is by letting the opposite thing happen to you. Do you need to learn how to love? Get ready for someone you can’t stand. Need patience? Better prepare for some aggravations to come your way. Looking for peace? Here’s a little chaos you weren’t expecting. Joy? Did I mention sorrow?
Now why is God like this? Is he some kind of killjoy in the sky? Does he get a kick out of kicking us around? Actually he does this for the very reason that he is the one who starts and finishes the work in us. You see, all these qualities really belong to God. Love, joy, peace, patience are actually fruits of God’s Spirit in those who believe. In other words, he’s provided all these things we need, but we don’t find them until we are desperate for them. It’s just the way we were made.
If we could come up with all these qualities on our own, we wouldn’t need God. We would have rules and formulas and steps to go through to better ourselves. In other words, religion would be enough. As it is, we are deeply flawed. Even our best attempts at producing the right things in our lives come up short. Religion is a fine thing; it’s just that it has never made anyone like Christ. In fact, the more religious we become, the further away from Christ we get. You get to be more like Christ by needing him more and more in your life.
You can’t make the right stuff out of the wrong material. Or as Jesus said, you can’t put new wine in old wineskins. So God allows things into our lives that break the old, to bring in the new. The new is beyond us. We are forced to discover it when we are stretched beyond our means. So God brings the opposite to create in us what we really want. That’s when we grow.

LifeBlood

I was reading this morning in the bible about relationship with God and found this:

Psalms 16:5 The Lord himself is my inheritance, my prize. He is my food and drink, my highest joy!

For some reason it just stuck out to me. Sometimes is helps to think of God so literally, at least for me. The word that always comes to mind, and it's a funny one, is lifeblood. It's so dramatic yet wonderful. I love the strong meaning that helps you to realize just how serious this object is to your life. Thinking of God as your food and drink is much the same. Those are things you just can't live without. This week I had a very honest test of that in my life. You really can't live without eating or drinking. I also find it interesting that you also do these things without a lot of thought. Sure we all spend time trying to figure out what sounds good to us but in the end it doesn't take a lot of brain waves to put the food in your mouth. That is how relationship should be with God. Something you do (not mindlessly) but without serious struggle or turmoil. He loves you and wants you to love and trust Him completely.

Keeping First Thing First

Today's Scripture

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)

People who experience the joy, blessings and favor of the Lord are different in one key area: they put the most important things in life at the top of their list where they belong. If you want to experience God's best in your life, stay focused on Him and on the things that truly matter. The Bible says to first aim at and then strive after God's kingdom and righteousness—which simply means to do things God's way. To reach your full potential and be everything God intends you to be, make sure His priorities are your priorities. Doing this will help you make wise use of your time and help you to experiencie God's best.

A Prayer for Today

God, thank You for explaining in Your Word what is really important in life. Help me to get my priorities in life in the right order, and then keep the most important things first. I claim Your power and wisdom today as I seek to make You and Your kingdom the focus of my day. In Jesus' name. Amen.