Where Did The Week Go?

Hmmm, what has been going on that has caused me to neglect my countdown for an entire week? Lets see....

• I had my car "fitted" with a lovely tow package so I can put the remainder of my earthly belongings into a Uhaul trailor and drag them across the country.
• I took a 4.5 mile walk/jog (about 1.5 miles of which was beach) during which I jammed out to some upbeat tunes via iPhone. When I left the house my iPod was in my pocket as a backup because the battery on my phone was close to dying. When I got back to the house my iPod was no longer in my pocket. :(  Yes, I LOST my iPod. I choose to believe that someone very down on their luck found it and it made their day!! 
• I mowed the lawn and then retraced my steps attempting to locate my lost iPod. Success? Nope. That poor soul who found it continues to rock out with it.
• I enjoyed a lovely breakfast with some very sweet friends.
• I played bingo with my Mom. Did we win? Nope! Did we have fun? Of Course!!
• I had the pleasure of speaking to my most favorite man!

Last, but certainly not least, I prayed for the hundreds of people who were effected by the EF-5 tornado that ripped through the little town I just moved away from; Vilonia, Arkansas. This would be the place my (most favorite man) Kory would call his "home town." V-Town is where he grew up, where he graduated from high school. Now, the field house at VHS no longer exists. Keith's gas station no longer exists. I am hearing from numerous people that the town is almost unrecognizable.

They say it was 3 1/2 miles wide.

In our subdivision, there were numerous homes effected. The tree that had been growing in our front yard vanished, there was a mattress in the back yard, a storage building from who knows where landed next to our garage and knocked the water spiget off the house which in turn caused a steady stream of water to shoot out of the house, the home directly across the street and the one next to it both lost their roofs, and there were massive amounts of debris everywhere.

I know that this is merely the tip of the iceberg. There were 4 confirmed fatalities in Vilonia and numerous injuries along with miles of power outage & destruction. Hearing these things brings to the forefront how thankful I am to God. I feel fortunate for so many reasons!  First of all, I don't live there anymore! The home that contains so many of my material possessions is still standing. My Maximus was inside the house and he is alive and well. My ex-husband was in the house with Max and he is also alive and well. The storm and tornados travelled toward Searcy where my Kory lives, but it missed Harding and his neighborhood so he also is alive and well. The friends I know who live in Vilonia are alive. Many took big hits to their homes and businesses, but they are physically safe. 

I realize that there were many prayers being offered. For this I am grateful and I'm requesting continued prayer as so many begin to rebuild their lives. Please pray for my safety as well since that is exactly where I am headed in just 9 short days!!

Blessings & Peace

Seventeen, Sixteen...

Ok, I'm going to have to group two days into one!!

17 days....16 days....

QUESTION:

Can I say the following sentence with confindence?

 "You should imitate me, because in doing so, you will be imitating Christ!"

Hmmm, the apostle Paul said something to that effect, didn't he? He was so comfortable with his faith that he invited others to observe his behavior close enough to actually follow in his steps. That in and of itself is amazing, but to go one step beyond that and claim that if they did, in fact, imitate him then they would be imitating Christ! How incredible he must have been! Yet he boasted not in himself, he gave full credit to the Lord. What a place to be in his Christian walk.

What a goal to have! To say those words with confidence!

That's the question our preacher posed to us all Sunday morning.

From the "hmmm", "oooh", & "ummm"s I heard, it gave many others the same pause it gave me. What a thought. It's similar to one I often used

when teaching the young gals at Bible camp.

How true it is that someone is ALWAYS watching us, whether we are aware of it or not. While we live our day to day lives, those around us are observing our body language, our facial expressions. They're listening to the words we say & the tone of voice we use. They take note of the jokes we choose to laugh at & the activities we participate in.

With this in mind, just consider the past 24 hours.

Would I be able to tell someone that they could imitate me in all of those areas?

Have my actions been loving & kind? Have I treated others the way I would want them to treat me? Has my speech been pure & considerate?

Would a stranger who encountered me be able to tell that I am a Christian?

If I knew that Christ would be there with me, would I have done anything differently?

He was there.

He is always there!

What a great start & focus for the week. It is my prayer that I will portray Christ to those around me. I am so thankful that He lived perfectly on this earth so I have the opportunity to follow Him and to spend eternity in His presence.

I owe all to Him.

18 18 18

18 Days...

Me & Mom at the Tulip Festival

There's someone you can ALWAYS count on to be there to cheer you on a day when you don't feel too awefully cheery.....MOM!!

My lovely Mom and I hopped in the car after church this beautiful morning and went on the hunt for the infamous "Skagit County Tulip Festival". I neglected to brush up on my photography skills, therefore I took several shots. Only a few of them are even worth showing, and not that the pix themselves are anything special, but the tulips sure were pretty! I'm not typically much of a "flower girl" but the fields were certainly impressive.

Personally, I don't have what you'd call a "green thumb" at all. If it takes any maintenance at all then it probably is not a plant that should try to live at my house. Inside OR outside.

Why did I blog today?

I needed to continue my countdown, regardless of how painful it is.

I must express my appreciation to Mom for helping me keep my mind busy today and for simply being there for me. She doesn't push me to discuss what's on my mind and heart. Her shoulder is there for me to cry on with no strings attached.

I sure love her for that.

I've absolutely needed it lately. I am certain that I've shed enough tears to drown one of our cats if not one of us! Not completely sure when they'll stop rolling

but rest assured that I'm being safe and soaking them up with tissues, tshirts & pillows or allowing them to flow down the drain with the rest of the crud I wash off in the shower!

Next goal: A 100% positive blog post for day 17!!

Thanks for the continued prayers!

19 and counting...

I think that my 19th year on this earth was my favorite. I actually cried and cried when I turned 20 because I was no longer a teenager. I lived in Phoenix at the time, was the prestigious "Assitant Manager" at Baskin Robbins, was travelling around with a rock band...I won't divulge the name...and just having a good ole time.

When I look back on those times, I realize there was something missing. I think that I knew there was something missing at the time but was quite uncertain of exactly what that was. I know now that it was the presence of God in my life.

I made a few real friends, of which I still have a couple. I also made a lot of enemies.

That is probably my biggest regret from those days.

Why did I make enemies? Because I was selfish with a capitol 'S'.

I want what I want and ASAP, forget the niceties of "please & thank you". If I didn't get what I wanted, I found a way to manipulate the situation so that I could. I stepped on toes and hearts...plenty of them...along the way.

Now that I do have God in my life, I ask myself if I am still just as selfish as I was back then. Am I still stepping on people's toes? On their hearts? Do I manipulate situations in order to get what I want? I have had people tell me that I have a big heart. I wonder if they really see what's inside of me or if they are just "pumping sunshine" as I like to call it.

I am a no nonsense kind of person. I don't like being lied to, and I don't lie to others because that is the way I expect to be dealt with--honestly. If it must be brutal, bring it on, just say it like it is. When someone tells me what they think I want to hear just to fudge on the truth, tell a "white lie", omit details, etc....to me, that is blatant dishonesty. The reason I feel so strongly about this is that my Dad pounded it into my head, AND I learned at an early age how to do just that to other people in order to get my way. I was a pro at it. Not something I like to admit, but true none the less. I have not practiced these tactics for years, however, and that is something I am proud to say.

What does any of this have to do with current events? Let's just say that I am aware of a situation where I believe these very tactics are being used, and I am on the receiving end of it. I question whether or not I have been duped. I wonder through most of every waking moment if I am being punished for my past. I AM a Christian. I KNOW that Christ died for me, so my sins could be forgiven. He wiped my slate clean. Does that mean that on this earth, I won't have to pay for my past. I believe it does...so why is this happening? Is this a test of faith for me? Is this what I needed to jar me back into Spiritual reality? I have become such a transparent person in my growth as a Christian, and probably an easy target. I may very well have a bullseye painted on my back and not even realize it.

"So, you bright, intelligent woman, why are you telling the world all of this via internet?"

It stops now. Today.

I can be strong enough to allow God to guide me through the next chapter in my life, and I will. I am determined. Have I stated this already? Yes, I have and I mean it.

Today is the beginning of the week and the first day of the rest of my life.

I'm done with the past. ALL of it. I am starting fresh.

Yes, God and I have discussed it and He will be with me every step of the way. If it creates a little heartache on my end...so be it. There's been plenty of that going on anyway. So....19 days and counting?

How about Day #1 and taking it step by step?

Yes, I'm on my way.

XX

Just in case anyone had the wrong idea with the XX title...yes, it's the Roman Numeral 20.

Why am I still counting down the days??

Who knows.

The more I think about my plans that were SQUASHED, the more emotions I go through.

Do you ever get frustrated when people tell you things just to appease you, knowing full well that they never intend to go through with the promises they are making? Don't those count as outright lies? I've dealt with so much of that. What a crock it is.

I refuse to dwell on it

I know one thing:

God is on my side. His will shall be done regardless.

SO

What's significant about the number 20?

My BABY is going to turn 20 this year!

That makes me feel OLD. OLD. OLD.

I suppose we're only as old as we feel though, huh?

I think I'm going to take Maxine's approach

(Love Maxine)

New perspective!!

Ok, I will try really hard NOT to hurt myself, but I am planning to start running again. So in reality, this is not something "new" I'm trying, it's something I used to do, that I'll resume.

I've been chatting with my ex-husband a little, the one whom I could NEVER get to go run with me...and he boasts that he is now running and is up to a mile in less that 10 minutes. My competetive nature tells me that I need to hit that goal within the next 3 weeks because I'm going to be seeing him and would love to beat him in a foot race lol.

NOT going to happen, but it's a goal.

I hike, I walk, I do workout videos at home, but I just have not gotten back into running. It was something I LOVED to do, although hard on my joints (ya know, the ones that are getting OLD) but if he can do it, then SO CAN I !!

Next stop: New running shoes.

I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

I'm losing hope a bit and I'm hoping that the endorphins will help. I've slacked off on my working out and hiking. I've slacked off in my relationship with God. I believe my priorities have been a bit jacked in the last 6-8 months.

I am determined to get back on track.

Praying hard for God's guidance. I am aware that He never left me, but I regret admitting that I may have turned my back on Him for awhile.

He will never leave me nor forsake me.

:)

Blessings to you.

Twenty One

How significant is the number 21 anyway?

Well, most everyone knows that it's the age one becomes "legal".

Most also know that it's a world famous card game, also known as Blackjack...

But did you know?

21 is the total number of spots on a die.

21 is the third star number. Star numbers can be represented by a square with a triangle on each side.

Here a 3 x 3 square is surrounded by four triangles.

Under British law, when you reach the age of 21 -

• you can become an MP,
• you can hold a licence to drive a large passenger vehicle or heavy goods vehicle,
• you can apply for a licence to sell alcohol

A twenty-one gun salute is fired in the UK for royalty and in the US for the President. It comes from the time when the largest ships of the British navy had 21 guns along one side.

The Pittsburgh Pirates retired number 21 in 1973 in honor of Roberto Clemente, who was killed in a plane crash while delivering humanitarian aid to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua.

2007 NFL Defensive player of the year Bob Sanders wears the number 21 on his Indianapolis Colts jersey.

Illinois - the 'Land of Lincoln' - is the 21st state to join the United States. Abraham Lincoln moved to Illinois when he was 21 and he met his future wife - Mary Todd - in Springield when she was 21. Illinois currently has 21 electoral votes in the US Presidential Election.

Number 21 is the name of the plane allegedly flown by Gustave Whitehead two years before the Wright brothers' flight.

Ok, ok....that's about enough random trivia for today.
I just have to do something to keep my mind off of what is NOT going to happen in 21 days......
:(

Crushed.



Then There Were 22

22 Days

(Well, in 18 minutes...)

Yes, I'm  still counting. I know, I know....it's NOT going to happen, remember?

Of course I remember!!

I did decide that I'm making the best of it!

I'll be sure to make something good happen that day, even if I'm not about to partake in the most wonderfully spectacular......bleh.

Forget it. Better to just let it drift away than to dwell on it.

So, there are so many many important things that I can concentrate on, right?

Like my baby boy!

I am SO proud of him! He has a partial academic and partial track scholarship for college. He runs sprints with the 400m being his specialty. His 4x4 team is currently 3rd in the nation! They are 2 seconds away from the national record and 1/2 second away from the Harding University record. They are on track to be "All American"!!

WOW!

Besides being a very special young man, he is a superior athlete as well. His time in the 400m last weekend was 47.6!

For those who don't know....that is incredibly fast! He is proud of his team and is super excited about their progress, and who could blame him?

Even though he's in college, he still keeps in touch with his Momma every day. That is amazing to me. His buddies in high school razzed him about being a Momma's boy...but it was all in good fun. He actually IS though! Even though he is over 2000 miles away from me. It makes me feel so special to know that he cares enough about me to keep in touch and keep me informed even though he really doesn't have to and I'm sure he has much better things to do. He simply knows how warm & fuzzy it makes me feel to hear his voice and to be informed, so he makes it happen. I'm so blessed! 

That's something that makes us all feel like we're worth something though, isn't it? If we want other people to know that we love them...to really know...then we give them that courtesy, right? Yes, that's exactly what we do. Take the time and effort to reach out to them at least every day. Does that mean we have to go out of our way to accomplish it? Sometimes, yes it does. 

If we neglect to do this, what happens in the psyche of our loved ones? 

Well, consider what happens in our own psyche when we don't hear from someone we love. (or who supposedly loves us) Don't we wonder? Maybe if it's just a fluke thing and we don't hear from them for a day, we just try to make contact & assure that everything is ok...but what about day after day? (This is what I half expected from my college boy, but with regularity, he comes through!) If it becomes habit for someone to continue to "forget" to check in, eventually it is a logical assumption that the feelings they once had are no longer valid, right?

I must ask myself the question, "How am I making my loved ones feel?"

Do I neglect to contact those I love? If I DO, then do I really love them?

Hmmmm...definite food for thought.

This is one of the exact reasons my marriage dissolved. Lack of communication. I always said, "If he really loved me, then he would MAKE TIME for me."

True? I say absolutely. Love will find a way.

Period.

Chew on this awhile.

Peace and Blessings :)

24 Days

Yes, the countdown is on. I've got 24 days left. Originally, my countdown was for a trip...a wonderful, creative girl's dream trip. Well, that may be a teensy bit extreme, but for the shutter bug type, it would have been a stellar time. Is it obvious that THIS shutter bug will NOT be making that trip? Yes, I cancelled it.
Why?
What a GREAT question! Can we say, "regret?" What reason could I possibly have had to skip out on such a beautiful & promising adventure? I continually ask myself that EXACT question. Putting faith in men & his plans will get ya every time, huh?

If there is any question...the answer is "yes" I DID have an alternate plan. One that I was more excited about than I have ever been about anything in my life! In fact, I KNOW I was looking forward to this more intensely than I've ever anticipated anything. Hello?? First clue that it may not be such a great plan? Too good to be true?Yeah. Duh.

Have you ever been like a kid on Christmas Eve, palms sweating, feet tapping, whistling, can't close your eyes because you can hardly wait?!?!? Just singing in the shower, dancing like a fool, smiling for no apparent reason, downright goofy thrilled about something?  
Well...now suppose that this something was like a castle....only it was built with cards inside of a wind-proof room. A spectacular sight, this castle! You were  very skeptical at first, but someone you trusted assured you that it would be the most amazing accomplishment imaginable. After hesitant consideration, you brought out ALL your cards (great & even not so great ones) and used every last one of them to construct this incredible 'building'....now just as you complete your project, you're holding your breath and placing the very last card you have right on top- - -WHOOOOOSHHH!!!!!!!!!!
Your room disintegrates as the winds scatter and destroy this 'dream house' you had worked on and waited for all this time. For a moment, you're confused and spinning wildly trying to get a grasp on the situation. You sigh. You realize what's happened. As you begin looking around, you see a card here & there, but you know it's going to be a very long time before you can actually gather them all back up, and you'd be a NUTCASE to ever again put all you've got into something that really had no foundation in the first place. Come on!! Aren't cards for gambling? Yeah, not building dreams! DUH!
Ok, ok...I'm picking up my cards. :) As described, it may seem as though I'm upset about this in some way, but really I'm okay. (LIE!!) Yes, of course I'm upset. Crushed actually. Major blonde moment? Like, "I've got some ocean front property in Arizona...". "Here's your sign." Yeah.
BUT!  I'm a survivor & I like a challenge!! Always good to have my eyes OPEN while I find my cards, huh? Haha!!

So....plan "C"!!! Road Trip!!!

I'll try to muster some excitement for this adventure. I will find a way to be a shutter bug along the way. I will see people I love & have missed. I will be reunited with Maximus Decimus Arelius the gladiator dog!!

All I need for this trip is prayers. I need God's blessing & I will be A-OK! What more do you really need? They say you should let go of what/whom you love right? If it's yours, it'll find it's way to you & if not....it was never really yours anyway. I believe that God has a plan for me & that He will make sure it happens how He wants it to.
I'm just gonna countdown & go along for the ride.....& looky here...the 24 has become 23!
Pray for me please & thanks!!

For God SO loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life...
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