Pics From Granny's Party

A typical birthday at Granny's house includes cake with a corner cut out from my big brother who was hungry and couldn't wait.

A sixteen year old texting all night long and not wanting her picture taken. Oh and you will also see her typical sandwich that she makes every time she comes over. Mustard, Ketchup, Tabasco and cheese...yes, GROSS!

Bonner snapping a picture with his disposable Kodak camera. I know what I am getting him for Christmas...a bulk package of these things.

Every one's attention turned on Bonner when he talks politics although what he said can not be repeated on the blog or anywhere for that matter. Lord, help him.

Granny on the phone with her big sister Ruby.
Granny laughing at her card from Cousin Nancye. We tried to take the tassels off to put on her shirt but they were stuck like white on rice. I told Granny to swing 'em around and she did....like a pro. :)

Elijah found his way to the candy tin. When I went over on Monday this thing was almost empty. I know that Bonner filled it up for this little guy.

Granny set up a drawer just for this E. I love how he knows exactly where to go when he wants to start playing.

A sweet picture of Granny with the great grandchildren and Rollie the dog that was named Rollie because he rolls over when you clap.

And no party is complete without a grandfather and great grandson tickle fest.
Isn't this a sweet picture...they love each other. Makes Aunt Sue Sue proud to watch.


Thank you Cagle cousins for your cards and phone calls. You made Granny's day a special one!

Granny B is 75 today

Today Granny turns 75. I chose this picture of her b/c she looked so pretty at my wedding. Plus I threw away that purse she is carrying the other day not realizing that she carried the blasted thing in my wedding! Whoops!

In honor of her 75Th birthday here is 75 things I love about Granny.

1. Her laugh, I love to hear her get tickled.
2. All the little dresses and camp shorts she used to make for me.
3. Her chocolate cream pie
4. The many hands of Old Maid that we used to play around her table late into the night.
5. When I was little, she would scratch my back softly to wake me up.
6. She used to let me set up my own little corner in her office at the antique shop. I would play for hours or read the old books from this ladies booth. It was in that office that I fell in love with Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew.
7. My love of antiques came from the many hours I would spend at their store.
8. As I got bigger, she let me handle the cash register or wrap up people's packages for them. I can still remember her teaching me how to close down the cash drawer. She was brave since math was not my speciality.
9. On my birthday she would take me for a day of fun, just the two of us. I cherished the one on one time.
10. Her letters she used to send to me at camp and college.
11. The Christmas that she taught Cousin Valerie and I how to make Peppermint Bark.
12. Her patience with us in the kitchen that day. I think that is the day we dubbed her kitchen a "one butt kitchen."
13. One time I had chicken pox and she came to sit with me all day.
14. Her love of Jeopardy. Don't you dare call her during the show, it could get ugly.
15. She was my first piano teacher.
16. The smell of eggs and bacon cooking in the mornings.
17. Her love for Christmas.
18. Her love for her family. I believe we cousins are close because of the love the Cagle siblings had for one another.
19. Her love for tradition.
20. I love the fact that I heard her say Damn for the first time this week. I am 30 years old and this was the first time I heard her cuss.
21. Her birthday is the same day as Willie Nelson's.
22. She was the first person I swapped books with as an adult. I love that she loves to read as much as me.
23. I love the fact that my friends also her call her Granny B. She is a grandmother to everyone-even the strays. :)
24. I love that she used to call me every six weeks to hear my grades.
25. I love that she still does that to my younger cousins.
26. I love that all of us cousins never want to disappoint her with bad grades.
27. I love that when she calls me now she says, "It's me."
28. I love that we used to set a day aside for us to Christmas shop together.
29. I love that once a month she wants me to read "the blogs" to her just in case she forgets something.
30. I love that the other day Granny told Bonner it was time to pass on the rocker to me.
31. I love that they told me that the rocker was for my baby nursery.
32. I love that she has been one of our biggest cheerleader with project plus sign.
33. I love that she still loves to do a crossword.
34. I love that she loves crosswords because her big sister Ruby still does them.
35. I love that she loves to watch sports with her husband.
36. I love that she is as big of a Maverick fan as me.
37. I love that she loved her mother-in-law like she was her own mother.
38. I love that she loves my husband like she was her own grandson.
39. I love that sometimes I feel like they love him more than me. :)
40. I love that loves her great grandchildren deeply.
41. I love that she has Bonner stock up on candy just for Elijah.
42. I love that she calls the Internet the "Internets"
43. I love that she will be watching Food Network and want a recipe and will call me to say, "Can you print that off the Internets for me?"
44. I love that she loves a good country tune.
45. I love that even though she loves country she has allowed the teen cousins to program the radio with rap music and Kiss FM.
46. I love that she listens to their music when they drive her around.
47. I love the way she holds the handle tightly like she is going to fall out of the car when I am driving 20 miles or slower.
48. I love the fire in her belly.
49. I love that she can still recite the preamble to the constitution.
50. I love how she is fast to solve the puzzle on Wheel of Fortune
51. I love that I am able to bring her comfort during these time when breathing is difficult and she is worn out.
52. I love that the other day she called to vent and after she got done getting the stuff off her chest I said, "I love you Granny." And she responded by saying "I know you do and I love you." Sometimes I think she just needs a listening ear and I am thankful that I can be that to her.
53. I love that we have been able to talk about God in a deeper way since the death of Miller (Her oldest son) and through my waiting period. I pray daily that she will see the hand of God in the big and small things.
54. I love that the other day after years of saying to her, "God blessed you today didn't He?" that she said God blessed her today and gave a reason without my prompting.
55. I love that she and my grandfather love each other deeply even to this day.
56. I love that they still get tickled with each other with their inside jokes that I will never understand.
57. I love that she is full of fun memories to share.
58. I love that when we were packing she and Bonner would tell me about the memories that were tied to this item or that.
59. I love that when I told them to go sit down and rest they listened so that I could get more work done.
60. I love her cornbread and she promised to make it for me in a week or two...when things get settled down.
61. I love that everywhere you go people know her name like the doctor's office or grocery store. They always say "Hello Mrs. ___"
62. I love watching old movies with her. She will call and say, "Did you know that this movie is on?" And I will turn it on to watch too.
63. I love that she lives less than 5 minutes from me so that I can stop by.
64. I love that she enjoys celebrating every one's birthday.
65. I love that she has worn the same style shoes for many, many years. I call them her Granny shoes.
66. I love that she lives on the edge-she told me she gave up "over the shoulder boulder holders" a year ago because "She is living on the edge now."
67. I love that every time you come by to see her no matter how little energy she has, she will get up to give you a hug.
68. I love that every time I leave her house she walks me to the door and says, "Be safe on the way home."
69. I love that she sometimes will call to say "Did you get home all right?" Although I have yet to have a phone call since they have moved close to me.
70. I love how on our road trips she looks forward to our postcards so she can keep track of us.
71. I love that when I was packing up a drawer I found all the postcards we have sent over the years.
72. I love that one of Granny's smells is Estee Lauder Pleasure's.
73. I love that she has a smell that I can distinguish as hers.
74. I love that no matter how old I get that I can still call her Granny.
75. I love that when I called to wish her happy birthday she started dying laughing. I later found out that Bonner had just run up and down the hall naked because the hot water went out during his shower. I told her it was a birthday jig and not to stifle his creativity. She answered with a "Gosh, Susan. Some kind of birthday present that was!"

If you made it to the bottom of this list, bless you.

Good Things to Share

I have come across a few quotes that I love and thought you would love them too.

An interview of Sara Groves in Life Beautiful Magazine, Summer 2008:

" A woman approached Sara and gave her a piece of paper that she has kept to this day. On it were words the woman said were straight from the heart of God. Sara resisted the cynicism she felt rising inside when she first received the note, instead willing herself to "stay open" and consider the woman's message. "[The note] told me to let God define 'normal' for me," Sara says. "It told me that my normal might not look like everyone else's normal and that was okay."

My theme verse that I have recently adopted, Ephesians 2:10

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

I find that when I am open to the plans God has for me I am content in the waiting. Not only am I content but I am joyful and joy leads to perfect peace.

I gave up long ago trying to define the plans God had for me. Throughout my life there is evidence time and time again that God's plans for my are different from my peers. I am on a different path and I am okay with that-truly.

It helps to know that God knew in advance what I would be doing today. He knew what my hopes would be and He knew what struggles I would face in this present moment. I believe that all of these are working for a bigger cause than I could ever imagine. I choose to live in the moment because that is all that I that God asks of me. The proof of this is found in Matthew 6:34, "Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own."

I choose to let God write my story however He chooses fit. I trust His plans and look forward to how the future will unfold.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY, October 27, 2008...

Outside my window... the trees are changing colors and the squirrels are running up, down and all around the trees.

I am thinking... that I need to make a to do list to keep me from getting sidetracked.

I am thankful for... the peace that passes all understanding and the joy that flows through me during this waiting period.

From the kitchen... I making cupcakes to celebrate Granny B's 75th birthday on Thursday.

Tonight - I am going to eat hamburgers and organize a few things left undone at my grandparents.

I am wearing... corduroy and a long sleeve thermal shirt.

I am creating... order around my house. This week I am cleaning the living room along with Flylady.

I am going... to take one day at a time and not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will take care of itself.

I am reading...Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney. A very good book for every woman to read.

I am hoping... that we buy a house soon because I am inching to put my decorative stamp on something other than this humble little apartment. And yet, I am enjoying the contentment that comes from knowing God has the perfect house set aside just for us and one day soon we will find it.

I am hearing... The Eagles sing "Take It Easy" on the radio.

Around the house... I am going to buy new fall candles to put around my house. I love the Citrus and Sage scent that I bought during the summer but want a more fall scent for this new season.

One of my favorite things... is my crock pot. The smell of food cooking all day and knowing that dinner is already made makes me very happy.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

I have a few end of the month reports for work that need to be done on Friday. Jeff and I are having dinner with our pastor and his wife. I am celebrating Granny's birthday on Thursday and trick or treating on Friday.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...
A photo from my favorite pumpkin patch in town.

Visit Peggy at The Simple Woman for more Simple day books.

My Dumping Ground

Ah, welcome to the blog. The place I turn to when I can not sleep for all the thoughts running through my head.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I should be sleeping but I can't.
Partially due to all the things on my to-do list, thinking over this and thinking over that. And the rest being that my husband beat me to the bed and is now laying diagonally and snoring. LOUDLY. And why do men turn into super fiery furnaces when they sleep? I am already having hot flashes as it is (side effect of the meds) and when you add in the fiery beast I call hubs it gets hot in the room.

But my super fiery furnace, is sweet, yes he is. He cleaned the kitchen this week and did all the laundry without me asking. I am grateful. Tomorrow he is venturing out with me to help move my grandparents and that has proven to be a love offering of gigantic proportions.

Note to self for when we move: THROW OUT THE CRAP BEFORE YOU PACK.

I love my g-parents very much but man, they will not get rid of ANYTHING because it is all worth something. Unfortunately it is all a junk and not worth a hill of beans.

Perfect example, they had a bunch of writing pens that they have collected over the years in a brass cup. You know the kind you get when you go to the bank, school function or store? None of the pens work and they are covered with 4 inches of dust because they haven't been used since Clinton was president. Granny told me to ask my grandfather what he wanted to do with them and not just throw them away. Seeing as how she said this as I had one hand on the garbage bag and was turning the cup in order to drop it in, I figured I better ask. God knows dried up writing pens with 4 inches of dust are great worth. Do you know what Bonner (g-daddy) said to me, "Do you think they are worth anything?"

"Uh no. Come on Bonner let's live dangerously and toss em in the trash."

He agreed but man it just gets better from there.

Sixteen year old cousin Martha and I have been throwing stuff away when no one is watching and between her texting her friends. She will hold something up and say, "Toss it quick, they will never know." And so when Granny and Bonner's attention has been turned elsewhere we secretly throw away the junk.

Now Cagle Cousins you keep your mouth closed. Don't you dare tell them our secret. Oh and be watching in the mail because Granny not only wanted me to send an email to you all with her contact information but she also wanted to send a letter, handwritten with the new info listed. I keep telling her "Granny you do not know the power that is behind a simple email." To which she replies, "Yes, yes I know but I don't want to loose contact with anyone, so send a letter too." Cagle's, I am begging you, call her new number starting Sunday so she knows that all is well and drop that girl a card in the mail (her 75th birthday is Thursday)

You know, I say all of this and it may sound like I am complaining but the truth is, I would move heaven and earth to help my grandparents. They have been so good to me over the years and I cherish every single moment with them. I realize that they won't be around for the rest of my life so I see things like driving to doctor appointments, grocery shopping, mailing and emailing contact information, packing, unpacking their stuff as a gift from God. It is one more memory I can log into the noggin and the memories I will cherish on the days that Granny isn't just a phone call away. I am so happy that they will be less than 5 minutes from me. I could run to their house if I chose to. But since I am not completely crazy about excercise I will drive, thank you. I pray that all my actions can show God's love to them, especially my grandfather who does not want you to mention God or church to him. All though, the past few weeks, we have had more talks about how God has blessed him over the years. Mainly due to the fact that I ask him every day, "Do you realize how blessed you are by God to have a granddaughter like me?" This always gets a sly smile and a toss of Reese's peanut butter cup (our favorite snack) But I pray, oh how I pray, that my actions and my unconditional love be the thing that soften Bonner's heart to God. I believe Bonner needs more than words about God but the actions to back it up. Plus, I made a promise to my great-grandmother, his mother, that I would never give up on him coming to know Jesus. So I choose not to give up on them, no matter how crazy tomorrow turns out. I will not give up on them.

And that dear friends, is all the dumping I have for the blog tonight.

Good night, sleep tight.

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!