Taking A Time Out

I am sick, fighting a cold.
I am packing up my grandparent's house and happy they will be 5 miles from me.
I am working extra hard at work because my team is in High Point at a furniture show.


I will be running under the radar this week but don't worry all is well

I close with a verse I have been clinging to this past week.

" With what shall I come to the LORD
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?"

Micah 6: 6-8

Have a great week!

5 Movies I am Looking Forward To

1. Confessions of A Shopaholic




2. The Secret Life Of Bees (Starts this weekend)



3. HSM-3 (Uh, I already have a ticket to opening night. Yes, I am a nut!)



4. The new James Bond flick (Yes, I have always dreamed of being a Bond girl)



5. And last but not least....TWILIGHT! (If you haven't read the books than you are missing out and are, well, an idiot! I am kidding about the last part)

COME ON YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO JOIN WITH ME

Meet my old friend, FLYLADY. She has come to stay awhile at my house. Every day she encourages me to get my franny moving to move beyond the chaos. I have found that when she visits, I tend to get more things done in my day. I guess you can say I am one that loves a little bit of motivation.

Are you tired of living in CHAOS? The Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome? Why don't you join me? Sign up and find out more here. Seriously, FLYLADY is a blessing and it has blessed me in the past. Truth is when I told Jeff I was signing up for FLYLADY again, he smiled because he knows what a blessing this website is to me and to our house.

Today I started Day One and would love for you guys to join me. If you do join, please let me know so we can talk amongst ourselves. I promise to update you with my progress as well.

I Am A Woman Of My Word...ENJOY THE PICS!

Greetings from Epcot back in July


I love my Buddha man!

Jeff hates roller coasters, Hayley helped him conquer his fears...click on the second picture below to see what he looked like on the ride. Priceless! I was trying to not fall out of my seat b/c my lap bar was loose! Don't try that at home kids!

Missy's Somewhat Surprise 30th Birthday party last week. It would have been a surprise if Big Brother didn't send his wife the EVITE on accident. Missy is now nominated for an Oscar because of how well she played it up that she was surprised.
Sweet little Elijah!

This is the picture I was telling you all about last week, I wish I didn't squint every time I took a picture...oh well!

Mom and Daughter in Law (Or as my mom says Daughter in Love, but that sounds like she is calling Missy a love child. She does the same to Jeff and Jeff and I always get a good laugh. I know it is meant to be sweet, I am only teasing mom)
Cousin Brandy and Baby Britt. I love this kid. He is so cute but was super fussy the day we were there so I don't have a happy face picture. See what I mean by fussy! He still is as cute as a bug!

Hayley turned 11 this past weekend. ELEVEN! Where has the time gone? I think she liked our gift. It goes well with her new IPOD she got for her birthday. That poor girl is growing up so fast. She will be a teen before we know it. YIKES!


That's all folks!

If You Read This, I Will Post All Pictures Next, No Words.

I haven't told you all what has been happening in my neck of the woods lately so I thought I would let you know of the few things happening in our neck of the woods.

1. Yes, the rumor is true, I am now on Clomid. I tease Jeff always that we are going to have a two for one special, to which his face turns white and he says, "Let's not talk about this right now." My doctor warned me that I would be sick and she wasn't kidding. Thankfully I have a few friends who now check on me during my sick week and are a constant support of encouragement for me. Thank you friends, you know who you are.
2. Emotionally I am doing great. I praise God for the peace that has come in the next phase of the positive plus sign journey. Which leads me to my next point...
3. I was 4 days late last week. I am never late. Jeff and I were very excited but didn't tell anyone because we wanted to make sure that this was not a false alarm. Turns out, it was a false alarm. I did not cry or get mad, I just called my doctor and scheduled round 2. I think this is a testament to what God has been doing in my heart over the last year. Jeff has been a huge help in keeping me from losing it too. I am so thankful for his calm spirit and his encouragement of living fully in the moment. I could not do this without him!
4. We had a blessing from God at the doctor's appointment on Friday. Long story short, I have 3 months of medicine for free. This just proves to me that God is in the details. At least we know we have 3 months of trying with the medication without any out of pocket expense. That my friends is a blessed assurance. :)
5. The house hunt is going good. At this point, we are both content to wait and see what happens with the economy. The one house we looked at and loved, we would be buying from a family I have grown up with, who happen to live 3 blocks from where I grew up. They are having a structural engineer come to check out the foundation on Wednesday, until we know more we are waiting and praying. Praying that the foundation won't be an arm and a leg to fix and for God to show us which direction to go. But for now, we are living in perfect peace.
6. My grandparents are moving to a retirement community apartment-thing-a-ma-jig in two weeks. This place will only be 2 miles from me and 1 mile from my Aunt. This will be a huge help to me as I usually bring them dinner and buy groceries for them once a month. This was one of those things that I thought about but never really prayed about. Do you know what I mean? I wanted them closer but I didn't know how to convince them to move. I let it go because I didn't feel like it was my place to say, "Pack up-you are moving!" My aunt and her husband found this place and my grandparents fell in love with it. Praise God for working out the details behind the scenes! This place has bible studies and activities for people to attend so this will be great for Granny B since she is a social butterfly. I pray that God will soften Bonner's heart since he still refuses to talk about God or church. Every time I get frustrated or disappointed, I remember Maudie and her spirit before God touched her heart. She refused any talk of God but thankfully God opened the doors for Jeff and I to talk to her two weeks before her death. So I continue to pray for open doors for Bonner and a soft heart to hear the truth and believe it.

That my friends is the low down. Thank you for letting me put that out there so that you could continue to pray for us. We (Jeff and I) are doing very well. Last week was a rough week but God quieted the storm and comforted us in our time of need. I praise Him for the peace that passes all understanding.

Have a blessed week!

My Little Man E

I stole this picture from Missy's facebook and here is why.

I came here today to post a cute picture of E and me but I can't find them on the computer. I typically file my pictures in a folder by the month and then do another folder inside with the event. Well the folder marked October 2008 is gone. I can't find it anywhere. I am going to have to see if my super computer hero father in law can find them for me. I will not flip out yet. :)

But...

Let me tell you about E! As you can tell from the picture above, he is not lacking in personality. While we were at dinner the other night celebrating Missy's 30th birthday he asked me to help find the mints. And since I am the aunt I decided to help the little guy out. As we were walking back, he grabbed my hand and said, "Thanks, Sue Sue!"

Melted my heart right there and made me a sucker, it did. The next time he asked, I gladly went and held out my hand as he placed a mint inside for everyone in our family.

"One for Nanny, one for Jeff, one for Mommy, one for Dad, one for Kay-tee, one for Fay-TH, one for Lynnie, one for Paw Paw, one for MeMe, one for you and one for me-eeeee!"

Later when we were leaving, he came out the door with a huge handful of mints and says, "Sue Sue help me put these in my pockets." I swear there were 15 on each side. I made sure to tell his mom they were there and to his credit he continued to pass them out to everyone in our party.

I just love that kid! yes, I do!

Gloria by Watermark

I woke up with the song in my head today, this is my all time favorite praise song.
Enjoy!

The Bend in the Road

Last night I chose to write a blog post that in the morning I quickly deleted. My heart was heavy last night and I vented to blog land. I try to avoid extreme posts like that because when reading someone else's writings, you are not able to perceive their tone or hear the emotion associated with the words. Sometimes words can unintentionally get blown out of proportion. Plus I have come to learn in the last two years, when the valleys come and I feel as yuck as I did last night, that I need to get on my knees before I say anything else. It helps me keep my head on straight.

Today I want to share with you a poem that I came across on a Focus on the Family broadcast last week.

The Bend in the Road
A poem of encouragement by Helen Steiner Rice

When we feel we have nothing left to give
And we are sure that the song has ended,
When our day seems over and the shadows fall
And the darkness of night has descended,
Where can we go to find the strength
To valiantly keep on trying?
Where can we find the hand that will dry
The tears that the heart is crying?

There's but one place to go and that is to God,
And, dropping all pretense and pride,
We can pour out our problems without restraint
And gain strength with Him at our side.
And together we stand at life's crossroads
And view what we think is the end,
But God has a much bigger vision,
And He tells us it's only a bend.

For the road goes on and is smoother,
And the pause in the song is a rest,
And the part that's unsung and unfinished
Is the sweetest and richest and best.
So rest and relax and grow stronger,
Let go and let God share your load.
Your work is not finished or ended,
You've just come to a bend in the road.

Isn't that a great poem?

Today I choose joy.
Today I choose to trust God and His plan for me.
Today I choose to live fully in the moment.

I Love...

• listening to the rain hit my windows as I type
• soft music playing in the background
• warm coffee by my side
• a husband sound asleep in the bedroom ,who is on vacation this week
• answered prayer at church yesterday, we have prayed for another male guitar player who can sing...God blessed us with a great fit.
• awesome morning of worship yesterday
• the wonderful sermon yesterday that lead to Jeff saying on the way home, "I love it when all the little pieces fall together and you can understand the big picture."
• seeing Jeff's spiritual growth and leadership in the home and church (Praise You, God!)
• the peace that passes all understanding
• the joy that flows through me
• my friends who I can laugh with, pray with, cry with and just be me with.
• knowing that it is Monday and all my work is done at 11:00 this morning (this is a miracle in itself)
• my family
• reading the story of Jesus in chronological order
• knowing that I am a sinner, saved by grace, not by works so that no one can boast

Establishing A Quiet Moment

I am in the middle of reading Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. Ladies, this is a MUST read! If I could, I would buy a copy to share with all my friends. Unfortunately I don't think Jeff would really go for that. He tends to be a little more frugal than me. :)

A couple of weeks ago I found myself at the Garden Ridge shop-a-thon. I was looking for a box to store my quiet time supplies. Before the can above came into my life, I kept my journal next to my bed, the daily read Bible on the kitchen table and the current christian book read along with the current Life Beautiful magazine wherever they landed when I stopped reading somewhere in my house. I never really felt like I had a place all my own to have a quiet time. The problem was because I was too scattered. And being scattered why you are trying to focus is never good.

In this book there is a chapter called Living Room Intimacy. Joanna talks about the importance of carving out time to study the word, not because it is another task to check off the to do list but because it helps us to develop a relationship with God. Joanna encourages us not to view our quiet time as a ritual but as a way of developing a relationship with God.

Now let me just say that I am not perfect at doing this but I have made progress and to me, that is the key in developing any new habit. Progress.

I bought a pretty can that I enjoyed looking at and inside that can I have the following:

• highlighter


• pen


• journal


• The Daily Chronological Bible


• Kleenex for those days that I just have to let the tears flow


• Life Beautiful magazine


• And the current non-fiction book I am reading (currently it is the book we are talking about)

I typically schedule my quiet time in the morning so that I can sit and drink my morning cup of coffee. I also enjoy listening to a praise and worship CD in the morning. My favorite Cd's for quiet time are First by Gateway worship or Quiet Hymns of Instrumental Worship. I usually will sit in my recliner because that is the most comfortable chair I own.

In the book, Joanna mentions that Robin Jones Gunn (christian author) always lights a candle during her quiet time. This way when her kids wake up and see the candle burning they know Mom is having a quiet moment and not to disturb until the candle is blown out. I don't know about you but what an example that you can give to your kids. Let them see that you are spending time with God.

Truth is when I started making my quiet time a special, relaxing time I found myself wanting to do it on a more regular basis. If I can encourage you to do anything at all let me encourage you to establish a special place in your home for a quiet time. I believe as Christians quiet time is a vital to our ministry especially as a keepers of your home. Take time to carve out a half hour or more to spend developing a closer relationship with God.

Read this book! It will bless you in more ways than one. I promise!

Yesterday...

What needed to be done:

• first of the month reports
• beginning of a new fiscal year reports (yuck!)
• laundry
• inventory two home stores*
• update the catalogs at the stores
• pick up dry cleaning
• enter in a few orders before 6 p.m.

What I would have rather been doing:

• reading my latest book
• playing Tetris on Facebook
• talking to my Granny
• taking an afternoon nap (I was at a home store* during the middle of nap time and man the mattress section looked so inviting)
• walking with Jeff

Things I did to reward myself for accomplishing the top list and holding off on the second list.

• walked around Hemisphere's
• ate a burger at Fuddrucker's and read a chapter of my book
• made chocolate chip cookies** last night and ate one or two for breakfast this morning

*Home stores= the furniture company that I work for showroom (sorry the furniture company googles their name often so I don't want to even mention it b/c I don't want a random computer guy they have hired lurking on my blog)

** not actually homemade, they were the break apart and slap on the cookie sheet kind

5 Things: Favorite TV Shows As A Kid

Let's walk down memory lane, shall we? Do you remember the theme songs to your favorite shows as a kid? I do,thanks to one of my high school boyfriends who bought me a CD called 70 & 80's Greatest TV Theme Songs.

The other day I found this CD in a drawer and started listening to it again. This, of course, lead me to search You Tube where I spent the next 45 minutes walking down memory lane. Since I was a latch key kid, I have way more than 5 favorite TV shows so I will do another batch one day soon. By the way, I don't think my mom realized how much television my brother and I watched as a kid. And I believe this post will take the wool off her eyes. She will now know that we did not spend our time after school doing the list of chores that she left. Instead the majority of our time was spent plopped down in front of the television. We rushed around to do our chores five minutes before she came home, you know, after we received her phone call telling us "I'm on my way!" Guess the jig is up now, huh?





Here is Part One:


1. Greatest American Hero (still love this song)





2. Facts Of Life




3. Small Wonder









4. Punky Brewster









5. Growing Pains (uh, can you say Kirk Fever!)

Song In My Head: Blue Skies by Point of Grace

I love this song and maybe the reason it constantly plays in my head is due to the beautiful fall days we are having this week.

I checked the forecast yesterday to see what the day would be like, Yahoo Weather said: Abundant Sunshine. I just love that they added that adjective to portray the amount of sunshine we would receive.

Abundance is a good word. A word I very rarely use but I have come to love.

I was in a reflective mood yesterday and decided to look up the word abundance on Bible Gateway. I found many verses with the word abundance, mostly to describe God's blessing others with food or such. But the verse in Psalms 66:12 touched me most.

"Then you put a leader over us. We went through fire and flood,
but you brought us to a place of great abundance."

Why did it touch me? Because they had to go through the fire and the flood in order to reach the place of abundance. I realize that my struggles are nothing compared to what others around me are going through. I know that I have been blessed but every once in a while I have those moments of humanness where I ask, "Why me, Lord?" Over the recent months, I have seen God blessing us abundantly and for that I praise Him. It's like they always say, "Hindsight is 20/20." Well as I look back on the past two years, I can clearly see God and His presence surrounding me. That is one of the reasons why I believe strongly in keeping a prayer journal because it never fails to prove God's presence in my life especially when you document the verses that God brought your way or the different songs playing in your head. All of these prove to me time and time again that God is a present in my life and blessing me abundantly.

Do you want to know the biggest blessing I have received in recent days. I have come to learn that I am happy in the present moment. Even though we are still trying for a baby, even though we have not moved to a house, God is blessing us. Jeff and I laugh more, cuddle more and communicate more than ever these days. And knowing the road that we have travelled to get there is a sign of God's abundantly blessing us.

So no matter where you are today remember that God is there and is blessing you abundantly, it's just how you choose to look at it.

No More Than Four

As many of you know, I am in the furniture business and I love to decorate. One of the ways that I entertain myself these days, is by decorating one of the houses that we are seriously considering. (Sorry can't give details yet. I have been asked by Hubs to keep it under wraps until we know for sure what we are going to do)





Even though I have to remain silent (that's like mission impossible for me) I am still decorating it in my head. And now that Jeff has realized that my decorating is not because I am already sold on the house but more of a way to entertain myself, he has started to play the decorating game with me. And when I say "play with me" I mean he will answer yes and no questions. He actually hasn't sat and looked online with me or anything. I just wanted to clarify so that his masculine image was not threatened in anyway.


Anywho...


I found the style dining room table that I have in mind while flipping through the Pottery Barn Fall Catalog.


I want a table that sits more than four people so when I showed and explained my reasoning to Jeff he says, "I like it but I don't want a big table."



"Why?"


"Because I don't want more than four people at my dining table."

"Seriously, no more than four?!"

"Yep, more than four is a crowd."


Don't worry, he was only kidding. I know because that man can't keep a straight face when he is teasing me. It gives him away every time.

He did say that he preferred it in black though which is perfect for me especially since my furniture company sells a black table that I like better. And the price would be a lot better than what we would be charged at PB, that's for sure.

So don't be surprised if we invite you over to our new house four at a time. :)

Progress Not Perfection

I was reading one of my favorite organizing blogs called Creative Organizing yesterday and her topic really struck a cord with me. Aby is addressing how we limit ourselves to organizing because we want it to be perfect and if it's not perfect we quit. But here she encourages us not think about the perfect way but to have progress in whatever way we choose.

I admit, I enjoy a clean home. I like the feeling that comes from going to bed each night knowing that my pathway to the bathroom is clear for my late night visit. I also enjoy being able to walk into my home after a being away and not have to trip on a bunch of stuff as I enter the door.

Truth be told, even though I enjoy a clean house, I very rarely get it. At least not to the perfect state that I desire. One of the biggest challenges for working inside my home is trying to keep work contained in an orderly fashion. Most days I am doing many things at once so by the end of the day, my desk is a mess and there are catalog pages scattered on the floor and dining table. This is the reason I have asked Jeff to find me a home with a yard big enough that we can put one of those portable barn type things in the back for my office. I really want to be able to walk away from work at the end of my day and walk into my home. And yet, I wouldn't trade working at home for having to commute to an office every day. I realize that I am very blessed with the job I have.

But back to the point of this blog, why do we let the need to be perfect hinder our progress. Growing up my mom used to sing a song to me called Practice Makes Perfect. I quit piano because I didn't want to practice the piano to become perfect, I just wanted it to happen for me. I quit dance because I couldn't get down my left turn pirouette. Looking back, I realize that it was dumb to quit, all I really needed was a little more practice.

Today as I sit looking at my cluttered little desk, the catalog pictures thrown all over the floor, the laundry piled high and the dishwasher waiting to be unloaded and reloaded, I am not going to strive for perfect but strive for progress.

Here is my challenge for you: Don't let the need for perfectionism rob you from making progress. Make a list of areas that you want to work on (home, family or personal) and strive to grow step by step in those areas. The goal is progress. And remember that setting a timer can be the best motivator to getting us started. I still enjoy the challenge of racing to finish a task in a 15 minute time frame.

If you are brave enough, I would love to hear what area you are going to challenge yourself to progress in rather than stiving for perfection.

Good luck!

Fall Into Reading 2008

I must admit that fall is my all time favorite season and love to use the Fall Into Reading challenge as a spring board for all the fun fall festivities.

In the past few weeks, I have challenged myself to read more non-fiction books. I am not usually one who likes to read non-fiction but have found that I am not wanting to read the fluff books either. Jeff suggested that I try a few biographies or autobiographies of people that I admire and I must admit I intrigued with this idea. After spending a few hours at Half Price books I found a few books that I have put on my fall reading list and have even thrown a few fiction in to keep my brain from flashing the word "TILT" across my eyes.

Books to Make Me Look Smart:
1) Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot
2) God's Wisdom for a Woman's Life by Elizabeth George
4) Life lessons from Corrie Ten Boom by Corrie Ten Boom
5) Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far by Amy Grant
6. Peace Like A River by Leif Enger

Books to Keep Me From Becoming A Super Genius (or something close to it):
1) Forever In Blue by Ann Brashares
2) Sunset by Karen Kingsbury
3) The Book Thief by Markus Zasuk
4) Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

To add your own book list, see what others are reading or because you just can't help yourself from being one of those people who loves to click on links when the opputurnity arisies, than go here.

Happy Fall Reading!

Kicking It Old School

Last night I went and walked the halls of RHS since they are about to tear down the old portion to fit the new school. I did not go to my high school reunion because I knew that everyone that I really wanted to see graduated a year before or a year after me. When I heard that they were going to do a MEGA reunion to get all the decades together I decided that I would give it a shot.


Here is a picture of one of the halls, I hated this hall because it was the Math hall. And well, we all know my distaste for math.


But it was in Math class my freshman year where I met my best friend in high school. Her name was also Susan and our math teacher, the coach of the football team, nicknamed us Susan2. (that =susan square for those of you mathmatically challenged). She was my first friend and became one of my dearest friends very fast. I still have notes that we passed back and forth at school that were signed Susan2. Many great memories with this chick! And I bet you didn't realize that Elvis is also a fellow alum and good friend. LOL!



And here is my locker! I loved that locker because it was located in the middle of the school and next to a door that led to the side of the school. This helped me beat the crowds and gave me more time to chat with my friends between classes.
> This is David looking at the class pictures. We dated most of my sophmore year and we have remained friends ever since. Last night I teased him and called him a frog. He didn't understand for a minute until I told him I had to kiss a bunch of frogs until I found my prince. My prince being Jeff of course!
The library! I lived here my junior and senior year becasue I was in AP English and we had to write many research papers. My senior thesis was on the topic of change and I quoted the Cranberries song that says, "All my life is changing every day, every possible way!" I scored very high because I was being creative. That's the day that I realized the key to a high grade is a bunch of creative b.s. with good quality sentence structure. Am I right or am I right?

And the basketball court.... (this ones for you Nat Rat!)
Susan wrote for the school newspaper and they had a few old copies of the paper. We found an article she wrote with her picture from the good ole days. Oh how we laughed when we saw that picture. I even remember her talking about writing the article we found. Strange!


Tonight a group of us are meeting at my place and heading to the game. Jeff is being such a good sport with all of this. I have to give him kudos because he told me today that he was looking forward to meeting my friends and hearing some of my crazy stories from back then. But I know that it doesn't mean the same to me. And as many of you already know (and experienced) I am still as crazy as ever.

Or it could be the fact that the portion I am attending is free. You all should know our family motto by now...say it with me..."If it's free, it's for me!"

Happy Friday!

Don't Worry Be Happy

Here is another song that has been playing in my head these days. I love this song and the video is quite funny and very 80's.

Good words to live by, don't you think?

Here is another good word to live by, one that has carried me through many ups and downs. Worth clinging to if you ask me.

Phillipians 4:6-9

"6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Many Things....

Many things running through my brain, amuse me a minute and let me dump it here.

1) Twilight Series...UNBELIEVABLE! I am almost finished with the 3rd book. Yes, Andrea I read book two in a day. Can you believe it? I could have finished book 3 last night too but I chose to strech it out a bit and sleep. I only have two chapters left and I am having a hard time getting my work done. :)

2) House hunting...this has been fun and not near as stressful as it has been in past years. I can't wait to see where God leads us. I am confident it will be the home I have always wanted since I have prayed for God to move us for 5 years.

3) I have lived in this apartment going on 7 years this month. I will be sad to leave my little neighborhood.

4) The many people who have been our neighbors hold fun, sweet memories (some memories not as sweet) for us. Jeff and I often try to count to see how many times a few of the apartments changed hands since we have been here. People just don't stay put like us. We are exception. We like to stay in one place for a very, very long time.

5) I am going to the RHS mega reunion this weekend. I can't wait to see a few of my friends from back in the day. I love face book because it has helped me reconnect to this group of people who were a blessing to me.

6) God brought a wonderful group of friends to me in high school. After going to FWC until I was in eighth grade, I transferred to Richland. I was scared to death of PUBLIC school. On the first day, I met a girl with my same name. We became great friends but sadly lost contact when we went to college. It will be fun to introduce Jeff to this friend and to catch up with her life.

7) I told my friend that I couldn't wait to get pictures of all of us. She laughed and said that some things never change, you still love pictures. She also said I am still my bubbly self which is a comforting thought. I guess to know that through it all I have still remained the same person (love pictures, love to laugh) makes me have a sense of peace. I like knowing that the good qualities remain in tact while I continue to change those things that don't put me in a good light. You know like my temper or big mouth. LOL

Okay, I really, really have to get to work now.
Talk to you guys soon.
Susan

Kids Say the Darndest Things

This past weekend Jeff and I had a few of our favorite little friends tell us a few things that are worth blogging about.

1) Mackenzie (5 years old) overheard her parents talking about the mail. I was sitting eating pizza with her when she looked to me and said the following.

Mac- "I don't get mail."
Me- "You don't get mail?!?"
Mac- "No, but you can send me mail if you would like."
Me- "Okay, I will see what I can do."
Mac- "But please put something in it because I want more than a letter."
Me- "All righty then."

2) We happened to run into the same family again at Costco on Sunday, the place of choice for Sunday lunch. Mackenzie's dad had gone to get the kids a snack at the snack bar. Jeff and I were teasing Mackenzie and her little brother Brady about what the snack would be. Jeff suggested broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce. To which Mackenzie replies, "They do not sell lettuce Mr. Jeff, I can promise ya!"

3) And then last night we were at our friend's house for small group when Andrew (age 3) came running into the room to tell us some quite exciting news.

Andrew: "Hey guess where I went today?"
Jeff: "Where?!?"
Andrew: "ALBERTSON'S!"


Who knew a grocery store could bring so much enjoyment. I believe that Disney may have a bit of competition for the title the happiest place on earth.

What's Up Buttercup?

I have found myself saying this to Jeff when he walks in the door from his afternoon walk (6 mile walk that is...6 miles....you go dude!) I don't know why I have started saying this but I do and he just gives me that look that makes me know he is thinking "What planet did you come from?"

Sigh.

Do you want to know what's up buttercup in our world?

Busy, busy, busy we are but joyful, joyful, joyful are we too.

Nope, no news to report on project positive plus sign. I promise I will shout it from the roof tops when that day comes. For now, I am encouraged. God is constantly showing me His presence and I am thankful. I believe James 4:8 to be a verse full of promise. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you!"

And friends I have found that when I lean on Him, I am stronger, peaceful and overflowing with joy for our little journey. I realize there is a reason for this season of waiting and I am at peace with this.

J and I have been leaning on the lyrics to the Rich Mullins song where he says, "Step by Step You' ll lead me and I will follow You all of my days." Today we took the next step and all day I have felt God's presence surrounding us. I am choosing joy and I am choosing to walk step by step with God.

I believe He is leading us. I believe He has great plans for us and for this I am grateful.

You know I often pray that our journey be a testament to God and I pray that God use this season of waiting to bring glory to His name. Oh God, you are my God and I will ever praise you.

Have a happy, joyful weekend and I hope everyone in Texas stays dry and safe.

Remember Miriam Quotes Part One

Nancy Leigh Demoss is doing a wonderful series on Miriam, Moses' sister. To listen from the beginning and at your own pace you can go here. I copied and pasted a few of my favorite parts so I could remember what God is teaching me during this journey. You know the minute I get discouraged or feel like God has forgotten about us, it never fails that God uses that time to encourage and spur me on. I am encouraged by Nancy's teachings, a phone call from a friend telling me that God laid us on their heart and they wanted to call to check on us, a song on the radio, and time spent in the Word. All of these remind me that God has not forgotten about us, that He does have a plan and we just need to wait, with faith, on Him. I put in bold and italics our new family motto. If you know me at all you should not have a problem realizing the one that struck a chord with me.

Maybe these quotes will bless you too. Beware it's a lot of material so if you don't have time to read it all, come back when you can or listen to them on the website at your own pace. This series will bless you I promise.

From: Parenting Under Providence

What is God’s providence? We’re going to see it in spades in this passage. God sees ahead. Pro- vidance: pro = before, voidance = vision. God has vision. He can see things ahead, and He makes provision for what’s coming that only He sees and knows.

You could break the word down this way: Pro-vidence—God’s providence. He provides for what He knows is coming. He’s always orchestrating the circumstances and events of our lives to fulfill His purposes.

As we continue in this account in Exodus 2, I want you to look for evidences of God’s providential hand and care. The thing about providence is that most often you can’t see it when you’re in the midst of the circumstances. You only see it when you look back.

That’s why we need to trust now, when we can’t see what God is doing, knowing that one day we will see and we will understand that God was not oblivious. He was not inactive. He was not asleep on His throne. He was very actively involved, knowing what was going on and working to make provision.

Let God write the script. Let Him do it His way


From: The Seeds of Faith
Someone has said that God's will is exactly what we would choose if we knew what God knows, and that's the heart of providence. It's knowing that God does see, and God does know. It's trusting His heart when we can't see His hand.

It's saying, “Lord, when I can step back in time or eternity and look back on all this, I will see You did all things well, and so now when I'm in the midst of this furnace or this Red Sea or this loss of a child or this oppression of mental, emotional, physical—whatever the enemy is, whatever the obstacle is—I trust that You are here. You are working. You are moving. You are accomplishing Your purposes, that if I knew now what You know now, I would say, 'Lord, You're not making a mistake.'”

You wait patiently, and you don't manipulate. You don't—well, I want to say you don't whine, although I have done some whining. I will confess. Let's see, what do you do? You . . .

Woman 3: . . . say, “Thank You.”

Nancy: You say, “Thank You.” You say, “Lord, I will praise You. My mouth will exalt You all the time, regardless of what I feel, regardless of what's going on. I will bless the Lord at all times.”

You wait, and you let God be God. You say, “In time, I will see, and I will know.” If not in time in this life, then in the next I will see that God was glorifying Himself and was blessing me. God loves us. He does want to bless us, His children, and these things will come to be for our good and for His glory.

For those of us that have done cross-stitch or needlepoint, so many times, and mine in particular, you look to the backside, and it's all knotted. It is not a very pretty picture. That's how we look at life sometimes, but God is up here. He's looking down on that needlepoint picture at what a perfect, beautiful picture it is.




From The Spotlight Is On God

So we learn a lot. When we’re obeying God, we’re blessed, and God can use us. When we go outside God’s plan and God’s place for our lives, then we will suffer consequences.

It reminds me of what Romans 15 says:

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (verse 4).

Listen, we don’t need all those extraneous stories to give us hope. We have the Word of God. And through the encouragement of God’s Word, we have hope.

Another Song In My Head

Oh yes, I love a rainy night and I praise God for the rain.

In My Neck Of the Woods.

I am getting my book list together for another Fall Into Reading Challenge hosted by Callapidder Days. Click here to find out the details and join too if you want. The more the merrier.

I am enjoying my computer free weekends but I did spend 30 minutes on Saturday checking email and reading a blog or two. I never realized how dependent I was to my computer until I gave it up two days a week. Saturday morning instead of reading through many blogs I finished my book. I think I enjoyed reading my book, curled up in my favorite chair, sipping on a cup of coffee more.

Which reminds me of another change in my schedule, I clean the house on Fridays so that I can spend Saturday and Sunday doing the things I love rather than housework.

The Charger game last night was sad. Two seconds left in the game and they loose it by a touch down. Two seconds. Sad.

Jeff and I have a rekindled our love for a good game of Spades. We have been playing it a lot with Matt and Meredith. Boys against girls. The girls always win yet this past Saturday it was a very close match. Meredith and I are going to have to step up our game. As we were driving home Saturday Jeff and I talked about how much we wanted to cherish this time with M&M before nephew Jacob comes to town. I know it has been a sweet time for all four of us.

Jeff and I went to look at a house on Saturday. Three words. way...too...small. We are still looking. Praise God for the fact that no fights have broke out with Jeff and I as we look for houses. Oh what a difference a year will make and lots and lots of prayer.

Have a happy Monday. I am off to get a presentation together for work and praying that the week not be as hectic as it may turn out to be. Oh well, I will take it all one step at a time.

Weekend To Do List

1. Dinner at the Burger Box with my Dad and Hubs.
2. Laundry and other household chores
3. Read Belong to Me
4. File New Catalog Pictures that are sitting in my living room/office
5. Enjoy the nice weather
6. walk a mile or two
7. small group at this chicks house (can't wait to see the new walls A!)
8. Rent a movie at the Red Box
9. Sunday afternoon nap
10. And last but not least Charger football

See you on Monday! Have a great weekend

Turning My Frown Upside Down

Do you ever have those mornings where you hate life? Where you just want to be mad or grumpy? Sometimes I wake up and I hate the monotony of daily life. It didn't help my mood walking into a dirty kitchen either. I am the only one to blame for this. I chose to wait until morning to clean since today was Jeff's coffee day with the guys.

I cleaned up the mess in the kitchen which helped my mood a little.
Then I took a shower and got dressed (make up included) which helped me even more. And finally, I turned on the radio to put a little praise up in this house which always helps.

Today it was like God designed the play list just for me. They were played in the following order.

1. Voice of Truth- Casting Crowns
2. Miracle of the Moment- Steven Curtis Chapman
3. Everlasting God- Lincoln Brewster

And let me just say that each of these songs reminded me of why I am blessed and need to enjoy this day. I said to myself, "Live in the moment girlfriend!"

So when my Dad called to see if I wanted to meet him for lunch I said, "Heck yeah! let's go!"

And can I tell you that God has been so good to little ole me. It's a blessing to be able to sit across from my dad while laughing and talking about the happenings in our world. And then to later walk away from that lunch feeling like everything is right with the world. And as many of you know already that in itself is a miracle from above.

Thank you God for today! You have blessed me abundantly.

(If you need your frown turned upside down today, click on the links to watch the songs on YouTube!)

Life: Beautiful

I found this pillow yesterday while reading the latest issue of Life:Beautiful. If you haven't seen it, take a moment to click on the link. This is a Christan magazine by James Dobson, Joyce Meyer and Dr. Gary Smalley. I love it!

One of my favorite features is an advertisement by this woman. I love to browse through her online portfolio. Last night when I saw this pillow and quote from Eleanor Roosevelt I decided to adopt her quote as my new motto. I know I am not perfect by any means and fall into the small mind category way too often but my goal is to be a great mind at least 95% of the time.

I think that is a goal worth striving for don't you?

Trying Something New

Hey Friends and Family and Blogland Readers-

Starting this weekend, I am doing something new. I am turning off the computer starting Friday at 6:00 pm and won't turn it on again until Monday at 9:00 am. I am telling you all this since many of you I talk to on a daily basis via email. Please feel free to call my cell phone or house phone during the weekend, I am just a phone call away. But I won't have access to the email on the weekends so if you need me, ring the tellie!

To some of you this may sound a bit over the top but like I think I have mentioned before I am trying to find balance in my daily life; letting go of the computer on the weekend is one of the ways I hope to obtain a bit of peace.

So with that being said, have a great weekend and I will catch you on the flip side.

Pray for me, letting go of the computer is like telling the crackhead to give up the good stuff cold turkey! No not really that bad, I just typed the first thing that popped into my head. LOL!

Maybe the next habit I need to break is thinking before I type or speak.

Slow down Susan, take it one habit at a time, don't get all carried away now.

Have a great weekend!

Song in My Head

Jeff quoted a song the other day that I just can't seem to get out of my head now.

Thanks Jeff.

Funny that he quoted this song just before we did our Fantasy Football Draft.

And now I can't seem to get it out of my head. So if you get this song stuck in your head today because of me, well, you're welcome!

Proof That God is In the Details

I have been worried about Granny the past few weeks. Her health is not good and she really needs to have someone with her to help her while my grandfather is at work. This summer sweet cousin Martha stayed over there and helped Granny with light housekeeping, laundry and meals. But more than anything, Martha was Granny's little buddy for the summer. Well, little cousin Martha went back to school this week so Granny was going to need help finding someone to stay with her.

The family has spent the past two weeks trying to locate someone by word of mouth and asking around to a few of our contacts in the area. Between my aunt, mom, brother and I we know quite a few people in the area someone was bound to show up.

Instead of worrying about it, I trusted that God was in the details of this situation, like it says in Psalms 37:23 (The New Living Translation)

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives."

Anytime I started to doubt, I told myself that God delights in the details of our lives!

Sunday morning I woke up praying for God to direct us to someone that would be able to provide care for my sweet Granny. I thought of one person and told God that if so and so was supposed to be that person than bring them to church on Sunday so I can ask her face to face. She didn't come.

And so I continued to pray and trust God to iron out all the details. Today I called Granny to see if she needed anything picked up at the grocery store and to see how her doctor's appointment went yesterday.

Well the doctor's appointment was good y'all, real good.

She and my aunt had made an appointment to talk to her doctor about getting her approved for home health care. The doctor said, "Whatever you need-don't worry-I will set it up."

I asked Granny what the cost would be out of pocket. And she said "None, medicare covers it."

I asked when will it get started and she said by next week hopefully.

So see, no need to worry God is still in the details.

And as my great-grandmother MOM would saying PTL! PTL!

PTL stands for PRAISE THE LORD!

See...

God is still in the details!

5 Lessons I Am Learning Theses Days

They say that you never stop learning even after you finish school. In honor of many of my favorite little friends and nieces starting school this week I compiled a list of things I am learning these days.

1. I am learning what it means to have a gentle and quiet spirit when you are not typically a quiet person.

2. I am learning how to take time out for me and say no. I recently cleared off many items on my to-do list and I feel wonderful. I will post more about this later.

3. I have learned that my husband flourishes when I encourage him rather than nag.

Side note: Have you encouraged your spouse today? If you need help try the 30 Day challenge, it will be a huge blessing I gurantee it.

4. I am learning that when I am restless on what the future holds I tend to cover up these feelings with busyness. (See #2) Instead of the go, go, go mentality I am learning-slowly learning- how to rest in God's plan and relax heart, mind, soul.

5. I am learning that life is meant to be enjoyed one step at a time. I am learning what it means to be happy and content in the moment wheter than waiting on certain things to bring me happiness.

My Theme Song

Thankful Thursday

Yesterday I did not feel thankful but when I was talking to my friend who wrote the poem below, she reminded me of something I taught her a few months back. You see, I keep a prayer journal and in it I try to write at least one thing I am thankful for from time to time. Reading my words never fails to lift my spirits on my down days. I can always fall back on my written thoughts and realize how blessed I truly am.

Here is what I am thankful for today.

1. Christan community- I don't know how people can through the ups and downs of life without fellow believers around them. What a blessing it is to have people around us who can love us, encourage us, prayer with us in every season of our lives.

2. Growth-I am thankful for the growth in my husband. I am thankful for the growth in myself. I am thankful for the growth in our marriage.

3. Grace- I am thankful for friends and family who are willing to offer me grace when I fail them. I am thankful that God's grace is bigger than my humanness.

4. The Cross- This summer while doing the study A Woman's Heart, I was reminded again of the significance of God sending His Son to die on the cross. We are blessed to have this free gift given to us.

5. His Word- I love it when I sit down to read the bible and a scripture jumps out at me that is just what I needed for that moment. It just goes to show that there is truth in the scripture that says "Gods word is living and active."

To join in with your list see Iris at String My Heart.

And God Is There Yet Again

Emotions running high, I found myself on my knees early this morning. When the phone rings and a friend from church is on the other line, I tried to act happy but the minute she asked me how I was doing I cried.

Long story short, God used this woman to minister directly to me. Later in the day I receive an email from her with an original piece of poetry. Whether or not it was written for me is unclear but the verse she used at the end is the verse that I have been resting in over the past few months. I praise God for Christian community because it never fails when you need them someone is there. I deleted the author's name just in case she wants to remain anonymous but most of you from church (past or present) should recognize the writing style of this sweet, sweet woman.

Nestled Beneath God’s Wing

If only I were there with you,
You’d know how much I care;
But ‘til I am, I’ll lift you up
And whisper in my prayer. . .

“Give her, Lord, a glimpse of You
That she might understand,
While troubles press on every side,
She’s held within Your hands.

Embraced by You, and nestled close,
She’s tucked beneath Your wing;
Seeking refuge in Your arms,
Her Protector, Lord and King.

And then, Lord, in Your small still voice
Unlike she’s ever heard,
Encourage her with promises
Revealed within Your word.

So when in times she cannot feel
Your presence by her side,
She’ll find the grace to draw upon
Through faith that You provide.”

So every day I’ll pray for you
Whether near or far apart;
Lifting you up to our Lord
While I hold you in my heart.

Psalm 91:4

Sprucing Up the Blog

I stumbled on a great find to help me spruce up my blog without costing me a dime.

Click here to spruce up your own blog and it's FREE.

Try it out and let me know I would love to see your blogs new look!

Happy Tuesday!

"Wheter you turn to the right or to the left your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying "this is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21

I am praying for God to come and guide me. I am praying for the right door to be opened so that there is no doubt that this is the direction in which Jeff and I need to move ahead.

Over the past two weeks, I have been tired, run down, moody and frustrated with life as a whole. I put God on a shelf for a bit because I choose to take out my frustrations on Him. I am tired of waiting and I am tired of being told no, not yet. I have been praying for God to release us from this season of our life but have been too terrified to move ahead.

This weekend I went away for a weekend of cropping (scrapbooking for those who don't know that term), chatter and food. When I left all I wanted from this weekend was a time of rest. I wanted to get away from all the craziness surrounding my life. It has been nuts not only on the outside but on the inside as well. Let's just say that God used Friday and Saturday to draw me closer to Him. I opened my journal on Friday and was reading a few of my past entries.

A few weeks ago when Jodi called to tell me about Baby Brooklyn I hung up the phone and immediately got on my knees to pray for my sweet friend and her unborn child. After I finished praying, I pulled out my bible and came across three verses. I remember reading them thinking man these are perfect for Jodi and David's situation. And yet when I read them this weekend I thought to myself man this is perfect for Jeff and my situation.

The first is written above.

The second is Isaiah 42: 16, "I will lead the blind by ways they have not know, unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them."

The third is Isaiah 58:8-9, "Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call and the Lord will answer, you will cry for help and he will say, "Here I am."

These verses reminded me that God is not only guiding us but He is near. It told me that when the dark days come that God will be there, He will not forsake me. And when I cry to Him for help he will answer, "Here I am."

I don't know about you but isn't that the epitome of a blessed assurance to know that God is near in good times and bad? After I read these verses, I had to just stop and praise God for His nearness. I praised God for Him faithfulness to me even though I distanced myself from Him for two weeks. I came away from this weekend with clear answers to the path that God is choosing and I am praying for the open doors so that there is no doubt in both Jeff and my mind that this is the way that we should go.

I will keep you posted.

Welcome to Procrasitnation Station

Should I be blogging right now? NO!

Instead I should be building a few catalogs, calling a few of my clients, entering an order or two, doing a few spreadsheets for the team meeting tomorrow and don't even get me started about the list of housework that is still needed to be done.

But I don't want to do any of these things and so I have turned off the box that flashes in the corner of my screen to let me know when an email is coming through and have turned off my ringer for a spell. Not to mention hiding the phone under a load of paperwork so that I wouldn't have to see the blinking light saying, "Incoming Call! Incoming Call! Incoming Call!"

And people wonder why I don't answer the phone after 6 pm or on weekends?

It has been nuts, friends! Nuts.

And the truth is I have no reason to post expect for the part where I am trying to avoid everything that looks, smells or feels like work or house work. I know I am not the only one who chooses blogging over housework and such.


Did you know that I have posted 500 posts? Yes that's right...five.hundred!

That's a lot of chatter if you ask me.

Maybe I should change the blog name to Procrastination Station. Nah! And do you want to know why I won't change the name? Well, it is truly random and not particularly spiritual so be warned. But sometimes when I comment or what not my blog name will get abbreviated and only show a portion of my full title..."Blessed Ass" So that is why I will never change my blog name.

And on that note, I close my 500Th post!

Thanks for reading 500 of these crazy things.

I realize that most are random and make no sense and aren't really all that funny be/c they fall under the you had to be there category but you came, your read and you probably never will come back again.

Oh well, can't win them all.

Now have a blessed day!

~Signed-Blessed Ass

Happy Thoughts

Life has been a little crazy lately. I have found myself being more frustrated than joyful the last few days.

In an effort to change my thought process I decided to complie a list of happy thoughts.

1. I am going away for a girls weekend in three days. I love time away with my girlfriends and I love the fact that I have a husband who encourages me to go.
2. Yesterday after being out of town the past two Sundays, our church was full of hugs and glad to see ya's when we walked in the door. I love being a part of a church that feels like an extension of my family.
3. The Olympic success-makes me proud to be American
4. Good friends who pray together in good times and bad.
5. an upcoming weekend get away with the Hubs
6. Charger football coming soon
7. Fall weather in general (I will be ready for cooler weather)
8. The new Eddie Bauer catalog came in the mail last week. I love this store!
9. Hubs and I are also finally discussing moving plans. I am almost afraid that by mentioning it I will somehow cause us to hit the pause button yet again but things are finally falling together. I continue to pray that the Lord will release us from this phase of our life.
10. When I find myself getting down on the waiting period, I turn to 1 Cor. 4:16-18 and remind myself that all that is going on right now is only temporary and working a bigger purpose that I can't see. Reminding myself of this gives me hope for tomorrow and allows me to keep pushing ahead.

8-8-08

Today is a good day. Today is the day that I look forward to every four years...the Summer Olympics

Here are the things that I look forward to:

1. Melissa singing on the opening ceremony stage...I am so proud of that girl!
2. Today Show coverage of the events.
3. Swimming
4. Diving
5. Gymnastics (I am bummed that the Hamm brothers are out, poor guys)
6. all the fun back stories that they play between events
7. Men's Basketball
8. The parade of nations.

What are you looking forward to? I could list a bunch more but I am sticking with the number 8.

Whoops!

I have been known to say the wrong word in a sentence from time to time. Most times I don't even catch it until someone processes what I just said and says, "Did you just say....?"

And usually my reply is, "Was that wrong?"

Which leads to Jeff giving me the proper word that I meant to use and explains the definition of the other word that I said incorrectly.

Well...

When we were at NASA the other day they had a flight simulator that you could ride to experience what an astronaut feels when they launch. But for the longest time I did not say it correctly nor did I catch myself saying it wrong until both hubby and his brother said, "Did you just say Flight stimulator!"

"What?! That's not correct?!"

Oh how we all laughed when I realized my mistake.

Jeff even said, "You better put THAT on the blog!"

So there you go, hope you had a good laugh at my expense!

:)

Florida Pictures

Naval Museum:


Epcot:
Nasa:
Magic Kingdom:
Animal Kingdom:
Animal Kingdom after the rain cleared, Matt & Meredith decided to go to Magic Kingdom instead
A Day at the Beach: Notice Jeff and Meredith's preggo picture

exhausted

We had a great time in Florida. It was a fun bonding experience for all of us and well now I am pooped and my sides hurt from laughing so hard. Truly God blessed us with a great bonding experience.

I tried to blog about the trip while on the road but I had to pay to use the internet and we never had time to blog, it was go-go-go from start to finish. We got home today at 3 in the morning. And yes, I had to work today.

I am trying hard to get pictures loaded to the Road Trip blog but I think blogger is pooped too because so far, I've got nothing.

I will try at a later time for now, I am off to bed.