Whose gift is this anyway?

The girls wanted so much to do something special for me for my birthday so they pooled their money to buy me a gift. We're obviously still working on the "what's mine is yours" characteristic...

It was a great birthday - in the best city in the world, with the best friends and family in the world, eating the best cake in the world (well almost - it wasn't strawberry, but it was very good) :)
Thank you all for your sweet comments and well wishes. You have made my day very special.

Free to be me - Photo Challenge Day 13

Finally a day on the photo challenge that's a no-brainer. Day 13 is your favorite artist or band.
I highly recommend Francesca Battistelli! She's a Christian artist with a very unusual flavor.

I'm uploading two songs for your Saturday viewing pleasure - first one on deck is "Free to be Me" which is an upbeat tune. You gotta listen to the words; they're quite inspiring.

Then for a more calming effect, check out "Beautiful, Beautiful" which makes me cry almost every time.

Let me know what you think about my girl, Francesca, and tell me: who's your favorite artist or band?

Peace like a river - Photo Challenge Day 12

"Be still and know that I am God." -Psalm 46:10

I used to think I had cornered the market on crazy schedules. Between working (a lot) and keeping up with my two girls' schedules and all the traveling we do, I am always on the go. It's a self-imposed insanity, so I'm not complaining. But I had to recently pass the "Crazy Crown" over to a friend who I discovered is managing a madness much more than my own. She has three kids (girls, no less), plus foster kids, plus working, plus a husband who travels out of town, and when I saw her, she looked like she walked out of a fashion magazine. 

"How do you do it all?!?" I asked her when our paths happened to cross at Azteca, which is the restaurant that just happens to be both of our favorites. 

"I dunno," she said. "I just love what I do."

Amen, sister! Amen.

That's why today's photo challenge - a picture of something you love - for me, could only be one thing. 

I LOVE my quiet time in the mornings. Sitting out on my back patio, watching the sun rise with a steaming cup of coffee in my hands. It's the "still" moment before my spouse or children are up and at 'em. No cars can be heard on the streets in town. Now that it's getting warmer, the birds seem to have come alive, and they chirp happily in the trees. It's like all of nature is crying out, saying - Be still and know that I am God!

More than any physical position of stillness, God calls us to have a stillness in our hearts. Even more, a stillness in our soul.

He wants us to have peace, whether we're in deep seas or calm waters. It's a peace that only comes by having your little raft anchored to the cross.

As I sit out on my back patio each morning, the words to a favorite song often come to mind. These words remind me that no riot of a day will ever pull me under, as long as I have stillness in my soul.

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say:
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control,
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and hath shed his own blood for my soul.

And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
even so, it is well with my soul.

I'm no slacker! Photo Challenge Day 10-11

In case you were wondering, no, I’m not a slacker. I’m just having a hard time with some of the items on this 30 Day Photo Challenge. Yesterday should’ve been a picture of someone you do messed up things with. Well… if I did messed up things, I certainly wouldn’t be bragging about it here, and I definitely wouldn’t embarrass someone else by including their picture in that degradation.

And today’s challenge is supposed to be a picture of something you hate. Maybe I’m taking this too serious, but it’s my belief that you’re not supposed to have any hate in your heart. I can’t count how many times I’ve told my children, “Never say HATE!”

Hate is just a very strong word – it’s like one of those words that you can’t take back after you’ve said it. 

I’ve heard it said that in order to hate something, first you have to love it because it’s such an intense emotion.

Oh sure, there are things that I don’t really like – like certain foods or vegetables. 

I don’t like yard work – YIKES! I don’t really like doing anything that requires you to get dirty. (Unless it means having chocolate all over your hands.) 

But do I HATE those things?

Nah.

Tomorrow’s challenge, however, is a picture of something I love. 

Wow! That could be so many things. I LOVE lots of things; I don’t know how I’m going to choose just one.

So help me out! Tell me, what’s one thing that you love? Maybe even, what’s the one thing you love the most?

Comment below so I can steal your ideas! :)

Piece of cake - How to leave a comment

A couple folks have asked for help on how to comment.

Here’s my best Tutorial:

If you’re looking at the homepage, there will be a place under each story that says “5 Comments” or “0 Comments” – Click on that. That will open up the “Post a Comment” box.

Type your comment in the box. (I LOVE COMMENTS!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LEAVING A COMMENT!!) 

After you’ve posted your comment, you have to identify yourself using a couple options.

See the place that says: “Comment as” and there’s a drop down menu next to it. 

Again, several options…

If you do not have a Google account or any of the other things listed, then select “Name/URL” – then another window will pop up where you can enter your name. 

(Leave the URL line blank – unless you have a website you’d like to list.)

Then click “continue.”

Another option is to select “Anonymous” under the drop down menu. (Just be sure to include your name in your comment.)

That should be it!

Piece of pie?

I think I’d rather have a piece of cake. Strawberry cake!

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