Blessed Beyond Imagination

Wordful Wednesday

2010-01-06T12:49:00.006-05:00

~ Christmas Eve 2009 ~

"Praise Him with trumpet sound;

Praise Him with harp and lyre.

Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.

Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!"

Psalm 150:3-6

A Simple Womans Daybook

2010-01-05T13:33:00.004-05:00

For Today, Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Outside my window... Chilly, Sunny, Blue Skies, Breezy...

I am thinking...about my son...

I am thankful for...The deep love of Christ

From the kitchen...Fresh bread last night, Applesauce Cake today, Stir-fry for dinner...

I am wearing...Blue sweat pants and a grey thermal top, I'm sooooo cold (Florida blooded) :)

I am remembering…That I wanted to plant peas in my garden,...wondering if it's too late!

I am going…to the gym tonight for the first time in 3 weeks!!!! Tomorrow should be achy!

I am reading...Becoming a Woman God Can Use (a Bible Study I'm starting with my BF, Kim)

I am hoping...That my sweet Hubbaliciousness has a great day at work today!

On my mind…Sewing projects, house cleaning...

I am creating...a bunch of Valentines Aprons...

I am hearing...A gentle breeze against the window...

Noticing that…my fingers are cold and having a hard time typing...

Around the house...Christmas decorations are put away, laundry and floors need to be done today...

One of my favorite things...My heating blanket!!!!

A Scripture thought...

"My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you."
Proverbs 3:1-2

A few plans for the rest of the week...Library, girl day (hopefully), garden spruce up, buy more hot Cocoa!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
We are in the middle of a computer change-over and I have no pictures on this one to share....
so read this and close your eyes, and you will see what I want to show you (you might even smell it)...
A pretty white porcelain mug adorned with golden snowflakes, filled with steaming hot Ghiradelli Hazelnut/Chocolate Cocoa and topped with freshly whipped Chocolate Cream....that's what I would have shown you a photo of. :)

To read more daybooks, visit http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Bathroom Fixer-Upper

2010-01-04T10:45:00.009-05:00

My guest bathroom needed a face lift. Since re-tiling and new sink/counter/cabinet weren't exactly in the budget, here is what I did...

OLD

Ugly mirror, boring light fixture, plain towel ring

(I put them there, so I can insult them, LOL)

NEW

Pretty mirror (see below for details), cozy light fixture, cute towel shelf

Detail of my little shelf :)

OLD

(This is so you can see the wall that is reflected,

because I forgot to take a before photo)

Notice the plain towel bar and lonely framed photo

We knocked out the towel bar and repainted the wall.

Added a shelf for a different look for haning towels

Here is my little shelf, I DO plan to do something with this frame, but I haven't quite decided yet, so here it sits.. :)

The mirror project...once again, I forgot to take a before photo. This was a $20 mirror from Old Time Pottery. It was Sparkling Gold in color, but I knew I could make it what I wanted. I lightly sanded the surface and coated it with 2 coats of plain brown craft paint...

Then I "painted" it with a dark stain. Being careful to brush away drips and keep it dark in the corners and crevices. When you "paint" with stain, it usually takes about 1 week to fully dry.

In keeping with my "seashell" theme (due to the lovely *smirk* seafoam green toilet, tub and tile accents), I cut a branch off my Pecan tree and tied it with ribbon to 2 hooks. I then looped ribbon along it and hot-glued seashells, sea-stars, and little green stones. No curtain is really needed here, so I just wanted to accent the window.

Have a beautiful and Creative Day!

Sunday Praise!

2010-01-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday!

This is one of my favorite songs by this young artist, Francesca Battistelli. When this song comes on I crank it up and dance all over my house,...because I truly FEEL these words in my heart and when I sing them I am SO thankful for the Grace that has been bestowed upon me!

Have a beautiful day!

Now what???

2010-01-02T12:36:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving, Christmas, family visits, New Years,....now what?

I finished taking all the inside decorations down yesterday,...the house looks naked. It's funny how before I decorated, it didn't look naked at all, but once I took down all the colorful lights, sparkling decorations, and jingling bells, it just feels blank. What now?

Is it wrong that I'm already thinking about decorating my house for Valentines? I mean, I'm not gonna do it YET, but I'm thinkin' on it...what "decor" goes with January? It's not cold enough here for "winter" decor, so maybe I should just spend the whole month cleaning...gee...that sounds fun.

Hmmmm, what do you do in January???

I do have some goals...not resolutsions, just goals...I'd like to finish the quilt I've been working on for my Mom (for years)...getting it to her while it's still cold would be a good idea, ya' think?

I'd like to finish up some sewing projects....well, I'd like to START them, and then finish them...

I'd really like to do what I said I was gonna do and following a reading plan to read through the entire Bible in one year...I'm one day behind on that already...ugh! I'll be the first to admit that as much as I've read and studied God's Word in the last 15 years, even though I've read several books over and over, I haven't read ALL of it...*sigh*...

Oh yeah, and then there's that whole "I'm gonna start jogging again"....ya, ya...blah blah blah...but REALLY,...I am, you just wait and see...I'm SERIOUS!!!....it's just that today it feels cold (to me)...and um, I have to type this blog,...and um, this coffee is so warm and yummy,...and these jammy pants are comfy...and um....yup...you know the routine. But really, I AM going to start jogging again. :)

So,....what are you going to do this January? Just curious. :)

Have a beautiful day!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T10:41:00.007-05:00

My prayer today is that this year to come will be a blessing to all of you, and to my family as well, may 2010 be filled like the "ends of the earth"...

"They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs;

You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.

You visit the earth and cause it to overflow;

You greatly enrich it;

The stream of God is full of water;

You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth.

You water its furrows abundantly,

You settle its ridges,

You soften it with showers,

You bless its growth.

You have crowned the year with Your bounty,

And your paths drip with fatness.

The pastures of the wilderness drip,

And the hills gird themselves with rejoicing.

The meadows are clothed with flocks

And the valleys are covered with grain;

They shout for joy, yes, they sing."

Psalm 65:8-13

I hope you all had a fun and safe New Years Eve...we did. Capt. Mike had to work, but was home about 9:30...we snuggled on the couch and watched an old movie. About 11:45 we headed out to the driveway to set off our $10 pack of Walmart fun, lol.

We were ready, with our own little countdown, cranberry/raspberry juice and ginger ale (i.e., homeade sparkling cider).

We toasted the New Year and had a little fun....Purple Rain was by far our favorite, bummer there was only 1 in the pack.

Then inside to finish up the movie. Safe and fun. :)

Have a Beautiful Day!

Kathy C.

Christmas Adventures...

2009-12-27T11:19:00.022-05:00

Our son, Cris, and his sweet girlfriend Lindsey were here for 10 days. I've decided to share our 10 days with mostly photos and just a few words....grab a cup of coffee and join our adventures... :)

Thursday - they arrived...we had began checking off the "list of things Mom must cook while I'm home" by having Baked Egg Rolls for dinner.

Friday - We headed to the Shooting Range...

then to the "World Famous" Dixie Crossroads for lunch...that night we went to Kim and Brad's annual Christmas party.

Saturday - Lindsey and I went to the Mall and got pedicures (she doesn't like people touching her feet, so relaxing was out of the question, LOL)...the boys went to the Hobby Shop...

That afternoon, the boys played with their RC toys and as usual, the neighborhood kids were in attendance. :)

Saturday was Pizza and a Movie Night! Lindsey and I made my homemade crust, South American Taco Pizza and BBQ Chicken Pizza! Then we watched The Nativity Story.

Sunday - After church we went to Tijuana Flats for lunch (yum). That night we had a game night at the house with several of Capt. Mike's siblings and some of their kids, along with a couple that lives across the street.

Taboo

Guesstures

Snacks!

Monday we went out and flew RC planes and played with the RC cars some more. That night we went to Makotos (our favorite Japanese place) for dinner.

Tuesday and Wednesday - Capt. Mike had to work, so Cris, Lindsey and I did some shopping at the Avenue Mall on Tuesday, then Historic Downtown Melbourne Thursday.

Cris loves his Vibram Five Fingers shoes, so Lindsey bought a pair at the Flop Shop downtown. He says they are wonderful for outdoor play, running around, hiking, rock climbing and watersports...he almost has me convinced that I need a pair! :)

Island Pasta Company for lunch downtown...

Friday - Christmas Eve...we spent most of the day pre-prepping for Christmas day dinner (to save time the next day). We headed to the beach late in the day to....can you guess???? Play with RC cars on the beach! :)

I love this photo, if you look closely, there is a rainbow dipping into the ocean, and this tiny flock of white birds flying - it's really pretty. :)

A nice lady offered to take our photo...

We stopped by Grandmas house (Capt. Mike's Mom) to say Merry Christmas...

Then off to do some Christmas Light watching....we spent hours driving all over 3 cities enjoying the beautiful displays, some that were set to music, some where you could walk all over the property...it was great fun!

Saturday - MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! We slept in...no little kiddos here to wake us up early! :) We enjoyed opening gifts and having some silly fun. All the while being sure to keep our hearts aware that Jesus Christ is the reason we celebrate this day at all!!!! It's true though, we do enjoy giving gifts to eachother...

My dearest, sweet hubby gifted me with a birthstone ring...it needs to be sized a bit better though, so I can't wear it yet :(

Cris hid a gift for Lindsey on the tree and told her to search for it...

She found it,...a lovely black pearl necklace (she is a pearl lover) :)

Stormie was pretty happy with what was in her stocking too!....WHAT? You don't have a stocking for you dog???

Mike and Cris were more enthralled with these silly chinese puzzles I got at Target than with almost anything else...love those cheap toys that keep them entertained...oh wait, that's supposed to apply to little kids.. LOLOL

Capt. Mike's really special gift is one he purchased a few weeks before Christmas...it's a lovely guitar that he has dreamed of having for quite some time. This is a gift for me too, since he plays beautiful worship music on it! What a blessing!

The aftermath of gifts! Whose gonna clean up this mess??? :)

Before we get to deep into cooking Christmas dinner, we took a little break to shoot Airsoft guns at my Gingerbread Barn! :)

Dinner is ready...the table is set!

After thanking our Lord for this wonderful blessed day,...we prepare to fill our plates...

Cute sweater that Lindsey made herself. :)

Party hats are a must...afterall, this is a Birthday Celebration!

Guess why Kim and Kathy are smiling?????

Because it's time for this....

And this....

Guess why Kathy is still smiling???? Because of this....

Cris and Lindsey got all crazy and did the dishes for me!!!! This is one thankful Momma!

Nite-nite Lindsey....Stormie was soooo tired, she snuggled up with her new friend (not to mention there was a heating pad in that bed, she was likin' that! :)

At "WAY too early O'Clock" the next morning, we headed to the airport...this sign is on the road to the airport, funny, eh?

We dropped off our bundle...they were on their way to TX to spend 10 days with her Momma. Oh, my Momma's heart sighs...I miss that sweet face when it's not here for me to stare at, those eyes that twinkle when he laughs, that cute little dimple at the corner of his mouth when he smiles...I love that boy...

Stormie loved having them here too, but she is TIRED and happy to have her house back to normal, hee hee hee... :)

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas!!!

Kathy C.

Joyful Thursday!

2009-12-17T08:35:00.004-05:00

No, this isn't a new meme,...just the way I feel today... :)

If you are here reading today, I'm going to ask you to do something...don't just scan this scripture (yes we're all guilty of the occassional 'scan')...really read it,..slowly, and with the excitement that it deserves...taste every word, this is God's Word! It fills my heart to overflowing... I love His Word!

Sing to the Lord a new song;

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

Tell of His glory among the nations,

His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;

He is feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before Him,

Strength and beauty are His sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name;

Bring an offering and come into His courts.

Worship the Lord in holy attire;

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns;

Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved;

He will judge the peoples with equity."

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

Let the sea roar, and all it contains;

Let the field exult, and all that is in it.

Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy

Before the Lord, for He is coming,

For He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

And the peoples in His faithfulness.

Psalm 96

My heart is full today....full of so many things....

Joy and overflowing love for my Lord Jesus, He has always been so faithful to me, always been there gently guiding me, and comforting me.

My heart is full of thankfulness to Him for the blessings He has given to me, my precious husband,...I am so very thankful for the man that he is and the gift of him in my life.

My heart is full of a Mother's love...today we are picking up our son and his girlfriend at the airport. I love being a Mom, oh how my heart aches to kiss my child everyday....today is the day! I am thankful that my great big baby boy is still more than willing to let his Momma kiss his face - he knows how much it means to me.

Oh my heart is full!

They'll be here until the day after Christmas, so I may be absent from blogland. Maybe I'll have a moment to pop on a photo or two, but it's not too likely.

If I'm not around to say it before then, have a very Merry Christmas!!! Thank you for being my friends! :)

Christmas Parade of Homes

2009-12-14T07:47:00.016-05:00

Today I'm joining in with The Nesting Place for her Christmas Tour Of Homes. I wish you could all come to my house for dinner, or coffee, or games, or tea, or girl time or WHATEVER, during the month of December, because I just love the cozy feel of a home decorated for Christmas! It's so much fun to have a house full of people with the sound of Christmas music in the background and the fake fireplace DVD on the TV (it's 85 degrees ya'll).

BUT, since you don't all live just around the corner, let's have a virtual visit...come on it!...

Here are some of the things you'll see at my house during Christmas time...

Ahhh, yes,...we've all seen this before...you won't see this when you visit though, he's not still up there, hee hee hee...

After all his hard work,...this is what the house looks like...

From the driveway. I put plain wreaths in the windows with red velvet ribbon and bows. I bought all that stuff at an after Christmas sale for pennies!!!! Who doesn't love bargain decorating???
From across the street. All the lights on the house are red and white.

If you were peering into my front window, this is what you'd see...note the plumerias still blooming in my garden (gotta love Florida!).

Come on inside and you'll see my nativity set...I've been trying (forgetting) to finish painting it for about 6 years!!!! Pretty sad, eh? Should I make that my challenge this year? It WILL be painted by next Christmas...it's up to you guys to hold me to it! :)

Turn around and you'll see our tree...

during the day...

And at night...

Let's go into the dining area...

My hutch (I call it the "coffee station")...it's hard to tell, but I have colored lights draped at the top, which I love at night...my vase changes it's flowers for every season, so these are my Christmas reds and whites, and my little cloth Jesus candy cane. In the center of the bottom shelf is a drawing my son did of the nativity scene when he was probably 4 or 5 years old - precious!

This little Christmas bird sits on my table to greet you...

If you were coming to Christmas Dinner your place setting might look like this, not quite sure yet, just testing ideas...

Now into the kitchen...

I love colored lights!...this is the dining room, at the entrance to the kitchen...

I love this cute little cloth wall hanging...

Door swag in the kitchen, the lights look so pretty when the house is dark...

Now, how about just a little bit of this and that...

There's a little corner in my hallway, I brightened it up with my tiny tree. :)

I made these stocking just a week ago. We've had the same stockings for forever, and I wanted something new, but never like what I see in stores...I really like the way these turned out.

I drape greenery on all my doorways and at the top corners, I have a mixture of white roses and red hydrangeas, or red roses and white hydrangeas.

CHOCOLATE!!! It's EVERYWHERE!

That goes without saying...doesn't it? :)

Little clothes pin snowman on the bathroom shelf...

Pop over to the Nesting Place to see more lovely homes, and to enter her giveaway!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Our Christmas Tree

2009-12-09T10:01:00.005-05:00

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY...

This is what I call my "Jesus Tree" :)

Have a Beautiful Day!

SOOOOOOO EXCITED! :)

2009-12-08T15:59:00.002-05:00

Yup, I'm doing the Momma Dance....my baby...well, OK, not so much a baby. My big boy, Cristofre, is coming home for Christmas, and I am SOOOOO EXCITED!

On top of that, he's bringing his girlfriend, Lindsey. She's a sweet gal and it'll be so much fun having them both here.

I've got the wiggles, I've been kinda dancing around just thinking that in 9 days, YES, just 9 days I'll be kissin' that precious face!!!!!! I'm gonna bust open, I just know it! :)

WOO-HOOOOOOO! :)

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About How We Celebrate Christmas

2009-12-05T12:51:00.011-05:00

I "borrowed" this meme from my friend Jo-Lynne, over at Musings Of A Housewife. It looked like fun, so here I go...

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About How We Celebrate Christmas...

I'm sure you've been wanting to ask me these questions all year long, right???? LOLOLOL

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Definitely homemade Hot Chocolate,...I especially love Abuelitas Mexican Hot Chocolate, because that's what my grandmother use to make for us from scratch, mmmmmm. As for egg-nog, if I love the taste, but can't deal with the thickness,...I like to mix it with skim milk to make it easier on me. But I LOVE Egg Nog Ice Cream punch! :)

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Well, we don't do Santa...sorry. Now, don't get me wrong, present show up mysteriously in the middle of the night for certain, but they are either from Jesus, or Mom and Dad. My parents always set up our gifts UNwrapped, and the display was amazing to see (there were 6 kids, so imagine tea parties set up with new dolls, barbies townhouse set up with furniture and a new Ken doll, guitars on stands, battleship games set up ready to play, etc... - it was really cool to wake up to that.
But I never followed that tradition, I guess since I had only one child?

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? On the tree I do white, because it goes with the theme I use. I use to do colored and may start again next year because I kinda miss them. On the house we do a white red and green color theme, kinda like a gingerbread house look. On the inside of the house I string colored lights in various places.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Yes, most definitely...I LOVE kisses! :)

5. When do you put your decorations up? Beginning the first day of December.

6. What is your favorite Christmas dish? I am assuming this means "food", not dessert soooo, I guess this yummy tenderloin roast I made one year, that really sticks out.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? My Mom always placed a small gift at the foot of our beds while we were sleeping. So, when we woke up, we were allowed to open that one gift before we got our parents up - I loved carrying that tradition through to my son.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I had 5 older siblings, I don't ever remember believing in Santa, so there was not "moment of truth".

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Absolutely, this has been a family tradition for as long as I can remember.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I have a Jesus themed tree. White Lights=stars in the sky, Red balls=blood shed for us, White balls=His purity, Gold balls=Gifts of gold for royalty. I also have clear glass ornaments and several of the colored balls have names of Christ (Lamb of God, Friend, Messiah, etc...) written on them. I have these white hearts that have the attributes of Christ on them (faithful, loving, kind, just, etc...). I also add candy canes because they are like a "J" for Jesus, and they are red and white! :)

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I love snow, I don't live in or near it, so that's easy to say. But I do remember having snow at Christmas as a child and it is such a wonderful memory...I love snow.

12. Can you ice skate? Actually, yes. Just your basic skating style, don't think I'm doing loops and stuff, LOL.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Funny, I actually STILL HAVE my favorite gift. When I was 9 yrs old, I picked out a stuffed Chimp named "Zip" from the Sears catalog. He didn't make it in time for Christmas, but showed up a few weeks later and I loved him dearly. He sits on my bed to this day and my name is still marked in pen on the bottom of his shoe. :)

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Celebrating the wonderful gift of Jesus, the music that makes me feel all hapyp and warm inside, seeing lights on the houses, the smells of cookies baking, laughter, family and friends, watching people open their gifts!!! :)

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Buche De Noel, a rolled very light cake with a mocha filling and dark chocolate coating. I learned how to make it about 25 years ago in my High School French class and still have the original copy (remember that blue ink from those big rolling copy machines we had?)

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Oh, I have 2....Christmas Eve, we do our "Drive to see the Lights" tradition....and, My Christmas Day dinner, when my best friend Kim and her family join us....it's so much fun to menu plan and decorate the table, watch everyone open gifts. I love it!

17. What tops your tree? A bright star.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Totally giving...I love to wrap gifts, and make them all sparkly and pretty and I LOVE watching people open them.

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? I could eat one a year, but they are a MUST for the tree.

20 Favorite Christmas Show? That's got to be a "Charlie Brown Christmas". :)

21. Saddest Christmas Song? Hmmmm...I'm dreaming of a White Christmas? Because it just ain't gonna happen here in Sunny Florida!

22. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Oh, this is easy. Words can hardly define what I feel when I hear David Phelps sing O Holy Night. He doesn't just "sing" it, he FEELS it, and you will too when you watch this...TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP, and get some tissue, you will be ushered into the throne room of the King...at least that's what it does to me!

Ugly can be Beautiful!

2009-12-03T12:22:00.006-05:00

I found a sweet surprise today in my backyard. See, I love gardening, it's one of my passions. I have one policy regarding my gardening passion though,...if it's a really finicky plant and takes too much "specialized" babying, I'm not growing it.

Over the years I've had a few Orchids given to me. As much as I love the way Orchids look, their flowers are so amazing, I have no desire to get carried away with their supposed needs. So, I hang the handful of Orchid plants under a branch in my Pecan tree and basically ignore them, if I happen to be out that way watering, I'll spray them...that's all they get.

In return, they are pretty ugly...scraggly, yellowish green ugly plants.

But every once in a while I am blessed, through nothing I have done, with this gorgeous display. Today was one of those days. I was given a gift made by the hand of God, as if to say,...see I don't need your help, I made these, and I'm giving them to you free of charge! He is awesome and gracious, His gifts are precious, no matter how small.

Two princesses dressed in their finest! What a sweet reward!

Have a beautiful day!

Christmas with a Capital "C"

2009-12-01T07:25:00.002-05:00

Love this!!! :)

Have a beautiful day!

Making Your Home Sing Monday

2009-11-30T10:34:00.006-05:00

Today I'm joining my friend Nan for here mem Making Your Home Sing Monday! She says..."Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?
It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless."

I loved Nan's post today about lists...I am a list maker too! And right now, I have a big list...I have SEVERAL projects, crafts and homemade Christmas gifts that need to get done. I've begun several at one time (bad idea). That's when I get overload syndrome..I just want a piece of chocolate and a good movie, let it all sit and wait....wait for WHAT? I need to get on the ball and do a chip away a little at a time until they are completed...and that SHOULD be before Christmas!

What have a I started? Well, I wanted to "re-do" the guest bedroom,....so we painted the walls, got new carpet and did some re-arranging...I decided the little vanity desk and mirror needed to be painted a different color to match the new color scheme...vanity awaits my paint and brush...

While I was out looking for "doo-dads" to hang on the wall of the new spare bedroom, I came across this mirror that would look "perfect" in the hall bath...it just needed some paint and antiqing, etc...this created a monster of an overhaul in the hall bath which I am currently right in the middle of....wall needs spackling and painting...

I've been mulling over for sometime to move some shelves from the living room to the spare bedroom and change up the look in the living room...needed a chair for the "spot" I created...got the chair cheap (woo-hoo)....now I need to recover it....

Began a quilt (a LONG time ago) for my Mom, NEED to finish it in time to mail for Christmas....

Started about 7 other Christmas gift projects that NEEEEEEED finishing....

I felt so guilty when I read Nan's post about waiting until the last minute and people who like to work under pressure - that's not me! Why did I wait???? No list.

So, today, I'm going to go through these thigns that need finishing, prioritize them on a list and begin working through them until they are done...hopefully this will streamline my work so I can get things done with no stress, because they are all fun projects and stress just ain't fun!

On top of that, it's December!!!!!! Yee-haw!!!!! And my home will be singing with the first signs of Christmas decorations! I love to decorate for Christmas, it's my favorite! I'll try to put that on my list.. :) At the top!

Have a beautiful Monday!

For more "Making your Home Sing Monday" posts, visit Nan at Moms The Word.

Trust Him...

2009-11-27T09:54:00.006-05:00

I love those small tid-bits we are given in scripture. The ones that we read and say 'wow', then pass on by to the next. Oftentimes, we don't take in the Awesomeness of what we have just read...we move on, because we are on a mission...get "this" many pages read today. But this morning, I read this, and I knew that God wanted me to "Selah"... (pause, take a breath and hang on to these words, carefully measuring them, running them over in my mind)...these are my words for today.

"Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out. But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He coammands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?" ~ Luke 8:22-25

Selah.....and WOW.

Now you try it, you go outside during a storm and tell it to stop...yeah,...that's what I thought. How easily we read over these words, but stop, take it in...do you feel that POWER? We are often afraid and concerned that He can't or won't handle something in our lives? A raging storm seems uncontrollable, who could fathom telling wind and rain and crashing waves to stop? It seems unreal, but we read it here in God's Word, so we KNOW it's real, that is His power - so awesome and huge!

What storm do you have in your life? A wayward child? An aching heart? A debilitating illness? An unsaved neighbor? Something that is just uncontrollable when it sits in your hands? Place in the hands of our beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ, NOTHING is uncontrollable for Him. He has the power, He will use it as He sees fit. Our job? Trust Him.

Have a beautiful day!

Twas the Month before Christmas...

2009-11-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

*Twas the month before Christmas*

*When all through our land,*

*Not a Christian was praying*

*Nor taking a stand.*

*See the PC Police had taken away,*

*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*

*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*

*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*

*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*

* December 25th is just a 'Holiday'.*

*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*

*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*

*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*

*Something was changing, something quite odd! *

*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*

*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*

*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*

* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*

*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*

*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*

*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*

*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*

*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*

*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!*

*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*

*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*

*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*

* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*

*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*

*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*

*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*

*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*

*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*

*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS,

not Happy Holiday!*

Please, all Christians join together and

wish everyone you meet

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I'm hosting a Paperspring Giveaway!!!!

2009-11-20T19:43:00.014-05:00

How would you like to win a $50 gift certificate to Paperspring?

What? You don't know what Paperspring is?

Neither did I until I entered and WON a giveaway at my sweet friend Lisa's blog, Stop and Smell the Chocolates. I was so excited when I won her giveaway and I used my gift certificate to order my Christmas Cards for this year, in addition to a Sticky Stock photo to pop inside each card.

Aren't these just the cutest cards?

You can also send them your list of names for cards and they will print each persons name on the front of the card - How Cool Is That???!!! :)

Don't worry, if you've already got your Christmas cards all filled out and ready to mail (yeah, right, SURE you do...REALLY,...you do?),...they have a ton of other things you can order. The personalized cards and sticky stock are my favorite!

What's Sticky Stock? Well, it's not really sticky at all, it doesn't have any kind of residue or film. It just stays where you put it,

until you pick it up and move it...

It'll stay here...

Or here...

Or even here...if that's where you really want it...??

Not only are there products made of high quality paper, but the ordering process is really smooth and easy, and the mailing was superfast, I was pretty shocked to get my stuff so quickly! On top of that, the staff is really friendly and helpful.

The worst thing about my Paperspring experience? I wanted a little bit of EVERYTHING!!! All the personalized Christmas cards are sooooooo cute, it was tough to choose. As a matter of fact, I think I'm gonna go back over there and order some cards with my Blog name on them, just because they are SOOOOOOO cute! :)

Now then, HOW can YOU win???? Paperspring has offered a $50 gift certificate (good towards paperspring products) for me to give away.... how cool is that???

Here's how you can enter to win. You can earn up to 3 entries, and I'll randomly pick the winner on Tuesday, November 24th!

1. Pop over to Paperspring, and look around; leave me a comment telling me what paperspring product you liked the most. (that'll be a first entry)

2. Blog about my giveaway, or post it on your blog and let people know you did. THEN come back and comment again to let me know you did that! (that'll be a 2nd entry)

3. Post about this giveaway on your facebook page or tweet about it (gotta come back and comment again to let me know!) ~ that'll be a 3rd entry!!

Have a beautiful day and I hope you win! :)

101 "Thankfuls"...

2009-11-18T13:16:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving is just around the corner (as if you didn't know), and have already seen lot's of Christmas decorations up, SAD! There's a lot of talk of Turkey, stuffing, side dishes and desserts (all of which I enjoy VERY much), but there are also lots of blogs in the "blog-o-sphere" that are posting about what they are thankful for. Since I found out too late about the "ABC's" of Thankfulness, I thought I'd make up my own little list.

Here are 101 things (in no particular order ~ well,...the first one is intentionally the FIRST) that I'm ever so thankful for...

1. My Lord Jesus Christ who saved me from the pit by His might hand and gracious love!!!

2. My super loving, funny, giving, hunk-a-licious, godly, intelligent, sweet Hubby!!!

3. My way too intelligent, gorgeous, strong, self-professing "Momma's Boy", precious Son!!!

4. My oh so funny, caring, fun to hang with, bestest girlfriend in the world, Kim!!!
5. My most adorable boxer on this planet, sweetie pie, snuggle bunches, Stormie!!!

6. Sunsets

7. Chocolate

8. Flowers

9. Babies

10. Love

11. God's Word!!!

12. The smell of fresh cut grass

13. The Ocean

14. Bird songs

15. Quiet mornings

16. Sunrise

17. Coffee

18. Kisses

19. Cozy blankets

20. Air Conditioning

21. Family

22. Cadbury Cream Eggs

23. Water

24. Friendly Neighbors

25. Grandma's

26. Books

27. Trees

28. Salad

29. Whipped Cream

30. Waterfalls

31. Frogs

32. Laughter

33. Good Soil

34. Hugs

35. Love Notes

36. Christmas

37. Cookies

38. Blue Skies

39. Charcoaler Hamburgers (it's an El Paso thing)

40. The sound of "I love you Mom"

41. Smiles

42. Baby Ducks

43. Fresh Baked Bread

44. Snuggling

45. Hot Soup

46. Ice Cream

47. Roses

48. Parents

49. Sisters

50. Movies that make you sigh at the end and smile all the way to your car...

51. Christmas lights

52. Snow!

53. Watermelon

54. Electricity

55. Cooking with Gas!!!

56. Campfires

57. Gardens

58. Farmers

59. Bicycles

60. Fresh Air

61. Dental Floss

62. Snorkel Masks

63. Hand Holding

64. Plumerias

65. Mustard

66. Root Beer!!!

67. Dance

68. Paintbrushes

69. Earthworms

70. Butterfly Kisses

71. Massages

72. Tears

73. Rain

74. Hot Cocoa

75. Springtime

76. Grandpa's

77. Friends

78. The sound of children playing

79. Sewing Machines

80. Squirrells

81. Butterflies

82. Faith

83. Clothing

84. Shoes

85. Fingers

86. Geraniums

87. Thunder and Lightening

88. Cars

89. Carpet

90. Toothpaste

91. Dishes

92. Honesty

93. Patience

94. Eyes

95. Sunshine!!!

96. Gentle Breezes

97. Libraries

98. Tennis Shoes

99. Pastors

100. Angels

101. Heaven

You still with me? You still awake? Did you skip 6-95? LOLOL.....

Have a beautiful day!

State Fair....and Respect our Flag...

2009-11-17T09:28:00.017-05:00

This past weekend, Capt. Mike and I went to the State Fair. We are just a couple of big kids really, there's just something about the fair that we think is fun.

(Like "Fresh Squeezed" Lemonade that taste JUST like Country Time and even has the sugary grit at the bottom of the cup,....Hmmmm)

We went to see the silly stuff...Demolition Derby and Monster Trucks, :). I think Capt. Mike would secretlylike to be behind the wheel in the Demolition Derby....who wouldn't?

Monster Trucks are funny to look at too, I think it'd be fun to be behind the wheel of one of those!

Cut me off in traffic one more time Buddy.......:)

We aren't really into the rides, but we had WAY too much fun in the house of mirrors, laughing at us all short and fat....Hmmmm, was that a REAL mirror????

The teenagers were looking at us like we were a bit off our rockers (we are, thank you very much), LOL. We were dancing in front of the mirrors, LOL.

We also went on the Ferris Wheel....Michael! Put that latch down!!!!!!

The biggest problem we faced was WHAT TO EAT? While you all know I like my share of chocolate and treats, I am just not into grease!!! I like healthy foods (in case you haven't visited my cooking blog), and I'm almost the worlds pickiest eater. Basically, a polish sausage smothered in peppers and onions, washed down with a large draft beer and followed up by a deep fried funnel cake coated in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar does NOT sound appealing to me!

(760 calories, that's almost 2 meals worth, and 44g of fat!)

I had packed a little bag with healthy snacks to get us through the day, almonds, dried cherries, Kashi crackers, and granola bars. But as we waited for the last truck show, we began to get "hungry", the kind of hungry that says I really would like something more than a nut!!!!

Here were my choices...

Polish Sausage

Italian Sausage

Giant Turkey Leg (1,134 calories, 54g of fat!!!)

Greasy Burger

Hot Dog

Corn Dog

Fried Ham Sandwich
Funnell Cake

Deep Fried Oreos (Yes, you heard that right)

Bucket of Fries

Deep Fried Snickers (700 calories, 45g of fat!)

Cotton Candy

Pizza... We decided on a slice of cheese pizza...it was disgusting, but it fueled the body just enough to make it through the rest of the evening.

All in all, it was a typical State Fair outing, a fun, silly day. HOWEVER, there was one event that got my blood boiling....

This is where I step onto my soapbox for a moment...

At the beginning of one of the truck events, we all stood and sang the national anthem (along with Whitney Houston via recording, lol)...There was a young man 2 rows in front of me, and as I stood there with my hand over my heart, facing the flag that represents our great country, singing my heart at at every word that just means SO VERY MUCH!!!!!.....he stood and ate his funnel cake....

I had this great urge to press his face into his funnel cake....I could imagine it happening, almost like a comedy show... One moment, he's happily snacking away, disrespecting our flag and all it stands....the next minute, powdered sugar is blowing out his nose, and funnel cake grease is giving a nice shine to his nose and forehead. Of course all this would happen in such an instant that he would look around and have no clue who did it, or what even happened... Can you tell I was just a little bit irritated????

Both of my Grandfather's fought in wars for our Country, my own Father was sent to Vietnam twice, leaving 6 kids at home! I come from a long line of military family members, including my husband and my son! It burns me up when people take for granted what the words of the National Anthem mean....they don't even know them enough to sing along...they just don't care...it saddened me, and it make me wonder what a State Fair might be like in 10 or 20 years, will we even have a National Anthem?

Ok, I'm off the box now....just had to vent, and what better place than the internet? :)

I hope you all have a beatiful day...I'm going out into my garden to put in some cabbage, broccoli and lettuce!

Lump of Clay...

2009-11-13T08:16:00.007-05:00

"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven.

Whose sins are covred.

Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."

Romans 4:7

WOW!

So many times I feel that I have failed God. All these years I've lived for Him, and then I turn my back on Him to fulfill my own selfish desires. How can I be forgiven? He was making a beautiful clay vessel out of me, I could feel myself turn from a soggy lump of clay into a tall, vessel, with gentle curves and deep grooves, patterns etched deep into my soul by the Master's hands. Then, all at once I failed Him. Surely, oh SURELY He must mash that half finished work back into a lump of soggy clay and start all over. I'm a mistake....but wait....God doesn't make mistakes - we do.

No, He doesn't begin all over again with a fresh lump of clay. He picks up right where we left off. We repent, we turn from our sin ~ no matter it's content, no matter it's size, no matter the pain it's caused.

We turn ~ He forgives.

He scrapes the crud out of the clay ~ our vessel, the one He has been lovingly turning on His wheel all along. The damaged parts are still wet clay, ready to be re-molded ~ because WE ARE NOT FINISHED YET!

His gentle hands squeeze living water over our broken souls and He firmly presses and molds, He forms us. We are still a work of art in His hands. Ever changing, being molded, even when we are weak and our clay walls fold in. It is because of His strenth that we are re-formed ~ He is the potter, we are the clay.

Amen!

Have a beautiful day!

Love Story, Part 8...FINALLY!

2009-11-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

"BUT, being the obedient (and love struck) girl that I was, I painted the little wooden plaque, wrapped it in tissue paper, tucked it into my purse and then layed out a fleece for my Lord. Knowing FULL well that I wouldn't be afforded this opportunity, I said to my Lord..."The only way I can give this to him is if I find myself completely alone with him" - gutsy eh? Who do I think I am testing God like that? I KNEW that couldn't happen. It had never happened before, why would it happen now????......"

I arrived at Sunday evening church servcice and found my friend Kim with her hubby Brad sitting in about the 5th row, close to the aisle. I sat down next to Kim, and we began chatting, while I kept one eye perusing the area for my "target". There he was walking down the aisle, passing us and heading for his 2nd row spot, (yup, not gonna have that chance today, am I God?). That's when my dearest friend Kim (the NOT shy one), loudly calls to Mike (whom she's met only a couple of times)... "Mike, Hey, Mike! There's a seat right here!". She then proceeds to ask her hubby to move over one, she does the same, making a space between her and I. Oh, I wonder how many shades of red I turned. I don't know if he felt pressured, awkward or irritated not to be sitting in his specific spot in the 2nd row, but he seemed happy enough to plop down between Kim and I.

(Those eyes just melted my heart, they still do...)

We made small talk while my heart danced a jig inside my chest. I struggled to keep that calm, "this is just casual friendship" look on my face,...wanting to just sit and stare into those eyes for hours....then praise and worship started and I had to re-focus my priorities!! :)

After church, we chatted breifly and said goodnight. I headed toward the childrens ministry building to pick up my son and Mike headed toward the parking lot. *Sigh*....see...I KNEW it couldn't happen...maybe I shouldn't have tested God...I probably really messed it all up with my big "fleece"...

The doorway to the childrens building is a busy place to be, lot's of families in and out the double doors. Just as I went inside the door, I remembered something I needed to pick up in the lobby, so I quickly turned around going against the flow of "traffic", I opened the door to head out, and right there in front of my face was Michael. He had opened the door to come into the building, and he stepped back outside to let me through. As I stepped out the door and we stood there face to face...would you believe this??????...........there was NO ONE around. We stood (in a very busy entry way) COMPLETELY alone. I felt the laugh of God tickling the back of my neck...."thought it couldn't happen huh?".....

With one VERY deep and VERY nervous breath, I said "Oh, I have something for you". My hands were trembling. You see, I'm not the kind of person who does confrontation well, not ANY kind, good or bad. I get nervous, I get shaky, I was REALLY nervous now.

I reached into my purse and pulled out the little tissue paper wrapped plaque. Mike took it and unwrapped it. I explained that I had no idea why I made it for him, but I just felt like God wanted me to. He told me that was one of his favorite verses and thanked me. We said goodnight, I picked up my son and instead of driving home, we floated there on pink fluffy cloud made of cotton candy.....

When I arrived home, there was a message on my answering machine...it was MIKE! :) He wanted to make sure he had said Thank You... (good one)...apparantly he had called our mutual friend, Angela, to get my number. I quickly called her and got his number too! Now that he had called me, he wasn't gettin' away. :)

(Our first date without Cris, Church Christmas Banquet)

We began talking often on the phone and decided the following week to go out after church for ice cream, with my son,...NOT a date, just hangin' out. We did a lot of "hangin' out" over the next few months, until we finally started "Dating". Neither of us believe in dating for the fun of it...the goal is marriage, and we believe in only dating someone you think you'd marry. Wow...I was READY NOW!!!! BUT, Mike was not. He's the analytical one, the thinker, the "take it one day at a time", the wise one, the planner, the be careful not to make mistakes one....

(Mike and Cris making dinner at Mike's Apartment)

After 2 years of dating, I was wondering what the deal was. I was sure we were on the same page, was this guy serious or what? How long do we have to date? I'm not gettin' any younger, if I'm not the right one, let's just break this thing off and move on. Oh impatient girl!!!!! The man has a reason, BE PATIENT!!!!

(Spending time together)

So, right around that same time, Capt. Mike planned a date for us. We'd been out on dates before, but this time we were going to the "Chart House"....a very expensive, nice place on the river. I started to get goosebumps and my heart was beginning to do that familiar jig inside my body.

I just KNEW he was going to ask me to marry him, I just KNEW it, but I didn't WANT to KNOW it, because what if I was wrong, then I would feel let down instead of enjoying a nice evening... I tried to NOT KNOW it. I wanted to just enjoy the evening...Oh, but the butterflies persisted to dance around inside...

During dinner, a couple we knew came over to our table. They were there celebrating a birthday and asked if we were there for a special occassion with that "gleam in their eye" the one that says "is this IT??"... :) Mike said "no, just a nice date night". However, in my mind I SCREAMED "YES!!! He's gonna get down on his knee in 2 seconds, right here in this restaurant and propose to me!!!! - I just KNOW IT!". :) But I just smiled and said "happy birthday"...

During dessert, Mike said he had left his wallet in the car and needed to go get it. Oh SURE,...YUP, he's gettin' the ring, I just KNOW it!!!! He's gonna come back, get on his knee and propose to me right HERE!!!! My heart tried to jump out a few times, I stuffed it back in. He returned with his wallet, we finished dessert, he paid the bill and we left. Ok, fine, I was wrong, see I KNEW I was wrong. I told myself not to get my hopes up, it was a nice night, just ENJOY it!

He suggested we drive to a little park along the river and walk and chat, nice idea, I was no longer thinking anything. It had been a lovely night.

We walked to the pavilion at the edge of the water and Mike kept walking a little away from me, he would teeter on the rocks and walk here and there, tossing rocks into the water....(little did I know HIS heart was doing summersaults and his stomoch was trying to release the meal we just enjoyed - the boy was nervous!)...I was thinking that he wasn't doing much "chatting". Then we went and sat on a bench in the pavilion, we "chatted" about things, life, the thought of marriage,...then I opened my big "shy" mouth...

I'm almost embarrassed to admit this, but perhasp it because Mike was having an extremely nervous moment. For someone who always has it together and is calm and cool in ANY situation, he was having a real hard time getting out what he wanted to say. We all know that God once used the mouth of a donkey, so this time he chose me...it went something like this...

ME: "Why don't you just ask me to marry you?"

Mike: "OK"

I giggled, not thinking he was serious.

MIKE: "shouldn't I get on one knee?"

I giggled, still not really WANTING to believe that I BELIEVED that he was for real.

ME: "yeah" (smile)

He did.

MIKE: "shouldn't I give you a ring?"

...this is where I hestitated to giggle, because it's easy enough for him to do all the other things in fun, but for him to give me a ring means he HAS one on him, FOR ME!!! ....I stumbled and stuttered over my words, barely getting them out...

ME: "...um....yes..."....

Then on one knee, under the stars, as a breeze blew tiny waves across the rocks, he pulled a little green treasure box out of his pocket and opened it up to reveal a precious ring with a sparkling diamond. He put it on my finger and asked me to be his wife. I couldn't breathe, but somehow I WAS able to say "YES!!!!". :)

(This is what I looked like when I was floating on the pink fluffy cloud...)

(Capt. Mike praising the Lord in my Apartment a few days before our wedding)

The next day on my lunch hour, I floated to Kim's house for lunch on a pink fluffy cloud made out of cotton candy... :)....she asked about our date, I said it was "nice",....laying my hand palm down on her counter as we chatted,..."So, nothin' huh?"....I smiled,....she looked down at the ring and I think she left on a big yellow cloud made out of smiley faces, then she came back and we screamed and giggled and danced around and cried and all that good stuff....I think she was almost as excited as me! :)

(The Big Day! ~ Kim and Kathy)

(My Love)

(Our Little Man)

That was May 22, 1999...just over 3 months later I became forever

Mrs. Charest ~ blessed!

(September 4, 1999)

(November 5, 2009)

Thanks for stickin' around to read until the end, have a beautiful day!

Mountain Fall Vacation

2009-11-09T07:56:00.011-05:00

I'm back! :) We spent a whole week tromping around North Georgia and Southern North Carolina (that sounds weird) - hiking to waterfalls, driving through colorful, winding roads, and enjoying the cooler air.

It seemed that I heard myself over and over again saying... "Oh wow!" ~ "That's gorgeous!" ~ "Look at those colors!", etc... It truly was a fantastic sight, and each time I see something beautiful that was created by the hands of our amazing and mighty God, I am in awe at his graciousness to us. He could have made trees perform their function (cleaning the air, providing food, etc.) without making them go through these magnificent changes. He could have made them all plain and boring, but He chose in His great goodness to give us the gift of beauty. A masterpiece painting that changes with every shift in the breeze -Wow! Thank you Lord.

It even inspired me to write a poem ~ maybe I'll post it later this week if I get the nerve, LOL.

Although I love visiting the mountains and seeing all the beauty up there, I am always so happy to come home, to the place that God has planted me. Sometimes I find myself complaining about the heat, but there is so much beauty here, that we often take for granted. Sunsets that fill the sky, picking cabbage in December, watching dolphins in the river, growing plumerias and pineapples in my own backyard, the sound of the ocean waves and the feel of sand between my toes. I love how each place in this wild world has it's own style of beauty.

Here is some of the beauty that we we able to enjoy on our trip...I hope you enjoy.

Now I'm gonna catch up on a little blog reading and some household chores that didn't disappear while I was away ~ :)

This is where we stayed ~ just enough room for the 2 of us.

We ALWAYS stop at Schlotzskys in Gainsville, FL, when we head north. We both LOVE it, and it's the only one left in Florida!!!! :(

Anna Ruby Falls ~ can you see me?

Creek cascades below Anna Ruby Falls

Trees that seem to grow out of rocks really have roots that crawl down and around to find the soil.

Wow! That's a tall tree!

See!

High Shoals Falls

Sweet! :)

Do you see the strange little face here? I do!

Blue Hole Falls ~ my and my Love

Baby tree...we'll be back to check on ya' in a few years buddy.

Georgia's highest point ~ Brasstown Bald

A card I made for Kim, but when she got it, it had no body! :(

In front of our picnic table at the lake above Tallulah Gorge Dam

Tallulah Gorge

Beautiful colors!

We saw several signs like this throughout the area,...you'll have to click on the picture to read it...

Rock's eye view... :)

Gotta leave my mark!...NO, I didn't do it, but it looks cute! :)

Where have I been? LOL

2009-10-31T13:56:00.007-04:00

I feel like I've disappeared from Blog Land! I've been so busy this past week that I just haven't had any time to get online and read blogs, or type any of my own. I have started drafting my next edition of "Love Story", but it's still not finished yet...I thought it would be the last one, but I may have to make it into 2 more. :)

We are getting ready to go on vacation for a week, so you won't hear from me for at least that long. We won't have much availability to the internet,...we'll be in the mountains, enjoying some cooler weather, and HOPEFULLY some pretty leaf color (though I fear we have missed it already). We'll be doing some hiking and relaxing. I plan to take some projects with me, sewing, crafting, books to read - I'm looking forward to a break from the heat we've been enduring here.

(Random picture...isn't she just adorable?)

I'll have a lot of catching up to do when I get back, I'll need to find out what everyone has been doing in Blog Land...I'd really better get packing! :)

Have a beautiful week my friends!

Love Story Part 7,...we're almost there...

2009-10-27T19:28:00.011-04:00

Well, here it is,...the long awaited final part to my sweet Love Story. Well,...it was SUPPOSED to be the final part. I'm long winded, so you still have one more after this (do I sound like a broken record?).

If you haven't read any of my Love Story posts, please start here...Love Story. Just scroll to the bottom and work your way up. :)

"So close and yet so far...After I came to Christ, Mike and I were attending the same church, but we just didn't know eachother yet."

I had been a Chrisitian for a few years, I was learning, growing, and loving the new life that Christ had poured into me. I had been blessed, too, with a good job working as a Secretary with a small company. As a single Mom, it was a great blessing to have a steady job, healthcare, and paid vacation, without a college education, it was definitely the hand of God caring for me, He always saw that my needs were met. Though I was happy in my life, I still desired to have a godly man to share my life with, someone who would be a good role model for my son, someone who loved the Lord with all his heart.

Mike had been growing as well, he dove into God's Word with all that he had, he began Bible College, as he wanted to be sure that he understood scripture and how to apply to all of life. He had come to a place in his life where he was happy single. He felt that perhaps that was what God had intended for him - single for the Lord. It wasn't that he didn't want a relationship, it was just that he didn't want all the drama and pain that can come with it - he would rather focus on what God wanted for his life....little did he know that included me! :)

Mike had always had a heart for kids, and loved being an Uncle to his many neices and nephews, so when he decided to become a volunteer at church, Sunday School seemed the perfect place. He was given the 3rd and 4th grade classes. As our church began to rapidly grow (and volunteers didn't) his classes were sometimes filled with up to 50 children at a time!

There was a little boy in his class that caught his attention, not really in a GOOD way. This little guy, Cris, was a bit roudy, didn't like to sit still and talked out of turn. Mike got the feeling that he was from a single parent home and his heart went out to him. However, while he felt sorry for the kid, he couldn't have him distrupting the class, especially not one that large, so he called for a conference with the parent....God does have a sense of humor doesn't He? :)

Meanwhile, I was attending church and serving in other areas. During service there was a certain guy that caught my eye. I vividly remember him sitting 2 rows in front of me, and slightly to the left...or should I say, I usually found a seat 2 rows behind him, and slightly to the right. :) It was a nice view, I liked his profile, I liked his long eyelashes, I liked the peaceful way he praised the Lord, I liked the way he paid attention so deeply to the sermons....pang of guilt, apparantly I was paying more attention to him than the pastor - yikes!

Don't get me wrong. I paid attention in church, I was learning God's Word and growing in leaps and bounds, but I couldn't help but notice this man. He had the most beautiful eyes and well, let's just say he caught my attention - he was a hunk! But the funny thing is, what attracted me the MOST was his passion for God's word. I see almost feel it in the way he took notes, turned his pages and listened so intently to the pastor; he never chatted or passed mints to friends, and I couldn't help but peek at him during praise and worship,...it was almost like I could feel his heart, his love for his Lord. There was something in his strong, silent demeanor that drew me to him. Well, I was a pretty shy gal (yes, it's true), and I figured unless God threw him in my lap I would never get to even know his name...

Then,...I had a dream. Oh gracious, I know, ya'll are sitting on the edge of your seats now, "Oh, she had a DREAM"....now hold your horses, this was a very nice, clean, sweet dream. I was so simple and it really WOWED me....here's how it went...

We were laying in a bed next to eachother (it was TOTALLY innocent, so keep reading), and facing eachother,...all I could see in my dream was our faces. He looked into my eyes and said "I love you,...I really love you"....and that was it. Well, I woke up in the morning and grabbed my journal and starting writing God a HUGE letter...what is that all about? Who is this guy? Why am I dreaming about him? Is he gonna be my gift???? Woo-Hooooooo! :)

Next thing you know, I am asked to meet with my son's Sunday School teacher...you know it's bad when you have a parent/teacher conference AT CHURCH! Oh my. Well, as it should be, there was another person present during our meeting. Now this may sound strange, if you go to a smallish church, or even if you go to a large church and have decent size classes, you probably know your childs teacher. However, in the early stages of our church, the classes were so large that the teacher was in the class "settling" things, while the assistant was at the door signing kids in. The parents didn't even go in the room, it would be too crazy and crowded. So I actually didn't KNOW who his teacher was! So, the meeting began, and ended...I couldn't tell you what was said, I COULD, however, tell you that his teacher had some long lush eyelashes and gorgeous eyes!!! Yes, I promised to discuss with my son his behavior...then I floated home on a pink fluffy cloud made of cotton candy....

A week or so later, I was chatting with my friend Jo Ellen near the lobby entrance at church...my back was toward the lobby and she said to me,..."Now, THERE'S a guy you should be 'going for'"...I turned around and can you guess who was in the lobby playing around with my son? Yup, Capt. Eyelashes himself! :) I almost passed out, but instead I told her about my dream! :)

One day on a Sunday afternoon, I decided to pull out some craft items. I sat at my table when I felt like God had literally spoken to me...hard to explain, but I completely felt like He said to me to make a painted craft with this verse..."Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own undertanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5,6 ~ THEN the Lord 'said' that I was to take it to church that night and give it to Mike....whom I HARDLY knew!!! By now, (after the conference), we had even acquaintance to say 'hi' in passing, chat in a group of 'singles', etc...but it had never really gone further than that - so I wasn't feeling too comfy with this whole situation.

BUT, being the obedient (and love struck) girl that I was, I painted the little wooden plaque, wrapped it in tissue paper, tucked it into my purse and then layed out a fleece for my Lord. Knowing FULL well that I wouldn't be afforded this opportunity, I said to my Lord..."The only way I can give this to him is if I find myself completely alone with him" - gutsy eh? Who do I think I am testing God like that? I KNEW that couldn't happen. It had never happened before, why would it happen now????......

Ok, I think that's MORE than enough to leave you hangin' for today, LOL...I PROMISE to have the rest up tomorrow! Promise - that's a strong word!!!

I hope you are enjoying my true love story...I am enjoying re-living it with you all!

Have a beautiful day!