On the Road Again ... to Amelia Island

I'm scheduling this blog post ahead of time because this is our travel day to Amelia for the Georgia Food Industry Association Convention.   Like I've said before this is a big working trip for D and E so this will prove to be a jam packed 4 days for them.  JandJ will participate in the Best Bagging Contest on Thursday night so that is always fun.  Maybe we'll come away the winner for the state of Georgia!   The Best Bagger Contest is combined with a fabulous silent auction.   I can't wait to show you what the store's contribution was to this auction.  It's awesome.   This is the first time we have gone to The Plantation since it was purchased by the Omni Hotel Groups and has been renovated.  I'll be giving updates over the next few days.

On a totally unrelated note, when I got home late Sunday night from Atlanta, a box was waiting for me.  I had ordered these books a several days ago and was so excited to see them on my doorstep.  I LOVE beautiful books and these two did not disappoint.  I've just looked quickly but have them packed in my suitcase already preparing for my leisure time at the beach.   Just in case you are needing some inspiration, need a new coffee table book or are like me and just love spending time with books like these, you'll want to check them out.    They are scrumptious. 

Something that you may not know about me is that I'm somewhat of a book hoarder. Oh really, you didn't know?   If I see a book that piques my interest, I go ahead and buy it for when I might get around to reading it.  I have a stockpile ready at any time.  So when a trip comes along I go to my bookcase and pull out what sounds good.   These are the ones I'm taking with me. I know there probably couldn't be three more different books but my reading tastes are kinda eclectic.    Let's see, we've got "Bossy Pants" by Tina Fey;  "On Folly Beach" by Karen White;  and "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak.   Also, I wanted to show you the devotion book that I'm loving by Beth Moore, "Whispers of Hope, 40 Weeks of Devotional Prayer."   I mean I'm really loving it.  I might do another post just about this book.  It's that good.

Everybody Cut Loose!

Oh y'all, have you seen this?  It is sure to make you smile on this Monday morning.  (Let's not mention feel old when Jimmy says it is the 30th (*gasp*) anniversary of the original "Footloose."

A Week's Worth of Ramblings

Okay, I'm hopping on here really quick to catch up from last Friday.  E's birthday celebration at the Melting Point at The Foundry in Athens last Friday night was awesome.  We celebrated my girl by laughing, talking, eating some good food and listening to some great music.   The Melting Point is just the coolest venue for eating, dancing and overall having a great time - perfect for a Birthday Celebration!

Saturday, the Birthday Party/Spa Day Posse from church headed up to New Beginnings to love on those precious ladies for a few hours.  We sang Happy Birthday; we ate cake and ice cream; we rubbed and scrubbed hands and feet; we laughed; we prayed; we hugged.   As we were unloading the car, Granny (everyone calls her that, she's the Executive Director for NB) took us for a tour of their new Dormitory.  It is such a blessing from above for this building to soon house 10 women and up to 25 children.  In the past the ladies in the program couldn't have their children with them because of space issues.  Well, now that has all changed.  This will impact the way the ministry serves women and families in such an amazing way. 

On Sunday, I went to a baby shower for a precious family and caught up with an old friend.  I had so much fun shopping for that baby girl,  Watch out world when I have a grandbaby!   I've never seen such cute things and just for the record, I believe that it is a necessity for a southern woman to monogram everything humanly possible.  So I do.  :)

On Monday night, the family came over for dinner to celebrate Emily's birthday.  I cooked the following:  Sweet Baby Ray's slow cooker chicken; macaroni and cheese;  Nana's green beans; asparagus; and a flourless chocolate cake.  My friend, M has been telling me about this cake for months so I finally decided to try it and I must say it may be my new favorite dessert. It. is. delicious.  I'll share the recipe very soon.

Tuesday found me back in Athens at The Foundry, this time for a meeting with one of our brides who is getting married there in October.  Have a mentioned just how much I love this venue?

Yesterday was the day that I spoke at the Commerce Club meeting.   Those ladies were so kind and complementary that I almost forgot how unnerving  the whole experience was.  We took Mimi to dinner last night to one of our favorite pizza and salad spots, Little Italy. 

Which brings us to today.  Mother was scheduled for doctor's appointment at 11:00 in Oakwood.   We were there at 10:55 and at 11:45 we still had not seen the doctor.  Needless to say, I was fit to be tied.  I had a 1:00 meeting with a bride at the office so we had to leave.  Without seeing the doctor.  I could rant and rave about this but I'm not sure how much good it would do.  So frustrating.  So I took Mother back home and went to my meeting.  She had a hair appointment later in the day because she is going out of town with us tomorrow and apparently you must have your hair fixed the day before you leave for any extended time period.  And G is sick so I was picking up prescriptions and soup in between times.  And I drove to Clermont to take the dogs to be boarded.  Arriving back at the house just in time to change my clothes and go the Choices Pregnancy Care Center Banquet.  Pam Tebow, mother of Timmy (as she calls him) Tebow was the guest speaker.  Pam was advised to abort her pregnancy with Tim because of some potential health issues.  Obviously she chose not to and the rest is history.  Pam was a powerful and wonderful speaker.  And now I'm home.

The End. 

It's the Gift that keeps on Giving

I'm going to try a new approach to blogging and blog more often.  Where have you heard that before?  Ha!  Can't blame a girl for trying ... again and again.  So to share the day ...

The good news is that I feel much better after my bout with the plague.  The bad news is that D now has the plague.  It's a gift that keeps on giving.  So you can imagine how much fun it is at our house right now.  Since I hadn't been out of the house since last Saturday, except to go the BGE cooking class, I decided I must run a few errands today.  So I did the usual (bank, cleaners, post office), then went by Mother's to dispense her drugs (that makes me sound like some sort of dealer which I'm not except to a legally prescribed 88 year old woman).  

Made a few more stops then went to the office where I had a wonderful planning meeting with a mother of the groom preparing for an upcoming engagement party.  I met this sweet lady almost 9 years ago when we bought our current home. She was our real estate agent and we have just stayed in touch through the years.  I was beyond excited to be called into action when she had a shindig to plan for her oldest son and his fiancé.  After that I headed out to the Chattahoochee Country Club for a planning meeting with our April 5th bride and her mom.  Oh this is going to be a good one - outdoor ceremony, cocktail hour in the Patio Pavilion and then dinner and dancing in the Ballroom with a fabulous band.  I might have said this once or fifty times but I love how each bride has this specific and distinct vision for her wedding.  We laughed and talked for over two hours.  What a joy.

So now I'm back home with my sweet pitiful husband and Sadie.  I'm headed into the kitchen now to bake a cake for a certain birthday girl for her big day tomorrow! 

Just for smiles, look at these two precious faces. 

Catching Up

So I've got to get caught up with all that has happened since I last posted on  ... when? Valentine's Day.  Wow, that was weeks ago.  We went to the Dillard House for the Valentine's weekend and it was fabulous.  The food was incredible, the weather was perfect and the company was well, you know, the best.  It was restful and we loved it.  I highly recommend that if you need a little weekend mountain getaway that you check into the Dillard House.  It just can't be beat.

After coming off such a fabulous weekend, I had a little personal misfortune.  I dropped my phone. And it died  Actually, it wasn't completely dead as I could use Siri to call and retrieve messages.  I have never been so thankful for Ms. Siri as I was for those few days.  It took about 5 days to get my new phone and then get the stuff transferred over and then we got a new service provider and let's just say I was about over the whole process by the time I got my new phone.  But all is well with the technology world now and I am back from the remote island far away from civilization.   I'm sorry.  That was a sad tale of woe. 

Anyway, the next weekend was our Ladies' Bible Study Intensive at our church and it was amazing.  I could go on and on about the whole thing but honestly, I'm still processing how wonderful God is through it all. 

As soon as I finished up the Bible Study, I rushed home to meet my hubby to go to see Jennifer Nettles at the Fox Theatre.  Y'all she's a Georgia girl and she's just so warm, bubbly, funny ... I just loved her and wanted to invite her for dinner.  And man, that girl can sing, as if that wasn't already obvious.  I've got to tell you this funny story.  We sat in the balcony and when the show was over I had to go to the restroom (no surprise) so I went to the one on that level.  I waited and I waited and I waited.  It was the longest line ever.  It's one of those times you think, should I just get out of line and go somewhere else?, no I'll just wait, surely I'll be there soon.  I waited so long that when we came down to the main level to go out, the folks at the merchandise table already had the t-shirts and things packed in boxes.  Half of the lights were out in the building.  It was hilarious!  Darrell was worried sick but since I didn't have a phone, he couldn't call me.  Anyway, moral of that story, if you find yourself sitting in the balcony of the Fox, do not under any circumstances go the restroom on that level.  March yourself right down all of those stairs to the very bottom level.  I'll guarantee you will be glad you did.

So what else?  Oh I got to speak to the South Hall Kiwanis on the 26th and that was great!  That's a wonderful group of folks who welcomed me with open arms.  I enjoyed it so much. 

Oh a another note, our furry girl, Kirky, has had to make her way up to Holly's House of Horrors for you know what.  That's all I'm going to say about that but we sure do miss her. 

February was a great month full of weather, work and wonderful days spent with my sweet husband in a few getaway spots.  Now, let's March on!

Week Recap!

I know y'all have been wondering where I went.  Last Friday morning, D and I headed to Chattanooga for the weekend.    Friday was his birthday so we were celebrating that as well as attending our close friends' son's wedding on Saturday evening.  Short story:  Chattanooga was fabulous!   Great city with lots of cool shops and restaurants.  Wedding was gorgeous! We had a great time.

This week has been a whirlwind of several interesting things:

Monday:  I had a great lunch with a new friend.  What a blessing for God to plop down someone in your life who you instantly love and enjoy.  I also had my hair colored (see Wednesday). :)

Tuesday:  This day was jam packed full of what I call "Mother" activities.   My sweet momma had a doctor's appointment so we decided to do lunch first at Banterra (this is what my momma calls Panera for some unknown reason) with G, along with some errands.  After that, I came home to prepare Darrell's birthday dinner.  So fun celebrating my sweet husband with the family. 

Wednesday:  The morning was full of preparations for a photo shoot with the editor/photographer for the local  "Home Magazine."  They have been kind to ask me to be appear in the November/December issue.  They were coming to the house so I needed to prepare two dishes: a Thanksgiving entrée and Christmas dessert.  I also had to have my house clean and look presentable.  Believe me, it took most of the day.

Thursday:  After a meeting with this weekend's bride and her mom, I began to feel a little queasy. Then a lot queasy.  By lunch time, I had a full-on stomach bug that lasted well into the night last night.  THANKFULLY, I feel much better.

And that brings us to today.  We are looking forward to a beautiful wedding this weekend.  It's at our local Chattahoochee Country Club.  The ceremony is going to be outside on the lawn near the lake which will be beautiful.  I do believe the weather is going to cooperate. 

Okay, with all that said, I've got to go and prepare for this wedding.  Oh and by the way, we are going out of town Sunday morning for a week full of vacation!  I'll be back to give you details about that shortly. 

Happy Friday!

Golf and Shopping

Well, I have been just useless since my brush with Paula on Wednesday.  I've told anyone who would listen and just about drove my own self crazy with my pure giddiness about the whole situation.  I just can't help but think about how we got to this point.  The ride with God is a wild one I tell you.  I'm just so very thankful for all He has provided in my life. 

But Wednesday afternoon, after I got my wits about myself, D and I got in the car to head down to Peachtree City.  The Georgia Food Industry Association's golf tournament was Thursday and D was playing.  So what was I going to do?   My assignment was to "greet."  In other words, that meant they had the perfect job for me.  I was to talk to everyone.  I'll just tell you something about this group, it's a pretty tight one.  These folks all work in the same world and are like family.  We've seen each other's families grow up, been a part of major life events and share a lot of common bonds.  So for me to get to talk to these folks, well, yes, I think I will. I'd love to.    The reason that we went down the night before is because we had to be at the golf course at 6:45 A.M. It was still dark when we got there.  The tournament started at 9:00 but we were there to help so that required an early call.  A very early call.  But once you're up, you're up; just grab some coffee and go with it. 

Anyway, someone looked all bright and ready to roll.  It was a beautiful day for such!

Friday morning I had to work but around lunch time I went to get Mother for a little shopping trip to the Lakewood 400 Antiques Market in Cumming.  We had so much fun.  D's birthday is next Friday so I was on the search for a great gift and I found it!  Check this out.  It is a cooler built into this custom built cabinet.  It's so cool and perfect for our deck.   I went ahead and gave it to him and he loved it! 

Mother always finds something she likes.  It is no surprise it was a pocketbook. 

We had plans to go to some friend's home for dinner on Friday night.  They are dog lovers just like us and were kind to include our furry girls in our dinner invitation.  So here are the girls ready to go!  We all four had a great time! 

A Good Man

When I looked at the date of  my last posting, my heart sank.  I know why January 4th was my last post because on January 5th, our world shifted, changed, skewed to a new normal.  One that frankly, we wish we could change.  But we can't. On January 5th, I lost one of the greatest men I have ever known, my father-in-law, Johnnie Wiley. 

I've put this blog post off not knowing what to say because I just don't know what is appropriate.  The emotions are so overwhelming that here almost a month later, I can hardly order my thoughts.  But because this blog exists to document my life, I'm going to try to share a few things.

Some of you know mine and D's dating story.  We were on the fast track.  We met in January, were engaged in March, and married in June.    I know.   I'm not sure I would recommend this for other folks but it felt right for us.  We were living in Illinois at the time and were married there so I hadn't had the chance to spend a lot of time with D's parents up to this point.  I immediately liked them but just didn't really know them very well yet.  But on our wedding day, Johnnie said something to me, a girl he barely knew, that I will never, ever forget.  While taking family photos, it was time for those with the parents.  I said to Johnnie, "come stand by me for this one" and he looked me square in the eye and said, " I will always stand by you.  No matter what happens in this world, I will always be here for you."   
Those words are seared in my memory forever. 

Johnnie never made me feel like I was a daughter-in-law but a daughter. I felt as equally loved as his own children.  One of our pastor friends who knew Johnnie well described him as inclusive and that is so true.  Johnnie was the same whether he was talking to an influential business leader or the 92-year-old lady who came down Aisle 1 of the grocery store on a Saturday morning.  I observed him on many occasions and while he was often a man of few words, those words were always sincere and thoughtful. 

He was one of the smartest men I have ever known.  One thing that impressed me most about him was that he was a lifelong learner.  Never, ever did he stop reading and learning.   He enjoyed researching a variety of topics but especially anything that had to do with business, farming or politics.  While you might not agree with his political opinions, he always knew the facts.   He understood how things worked and if there was something that he didn't know, he found out.  The past few years, he had learned how to use the internet and that just opened up a whole new world of information for him.  He would find something interesting and the whole family would get an email from him about it.   It is a just a great reminder to all of us that no matter how old you are, you should always be willing to learn.

I am so thankful that he was my children's grandfather.  My own daddy died in 1996 so E or G never really knew him.  That just breaks my heart to this day because he would have adored my children.  Because of that, I am so thankful they had Johnnie in their lives.   He poured into them his wisdom, knowledge and love.  I never will forget when E was born.  She was the first grandchild on both sides so it goes without saying how much she was doted on.  Johnnie would do just about whatever she wanted to do whether it was playing with dolls, fishing on the dock or riding in the golf cart.   For the past year or so, E has worked right across the hall from him.  He would bring flowers to all of the ladies in the office out of his garden but by his own admission, the prettiest flowers would go to E. 
G and Johnnie had a pretty special bond.  They were fortunate to spend a lot of time together.  Johnnie basically taught G to drive because the summer before his 16th birthday, he spent every Tuesday with Johnnie.  Wherever Johnnie went, that's where G went - to work, to a meeting, to the farm - and G drove Johnnie's truck.  Johnnie and G had a lot of good talks about life.   He taught my children well.

Both of my children clearly loved him dearly.  He was a great example to them of a godly man living a godly life, leaving a godly legacy.

And I loved him dearly.  I am so thankful and beyond blessed that I knew him. 

Breakfast, Lunch and Bar Stools

Edited to add: I wrote this last night and fell asleep before I hit the publish button. ha! So this is old news, as in yesterday's.

I like to have never dragged myself out of bed this morning. I think when you spend three or four days at the beach where you don't have a worry in the world, it ruins you for about a week when it comes to getting back in the swing of normal life. Oh at the woe.

My day started with breakfast bright and early at Panera with one of my favorite people. I serve on the Board of Directors of a great local non-profit, the Gainesville Care Center and was privileged to enjoy the company of their Executive Director this morning. What a great way to start the day. We chatted about several topics concerning the Care Center but the highlight was sharing several matters on our hearts. She is a great encourager and somehow I just needed that this morning. Thank you, Lord for such a special blessing.

When I left there I met our sweet intern, Allie for a couple of meetings. Some very busy but truly gracious ladies were kind enough to give Allie a few minutes of their time to help her with some information she is gathering for her school project. It has truly been a joy to have Allie helping us the past couple of weeks and she will be greatly missed when she's gone. I tell her all the time that I wish she could stay but I know that her parents would like for her to have a "real" paying job one of these days. I just hate that (but understand it, believe me).

After that, we met with E for a marathon meeting about an event coming up in October. Well, that may seem like a long way off but we have several weddings and other events going on during the next few months so things have to get moving on this. We accomplished much in a short (well, not so short) period of time. I do so much enjoy planning special events for people. It brings great joy to my life. The fun thing about this was that in the middle of the meeting, we decided to go to lunch. I had planned to meet G for lunch so an impromptu gathering of both of my children along with Allie was beyond enjoyable. I felt truly blessed to have that time as part of my day.

After that, I ran to the radio station to do the show and then stopped at a friend's house to pick up my bar stools. There is quite the saga to go along with these bar stools. I'll give you the short version. I got them at our yard sale a couple of weeks ago. If you remember correctly, this is the yard sale where we all just pretty much just traded stuff. Now, I did get rid of a bunch of things but that's not to say I didn't bring a few treasurers in the house. One of my treasures were my friend's barstools. The ones I had were super heavy and really no one used them because of that. My new ones are smaller and lighter and just better for the space. But you know me, I can't leave well enough alone and asked my very creative friend to work some of her magic on these stools. They were great before but they are even better now. I'm not exactly sure what she did to them - glazed/distressed/painted/whatever, I just know I like them. And I had cute little pads made for them. in a great plaid fabric. with little box pleats. So my yard sale treasures are now quite lovely.

Whew. Okay so then after all of that, I changed clothes super fast, grabbed my husband and jumped in the car to attend a little soiree on a big ole houseboat out on beautiful Lake Lanier. Well, this was just a delight. Great food and great friends. Great end to a great day.

So, how was your day?

Highs and Lows

This week, so far, has been a series of highs and lows. Monday found me first at a low - at a funeral for a friend's mother. The reason this stung so deep was because exactly 15 years ago on this day I was at another funeral - my dads. I just really couldn't think about that as I was sitting in the chapel but trust me when I say, some things just don't leave you. That's one of them.

Thankfully, as soon as I left the funeral, I got on the road to Roswell to meet one of our brides. She was trying on wedding dresses. I got to be there. Be still my heart. It was a major highlight to be sure. Her mother and I are friends from Bible study and to say that I was honored to be a part of this well, that's an understatement. When she came out in that first dress, I thought I would just lose it. One reason for that is because this is the same bridal shop where my very own girl tried on dresses and found her "yes" dress. Another reason is because this bride was absolutely stunning in every gown she put on. She had a tough decision in front of her. But she finally narrowed it down to just two dresses and we deliberated over that, weighing the pros and cons of each, until she picked one - my personal favorite. But I told her that fact only after she had made the decision. I sure didn't want to be one of those over-bearing, pushing friends/wedding planners who thinks she knows it all. I do know that this groom is going to practically faint when he sees her. He is absolutely crazy about her and this will sure enough send him over the edge. I can't wait to see it!

Tuesday morning was filled with a shift at the hospital and Tuesday afternoon with Mother's long list of errands. Now, remember that she hadn't been out of the house for almost nine days and we had a very long list indeed. But she's a trooper (and so was I for that matter); we completed that list in record time.

Today, we'll it's just 1:30 and I feel like I've already done a full day's work. Hair cut. Check. Bridal Show planning meeting. Check. Bride meeting with photographer. Check. Lunch with my boy. Check. Now I'm preparing for another bride and photographer meeting. Oh, I love what I do so much.

You probably won't hear much from me for a few days as I am heading down to Jackson, GA to hang out with some very cool ladies from all over the state. The Georgia Baptist Convention's Women's Ministry Team is having a retreat down that way and I've been asked to speak to them. Lord have a mercy, me speak to them? But God called and I answered. I'd appreciate your prayers for this venture. I rely greatly on God and His power to calm my nerves and speak what He would have me to say. And I'll just tell you He doesn't disappoint. He is faithful.

After I speak on Friday, I'll leave Jackson and head to Birmingham. Guess what I'm going to attend? A Food Blog Conference!!! Who knew there was even such a thing!! I bet y'all didn't know I was writing a food blog as well, did you? Well, technically I haven't started yet. Thus the reason for going to this conference. This food blog will link to J and J Foods' website and will coordinate with the What's for Supper? segment. I will blog about food, recipes, entertaining and the whatnot. But while I know some about blogging, this is a whole new ballgame. This requires that I be like professional and all. While this blog is fascinating :), it's certainly anything but professional.

So happy weekend to you! I'll see you on the other side of it!

One Word

Do you pick a word for your new year? And do you choose one once your year is over? This may be a new concept to you but I heard about it several years ago. Let me explain. At the beginning of each new year, you choose one word and let that word be the focus of everything you do. For example, last year I chose the word "Truth." I wanted to be a woman of truth - speaking the Truth over my loved ones and those in my circle of influence, reading the Truth, and knowing the author of Truth. In addition to living an authentic and truthful life. I tried to keep that word at the top of my consciousness and focus on it throughout the year. It became a filter in which I approached everything. I would write this word when I was journaling, in my day-timer and all over my Bible study materials. I tried to put it in front of my face wherever I was. Many prayers were lifted about truth and what it meant in my life.

Then as I ended the year I began to think about a word that described 2010. And that one was easy. It was the word "resolve." This word, along with truth, stayed at the top of my consciousness last year. Every time I was tempted to do something unhealthy (i.e.overeat and not exercise), I thought about the story of Daniel and his resolve not to eat the king's food. (Daniel 1:8) How he stood strong when he was surrounded by all kinds of pagan temptations and how God honored that decision. I thought about how it took resolve to stand on the truths of God's Word and trust Him when we faced a major trial in our family in 2010.
The dictionary defines resolve as "to come to a definite and earnest decision about something." I was resolved to do two things last year: 1. to eat healthy and lose some weight; 2. to put my faith in God and trust Him.

While resolve will continue to be my word when it comes to staying focused on making healthy choices, I have a new word for 2011. And that word is "intentional."
Intentional: "to do something with purpose"

I want to be intentional with my relationships, my work, my free time, my finances and most of all my faith. Isn't that an interesting concept? Intentional faith. What does that mean exactly? Well, while I'm still fleshing that out in my mind, I do know a few things:
1. I will be intentional about my Bible reading, prayer and Bible study.
2. I will be intentional about serving God in whatever way He chooses.
3. I will be intentional about listening to God and then living in obedience.
4. I will be intentional about developing those relationships that honor Him.

So, I challenge you to give this some thought. To spur your thought process here are some words to consider: joy, honor, believe, consistent, action, story, simplify, surrender, love, trust, transparent, authentic. There are lots of options.

One word. It can change your life.

2010 Top 10

I know some bloggers do those really deep and meaningful Top Ten Lists each year and I had high aspirations of that at first but to tell you the truth, I’m just not feeling too deep or meaningful today. So for my Top 10 you’re getting such deep subjects as fashion, movies and make-up. Par for the course, I suppose.

1. However, I do have to start with a serious one because when I think back on this year, I think of how good God has been to me and my family. His blessings have overflowed. Yes, we have had our share of troubles, disappointments, and hurts but if I know anything I know that my God is faithful. He is good. He is full of grace and mercy. He is loving. Among a lot of other thankful moments, I just can’t think about this year without thanking Him for protecting my children. That’s why my most thankful moment of 2010 came when in separate accidents both of my children totaled their cars but neither was injured. Praise Him!

Okay, deep breath. Dry my eyes.

2. My favorite movie of 2010: “Toy Story 3.” Hands down. Loved it.
3. My favorite book of 2010: My favorite book of the Bible this year has been Nehemiah. My favorite totally-superficial book is “Happily Ever After” by Nora Roberts. The 4th and final installment in the Bride Quartet about wedding planner, Parker Brown. I aspire to be the wedding planner she is written to be.
4. My favorite television show: Castle. Monday night on ABC. Wouldn’t miss it.
5. My favorite fashion addition. My black tall boots with the 4inch heels. I feel long, lean and sleek in them. And since I am none of those things, I call them “miracle boots.”
6. My favorite beauty addition: My L’Oreal Anti-Redness Primer. The stuff is as green as a gourd. I look like some sort of swamp creature when I put it on. I’m not sure how or why it does what it does but thank goodness, it does.
7. My favorite home addition: The bed in the guest bedroom. It’s rich, dark, heavy and wonderful. Everything else in this room is neutral in color. I love the way that bed anchors the room. Followed closely by the “ground beef crumbler” from Pampered Chef. One of the best kitchen utensils ever.
8. My favorite travel moment: Our trip to San Francisco in September. And when at the last minute, we got to go to the Georgia/Florida game. And when the entire family traveled to Orlando. Okay, I can't choose.
9. My favorite activity: I’d have to say it is doing the “What’s for Supper?” segment every day. This is a God-thing if there ever was one and I could not enjoy it more.
10. My biggest accomplishment this year: I guess that would be losing some weight. I give God the glory here for the resolve, discipline and self control He gave me because goodness knows it came from Him and not me.

I’m going to be back soon with some 2011-related goals. I would love to hear yours.

The Knots Prayer

A friend sent this to me the other day and I just wanted to share.

The Knots Prayer

Dear God, please untie the knots that are in my mind, my heart and my life.

Remove the have nots, can nots and the do nots that I have in my mind.

Erase the will nots, may nots and might nots that may find a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots, would nots and should nots that obstruct my life.

And most of all, Dear God,
I ask that you remove from my mind, my heart and my life all of the "am nots"
that I have allowed to hold me back ,
especially the thought that I am not good enough.

Amen

Author Known to God

Bio-logy

I was recently asked to be the featured speaker for a large ladies group in our community at their December meeting. I am honored that they think that anything I would have to say would be meeting worthy. Along with that invitation came the need for a "bio." You know, that thing that they send out with their publicity that supposedly qualifies you as a worthy speaker as well as your introduction at the meeting. Oh. Dear. Goodness. When asked, I immediately sent E a text message and said something like . . . AAARGHHH! What do I say? I'm a wife? mom? blogger? magazine-reader? shopper? texter??? She sent back something to the effect of, "you're on your own, mom. Good luck with that, though." Love you, too, honey.

So I began the process with my husband, who has on several occasions had to provide such a "bio." Well, since he had experience, why didn't he just write it for me. Well, I'll be doggone, if he didn't. Bless him. Granted, I came behind him and tweaked it to my liking, but overall, job well done.

But this whole process got me to thinking. When you ponder writing your bio, you have to reflect on your credentials and accomplishments over the years. So what if instead of my husband writing my bio, God was writing it. Oh, I know. Convicting, right?
What exactly would God say about me? What would He say if He had to give a little introduction about me to the folks up in heaven?
What are my godly accomplishments?
What are my areas of "importance" to Him? I sincerely doubt that it would be that I had this job, or served on that board, or owned this business or was that committee chair?
What activities would He consider important? It certainly would not be what the world considers newsworthy.
Does my life reflect His glory?
Am I leaving a legacy of godliness for my family?
Am I encouraging others to grow in their relationship with Christ?
Am I modeling a godly lifestyle?
Am I inviting others to know Jesus?
Am I speaking words of truth over believers and non-believers?
Am I living out the purpose God has designed for my life and mine alone?
Am I walking in the present - not burdened by my past or fearing the future?
Am I making service to others a priority in my life?
Am I sacrificing my wants and desires for HIS wants and desires?

All valid questions. This whole process has been truly a time of reflection and reevaluation for me. I want the answer to be yes to each and every one of these questions. But, quite frankly, that's not the case. We, as believers, have victories and defeats. Reminds me of that old ABC Wild World of Sports tag line that went "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." Well, don't we know it. When we are thrilled to have victory in one area, it seems we are experiencing the agony of defeat in another. But God sees the big picture. He is the Weaver of the Eternal Tapestry. He orchestrates it all for His glory. Praise Him from whom all blessings flow!

I just want to challenge you today to give this some thought, to ponder it in your heart. What would your God-written bio say?


"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."
2 Corinthians 4:7-10

A to Z . . . U thru Z

In A Word . . . An A to Z List of Words that Can Change Your Life

Unplug your television. Try it for a week at first and see how much time you gain for God, others and yourself. Ortberg says, "television kills intimacy and conversation and disrupts sustained thought. Use the freed-up time to do things you've needed or have been planning to do. Get more sleep. Read. Have a really good conversation."

Voice. Listen to the way God speaks to you. God speaks today just as much as ever before. Sometimes it's a soft whisper (1 Kings 19:12) and other times it's loud and booming (Duet. 5:22). The key is to hone in and listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying specifically to you. Just as you talk to Him in a unique way, He speaks uniquely to you. Grow in your communication with Him.

Worship. You were created to worship God. Discover what that truly means. Worship doesn't have to be through song. You can worship through looking at nature, God's creation. You can worship Him in wonder, in amazement over the mind-boggling intricacies of this earth. You can worship Him through service, by being the best parent you can be to your kids, or spouse. You can worship through dancing or drawing or building or simply thinking. Jesus said, "True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him" John 4:23.

eXpect the unexpected. It may sound like a cliche' but with God, it's the truth. Ask Him to do amazing things and watch Him do them.

Yesterday. Leave it - and it's regrets - behind. Ask forgiveness from people you've hurt in the past and make efforts to amend fractured relationships. Then once you've repented, it's out of your hands. Hang onto this promise, "as far as from the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions." (Psalms 103:12) Regret will always destroy a hopeful life but hope will restore a regretful one.

Zeal. Passion. Fervor. It's how life should be lived, mistakes and all. God will take a heart zealous for Him over a lukewarm one any day.

So . . . have these "words" spoken to you? Might you make a few changes? I know I will. Remember we were put on this earth for a purpose for "such a time as this." Know your purpose and live it!

Have a great Friday!

In a Word . . . N thru T

In a Word . . . The A to Z List of Words That Can Change Your Life

Notice the little things. Watch a storm cloud roll in. Feel the sense of being alive as you breathe in the crisp winter air. Take time to notice what makes your sweetheart laugh. After all, life is really made up of a series of the little things more than the big things.

Offer. Romans 12:1 urges us to "offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." (NIV). Take care of the temple God has given you and worship Him by eating well, exercising, challenging your mind and lowering your stress level. If that sounds too difficult right now, take it one step at a time, remembering that these are acts of worship.

Play. "Play is an expression of God's presence in the world. It's not an escape; it is a way to release the life-smothering grip of busyness, stress and anxiety. Playfulness is a modern expression of hope, a celebration of the flickering light of the gospel . . ." (author Mike Yaconelli).

Quit whining. God has things under control. He has not forgotten you.

Recognize your strengths. Once you have identified your strengths, you can more easily look at those times when you've exercised them. It's the exercising of your strengths that leads to your success.

Savor. To savor something is to immerse yourself in the enjoyment of it. "Savoring is the lost art of cherishing, appreciating and relishing. When you and I stop and savor a particular of life, we soak it in, we listen with all of our senses, we immerse ourselves in what we are savoring." (Yaconelli) Savor your time with your husband, your family, your friends and most of all, your God.

Truth. It will transform your life. Jesus Christ is the truth - the transforming truth. He promises that transformation in John 10:10: "The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly." And that is a promise.

In a Word . . . H thru M

Continuing In A Word . . . An A to Z List of Words that Can Change Your Life

Hope. Cultivate hope in your life. In the midst of our toxic world, the hope of resurrection is still a reality. Our identity is found in Christ's resurrection and that brings great hope.

Identify issues. Whether it's in your family or at work, unresolved issues breed bitterness and discontentment. The key is to deal with them the appropriate way.

Joy. Carry it with you wherever you go. Choose to become joyful. John Ortberg says, "We are invited to rejoice in every moment of life because every moment of life is a gift. If we don't rejoice today, we will not rejoice at all. If we wait until conditions are perfect, we will still be waiting when we die. If we are going to rejoice, it must be in this day."

Know your purpose. You have to know what your ultimate life purpose is and what your driving force is in order to be completely fulfilled.

Learn. Commit yourself to a life of continual learning. Keep reading. Keep attending classes or workshops regularly. Keep learning and be teachable.

Meditate on a passage from the Bible. Read it slowly. Certain words may stand out to you; allow them to sink into your heart. Ask if perhaps God wants to speak to you through these words. The goal is not for us to get through the Scriptures. The goal is for the Scriptures to get through us.

In a Word . . . A thru G

I'm not sure where this came from but I like it and I seem to think if I like something, you'll like it too. I wish I knew who the author was because I would love to pass along my thanks. It's called "In A Word . . . An A to Z List Words that Can Change Your Life." So please read these slowly and give them a ponder. That's what I'm gonna do.

Accept other's help. The world preaches a self-sufficient message but Jesus is returning for a body of believers interdependent on one another. Surround yourself with people who are rooting for your success, not your failures. Find someone to help you, someone to hold you accountable.

Bless others. The word "bless" means to add weight or value to someone. On the other hand, the word for "curse" in Hebrew is literally the word for subtraction. When you bless someone, you add to their life. And when you curse someone, you subtract from their life. In every dealing you have with someone, you're either adding or subtracting.

Call your spouse (or someone very special) in the middle of the day and tell him you're still crazy about him - even after all these years.

Devote half a day each month to a time of prayer and worship. If you can't remember the last time you had 30 minutes without being interrupted by the kids or the phone, start with an hour and work your way up. The key is spending much-needed one-on-one time with God - adoring Him, listening to Him and allowing Him to nurture your spirit.

Endure. Hebrews 12:1 says "to run with endurance that race that lies before us." That race involves trials, big and small. The way to enjoy something is to work on endurance. When you persevere through a problem or issue, you enjoy that you've come through it. That may be the reason people don't get enjoyment out of things; there's no effort attached.

Focus. Author Laurie Beth Jones says, "one of the most powerful questions for focusing is asking yourself: 'What would I be doing with my time if I knew I only had six healthy months to live?' That can immediately cause you to reorganize your priorities."

Give. Do it outlandishly. Extravagantly. Ridiculously. It's how God likes it. God loves a cheerful giver. Then, as icing on the cake, watch His blessings roll in as He changes your heart.

Just Imagine

Imagine in heaven God lovingly shows you His plan for your earthly life. You see footprints walking through each day. On many of the days, two sets of footprints appear.

You inquire: "Father, are those my footprints every day and is the second set of prints when You joined me?"
He answers: "No, precious child. The consistent footprints are Mine. The second set of footprints are when you joined Me."
"Where were You going, Father?"
"To the destiny I planned for you, hoping you'd follow."
"But Father, where are my footprints all those times?"
"Sometimes you went back to look at old resentments and habits. Sometimes, you departed from My path and chose your own instead. Other times, your footprints can even be seen on another person's path because you liked their plan better. At other times, you simply stopped because you would not let go of something you could not take with you."
"But even if I didn't walk with You every day, we ended up OK, didn't we?"
He holds you close and smiles, "Yes child, we ended up OK. But you see, OK was never what I had in mind for you."
"Father, what are those golden treasure boxes on certain days?"
"Blessings, my child, I had for you along the way. Those that are open are those you received. Those still closed were days you did not walk with Me." *


OK was never what He had in mind for us. Are we satisfied with just OK? Satisfied with just good? God's plan is God's best - His Greatest Great!

"How great is our God - beyond our understanding!" Job 36:26

*Beth Moore, Breaking Free

And so goes 2009

Well, here it is December 31st and I’m not sure what I think about that. Time passes so quickly and in some ways it makes me sad. I see my aging mother and in-laws, my baby girl who is now a wife and my cotton-top boy who is now a man. That’s not a bad thing. In fact, it is a good thing. Time just passes. It’s life. While I’m not big on resolutions, let’s just say I’m pondering some changes in my lifestyle.

I want to de-clutter my life. I want to get rid of the stuff I don’t need and give it to someone who does need it. Much to my husband’s dismay, I seem to want to keep everything. “I really might need that someday,” I tell him. And he gives me that look as to say, “I don’t think so, please get rid of this stuff or I’m going to put it in my truck during the night and take it to an undisclosed location where you will never, ever see it again.” Excuse me for a moment while I look up the definition of paranoid.

I want to read more. I want to know more. When I think about all of the things I don’t know, well, that’s humbling. I want to read about the lives of people I admire. I want to read about subjects I don’t know much about. Would you believe that my 80-something year old mother still reads the encyclopedias? She has a set that I think, no kidding, are from the 70s but she says, “most of what’s in here doesn’t change – not historical events or people, not science, not dates or places.” You know, she probably has a point. Does that make you think of a book that never changes? That still remains current, relevant, and sharper than a double-edge sword? One I need to continue to delve into every single day.

I want to give more to others . . . whatever this looks like. Whether it be time, encouraging words, talents or financial resources. I want to be more intentional about using the gifts and talents that God has given me. It’s all His anyway. I just want to be a good steward of what He has entrusted to me. I will never forget the first words from Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life: “It’s not all about you.” When I first read that, I thought, well, no kidding. Any decent, responsible person who has ever tried to parent a child for more than five minutes can tell you that one. But there’s more, so much more. Please read carefully this first paragraph from that same book:
“The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.”

And I want to listen more. I want to listen more carefully to what my husband says to me. You know sometimes when your loved one is talking about grocery carts, coffin cases (those are those frozen food cases that are long and open at the top – creepy right?), u.p.c.’s; a.w.g.; h.b.c. – oh, have mercy. But, I know it’s important to him and thus to me, so I will listen more carefully. He deserves that from me. Listen to my children – not just to what they say, but what they don’t say and what I see in their eyes and on their faces. Listen to my friends – to their hearts. I want to not offer advice to family or friends until I hear them out completely and until I’m asked. Okay, I’ll try. I’ll really try.

So, as we end 2009, let’s look forward in anticipation of what God has for us in 2010. I’ll leave you today with this passage from Matthew 6:32-34 from The Message:

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. “