The Good Life

I live for evenings like this one. Yard work and grilling out!! Here are a few pics of Madison while we were outside this evening. She's such a blessing to James and I!! And she did a great job helping with yard work. She thought it was alot of fun pulling her wagon around while we picked up any sticks that were in the yard. Of course, we had to play a little hide and seek behind the trees too! I am so thankful for this little girl and will continue to pray that I will be the mother this girl deserves. Thank you God for blessing my life with this beautiful and smart little girl! I do not deserve all of these blessings that are constantly being poured out on me.

Living Someone Else's Life

It's Wednesday night and I am counting down the days to my weekend. I am not one to rush my life away but after just being so exhausted today, I am ready to make it to Friday! Lot's of driving ahead of me tomorrow to get to work but that's not always such a bad thing. I have had alot on my mind this evening and particularly with something personal. I have debated whether or not to share this on my blog but then again as I have stated before I decided I would share it as my blog's purpose is to be real with you.

I find that I struggle, even as a 30 year old, with always trying to please others. Sometimes I do so even at my own expense. Now some might wonder why that's such a bad thing. And if you are someone who does not struggle with this then let me explain. For some people pleasing others begins to consume them so much that they forget about themselves and living THEIR life instead of someone else's life. Thankfully I am not consumed to that point, however, I do let it affect my life to a certain degree. Praise God that I can say I am a pretty independent person that has made her own choices through out life as far as what college to attend, career choices, the man I marry, and how many children I will have, etc. despite opposition from others. But as I look deeper into things I accomplish on a daily basis I find that sometimes I can be completely knocked down when I realize someone isn't 100% pleased. I struggle with trying to keep everyone happy and as we all know, that's impossible. I have people in my life that I have found necessary to make sure that I keep happy and work my life around but as I get older and have amazing people that God has placed in my life I have learned that I can not live my life for someone else. My life is to be lived for Christ and everything else will fall into place.

I was reading this evening about a man that was so consumed with keeping others happy that through out his whole life he had chosen career paths, where to live, etc. all based on those around him and what they wanted. I am thankful that I have not taken it to that extreme but I do see the little things that affect my daily walk with God. I need to reevaluate my purpose for living and who it is that I should solely focus on in pleasing. I know that when I start worrying about keeping other's happy and what they are thinking then I have taken my focus off of Christ and redirected to someone on this earth. I want to thirst for Christ and be so focused on him that I lose sight of the unimportant things and worries that this world brings. I love Psalm 42:1 & 2 "As the deer pants for the streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" I desire for my thirst for Christ to be over powering! I know that when my focus has reached that level that the people I was so concerned with pleasing will either understand because they truly care about me and the way I live my life or will not understand, and that will only be confirmation for me in knowing I was spending too much time in keeping them happy. So I pray that as I continue to live a life pleasing to God that I will bathe my decisions in prayer and continue with the life God has intended for me.

Looking In The Mirror

Attending church on Sundays always seems to be a personal evaluation for me. I take in the lessons and try to look into my own life and how I can improve my relationship with God. I think sometimes the greatest source of growth for me is when I am reviewing my own lessons to teach the children. I am thankful to be part of a church that challenges me spiritually.

Today I had the chance to sit down and talk with an older lady in our church who shared with me that she misses having neighbors who check in on her. She talked about the people who lived in her neighborhood and how they are good people but they live busy lives. She went on to talk about how she would always take time to check on her neighbors but said in the last week she had slacked off. Listening to her was like getting a slap in the face. It was God's purpose for us to have that conversation today. Making time for others outside of church and family is a struggle for me. I do my best to keep up with the schedule that I have. But that's not enough, especially for my friends and neighbors. There are days I come home from work and I am so focused on getting in the house and getting dinner ready and getting Madison settled that I do not even notice my neighbor sitting on his front porch next door. We have really great neighbors and have been blessed with the neighborhood we live in. But I feel horrible at the lack of attention I give my neighbors. I do not even know the names of my neighbors that live to the right of me. They tend to live a life busy like mine and they have children. They seem to always be on the go. I am ashamed to admit this but I refuse to let this continue. It's so important for us to take notice of those around us. True, putting God and your family first is priority, but do not stop there.

I also have friends whom I have failed to make time for. God has blessed me with some amazing friendships and I am a fool to not spend more time with them than I do. I do not have it all figured out how I will learn to make more time for others but I know it can be done. I will make more time to spend with my neighbor on his front porch and talk about his day home. He's a good neighbor and we have had some good times with him but it has been a while since I have just sat down to chat with him. And for my other neighbors I am going to introduce myself to them the next time I see them in the yard. There's no reason why I should not already know them but sometimes we get so focused on our own mission for the day we do not even notice what is going on around us.

So as I look in the mirror and see the imperfections I will continue to strive to do better. I am thankful for today's church service and how it has opened my eyes to things left undone. I find myself to busy with life in general, sometimes getting caught up in things that really do not matter. I spent an entire day yesterday cleaning my house. While that needs to be done it is still not as important as time that I could have spent with friends. This will be something that I continue to pray about as I seek God's guidance. And I find this to be a good delima to be in. I have some amazing people in my life and I am so very thankful for that.

From Super Cleaner To Crashing

I am thinking I started out my day with a bit much enthusiasm for cleaning. What was I thinking?!! Saturdays are suppose to be an easy day! I was up just before 7:00and had breakfast with Madison. I started cleaning the kitchen including scrubbing the floor. I also decided I was tired of looking at those stains on my carpet so I moved the furniture and vacuumed and got James to help with shampooing the carpet. We ran out of the Kirby brand we like to use so we had to buy a different carpet shampoo. It did the job for the most part but there are still some areas that did not come up that my Kirby brand would have removed. Having a 3 year old, I need a dependable carpet cleaner so I'll be sure to have my usual on hand next time! Once the carpet was shampooed I had to wait until it dried before I could vacuum it again and move my furniture back. It felt like an all day event. In the mean time I managed to get some laundry done. I was also hoping to tackle some "cooking in bulk" to help through out the week. But as I sat down to plan my meals for the week I realized this was not the best week for that. I was going to cook and then freeze my meals ahead of time so that all we would have to do is thaw them out and warm them up as we got home. But in the recipes I picked for the week it would not be saving much time on them as they were quick and easy dinners. So I'll save that thought for another weekend.

Now my child is in bed...that's right, you read that right. Madison did not get a nap today so I always put her to bed a little earlier to make sure she gets her rest. She's a grumpy one when she doesn't get her sleep but then again who isn't?
So tonight, it's just me. Madison is upstairs sleeping and dreaming sweet dreams and James is at a church leadership conference. I'm thinking some good chic flicks are in order. These nights are rare so I'm taking advantage of it!

I wanted to share some scripture I have read this evening. I was needing some "lift me up" after cleaning all day and just feeling exhausted. Sometimes when I do not know what I want to read in the Bible, I use my blackberry Bible app. It allows me to choose from so many versions of the Bible and search key words that make for a fast search. It's another long passage that I wanted to share just because I found it so inspiring. It comes from the Message Version of Romans 5: 1-11:

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us - set us right with him, make us fit for him - we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand - out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary - we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we're at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his Resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus the Messiah!

I find scripture so encouraging. It's what I read when I'm needing to be lifted up. It's also what I read when I'm feeling like I'm on top of the world and needing to praise God even more. I am thankful for today and the energy God gave me to do some much needed cleaning. So very thankful for the hope I have in Christ and how it keeps me going daily. Now off to relax for the evening and to have some "me" time!

For The Working Mom

Feeling good about having the house clean before sitting down to relax tonight. Well, atleast some what clean that is. No scrubbing was involved but I did atleast get the dish washer loaded and started and the dryer is currently going as well!! The scrubbing will follow this weekend! I find that my day is filled with many different things that have to be done. Some days I choose not to get them all done and other's I accomplish it all! But how do we manage to get everything done and still have that time with our family.

I find that I have a passion to encourage working mothers to be proud of the choice they have made to work outside of the home. I am not saying that staying home with your child is not commendable, in fact, it's a great thing. I would be a stay at home mother myself atleast in the early years if finances allowed it. However, that is not the case and I find myself working 40 hours a week. I remember feeling guilty in the beginning when Madison was first born. It broke my heart to leave her and go to the office but as I spent MUCH time in prayer about it I found that though I still longed to be with her during the day I was also finding God's purpose for me at work. I've always had the type of job where it involved helping people. It's been my passion and I have always had the passion to help other's find the good in themselves when no one else seemed to care. So I find it necessary to fulfill God's many passions in me.

So I encourage you as a working mother who has found herself in a situation where working is a must. Do not feel guilty for not being at home all day with your child. Find peace in knowing that you have found trust worthy child care. Next find that purpose in your job no matter what it is. Figure out how you can make your time away from home count. Sure, one way it will count is the paycheck that comes but I mean for it to REALLY count. If I am going to be away from home 40 hours a week it has to be in a job that I am busy helping people. Simply working for the pay check would not sustain my joy. So I have prayed continuously that God would use me no matter where I am at. Finding that joy has helped me transform from the working mother who felt guilty about being away from her child to the working mother who is confident in her decision to work outside of the home and knows that God is pleased with my life.

You become confident when you find a balance. God provided that balance for me. Though there were many trying times during my decision to work outside of the home, God carried me through those times and grew my passion to be a dedicated mother, a faithful wife, and a hard working employee. Do not let anyone put you down because you are not with your children at all times. Do not automatically think that because you are not a stay at home mom that you are not giving your best to your child.

Sometimes life throws us in directions that maybe we would rather not take but it's up to us the attitude we take with that. I have chosen to find joy in my work when I am not with my child but I have also chosen to find joy in my child at all times. I do not carry my work home because there has to be boundaries. But I do carry the thoughts of my child everywhere. There are days I am at work and I wonder what she is doing or if she is eating her lunch like she needs to. Sometimes I call just to check on her. I know that she is being taken care of and that our time will come just after work. There are responsibilities that come with being a working mother. You have to choose to get off that couch after coming home from work and play with your child despite that lack of energy. True, you've been working all day, but that's even more the reason to give all of your attention to that child. Besides, you will get your time once your child's bedtime is here. Take advantage of your evenings home with your child after work. Just because you have been gone all day doesn't mean you can't take off that evening too! We will on occasion take Madison out to the park after work to have supper there at the picnic tables. Sometimes we just decide to take her to the waterfront to let her walk. She loves that! And most evenings we stay home and make sure we are interacting with her and showing her that we love her. Then there is the weekend which we focus on making it family time as much as possible. Be proud of your decision to work outside of the home. Take confidence in the plans God has for you and trust him. Make God number one and your family next and everything else will fall into place.

A Change Of Plans

I am missing the many events of the evening because just shortly after leaving church I noticed Madison had a fever. I noticed when I picked her up from class after church that she was feeling warm. She also wanted me to hold her while we spoke with everyone...which normally she is running around. So I noticed she was not acting herself. We had lunch out today and Madison was clearly warm and laid down beside me while we ate lunch. And sure enough as we got home and I took her temperature, she was running a fever. And we were doing so good for so long and here we go again!!!

I decided I needed to stay home with her because I know that I would not appreciate someone else bringing their sick child to church if it was something the other children could catch. So we stayed home despite the many events of the evening planned while James went to church. I arranged for my K-2 graders to join classes with the 3-5 graders. Hoping the class wasn't too large!! So thankful for those who made the accommodations!! I missed out on some good times this evening but I guess it's one of those things we can not control. Praying the youth event went well tonight and the many other plans for the evening also. James and I are so blessed to be a part of WBCC and it's most definitely a happening place. Thank you to all the people who are part of that church and make it a priority to volunteer their time for so many different things. Thank you for being God's hands!!



This is Madison in her pj's running a fever. I'm thankful that she wasn't too terribly fussy and still had her appetite...if you notice her mouth full of food ;)

When Times Are Difficult

I have had about 30 minutes of quiet time this morning. I figured it would be very important for me to do so since today would be a busy day. I had no intention of reading this passage this morning but in my search for something else I couldn't go past this passage when I came across it. In my quiet time this morning I read from Lamentations chapter 3, the message version. It was about someone who had given up on life altogether. We probably all know someone who has felt that way if it wasn't yourself. But I love the hope that is found in God. It reads as follows:

Lamentations 3:17-2: "I gave up on life altogether. I've forgotten what the good life is like. I said to myself, this is it. I'm finished. God is a lost cause. It's a good thing to hope for help from God. I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of the ashes, the poison I've swallowed. I remember it all - oh, how well I remember - the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness!! I'm sticking with God ( I say it over and over). God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times. When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The worst is never the worst. Why? Because the Master won't ever walk out and fail to return. If he works severely, he also works tenderly. His stockpiles of loyal love are immense."

I normally would not have typed an entire passage but I just felt this passage needed to be. What a powerful passage!! I wish I knew about this passage before!! I love it. I love how it's written to where it takes you from the lowest point in this person's life and yet shows the hope this person still has. And it doesn't stop there, there are even directions on how to pray to God and how to make it through those difficult times in your life! What encouragement!! I love how the bible is applicable at all times. I love how you can look for encouragement and even rebuke in the bible at any stage in your life and you will find it. I am thankful that God inspired the writer's of the Bible in such a way that the bible never becomes outdated!!

Just a few pictures from today. Madison is really growing to like football. You can thank James for that! Madison decided this morning that she would like to wear her jersey and run around the house like she was playing football! The picture of her on the tricycle was taken this afternoon at a birthday/anniversary party.






Thankful for such a great day! We were so blessed to spend the afternoon with some wonderful friends! Madison had such a great time with her bff!! I am thankful for how God has brought some very special people into our lives in the last 6 months. Thankful for the little things that make such a big difference. Madison played until she was completely wore out today! She loved every minute she had playing with the kids.

I have been going through Madison's clothes over the past few nights and realizing that she is out growing almost all of her clothes!! So I was prepared to go shopping for summer clothes for her until I remembered tonight there was a bag of clothes a lady had given us not too long ago when her child grew out of her size 3 and 4s!! Thank you God for the ways you provide allowing us to save that money!! We will still need to purchase clothing for her but not near as much as we would have if it wasn't for the blessing of receiving the clothing from someone else.

Looking forward to the rest of my weekend. We have a busy day planned for tomorrow. I've been working on some last minute planning for my lessons for Kid Zone tomorrow and looking forward to our evening we have planned with the youth group! Thank you God for how you are using our family and thank you for your daily blessings!

The Many Sides Of Beauty

As women let's face it, we naturally have multiple personalities!! On the way to work the other day I could feel my mood changing from "grrrr" to "happy Friday!!" all in the time it took me to drive fifty minutes to my office! But why in the world do we have to be this way!?

Women are special and unique....and all the men said "Amen!!". Psalm 139:14 says, "I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...". I know that God made us all individually with special attention to each of us but as I read this verse I can not help but think it was a man who wrote the book of Psalms!! He obviously was not thinking from a woman's point of view! But in all seriousness, he was thinking from a much broader point of view and it's one that we should all consider. God made us as individuals and gave special attention to each of us.

So why would God create me in such a way that I would not feel great all the time?! In my personal understanding of this I would have to say that if I felt great all the time...A. I would not be near as interesting!! B. My husband's life would be way too easy! C. I would not be appreciative of the moments I felt great. As women there are many stressors to our complicated lives. We take on many roles all while trying to maintain our sanity. So it's only natural that we have days where things are going good and then our days where we feel like we're losing control and are about to burst into tears.

So how do we function in the midst of all this? I find that if I start my day in prayer (which I do not always do) my day will go much smoother. Many times I am praying on my way to work since I spend so much time in my vehicle. Now, no worries, I'm not praying with my eyes closed! I also have to decide that today will not get the best of me no matter how I feel. Sometimes we have to understand that it's ultimately us that will make our day either good or bad. We decide how we let others affect our moods. There are days where horrible things happen and it breaks us. But never forget that the whole time you are trying to carry those burdens in that little bag of yours...God is walking with you waiting for you to give it over to Him. The next time your day is not going quite like you had planned, put all of your "moods" and "unwanted events" of the day in a "bag" and give them over to God. Once you have handed it to Him, don't try to hang on to it. Be done with it and decide the rest of your day will be spent thanking God for the good things.

Without Complaining

So it's a day that I could easily complain about BUT...Philippians 2:14 says "Do everything without complaining or arguing". I try to keep this verse in mind almost always. Granted, I do fail at times, but that's what grace is for right? In looking back at my day and if only looking at the faults, I would say...I went with out breakfast which made me really hungry and hard to focus at work, I forgot my wallet at home and did not realize it until halfway to work, got home and realized an animal had gotten into the trash over night and decided it would be cool to throw trash all over my back yard,etc. I could easily let each little thing add up but I began to think about how much worse the day could have been. I made it to work safely, my daughter had a good day at the babysitter, I came home to see that wonderful man of mine, and I am now listening to the monitor as James reads a book to Madison. I decided I was not going to let Satan get hold of me today, especially with such little things.

I decided that each day I am to look at the blessings God has granted me. I am to live each day for the Lord because I am His child. Romans 14:6 - 8: "He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." Whether I am at work, or at home, or out with family, whatever the case may be, I am to live it to the Lord. So today, even though honestly, it just started out kind of rough for me, I am glad God gave me the insight to understand that yes, it started off a little less than perfect, but why in the world would you complain on such little things!! The Lord made this day and gave me another chance to make a difference for Him. How selfish am I to complain because I had to work without breakfast.God blessed me in helping me find a breakfast bar in my car just around 10:00. So even though I had forgotten my wallet and was unable to get something for breakfast, God still provided for me by helping me remember I placed a breakfast bar in the car over the weekend. I love my God and am convinced that there is nothing too small and nothing to large for him to handle.

I am humbled at my thoughts this morning in comparison to my thoughts this evening as I reflect over my day. It's amazing how little Satan has to work sometimes to get us down. That's why it is so important that we feed ourselves spiritually every chance that we get. Satan is always looking for an opportunity to get a hold of you and that's why God has equipped us with His Word and the Holy Spirit. Thank you God for your grace and forgiveness. I am so thankful for this day because even though it was not perfect for me, it was still a good day. I still came home to my family and I am still a child of God. I do not think there is any other way to end a day.

My Monday

Today was a really good Monday...however, it did start off a little blah! I guess that's how Mondays start though! We filed our taxes this evening and that is usually just a migraine waiting to happen but God really blessed us this year. Thank you God for how you provide and how you answer prayers! My vehicle is needing some maintainance and our return will help with that. We are hoping to build our savings as well. Our savings needs alot more attention than what we give it. We are atleast consistant in an amount that goes to our savings each month but it's always good to find that extra income to put in there as well.

Speaking of money, I booked our hotel room for our vacation. Granted it's still two months away but I'm just that excited. I did the normal research on different internet sites trying to find the best deal. Of course, that's never good enough for me. I am really just looking for the lowest rate the hotel is posting. That way I have a starting point with negotiation. I do get a weird joy out of doing this. I know that I have nothing to lose, however, they do. I booked our rooms today at a great deal. We have a nice hotel to stay at and I ended up getting them $30 lower than what the lady told me was the lowest they could go!! I am obviously not a fan of booking online but it is helpful to see the lowest price listings. But just know that if you will pick up the phone and call them personally you will get a much lower rate. You just have to be okay with them turning you down. Set your budget before you call and make sure your tax is included in the price they give you. It will make your vacation that much more enjoyable knowing you are staying on budget!

Another blessing to my day was finding this corn that someone made for us a while back. I was for certain that it was homemade but when she said it was straight from the frozen section it was music to my ears!! Just for FYI...Green Giant White Corn in Butter is sooooo good!! It's in a small box and you can even cook it in the microwave. Now I am not normally big on cooking things in the microwave because food just doesn't taste as good that way to me, however, that's not the case here. If you are a little challenged at cooking like I am you will love this corn! So for dinner tonight, we had ham (which I froze at Christmas time in bags that were enough for dinners), biscuits, mash potatoes, and corn. It was a super easy meal and it took me 20 minutes total to get everything cooked and ready.

Oh yes, and another blessing from today...Burke's Outlet in Washington!! I finally got around to going today and they really had some good deals. I especially like this place because I found clothes that James likes and cost much lower than what the brand name normally charges. Thank you God for helping me save money!! Thank you for making this day so beautiful with the sunshine and warm weather!

His Evidence

Days like today are always enjoyable. Can't go wrong with the sun and 73 degrees! We started our day out with church and that is always a good start to our Sunday. Today's sermon was on our prayer life. My prayer life could really use some improvement. I think at times I feel my prayer life is shallow. I know that I talk to God but I am not spending enough time in prayer for other people. I always pray for my family and my friends but in listening today I realized I was still leaving people out.

There are so many people who do not desire to serve God and it breaks my heart. God's evidence is everywhere and especially when looking at nature. I do spend time praying for people that may not put God first in their life or even believe in God. I pray for them because I know the joy I have in my life and I know they can have that joy too. Being at the beach yesterday was just a reminder of the wonderful things God created. I want to make sure that I thank God for those things and pray for others to learn more about God and how their life can be so blessed by Him!! I have had my low moments where serving God was not at the forefront of my mind and I would not do anything to go back. The life I live today is full of challenges but it's such a good life. I see God working in me and stretching me. I pray that I apply today's sermon and enrich my prayer life and spend more time with God. He absolutely deserves it.

In looking at the blessings of today I have to share a little blessing that I found. I have been looking for a used bookshelf for Madison's room. I just wanted a little two shelf bookshelf that Madison and I could sand and repaint. I have been looking for a while and going in and out of antique shops and just places selling used furniture. Today, we took a walk down the boardwalk at the Washington waterfront and enjoyed the sun. I had no intentions of looking for a bookshelf but as we came to almost the end of our walk we saw a little store called "Sentimental Susan" and we walked in. I didn't expect to find much but I decided I would ask the lady in the store anyway. I asked about any bookshelves she had in the store and she instructed me back out the store where she had a few pieces in front of the store. I was really excited when I found exactly what I was looking for and she only charged me $10 for it.!! So that's my little blessing for the day.

Our Day At The Beach

I spent my day with my family and it was by far a fun and entertaining day! I thanked God for creating something so beautiful that it absolutely took our breath away. The beach was amazing and as always, my favorite place to go. The weather was just barely warm enough to be out there but not quite warm enough for bathing suits. This was Madison's first trip to the ocean. She has been to the soundside when she was younger and was never a fan of any of it. So we decided today we would try her at the ocean and see how it goes. Once we got there we just let her lose and she played and had the most fun. Madison also flew a kite for the first time and she really liked that. I have a ton of pictures of it all and I can not wait to go back. Thank you God for my amazing family and for a place as beautiful as the beach to spend it at!

Priorities

I can not stop smiling. I had not realized how long this week had been until I got home and remembered it was Friday!!! I do not have to go back to work until Monday!! It's going to be a great weekend. Looking at the forecast it sounds like a great day to take the family to the beach!!

It's just been a really hectic week, a full schedule at work and things to take care of outside of work. Glad it's time to relax. I am going to make sure we have time just as a family tomorrow to relax and do something fun. It's important to balance stress out with relaxation. Looking back over the past few months we have really been busy keeping schedules that involved mainly everything other than taking time for just the three of us. I take a lot of joy in my family and the time we get to spend together. I know that Madison will continue to grow up much faster than I want her to. I hope that you understand the importance of slowing down from schedules, especially work schedules, to take time for your family.

I realized I was not giving enough time to my family when I worked in Mental Health. I was on call and found it difficult when I left the office to relax. Had a boss that looked down on us if we did not work more than 40 hours a week. I lasted about 5 years in Mental Health and then switched to working in Substance Abuse. I am in a position where I am not on call EVER and it's fabulous!! I work a job where we are encouraged to stay at our 40 hours and not work over. So if you have to work make sure it's not doing something that will consume you to the point you start spending less time with your family and begin spending more time at work. When that starts happening, I hope you will stop and reevaluate your purpose in life and what really matters. We all need to make money and pay our bills but the people in your life need you and God will provide if you trust him. Balance is an important thing and I feel like I have a healthy balance now but I have not always had that balance. It took me leaving a job that consumed me to going to another one that allows me to grow in my passion to help others and yet still feel like I am spending enough time with my family.

God has always provided for me. I am thankful for having a job where I am able to leave "work" at work and focus completely on my family when I am at home. I truly hope you guys have a great weekend and try to relax a little!!

Just Breathing

I am sitting here in complete silence for just a moment. I made it home before James and he is picking Madison up from the babysitter today. Oh how I love my moments where I can just sit still and breathe. I'm just kind of taking in the events of the day and trying to wind down before the little one gets here!! She's a ball of fun but it is hard to keep up with her at times.

My focus for this evening is to reduce tv time and increase actual interaction with Madison. We are really good about spending time with her but last night I think James and I were so tired after getting home from work that we sat down with her and watched Bob the Builder. It's okay to do this occasionally but if the tv is on then Madison is really focused on the tv and I do not want her growing up to only want to watch tv. She loves to be outside and to swing!! The girl LOVES to swing and have someone push her. It's exciting to see her light up when she goes out to play and especially when she has her friends to play with. It's incredibly cute to see kids who are so young go out and play together.

I'm thankful for this life God has blessed me with and the people God crosses into my path. I am especially thankful for this sunshine we have had and the beautiful weather!! However, I am absolutely screaming for a day at the beach but it will come in time. Can't wait to sit down with James and plan the details of our vacation. I am going to be so excited when it gets here!! I love road trips and especially time to spend with Madison and James for an entire week with no responsibilities!!! My little one has just walked in the door, time to hang out with her!!

Things That Make Me Smile

1. A fresh clean hot towel straight out of the dryer!

2. Madison saying "Mommy" and running to hug me when she first
sees me after a day at work.

3. Those "just because" surprises from James.

4. The look and smell of a freshly clean home.

5. A fun day spent outside in the sun with the family.

6. A relaxing day at the beach.

7. Fresh clean sheets to fall asleep on.

8. Catching great moments on camera.

9. Learning something new about a person that gives you an understanding of the character they have built.

10. College friends that are still my bff's!!

11. New friends that make everyday life a blessing.

Overwhelmed

Feeling overwhelmed tonight and finding comfort in Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit".

Not a whole lot of words to share tonight other than I am feeling burdened. It's one of those nights where everything kind of rolls together and you know it's going to be a sleepless night. I trust God will always take care of me and my family. I need to give my worries over to Him but apparently I'm not doing such a good job of that tonight. I have such a faithful God and He has never let me down.

I keep going back to scripture because I am a little speechless tonight. I do not know what to say other than I love God and know that things will work out as they always do. My heart is burdened for different people tonight and trials they are facing but my heart is also burdened for personal reasons. Another scripture that I cling to is Matthew 6:34: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own".

To let you in on a little bit about me...my house is typically extra clean when I have things on my mind. I can not sit still so I keep going and tonight that proved very productive for me. As I blog I have the sound of the washing machine and dish washer in the background and the monitor of a 3 year old who is sleeping. Still plenty to come tonight and will most likely wake up in the morning with a very clean home. So I am seeing the up side to being stressed but I do not enjoy this feeling. I love God and am thankful for the wisdom He provides in life's situations.

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

1. It's okay if he leaves his dirty clothes in the bedroom floor instead of walking an extra 1-2 feet to the bathroom (which is connected to the bedroom) where the clothes should be...pick them up and be done with it...some would argue me on this but trust me...just do it.

2. It's okay if the yard work is rarely done because he's not an outside kind of guy...do it yourself and get that tan you've been wanting!!

3. So what if he likes to read books in the bathroom...for as much time he spends in there he's got to be doing something right!

4. Sure it makes sense putting an empty ice tray back into the freezer...maybe just maybe he's trying to conserve water b/c there's always atleast a drop of water or two left in the ice tray! Yep, I know...that was a stretch...

5. So what if he dislocates his knee and tears ligaments in his knee because he was trying to do the dance to "I'm A Little Tea Pot"...the kids love him right?! And it makes for a great story...we will look back on that for years and roll!!

6. And so what if he wants to debate everything you try to bring up that is related to the Bible...that's YOUR fault for trying to debate a preacher!!

You can't sweat the small stuff. We all have those days where you can't seem to get along or someone is in a bad mood right? Well it's in those moments that we have to take a step back and realize that if saying something about it will not help then maybe it's best to just keep the mouth shut. Sure...it's going to take some pride swallowing to be quiet. But having a marriage that is more than just existing is much more important than just simply being married. I am more than married to James...I am in love with James. So it's important to me that he knows that daily. It's what you put in your marriage on a daily basis. Not just once a year when your anniversary comes around or on a birthday but it's daily. I like to send James text messages sometimes just to let him know I'm thinking of him. He does the same thing for me. So for everything I listed above there are 10,000 things that he does right for each one. We can't go day in and day out holding on to what should have been done differently or what was never done in the first place, etc...We have got to be a generation that takes marriage to a whole other level.

I strongly desire for Madison to look at our marriage and have that as a model for when she decides she is ready to marry. I want her understanding what a marriage is really about and that married people can be happy. Marriage is always the butt of all jokes right? Well mine most definetly is not...not in a serious light anyway. There are plenty other jokes that have occured since we have been married that I could go all night on! But that's what I love. I love that silly things happen sometimes and it's enough to make us laugh. I like that we have been married for almost 8 years this July and we are continuously growing more in love with each other. It's the marriage I dreamed of. Naturally not everything that has happened along the way is what I would have dreamed of happening but the big picture is just that. It's what God has blessed me with and shown me that all of my efforts are not in vain. I see my marriage and I know that God is listening to my prayers. Being married is a privilege and but it does come with expectations and job responsibilities per say. It takes work. Marriage is more than just a feeling...it's a commitment.

Just Blessed...

What an awesome yet super busy week! I haven't sat down to blog in almost a week! Where do I begin? My week has been nothing but awesome. I had a wonderful chance to get to know some people a little better and was blessed by that. I also had the opportunity to be a part of a drama this week that was nothing but AMAZING!! Had the chance to see my love for Christ grow so much more! And that's always great!! Of course, I'm wore slam out and feel like I need a vacation but I have the hope of knowing it will soon be summer time and vacation will be here!!!

Today was such a great day. I had the chance to go to PCOC where dad was singing in the cantata. It's always good to go back to your home church and see so many people that were a part of molding you into who you are today. That church was a huge impact in my life and I am thankful God placed me and my family there. I did miss my WBCC people today. They are becoming more and more a part of my heart as I learn about them and what consumes their lives. "Blessed beyond measure" is the only words that come to mind when I look at this past week.

I look at my family and the growing that has happened within us since the long recovery my grandmother went through and I see some of God's purpsose in her suffering. Today was a special day because my Grandma Grace was able to return to church today for the first time since April of last year. It was an emotional Sunday for her but a joyous one at that!! God used her to grow my faith but He also used her to bring our family closer together. Spending time in the hospital with so many family members that you don't see every day will either make you or break you! But it was nice to see our family pull together like that and know that in times of troubles we were strong.

Today was also spent at mom and dad's house with some family and having Easter lunch and a birthday party for my nephew Landen. He turned 1 today!! He had lots of fun with the birthday cake! But in looking back in this week and even though I am physically tired, I am energized emotionally and spiritually. I am reminded of what Easter is truly about and though it's nice to have the Easter egg hunts and chocolate candy it's even more rewarding to know that Christ loved me so very much that he died for me and then arose!! I love Him so very much! I am excited for my family and what God has planned for us. I know as long as I am allowing God to lead us I can live at peace in the decisions we make.