I'm still learning...

I am continually surprised by the way God works. You would think by now, I would learn.
Just when you think that you know what God is doing in your life, He says, "No, that's what YOU wanted to do. Now let me show you what I will do." And isn't what He wants to do always so much better than what we could imagine?
God is so good...

She's going to kill me - Photo Challenge Day 9

Well, I just know in advance that she's gonna kill me. But it's worth it cause she deserves a little recognition.
Today is Day 9 of the photo challenge - a picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
For me, that can only be one person: Bonnie Hudson.

Bonnie is truly a unique gift from God in my life. I remember the first day I met her... it was August 1998 and I had come to the Columbian-Progress to interview for a job. She was wearing a gray sweatsuit and tennis shoes, but her hair was perfect, her make-up was perfect and she was completely and fashionably accessorized. When she spoke, she was tough, direct and to the point. She didn't mince words, and she scared me to death.
Nearly thirteen years later, I would unequivocally say that she is my best friend.
The funny thing is, I'm not the only one who would say that. There are scores of people who would call Bonnie Hudson their best friend. It's because she cares about people - not just in the being nice kind of way, but in the really caring when it's not always easy kind of way.
Oh, she's seen me through some hard times. She's also usually been a part of some of the funniest experiences in my life.

Bonnie is the kind of friend that will tell you the truth, and I love that. I also love that she tells me when I'm wrong and when I can do something better. She can do all that though, cause I know she loves me.
If I have a secret to tell, Bonnie is the first person on my list to go to.
If I need to pray with someone, I know Bonnie will drop to her knees in a heartbeat with me.
She makes me laugh almost everyday, even when I know she's not having a great day, and I know that no matter what, if I really needed something, she would stop what she's doing to be there for me.

Bonnie, thank you for being a Godly woman and an awesome friend. I love ya!
P.S. This does not mean that I'll go to that Loretta Lynn concert!

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" -Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Go ahead. Make my day.

My favorite thing about this new "website" has been logging on to see comments from my friends. It's pretty cool to know someone out in the world is reading my meanderings.
But this afternoon I felt like jumping up and down cause I have a new "Follower" that's not related to me by blood.
I'm not sure why this gets me so jazzed, and I'm sure it's completely ego-related (yes, I know that's not a good thing) but, oh man, it just makes me want to jump up and down and DANCE!
Would you look over there in the right hand column? No, not here. Over there.

There's a little button you can click on that says "Follow" - it looks like this:

I know it's confusing... I'm not sure why they make things so difficult. I'm still trying to understand the whole Twitter Follow/Follower thing.
I'm not even sure what happens when you "Follow" my website - except that it makes me feel like getting a thousand birthday presents when it's not my birthday.

Don't you want to make my day? I know you do. Click on that little button over there. C'mon... you can do it!

Here comes the sun - Photo Challenge Day 8

What makes you smile?
Seeing the sun come out after a million days of cloudy gray?
A favorite song that you've not heard in a long time playing on the radio?
A surprise visit by an old friend?
Today's photo challenge is a picture that makes you smile, and there were numerous shots that I could've taken to fulfill this mission. But I chose to take a picture of something that makes me smile everyday. Well, everyday I'm at work.

My precious girls smiling faces.

This is the corner of my desk at work - the view I see the most. There's nothing I'd rather see, and nothing makes me smile more than these two pictures.

What makes you smile?
Comment below...

Eat, Dance and Be Merry - Photo Challenge Day 5

Oh what a night. Late December back in '95... that's how the song goes, right?

It's hard to believe it was more than 15 years ago that CJ and I got married. In some ways, it still seems like just yesterday. The wedding itself was what I had always dreamed it would be, but when I think back to my favorite memory (which is Photo Challenge Day 5) it would have to be our wedding reception. 

 In case this is the first time you've ever read my blog, or my Facebook, or my Twitter, there's a little something you need to know about me: I love to dance! Not like professional dancing - the being silly, having fun, kind of dancing. The kind that makes you feel good.

So the best decision I made for our wedding reception was to hire a DJ. We danced, and danced and danced... My parents danced. My friends danced. Even the minister who performed our wedding was dancing. It was a blast!

Then to top the night off, my wedding cake was strawberry cake. I swear in Heaven there will be strawberry cake for breakfast every day. I LOVE strawberry cake.

 












It was a great night. I married the love of my life, I got to dance and eat strawberry cake, I also was surrounded by some of the best friends a girl could ever hope for. Not just friends... sisters.

Yeah, it was a great night. And to think, it was only just the beginning...

(P.S. You can click on the pictures to make them larger.)

It's a contest! Sorta...

I need an official URL. Anybody know what URL stands for?!? Well, then this will be educational...
A URL is that web address that you type in to go to a website. For instance, www.columbianprogress.com is the URL of our newspaper (a very good website to visit, by the way.)
Currently my URL for this blog is seepy1.blogspot.com which equals blah, blah, blah! I need something catchy. Something people will easily remember so that they can come back to my blog over and over :)
The kicker is I've got to pay $10 for whatever URL I decide on (if what I decide on is actually available). Plus whatever I'm buying, I want it to be what sticks for the long haul - you know that upcoming LONG HAUL that I've been blogging about for the last six months?
This blog title is Resolutions and Revelations - which works for what I write about - but www.resolutionsandrevelations.com just seems a little too long. Too easy to misspell too!
I also don't want anything with my name in it.
www.juliejohnson.com = uh, no!
So I need some suggestions.
PLEASE!
If you have an idea, comment below.
P.S. If you suggest something that I actually end up using, I have a prize for you! It's not like a million dollars or anything big like that, so don't get crazy. But hopefully worthwhile enough for you to post a comment with a suggestion for me.

Bump, Bump, Shake, Shake, Twist Photo Challenge - Day Three

Will the judges please reveal their scores for Julie Johnson and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy?

 Perfect TENS?!?!

"Oh wow. I'm really just dancing for the fans! My partner Maks is just so amazing and he has taught me so much. I just enjoy being on the stage. The scores just really don't matter." - Yeah, right!

Day Three of the Photo Challenge is a picture of your favorite show. Have I mentioned that I love to dance? Not out in public or anything. Just at home, listening to music, playing with my children or whatever.

So it makes sense that Dancing With The Stars is my favorite television show.
Maks is almost as handsome as my husband, CJ. Almost....