Giveaway

Laced With Grace is having a New Years Giveaway. Click on this link to be directed to the giveaway... I would love to win!!!

Know & Tell Friday (6th Week)

I expect that this week's "Know & Tell" may not have as much participation as the other weeks due to Christmas break, but that's OK... Remember anyone is welcome to participate (and grab the button above if you would like), and make sure to visit other bloggers that answer their questions on their own blogs. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas (I did...look at the two posts below this one for a peek into my Christmas)!!!

Question 1
What is the name of your very first friend? My memory is a little fuzzy when it comes to my childhood...my sister remembers everything, but me just some things. The first name that popped into my head was the name of my next door neighbor... Her name was Jennifer and she was probably my first best friend for many years.

Question 2
Do you believe in love at first sight? I would probably have to say no, but I have definitely been entranced (is that a word?) when meeting certain people in my lifetime. I believe REAL LOVE develops over a long period of time. I know I loved my husband when I first married him, but I think the REAL LOVE has really developed over the last 7 years or so with the help of Christ Jesus.

Question 3
Clean Freak or Total Slob? This is the honest truth I really am both... I can totally go into Clean Freak mode one day, and the next fall happily into the Total Slob category. I need to find the happy medium of both to be well adjusted in this area :)

Question 4
Last book you read? "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers (you probably already knew this if you have been reading my posts lately). It was probably one of the best fiction books I ever have read in my life. I am giving it away at the end of the month... leave a comment on this post if you want to be entered in the giveaway.

Bonus Question
Give me one word that would sum up your goals for 2008? I will follow my own rules this time and only give one word, although I could give several.... The word would be....SURRENDER!!!

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that this Christmas season the Lord has opened my eyes to so many things. I think this is the first Christmas that I was able to focus in on Christ as the true reason for the season. I try every year to make Jesus the center of Christmas, but most of the time I fail miserably. I can't so I totally fail because every year I learn valuable lessons that I will take with me to the next Christmas season....But again, this year the Lord was really moving in my heart, and I believe I adored Him more this Christmas than any other Christmas in my life.

I did something this year that I believe I will make a tradition for me personally (when my kids get older I think I will have them do it too). I watched "The Nativity Story" on this past Friday or Saturday, and then on Christmas Eve I watched, "The Passion of the Christ". Jesus was born to die for us... So I decided I wanted the whole story to be played out in front of me on the days prior to Christmas. I don't have time to to go into all the wonderful details, but the Lord moved in my heart in such a mighty way on Christmas Eve as I watched the story of His suffering that I feel I have been marked by it, and will be different because of this past weekend.

I remember watching "The Passion.." when it came out, and remember feeling so many different things, but since that time I have been through so many experiences with God that I am different, and it was so amazing how the movie was used to speak such new things to my heart this time. I love Him so, and I know that He loves me. I could write so many things about what happened in my heart a few days ago, but I think most of what I learned is personal to me and God, and I need to process it and do the things that He has called me to do...

However, I leave you with this idea, if you have not watched the movie "The Passion..." (and the "Nativity Story") in awhile it may be the perfect time of the year to do so again. God is love, never forget that!!!

Wordless Wednesday

One of these people (with the non Christmas colors) just doesn't belong...which one do you think it is :) ?

Merry Christmas from Terminator, Moose, & Snake, and "Jesus is the Reason for the Season!"

Merry Christmas!!!

Jesus is the Reason for the Season!!!

I love this song so much, and this video has clips from two of my favorite Jesus films... Blessings and have a wonderful Christmas!!! (If the clip gets stuck, try it again, or go directly to You Tube to watch it. The clip got stuck for me, and I played it twice and it worked)

Can't Wait...

I went to the movies last night with my hubby to see "National Treasure 2"... It was really good. I don't think I even heard one swear word, and there was just one little suggestive type scene in the movie...So overall, I am highly impressed that a big budget film didn't have all that extra stuff/junk in the movie... It just goes to show you that you can make a great movie without adding all the extra obscenities. OK, I will jump off the soapbox :), and get to the reason I wrote this post.

I absolutely fell in love with C.S. Lewis and his Narnia series a few years ago. I have listened to all 7 Chronicles on CD (Focus on the Family's). I didn't pay any attention to the Chronicles when I was a child, but I adore them as an adult. The biggest reason I love the books, and now movies are because of all the spiritual connections that are hidden, or not so hidden in Lewis' books. I watched a couple of movies about C.S. Lewis and I just adore him too.

Last night, I saw the this trailer (one above), and just go so excited!!! I am such a visual person so I love when books get made into movies... Sadly, the movie does not come out until May of 2008, so I will have to wait a bit longer. I also found out the next movie after "Prince Caspian" is in production and will come out in 2010. I am so glad the Walt Disney is interested in the films, and it appears they may make all of the movies. I can't wait until my children get a little older, so I can introduce them to C.S. Lewis' books.

Take a peek, and if you have not read all the books I strongly recommend them!!!

Know & Tell Friday (5th Week)

Today is the 5th Week of my "Know & Tell" meme, and I am excited that it is going well so far. I welcome new bloggers to join every week. I try to visit all the blogs of the people that participate, and I am just loving reading all the great answers to my questions :) If you do participate, please make sure to visit other bloggers that answer the questions on their own blogs... Blessings and have a very Merry Christmas next week!!!

Question 1 In the spirit of Christmas... Artificial or Real Christmas Tree? Well, I grew up with an artificial tree every Christmas, and when I was older my mom and dad decided to get a real tree (that was a real treat). When I got married we bought real trees, but have had some tree fiascoes (falling down more times than we can count :), so we now have an artificial tree that looks real if you work it. I like the artificial trees, but don't like how long it takes to assemble them, and I also love the real trees with their wonderful smells, but don't like the sap and the way that many of them prick my fingers... So, I guess I would say both (I should have said that in the first place:)
Question 2 If your life was a TV show...what would the title be?
(OK, I really like to think about these types of questions, so I am going to think a little more, and will post my answer when I come up with it)
Question 3 When you go to the movies what do you get from the Concession Stand?
Popcorn with butter a must... A Diet coke, and if I go for the candy (on a second visit to the stand) I will either get Red Twizzlers, or some kind of Chocolate (Buncha Crunch).
Question 4 Cosmetic that you cannot live without? There are probably several, but my new favorite is Smashbox's Cream Eyeliner in all different colors... I love them!!

Bonus Question (gotta think about this one...)
If you could go back in time to a pivotal point in your young life and give yourself one word of advice, and it would be guaranteed that you would follow the advice... What would you tell yourself... ( It is OK if you tell more than one thing :)
I really gave some thought to this question.... Years after accepting Christ into my life, I fell/jumped into the trap of legalism, back then I didn't even know what that meant. My Christian life was all about the rules, and how I was keeping them, or not keeping them. I would tell myself the truth I learned in my 20's. It is about a personal love relationship with Christ...Love Him first, and everything else will fall into place. I would also add that I would truly seek to know who I am in Christ... If I truly grasped my identity in Christ back at the age of 10, I could have saved myself so much trouble by not trying to please everyone in the world. I sought to keep everyone else happy or thinking well of me, and Christ fell into last place many times. Truly knowing who I am in Christ at a young age would have revolutionized my life.

Blessings to all my blogging friends...Merry Christmas!!!!

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful for Christian books and Bible Studies. I have just finished reading "Redeeming Love" (over 400 pages... I should receive some kind of reward for that :) by Francine Rivers. You have probably seen a few of my posts on this book. I am giving it away at the end of December in the "PIF" book exchange (again, if interested in winning it just leave a comment letting me know).

The book was one of the most beautiful explanations I have ever seen of what it means to show true love, especially on the part of the man. The book had me teared up at the end, and it takes a lot for a book to make me cry because I am more of a visual (I like movies) person. The ending of the book was so powerful. In another post I mentioned that I don't get to read a lot of fiction, but this book was worth reading, and I hope that I will take away something from the book that I can use in my everyday life... I think that will come in time.

I am so thankful to the many Christian authors out there that have written books about living out the Christian life. Some of the authors that have touched my life in a profound way have been Larry Crabb, Bob Sorge, Max Lucado, and many more... Many of the books I have read have been some kind of spiritual marker for me where I made a change in my thinking, or at least knew that I needed to make a change in my thinking :)

Most of all, I am thankful for Bible Studies...at the top of my list would be Beth Moore (as so many others would say too :). I cannot tell you how much God has used her studies and teachings to change my life. I really could write a book on how God has changed me over the seasons through working through Beth's studies. I don't want to make this a long post, so I will stop here. I have also done other studies from other authors that have also helped to change my life (Experiencing God!!!!), and I am so thankful to God for using these studies to change me.
However, my goal is that I will wean myself off of the studies, and really just dive into God's word for myself and see what I can learn directly from Him. I have been so nervous to do this because of many reasons that I will not go into today, but I have been saying this for a long time, and I really want 2008 to be the year I do what I have been talking about for years... Dive into God's Word myself... If you think of it, a prayer my way would be so appreciated.

Well, gotta go get ready for a Happy Birthday Jesus party in my Pre-K class. Blessings to all!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Brotherly Love in new pajamas...

Time Travel Tuesday

Today's Travel is about the last time you were scared... I get scared a lot... that is one of my issues, but I am working on that :)

The last time I remember getting really scared was about 3 weeks ago. "Snake" (my middle child) woke me up around 5 in the morning. He was calling for me or his dad in between a massive coughing attack. At first, I just do not handle panic situations very well, so I told my husband to run and see what was the matter with Snake. He doesn't wake up as well as I do, so it took him a little time... I kept telling him to go check on Snake, and I took a few seconds to calm myself down, and I went into Snake's room. My hubby was trying to get him to drink some water, but Snake could not stop coughing. I began to worry and told my hubby that we may need to call an ambulance... it seemed almost like he was having an asthma attack, and that he could not get his breath. I called the peds office, and by the time the nurse called me back, Snake's coughing had decreased. The nurse told me all the things I needed to do, and by that time I was in a calm state, but initially I was scared that Snake wouldn't be able to catch his breath.

I guess any time something happens to one of my boys I initially freak out and think the worst possible scenario will happen. I know through Christ I can remain in control and calm when my children need me, but it is a struggle that I am working through.

Blessings today, and hang in there Annie with all the power problems you have been going through. I hope things are better now :)

A Great Book!!!

This month I am giving away the book, "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers through the "Pay It Forward Book Exchange Giveaway" created by "Overwhelmed with Joy" (Are you overwhelmed with details now?).

I won the book in the "PIF" a couple of months ago. Two things almost kept me from reading the book... one, it is novel, and two, it is a very long novel. The book is fiction, and to tell you the truth I just don't get to do a lot of fiction reading. At this stage in my life, I love to read, but fiction seems to be last on the list. However, I started reading the book, and I was hooked. The book is based on the book of Hosea, and so far (I am halfway through the book) I see that Francine Rivers has captured what it means to truly love...it is so beautiful. I want to see this book turned into a movie :)

The book deals with some very hard, cruel and sad things that take place in our world today. It has been kind of hard to read some of the things written in the book, but I believe that Francine Rivers has done a great job of giving details, but not so much that you would need to put the book down.

If you have not read the book, and have not commented on my "PIF" post, you can do so on this post. If you would like to win the book, please just leave a comment on this post. You have until the last day of December to enter. I am quite sure I will be done with the book by then :)
If you are a book person, I suggest that you go out and buy the book to have it for your own collection. I think I may be a Francine Rivers fan after finishing this book.

Blessings to you as we near Christmas Day... Jesus is the reason for the season!!!

In "other" Words

"Don't blame suffering in the world on the anger of God. He's not mad; he didn't mess up. Follow our troubles to their headwaters, and you won't find any angry or befuddled God. But you will find a sovereign God.
Your pain has a purpose. Your problems, struggles, heartaches, and hassles cooperate toward one end -- the glory of God."
~Max Lucado, It's Not About Me~

Today's quote is from Max Lucado...I just love him, and have read several of his books.

I suppose that the "world" (Christians included) does blame suffering on God, and that when bad things happen our first questions are to God. We ask the question; "why does God let bad things happen?" My guess is that we ask God this question because deep down we know that God, in His power, can intervene in any situation and stop it from occurring if He chooses. I definitely cannot explain or debate the subject of how we as humans have freedom to make choices, and that those choices can have bad consequences for us. However, I love the idea that God can work any situation out for good, and His glory (Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together, for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.) That is amazing to me!!!

My "pain has a purpose" according to Max... I can tell you that on the front end of the pain I rarely see a purpose. It is only when time has come and gone that I can look back at a situation and be thankful that God allowed me to go through it, because the painful situation caused me to grow spiritually. At times I really don't think I would have grown had it not been for the pain. I am comforted knowing that God can use our struggles, hassles, problems, and pain to help us to grow, and more than that God can use my pain to receive glory for Himself.

One of my goals is that I will be able to go through my painful situations, on the front end, with the knowledge that God will use whatever I am going through to help me grow, or receive glory for Himself. I want to be able to walk through my situation with that knowledge at the beginning, and not just after time has passed while I am looking back at my situation.

I am being awful wordy today... I hope you understood what I was trying to convey :) I am also typing while trying to get over a migraine too. Blessings to you today, and make sure to stop by "On the Horizon", she is today's host for "IOW".

Looking for a good Christmas movie to see???

The movie "Noelle" came out last week at the theaters. I went to see it with a couple of my friends. The movie was produced by a Christian/faith based company (pretty sure about that). The same company that released "One night with the king" (Esther movie) produced this movie too.

It was a really good movie...it takes a little time for the story to develop, so hang with it because the story line gets good. I cried at the end (so that means it is a good movie :) Go see it soon if it is playing in your city, movies like this don't stay too long at the theaters.

Also this week, the short film, "Midnight Clear" was released on DVD. I rented it at my local video store. Jerry B. Jenkins wrote the story (I think he is one of the "Left Behind" guys). The movie stars Stephen Baldwin (who is now a Christian and has such an awesome testimony) and is about how five people's lives are intertwined at Christmas. It was really good too!

The most exciting news I found out this week is that the makers of "Flywheel" and "Facing the Giants" are finishing up on their third movie, "Fireproof". This movie stars Kirk Cameron (one of my former teen heartthrobs) as the lead and is all about marriage, or saving a marriage. No
previews as of yet, but you can read about the movie here.

I just love it when good movies like the ones above are released. These types of movies encourage me, and I believe can be used as a witness to a world that doesn't know Jesus. Blessings to you!!! (If you click on all of the highlighted links, you should be able to view trailers for at least the first two movies. A trailer for "Fireproof" is not out yet, but you can read the blog about it).
PS. Leave a comment if you have watched any of these movies... I would love to hear if you liked them as well.

Know & Tell Friday (4th Week)

This is my fourth week of my "Know & Tell" meme. (This meme is open to anyone that visits my blog...even if it is your first time, feel free to participate) I am using the other button that "Overwhelmed with Joy" created for me. I thought of ladies talking and this is what she came up with... how cute... I wish I had legs like our little friends :) Remember to feel free to copy and paste either button when you participate, and don't forget to visit other blogs too to check out their answers.

Question 1
(More of a fill in the blank..) I wish my hair__________. I used to have thick hair when I was younger... So I wish my hair was still thick with curls. Not tight curls, but nice waves.

Question 2
Someone you miss? I miss my mom terribly. I moved 3 years ago from Florida and have seen her about 2-3 times a year. I am very close to my mom, so it is hard to be away from her.

Question 3
What's your favorite comfort food? I don't know that it counts as a food, but chocolate makes me so happy, and sometimes a fountain soda with ice does too.

Bonus Questions
Question 4
In your opinion what are some of the qualities that make a person a "best" friend?
I could probably fill up a whole page, but I will name a few. A best friend is someone that you can literally share everything with (not that you always will), but that you could, and she will still love you!!! A best friend is someone that you can show your goofy side to, and she thinks it is just adorable. Last, a best friend will always want what is best for you (spiritually speaking too), even if that could cause her sadness or pain.
Question 5
What is one area that you struggle with in the wife arena? Just one... I definitely have more than one, but one I need to improve on is making sure to lift him up in front of my children. It is not like I say negative things about him to my kids, but if he is correcting the kids and I don't agree with how he is doing it, I will correct him at times. I try to correct him nicely, but I shouldn't be correcting him at all in front of the kids. As a couple we need to come up with signals to help each other if we are struggling with a discipline issue.

I will be visiting blogs to read answers this week. Thanks so much for sharing your answers with me these past few weeks. Blessings!!! ( I am hosting a "PIF" book giveaway this month... go down several posts and enter if you would like to)

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for spiritual growth... This past weekend I had many circumstances that occurred that I was able to look back on and see how differently I handled the circumstances (in a good way). God has really changed me into a new person...not that I handled all of my situations perfectly this weekend, but definitely with a lot less sinning going on :)

I am thankful that I work for a Christian Pre-K, and we really get to focus in on Jesus as the main reason for Christmas. In today's society Jesus is getting pushed out of every arena, and I am so thankful that I can talk about Jesus as much as I want in my class :)

I am thankful for feeling God's presence this week... I go through many dry spells where it is hard to sense God's presence, but lately I feel like I am drawing closer to Him. There is nothing in the world that can beat the feeling of feeling God is close to you!!!

Blessings to you!!! Come back tomorrow for my 4th post of "Know & Tell Friday"...

Wordless Wednesday

Freedom/No Fear
What I desire in my own life... (If you are stopping by today from a Wordless Wednesday link, go down a few posts and enter my book giveaway if you would like...)

Take Time to Pause and Reflect...

In "other" Words

"Be such a person and live such a life,
That if every person,
Was a person like you, and every life a life like yours,
This Earth would be God's Paradise."
~Phillips Brooks~


Today's quote is from Phillips Brooks... I don't believe I have ever read or heard anything from him. Today's host is All you have to give.

This quote definitely is challenging... It reminds me a little of the "Golden Rule" (do to others as you would have them do to you...that is the Golden Rule, right?)

I think the quote has some validity, but I don't want the pressure of everyone living a life like me, even if I did the best I could. I am so thankful as Christians that we do not have to try to live a life just like another, but that we have Jesus for our role model. I think that is more like God's paradise... the body of Christ striving everyday to be more like Jesus. If each of us lived to become more and more like Jesus (not in our own strength, but in His) this world would seem a little more like paradise.

Some of these quotes have kind of left me speechless the last couple of weeks (so unbelievable, I know)...I look forward to reading the thoughts of the "IOW" community on today's quote. Blessings today and everyday!!!

Ornament Meme

I kind of tagged myself for this meme. You are to take pictures of some of your favorite or meaningful ornaments and then post them. So here are a few of my favorites. Some of the pictures are a little blurry because I couldn't get my flash to work right...

-The first picture is an angel made by my Moose. Isn't he/she the cutest little angel you ever saw?
-The second ornament was given to me by my sister. It is a nail she bought from a hardware store to represent the nail/spike that was driven through Jesus' hands/wrists. It seems I always pause and place that nail on my hand every time I hang it up. The kids asked about it this year as they felt it on their little hands... I think this is the best ornament my sister ever gave our family.
-The third picture is of very delicate glass flamingos. My friend gave these to us last year and I think they are adorable...me being from Florida and all (I moved to Illinois 3 years ago). I actually broke the male flamingo as I was putting him on the tree... that is so typical of me. I didn't want to tell my friend, so I sneakily found out where she got them and sent my hubby on a mission to find a replacement. He found the last one hanging on the stores display tree. Once I had the male flamingo back in my possession, I confessed to my friend....she just laughed :)
-The fourth picture is of a church. We bought this ornament to remember how God placed a very special Church in our path once we moved. I can't even imagine how our lives would be without our wonderful Church family.
-The last picture is an angel, and we bought it as a remembrance of God calling us to move to Illinois without a job, house (we did have a rental to begin in), or anything really... We called ourselves a modern day Abraham and Sarah. The angel ornament has these words on it, "to everything there is a season and a purpose", and boy was there a purpose to our moving. God is faithful.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at these ornaments, and please tag yourself if you would like, and let me know so I can visit your blog. Blessings!!!!

Pay It Forward Book Exchange Giveaway (December)

This is my third "PIF" Book Exchange Giveaway. Please visit this site to see all the official rules of how this giveaway works, or go back into my November posts and read the rules on the "PIF" post. My December contest will be open through December, and I will pick a winner on January 1st. All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment, and make sure there is a way I can get in touch with you if you win.

This month's book is the novel "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers. I won the book, and hope to finish it before December is over :). I have heard wonderful things about Francine Rivers. If you would like to find out what the book is about, just "Google" the title and you should be able to read a synopsis of the book, or try this website www.redeeminglovenovel.com

Know & Tell Friday (3rd Week)

Welcome back for the third week of "Know & Tell Friday"... Thanks to the many who participated the past two weeks. The questions are getting juicier (ha ha :), and I look forward to reading this week's answers. I visit all the bloggers that particpate... make sure you click onto other's blogsites to read their answers if they don't leave the answers in my comment section.

Question 1
What makes you cry? OK, what a silly question for women...everything makes us cry :) A good movie can make me cry...I judge if the movie was good on whether or not I cried (not really, but that is kind of true). I think about every episode I have ever watched of "Touched by an Angel"
made me cry. I love that show!!! I cry often when I listen to others give their testimonies about how God changed their lives. OK, I will stop because I could fill up 50 posts on the answer to this question :)
Question 2 (Hopefully this question will bring a little comic relief your way)
I am assuming everyone goes to their gyno for their regular checkups.... What do you do when you are getting you pap smear done? I try not to really make eye contact that much. There is this poster that is taped to the ceiling of a bunch of smiley faces (with emotions), and I try to look at it to take my mind off the fact that I am totally without clothes :) However, most of the time I blab to my doctor and the nurse... Crazy...but blabbing is in my nature.
Question 3 (If you have recovered from question 2)
Dream Job (Being a wife and a mother is probably the number one answer, so for this question name an occupation or ministry that you would like to work in)
I would love to work in Women's ministry in some form... like conferences (Women of Faith), or working for LPM (Beth Moore's Ministry- I bet my friends could have guessed that). I love Women's Ministries, and any way I could be involved would be great.
Bonus Question (Going Deeper...)
What is one thing that you struggle with presently, or struggled with in the past that you hope does not get passed down to your children? Again, I could list many things, but I hope that my struggle with FEAR does not get passed down to my kids. Fear is debilitating and paralyzing. My struggle with fear makes me act out in really unhealthy and at times strange ways. I have to be careful how I talk in front of my kids when it comes to this issue. I am in the process of letting God help me with this struggle, and things are improving, but it is a tough fight.

Again, thanks for participating, and I look forward to reading all of your answers :)

Thankful Thursday

(Written and posted on Wednesday night)

Well ( I really like to start my sentences with the word, well huh?), today I am thankful for the awesome marriage study that I (hub's too) am doing with our Small Group. It is Emerson Eggerich's, Love and Respect Small Group study. I gasp thinking how I would have reacted if I did this study several years ago. I was so clueless back then about how I disrespected my husband, and through my disrespect I had a role in stopping him from becoming the one thing I always wanted him to be, which was the Spiritual Leader of our household. We are probably in the best, or one of the best places in our marriage at present. When I view the study, I am glad that I am on the other side of so many of our major marital issues, but realize the minute I think I can stop working on my marriage, I will sink. Again, I thank the Lord for saving our marriage, restoring love, helping me to submit to my husband as the leader of our house, and allowing us to share our story with others. I honestly believe that this study with God's power working in your marriage can revolutionize a marriage.

A bonus to the above thanks is that our children do not have to reap many of the negative consequences that would have come out of a marriage on the brink of divorce, or one devoid of "Love and Respect".

Blessings to you today, and make sure to come back here Friday for my third week of the "Know and Tell" meme. I love reading all of your answers to my questions :)

Wordless Wednesday (I promise I will get better with being wordless :)

This picture did not turn out at all like I was hoping it would, but I love the look of my hubby...



These pictures are from our family picture day. Many things went wrong that day...my oldest, Moose was having a major meltdown (see the tears in the pictures). As mentioned many times in my blog, our oldest son has Autism. He is high functioning, and most people would not really know that he has Autism. He has come such a long way, but every once in awhile he will revert to some really negative behaviors. Thank goodness we were at home :) The second thing was that I didn't think about the staging of my pictures... I was just trying to get through the session with my sanity in tact (my hubby's too), so you will see a messy dining room table, toys, and even towels in the pictures. To top it off, I didn't have time to do my hair that day, and I thought it looked OK, but I don't like it in the pictures (but I am not sure I would have liked it if I did something with it either :) Sorry you have to turn your head to see a few of the pictures...Blessings and smile!!!

A chance to be a blessing...

I have recently become friends with a wonderful woman of God through blogging. I have just a few people that I can say that about, as it takes awhile to develop a friendship through the old computer, but with Bev I feel that we have connected through our relationship with Jesus... She is like the mentor I always wanted to have.

Her son Britt wrote this post and he is challenging all of Bev's friends and the blogging community to reach out to orphans in Thailand (I think that is right). Please click on the highlighted link in the last sentence and see if you may be able to help out in anyway. Blessings to you all!!!

Time Travel Tuesday

Today's Travel is about your "Worst Hair Day, or Worst Hair Experience"... I have two, although one is a little more severe.

It was the day of my wedding (I know you already feel bad for me) and I went to the beauty shop (it was more of a beauty shop than a stylist place). I wanted an up-do... I wanted my hair to be pulled up, and then I wanted to have the stylist curl all the pieces that were up to create this beautiful cascade of gorgeous curls, instead I ended up with a teased rat's nest. My mother could tell that I was losing it, and she wasn't happy either. At that time in my life I didn't really speak up for myself, and I never told the lady who was doing my hair that I hated it. I think I may have said I liked it, and I paid for it and left. It didn't take too long for me to break down in horrible tears and I stressed my poor mom out. I think my mom cried with me.

My mom assured me that she would fix it when we got home. We went straight into the bathroom and washed my hair. Pieces of my hair came out in big knots from all the teasing. It was so horrible. My mom, and I think, an aunt and my sister fixed my hair, and it did end up looking nice. Lesson of this story...make sure you visit your stylist before the day of your wedding.

My second mishap was with my stylist that I have now...She is fabulous and really knows how to cut, style and color hair. I have had her for over 3 years and this time that I am going to tell you about is really the only time I have had a problem. We were coloring and highlighting my hair with color, and bleach, and my stylist wanted to use this name brand toner to take out some of the reddish tones (I think that was the color)...

I know my stylist was aware of the problem before I was as she watched the color develop... Basically my hair turned purple, a grayish purple. As I looked at my hair, I just told her, "Well, I know you can fix it"... which is so surprising. I think I was probably in denial. She had to basically use bleach again on my whole head. My hair color came out fine, but oh my hair was a little bit damaged from the double coloring session.

Later my stylist explained how she went home and broke down with her parents, and she told me that she didn't really know exactly what to do, but she just did the best she could. Later, she also told me that she called the company that put the toner out, and they told her that the purple hair was something that was suppose to happen, and it would fade in time. We both did not think that was true... Who would be OK with going home with purple hair for awhile? Needless to say, my stylist threw out that toner. I told her that if a mishap like this had to happen to her I was glad it was me, because I know how good she is and I didn't judge her on this one episode.

Can't wait to hear your bad hair day stories....

In "other" Words

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
~ Mark 12:41-44 ~


Wow, this portion of Scripture cuts me right to the quick!!!
This portion of Scripture is the ultimate example of what it means to truly sacrifice... If I were there with Jesus that day I think that I would have been one giving out of my wealth, and thinking I was giving the best I could.

In the past few years, I have been learning truth about what it means to truly sacrifice... You see I love to give, but I also like to make sure that enough is left over for me so that I can get too, or that my kids are also able to get their share. A good friend of mine, a few years ago talked about how true sacrifice is giving without the thought of getting back, or shall I say, giving until it hurts.

The other neat thing I was thinking about this Scripture is that it really places us all at the same level... Rich or poor, we can all give sacrificially. Jesus always sees straight through to our hearts, and He is the one that truly knows if we are giving with the right motives. I want Jesus to be able to look at me, and be able to say that I gave sacrificially and with pure motives...it has been a process to change this old selfish girl, but I do feel that change is occurring in my life, and that gives me hope for the future :)

Again, I offer no guarantee that I am getting it all right with my words, but I hope to keep learning and growing in Wisdom with God. Blessings to you!!! Make sure to visit Beloved Mama, she is hosting today's IOW...

Winner of "Pay It Forward Book Exchange"

The winner of November's "PIF" is "What a Gift". Congrats "What a Gift", and I will get Angela Hunt's book to you very soon. Stay Tuned, I plan to have another book giveaway very soon (hopefully this week).

Know & Tell Friday (2nd posting)

Thank you to all the bloggers who participated in my first "Know & Tell" last week. Your answers to my questions were great. Feel free to copy and paste the button above in your post if you are answering the questions on your own blog. "Overwhelmed with Joy" (host of the "Pay It Forward Giveaway") created the button for me... THANKS "Overwhelmed with Joy"!!! If you do not want to do a post on your blog, remember to leave your answers in my comment section. I am still working on the Mr. Linky thing. So, with no further delay here are today's questions...

1.What scares you? Many things scare me, but I will give you a couple... Dogs scare me (ones I don't know). I always think they want to bite me, especially if they are growling, and it doesn't have to be a big dog either, a little "hot dog" can scare the pants off me. At times, darkness can scare me...it seems all my fears are magnified in the dark.
2. Coke or Pepsi (Diet counts)? My dad was a Pepsi Man (literally-he worked for Pepsi) while I was growing up, so I grew up on Pepsi products. Coke was a BAD word in our house :), but today I am a Diet Coke girl, and I think my dad has forgiven me :)
3. I would love to try... to ballroom dance, or learn a dance like the Samba or Jive...I would love to dance in high heels, but then I would end up in the ER :)
And now for a bonus question...
4. Spiritually speaking, do you have a Quiet Time? If so, where, when, and how long have you had one? If not, what is stopping you from having a Quiet time? (Quiet time is defined as time alone with God. It can consist of praying, reading God's word, and worship among many other things) Sadly, I cannot say I have a consistent QT, but I know I need to. It is more like hit or miss QT's, and I know that is part of the reason that I struggle at times in my Christian walk. This is something I have been convicted over, and I hope very soon that I can say I have a consistent QT every day.

I can't wait to see all of your answers, and remember please participate. I would love to hear from all who visit my blog. Blessings and thanks for stopping by my blog.

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful for learnin (my southern side comin out) some lessons this week.
(Grammar police don't get me today, I am just jokin :)
I must give background about myself for these lessons to make sense, so stick with me if you have the time.

If you have read my blog on a regular basis you will know one of my biggest struggles with sin is in the area of fear. Well, fear is not my only major struggle... I also struggle with being quite selfish at times. I have changed so much in the area of selfishness (meaning I am not as selfish as I used to be), but it is a battle that I must fight weekly, and sometimes daily. I really get down on myself at times because when I look at others' sins (I know I am not suppose to do that), and see my sin of selfishness I feel like my sin is so much dirtier and worse than others' sins. Let me say, that I am not in the habit of comparing my sin with others, but more like I compare my sin of selfishness to a person who is selfless and gives until it hurts.
Listen, I absolutely love giving to others... more than you know, but I like to also get myself, and at times am not willing to sacrifice so others can have without me getting anything in return. I want my cake and eat it too. Already, I am getting nervous sharing all this ICKY stuff with the blog world, but I need you to know where I came from in relation to my sin of selfishness, or the lesson I learned and am sharing with you won't mean as much. Worse, what I learned may sound like I am so super spiritual.

In the past 3 years God has blessed our family in the financial realm with many miracles. My husband (me too) equates these blessings with beginning to tithe regularly and to give with a cheerful attitude. That is a whole different wonderful story to share at another time. So needless to say this year we are able to have a nice Christmas without going into any debt. We have the ability to pay everything off, and we can buy for others this year. So, I started Christmas shopping after Thanksgiving and the way I felt this year was different. I normally shop and have so much fun buying things, but this year I felt like it was not as much fun as it has been in the past. I knew we had the money, but I realized how much (especially when it comes to my kids) my family really didn't need anything. I didn't want to just buy something to buy something, and I also felt a strong urge that I needed to stay within our Christmas budget. Normally, I take the liberty and go over the budget, not a lot, but still over, and this year I felt that it would not honor God if I spent more than what my hubby and I budgeted. (Confession: I did end up going over just a little, but I think I can make it up in other areas)

Another thing that stuck with me is when my husband named several people that were close to us that didn't have the liberty to spend like we were this Christmas, or at least without having them go further into debt. I felt so sad, and blessed at the same time. My hubby and I have lived most of our married life in debt and struggling, and it is so strange to be on the other side of things (financially speaking). Sometimes I think it is a greater responsibility to have money and manage it well. (FYI:I don't want to mislead you...by no means are we in the wealthy or in the well off category, but at present the only debt we have is our house and we are working to pay that off). My hubby and I know that things can change in an instant, but we are both learning so much about how God wants us to view money. The lessons are not always easy, especially for me, but the lessons are worth learning.

-A bonus thankful thing is that my kids are saving money and have given money out of their allowances to give to children in Africa (a community of children sponsored by our Church). It is so amazing to see how their hearts are tender toward the children in need. I think this Christmas will be good for them to change their thinking about what the real meaning of Christmas is (as it has to do with thinking of others and not themselves).

So, if I didn't make it quite clear what I am thankful for today... Here it goes, I am so THANKFUL that God is working in my heart to help me see my sin of selfishness, and not just to see it, but then to take me to the next level and help me not be so selfish... this is not something that I could do on my own. I am thankful also that God is showing me how I need to handle and view money (MY HUBBY ONLY HAS ONE WORD FOR ME....BUDGET).

Sorry so wordy today, but this blog has become my journal of sorts, and I think this year marked a change in my thinking that is so beneficial to me and my growth in the Lord. Blessings to you all (the ones that made it this far :)

Make sure to come back tomorrow for "KNOW & TELL FRIDAY" (Grab the button on my sidebar)

Another (less wordy) Wordless Wednesday post

I scanned this picture... My Snake and Terminator wanted me to take pictures of them praying. Snake gave me about 10 different ways to pray, it was so precious :)

Wordless Wednesday

My friend came over to take pictures of my family on Saturday. We were using my new camera, and I have not figured out how to take out red eye yet. We had MAJOR issues that day with my oldest son, and we rushed through the pictures (I might have thought to turn off the Dining room light so you don't see my messy table). My friend said she could Photoshop the background out (Thank Goodness). I will post a little more on my photo session day with more pictures on a day that is not suppose to be Wordless :)

Time Travel Tuesday

Today's Travel takes us back to last Thursday... Thanksgiving. What did you do on Thanksgiving?

-I didn't have to cook (WOO-HOO), well except for a corn casserole. My in-laws came down and we decided together that we would order a Thanksgiving meal from a Grocery Store. I know not so traditional, but it took the pressure off me and especially my mother-in-law (she normally cooks most of the meal). The only thing we didn't realize is that we still had to bake the Turkey for about 2 hours (it was precooked, but frozen). It didn't end up being an issue because my hubby's sister was running late, and we ate dinner around 4pm instead of 1pm.
-My hubby and father in law napped and watched a little football.
-I read a little bit of a book by Mark DeMoss called, "The Little Red Book of Wisdom" inspired by the book of Proverbs (I won that book at the 5 Minutes for Mom Website).
-We ate a delicious dinner...the grocery store did not disappoint, and I didn't overeat (well at first :)
-My mother in law and I took my 3 boys and my hubby's sister's two oldest children (8 and 7, a boy and girl) to see Enchanted (a modern day Princess story). It was hilarious to see the reactions of the boys and the one girl. My niece was for all intents and purposes "Enchanted" by the film. Her face was so cute as she watched the beautiful princess fall in love with her prince. The boys on the other hand were not so "Enchanted". They loved any part of the film that had action in it, and they loved the little chipmunk, and oh they loved when someone got hurt :), but while the love story was developing on the film they were as restless as can be... My nephew was adorable as he said "Yuck (or some other word that showed disgust) every time a kissing scene would go on (the kissing scenes were not bad, really quick and not drawn out) (FYI: In case you are thinking of taking your kids to see the movie...there was a shower scene that was a little bit iffy for kids, but overall I felt the movie was Great.) I was "Enchanted", and I want to be a modern day Princess, but I don't want to sew all my pretty dresses :)
-We came home and got all the kiddies in bed, and went to sleep ourselves.
-Oops, I forgot my hubby got me a MP3 (late b-day present) online once the sales started (11pm our time). I have it now, but still haven't figured out how it works.

Blessings to all of you!!!

Come back on Friday for my second edition/post of my new meme, "KNOW AND TELL FRIDAY"

In "other" Words

"One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy."

~ Elisabeth Elliott ~

Today's "IOW" is hosted by "To Motherhood and Beyond" and I so love the quote. I know of Elisabeth Elliott and know a little bit of information about her life, but I don't believe I have had the pleasure of reading one of her books yet.

Today, will be different in the fact that I don't have much to say about the quote (I know totally shocked), but I so need to take the advice that Elisabeth is offering. One of my problems is that I don't live in the "NOW"... I am either thinking and living my life out in the "future", or am mulling (is that spelled right?) over the mistakes I have made in my "yesterdays". I have told many people that I feel like I don't get to "live in the moment" and enjoy what each moment offers, but I feel like I am an actress (not being fake) in my life and am going through the motions of life rather than living life to the fullest.

As many of you know I have recently taken a job, and my life went from one extreme to the other in a very short time span. Now my life feels like it is so full that I don't have time to breathe. The quote above comes at just the right time, because I have been thinking that what Elisabeth tells us to do (take our list to God) is what I need to do in my life. I don't want to waste anymore of my life NOT living for God, I wasted over 20 years, and as humans we just don't have time to waste. So today, I leave you with no wisdom offered, not that I espouse any wisdom here on my blog anyway :), but that I need to seek my God to let Him show me how to fill my days. Blessings to you all!!!

"Know & Tell Friday" (First Edition of MEME)

Hello All!!! This is the 1st week of my new MEME. I am still working on the button, and hopefully getting the Mr. Linky thing. Please participate anyway!!!

I will start simple today and ask 3 questions. You may leave your answers in my comment section, or leave a comment directing me and others to your site to see your answers. Remember this MEME is to help all of us in blogville get to know each other better. Today's questions should be pretty easy for everyone to answer. As we progress I will throw some thought provoking questions out there...

Question 1
1. What makes you crazy? When I clean a room and then someone comes right in and makes it dirty (normally my kiddies)
2. Best brand of jeans? I don't necessarily have a favorite brand, but I have recently come across some perfect fit jeans at Lane Bryant. I have a smaller waist, but am much bigger in the old hips and thighs. These jeans fit my waist and give me the room I need in the other areas. Oh, I must add I have to have boot cut jeans. I wish they made a version of perfect fit jeans in every store :)
3. What do you do on rainy days? I normally get depressed on rainy days because everything seems so gloomy... If I can sneak a nap in, I will do that too...

The answers in red are mine (I am sure you figured that out already :) OK, so there it is... my first round of questions. I think they are pretty easy and non-intimidating. I can't wait to see your answers. PLEASE PARTICIPATE, and hopefully I will get the link button up soon.

Blessings to you all!!!

Thankful Thursday

Well, how appropriate today to be thankful on Thanksgiving!!! I will keep it simple today (I know it hard to believe that I could do that... I am just so wordy... :)

-I am thankful for my relationship with Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. (I have been hearing a lot about that lately, and it is good to be reminded of the price He paid for me).
-I am thankful for my hubby and 3 boys!!!
-I am thankful that I get to spend Thanksgiving with my in laws (that are about the sweetest in laws out there), and my hubby's sister and hubby and their 4 kids... my 3 plus her 4 = 7 kiddies. (5 of them are boys) will make for a lively household this weekend.
-I am thankful for my sweet family back in Florida that will get together without me once again this year, although I will miss them so, I am glad they have each other to be with on Thanksgiving :)


Well, I said simple, so I will keep it simple... Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!!!

PS... I am starting a new MEME this Friday (I am working on getting a button link, and the Mister Linky thing, but don't have it yet), please stop back by on Friday for the first "Know & Tell Friday" (you can read the post below this one about the MEME to find out what it is about). Blessings!!!

Wordless Wednesday (Posted Tuesday)

Daddy's Little Girl, even at 37... Yes, that is a shower door you see in the background... if you know my daddy you wouldn't be surprised (it's an inside family thing...don't try to understand it , just smile :)

In "Other" words

"The purpose of Christianity is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes. It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life."

~ James L. Christensen ~

Simple Christian Living is today's host for "IOW", and her post is definitely worth reading. She has a lot of wisdom and insight packed into her post!!!

So,what is my take on the above quote? Well, first of all, life is not easy (that is nothing new to us all). We live in a broken world, and are faced with that brokenness everyday. We live in a sinful world that desires to overtake us everyday as well. I am a person that has and will try at times to avoid difficulty at all cost. I am frightfully fearful of difficulty, among many other things. In my own mind, I have tricked myself into thinking I can avoid the difficult circumstances of life, but have quickly realized... I am not in control of anything!!!

You know what is funny??? I spent my life trying to avoid difficulty, only to find out that difficulty has been a friend to me, spiritually speaking... Perspective casts its bright light on past situations that have been hard for me, and I see something so cool...what is it? Spiritual Growth!!! I just don't seem to grow very much in the happy times, as a matter of fact, I have been known to stray from God during the good times. I am not saying that in all the good times of my life I pull away from God, but sadly I have more than I wanted to. In my opinion, God wants us to live the joyfully abundant life, not just a difficult life.

However, in my life,there is something about the difficulty of life that draws me to God...probably the fact that I know how desperate I am of His presence or I will literally break down ( I have had that very thought many times). One thing I am learning is that I try to survive and get through the difficult times in my own strength, but that God doesn't want me to do anything in my own strength. I need Him to work through me to survive and thrive in the difficult situations of life. I say I am learning this because it has not yet fully worked itself into my belief system, but I want it to.

I love participating in these MEME's, but I admit I am so new to learning the ways of our God that I could totally be off base. I have a love to share what I learn, but also need to live what I learn as well. I hope that you will be encouraged today in the Lord, and make sure to click on the "IOW" button so you can be directed to the host site, and visit many other wonderful bloggers out there in the blogosphere.

Make sure to stop back by this Friday, as I am launching a new Meme of my own... It is called, "Know & Tell Friday" and I hope it becomes a point of fun fellowship for you all.

Blessings to you!!!

I am starting my own MEME...NEED YOUR HELP!!!

Well, I decided to start my own MEME. since I so enjoy several of them each week ("Time Travel Tuesday" and "Thankful Thursday" especially). The only thing is if you all (my readers) don't participate in my weekly MEME, it will kind of fail. I don't really want to be the only one answering my questions. I know I have about 10 people that visit pretty regularly, and out of those 10 probably about 6 comment regularly. I would love for everyone who visits to take part in the weekly MEME (if you don't know what MEME means...look it up as it refers to blogging). I think this MEME will help us get to know each other a little better.

Do you remember, or are familiar with a "Slam Book" (that is what I know it to be called)? I remember filling out the "Slam Books" in middle school. The "SB" consisted of a lot random questions like; favorite pet, biggest crush, favorite color....things like that. When you filled out the "SB" you would pick a number and then answer all the questions in the book using that number so everyone would see your answers to the questions. Well, I am using the idea of the "SB" to start my own "MEME".

Recently, I purchased a book titled, "Coke or Pepsi" that lists hundreds of great questions. The questions are somewhat simple, but oh the stories you can draw from someone answering a simple question. This past Wednesday, I asked my Adult Small Group (my hubby and I lead a Small Group at our Church) several of these simple questions, and the conversations were wonderful, so wonderful that our Small Group wanted to skip our marriage DVD that night and continue answering questions. The strange thing is that in the midst of asking these questions you can really hear some deep answers and very revealing things shared by the ones answering the questions. I hope that is what happens here on my weekly "MEME", that you all will answer the questions and by answering the questions we call get to know each other better.
I also hope the regulars that visit my site only on "Thankful Thursday" will take part in the "MEME" too.

OK, the "MEME" (are you tired of seeing that word yet?) will be posted every Friday, and it will be called "KNOW & TELL FRIDAY" (like Show & Tell... the Know is a reference to my blog title...I am sure you figured that out). The goal of "Know & Tell Friday" will be to get to KNOW everyone better. Remember, if you don't comment, the "MEME" will eventually have no purpose, but I so hope you do.

Maybe, I will get blog savvy and figure out how to have the "Mr. Linky" thing, and maybe even create a cute graphic button for "Know & Tell Friday". My first official "Know & Tell" will happen next Friday. Please come back to visit next Friday. I promise the questions will be fun, thought provoking, revealing, and maybe even deep :)

Blessings and have a good weekend.

PS... If anyone knows how to create a button for me, please let me know...

"I Am" Online Bible Study

1. How current is your God? Is he up to date on all your issues or do you have old hurts you still hold behind your back? He is very current in my life and issues... I don't always cooperate with Him, and at times hold up the work that He is trying to do in my life.

2. Has the enemy ever told you there are situations that are 'old news' that are better left stuffed down? Or perhaps because they were so long ago they can't possibly be affecting you now? I don't really think that has been how the enemy has worked on me in my life...normally, I go to the other extreme and obsess about my issues until I am ready to explode in my mind...

3. In the matter of established authority, does God truly reign in your life? Where are you when He calls your name? I would like to say yes, wholeheartedly, but I know there are still some things I am trying to hold onto and control.

4. Do you ever feel God has forgotten you in your 'west side of the wilderness'? Not really, but I definitely feel distance from God at times, and long for his presence to be so close to me that I can literally feel it in my Spirit...

5. Have you ever experienced a time of cleansing where God has illuminated and rejuvenated you? If not, do you find you are in need of this now? I would say definitely yes, but I think I may be due for another cleansing and rejuvenation :)

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for all the lessons I have learned in my 37 years. Click on this link or just look below this post to see my "Thursday Thirteen" list for today's "Thankful Thursday". Blessings all!!!

Thursday Thirteen (Birthday Edition)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


View More Thursday Thirteen Participants


OK, today's Thirteen (actually posted on a Wed) is about the "13 Lessons I have Learned in my 37 Years" (Most of these lessons/thoughts were not formed by me, but through life experience I have found them to be true)

1. If you were born in a decade (like 60, 70, 80, etc) and have a birthday at the end of the year you may be prone to aging yourself before your time. In my 30's I have found this to be so true... Every year (many times) when someone asked me my age, I would end up telling them that I was a year older... let me explain...IE: 2005- Well in 2005, I knew that I would be 35, but I didn't actually turn 35 until the end of the year, but every time I would here the "05" part, I would just assume I was 35. I hope that made sense...it is kind of hard to explain in writing. I have a hunch that I won't have this problem of aging myself when it comes to my 40th :)
2. I can do things that I never thought I could do!!! I said I would never move from the town I was born in, and at the age of 33 I moved 22 hours from my home town. The Bible had this precious truth in it all along... "I can do everything through Him (JESUS) who gives me strength". I guess it just took 30 years to believe that truth.
3. Being a parent is not an easy job (I don't think any explanation is due for this statement :)
4. Marriage is hard work (again, no explanation...I know those of you who are married know this to be true as well :)
5. Having a child with Autism has been one of the best things that ever happened to me. I say that because God used my Moose as one way to help me face my anger, pride, and judgemental critical spirit of others. I could write a whole different 13 list on this subject!!!
6. A leopard can change her spots, if she lets her God help her to... I know that I have in the past, and can in the present/future leave off that last part of my statement. I often try to take credit for the changes that I have made in my life, but when I am truly operating in the Spirit I know God is the only one who gets credit for changing me. I tell others I truly don't recognize myself at times...
7. Women can truly be set free from jealousy in relationships with their friends. I often say we as women are so hard on each other, and we cause each other a lot of extra strife (putting it nicely). I have learned that when I am jealous of another friend, whether it is about what they have, or how they look, or how many other friends they have or like better than me.... it really is my problem. I have learned through many circumstances, that I can take my jealousy and give it to God, and then actually be happy for that person. All of this progress has come through God changing my heart, and Him using a good Fwend to help me see this truth. Girls on this one, a lot of freedom is at stake!!
8. God can bring you a friendship that exceeds any expectation you could have imagined (FWEND) :)
9. God can save a marriage that was headed for divorce (MINE).
10. I can be a submissive wife with God's help, and I am happy with that role (this one is hard to do at times).
11. Husbands can change if they let God have the number one position in their hearts. (I saw this happen before my eyes, and it is beautiful).
12. WORK IN PROGRESS....You, well I need to personalize this one... I can stick to a budget :)
13. You can love someone in Christ that you have never met... An example is Beth Moore. God has used this woman to speak so much truth into my life, and help me to change to be more like Him, and I have never met her. Her study on Paul was my first introduction to her Bible Studies, and God used that study to set my life on a different course. I could write a book on this one, but I will stop. I love her and her whole family, and I don't even know them. That is the connection we can have through our loving God. (I have a hunch others may feel the same way).

Well, I hope you enjoyed today's 13...no profound wisdom, but oh what a journey I have had learning some of these lessons. Blessings to you today!!!


Again, I don't really know much about the "TT" links above, but click on them if you would like to. Goofy Girl designed the header...