The Theme Song of the Day is...

"The Heat"

2012-02-11T21:11:00.000-06:00

(by Needtobreathe)

The Heat (Album Version) by NEEDTOBREATHE on Grooveshark

I've had a busy {but super great} week! I'll try not to bore you with all the details, but here are a few highlights...

I met my friend Marcie for breakfast in Sugar Land & found a yarn store nearby. In case you missed the picture of the map that I posted on fb, this is how Google was wanting me to drive to the yarn store that was just under the overpass & in the first shopping strip to the right:

We had our first leaders' meeting for this year's local mission trip! {You may remember me talking about it last year} I'm so excited to be involved with it again, and I look forward to continued outreach in that community. I'm sure you'll be hearing more about this in the future...

Dad & I spent most of today with my baby brother at Alpha Day! {I mentioned doing a previous Alpha Day at the bottom of a post in the Fall} We sang again & enjoyed skits, poems, & songs from inmates & their family members. It was a great day, and I'm so glad that I got to be a part of it!

I was finished with Alpha Day just in time to attend my favorite little snuggly friend's FIRST birthday party! He really is so adorable, but I'm sad to think that someday soon I won't be able to refer to him as "snuggly"! ;)

OK, I'm incredibly exhausted & fear that I'm starting to not make much sense. So I'll wrap things up now...I've been listening to Needtobreathe a lot lately. I hope you're not getting tired of seeing their songs on here. {If so, just know that I think you're crazy!} Am I weird that I get all excited when I hear one of their songs on commercials & TV shows? Today's song tied with "Drive All Night", which I've already posted. Since I heard it on Pandora at Felicity's on Thursday & again at The Warehouse tonight, I declare it the winner. I don't have just one favorite part. I love the entire bridge & chorus. But if I had to pick just one line it'd be, "Push the life that brought you here away from you tonight."

I hope y'all are having a super great weekend! ♥

"Eleven"

2012-02-07T17:09:00.000-06:00

(by Have You Heard)

Eleven by Have You Heard on Grooveshark

Brooke tagged me in an “Eleven Things” meme that she was tagged in. I’m not sure that I can come up with 11 things that y’all don’t already know about me, but I’ll give it a try…

The Rules:

Post these rules
You must post 11 random things about yourself
Answer the questions set for you in their post
Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 Random Things about Me:

I wore corrective shoes when I was a baby. I had casts on my lower legs & feet at first. After that, I wore those awesome saddle shoes with a bar connecting them.
I absolutely cannot eat that strange little squishy piece of meat that is generally attached to the side of a chicken breast. {Gag!}
Not only do I constantly twirl my hair, but I’ve somewhat recently picked up the habit of tying it in a knot {with only one hand ~ sorta like how you tie a ballon. Ya. I blame Nicole.}
I have a hard time eating things like corn on the cob, sandwiches, & chicken on the bone, because I don’t use my front teeth to bite. I have no idea why, but I bite food on the side of my mouth instead. So if a finger food is too big to bite on the side (&/or I can't cut/pull it apart to eat it), it's difficult & somewhat uncomfortable for me to bite into.
I'm literally incapable of telling the kids that we have five minutes [until we need to do something like leave the house, get ready for bed, etc.] without singing Lorrie Morgan's song "Five Minutes".
I still use the word “cahoots” {& my family gives me a hard time about it}
I keep a random assortment of items in my van in case of an "emergency". These items include (but are not limited to): hair bands, dice, salsa, deodorant, Sugar In The Raw, a hair brush, mascara, a Bible, gum, & a deck of cards.
Sometimes I can’t handle the feeling of my toes touching each other (especially when I’m trying to go to sleep).
I have an incredibly hard time swallowing pills (even small geltabs). I'll count to ten, trying to psych myself into swallowing one. {Sometimes I have to do that twice.} Chris accidentally got me a huge bottle of Excedrin Migraine that is full of chalky tablets, & I only take them when there’s someone (other than Chris) around that can give me the Heimlich Maneuver. {Chris says he’s not comfortable with it, because he only knows the Heimleich in theory but has never been formally trained!}
I can’t function without lists. I have about 12,000 of them {OK, maybe just 12} with random bits of information all around the house, in the van, & in every pocket of my purse. I keep trying to keep just one list, but that doesn't usually last very long. I just write on whatever is handy when I need to write something down. I think it's a sickness.
I chew each bite of my food upwards of 37 times. This may be the reason for #9.

Questions I was tagged with:

Do you keep your nails painted? Yes! Not necessarily with a color, but I usually have a French or American manicure. It's my one splurge (other than coffee). Toes? Not during the winter, 'cuz I like to give them a little break. But when we have hot winter days, I'm always frustrated that they aren't painted.
Do you budget? Explain. Yes, but I’m not always the best at sticking with it & have to shuffle a few things around with each paycheck.
Which do you like better – Twitter, Facebook, or blogging? I like blogging for myself, but I like Facebook when it comes to keeping up with everyone else {b/c very few of my friends blog}
What’s the strangest dream you’ve ever had (and remembered of course)? I’m not talking goals, I’m talking about the crazy movies you see in your head when you sleep at night. Umm...how can I pick just one? I have bizarre dreams on a regular basis...The strangest ones usually involve Chris. Let's just say he's not "the man of my dreams". They're never good when he's in them! He's evil! {not in real life, ftr} The strangest one was when I walked in on him & a woman who had been stabbed. I couldn't tell whether he had stabbed her in self-defense or not, but I fled. I pulled the kids out of school & tried to figure out where we could go for safety. Because Chris would think to go to my brother's or dad's houses, I decided to go to Jana's parents! {When I told them about it, they told me I was always welcome to seek refuge at their house!} :)
Who was your childhood hero? My Mema A
Do you still look up to that person? Yes Why/not? She gave up a serene life of retirement and travelled far from home to care for her 6 & 7 year-old grandchildren for an unknown amount of time. I found out this summer that when my aunt took her to the airport, Mema A said that she didn't think she'd ever be back home. And she came anyway, because she loved us.
Do you have a song that describes your life? Just one?! This is so difficult for me! I wrote a post for Brooke awhile back where she asked me to write about my life song. I still love that one, but I'm feeling like "Chasing the Daylight" describes my life, too. So I'll go with that one for now...
If you had to choose 1 item of clothing to wear every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? My American Eagle 77 Straights {I'm assuming I could also wear a shirt? If not, I suppose I'd pick my Fossil dress!}
1 food item? I’d have to say a mocha, because I couldn’t do without coffee or chocolate, & mochas have milk for a little substance, right?
How do you feel about tooting (my grandmother fussed on me for writing “fart” on my Facebook wall) in front of your significant other? I don’t do it. I don’t judge people who do, but I don’t generally do that around anyone.
What’s in your coffee? Half-and-half & some type of flavored creamer (preferably Almond Joy)

My Questions for you:

What was your most embarrassing moment?
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be?
Do you regularly dust your blinds?
What do you like best about yourself?
Do you have a celebrity crush? If so, who?
What is your favorite Bible verse?
Do you lie about your weight on your driver's license?
What is your worst pet peeve?
Who is your favorite musician?
Do you return your grocery cart to the designated area?
What would your ideal day entail?

The People I’m Tagging:

Amanda
Becca
Becky
Cole
Hannah
Jennifer
Jess
Laura
Melissa
Natalie
RR Mama

"Thankful"

2012-02-06T15:03:00.000-06:00

(by Josh Groban)

Thankful by Josh Groban on Grooveshark

I know I've said something along these lines before, but I really am so glad to be doing this list. It helps me be more aware of the good things in my life & really puts things into perspective. Today I am thankful for...

Cody taking the trash out without being told
A half-birthday card that totally made my day!
A half-birthday lunch with Jana & Caleb :)
Elly's art teacher's letter of recommendation for advanced art next year
Elly's ELA teacher recognizing & encouraging her writing skills
Empanadas with Dan, Amanda, & Isaac
Peanut Butter & Chocolate dessert empanadas
Bloggy friends who "big puffy heart long comments" {'cuz I can be a little wordy!} :)
A baking afternoon with Amy
Discovering Biscoff
A 10-pack of Twix from my baby girl
Bible discussions with my friend Carrie
Hanging out with my neighbors in my van in front of their house {'cuz they're adorable & quirky ~ no wonder I love them so much!}
Laughter at Game Night with my friends at church
A video that make me feel slightly less quirky
A non-traumatic haircut {'cuz I'm a wimp & only had a few inches cut. I felt like it was more than usual, but my family didn't even notice...}
An afternoon to catch up with Laura
Rocking Isaac until he fell asleep in my arms
My windshield wiper not breaking until the rain had stopped
A beautiful service honoring the life of Brother Jerry
Reconnecting with some high school friends
Finding out some encouraging news from a classmate
Dad telling me that he's happy that I had Brother Jerry in my life ♥
Chris being asked to speak at an OM conference
Good food & conversation during Super Bowl parties

What are you thankful for today?

"He Walked on Water"

2012-02-04T17:45:00.000-06:00

(by Randy Travis)

He Walked On Water by Randy Travis on Grooveshark

In lieu of Scrobbled Saturday, I'd like to take today to honor the life of an amazing man of God who meant a great deal to me...This morning I went to a memorial service for a man whose example of Christ & unconditional love for me helped me become the woman I am today. Brother Jerry was my pastor when I was in high school, but he was so much more than a pastor. He was a father to me when I lived far away from my dad. He & his wife Tina welcomed me (& other ragamuffins kids) into their home on a daily basis. There door was always open, and we never had to knock. We had off-campus lunch & ate at their house every day. He even let me sit in his rocking chair, except for when it was time for him to watch the noon news (with his dessert: a spoonful of Cool Whip)! He let me drive his car a lot, and I was incredibly grateful when he let me use it for my driving test (because my car didn't go in reverse). He taught me to leave the keys in the ignition, though ~ so I totally blame him for my car getting stolen! {Not really. I mean, it really did get stolen, but I don't blame him for it!} He was rarely seen without his cowboy hat, & he actually gave me one of his old ones. I treasured that dirty old thing & wore it all the time! {He even mentioned it in the middle of officiating my wedding ceremony!}

His birthday was the day before mine, and I threatened him (all throughout high school) that one day I would call him at 11:59 pm on his birthday so he could be the first to wish me a happy birthday a minute later. Finally, the summer after I left for college, I actually followed through with the threat. I barely got out my birthday greeting when he drawled out the words, "Happy birthday, Amy." {ftr, he wasn't real amused, but he wasn't mad either ~ 'cuz he loved me!} Speaking of his drawl, it really was something else. He was born & raised in the Deep South; and his voice was deep & somewhat gruff, yet beautiful & soothing at the same time. He had this way of dragging out certain words, and I loved it! When I'd tell him a sob story, he'd respond in fake pity by saying, "Awwwww" in this way that I wish you could hear. And he incorporated that into my last name. {I don't typically disclose this type of information, but most of you are irl or fb friends with me anyways! And I suppose anyone else can find out personal information easily enough these days...} My maiden name is Alford, (not like the "al" in "Alfred", but like in "almost" & "always", though I'm not offended if you say it wrong), & he called me Amy Awwwwwwford. ;)

He was larger than life & seemingly invincible, which made it so much harder to see what stupid cancer did to this big, strong, cowboy-turned-preacher. The last time I saw him, I wouldn't have recognized him if it weren't for that voice that I loved. Brother Jerry will always have a special place in my heart. I have so many fun & beautiful memories of him & Tina. Though I know he wasn't perfect, he was an example of the love of God & what it meant to walk out your faith. I didn't actually think that he walked on water, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that "his hat seemed to me like an old halo." ♥

"Streets of Gold"

2012-02-01T17:16:00.000-06:00

(by Needtobreathe)

Streets Of Gold by Need To Breathe on Grooveshark

I thought I'd share a ~~little~~ bit about the trip I just took with my dad. We decided that the theme of this trip should be, "I should've taken a picture of that!" But we also had a bit of a "gold" theme, so I went with this amazing NTB song {surprise, surprise!} It all began with a skein of yarn in a shade called "Sungold", and it continued with what my dad referred to as "gold dust" all over his car. {It was actually little fibers from my yarn. I'm not sure if all yarn sheds fibers like that, or if we just happened to notice because of the sunlight streaming in. I don't know, but I'm rambling, aren't I?...} I'm sorta getting ahead of myself, but I'll go on & show you the little project I completed on the trip. You probably don't really care, but I think my "Streets of Gold" cowl turned out pretty cute:

Yes, I realize the name isn't very creative & a little similar to the last one. But I figured "A place where love can't die" was a little much (though that's my favorite part of the song). There are other songs that could've worked for the knitting project AND the trip; but quite early in our journey, this song came on the radio. I think it was a sign...

I've heard it on their second album, but never on the radio. There were other bits of the trip that contributed to the gold theme, but I'm already dragging this out way longer than I intended. What's new, huh?

I can't really tell you about the trip without sharing a bit of the added craziness that is my life...We found out on Thursday evening that Christopher's grandma (GMC) was going to be taken off all life-sustaining equipment on Friday morning. He decided to drive up to Dallas that night so he could say goodbye in the morning. He thought he might stick around until Saturday, so I called my friend Angels to see if Elly could spend the night there (with her friend Abby). Cody already had plans to spend the night with Alex, and Kristi was willing to let Pepper out on Saturday morning. Things didn't quite go as we thought. In God's great mercy, He didn't allow GMC to suffer very long. She passed away Friday afternoon, and they scheduled the funeral for Monday morning. Chris could have come home to care for the kids & driven back on Sunday night, but that seemed like more driving than necessary {though, crazy little fact: I could've driven to Dallas, back home, then back to Dallas in the time it took Dad & me to get to NM on Friday ~ crazy, huh?!} Anyways, because I have awesome friends, Angels had already offerred to keep my girl for the entire weekend, Amy was planning on having Cody the entire weekend anyways, & Kristi had already said she'd be around all weekend. So, I just had to make a few phone calls to make sure they were all game for that actually being the plan, & we were good to go. Sigh. Chris ended up getting to spend some quality time with his dad, step-mom, & baby brother {OK, he's 13, so he's technically not a baby. But if I can still call Aaron my baby brother, then Alejandro can certainly be called that, too!}

Anyways, Dad & I had a fairly non-eventful trip up. We left as the sun was rising & stopped for lunch in Sonora, a little town where my car died after it had been stolen when I was in high school. Though I'm pretty sure I've never been to that town, I still had some interesting memories of it! ;) We drove through plains, desert, mountains, & basins...

And we finally arrived as the sun was setting.

{We still had about 100 miles at this point...}

We had a great time visiting with our family at the rehearsal (& dinner afterward). We got to watch a slideshow of Brandy & Russell, and it was so cute. But it was so strange to see a bunch of pictures of a little girl who looked exactly like me as a little girl! I knew that Brandy & I resembled each other somewhat {Cody referred to her as my twin after he met her this summer!} but I really hadn't realized just how much we looked alike as toddlers. We didn't really know each other while we were growing up. She's actually my cousin's daughter, and I didn't really know my cousin very well. I'm on the tail-end of my generation of our family, and most of my cousins are around 15 years older than me. In fact, they started having kids when I was two, so I actually grew up more with that generation {first cousins, once removed? idk...} And the ones I saw the most were my Aunt Linda's grandkids, while Brandy is my Uncle Robbie's granddaughter. This may be more than you care to know, but I'll continue anyways! ;) It has really just been in the past few years (with my cousin Kim playing softball nearby, Nikki graduating, & Christin getting married) that I have really gotten to know this part of my family. I remember meeting Brandy & her sister Amanda when I was around 8, and I remember that she resembled me when I was her age (around 2). But seriously, it's crazy how much we looked alike. Dad & I couldn't get over it! If you had told me that it was me in those pictures, I totally would've believed you! I'll have to find some pics to post some time. It's not as obvious in this picture of us now, but I think you can tell we're related:

Anyways, we stayed at the hotel where the rest of the family stayed, so we got to catch up with everyone there. We also got to meet Russell's family. Some of them had driven in from California ~ as far as 20 hours away! I thought Dad & I drove a long way! The wedding was nice! It was real laid back, which I think is super. I sat with my cousin Ginger (Brandy's mom) at the reception, and I enjoyed getting to know her & her husband a little better. As I've mentioned before, my camera isn't so great. So I didn't take very many pictures. I did get this one of the bride & groom:

& another one with me, too, where you can see a little more of my $13 dress! :)

There's really no point going into any details of our long drive home, but I'll close with this bit of randomness:

A fake little town?! There's actually a real gas station & convenience store in the midst of the pretend buildings...

Hmm...?

Alrighty, I've rambled on enough for today, but I'm going to post this as is. If you're still reading at this point, you really are a true friend!

"I'm Grateful"

2012-01-30T12:09:00.000-06:00

(by Yolanda Adams)

I'm Grateful by Yolanda Adams on Grooveshark

This past week has been very long & tough at times, yet it has been so good at the same time. I'll share more about some it later, but for now I am grateful for...

Being referred to as "our Amy" by my adorable little neighbor
The chance to hang out with the sweetest, snuggliest baby boy
My uncle's wise words of advice
Additional words of wisdom from my pastor
Super supportive {& praying!} friends
Romans 8:28
A conversation leading to restoration
Cupcakes made by my baby girl
The godly legacy that my high school pastor leaves behind
The chance for Chris to say goodbye to his grandma before she passed away
The opportunity for him to spend several days with his friends & family in Dallas
Another safe trip far, far away with my dad!
80 mph roads
Knitting on the trip without getting carsick {on the interstate, at least}
My cousin Brandy finding a great guy to spend her life with
Another opportunity for me to visit with family that I don't get to see very often
Seat warmers in Dad's car when it's 23° outside
My friend "Angels" {ü} & her willingness to take care of my baby girl when Chris (unexpectedly) had to go out of town for the entire weekend (after I had already left on my trip)
Cody already having plans to stay with Alex for the weekend
My wonderful neighbor Kristi taking care of my crazy puppy while we were all gone
Staying up {way too late} with my baby girl when I got home {I love that she wanted to tell me every detail about her weekend, & it was totally worth a little less sleep!}
My own pillow!
My church body meeting each others' needs {though I wasn't there to witness it, I heard about it from several people ~ & it makes my heart happy!}
The time to prepare my Bible study lesson during a somewhat crazy week
Lunch with my baby girl {I let her stay home today, because she wasn't feeling well when she woke up. She went back to bed until 11:45...I'm thinking she was tired ~ see #696!}

What's on your list today?

"Dance Me Around the Room"

2012-01-27T05:57:00.000-06:00

(by Trent Wagler and The Steel Wheels)

I am about to head out on a 12 hour drive to New Mexico with my dad today! This will be the 4th trip of this sort since May, so I'd say his new Camaro is quite broken in now! We're going up there for another cousin's wedding tomorrow, & we'll drive the 12 hours back on Sunday. That's a lot of time in the car, huh?! {I'm going to try knitting today & hope to not get carsick. That could be a big mistake...We'll see how it goes!} Times like this are when I wish we lived closer to our family, but the drive is totally worth it!

Anyways, today's song is for a young woman named Sarah. I've never met her in person, but we have been united by our fight against Ocular Melanoma. I thought I'd share the following video about her upcoming play. It's a cancer play that's different from any other cancer play.

If you (or someone you know) would be interested in supporting this play, check out Sarah & the Dinosaur's Kickstarter page.

I probably won't be around for the next few days. I hope you have a super great weekend! <3

p.s. If you haven't given me your opinion on my last post, I'd really appreciate you taking a look & getting back to me! And if you weren't sure what I was showing you in the picture, I've added a little clarification! :)

"Hey Jessie"

2012-01-24T13:36:00.000-06:00

(Jesse Theme Song by Debby Ryan)

Jessie Theme Song by Debby Ryan on Grooveshark

OK, friends, I need a little advice...

At the risk of sounding terribly shallow, I'm having a huge internal debate about cutting my hair. I know, it's just hair. It'll grow back. I shouldn't make such a big deal about it. I know all that, but a haircut is not a decision that I take lightly. It all goes back to the summer of 1980...

I was five years old, and my mom let me get a terrible haircut. The way I remember it, I said that I wanted my hair to look like Kerry's. I have no idea why I wanted it like my brother's. I was probably sick of tangles. I don't know, but I can't believe she allowed it. She loved it & called it a "cute little pixie cut".

Oh, y'all, it was awful.

Awful, I tell ya.

There have only been three times since then that I've had more than a trim. No lie. And two out of the three times, it was still at least shoulder-length. I had a bob in middle school, and it was just below my chin back then. So other than occasionally growing out my bangs & cutting them again, I haven't done anything drastic for over 30 years.

Have I mentioned that I don't like change? That's part of the reason for my lack of cutting. I also don't really know how to fix hair, so I stick with a style for a long time. {Every other time that I go in for a trim, I ask Jessie ~my hairdresser, & the reason for the song today~ to please tell me when my hair is way out of style...} Another reason for the lack of haircuts is the fact that I tend to not like trends until they're on their way out, hair trends included {like The Rachel that everybody had except for me!} But my main reason for not cutting it is because of that awful haircut when I was five. I don't have a problem with short hair on other people. It's just on me that's the problem.

So my situation now is that because of my little B12 issue a year or so ago, I lost a lot of hair. I now have a massive amount of new growth that is getting to be a pain. It causes problems when I'm trying to blow dry it, & it sticks out in little fried looking fringes (especially on humid days, which is just about every day around these parts). The ends are thin & scraggly, because there's only about 1/2 the thickness I normally have.

I usually have it trimmed every few months, but it'll probably take another year for it to reach the length of my current longest layer. I plan on making an appointment with Jessie in the next couple of weeks, & I'm trying to figure out what to have her do to it. I don't know if I should get it cut to the length of the new growth, just do what I've been doing (trim it & slowly grow it out), or meet somewhere in the middle. This is where you come in! I need your help!! I can't believe I'm going to do this, but I'm going to swallow my pride & show y'all...So you have an idea of what I'm talking about, I had my baby girl take a couple of pictures:
[to clarify: the picture on the left is the new growth, compared to the length of the rest of my hair on the right]
{She wanted me to tell y'all that I actually smiled for these. Ya. I'm lame!}

OK, what do you think? I really need your input on this one. Please, please, please give me your suggestions! & if you're one of my IRL friends who reads my blog but never/rarely comments, please do so this time.
Or email me.
Text me.
Call me.
Drag me to the hair salon.

I'll stop begging now. You know what to do... ♥

"Soak it Up"

2012-01-23T13:09:00.001-06:00

(by Warren Barfield)

Soak It Up by Warren Barfield on Grooveshark

Isn't this song super?! If you didn't listen to it, you totally should! It really sums up what "One Thousand Gifts" is all about. There is so much goodness in this song, but I especially love the encouragement to enjoy all our days before all our days end. Today I am thankful for...

Clear scans!
My new Bible! {how in the world did I forget to put it on last weeks' list?!}
The completion of my first scarf
Homemade tamales
The opportunity to assist in making homemade tamales
A new semester of mid week studies at church
Knitting tutorials on youtube
Crock pots
A book series that I get to borrow from Julie
Peanut butter & chocolate {together} ♥
Costco
Emails from strangers that make me chuckle
The opportunity to help a neighbor that I don't know very well
Said neighbor's son telling me that I'm a nice mom :)
Marcie {who had a birthday on Friday!}
My sis-in-law Wendy {who also had a birthday on Friday!}
A chance for Laura to come over & drink coffee with me
Texts that say, "Hide it under a bushel? NO!" {yes, you are funny, Marcie!}
A crop night at Magi's
A lazy Saturday
My kids hanging out together {even when their friends are over}
Praying with my Moms In Touch ladies again
Creepy old neighbor guy not seeing me at the store
Finding a $13 dress for my cousin's wedding this weekend
Teenage girls encouraging each other with scripture {Seriously, these girls are amazing! I ♥ them so much! As a couple of girls shared some struggles in small group last night, other girls were looking up scripture that applied to their situations. I love that!}

What are you soaking up in your life today?

"Heaven"

2012-01-21T16:10:00.000-06:00

(by Daniel Bashta)

Heaven by Daniel Bashta on Grooveshark

I don't really have much to say today {Shocked?! I'm sure!} I've already mentioned most of the blogworthy stuff earlier in the week. Other than that, I'm super glad that our mid week studies have started up again at church! I have a bit more preparation to do for the Bible study lessons this semester, but I'm hoping to stay a week ahead so I have plenty of time to prepare well. This is my first time to lead a study without a guide, which makes me a little nervous. I'm back with the students on Wednesday nights, so I'm excited to have more time to connect with the girls. ヅ

So the funniest thing happened the other day. At least I think it's funny. I hope you'll get a chuckle out of it, too! I got an email from someone who stumbled across my blog & wondered if I was a childhood friend of his. {Hi, Steve! I hope you don't mind me sharing this!!} He discovered the post where I lamented about Phil Garner not being picked for the Astros manager position. His email made me laugh because he said, "Not sure what’s weirder, the fact that I was searching for foam fingers, or the fact that I'm contacting you..." Searching for foam fingers?! That totally made me laugh out loud. Several times. {Thank you for that, Steve. I'm sorry I'm not the friend you were looking for!} For the record, I'm totally not making fun of him. I could definitely see myself searching for the same type of randomness!

As for the song today, I have a little confession to make. The one that I actually listened to the most is a different Daniel Bashta song that I've already posted. I'm not even sure why I listened to it the most, and I like today's song better. So I decided to post it for you instead. My favorite line is:

I finally found a life worth living for
It's not mine...it's Yours
♥

"Seize the Day"

2012-01-20T10:17:00.000-06:00

(by Carolyn Arends)

Seize The Day (live) by Carolyn Arends on Grooveshark

Yes, I know I posted something less than 24 hours ago that most of you haven't even seen. I just thought I'd put my two cents in about a little something that has caused a bit of an uproar on the internet. I've seen a lot of heated debate over the article "Don't Carpe Diem", & I practically wrote a blog post on Mel's post on fb {sorry, Mel!} I decided that I would go ahead & write a blog post in case anyone cares to read more of what I have to say on the subject. Here's what I said there, with a little more detail...

I think people are missing the point. They're parking on one side of it & not understanding each other's side. As someone who has made similar statements to young moms, I totally agree that time goes by way too fast! But in my defense (& I'm sure I'm speaking for most older moms who have made those statements), they have certainly never intended to offend, shame, or make a mom feel inadequate. I am so glad that young moms are able to be honest about their feelings these days, because I remember feeling quite alone when I had similar feelings myself. I thought I was the only one who felt that way. And there were moments when I thought that there must be something wrong with me, because other moms made it all look so glorious. And it was stinking hard!

On the other side of that phase of life now, when I've made a "carpe diem"-type statement, it really has been a heartfelt attempt at trying to give some perspective to a young mom. A "this too shall pass"-type of thing. It isn't possible to enjoy every single moment ~ especially the puke, sleepless nights, & "8 gallons of urine" {thank you, Sara!} And seriously, you'd be a little insane to actually enjoy that!

I think people see all the negative stuff that Melton writes at the beginning of the article & don't finish reading. Or they get so heated up over the first part that they fail to see the point at the end. It's about enjoying their sweet breath on your neck as they fall asleep in your arms, smelling their heads after a bath, the cute things they say...It's about noticing & savoring those moments, because they are more than worth all the other crap {literally & figuratively} that is so hard about that stage of life.

I certainly don't know everything, and I still have a few years left with my kids at home. I'm not real sure how I'd feel if an older parent told me to carpe diem in the middle of an unenjoyable teenager/parent situation. I can only speak to what I know from my own experience & the experience of other moms who are past that phase.

Regarding the preschool years: I promise, as hard as they may be, you really will look back & wish for just one more day at the train park.

Or one more tea party with a girl dressed up as a princess.

"House of God, Forever"

2012-01-19T18:16:00.000-06:00

(by Jon Foreman)

The House Of God, Forever by Jon Foreman on Grooveshark

There are several reasons to celebrate today!!

The first & most important reason is that Christopher's scans were clear! It may not make sense that I waited until now to tell y'all, but I had a few reasons: 1) most (if not all) of you are facebook &/or IRL friends ~ so I figured you might already know. 2) I wanted to wait until we got the full report from Dr L. He reviewed the scans with us at the appointment the afternoon of the scans, but he hadn't received the radiologist report yet. Christopher called the next day & learned that the report was negative for mets, so we're good for 6 months! & 3) I needed one more post in order to reach a particular milestone...

This is my 500th post!

And the last reason for celebration today {& the reason for today's song}: I completed my first scarf!! I actually finished it on Monday, but again with the whole celebration situation. :) I showed you a picture on Saturday, but I ended up starting all over because I decided that I'd enjoy it more (therefore wear it more) if it weren't so wide. Anyways, I know y'all may not be as excited about the scarf as I am, but please bear with me just a few more moments while I explain why it's the reason for today's song. I don't know if all knitters name their projects, or if Melissa is the only one. But I love the idea! And because I'm a weirdo, my names have to be related to a song. My first scarf is "Fields of Green" from my favorite part of today's song:

He makes me rest
In fields of green
With quiet streams

I am now working on a scarf for my baby girl. She picked out the yarn on Monday, & I'm loving how it looks so much that I've already asked her if I can borrow it some time! I'll wait to tell you the name, but I will tell you that it's from an FM Static song. That narrows it down a bit! :) Maybe one day I'll move beyond scarves, but I figure maybe I'll learn one new stitch at a time & practice a bit before trying something else. We'll see...

"Living Room"

2012-01-18T11:27:00.000-06:00

(by Mark Harris)

Living Room by Mark Harris on Grooveshark

I finally have a chance to tell y'all about my new living room furniture! We have needed to replace it for several years now, but other things have always taken priority. Our poor sofa only had one side of one cushion that wasn't terribly worn. I should've taken a picture before we got rid of everything, but I found this one from right after we moved in (hence the box & stuff behind the love seat & such):

We started replacing everything just before Thanksgiving, but the Christmas decorations were up by the time we got it all. I'm just now getting around to finishing the room & taking pictures! Though it isn't completely finished {ahem...fireplace niche}, this will do for now! {Oh, & please ignore Davy Crockett, the card on top of the entertainment center, Pepper, & whatever other random objects I failed to get out of sight before taking pics!} Without further ado, this is the room where I'd love to have you join me for a cup of coffee...

Our first purchase was the sofa & love seat. Though I had planned to buy new, I found out that our friends Bob & Beth {you may remember them from the post where we paid off our debt} were selling their like-new leather sofa & love seat. I wasn't really wanting leather, but Chris was. I couldn't remember what their furniture looked like, so I sent Chris by their house after work one day. He liked them (& the price was right), so he said we'd take them. For anyone who knows me, you must be shocked right now. I know I still am! I guess it's just evidence of God working in me to not feel the need to be in control of every little thing!

Then came the entertainment center...We knew of one that we could get from our friend's mom (who is an interior designer & has access to furniture at wholesale prices). I decided to look around before making the commitment, & I fell in love with a different unit. Without even trying to bargain, the salesman offered another 20% off the price on the tag. It was still a couple hundred dollars more than the unit I could get from Naomi's mom, though. And I felt like Chris should see it & decide with me. We drove over there that night after Chris got off work, but most of the lights were off in the store. We decided to try the door just in case. As we were walking towards it, we saw my salesman walking toward us. He looked surprised to see me & disappointedly said, "We're closed!" He explained that they decided to close early since no customers were in the store, and it was the day before Thanksgiving. Then he said that they were having a Black Friday sale & pulled a flyer out of his pocket saying, "I knew that the Lord had me grab this flyer for a reason." Turns out, they were going to have 36% off everything if we got there by 8:00 on Friday. We had hoped to get him to give us the unit for 30% off the sales price, but we didn't even have to bargain with him for the 36%! It ended up costing less than the unit we were originally going to get, and it was nice going in that Friday morning knowing exactly how much we were going to pay & without having to negotiate!

Chris found the TV. It didn't really matter to me what we got, as long as it was bigger than our 14-year-old 27" box TV. My main goal was for him to be able to read the guide & subtitles. By the end of the day, the poor guy's good eye is so tired from straining to see all day, so he was unable to read anything on the old TV. He would occasionally push the guide button, forgetting that it was useless. And if we were watching something with subtitles, I had to narrate for him. Fortunately, we aren't into foreign film. We do occasionally watch a show where someone briefly speaks in another language, or there's a time & place or something. And game scores were impossible to read as well, though that wasn't really a concern for him. I, on the other hand, could barely read the scores, and my vision is perfect! Anyways, I wish I could tell you some details about the TV, but all I know is it's a 51" & had good reviews on several websites. There seemed to be a big price jump once you got bigger than a 51", so we thought it would suffice.

I saved the best for last: my super cute chair...We had looked at furniture a few days before we bought the sofa & love seat, and we found a glider that had a colorful pattern on it. We liked the idea of a patterned chair, because it would go with a lot of different solid-colored couches. So we decided that I should find the chair I wanted first & go from there. I know that may seem a little backwards, but y'all know how I feel about rocking chairs! {Do you remember my old chair & the tragedy of '09?} A rocker or glider really was the only thing I just had to have in a new living room set. I really didn't care too much about the rest, though obviously I wanted it to look nice. On the day that Chris was set to go look at Bob & Beth's furniture, I stopped by another furniture store to look around. I ended up finding the perfect little swivel rocker that makes me happy! =) Then we got a coupon in the mail, so we went back & bought another one ('cuz everyone kept stealing my chair)!

As for the rest of the room...

Thanks to Pinterest, I found a tutorial for the cornice board (that Chris & Brian helped me make), & the curtains came from IKEA (for super cheap).

I accessorized with stuff I already had & a couple of 1/2 price items from Hobby Lobby. {I'm sure I'll continue to move things around & look for other inexpensive items to replace things I'm not in love with.} My dad technically owns the piano that was Mema A's, but he let us use it years ago & is fine with us hanging on to it. {& I love how nicely it fits under the staircase! I should also point out that the piece of artwork I mentioned awhile back from Studio JRU matches the chairs quite well!} The coffee table & end table came from a little furniture store with the nicest saleslady in the world. {Random side note: she asked about Christopher's eye, and it turns out her husband's niece had OM. She asked if he'd mind if she put him on her prayer list at church. That's sweet, huh?!} For the record, I'm aware that the houndstooth/plaid throw doesn't exactly match, but we already had it & love how soft it is. {Plus, I haven't learned to knit well enough to make an afghan yet, & Pepper likes it!}

That about wraps it up...

I do have to add that from the beginning of the process, we felt God's guidance. I know that may sound silly, but it's true! We have entrusted our finances to Him, and we ask for His guidance when it comes to what we spend our money on. Furniture can be a substantial sum of money, and we wanted to use it wisely. We ended up getting a sofa, love seat, 2 super cute chairs, entertainment center, coffee table, end table and TV for barely more the list price of the entertainment center alone. Even with the extra chair, we came in nearly $500 under budget! And yes, Dave Ramsey, we paid cash! ;)

"Inside Out"

2012-01-16T12:32:00.000-06:00

(by ZOEgirl)

Inside Out (Different Kind Of Free Album Version) by ZOEgirl on Grooveshark

I'm sitting here in the Med Center waiting for Mister Christopher to be finished with his scans. I love technological advances that have made it possible for me to blog here just as easily as I can at home! I have books, magazines, & knitting as a distraction, but I can also facebook- & blog-stalk to my heart's content! ;) Anyways, because of my sweet boy's birthday last week, some of the items on today's list are a couple of weeks old. But again, y'all probably don't care when the instances occurred, especially if I'm still grateful that they occurred, right?! Alrighty then, today I am {still} quite grateful for the following...

Friends who give advice about seasonal dry skin :)
Avocados
Lunch with Nicole
Amy's E-stim machine to help with the worst back pain ever
Teenage girls who watch My Little Pony on a Saturday morning :)
God's protection over my babies during a tornado warning
Skype dates with Sally & Sarah in England
Lunch with my sweet boy on his birthday
A new hobby {I'm almost done with my first scarf!!}
Bloggy friends who are willing to help with said new hobby
Surgeons who take good care of my mister
Jana {& her cute baby boy} helping me pass the time in the waiting room during Christopher's surgery
Cody's constant humming :)
A new semester of Bible study with my baby brother
A new semester of MOPS
Food & games with my girl Misty & her fiancé Rob :)
All of the time I get to spend with my baby brother
A chance to sing with my dad
Visiting with a 73-year-old lady who still has a desire to learn & grow from unexpected life circumstances
Running errands with my baby girl
Starbucks gift cards on days when I'm out of caffeinated coffee at home
Continued peace while awaiting scans
A warm place to sit in the sun when I forgot my sweater
Comfy chairs in outpatient waiting rooms
Technology

What are you grateful for today?

"The Prayer"

2012-01-14T14:31:00.001-06:00

(by Céline Dion, feat. Andrea Bocelli)

The Prayer (Feat. Andrea Bocelli) by Céline Dion on Grooveshark

This week has gone by so s-l-o-w-l-y...That's normally a good thing, because I like to enjoy life & not let it pass by too quickly. But blah blah blah. We're almost there, though...

To help pass the time at appointments & such this week, I took up a new hobby! I am now officially a knitter. OK, well I wouldn't quite call myself a knitter yet, but I'm learning. I'm working on a scarf, and I've started over twice. Don't look too closely, but here's what I've accomplished so far:

Bible study has started up with my baby brother, so it was nice to see the guys in his small group again. It was so neat to see the passion in one guy as he talked about God calling him to minister to the guys he used to be in gangs with. He is spending a lot of time in the Word while he's locked up, & he asks some really deep questions as a result of that time. It's pretty cool! A funny thing happened when I was signing in...I wrote my maiden name. What?! I don't know if it's because of the facilitator (who refers to me as "Little [maiden name]") or what. You'd think after 15 years of not going by it that I wouldn't accidentally write it, huh? Can I use Christopher's excuse & blame it on the radiation?! I don't know if I've told you how protective Aaron is of me when I'm there, but it's so cute! He may be twice my size, but he's still my baby brother. So to see him be all "big brotherly" makes me smile! :)

The Spring semester of MOPS started again yesterday! I enjoyed catching up with the ladies at my table. We also had a new member at our table yesterday, & she happens to be a neighbor of mine! {& crazy thing, Amanda: she used to be YOUR neighbor!}

My girl Misty {who just so happens to get phone calls from outer space!*} came over last night with her fiancé! Rob got The Settlers of Catan for Christmas. I've been hearing a lot about the game, but this was my first time to play it. I don't quite understand it, but I somehow won. 'Cuz I'm awesome like that. {*As for the whole "phone calls from space" thing, I'm 100% for real. She's a flight controller for NASA, & one of the astronauts actually called her cell phone from the ISS one night. If that's not super cool, I don't know what is!}

I'm singing today's song with my dad tomorrow (in English & a lower key, ftr), which is why I've listened to it the most. I didn't really know it before, though I've heard it a few times through the years. Wish me luck... ;)

Okey doke, I'm off to see Aaron! I hope y'all have a super great weekend!! ♥

"Can't See for Lookin'"

2012-01-12T12:38:00.000-06:00

(by Red Garland)

I Can't See for Lookin' by Red Garland on Grooveshark

I thought I'd give y'all a little update on Mister Christopher's cataract surgery. It really wasn't a big deal, but we appreciate everyone's concern & prayers! I hadn't really mentioned it to very many people, because it was so minor compared to any of his other surgeries!

Anyways, the surgery was quick & relatively pain-free. We got there a little before noon & were home before Cody got home from school. {Jana & Caleb kept me company while I waited, which was quite nice!} Chris is now the owner of a lens implant, complete with ID card & everything. Seriously, we have an official card with the model number & everything. Do all types of implants come with an ID card & model number? It's wallet-sized, though I don't suppose he'll actually carry it around with him. I really don't know why we need it, but I'll file it with his incredibly thick stack of medical papers.

One of the eye drops he has to use for a week causes some pain, but other than that he's good! He can't see any better, as expected. In fact, he didn't even realize that the shield he had to wear over his eye was actually clear until he looked in the mirror last night. [Update: his peripheral vision had actually improved a little by this afternoon, but the following couple of paragraphs still apply...] It kinda sucks that he had to have surgery that won't help him on a daily basis, but I suppose if it helps the doctors then it's worth it. Or maybe not...

I don't remember if I've ever mentioned to y'all that he is actually considering enucleation (removing his eye). At this point, he is seeing two doctors every two months. He has had laser treatments, steroid injections, vitrectomy surgery & now cataract surgery, in addition to the original plaque surgery to sterilize the tumor. All to save an eye that he can't even see out of. Had we known all of the facts in the beginning, we quite possibly would've gone with enucleation in the first place. We didn't know that 85% of OM patients treated with radiation eventually lose their sight. There is also some inaccurate information out there stating that there's a higher chance of metastasis with enucleation (which we now know has not proven to be true). Anyways, we have spent a lot of time & money on doctor visits & different treatments for an eye that is essentially useless.

He wanted to give the cataract surgery a shot, because there was a possibility of some improvement to his peripheral vision. He didn't want to have any regrets about not trying everything that he could. We have no idea if insurance would cover enucleation at this point, but he plans on talking to his ocular oncologist about it at his next visit.

On a much heavier note, I ask for you to join me in praying for my first OM friend Sara. I am so very sad to say that her husband Gregg lost his 5-year battle with Ocular Melanoma on Tuesday. My heart is broken for her. He was only 40 years old, and today would've been their 4th anniversary. They have been a huge part of the OM community and a vast source of information & encouragement to me personally. I appreciate your prayers, and I'm sure that she (& their family) would, too.

♥

"Find Your Wings"

2012-01-10T16:33:00.000-06:00

(by Mark Harris)

My sweet boy is eleven years old today! Cody is such a joy to me, and I am so grateful that I get to be his mom! Today's list has just a few of the things I love about him. I am thankful that Cody...

Loves his mom! ♥
Is honest
Wishes happiness was contagious
Cares for others
Is a leader
Is sweet to little kids
Makes good friend choices
Isn't too proud to serve others
Likes to make people laugh
Is kind
Is compassionate
Thinks of a solution for everything
Is responsible
Watches The Science Channel
Is a great student
Still likes to snuggle with his mom
Is confident
Says the sweetest things
Isn't afraid to try new things {finally!}
Is gentle
Creates brain games that he sends via email
Tries out his comedy bits on us :)
Is nice to his sister ♥
Loves God
Desires to minister to others

Is there someone who brings joy to your heart? If so, please tell me about them! :)

"Baby Got Book"

2012-01-09T18:02:00.000-06:00

(by Dan "Southpaw" Smith)

I know this song is cheesy, but it makes me laugh! I hope it doesn't offend anyone! ;) Anyways, moving on to the real reason for the post...

If you're fb friends with my mister, you may have seen him make fun of me with a post that went something like this, "‎Amy just asked me a deep theological question: 'Is it wrong to covet a Bible?'"

You see, I have been wanting a New Inductive Study Bible since the Precepts workshop I went to last Fall. The problem was the fact that I had just received a new Bible for my birthday. I had asked for one (shortly after a friend referred to my super cute pink & brown one as a "little girl" Bible) & am very happy with my ESV. {& it has the same insides as Laurien's, so that makes me happy! I will never forget the look on her face that day at church when we turned our pages at exactly the same time, looked at each other, looked down at our Bibles, leaned over to compare words on both pages, & then looked at the page numbers!} But I haven't had a new study Bible since college. And the NISB is NASB, so it's a different version than my birthday Bible. Though I totally know I can use different versions by going to websites like YouVersion, Blue Letter Bible, etc., I like to write in mine.

Gosh, I sound like an addict trying to justify my need for more...

Anyways, I ended up using a gift card from Christmas to order one, & I got it today!!!!!!

& I've already started marking it up {going through some of the key words in the Bible study that starts next week!}

Isn't it super?!

"This Is Just So Beautiful" {again}

2012-01-07T13:02:00.000-06:00

(by Jenny & Tyler)

This Is Just So Beautiful by Jenny & Tyler on Grooveshark

I hope y'all have had a wonderful first week of the year! Mine was pretty low-key, and I liked it! Other than the rescheduled scans & some lower back pain, my week has been good! I had lunch with my new friend Nicole yesterday, who coincidentally is the person who took the picture I mentioned way back before Christmas. One that possibly involved me, tighty-whiteys, & tramp stamps...

Hee hee hee! Here's the entire picture...

They made me pretend like it was a booty crack! ;)

& this is Clyde (Nicole's husband) wearing his super great gift:

Have you heard of Handerpants? They are amazing! ;) There are hundreds of uses for them, some of which are...sanitary handshakes, texting, cruising, the elderly, and night blogging...? You should go to their website just so you can see the pictures! :D

So I had the weirdest thing happen the other day...I sent a text to my friend Sloan, and as the text was sending I noticed that her name disappeared at the top of the screen & was replaced with her mother's name. What?! She said that it was her mom's number like five years ago. But I didn't have her mom's number stored in my phone until a few months ago, and I never had it stored as that number. Weird, huh?! Has that ever happened to anyone else before?

We celebrated my sweet boy's birthday with his friend Alex last night! It was sort of an impromptu celebration. With his birthday being so close to Christmas, I usually don't plan anything until closer to the end of the month. But Alex was already planning on spending the night, so Cody asked if we could just go ahead and celebrate a few days early. I made him an ice cream cake, & the boys watched a movie. Nothing too exciting, but it's how Cody wanted to celebrate. I'm not even a week into the year & have already disqualified myself from Mother of the Year award. {Now the pressure's off!} Because of my back ache & the fact that I only had like one day to prepare, I didn't get to pick up any birthday cups, plates, etc. And I couldn't even bend down to look in the cabinet where I store the candles & such. I could've sworn I had two #1 candles, but I could only find one. So we used candles that added up to 11. 'Cuz we're industrious like that! :)

As for today's song...Yes, I realize that I just posted it the other day. But I love it & have been listening to it a lot this week. And in case you didn't listen to it then, I thought maybe you'd like to listen to it now! :) I already mentioned a couple of my favorite parts of this song the other day, but I also love the reminder to "close my eyes, breathe in deep." I need that reminder on a regular basis...on a beautiful day & and on a frustrating day. I think my absolute favorite part of the song is:

I felt forgiveness in the deep recesses of my soul
I was so empty, now I'm full
I'm whole
Alrighty, we have one final bit of Christmas celebrating today! We haven't seen my mom & step-dad yet, so we're getting together with them & my brother's family this afternoon! Then maybe I'll get around to taking my Christmas stuff down! I think this is the latest I've ever left it up!!

I hope you're having a super great weekend! ♥

"Inside of Me"

2012-01-05T11:59:00.000-06:00

(by Jason Morant)

Inside Of Me by Jason Morant on Grooveshark

Oh, sweet RR Mama, how I wish I was remaining as positive as you think! In all honesty though, I was pretty frustrated yesterday afternoon...In case y'all are unaware, Christopher's scans have been rescheduled for the 16th. For the record, there has only been one follow-up scan that has happened on the day it was originally supposed to happen, & that was when the wrong scans were ordered. I should just accept this as a part of life, but each time I hope things will be different than they have been in the past! {I guess I should state that it's technically my fault that scans were rescheduled this time, but I'll get to that in a minute!} Ya, I know, drama drama drama. I'm really not one of those people who always has some type of drama in their life. But the more I think about it, the more I'm afraid I have become one of those people...

Anyways, I really was handling these scans a little better than in the past. I've been eating fine, and there were only a couple of times when I sorta had that panicky feeling. At about 1:45 yesterday afternoon I thought, "OK, I've made it this far. If I can just make it through the next 24 hours..." Even if we received bad news, at least we'd know. That part of it would be over with, and God would help us get through whatever was next. It's the waiting that is so nerve wracking. Have I mentioned that I'm not good at waiting?

On a positive note, he'll be having his lungs scanned this time. Due to the miscode last time, Dr L didn't get a look at his lungs. And we found out last week that he hadn't been planning on looking at them this time, either. He was only going to do an MRI that would examine Christopher's liver. A liver MRI is super {in fact, a lot of people in the OM community prefer MRI over CT because of the radiation exposure} But it's just not enough. {This is where the "my fault" part comes in, though maybe it's not really my fault since the doctor should be taking a look at Christopher's lungs therefore should've scheduled an x-ray at the very least??} I questioned why Dr L wasn't going to examine his lungs, so Chris spent a week going back & forth with Dr L's nurse & is now scheduled for a CT of his chest, abdomen, & pelvis (which is what he normally had up until last summer). I think I'm OK with that.

Sigh.

So there you have it...now we play the Pre-Authorization Game (that I've mentioned before). Ironically, the MRI was approved the first time it was requested, so we would've actually been able to have it today. Go figure!

Anyways, I was upset about it yesterday, but I'm OK today. Just thought I'd let you know. God is Sovereign, and He knew that it wouldn't happen today. He loves me enough to help me get through my impatience. He knows what the future holds, and He is in control. And if I'd quit griping (& resisting things beyond my control), maybe He could do some more work inside of me to make me into someone He can use! I'll close with a couple of lines from today's song:
Now I walk along side my Father
Without fear of what may come tomorrow
♥

"This Is Just So Beautiful"

2012-01-04T08:47:00.000-06:00

(by Jenny & Tyler)

This Is Just So Beautiful by Jenny & Tyler on Grooveshark

I have really enjoyed doing this list of things I'm thankful for. It's great to always have it in the back of my mind. Throughout the day, little things will happen that I'm not sure I would've paid much attention to before. I'm constantly thinking, "I need to write that on my list!" There really are so many little gifts that God gives each of us throughout the day, and I am so thankful for them! Today I am so grateful for...

A safe trip last week
Coffee with Laura & a new friend
A good visit with the mom of one of Cody's friends
The kids getting to hang out with their friends over the break
Riding bikes with my sweet boy
A sweet card from a friend
Baked goods from my adorable little neighbors
A nice night with friends on New Year's Eve
Seven-Layer Bars
A thoughtful email from my friend in England
Going to church on New Year's Day ~ what a lovely way to start the year!
A big bear hug from my baby brother ♥
Games with friends on New Year's Day
Laughter
Homemade Chex Mix
My super cute sleep mask
Finally meeting someone with OM face-to-face!
An email from the mom of a high school friend
A chance to see Hugo for free! {we were given some movie tickets for Christmas!}
Getting back into our school routine
The ability to climb stairs when an elevator isn't working
Only having to climb four flights of stairs
A counselor who encourages me with scripture
Less scanxiety than I usually have around this time {scans are Thursday}
The joy I feel when I think of remaining in God's love

Today's song is one of my new favorites. Y'all know how I tend to let things weigh me down, so I like how this song talks about waving goodbye to those things. & I especially love the line that says, "But the sparrows and the roses remind me there's still so much good." There really is so much good! What's on your list of good things today?

"Come Thou Fount"

2012-01-02T17:29:00.001-06:00

(by David Crowder Band)

Come Thou Fount by David Crowder Band on Grooveshark

Since this is the time of year when people like to set goals, I thought I'd talk about those today & do my usual Monday thing later {since I fail at posting it most Mondays anyways!}...As with a lot of you, I'm not so good at reaching goals that I set. Because of that, I didn't really set any official goals last year. And I'm basically doing the same this year. The only one I'm really setting is to remain in God's love, based on Jesus' words in John 15:9, "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love." That has been my desire since the Bible study in the fall, and I pray that it continues to be my desire for as long as I live. I read the definition below, & it resonates inside me.

remain:
Strong's G3306 - menō
μένω
1) to remain, abide
a) in reference to place
1) to sojourn, tarry
2) not to depart
a) to continue to be present
b) to be held, kept, continually
b) in reference to time
1) to continue to be, not to perish, to last, endure
a) of persons, to survive, live
c) in reference to state or condition
1) to remain as one, not to become another or different
2) to wait for, await one

Those words seriously bring joy to my heart! I want to abide in Him and be held/kept by Him. I seriously can't survive without Him. I don't know if that makes me seem unstable or codependent, but it's the truth. So I plan to remain in God's love this year by spending time with Him in prayer and in His Word. I'm hoping to slow down a little & not overcommit myself, because I thoroughly enjoy those days when I'm able to spend hours with my Jesus! I've got some studies that I'm doing on my own, and I'll be participating in studies at church again. I also like to dig through a concordance to do word studies about stuff that I'm going through or areas where I sense that God wants to rid me of me & make me more like Him.

I also like some sort of set routine or reading schedule, because there are days when I sorta lose focus & simply need to be told what to read. {Does that make sense?} I've used reading plans through YouVersion to read through the Bible for the past two years. The first year, I used the Robert Roberts plan (which consisted of some OT & some NT every day). Last year, I read through it chronologically. Before that, I hadn't done it since Bible school. Recently, I started feeling like I didn't want to do it again this year, but I had to check my motives & pray about what God would have me do. I thought maybe I was being lazy, because I didn't know why God wouldn't want me to read through His Word in a year. So I actually considered doing it in 90 days, just because I've seen other people do it. But I realized that for me it would really be more about doing it to cross it off my list, but I wouldn't be able to read it in such a way as to absorb what I was reading.

So I prayerfully read through the descriptions of the reading plans on YouVersion. The site offers all kinds of reading plans (whole Bible, partial Bible, devotional, topical & youth). Some are 365 days, some have five readings per week, others are quick little studies. There really is something for everyone. {No, this isn't a product review or anything, I just really like the site!} I love that there are so many options, and I've enjoyed using YouVersion as one part of my time with the Lord. For this year, I felt God guiding me to start the Project 3:45+ plan. It is a way to read through the New Testament in a year, along with a Psalm or Proverb each day, and some readings from the Old Testament some days.

I was excited to discover that the readings start with the book of John! I already referenced a post that I wrote when I was reading through John last year, but I also wrote another post when I finished it. I fell so in love with the book that I'm leading a study on it this semester! I had two studies in mind when I met with Lance & the other Bible study leaders. I was leaning toward a different study, but then I sorta rambled on about my love for John. Lance pointed out the fact that I seemed sorta passionate about the book, so we decided that would be the best one for me to lead. I love how God uses other peoples' insight to help you figure out your place sometimes!

Anyways, I'm rambling once again, so I'll close with a few verses from Psalm 1:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law [or instruction] of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
(Psalm 1:1-3)

♥

So...do you have any goals? What about Bible reading? How do you go about spending time in the Word?

"Holding on to Hope"

2011-12-31T16:55:00.000-06:00

(by Jenny & Tyler)

Holding on to Hope by Jenny & Tyler on Grooveshark

Another year is coming to a close, so it's time for my recap of 2011. As a disclaimer: I promise I don't intend for it to come off as one of those Christmas newsletters where you read about my perfect kids & perfect life. That's not at all how I see myself or my life {though my kids are pretty close ~ ha ha!} I think those letters (& these posts) are an opportunity to express the positive things that happen throughout the year. Ya know? I really don't think most people intend for it to be boasting so much as highlighting. I think that most of you know my heart & know that I'm generally pretty open about the negative parts of life as well as the positive. OK, enough of that! On to my year...

Cody turned 10 in January! TEN! How did that happen?! He truly is the most amazing ten-year-old that I know. He started a little recycling project in the neighborhood this spring. In the summer, he moved up to the PreTeen class at church & has enjoyed the activities offered there. He won the "I Am Third" award at camp (that brought tears to his mama's eyes). He also preached his first sermon this summer! In 5th grade this fall, he was the only person in his school to have competed in the Science Olympiad all three years {& he won two medals!} He is such a sweet & funny boy. I really can't say enough good things about him!

In the spring, the kids & I participated in a local mission trip that I hope is only the beginning of their involvement in ministry. Our summer went by super quick! The kids spent a week at my brother's house in order to attend music camp with their cousins (while I spent some time at Jana's parents'). They also both went to church camp, and the kids & I helped out with VBS. Our family had a wonderful time on our vacation.

Chris & I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary in July! It's amazing how quickly time has flown by!

My baby girl became a teenager in October! I seriously can't believe that I'm the mother of a teenager already! Elly is such a sweet girl & a great student. She entered the student ministry this summer, & so far she's cool with me being in there! {She even talks to me sometimes, though I try to give her her space!} This fall, she won the Principal's Award for the 2nd six weeks, and she also received an award for Most Oustanding in ELA. She still loves to read, and writing is one of her passions. Her ELA teacher has her read everything she writes for class, including the paper she wrote about her dad. She chose art as her elective again, and she is loving it! I am really enjoying the amazing young woman she has become, and I thoroughly enjoy spending time with her.

As far as Christopher's health is concerned, he is doing as well as he was this time last year. His scans were clear in January & again in July. The doctors continue to monitor his eye pressure & watch for signs of glaucoma. His vision is now CF at face, but there has been no new radiation damage since July. They have decided that it would be best for him to have the cataract removed, though we don't expect his vision to improve as a result.

Overall, this year has been really good. One huge burden was lifted when we finally PAID OFF OUR DEBT!!! Through a lot of the year, I struggled emotionally, though. In continuing to seek God through my struggles, I finally got to a better place and am truly thankful for everything that God has shown me through it all. I have a greater hope ~ not in my circumstances, but in Him. And I am holding on to that {& to Him} with all that I am.

"All That I'm Allowed (I'm Thankful)"

2011-12-28T11:52:00.000-06:00

(by Elton John)

All That I'm Allowed (I'm Thankful) by Elton John on Grooveshark

I'm sorry to be two days late with this. We had to make a quick trip to the panhandle for Grandmommy's funeral and were out in the middle of nowhere. I attempted to post it from my phone yesterday, but I was having some technical difficulties. Anyways, today I am thankful for...

Completing my Christmas shopping {under budget}
The beautiful life of my Grandmommy
My aunt & uncle, who lovingly cared for Grandmommy for many years
A baking day with Amy & Shannon
A sweet & snuggly baby to hold on a sad day
Leftovers from lunch at Amy's that were enough to feed dinner to my family on a night when I didn't really want to deal with dinner {PLUS enough for lunch the next day!}
Doctors & nurses who took great care of my uncle Neal {he's recovering very well!}
A great afternoon/evening with my brother & his family
My kids getting along so well with their cousins
A super cute handmade beanie from my niece
Wendy's fudge {that I shouldn't have allowed her to leave here!!}
A Christmas Eve visit with my baby brother
A beautiful Christmas Eve service at church
Christmas Eve dinner traditions with my family
My kids insisting on doing a word search together ~ even though they both had their own :)
Their patience on Christmas morning {they're cool about waiting until after breakfast to open gifts!}
Fun games with Dan & Sheryl
A nice visit with Sheryl's mom
A place to leave our crazy dog for the night
A beautiful day to honor the life of my Grandmommy
Seeing family that I haven't seen in way too long
A nice visit with my hippie cousin :)
A beautiful ring that belonged to Grandmommy
A couple of days with my beautiful cousin Kendra's family
A lot of time spent with my brother this Christmas

What are you thankful for today?

"I Celebrate the Day"

2011-12-25T12:03:00.000-06:00

(by Relient K)

I Celebrate The Day by Relient K on Grooveshark

Merry Christmas!!!!!

I thought I'd share a few pictures of our morning, though this is just more proof that I need a new camera! Did I tell you that Cody set it down in water?? Anyways...

{How cute are they?!}

Pepper was sad that she didn't have anything to open...

She discovered her presents the other day, so we went ahead & gave them to her. I don't think she understands that if she sniffs her presents out early, it really ruins everything on Christmas morning...

After the kids opened their presents, we had them gather up the wrapping paper & take it to the recycling in the garage...where they found new bikes :)

I was reading the label on this little gift & didn't even realize that I had said, "Milk chocolate pretzel bites filled with awesome." It says that they're filled with peanut butter, but my family already knew that so I had stopped reading aloud. When I looked up, they were staring at me like I was a weirdo. Chris said, "Filled with...awesome?"

And now for a bit more randomness...I've now had the honor of spilling coffee on this page of TWO peoples' copies of Wreck This Journal! {First Kassie's (one of my girls from church) & now Elly's} :)

I'll conclude with a couple of lines from the song for Day 12 in the 12 Days of Christmas Song Challenge: all-time favorite Christmas song. I've absolutely loved this one since the very first time I heard it!

And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life...

"But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children." (Galatians 4:4-5)

♥

"Oh Holy Night"

2011-12-24T16:08:00.000-06:00

(by Eisley)

Oh Holy Night by Eisley on Grooveshark

In lieu of Scrobbled Saturday, I'll continue with Day 11 in the 12 Days of Christmas Song Challenge: the song I'll be playing this Christmas Eve. I actually think this one is sorta weird, because I'm pretty sure that most people who play Christmas music will play more than one song on Christmas Eve. "Oh Holy Night" has always been one of my favorite Christmas songs. And I love Eisley.

You may or may not be aware that this week hasn't been one of the best for me, but there have actually been a few good times as well. When Aunt Karla called to tell me about Grandmommy, Cody & I were on our way to Amy's for a play/baking day. Our friend Shannon was there with her baby girl, too. When I arrived with my sad news, Amy handed the baby over to me because babies have a way of making a sad day better! {Am I terribly out of shape if my arms are sore from holding an 11-pound baby all day??} I also had some nice & relaxing days with my kids. We went shopping earlier in the week, and they got to hang out with their friends a couple of times. My friends Laurien & Julie came over one day, and my brother's family came over yesterday! I saw my baby brother this morning {I'm really hoping this is his last Christmas away from home!} There was also the Tacky Christmas Sweater Party! :) Anyways, all of that is to say that there were some really good parts of the week, too!

To update you on my uncle, they are planning on releasing him from the hospital tomorrow. He'll go home with my aunt at first, but I don't know how long it'll be until they allow him to drive home (to Kentucky). I really appreciate your phone calls, comments, tweets, & emails! I have such a wonderful support system (both virtual & IRL)! I love you & hope you have a wonderful Christmas!!

"Christmas Without You"

2011-12-23T21:02:00.000-06:00

(by Benton Blount)

Now I'll continue on with the song challenge. I know I've posted some random ones about the holiday season, but the last few songs are about our Savior! Day 10 in the 12 Days of Christmas Song Challenge is: song that exemplifies the reason for the season. While there are many songs that would work for this, I really love today's song. & it simply isn't Christmas without Jesus, so I suppose that sums it up pretty well. What song do you think exemplifies the reason for the season?

"Never Let Go"

2011-12-22T20:58:00.000-06:00

(by David Crowder Band)

Never Let Go by David Crowder Band on Grooveshark

Soo....I know I already posted something today, but I could use prayers for both sides of my extended family...

Grandmommy (my mom's mom) passed away this morning. You may remember when I mentioned that she wasn't doing so well. She has been in a lot of pain for a long time, and things continued to go downhill. Her body started shutting down, and she hadn't been able to eat anything since Monday, so we knew it would be soon. When the doctor explained what was going on & asked what she would like for him to do to help her, she said that she was ready to meet her Jesus. I don't blame her really. She has already buried her sister, two husbands, and two sons (one of them during that terrible week a couple of years ago & another as an infant). She had a really big smile. And she made the best chicken friend steak. Our last visit with her was so good, and I'm so thankful for that.

Also, my uncle Neal (my dad's little brother) is in the ICU. He was visiting my aunt in New Mexico & was having chest pains this morning. She took him to the hospital, where they airlifted him to Roswell & then on to Lubbock. He arrived there in full cardiac arrest, and they found that his aorta was 100% blocked. They put 3 stents in, plus a couple of balloons in some other arteries, & a temporary pacemaker.

Anyways, I would really appreciate your prayers for my family.

"You Make the Cold Disappear"

2011-12-22T16:15:00.000-06:00

(by Amy Stroup)

Day 9 in the 12 Days of Christmas Song Challenge is: song that you sing along to the loudest in the car. I wish I could post the entire song for y'all, but this is all I could find! It's super cute & the very first song of Amy's that I ever heard. ♥ What Christmas song do you sing along to the loudest?

"The Chipmunk Song"

2011-12-21T13:52:00.000-06:00

(by The Chipmunks)

Chipmunk Song by The Chipmunks on Grooveshark

Day 8 in the 12 Days of Christmas Song Challenge is: song that reminds you of your childhood. I remember watching A Chipmunk Christmas as a kid, & I loved this song! Is there a Christmas song that reminds you of your childhood?

“Snow Miser” & “Heat Miser”

2011-12-20T20:43:00.000-06:00

(by FM Static & TFK) ~ I know this is [yet isn't at the same time?] two songs/artists. Can I do that?! Of course I can, because this is my little part of the blogsphere...

{I just discovered that I have the top comment for this video on youtube. 'Cuz I'm awesome like that!}

Day 7 in the 12 Days of Christmas Song Challenge is: song that makes you laugh. I know that there are many versions of today's song(s) that are actually combined into one song. I even own a pretty good one by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, but y'all know how I feel about FM Static. So there you go...

I decided that I didn't want to do my grateful post on a day when I was supposed to post the song that makes me sad. I also didn't want to wait until I was done with the Christmas songs. So I chose to postpone it until today! So without further ado...I'm grateful for...

A night of worship & prayer with the ladies at my church
Panera dates with my baby girl
Elly's comment on facebook that said, "I had the best day with you today -Taylor Swift" ♥
A few hours dedicated to sitting in one spot so I could finally address Christmas cards {I filled in for a friend answering phones at the church, & she said to bring something to do. It was perfect!}
Elly surviving her first finals week!
Tweezers
Coffee with one of my former MOPS moms
Friends who shield me from the cold wind while I wait for Amy get to the park so I could give her Cody's stuff out of my van! {Thank you, Becca! I was so cold!! & it was good to catch up with you. I miss you & the rest of my Wednesday girls!!}
Work Christmas parties {yes, I admit that I pretty much only go because of the food! And the occasional new shirt or outfit that I get to splurge on for said event...}
Sleepovers with my youth girls!! {I seriously love those girls & the other volunteers. I am so blessed to do ministry with them!}
Opposable thumbs {yes, I realize that's random, but where would we be without them? Plus, we watched Zookeeper at the sleepover, which made me realize that I'm grateful for them!}
Baby's Coffee & other assorted yummy goodness from my friend Amy's in-laws :)
Doctors who take an hour or so out of their Saturday (during a busy holiday season) for OM Teleconference
Generous donors who are funding OM specific research
Nice people who invite us to their Christmas parties
The chance to sleep in just about every day for the next couple of weeks! {Even if that only means sleeping until 7:00...Stupid internal body clock!}
Christmas baking with my girl while listening to my "Sunshine & Happiness" playlist :)
A TV that is big enough for Mistopher Christopher to read the guide {we have finally entered the 21st century with a decent sized TV!}
Fun parties with the students where we get to dress up in tacky Christmas attire
Yummy Christmas goodies
Dog groomers
A fun day Christmas shopping with my kiddos
An afternoon with Laurien & Julie
Christmas cards from people that I love
Playing Guitar Hero World Tour with my family

I'd love to know what's on your list this week!

"I Hate Christmas Parties"

2011-12-19T23:51:00.000-06:00

(by Relient K)

I Hate Christmas Parties by Relient K on Grooveshark

Day 6 in the 12 Days of Christmas Song Challenge is: song that makes you sad. I'm sure there are other sad Christmas songs, but this is my favorite sad one. I think you should be proud of me for not posting a Relient K song until now (other than the one to introduce the challenge).

For the record: I actually love Christmas parties. And I especially love the student ministry's Tacky Christmas Sweater party that my baby girl & I went to tonight! We actually had a hard time finding tacky sweaters. I don't know if we waited to shop until too late in the season or what. But Wade actually encouraged head to toe tackiness, so I think we did good. You'll have to excuse the pictures of me with my girl. Cody took them, & he has a hard time being still. But I wanted you to see a couple of our awkward poses...

Here are just a few of the girls in their tacky attire:

The girl on the left made her entire outfit!

& here I am with most of the other adult leaders at the party...

ü

Back to the original reason for this post...is there a Christmas song that makes you sad?

"Winter Night"

2011-12-18T18:50:00.001-06:00

(by Little & Ashley)

Winter Night by Little & Ashley on Grooveshark

Yes, I'm totally aware of the fact that I just posted this song, but it makes me happy! And Day 5 in the 12 Days of Christmas Song Challenge is: song that makes you happy. So it only seemed logical to repost this bit of cuteness! :)

On a total side note: today is International Answer the Phone like Buddy the Elf Day, & I love it! I completely forgot when Amy called me this afternoon, but I remembered when I got another call. It was from a lady who was scheduling a delivery for tomorrow. I made her laugh, which I think is super great!

Anyways, I'd love to know what Christmas song makes you happy! :)

"Last Christmas"

2011-12-17T18:07:00.001-06:00

(by Wham!)

Last Christmas (Single Version) by Wham! on Grooveshark

In lieu of Scrobbled Saturday, I'll proceed with Day 4 of the 12 Days of Christmas Song Challenge: guilty pleasure song. Today's song comes as no surprise to my friends, though I hadn't realized how predictable I was until this year ~> two recent incidences occurred regarding this song & yours truly. Once, Jana & I had just gotten into her van when this song came on the radio, & she said that they were playing it just for me! And another time a group of us were discussing our favorite Christmas songs, and Felicity said she knew what mine was. At first, I wasn't sure if she was referring to a Relient K song or this one. She looked at me like I was a crazy woman & said this one. For the record, this isn't my absolute favorite, but it's sort of a classic Christmas song for me. 'Cuz I'm a weirdo. But y'all already knew that...

Moving on to random events of the week...I must post my disclaimer: I am exhausted, so expect even more randomness than usual! Yesterday was another one of those days when I went from one thing to the next to the next: answered phones at the church, picked Cody up from school, met one of my former MOPS moms for coffee, took my kids to the church hayride, went to Christopher's work Christmas party, then finished off the night/morning at a sleepover with my most favorite girls on the planet. Of course I didn't get adequate rest & woke up way earlier than I had to. But it was all good, because Nicole & Julie were also awake so we got to chat for awhile before getting up & making breakfast. I was able to pick Cody up from Alex's and get home in time for a CURE OM Teleconference, which was super great to listen in on! I already knew most of the information that was provided, BUT they made an announcement about a donation of $100,000 a year (for the next five years) being made toward OM specific research!! How about that?!

Last week, I totally forgot to show you what Chris ended up with in the White Elephant gift exchange. Like last year, the girls did real gifts & the guys did gag gifts. Also like last year, he actually stole his gift from someone. He claimed that he wanted it because he wants to invite our friend Dave E. Crockett over.

{I think Dave would be honored to have his "namesake" on our piano, don't you? ü Also, ftr, I have not forgotten about an interesting picture I mentioned last Saturday. I just need to get it from the person who took it. It's coming...I promise!}

Marcel the Shell was interviewed on Rock Center Monday night. It was too cute! My absolute favorite part was from 4:51 to 5:12. You should totally watch it {& yes, it's totally worth the 30 second ad!}

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

So the pest control guy was here this week, & I was reminded of the fact that strangers often feel compelled to confess things to me. I'm not really sure what that's all about, but I seriously can't even begin to count the times this has happened! Sometimes they confess things they've done, & sometimes they just pour out their life story to me {& it's usually tragic} I try to remember to just sorta sit down on the inside & pray for the words to say. Sometimes no words come out, and I pray as God brings the person to mind in the days/weeks/months to follow. Other times {like this week} I am simply caught off guard & a little speechless {I know a couple of you are shocked that I could ever be speechless, but I promise you it happens. Though rarely!} Seriously though, I simply don't know how I'm supposed to respond when the man tells me about when he was [his words]: "how can I put this tactfully...entertaining" his lady friend on his bed, & his dog nipped at her...What?? I thought we were simply having a casual conversation about dogs!! {For the record, I prefer people telling me their tragic life stories over confessing their sins. In case you wondered...}

We made some cute ornaments for teachers this week! I had seen them on Pinterest, and we made them on a craft day in MOPS. It was fun making them as little gifts! :)

My favorite part of this week was when my baby girl came home early because of finals. The first day she asked if we could go on a Panera date! {& she offered to pay!!} This is something we've been doing since she was in 1st grade {though sadly, we hadn't been since the day I lost my license plate!} It began on a day when I picked her up from school sans Cody. She suggested it, and I didn't have a reason to say no. I think it made her feel special because she got to go without him. And of course, I thoroughly enjoy these times alone with her. We have a list of other places to go on these dates, but when it comes down to it she usually chooses Panera. We kinda like traditions around here! ♥ That night on facebook, Elly posted about a strange little situation we observed while we were out & about. Tears came to my eyes as she commented on the post later. Here's the conversation:

♥

We also saw this sign while we were out:

{Ellie is spelled the normal way instead of how my Elly spells it, but she still thought it was worth going back to take a picture!}

OK, so I totally added something completely lame to my list this week. It's been on the unwritten list in my mind, but I was reminded of it & decided it should be on the official list. Plus, I had originally intended on adding to the list as I thought of things but hadn't added anything yet. So there. If you're at all curious, you can totally go check out my list & see if you can tell what I added. I'm not trying to be vague; it just really is that lame. There's not much of a point to it, except that I already have a little song to post for it. And so I can say that I did it. And that is all.

Alrighty, I guess that's enough for now! I should probably put some real clothes on before we head out to another Christmas party! I never got dressed after the sleepover, so I'm wearing the t-shirt & yoga pants that I slept in. I have no idea when I did this last, but it's kinda nice to just lounge around in comfy clothes. I should totally do it more often! Anyways, I'm outta here...

I hope y'all are having a super great weekend!!

"Baby, It's Cold Outside"

2011-12-16T13:50:00.000-06:00

(by Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel)

Baby It's Cold Outside by Zooey Deschanel & Leon Redbone on Grooveshark

Day 3 in the 12 Days of Christmas Song Challenge is: song you like to listen to while trimming your tree. We usually listen to whatever pops up in my “'Tis the Season" playlist, but we watch Elf when we're done. So I chose today's song for that reason. Though I prefer the Will & Zooey version in the movie, this is as close as we can get. Soooo...what do you listen to while you're decorating for Christmas?

"Snow Globe"

2011-12-15T18:08:00.000-06:00

(by Matt Wertz)

Snow Globe by Matt Wertz on Grooveshark

Day 2 in the 12 Days of Christmas Song Challenge is: favorite new song. I really think this one is cute! As you'd probably guess, I love the "la la la" part! :)

Have you discovered a new Christmas song this year?

"Silent Night"

2011-12-14T16:48:00.004-06:00

(by Seabird)

Silent Night by Seabird on Grooveshark

Day 1 in the 12 Days of Christmas Song Challenge is: favorite classic song. Though this version is far from classic, I had to post it anyways. Because it's Seabird. And I love them. My favorite more classically done version is probably the one by House of Heroes (in case you care). What's your favorite classic Christmas song?

"12 Days of Christmas"

2011-12-13T16:45:00.000-06:00

(by Relient K)

I've decided to do a 12 Days of Christmas Song Challenge, because it seemed right up my alley! I'm not sure where I first saw it, but I combined a few different lists that I saw out there & came up with the following:

Day 1 ~ Favorite classic song
Day 2 ~ Favorite new song
Day 3 ~ Song you like to listen to while trimming your tree
Day 4 ~ Guilty pleasure song
Day 5 ~ Song that makes you happy
Day 6 ~ Song that makes you sad
Day 7 ~ Song that makes you laugh
Day 8 ~ Song that reminds you of your childhood
Day 9 ~ Song that you sing along to the loudest in the car
Day 10 ~ Song that exemplifies the reason for the season
Day 11 ~ Song you will be playing this Christmas Eve
Day 12 ~ All-time favorite Christmas song

I've definitely posted some of the songs that you'll see on the list, as well as the one for today. But I figure y'all don't really care, right?! Regarding today's song, I think it's super cute when they say, "What's a partridge? & what's a pear tree? I don't know, so please don't ask me. But I can bet those are terrible gifts to get." :) Feel free to join me in this challenge! I think it'll be fun!!

"Made Me Glad"

2011-12-12T16:58:00.002-06:00

(by Miriam Webster)

Made Me Glad by Miriam Webster on Grooveshark

Today I'm so thankful for...

Cookie exchanges
Christmas light scavenger hunts
A super helpful Home Depot associate named Justin
The furniture store replacing a broken piece of our entertainment center
Good quotes that make you think
Phone calls with my friend Amy
Friends who take great pictures of my family
Giggling with my girl until we're both out of breath! ♥
Soup
Hobby Lobby
Lotion
A delicious spicy cheeseburger from Tornado Burger
Shellac for finger nails {I know that sounds terribly shallow, but I had my acrylics soaked off a month or so ago, & this is the first time in my entire life that I've been able to keep my real nails a decent length!}
Soft & cozy blankets
One final get together with my tragically hip friend from Canada before she moves away
Being invited to my adorable little neighbor's birthday party
The honor of getting to see Misty's wedding dress!!
Online tutorials for just about anything you can imagine
Friends with saws
Community Group Christmas parties
People who know how to play piano
Joy that is not dependent on my circumstances
A God who keeps His word
My baby brother's gratefulness for the little things
A friend who shares her mini muffin pan :)

I'd love to know what's on your list this week!

"You Are Here"

2011-12-10T23:45:00.002-06:00

(by Needtobreathe)

You Are Here [Album Version] by Needtobreathe on Grooveshark

This week has been another busy {but good} week! I finally got into the Christmas spirit & did some shopping! {RRMama will be glad to know that I've already wrapped the presents I've bought!} I've also done a bit of baking & plan to do even more next week! MOPS had a cookie exchange & Christmas light scavenger hunt one night this week, and my team won for the 2nd year in a row! :)

Today was one of those days when I went from one thing to the next, to the next, and then to the next...First, I had a sorta bittersweet breakfast with friends as we said goodbye to our friend (who is moving back to Canada). Then I caught the tail end of my little neighbor's birthday party. From there, I took my girl to a birthday party & met up with my friend Misty for her wedding dress fitting!! And after that, our Community Group met at our house for a Christmas party {where three out of the six couples brought jalepeño dishes! Sorry, Felicity! Next time, we might should specify exactly what we're making!!} I may or may not have an interesting picture to show y'all later. It may or may not involve me, tighty-whiteys, tramp stamps, &/or none of the above. I'd have to say the best part of the night was the piano sing-along that included Christmas songs, beat-boxing & mouth horns, 80's tunes, some Motown, & a little Justin Bieber! :D

I don't know if this makes me a nerd or what, but I earned another badge on youversion!

{I created 100 bookmarks. I had no idea one could earn a badge for this, or I might've tried harder!}

The other day on facebook, one of my high school classmates asked what song we would listen to if we could only listen to one song all day. My response was "Valley of Tomorrow" by NTB, which made me want to listen to them. So other than Christmas music, I've only been listening to Needtobreathe this week. Today's song is the one that put a little spark of love in my heart for NTB. Back in 2006, it was on a little CD that was free with the purchase of another CD {gotta love free music ~ especially when it helps you discover an amazing band!} Back to my classmate's question...the "correct" answer (according to Robert) was Journey's "Don't Stop Believing"! So now I pose the question to YOU: if you could only listen to one song all day, what would it be?

"Winter Night"

2011-12-07T19:48:00.001-06:00

(by Little & Ashley)

Winter Night by Little & Ashley on Grooveshark

I think this song is so cute! :) And since I don't have much to blog about, I thought a cute song was sufficient for now. I know that most of you don't listen to the songs, but you should totally listen to this one! It's just too cute not to!

"Thankful"

2011-12-05T17:02:00.000-06:00

(by Ty Tabor)

Thankful by Ty Tabor on Grooveshark

I think this is the most consecutive Mondays on which I've actually posted "Multitudes on Mondays"! Yay me!! ;) This week I'm grateful for...

My bank being on top of things & recognizing fraudulent charges before things got too crazy!
A shiny new debit card
Websites that make it easy to update billing information
Hats
Scarves
Beanies
Hair bands
An unexpected coffee date with Sloan
Friends who are considerate enough to warn me about the particularly close-to-home subject matter in a book they knew I was planning to read
Getting to know a few ladies while decorating the church for Christmas
My boy who likes to chat with me on Google voice {while I cook dinner & he listens to music upstairs on his dad's computer!} ♥
New Christmas music by Logan Keller
Receiving new Christmas tunes as a gift from Mocha Club
A fun night watching youtube videos with the students =)
My sweet boy who makes me lunch
My cousin Brandy who located Mema A's bread pudding recipe!
A nice email from an OM friend in Canada
A beautiful day for a visit with my baby brother {as opposed to last week's craziness!!}
An invitation to join Misty for her wedding dress fitting ♥
Conversation and laughter in the van with my baby girl
Umbrellas {especially cute ones with polka dots}
Christmas light timers
A grocery store right outside my neighborhood
Having the time to bake 4 dozen cookies for a couple of events this week
My friend Debi who gave me 2 dozen of the aforementioned cookies that she happened to have in her freezer {what a wonderful time saver!}

I'm officially half way through with my list! I still have so much more to be thankful for, & I'm so glad to have this little meme to help me focus on all the good around me. What's on your list this week?

P.S. I'm still on the lookout for more songs for this series! Let me know if you have any good ones! Thanks!! ♥

"Song for Robert"

2011-12-03T19:58:00.001-06:00

(by The Reliques)

The Reliques posted this video last week, and I'm loving this song! :) There's not an official name yet, but I figured if they could post it without it's official name, then they probably wouldn't mind me doing it, too! My favorite part of the song is when they say, "There’s more to life than living if you just let it go." ♥

My sweet boy made me lunch today! I was working on something & said, "Hmm...what can I have for lunch?" Cody didn't say anything, but a few minutes later he called out from the kitchen, "How many chicken nuggets do you usually eat?" Not only did he nuke some nuggets, he made the plate all cute! He took this picture before bringing it to me! ;)

So I failed to tell y'all that I joined Twitter a couple of weeks ago. It was one of those trends that I was planning on resisting...but there was a quirky & fun OM patient that I wanted to follow, so I had to join. Since I'm not interesting enough to update my status very often {& because I can't do things the easy &/or normal way} I decided that I would only post song lyrics. Go figure. So it's pure randomness, as you might expect. & it was all good until my beautiful cousin mentioned me in a tweet. I wasn't sure how I could go about replying to her while staying consistent with my song lyric thing. But I managed to do it, & then she replied in lyrics, too. So. much. fun!

I got some new Christmas tunes this week! My friend Nate's son has a new Christmas EP that I downloaded the other day, & it makes me smile. I also got more free music from the Mocha Club. They sent free music two years ago, & that was how I discovered Amy Stroup. Funny thing is there was a Gungor song on that same album, but I didn't really pay attention to them back then! I heard Amy Stroup's "You Make the Cold Disappear", & I sorta fell in love. After hearing that song, I didn't really listen to the rest of the album much. If I had only paid attention, I could've been a Gungor fan for way longer. Then when people started telling me about them, I could've been like, "Because I'm such a trendsetter, I've been a fan since 2009..." But no, I got sidetracked by Amy Stroup. Anyways, this year's Mocha Club gift album has songs by some of my favorites {Hawk Nelson, Seabird, & Amy Stroup} as well as Dave Barnes, FFH, and a few artists I've never heard of before. And Elly was quite excited that Andrew Ripp has a song on there {he played at camp this summer}. Who knows...maybe I'll discover a new favorite. I'll keep you posted!

I hope y'all are having a super great weekend! ♥

"Shell"

2011-12-02T15:17:00.002-06:00

(by Fresh Body Shop)

shell by Fresh Body Shop on Grooveshark

Tonight, we're having an event called "Youtube on the Porch" at the student ministry building. We get together every once in awhile to watch random youtube videos, and one of our favorites is Marcel the Shell with shoes on:

The students want to watch it every time. {There's even a book now!} Marcel is quite the celebrity, but he's also a role model. Here's what his website has to say about him:

His name is Marcel, and he's partially a shell, but he also has shoes and a face, and lots of other great qualities as well. He won the hearts of millions of people when his short film became an internet sensation. And now he is pleased to present his very own picture book.

Marcel's message for his readers is simple and beautiful: we are who we are, and that is a wonderful thing. Marcel loves to talk about the different things that make him unique. He's proud of his odd, miniature life, (he hang-glides on a Dorito and wears a lentil as a hat), and even though he is a talking shell with only one eye, he reminds us to be proud and curious about our lives as well. Marcel shows us that no matter who we are or what our life is, the most important thing is that we take a good look at it and enjoy it every day.

Doesn't that just make you love him to pieces?!

Anyways, a couple of weeks ago, a new Marcel video was posted!!

"Guess why I smile a lot...uh 'cuz it's worth it."

Best. Line. Ever!

I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! I should be back tomorrow with the song I've listened to the most. I know you just can't wait! ;)

"I'm Getting Nuttin' for Christmas"

2011-11-30T17:33:00.004-06:00

(by Relient K)

Yes, I know...I'm posting this once again, as I do every year around Christmas time! We'll just consider it another Christmas tradition. Ü Plus, I figure it's a good way to kick off the Christmas posts this year! In case you haven't been around these parts until recently & haven't seen the video, it's one that my kids put together about four years ago. I hope you enjoy it {even if you've seen it every year!}

"Be Thankful"

2011-11-28T15:39:00.008-06:00

(by Natalie Cole)

Be Thankful by Natalie Cole on Grooveshark

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I love the spirit of thankfulness that usually occurs during November, though I wish it would last all year long. That's what's great about this whole "One Thousand Gifts" thing! I plan on continuing my list once I reach one thousand, though I don't know if I'll continue to post it on here or not. Anyways, today I am thankful for...

My dad {whose birthday is today!!}
Lunch with Sam & two of her little men
The kids getting to hang out with their cousins over the break
Burn cream {Yes, I burned myself again. This time it's not quite a smiley face, but it looks like it's trying to smile! I'm not good about taking/using medication, but by day 2 it was all blistery & red. Medicine can be a good thing, in case you didn't know!}
Tank tops
Baby girl winning the Principal's Award!
An email with the subject line, "It's time, friend" inviting me to cross something off my list! {I can't wait to tell you about this one!!}
My brother's family {who hosted our Thankgsiving dinner}
A family that gathers peacefully on holidays
New inexpensive furniture from friends {yet another item from my list that I can't wait to complete & tell you about!}
A super cute new devo/blogging/TV watching spot
Early Christmas presents {that we've been waiting for for years!}
A friend with a pickup truck
A friend who lets me hide Christmas presents in her garage ~ even though her daughter had to stand outside where it was "freakin' freezin'" to avoid seeing {& accidentally telling my kids about} the presents! ;)
A package in the mail from my friend Mandy!
Christmas decorations that bring back happy memories
The kids being old enough to do the tree almost entirely by themselves {& it actually looking good!}
Laughing with my family while watching Elf
The guards [who had originally insisted that we would have to be outside for the duration of our visit with my brother] relenting & allowing us to go inside once tables were available {it felt like 40 degrees with wind gusts that no lie almost blew me off my feet. Twice!}
Getting to be a part of my dad's birthday tradition at Live Oak Grill {the best steak fingers since his hometown DQ closed ~ not your typical steak fingers, ftr}
A working heater {finally had a reason to turn it on overnight!}
Warm boots {is it crazy that tank tops & warm boots are on the same list? Crazy Texas weather!}
Painting with my little neighbors
An impromtu hang out day with their mom
It's finally the time of year to listen to Relient K's Let it Snow Baby...Let it Reindeer!

And you? What are you thankful for?

"Telephone"

2011-11-26T18:52:00.000-06:00

(by Rock 'n' Roll Worship Circus)

Telephone by Rock 'n' Roll Worship Circus on Grooveshark

This week went by fast! The kids only had school two days, so I had the chance to sleep in on three different days! Unfortunately, I was only able to sleep past 7:30 once ~ & that was because I didn't get home from a crop until 1 am {& with the help of my super cute sleep mask!} I've spent a lot of this week furniture shopping, and I can't wait to tell y'all about my new stuff! You'll probably have to wait until after the new year, though. I will say that I'm typing this post while sitting in the cutest swivel glider on the planet! :) You may end up seeing pics of the stuff here & there, but I'm not completely finished yet. Plus I want to show you the whole thing without Christmas decorations. Speaking of...we put our decorations up today! We usually do it on the Friday after Thanksgiving, but we ended up furniture shopping longer than expected. Cody went to a friend's anyways, so today worked out best. The kids really enjoy putting their ornaments on the tree. {which includes the one they pick each year that is sorta their "theme", & the various ones they've made through the years} They also have certain colors of the globe ornaments that they're responsible for. Then I get to do the rest. I don't go terribly overboard, but I like to do the living room & stairs. Due to the furniture I'll tell you about later, we had to put the tree in a different spot this year. I'm afraid it's in the way of the dining area, but we really didn't know what else to do with it! I won't bore you with pictures that would look basically the same as prior years, but here's the tree in its new spot:

On to other things...I had lunch with my friend Sam this week! I got to meet her newest little man, and she had her four-year-old with her, too. He is absolutely adorable, and I got to sit next to him. He calls me "Miss Annie", even though Sam always tells him that my name is Amy. ü Funny story...years ago, Hayes somehow got beans in my hair when we had met up at Chipotle. So we joke about it at least every other time we get together. This time, Sam had told Hayes about it before we got to the restaurant. When we first met up, he said, "Miss Annie, I'm good now. I won't get beans in your hair this time." =) Toward the end of the meal, I told him that he did good & kept his promise to not get beans in my hair. He responded with, "Good thing this place doesn't have beans!"

I bragged on Cody last week, and now I get to brag on Elly! After each six weeks, her school holds an awards assembly/pep rally-type thing. They give out awards for all sorts of things, and it seems to keep the majority of the kids motivated to behave well & do well in their classes. One of the awards is the the "Principal's Award", where teachers pick one girl & one guy from each of the three teams in each grade. My baby girl won it this time!! She'll get to have lunch with the principals sometime this six weeks, which she thinks is pretty cool! She also received an award for Most Outstanding in ELA {because she's awesome} & A/B honor roll. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm bragging on my kids a lot. I really am so proud of them, though, so I can't help it! ♥

We spent Thanksgiving day at my brother's house! {When we first got there, a little incident occurred that reminded me of a MIS-series story I'll have to tell you about soon!} We enjoyed our time with Dad, Wendy's parents & grandparents, and her sister's family. Mom & G came by after their lunch at Tiffany's. Random story...my Jimi Hendrix water bottle had been missing for awhile, and it turns out that I had left it in my dad's car. He returned it to me last weekend & mentioned it while we were at my brother's. I told him that I was glad to have it back, because Jimi is my favorite one. Wendy said, "You name your water bottles?" & I explained that only two of them have names (Jimi & Madge ~ though my friend Aaron has now named one of my travel mugs). My mom didn't realizing that we were talking about reusable water bottles & said, "When I'm done, I usually thrown mine away! I don't have them long enough to name them." :D

And finally, today's song! One that starts out, "Jesus, there is nothing better to do than to be with You for an hour or two" has to be super! Don't you think? Love.

Alrighty, it's about time to watch Elf! It's our favorite Christmas movie. :) Maybe even our favorite movie period. What's your favorite Christmas movie?

"Thankful"

2011-11-24T09:24:00.002-06:00

(by Greg Long)

Thankful by Greg Long on Grooveshark

I'm sure nobody is reading blogs on Thanksgiving, but I have some great scriptures about giving thanks!

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
(1 Chronicles 16:8 )

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His steadfast love endures forever!
(1 Chronicles 16:34)

I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.
(Psalm 7:17)

Therefore will I give thanks and extol You, O Lord, among the nations,
and sing praises to Your name.
(Psalm 18:49)

I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise You among a mighty throng.
(Psalm 35:18)

In God we have made our boast all the day long,
and we will give thanks to Your name forever. Selah!
(Psalm 44:8)

I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations;
therefore shall the people praise and give You thanks forever and ever.
(Psalm 45:17)

Enter His gates with thanksgiving & His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him & praise His name.
(Psalm 100:4)

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God,
that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
(Hebrews 13:15)
Of course there are many more, but I'll stop there for now! I also found this article [Celebrating Thanksgiving in America] about the history of Thanksgiving as a time to focus on God & His blessings. It's a good read if you have the time! I hope y'all are having a wonderful day!!

"Nothing Short of Thankful"

2011-11-21T14:13:00.002-06:00

(by The Avett Brothers)

Nothing Short Of Thankful by The Avett Brothers on Grooveshark

Today I am incredibly grateful for...

Healthy new babies
A new kindred spirit in the OM community {if we have to deal with stupid cancer, I'm glad to be going through it with people like Mandy!}
Finding out that I'm on Mandy's list, too! :)
A sweet & unexpected gift from my Tuesday girls!
Running into people I know almost every time I go to Kroger :)
The smell of apples & cinnamon baking in my oven
The sound of Cody growling at Pepper :D
A cute handmade gift that one of my Wednesday girls made for the entire class
Happy tears
Being content with what I have
A message from a bloggy friend that I seriously want to print out & frame! ♥
Lunch w/Laura at Sandy McGees
Celebrating the end of my baby brother's Bible study course {with cheesecake!}
Cody placing in two of his Science Olympiad events
A "just because" gift from my friend
Coffee & Kroger dates! :D
Catching up with some scrapbook friends I haven't seen since the Spring
Rejoicing with our friends as they celebrate the impending arrival of their baby girl!
Good food & conversation at Jorge's birthday party
Getting to play with three cute boys in the nursery ~ one of whom usually cries, but he didn't yesterday. I'd like to think it's because of me! ;)
Baby girl arriving safely home from a youth retreat
Living close enough to ride my bike to &/or from home group
Singing the national anthem with my boy {He had to learn it for school, & we were singing it at the top of our lungs while snuggling on the couch last night! Sometimes our house is like a musical, & I love it! :D}
Only one more day of school this week!
This season of thankfulness {oh, that we would all continue it beyond Thanksgiving!}

What are you grateful for today?

"My Distraction"

2011-11-20T07:35:00.001-06:00

(by Blake Quimby)

My Distraction by Blake Quimby on Grooveshark

I'm sorry to be late once again! I know, I know...I'm beginning to sound like a broken record...I had three different things yesterday & was home for maybe 20 minutes between each thing. They were fun things, though, so I'm not complaining! I went to a crop in the morning (& got 11 pages done!), a baby shower in the afternoon, & a birthday party in the evening. We got to see a lot of great people that we really don't see often enough!

Alrighty, now for the random events of my week...

First I'll give you a little update on Mr Christopher...he saw three different doctors this week. Fortunately, they were all in the same building on the same day. Unfortunately, there were three separate co-pays. :/ First we saw Dr B, and he felt like things looked fine except for the cataract. We've been talking about this cataract for nearly a year & 1/2 now, and it seems as if both doctors agree that it's time to do something about it. You may remember that Dr B seemed concerned about Dr C removing the cataract when he does the other surgery. I'm not even positive that Dr C was actually planning on doing it himself, but it doesn't really matter now anyways. Because we've now added a new doctor to our list: Dr Hamill, a cataract specialist. After Dr B's examination, he had Dr H come in to look at Christopher's eye, and Dr H asked us to come back & see him after the appointment upstairs with Dr C. There's a slight possibility that his peripheral vision could be improved by replacing the lens, but at the very least they'll be able to see into his eye better.

Dr C said that there is no new radiation damage (since July)! We told him about Dr H removing the cataract, and he made sure that we're aware that his central vision will most likely not improve. His main concern about the surgery is that it can increase the pressure & cause those crazy vessels at the front of his eye. But he didn't advise against it, and I think he'd like to be able to see & treat the retina easier in the future.

Soooo...we went back downstairs to Dr H & paid a specialist co-pay for him to simply look in Christopher's eye (as he had already done in Dr B's office) & recommend that we have cataract surgery (again, as he had already done in Dr B's office). He did add that when we go in for the pre-op visit, he wants us to be armed with any questions. And he likes patients with lists. {Seriously, while that little statement did make my heart do a little flip, I don't think it was worth the $35 co-pay!} Anyways, he basically reiterated what Dr C said when he first mentioned the ease & relative safety of cataract surgery {though he didn't call it a picnic!} & sent us on our way. The surgery is scheduled for January 11th, which is six days after scans. So if we don't meet our deductible the first week of the year, we'll definitely meet it the second. We're good at that...

On to other things...

So I shocked my son this week. We were discussing accountability, and I gave an example of a time in my life when I needed accountability. I had a little cussing problem as a young teenager, and my friend Misty & I decided that we needed to help each other to stop this habit. We both loved Jesus, and we knew that cussing wasn't a good example of Jesus to our friends. So we decided to punch each other every time we heard each other cuss. I don't think that's really the accountability that most people have in mind, but it worked for us! ;) Anyways, I told the kids about it during our Bible reading before bed the other night. As I was walking in to Cody's room to tuck him in, he said, "I can't believe you used to cuss! Like, what did you say?"

OK, this is incredibly random, but surely you've come to expect that by now...I was doing laundry the other day & came across the following:

Those are Cody's jeans on top of mine. I can't believe how much he has grown! He's almost my size now, which is craziness because he's supposed to still be a baby! How did this happen?! I remember when I accidentally put Elizabeth's jeans in my stack, and that was crazy enough! But now it's my baby boy whose jeans are nearly the same size as mine. I know he'll be taller than me before I know it, and I'm just not ready for that!

Speaking of my boy, I have to brag on him for a minute...The awards ceremony for the Science Olympiad was Friday morning. Out of the entire district (20 schools and at least two teams from each school) Cody & his teammate won 1st place in Pond Study & 4th place in Ready, Aim, Fire! His school also won a grant that allows the Science Club students to go on an extra field trip to a museum (we both forgot which one) later in the year. Here's my sweet boy with his medals:

As for today's song...Like I told you last week, I've been listening to worship music a lot. It really helps me keep my focus. So unless I have new tunes to listen to, I've found it very helpful to keep my iPod on my playlist entitled "My Distraction". {What's kinda funny is that my counselor asked me once if I had any distractions that I use to deal with anxious thoughts & such. I sorta laughed & said, "It's funny you should ask that..." & told him the title of my worship playlist. For the record, he said it's a healthy distraction!} I named the playlist after today's song by our friend Blake, who coincidentally I got to see yesterday! {They were the ones who had the baby shower! Ü} Anyways, my favorite part of the song is the first part of the chorus:

Be my distraction
My satisfaction
Oh Lord, come and fill me
and the part where he says, "Break through the noise, Jesus, come capture me."

I hope y'all are having a great weekend!!

"Jesus Loves Me"

2011-11-18T10:50:00.001-06:00

(by Christy Knockels)

Jesus Loves Me by Christy Nockels on Grooveshark

I finished reading the book of John this week, and I just love the fact that he refers to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved"! I don't know if he simply had a deeper understanding of the love of the Lord, or if he thought he was the favorite one. ;) But either way, he knew that Jesus loved him.

As children, we could easily sing today's song. I'm sure that some of us sang it just because everyone else was. But I know that as innocent children, many of us believed it. I used to sing it in "Junior Church" with Mr. Young when I was three, and I believed it. That was before life's circumstances (and my own sin) caused me to feel unloved and unworthy of love. And I spent a good deal of the following years trying to earn His love {I've blogged about this at least once!} I've come a long way, and (thank God) I don't feel that way anymore. But I know I'm not the only one who has felt this way (or maybe still does). I think it's easy for us to tell another person that Jesus loves them. But how often do we say it about ourselves? Do you hear grown ups say, "Jesus loves me" very often?

Oh, that we would all be able to comprehend His love to the point that we refer to ourselves as the one whom Jesus loves! ♥ Can you say it today? And believe it? Oh friend, He does. He loves you so much!

My prayer for you is this: that you may “have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is.” (Eph 3:18)

{the one whom Jesus loves!}

"I Got a Pea"

2011-11-16T10:45:00.002-06:00

(by Bryant Oden)

As promised, I have a new MIShap for my

After Bob's Celebration of Life service on Saturday, I needed to use the restroom. I went to the foyer & happened to notice that the mens' room was occupied, as I went into the restroom right next to it. After taking care of business, I opened the door to see my friend Thomas waiting to go in after me. He looked about as surprised to see me walk out as I was to see him walk in. "You were not what I was expecting to walk out of there!" he said, as he gestured toward the sign on the bathroom door.

Confused, I looked at the sign, and it clearly read "MEN"!

Why a church has two mens' rooms, I'm not sure...but that appeared to be the case!

Another man was standing by, amused at my little interaction with Thomas. He said, "I saw you going in there and was going to warn you that there were no paper towels."

Umm....why didn't he warn me that I was going into the Men's room?!

"Thankful"

2011-11-14T17:10:00.000-06:00

(by Jonny Lang)

Thankful by Jonny Lang on Grooveshark

Since I decided to focus on my friends in my gratitude post last week, some of today's list goes back a couple of weeks. Again, I'm sure it doesn't really matter to you when these things occurred, right? Today I am {still} thankful for...

A scrapbook/catch up day with Felicity
@Mentions on Pinterest :)
Delicious MOPS breakfast
Hanging out with Amy {even if we only have a little bit of time!}
A hilariously gross picture that Felicity sent me via text {because it made her think of me!} :D
Playing Bubble Talk with some great ladies at Game Night with Christopher's Sunday School class
Getting to know people better at said Game Night
An extra hour of ~~sleep~~ fun! :)
A huge heart for missions at my church
Fun events {like Slip N Slide Supernova} with the students at church
No major injuries at said fun event
My cousin's strong foundation and solid trust in the Lord as he begins his battle with cancer {I love you, Kirby! You are amazing, and I am so proud of you!}
A beautiful reminder of God as the potter {May I truly surrender & allow Him to shape me into a vessel that would be useful to Him! Jeremiah 18:1-6, 2 Timothy 2:21}
The Word of God "that is the very bread by which I live" {I totally stole that line from Kay Arthur. I love it! It is so true. I simply cannot live without His Word!}
Trials that lead me to Jesus & (though I have a long way to go) make me more like Him
Days when I am able to spend hours with my God ♥
Catching up with my best friend from middle school
Inside jokes with my girl
Reading the same books as my boy & enjoying them! {How are both of my kids old enough to read books that grown-ups like, too?!}
Sweet teenage girls opening up about their lives in our small groups {I ♥ those girls!}
The ability to multi-task
Wi-Fi
Finding out about another "small world" connection {it makes me happy every time!}
Christopher's eye remaining stable for four months
No doctor appointments for the rest of the year!

I'd love to now what's on your list today!

"The Fullness"

2011-11-12T20:07:00.006-06:00

(by Lovelite)

Overall, this week has been really good! I do, however, have a prayer request: my amazingly awesome cousin Kirby has been diagnosed with stupid cancer. He had surgery to remove a tumor on Monday, and he starts chemo this week. His faith is very strong, and God has given him peace. I just want to ask you to join me in prayer as he starts chemo. Thank you, friends!

As for the happier parts of my week...I think I was gone every night this week! It's not always that way, & I probably should've thought it through before making a couple of plans. But I had several free days, so it wasn't overwhelming or anything! I met a friend for coffee Monday night, and it was so good to hang out with her. We had been meeting up on a weekly basis, but the past month has been crazy. So it had been over a month since we had gotten together. That's way too long! Then on Tuesday night, we had a ladies' event at church. I could probably write a whole blog post about all of the great stuff that the speaker had to say. She is a potter, and she walked us through the pottery process, related it to our heavenly potter, then gave her testimony. Her message tied in with a lot of stuff that God is walking me through right now, so I'm so glad that I went! Our regular mid-week studies were on Wednesday night, and I'm so sad that next week is our last meeting of the year! :( On Thursday night, MOPS hosted our 2nd Annual "Sip & Shop" (holiday market). We Mentor Moms took turns sitting at the MOPS table, and my friend Laurien kept me company while I took my turn! :) Last night, Cody had a church event. After dropping the boys off, we went to dinner & coffee with Wade and Amy. Well, Chris & I had coffee, and Wade, Amy & Elly had hot cocoa. I don't guess I'll ever get Amy to enjoy coffee with me! ;)

I got to babysit my little friends for awhile one day this week. While Cody & Clara Belle were doing homework, I was sorta wishing I still had a Kindergartener! It has gotten to the point with both of the kids that I sometimes have to look online to help them with their homework! {& I was a gifted student who was 3rd in my graduating class!! There are just some things that I have forgotten since I finished school, ya know?!} So, weirdo that I am, I took pics to show you the difference in homework:

(She's writing the letter "v", and he's using the EPSE method to solve word problems. Ya, I'd never heard of EPSE either!}

I went to a baby shower today! It was for Michelle, my best friend from middle school...the same one whose wedding shower I went to last year with the disastrous wardrobe situation. As you can imagine, I was a little nervous about what to wear to this shower, because I was afraid I was going to be underdressed again. But I also didn't want to go the opposite extreme & end up overdressed. Add to that the fact that I was going directly from the shower to Bob's Celebration of Life service, and I wasn't going to have time to change. {I wasn't real sure what you're supposed to wear to that, so I looked online. In case you wondered, you're not expected to wear head-to-toe black, but some black is still respectful.} So I went with the dress I got for Kirby's wedding (aka, The Soccer Dress), & it turned out to be appropriate for both occasions.

{Seriously, she just had a baby 8 weeks ago! Doesn't she look great?!}

Lest you think that I pulled that off with class...I was sitting there at the shower & glanced down to see that I still had some remains of this:

In case you can't tell, that's a smiley face made out of Sharpie & burnt flesh. The burn was an accident that occurred earlier in the week. The kids kept telling me it looked like a smile, so I finally let Cody draw "eyes" on my arm Friday afternoon. In case you didn't know, Sharpie is somewhat permanent. Plus, I forgot to actually scrub it. So it hadn't completely faded before the shower this morning. Nice. {If only that were the lone mishap of the day...I've got a story for you next week!! I think you're going to love it!}

As for today's song, it's another Lovelite tune that I've had for awhile now. I've been listening to worship music quite a bit lately, and this one really stood out to me this week. I love the whole song, but if I had to pick a favorite part it would be the second verse:
Here I am full of hope
Not weighed down anymore
Knowing You changes me
Never let me leave
♥

Okey doke, I've got to get some sleep! I hope y'all are having a wonderful weekend!!

"It Is Well"

2011-11-09T11:57:00.001-06:00

(by Aaron Keyes)

I think I have been pretty open with y'all throughout my journey, as I've shared my ups and my downs. I feel like I've shared many more downs than ups though, so I hope you'll rejoice with me as I share a little victory with y'all today...

Not too long ago, I told y'all that I feel like I'm going through the fire. And if I can be completely honest, I'm still in it. But right now I am actually at a place of rest inside it. I can't even explain it, but I really am.

Don't get me wrong, I still hurt.

And I am not happy with my situation.

At all.

But I am at rest right now. And I can rejoice, having finally come to the place where I am truly grateful for my trials. I have a long way to go, and I am still in the midst of them. But I am beginning to see some of the beautiful that He is making out of them. They have led me to a better understanding of Him, and I am at peace as I trust in Him. He has shown me such beautiful truths in His Word, and I am learning to surrender to His sovereignty and His purpose. I am really seeing that I can place my hope in Him, as I am reminded of His goodness and faithfulness.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4, ESV)

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?...No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:35,37-39, NLT)

I hope all is well with you today. If not, please let me know how I can be praying for you! ♥

"True Friend"

2011-11-07T16:51:00.000-06:00

(by Hannah Montana)

Yes, I posted a Hannah Montana song. I'm not sure what came over me. I already posted the song that would've been perfect for today, so what else could I do? Becky is talking about girlfriends {& how complicated friendships can be} on her blog today. In reading her post, I was reminded that I have some amazing {& complication-free} friends! So I decided that today would be all about them!! I am thankful for my friends who...

live in my neighborhood
have babies I get to hold :)
let me ramble about random stuff
allow me to vent
hold me accountable
meet me for coffee
laugh with me
cry with me
pray with me
pray for me
shop with me
watch TV with me
bake with me
make me laugh
make me smile
encourage me
challenge me
speak truth to me
skype with me
scrapbook with me
carpool with me
go to concerts with me
leave encouraging blog comments
text me funny pictures! :)
know my faults and still love me ♥

If you have a friend that you're grateful for, I'd love to hear about her (or him)!

"Even if it Breaks Your Heart"

2011-11-06T21:48:00.001-06:00

(by Will Hoge)

I'm sorry to post this so late! I'm sure y'all were waiting on pins and needles for my favorite song of the week! :P I've had very little time at home this weekend, so this is my first chance to post it! Today's song is another one of my Will Hoge favorites. If you haven't listened to him yet, you really need to! Like, right now.

I had hoped to have some pictures from Halloween for y'all to see, but I completely forgot to ask Amy to send me a couple. The flash broke on my camera, so I didn't even attempt to take any pics on Halloween night. Maybe I'll have something to show you next Saturday...

Alrighty, I suppose I'll post this & get to bed. I totally didn't take advantage of the extra hour of sleep this weekend. Did you?

"Learning How to Die"

2011-11-04T16:20:00.002-05:00

(by Jon Foreman)

Cancer has taken the life of another amazing person. You may remember our family attending the birthday party of a man named Bob. He lost his fight with cancer on Monday, but he is now dancing in heaven. I thought this song was perfect for him, especially considering the birthday speech he gave (there's a video clip on the post that I linked to already, but you'll have to scroll down past my ramblings & such. Surprise, surprise). He closed with these words, "I didn't get saved to be a good guy. I got saved to die great."

I have known very few people who have lived out their faith so vocally and radically. I rank him among men like Keith Green & Rich Mullins: their lives on earth ended way to soon, yet they leave a legacy that continues to bring glory to God. Like Jesus, they can say, "I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do." (John 17:4). Bob may have completed the work God called him to do, but his work goes on in the lives of the people God reached (& will continue to reach) through him.

Because Bob would love it, I'll close with a video he showed my girl when we had dinner at his house one day. He said this was his song:

♥

"Thankful"

2011-11-02T13:28:00.001-05:00

(by Caedmon's Call)

I'm sorry I'm so late with this. I haven't had much time at home lately. Today I am thankful for...

The MRF (Melanoma Research Foundation) starting a new ocular melanoma initiative (CURE OM)
A safe trip for my mister
Butterflies visiting my garden
Play dates with my Costa Rican missionary friend
Playing Twister with her baby girl :)
Doing puzzles with my cute little neighbors
A sweet baby boy falling asleep in my arms {the best feeling ever!}
Great grades on my kids' report cards!
A super great parent-teacher conference
Coupons
Great bargains at Old Navy's "Stuff & Save" event
$5 boots {even though Wade saw them & asked where my hover board was!}
Watching a movie with my girl
Alpha Day with my dad & brother
Seeing my baby brother 3 out of 4 days in a row!
Pumpkin carving with our community group
The legacy of a crazy awesome man named Bob (RIP)
A field trip with my boy :)
Carpooling on said field trip & getting to know some other moms
A yummy Halloween dinner tradition with my friends Amy & Marcie {& our families!}
Leaves crunching under our feet as we took the kids trick-or-treating
Three different kinds of delicious leftover soup {thanks for sharing, girls!}
A day to relax at home
The way God weaves His Word into our lives from all different directions, and it all comes together in such a beautifully cohesive way to speak to whatever we're going through
Amazingly beautiful weather!

What's on your list today?

"Calling All the Monsters"

2011-10-31T09:59:00.001-05:00

(by China Anne McClain)

Somehow I have failed to mention anything about what our student ministry has done for Halloween over the last four or five years! On the Wednesday night beforehand, we dress up & do something crazy. It isn't always the same thing, but it's always super fun! We've had Scavengerween (costume scavenger hunting), Rollerween (costume roller skating) & Bowlerween (as you could probably guess: costume bowling). I'll show you a few pictures from Somethingerween's past, but the real point of this post is to let you see how amazingly cute the girl volunteer's team costume was this year...

When Sally was pregnant a few years ago, she & Wade dressed up quite scandalously:

Here I am with Jana, Sophie & Sal a couple of years ago:

& here's a shot from Rollerween last year:

This year, my fellow volunteers (Nicole & Julie) decided that the three of us needed to go as Rock, Paper, Scissors. Wade loves it & has us all play it at least twice a month to determine who will play the actual game that he has planned for the day. Also when there's a tie in the actual game, it results in a "physical challenge". And his idea of a physical challenge is RPS. {Sometimes he'll change the point value of the last trivia question (or whatever) just so he can force a physical challenge!} So it seemed like an appropriate costume theme for us!

I didn't actually get to go on the scavenger hunt since I'm leading a Ladies' class on Wednesday nights, but we would've been split up for that part of the night anyways. The main thing was that we were together before & after. They got done with the hunt around the same time that my class ended, so I got back to the youth building before they showed all of the pictures from the scavenger hunt. My baby girl's team won! Speaking of my baby girl, she has wanted to go as Wade since she first knew about Somethingerween. This was her first year in the youth group, though, so it was her first chance! We were sneaky & had Sal snag us one of his shirts & a hat for Elly to wear:

& here's a picture of all of the youth volunteers minus Bob {respect the 'stache} ~ he always seems to disappear when it's time for us to take a group picture!

{is it just me, or does the Burger King creep you out?}

Even though I didn't get to participate in the hunt, I thoroughly enjoyed making & wearing costumes with Julie & Nicole! I'm pretty sure this was my favorite costume ever. If you have a favorite costume, I'd love to hear about it!!

"Remember Me"

2011-10-29T21:55:00.002-05:00

(by Mark Schultz)

Several exciting things happened this week! First of all, Christopher started out the week in Washington DC. The headquarters for the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) is in DC, & Chris went there to train for a new Buddy Program that the MRF is starting. Through the program, a newly diagnosed Ocular Melanoma patient will be assigned to him for support and encouragement. It would've been wonderful to have something like this when Chris was first diagnosed. Because OM is so rare, there aren't any local support groups or anything like that. It took awhile to find an OM survivor, and it was a very stressful time (for many obvious reasons)! Within a few weeks of his diagnosis, I came in contact with a lady named Sara whose husband also has OM. It was helpful to communicate with someone who was a little farther down the road than I was. There are now several facebook groups and better search engine optimization for the sites with solid facts. Even with an incredible online community, it would still be nice to actually talk to another patient. We've never actually talked to one, but Chris has talked to a few relatives (including Sara & her sister) and met the daughter of an OM patient who passed away. There are two other patients in the Houston area (that we know about), and I have plans to meet one of them for coffee one of these days!

Anyways, in addition to the Buddy Program {and even more exciting!} is a new OM initiative (CURE OM) that is being launched by the MRF on Monday! The MRF is the largest independent organization in the US devoted to melanoma. Up until now it has exclusively dealt with cutaneous melanoma, but it will now be taking on Ocular Melanoma! We are all very excited to know that more research will be done to find effective treatment (& ultimately, a cure) for OM!

On to other events of the week...Scavengerween was Wednesday night! I'll post more about it later, but just know that Nicole, Julie, & I had the most amazing team costume!! If we're fb friends {& you haven't hidden me due to all of the pics my mom has been tagging me in and clogging up your feed!} you may have already seen pictures. Otherwise, I plan on posting about it on Monday!

I got to hang out with my friends Heather, Kristi, & Jana (and their kiddos) on Thursday! I don't remember if I've mentioned my friend Heather before (other than in my "Friends' Theme Songs: Scrapbook Friends Edition"), but her family moved to Costa Rica to become missionaries a couple of years ago. They're in the States for a little while, and Kristi invited us over for a play date! It was so good to really catch up with her! When they've visited before, I've only seen her at church. There are always a lot of people who want to talk to them, so our conversation is usually brief. We stay in touch through facebook and email, but it's just not the same as face-to-face girl talk!

Speaking of girl talk, I have to tell y'all about the super great deals I got yesterday! I don't know if you remember when I got some good deals during Old Navy's "Stuff & Save" event last year, but I think I did even better this time! Cody needed jeans, because I've learned not to buy him any at the beginning of the school year. He won't wear them until it drops to 40 degrees. {Several years ago, I made the mistake of buying 5 or 6 pairs of jeans for him at the beginning of the school year. Then he wore nothing but shorts until it got cold. And had outgrown the jeans before he ever got a chance to wear them! The only good thing about it was that I have a nephew who is younger/smaller than Cody, so he got some brand new jeans!} Anyways, it got cold Thursday night, so Cody wore the one pair of jeans without holes in the knees to school on Friday. And on Friday only, I got 40% off everything I could fit in Old Navy's "Stuff & Save" bag. Plus, their clearance items were anywhere from 30-50% off the marked down price, & I had some reward bucks that I was able to redeem toward my purchase, too! So Cody got 6 pairs of jeans for about $7.35 each, and I got a bunch of shirts ranging from $.98 to $2.82 each! :) Granted, some of them were tank tops & others were long-sleeved U-necks, but I still think I got a pretty good deal!

Check out the length of my receipt:

That picture's a little deceiving. Here's one with a more accurate perspective...

{My grand total for 23 items was only $86.31 ~ aren't you proud of me, Laura?!}

And YES, the niche above the fireplace is still empty. Back on 3/27/10 I said it'd take a few years...we're over half-way there...

On to way more exciting things than good deals & empty niches...My dad & I got to spend all day with my brother today! It was Alpha/Holy Spirit Day, which is hosted by the same people who facilitate the Thursday night Bible studies. When the Alpha Course is done in the free world, they devote an entire weekend to lessons about the Holy Spirit. They're only allowed one day in the prison course, & my brother's unit is the only prison in the United States that allows family members to be a part of it! There were a lot more family members than on Thursday nights, and it was really great to meet them! This may seem crazy, but these men are becoming like family. So it's really neat to get a chance to meet more of the people that are special to them. Other than the usual Thursday night stuff (worship, Bible study lessons, & small group), there were songs, poems, & skits performed by a lot of the inmates & their family. Dad & I sang today's song {hence the reason it was listened to the most this week ~ I had heard it before but didn't really know it, so I had to learn it before I sang it in front of 200 or so people!} and my brother surprised us by rapping to a Christian remake of "No Ordinary Love" with his friends Sly & Trey. It was super cool!

Alrighty, I'm going to try to get to sleep soon! I hope y'all are having a super great weekend!!

"Thankful"

2011-10-24T15:05:00.001-05:00

(by Glen Phillips)

Between my list of songs and my baby girl's birthday, I haven't posted a list of everyday things that I'm thankful for in awhile. So a few of the items on today's list go back a few weeks. But I'm still thankful for them, and I don't suppose it matters to you when they occurred! Today I am thankful for...

A sweet little boy who says that he likes "Cody's mom" ♥
My Wednesday girls starting a facebook group to support & encourage each other in their Made to Crave journey!
Actually paying cash for car repairs instead of using a credit card!
My friend Debi bringing me medicine {& surprise cookies!} while I was stuck at home with a migraine & a sickly boy
Bike rides on cool mornings
My super great neighbor {I am so blessed to live only three doors down from sweet Kristi!!}
Worship music
"Praying for you" emails ♥
Routines
Organizational items
Index cards {especially the ones I write scripture on & carry in my purse}
Scarves
Cooking dates with Laura
The new "buddy program" for melanoma patients
The ocular melanoma community
Elly picking up after her brother
Elly treating me to empanadas
Cody having the honor of competing in the Science Olympiad {for the 3rd year in a row!}
Babies who love their Auntie Amy
Missionaries {especially Bart & Heather}
Costa Rican coffee
My baby brother getting the chance to see my kids {for the 1st time in nearly three years}
Good conversation with my son until way past bedtime
Friends who go places with me so I don't have to go alone
Being included in what just may be the best Somethingerween team costume ever! {stay tuned for more about that...}

What are you thankful for today?

"You're Everything"

2011-10-22T19:29:00.003-05:00

(by David Crowder)

Today was such a beautiful day! I hope it was beautiful where you were, too! Cody was at the Science Olympiad most of the day, and Christopher is out of town. So I got to hang out with my baby girl! We chilled at home in the morning, then we picked up her friend Kiya and went out for lunch & froyo. My original plan was to ruin lunch & just go to Orange Leaf {don't judge me: I had a Juice in the City deal that expires soon & didn't want to ruin the good deal by spending money on lunch!} But Elly, the oh-so-sensible one, thought we should have lunch first. She wanted empanadas and offered to pay for them! Nobody in their right mind can turn down free empanadas! It's funny how frugal kids can be when they're spending their own money...she didn't want to pay for drinks, so she packed some cokes in my super cute lunch bag & decided we should get our empanadas to go {So we didn't really cheat on Dan & Amanda since we didn't actually eat there, right?!} We ate in the little courtyard around the corner from Orange Leaf, and it was the most beautiful day to eat outside!

{I know you can't really tell it from the picture, but it's a nice little place to enjoy some lunch!}

One other thing about my girl ~> so far this whole teenager thing isn't so bad. {Yes, I may be eating those words soon!} For now anyways, she seems to be a little more mature. Case in point: she was doing her chores this morning & said something about Cody always leaving his clothes and paper airplanes everywhere as she was picking them all up & taking them to his room. I asked her why she put them away, & she said, "Because it's bugging me!" Now if I could just get her to feel that way about the origami that she leaves everywhere... ♥

As for today's song, I've been listening to worship music this week & rediscovered this one. I love it! I haven't really listened to David Crowder much lately, but I like him a lot. ü

One last thing...with Mister Christopher out of town, Cody has declared himself the man of the house. He also randomly had a moustache painted on his face at school yesterday. So he wanted me to take pictures...

I don't know...what can I say? He's my [quirky] son! I love him, though. And I'm glad I get to be his mom! :)

"Refiner's Fire"

2011-10-20T11:16:00.001-05:00

(by Brian Doerksen)

Two posts in one day?! I know right. It's a shocker! Because Brooke seemed a little concerned about me, I figure I'll just go ahead and put it all out there (once again)...

I'm starting a new Bible study on my own, and I knew it was for me as soon as I read the introduction. It's a Kay Arthur study called As Silver Refined, and it's about allowing God to use our disappointments, trials, and struggles as tools to make us more like Him.

This has just been one of those years when I've struggled to stay on top. I feel like I've been through the fire ~ and for whatever reason, I feel like the heat was turned up this year. And while I know that the testing is for my maturity (James 1:2-4), I feel like I've actually taken a couple of steps backwards (as evidenced by my weight). I'm normally an upbeat person, but I haven't really stayed there this year (for several years, really). I know I've said this before, but I've been trying to fight off this ambivalence that I really despise. I feel like I go back and forth between pity parties and trusting in the Lord. And I don't want to be double-minded & unstable. I don't want my joy and peace to be based on circumstances. I feel like I'll make some progress and attain some level of victory, but it always seems to be short-lived. I'm not sure how much of this is the enemy's schemes or something I'm doing wrong, but I'm ready to get out of this vicious cycle.

Through my counselor and the Lysa TerKeurst study that I'm finishing up, I've learned some techniques to help me focus on God and His truth. I know that a huge key to my emotional & spiritual stability lies in keeping my focus on Him. And as I mentioned in the post I just referenced, I need to know and remain in His love.

Sigh.

Why is that easier for me to say than do?

I also need to allow God to refine me and not resist the work He is trying to do inside of me. I've only read the Table of Contents & introduction of the Kay Arthur study, but it's so good already! Here's just a glimpse...

We are His silver. And the fire is the fire of His making, for through His fire our Refiner will perfect an awesome work, a divine work. He will take what is impure and make it pure. He will take what is dull and make it beautiful. He’ll take what is of potential value and reveal its actual value...
Different flames, different fires will come and go. In the pressure of their heat we’ll see the impurities in our lives being released and rising to the top. Then He’ll skim them off, purifying us, refining us. He’ll make the fire a little hotter, causing new impurities to rise and be released, exposed for what they are. These, too, He’ll lift away."
(Kay Arthur, As Silver Refined)

I really do want to be who He wants me to be. I want to allow Him to purify me and make me whole. I want Him to see Himself when He looks at me. I want to handle my circumstances as He wants me to handle them. And more than anything, I want to be used by Him & bring Him glory.

"Look Away"

2011-10-20T08:41:00.002-05:00

(by The Reliques)

I don't have much to say these days, but I didn't want to wait until Saturday to post something. Today's song is one of my favorites from The Reliques' To Feel and Be Loved EP. I've been wanting to post it for awhile {it's even on my list} & today seemed like a good day for it. Anyways, I love The Reliques. I think I've said that before, but it's still true. Not that you asked, but my favorite part of the song is:

Who am I to receive such a pardon?
Scarlet fades as I come to Your throne
Head to chest, here I rest...
♥

"I Hope You Dance"

2011-10-18T10:18:00.008-05:00

(by Lee Ann Womack)

I am officially the mother of a teenager! My baby girl was born 13 years ago today, and these have seriously been the best 13 years of my life! I am so incredibly proud to be her mom! Today's list contains many of the reasons why I love my sweet Elly. I am thankful that she...

Encourages others
Is a great student
Makes me origami hearts
Laughs a lot
Has deep conversations
Loves her dad
Is a thinker
Still gives goodnight kisses
Shares clothes with me
Is kind
Makes me laugh
Loves to make people smile
Is a talented artist
Likes her freckles
Is a brilliant writer
Has the cutest giggle
Still enjoys shopping with her mom
Is confident
Loves to read
Has a beautiful smile
Isn't high maintenance
Cares about her brother
Is loved by her teachers
Sends the best emails
Is becoming an incredible young woman {I love her!}

Is there someone you're thankful for today?

"When I Get My Wings"

2011-10-15T17:17:00.001-05:00

(by Will Hoge)

So my pastor sent me an email with this Will Hoge video a few weeks ago, and I fell in love a little bit. And when I told Neil that I liked it, he proceeded to send me a list of nearly 20 Will Hoge "must haves" that are also really great. So I'm thinking that there should be a new commandment that goes something like this: thou shalt not tempt your friend to spend unbudgeted music money...As you probably know, I've already spent funds on music lately (with CD Release Day & all). Since I'm not working these days, I don't have any "fun money" {insert sad face here!} But the Bible says that when we are tempted, God will provide a way out... & by "a way out", I mean Youtube, Spotify & Grooveshark. So while I don't have an accurate play count, I absolutely love today's song & am pretty sure I've listened to it more than any other song this week. If you haven't heard of Will Hoge yet, you should definitely check him out!

Well, it was a long week, & I was up late last night with a house full of girls (Elly's birthday sleepover). So I'm going to make some dinner & maybe get to bed early...

I hope y'all are having a great weekend!

"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"

2011-10-13T08:28:00.002-05:00

(by the Rolling Stones)

I've mentioned the fact that I'm leading a Bible study at church this Fall, but I never did tell y'all anything about it! Based on the video, you probably figured out that we're doing the book "Made to Crave" by Lysa TerKeurst. One reason I chose today's song is because she referred to it in the Intro of the book, and she sang it on the video for the first session! {I totally think we could be friends! She bursts out in song almost every time we watch a video & refers to a song in at least every third chapter of the book! Ü}

The study is going very well, and I think the ladies in both classes are getting a lot out of it! But can I confess something to you? This entire time, I have felt like I am totally inadequate to lead it. I know that God put it on my heart for our church to offer this type of study, and He confirmed it several times through several situations. I've just wondered why God would use me to lead it. My struggle with food is the complete opposite of what we're studying, & I in no way, shape, or form feel like I have the victory in regards to food. I don't feel totally defeated either. It's just that my weight has been down for the past six months, so I sorta feel like a hypocrite or something. Anyways, I guess all of that is to say that while I don't struggle with overeating, I do still have some unhealthy eating habits. So it has been good to read this book & discover some powerful truths.

Something I never realized before this study was just how much the Bible talks about food. I mean, food has been an issue since the very first sin! It was also something Jesus was tempted with in the wilderness. And do you remember where the disciples were while Jesus was talking with the woman at the well? They were out getting food. And when they came back, they didn't seem to care that he was ministering to someone ~ they were more concerned that Jesus eat something! There's another bit of scripture that I never noticed until a couple of weeks ago ~ Psalm 107: 17-20. These people had issues with food [they actually loathed it & were near death!] and God healed them. Another verse from the same Psalm has been somewhat of a theme verse for the study:

"For He satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things."
(Psalm 107:9)
What the study boils down to is finding our satisfaction in God.

There are so many great scriptures I could quote about that, but for now I'll share just a bit of what we discussed last night:

"I have loved you even as the Father has loved Me. Remain in My love.
When you obey My commandments, you remain in My love,
just as I obey My Father's commandments and remain in His love.
I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy.
Yes, your joy will overflow!
This is My commandment:
Love each other in the same way I have loved you."
(John 15:9-12)
I'll close with what Lysa had to say about that verse. I've read the following quote over & over again since I first saw it (while flipping through the study guide this summer). I hope it speaks to you like it does to me:

We are taught to remain in God’s love so that we won’t tie our happy to anything but God. So our joy will be complete. Complete. As in not lacking anything. Complete. As in filled up to the brink with joy no matter if we are wearing our skinny jeans or not. Complete. As in satisfied with a fullness we can’t get any other way. Can you imagine how beautiful it would be to live as a complete person?

Doesn't simply reading that fill you with joy & hope?! ü

"You Are Good"

2011-10-10T10:51:00.002-05:00

(by Nichole Nordeman)

Today, I'm continuing my list of One Thousand Gifts. You might think this one is weird, because it's a list of songs. And there are a lot of them. Whether you think it's weird or not, they are like God singing to my soul. And for that I am thankful. These songs talk about who God is, what He has done, how He feels about me, how He has changed/is changing me. They're also about my need for Him as I go about life's ~~journey~~ roller coaster ride. They tell of His redeeming love and faithfulness. And they're a reminder that my hope is in Him. So, today I am thankful for the following songs...

201. A Love That's Stronger Than Our Fear ~ Derek Webb
202. Alive Again ~ Matt Maher
203. All I Can Say ~ David Crowder Band
204. Almighty God ~ Amy Stroup
205. Alright ~ Tree 63
206. Always ~ Tricia Brock
207. Arms Around Me ~ Hawk Nelson
208. Arms that Hold the Universe ~ Fee
209. Beautiful ~ Bethany Dillon
210. Beautiful ~ MercyMe
211. Beautiful Things ~ Gungor
212. Beautiful You ~ Considering Lily
213. Beauty From Pain ~ Superchick
214. Before the Morning ~ Josh Wilson
215. Blessings ~ Laura Story
216. Breaking Me Again ~ FM Static
217. Broken Things ~ Julie Miller
218. By Your Side ~ Tenth Avenue North
219. Chasing the Daylight ~ Phillip LaRue
220. Courage ~ Superchick
221. Dearly Loved ~ Jimmy Needham
222. Everything is Different Now ~ Stellar Kart
223. Find Me Tonight ~ Everyday Sunday
224. Forgiven and Loved ~ Jimmy Needham
225. Freedom ~ Run Kid Run
226. Garden ~ Needtobreathe
227. Grace Enough ~ Echoing Eternity
228. Happy Day ~ Fee
229. Hello Sunshine ~ Barlow Girl
230. Hero ~ Wideawake
231. Hold ~ Superchick
232. Hold My Heart ~ Tenth Avenue North
233. Hold Us Together ~ Matt Maher
234. Hope Now ~ Addison Road
235. Hurricane ~ Jimmy Needham
236. I Believe in Love ~ Barlow Girl
237. I Belong to You ~ Superchick
238. I Need You to Love Me ~ Barlow Girl
239. I Will Not Forget You ~ Enter the Worship Circle
240. Land of the Living ~ Enter the Worship Circle
241. Landslide ~ Seven Places
242. Lean ~ Tricia Brock
243. Let the Waters Rise ~ Mikeschair
244. Let us Love ~ Needtobreathe
245. Look Away ~ The Reliques
246. Lost in You ~ FM Static
247. Love Song ~ Jason Morant
248. Love Song ~ The Ember Days
249. Love Song ~ Third Day
250. Love Will Find You ~ Julie Miller
251. Loving You ~ Rock 'n' Roll Worship Circus
252. Marvelous Light ~ Charlie Hall
253. My Distraction ~ Blake Quimby
254. My God Forever ~ Reality LA
255. My Next Breath ~ Hawk Nelson
256. Never Let Go ~ David Crowder Band
257. Nice Piece of Art ~ FM Static
258. Nobody But You ~ Julie Miller
259. One Life to Love ~ 33 Miles
260. Precious to God ~ Julie Miller
261. Psalm 139 ~ Rebecca St. James
262. Psalm 18 ~ Waterdeep
263. Psalm 73 (My God's Enough) ~ Barlow Girl
264. Real ~ Plumb
265. Rescue ~ Seabird
266. Safe ~ Phil Wickham
267. Ships ~ David Gamboa
268. So Bright (Stand Up) ~ Superchick
269. Someone Worth Dying For ~ Mikeschair
270. Something Beautiful ~ Needtobreathe
271. Stand in the Rain ~ Superchick
272. Suddenly ~ Superchick
273. Take Me ~ Hawk Nelson
274. Take Me As I Am ~ FM Static
275. Tender Mercy ~ Enter the Worship Circle
276. The Earth is Yours ~ Gungor
277. The Love of God ~ The Reliques
278. The Mirror ~ Wayne Kerr
279. The Shadow Proves the Sunshine ~ Switchfoot
280. There You Are ~ Lovelite
281. There You Go ~ Caedmon's Call
282. These Are the Words I Would Say ~ Sidewalk Prophets
283. This is Home ~ Switchfoot
284. This World ~ Caedmon's Call
285. Up and Up ~ Relient K
286. Valley of Tomorrow ~ Needtobreathe
287. Whatever Thing ~ Enter the Worship Circle
288. When You Come Home ~ Julie Miller
289. Without You ~ Reality LA
290. Won't Turn Back ~ Needtobreathe
291. You Are More ~ Tenth Avenue North
292. You Give Me Life ~ Jason Morant
293. You Love Me Anyway ~ Sidewalk Prophets
294. You're Everything ~ David Crowder Band
295. You're Not Alone ~ Meredith Andrews
296. Your Crown ~ Rock 'n' Roll Worship Circus
297. Your Grace is Amazing ~ Tricia Brock
298. Your Hands ~ JJ Heller
299. Your Love is Strong ~ Jon Foreman
300. Your Love Never Fails ~ Jesus Culture

Is there a song that expresses your heart in a way that it's like you totally could've written it? Is there a song that you're truly thankful for? I'd love to hear about it! ü

"Keep Your Eyes Open"

2011-10-08T08:11:00.005-05:00

(by Needtobreathe)

I'm sorry I haven't posted much this week. There really hasn't been anything worth blogging about. I'm sure you didn't really want to hear all about laundry, grocery shopping & taking my friend to her doctor's appointments! Tuesday night was National Night Out. This was our third year to host it (along with our super great neighbors, Ryan & Kristi), but this was the first year that firefighters stopped by in a fire truck:

{the little kids & a few of the big kids loved it!}

As for the rest of my week, I have a couple of stories to share...

If I were the type of person to be easily offended, there were two possibilities at Bible study with my baby brother on Thursday night. I actually thought they were kinda funny, though. The facilitator of our small group is an interesting man who I could write an entire blog post about {complete with vlogs demonstrating his little quirks ~ but I'll refrain because I'm nice like that!} Anyways, he was about to use me in an illustration, then he changed his mind & said that I wasn't old enough to know about kids. I said (a little indignantly), "I have kids!" After small group was over, my brother teased me about not being old enough to have kids. The guy next to him asked me about my kids, and then he asked me how old I am. When I told him that I'm 36, he said, "Well you're on up there!" Aaron elbowed me & laughed. Then he told James that he should never ask a woman how old she is, and he should definitely never tell her that she's on up there! James then explained that all he meant was that I was old enough to have kids! :D

I was on my way to a crop at Felicity's last night when I heard a little warning bell go off in my van. The temperature gauge was almost all the way to "H", but I had only been driving for about two minutes. I called Felicity's house, hoping her husband Wheeler would answer. He knows a lot about cars, so I was wanting his advice on whether I needed to pull over right away or head up to their house so he could look at it. Nobody answered, so I decided I was better safe than sorry. I headed toward the nearest parking lot to let it cool down. Silvie's little warning system apparently had no idea that the little road behind Kroger is only two lanes (with no shoulder & a steep drop off). Either that or since I hadn't responded to the initial little ding, it felt the need to repeat it incessantly. {Strange little fact: right when my van was dinging so impatiently, The Reliques were singing, "Mama warned me there'd be days like this..." ü}

Because I'm good at making stories way longer than they really need to be, I'll continue...So I got to a parking space & tried to call Christopher, but he works in a dungeon two miles underground with no cell phone service. {Not really, but he doesn't have a signal inside his building. Or so he says.} So I called Wheeler ~ partly so he could let Felicity know I'd be late, and partly for his car wisdom! He said that I had done the right thing & told me a few possible reasons for my problem. Then I called Chris again & was actually able to get ahold of him! He was just leaving work, so he told me to sit there & let the van cool down until he could get there. So I did the only thing I could do: went to the Starbucks inside Kroger while I waited to be rescued. :) To make a long story slightly less long, I was completely out of coolant. Chris filled it up, and we took it to the shop outside our neighborhood so they could figure out why it all leaked out. I dropped Chris off at the house & was only an hour late to the crop. {I'm sure you were concerned about me missing the crop, huh?} And now Silvie is the proud owner of a new radiator!

Today we got to see Dave Ramsey at Total Money Makeover Live! We went with our friends Bob {respect the 'stache} & Beth (& their girls). It was a great day, even if we did have to pay $4.25 for a bottle of water! He didn't really discuss anything that we hadn't already learned in FPU, but it was a good little refresher course. It was cool to see him in person. And I sorta got choked up at the end when he talked about Jesus. ♥

As for today's song, I think it may be my favorite one from the new NTB album {at least for today!} When it first came out, I mentioned how this song is a challenge to let go so you can really live. There's more to it than that, but I'll let you listen to it and see what it means to you :) This is my favorite part:

Tear down the prison walls
Don't start the curtain call
Your chains will never fall until you do
Alrighty, I guess that's all for now! I hope you're having a super great weekend!!

"I Am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N"

2011-10-07T08:56:00.004-05:00

(by Various Artists ~ seriously, that's what it says)

I don't really know if this story belongs in my

or not, but that's how I'm labeling it! It's not really a MISspeak, but it could be MISunderstood ~ so we'll go with that...

About a month ago, baby girl & I were finishing up her back-to-school shopping at Target. We walked by a man that I recognized from church, and I said to her, "Look, there's Mr. K" {I used his full last name, but it's totally irrelevant to the story}

She asked who I was talking about, but when we turned around he had gone down an aisle. Since we couldn't see him any more, I tried to describe him. For the record, I'm not very good at this. I said things like, "You know, he's a firefighter. He has really short hair. He has a son in the youth group, and I think he has a younger one maybe?" That's quite helpful...

As we made our way around Target a few more times {who knew it'd be so hard to find graph paper?}, we crossed his path a couple more times. Elly didn't notice him any of those times, though I tried to discreetly point him out. If I actually knew the man, I would've said something. But he never seemed to notice me, & I wasn't really up for an awkward conversation. {Though I'm quite good at them, I really never intend to have them!} I hate that feeling when you approach someone that you recognize, but they have absolutely no clue who you are. So I chose not to do that. I did mention to her that his son's name is Christian, but she didn't know who I was talking about.

Anyways, we finally went to check out, and I saw Mr. K a couple of registers away from us. So I said to Elizabeth, "Look, he's right over there. Christian isn't with him, but a younger boy is."

She somewhat recognized the man and asked me to describe his son Christian. Again not being very helpful, I said something like, "I think he's a Freshman or maybe a Sophomore. He's kinda short, but he's built. He has short hair, too."

She looked at me and said, "I've never met a Christian at church."

To which I responded with laughter! :D

"Thankful"

2011-10-04T13:35:00.000-05:00

(by Louis Landon)

I have no good excuse for not posting yesterday. I was just tired! I went on a scrapbook retreat & got way more sleep than usual, but I still came back exhausted. I am continuing my list of gifts today ~ my list of things I am thankful for...

New music recommendations
Meeting up with my beautiful "little sis" from high school
A surprise visit with her brother {who has been serving overseas, so I hadn't seen him in 7 years!}
A sweet "thinking of you" text from a girlfriend ♥
A scrapbook weekend with some of my favorite friends
My mister taking care of the kids while I went
Awesome food made by my favorite friend's mom & dad
Coffee that her dad picks up because he knows I like it!
Visiting Grannymom's garden
Hanging out with Jana's sister
Girl time all weekend long
Laughter in the wee hours of the morning
Getting scrapbooking ideas from my friends
Friends who share their scrapbook tools :)
Completing a lot of pages
Getting caught up in the family album
Eating dinner on the patio {in the beautiful back yard I showed you this summer!}
Listening to all kinds of random music with my friends
Watching funny youtube videos while scrapbooking
Actually getting some sleep on a retreat {even though I didn't get as many pages done as usual!}
Hosting National Night Out with Ryan & Kristi tonight
My little brother {who is doing his part to keep Austin weird & has a birthday this week!}
My baby brother {who has a birthday on the same day!}
Cool enough weather for this Texas girl to wear a sweater {for part of the day, at least!}
Quiet time on my back patio

What are you thankful for today?

"This Is Not the End"

2011-10-01T23:59:00.001-05:00

(by Gungor)

Gungor was in Houston with David Crowder last night, & I missed it. I can't really complain though, because I'm scrapbooking with great people {& eating great food} all weekend! I did get a text from my friend who was at the concert, & she used more exclamation points than I usually do!! Today's song is my favorite one from the GUTE album. You'd probably guess that though, because it's the only song on the album that is even remotely my style. I love the album ~ it's just not the sound I usually go for. But I really like today's song!

I would write more, but I've only completed about half of the pages I had planned to do this weekend. I must get back to work...

I hope y'all are having a super great weekend! ♥

"ABC"

2011-09-30T08:45:00.004-05:00

(by the Jackson 5)

I've been incredibly inconsistent with my posts lately, so I thought something like this would be fun! I saw it on Lauren's blog & thought it would be fun to play along! Feel free to join me!

Age: 36
Bed Size: King
Chore that you hate: dusting
Dogs: one crazy one named Pepper
Essential start to your day: caffeine
Favorite color: pink & teal
Gold or Silver: either
Height: 5'3½"
Instruments you play: I play a mean kazoo, but beyond that...nada
Job Title: Full time wife and mom
Kids: 2 ~ Elly & Cody
Live: Texas
Mother's name: Karan Sue
Nicknames: Amus, Ames
Overnight hospital stays: other than when I had my babies...just once. I got a concussion when a friend & I bumped heads in 5th grade
Pet Peeves: drivers not using their blinkers
Quote from a movie: {I can't pick just one!}
“Dude, it's chocolate. Need I say more?" ~ What a Girl Wants
"I just like to smile. Smiling's my favorite" ~ Elf
Right or left handed: Right
Siblings: short version: there are 11 of us!
long version: one full brother, one adopted brother, one half brother, four step-brothers & three step-sisters
Time you wake up: 6:10
Underwear: ummm...yes? {not real sure what they were looking for there, but yes I wear them!}
Vegetable you hate: I don't have a problem with any particular veggie
What makes you run late: When I allow too much time to get ready, so I putz around doing silly stuff until I run out of time to actually get ready!
X-rays: just my crooked spine ~ nothing too exciting!
Yummy food you make: Chili
Zoo animal: monkeys :)

Okey doke! I'd love to know if you play along! And yes, I'm aware that you can't see my header & stuff. Google has made some changes, & Chris has to change the path, host the images somewhere else, or some other technical jargon I don't understand! If it bothers you, you can view the blog in all sorts of different ways now (& you can click "classic", "flipcard", etc. on either of those links for more types of views). I'm not a big fan of change, but there's one feature that I think is pretty cool. If you scroll, scroll, and scroll some more, it'll eventually load every single post. Then you can use the little search feature to find everything I've ever said about any word you choose. Not that anyone really cares, but it could come in handy...say if you wanted to see every time I've mentioned random things like chocolate or Disney. Seriously though, I know there have been times when I remembered a bloggy friend talking about something but I couldn't find the post. This could be a helpful tool, I suppose.

Alrighty, I'm about to head out to MOPS, then I'll be scrapbooking for the weekend!! I've started tomorrow's post, so hopefully I'll finish it at some point. I'm sure you're dying to know what I've listened to the most this week {ha ha!} ü

"Forever Reign"

2011-09-28T08:33:00.002-05:00

(by Kristian Stanfill)

"You are good, You are good
When there's nothing good in me
You are love, You are love
On display for all to see
You are light, You are light
When the darkness closes in
You are hope, You are hope
You have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace
When my fear is crippling
You are true, You are true
Even in my wandering
You are joy, You are joy
You're the reason that I sing
You are life, You are life,
In You death has lost it's sting

Chorus:
Oh, I'm running to your arms,
I'm running to arms
The riches of your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more
Than my words will ever say
You are Lord, You are Lord
All creation will proclaim
You are here, You are here
In your presence I'm made whole
You are God, You are God
Of all else I'm letting go

Chorus

My heart will sing
No other name
Jesus, Jesus..."

Somehow, I had never heard today's song until I was listening to the playlist on Becky's blog yesterday. I then proceeded to listen to every version of it on Grooveshark. This song is so good. And so true. I hope it speaks to you today! ♥

"The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!’
The LORD is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.”
(Lamentations 3:22-25)

"But you, O LORD, reign forever;
Your throne endures to all generations."
(Lamentations 5:19, ESV)

"His government and its peace will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice
from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven's Armies
will make this happen!"
(Isaiah 9:7, NLT)

"Little Things"

2011-09-26T13:09:00.000-05:00

(by Lamb)

I'm continuing my list on a Monday!!! How about that?! If you haven't taken the time to appreciate all of the little gifts that you have in life, I hope you will soon. Life is so much brighter when you focus on God & His blessings. Today I am grateful for...

My Bible study girls
Seeing (& benefitting from) community and accountability in my Bible study girls
My health
Reflective window tinting {now I can tell if it's creepy old neighbor guy at the door or Kristi & her cute kids. And I will open the door accordingly!}
The opportunity to babysit my little friend {who loves his "Auntie Amy"!}
Cantaloupe
Reusable bags
Reusable water bottles
Ladies Game Night at church
School holidays so I can sleep in :)
Days when I don't have to be somewhere by a certain time
Days when I can just veg on Amy's couch & watch TV
My kids getting along (most of the time)!
Catching up with the little sister of my best friend in middle school
Excedrin Migraine
My baby brother feeling protective of me ♥
Friends who share their Astros tickets
Enjoying the company of a super cute three-year-old boy :)
Spending time with some of the sweetest, most beautiful teenage girls on the planet ♥
Messages of love from my beautiful cousin Kendra
Long emails from my friend in England
Another mom to carpool with
An extra 45 minutes each morning that I don't drive carpool!
God's promise that He is with us when we are gathered in His name (Matt 18:20)
Seeing answer to prayer in our Moms In Touch group!

What's on your list today?

"Slumber"

2011-09-24T11:29:00.006-05:00

(by Needtobreathe)

OK y'all...if you know me at all, then you're well aware that Needtobreathe & Gungor came out with new albums on the same day, and I was super excited about that! It was seriously the best CD release day ever! My only problem was deciding who to listen to. Fortunately, I didn't have to make the choice for myself. NTB emailed me the link to download their album first, so I was able to listen to it while taking the kids to school & on the way to/from Bible study. I got the Gungor link at lunch & had the opportunity to listen to it while I drove to/from Houston that afternoon. After that is when I didn't know what to do, but I have brilliant friends who helped me with my dilemma: I made a playlist that only had the two new albums, and I put it on Shuffle. :)

Of course I have lots of favorites ~ especially on the Needtobreathe album. Nothing against Gungor ~ it's just that NTB is one of my all-time favorite bands, & I like their sound better. Anyways, there was a little scrobbling problem once again, so I'm having to guess at today's song. {I know. Y'all are losing all confidence in my ability to provide an accurate song on Saturdays. Please don't be disappointed in me! It's really not my fault!} I've already posted "Drive All Night", so that couldn't be today's song. There's another one that I'm a little partial to because my friend Natalie's brother (who played bass for Seabird) recorded it, but that's not today's song, either. So that left three or four other songs. I'm not going to tell you what they are, because one of them may be next week's song. If you've listened to Gungor & know me at all, you probably know which one of theirs is my favorite. {Yes, that's a challenge! Can you guess it?} So anyways...I had to have a song for today, but not all of the songs are available yet ~ so I picked "Slumber" partly because there's an official video to post. The video has a lot of haters, though. I didn't really get it at first, and I'm not entirely sure I get it now. But I don't really care. If you don't like it, you should totally check out this live video of the song. {My favorite part is right around the 2:15 mark ♥} I've heard there's a radio edit ~ the album says "baby", but they change it to "come on" for Christian radio. I don't know. Anyways, Bear has this to say about today's song, "Beauty is all around you. You just can't see it because of the funk you're in." I can relate. And I want to focus on the beauty.

Now for the crazy weird stuff...there are some similar themes in a few of the songs on both albums. Gungor's is a concept album and NTB's isn't. And the bands are nothing alike. I would've thought the two albums would be completely different, but that's not the case. Not that you asked, but here are a few of the similarities:

NTB's song "Learn to Love" talks of holding true through both the darkness and the light. Similarly, Michael Gungor says this about "The Fall", "It represents so well what I often feel internally. Mixtures of love and fear, courage and cowardice, wonder and complaints… It’s not really the way I would prefer it to be, but that’s how it is, and I’m learning how to be content in the night."
NTB's "Slumber" & Gungor's "Wake Up Sleeper" both reference the same Bible verse (Eph. 5:14). NTB's reference is less obvious (lyrically), though the video seems to be symbolic of it. About Gungor's song, their blog says, "This song is a call to repentance, a call to wake up. It’s an invitation to join the poor and the sinner and the broken once again that we may come alive and join with God again."
NTB's "Keep Your Eyes Open" & Gungor's "Every Breath" both challenge you to let go so you can really live. {Yes, I'm listening!}
There are other little bits of songs that have similarities, too. But I'll stop there for now.

On to other randomness...Christopher always tells me that ads are geared toward a 30-something housewife named Amy, & I tell him he's crazy. Then we'll see a commercial that fits that description to a "T" (even down to the name), & I'll just shake my head ('cuz admitting that he's right is not on my list of favorite things to do). Well he went to a meeting for small business owners the other day, & he brought home a goodie bag full of exciting stuff:
{This is NOT a paid advertisement for Allstate}

Umm...who loves everything in this picture?! When I saw it I said, "This is like a dream come true!!" Seriously, people. I've mentioned all but the reusable bag & water bottle in my thankful posts already {why haven't I mentioned them yet?! I think I have two for next week already...} But I took pictures of some of them for my Earth Day post, & I use them every day! :)

Am I weird that I love the fact that the sight of this stack of books makes my girl happy?!

Have I mentioned that I love to read? Just about the only thing that Elizabeth gets from me is her love for reading. Oh, and apparently her ability to ramble...If we aren't fb friends, then you didn't see my status the other morning. So in case you missed it, this is what it said:

Elly was talking non-stop while I was making the kids' lunches. Cody had been trying to say something, & I finally had to tell her to pause for a minute. When Cody finally got to talk, he said, "She is undeniably your daughter. She can talk forever!"

A lot of people "liked" the comment. I haven't figured out if it was because they thought it was funny or they agreed with the statement. So I'm not sure if I should smile or be offended... ü

Moving right along...I saw this tag inside my wristlet the other day, and it make me laugh:

{Genuine Faux Leather?! Really?!}

My kids were laying down together yesterday. So as all moms should, I took pictures as evidence that they love each other. Or as Elizabeth used to say, "Look mom, we're lovin' our chother!" {She misheard "each other" as "ea chother" & would say things like the sentence I just wrote or, "Those kids are playing with their chother." I think she was 6 or 7 when I finally told her that chother wasn't a word!} Anyways, here they are now:

And in case you haven't seen how cute they were when they were little, here they were back in the day:

{Sigh}

Alrighty, I better grab some lunch before I go see my baby brother. I had a prison vending machine lunch last week, and that is so not healthy. You really should eat more than Cheetos & Peanut M&M's (or Chex & Twix). Just sayin'...

I hope y'all have a super great weekend!!!

"Thank You"

2011-09-20T16:57:00.001-05:00

(by Sanctus Real)

Once again there was an appropriate theme song on a Monday, so I'm a day late in continuing my list of One Thousand Gifts. Some of the items on today's list may seem silly, but sometimes it's the little things that make me happy. And happiness is a reason to be grateful! So, here's what I'm thankful for today...

Celebrating Kyla's birthday with my friends
No visits from creepy old neighbor guy lately ü
My baby brother talking about how Jesus is working in his life
International Talk Like a Pirate Day posting a link to support OMF
Encouraging words
Nice neighbors
My unchanging God
Humor in the little things
Learning to study the Bible better
Febreeze
New tunes from my friend Laurien
RAIN!!!!!
My community group
Hugs from a sweet baby boy :)
Sitting in the driveway talking to a friend for an hour & 1/2 {I totally wasted her gas ~ why didn't I invite her inside?!}
People pointing out how God is using me in ways that I hadn't even realized
People who know how to fix leaky faucets
School buses {so I don't have to deal with the carpool line every afternoon!}
My friend Felicity {whose birthday is today!!} & a little birthday surprise! :)
A phone date with my friend Cassie {who moved far away}
New music from Needtobreathe!!!
New music from Gungor!!!
"Happy CD release day" texts! :)
Seeing the ladies in my Bible study classes encourage each other!
Hearing my counselor say that I don't need to see him for a whole month (instead of every 2-3 weeks)!

I'd love to know what you're thankful for today!

"I'm A Pirate"

2011-09-19T12:34:00.000-05:00

(by Cap'n Slappy, Ol' Chumbucket and Chumpail)

In honor of:

I have a special post by an even more special

But before I get to that, I'd be foolish to not take advantage of a day that's all about pirates to raise a little awareness for Ocular Melanoma! I know that my friends & regular readers are well aware of this disease ~ but on the off chance that somebody new shows up, I can't just pretend that this day is special because I like to talk like a pirate! To be honest, three years ago I never thought about pirates, and I don't think I ever thought about anyone wearing an eyepatch for any other reason than to look like a pirate. Now I know better. Since my husband was diagnosed with Ocular Melanoma, I've learned a lot of things that I had never thought about before. I had never even heard of eye cancer, much less OM. And I certainly didn't have a clue that people could die from it! But OM leads to death in 50-65% of the people who are diagnosed with it (statistics vary, and there's simply not enough known to have a more accurate number). That's why research is so important, but there is little funding towards research for this rare disease. If you (or anyone you know) would like to help the Ocular Melanoma Foundation in their efforts to find effective treatments to improve patient outcomes & one day find a cure for OM, donations can be made on the OMF support page. {for the record: not all Ocular Melanoma patients wear an eyepatch on a regular basis, but most of them have worn one briefly (even if only while recovering from surgery). Just thought I'd make that clear!} Also, you can help raise awareness by voting for Christopher to be the face of about.me. Voting ends tomorrow!

And now, for my guest blogger...my beautiful daughter Elly wrote something about her dad for school, and she wanted to share it with y'all. Because it has to do with piratey things, I thought today was perfect! {Before I let her take over, I have to say that the facts aren't exactly accurate, but they're close enough! Also, there's one part that struck me as funny: she seems to think that her dad isn't short. For the record: he's 5'6"!}

There once was a man named Butch. He wasn't tall, but he wasn't short. He had a beard that a pirate might have and earrings that looked like a "U" with circles at the end, which also looked as if he were a pirate. All he needed was an eye patch to look like a real life pirate. Well one day he finally did look as if he was. You guessed it: he got an eye patch.

You may be saying, "Now, why is Butch wearing an eye patch?" Well, it all started when he thought he saw a Chinese dragon shape inside of his eye. His family all tried looking but saw nothing. So after awhile he went to an ophthalmologist (or eye doctor) and got lots of x-rays. He found out that he had ocular melanoma, which means eye cancer.

He had a type of surgery done to get rid of most of the cancer, and it worked. The side effect was he lost almost all his vision in that eye. He could only see fingers at 3 feet away, which is very bad (as you can guess). He worked with computers, but looking at all those words his good eye got tired and he got headaches. So he got an eye patch to wear on the bad eye so it wouldn't stress to see those tiny words. The "pirate" looked in the mirror and whispered, "My life will never be the same."

And it wasn't much differently, actually. People stared and kids were either scared or amazed by the "pirate", but he didn't mind. He was different. We all are in our own ways. That's the story of Butch the "pirate", my dad.

"The Love of God"

2011-09-17T21:25:00.002-05:00

(by The Reliques)

I. am. exhausted. Why is it that I'm so tired when all I did was sit in a [very cold] classroom for the past two days? I got to participate in a Precept Ministries training workshop for the Inductive Bible Study Method, and it was super great! I think I've mentioned a time or two (or probably more) that I really enjoy the Word of God! Well, pretty much all I did for the past two days was study it, & I love it even more now! We started our study in Genesis 12 and went through Genesis 15. Our discussion ended with Galatians 3 and a comparison of the Abrahamic Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant (the Law), & the New Covenant. It was super great & really insightful. Plus, we discussed the following bit of Scripture {that I love}:

"Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances." (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

And while I'm talking about Bible stuff, I have to tell you that I almost cried at Bible study with my baby brother the other night. Good tears, though. He shared a little bit during small group this time (he didn't really say anything last week except when he recited 9 of the 10 commandments). I know that a lot of people like him undergo "jailhouse conversions", so I'm not naive enough to think that all is well for the rest of his life. But to be in a small group with these guys, hear their questions, & listen to them talk about what they're learning...I know that God is working inside them. Anyways, my brother shared something with the group that I had never heard before. He said that when he first heard about my tattoo, he thought that the word "freedom" was a sign to him that he wouldn't have to serve his full sentence. He went on to say that when that isn't how things turned out, he ended up in the IFI program and discovered a different type of freedom. ♥

I had a somewhat crazy week, but I can't even remember much of it right now. I sorta feel like it's 4:00 in the morning, & I'm writing one of those Excedrin caffeine posts. Except it isn't 4am, and I haven't taken Excedrin in a couple of days. Speaking of...I thought I was going to end up with one of those posts on Thursday night/Friday morning. That day, I had met Sloan for coffee in the morning, went to Kyla's birthday lunch from there, went to Amy's for birthday dessert after lunch, & went directly from Amy's to have coffee with my friend Laurien. {I thought my stomach was going to explode. No lie.} When I got home, I had the beginnings of a migraine. Knowing the amount of caffeine I had already consumed that day {did I mention that I had a cup of hot tea when I first got up & a cup of coffee after the kids left for school?} I didn't really want to take an Excedrin Migraine. And for all I know, the migraine was caused by excessive caffeine. I have no idea. But I knew that I was going to be in a crowd of people at the prison [read: loud] & I couldn't go there with a migraine. So I took two of them, and my migraine went away. AND I was actually able to sleep that night! So y'all didn't get to read an extremely random post, but I'm sure y'all are glad that I got rest, right?

Is it terrible that I can't even remember what I did at the beginning of the week (besides Bible study)? I actually had to look at my calendar to remember...it looks like it was full of appointments ~ dentist, chiropractor & Christopher's eye doctors. I live such an exciting life, huh? Anyways, I knew there was something that I was supposed to mention ~> this isn't really an update, but we had a somewhat frustrating appointment with his ocular oncologist. At first, Dr B acted like things were looking good. Then he asked about the last time we saw Dr C. When we mentioned surgery, he said that he didn't like the idea of Dr C doing the cataract surgery. We explained that Dr C would only remove the cataract if he was already in there for the other surgery he talked about, and Dr B still didn't seem happy about it. He sent Chris upstairs for pictures, and we went on to the appointment with Dr C while we were up there. His visual acuity is now CF at face, but Dr C said that the eye is stable. There's no new radiation damage (since his appointment in July), and he wants to see Chris again in a couple of months. We thought we were good to go, but when we went to check out we discovered that Dr B wanted to see Chris again. So we went back downstairs. He looked at the pictures & asked what Dr C had to say about surgery. We told him that things were stable and there wasn't any discussion about cataract (or any other) surgery right now. Then he said, "A cataract is the least of your concerns right now!" What exactly does that mean?! You're probably thinking that I should've asked him that, but I know that he wouldn't have given a satisfactory answer. ('Cuz that's the way he rolls). So we really don't now what that was about. And he wants to see Chris again in two months. In case you forgot, we had moved to a six month schedule with him. And we have no idea why he wants to see him again so soon...

As for today's song...have I mentioned that I love The Reliques?! If you haven't checked them out by now, then I may have to seriously reconsider our friendship. OK, not really...but I may show up at your house in the middle of the night with their music blaring from my van speakers & force you {& your neighbors} to listen to them. Anyways, I love today's song! I think my favorite part is the whole "I am not afraid" section, but I also love verse 3:

"In Your death I am redeemed
Spirit blood wash over me
And in Your love I am complete
I lift my eyes up and look to Thee"

♥
Alrighty, I'm going to attempt to get to bed at a decent time! I hope y'all are having a great weekend!!

"Too Late to Apologize, A Declaration"

2011-09-16T08:26:00.003-05:00

(by T.J. and the Revo)

This is Celebrate Freedom Week in Texas public schools. My baby girl showed me this video last year, and I thought I'd share it with y'all! :)

"Gratitude"

2011-09-12T16:33:00.002-05:00

(by Nichole Nordeman)

Though life doesn't always go as I want it to, I still have so much to be thankful for! Today I'm continuing my list of One Thousand Gifts ~ a list of things I'm grateful for...

Visits from hummingbirds {I ♥ them!}
Cooler mornings
Friends who are more than aware of my ambivalent tendencies yet tolerate me anyways! :)
A great turnout for the Bible studies at church
Being able to attend Bible study with my baby brother
Catching up with old friends
Reconnecting with my friend Stephanie's mom (that I mentioned on Saturday) and sharing memories with her that showed her a part of Stephanie that she never knew ♥
My uncle's family (who has taken such good care of my grandmother for many years)
Seeing my kids sitting close together on the same couch cushion & laughing together at something they're watching on youtube
My counselor
My chiropractor
Firefighters
Uplifting blogs
Funny blogs
Lists
Crossing things off lists!
Stickie notes
Clipboards
My super cute pink bike!
Experts in the field of Ocular Melanoma
Nice people to talk to while in the waiting room for said experts
A mostly good report from said experts
Finding humor in the midst of visits to said experts {Have I mentioned Christopher's ridiculous wisecracks before?}
Health insurance
An inexpensive (& muy delicioso) lunch menu at Chacho's

What are you thankful for today?