The hands of a father!

Light of the world,
You stepped down into darkness.
Opened my eyes,
Let me see.
Beauty that made this heart adore you
Hope of a life spent with you...

This particular verse of this song I heard this morning really struck me in a way it never has before. It's so comforting to know that no matter what we're going through at a particular moment in time, that we have the hope of a life spent with him. As I'm typing this I began to think back about the first time I really started to adore him.

There is no doubt in my mind that God has had his hand over my life since the day I was born. He's been with me through the divorce of my mother and father, although I was very young when they divorced it wasn't really until I got older that I really felt his hand of protection, the hands of a father, because I really don't have a normal father/daughter relationship with my father. He doesn't have much of a presence in my life. What presence he does have, I've learned to accept, although I won't ever understand it, but just take peace in the fact that God is in the midst, and even in the midst of our confusion and holds me with the hands of a father. God was with me when my stepfather (my sister's dad) passed away on Father's Day weekend in 1993 in a boating accident. He truly loved me as his own and showed me love that I was craving. He was a good man, a handsome man. My mom adored him and so did we. My mom was then single for many years until she got married in 1998 and again found a man that loved me as his own and I loved him so much. He again filled a void in my life. And God was there when that marriage ended in divorce in 2005 under horrible circumstances (which are too personal to share) and ended with us leaving a church that we had been a part of for nearly 10 years and left us confused and questioning alot of things. But not once, not even once did God leave us, and I always felt the hands of a father.

Our family has been through alot and from reading this, you can pretty much gather that there was never a stable earthly father in my life, but you can also gather from reading this, another pattern, the hands of another father, the BEST father you could ever ask for. The heavenly father. And thank you God for that! He's been the constant father in my life. At times I may have felt like he left me, abandoned me, that he wasn't listening to what I had to say... that my prayers, fears, insecurities, feelings of rejection were going unnoticed. But deep down, I know they weren't, because all the while, I was being held by the hands of a father. The comfort and outstretched arms he was offering me were there all along, you just have to reach out for it.

Whatever you're going through right now, remember that the hands of a father are waiting to comfort you. And if you know someone that needs to know that today, guide them to those hands!

Open my eyes, and let me see!
Let that be your prayer today and may the hands of the father hold you!

Boy, did I need this today just as much for myself :)

And a few thoughts:

* All of us here at the office are going to Chili's for lunch today, YUM!!!
* I'm so bummed that Danny got kicked off of American Idol, but I'm now rooting for Kris :)
* I haven't been wanting to get out of bed in the mornings this week, anyone else feeling like this?? haha!
* I've had a chocolate donut for breakfast every day this week. Not very nutritious is it?
* Hoping and praying I get my braces off before my best's friend wedding next month. Would you be praying?? haha!!!
* Can't wait for the craziness of this month to be over. June is looking really nice right about now. And my birthday is June 11th, mark the calendars people :)
* I won a bloggy giveaway and should be receiving the Shred here shortly, so excited. I've heard so much about it and it sounds like such great exercise, but from what I hear, Jillian is going to have it out for me. I'm kind of scared, ha!
* For those of you wanting to know, didn't get my tattoo last night, they were booked for the evening, but going to be getting it this weekend, and definitely there will be pictures to follow.

And that's all I got for now!!

Am I crazy?

My sister has wanted her belly button pierced for a long time now and my mom is going to be taking her tonight to go and get it and as much as my sister wants to do it, she’s kind of scared about it. So I made a deal with her, if she does it, then I will go with her and get a tattoo.

Am I crazy?

I’ve always wanted one but have been too chicken and there’s just something so permanent about it and maybe that’s because it is permanent, ha! I always knew if I were to get one that it would be something special and of significance. I’ve always wanted one on the top of my foot, and I’ve seen others with a tattoo there and they’ve always been so pretty. So do any of my bloggy friends out there have a tattoo, and if so, did you survive??

Again I ask, am I crazy? Haha!

Okay, I’ve never watched the Biggest Loser until unfortunately last night on the season finale and I fell asleep towards the end, so who won? What I saw absolutely amazed me! I can’t believe the transformations and how life changing they are. That show truly gives people a new hope and perspective on life. I will definitely be tuning in to the next season of it. I wish I would have started watching it sooner! And how many people are excited about the Bachelorette? And I’ve seen the group of men, WOW!!!

Went to the wonderful orthodontist this morning and got the teeth tightened. Can you say ouch?? All I can say is thank goodness for Tylenol :O)

Hope everyone is doing well on this Wednesday!

Mother's Day weekend 2009

Here’s the 411 on my New York trip :o)

Let me start by saying that there is nothing like New York in the spring, absolutely gorgeous! The family we went to go visit is actually family from my sister’s dad’s side of the family. See my sister’s dad passed away when she was just a baby and her dad was from New York, and so my sister has an aunt, uncles, grandparents, cousins, great-grandma (whose 100th birthday we celebrated), and etc. who live up there. They have always treated my brother and I as if we were their own. It’s so special and I will always cherish that and so we’re all like family.

And so the saga begins. On this particular trip we decided to take my grandma with us (my mom’s mom) because it was Mother’s Day weekend and she knows the family up there as well and also that way my mom could spend Mother’s Day with her. I guess I should also say that my grandma has been through a lot of health issues lately. She was diagnosed with cancer not long ago and has been through treatments for that and is finished so she’s on the road to recovery. So we pick her up Friday morning to head to the airport and she wasn’t feeling all that well but we get to the airport and get on the plane and arrive in New York. When we got there we head out to go eat and then get to the house and we all take naps because it was an early morning and we were exhausted. So anyhow, we all wake up and my grandma goes to change and realizes that her leg is completely swollen and discolored and doesn’t look pretty at all. So we felt it was best that we take her to the emergency room. So she was admitted Friday night at the hospital in New York. Here my grandma has not been out of town in years and the first time she goes away she goes to New York to land in the hospital. It turns out she developed a blood clot when she got off the plane (they say this is common in cancer patients). They’re pretty certain it was starting to develop before she left Florida for New York, but the plane ride just probably aggravated it. Which it’s a good thing she was with us and not alone by herself in Florida dealing with this. Although, if she were in Florida, it might not have been that bad.

Like I said, Friday night she was in the hospital. My sister and I left my mom at the hospital with my Grandma and we went and got ready and went with the rest of the family to see a play called the “Odd Couple”. It was very funny and so cute, we had a great time. So we had these plans to go into NYC Saturday but with my Grandma being in the hospital we never made it there. We thought my Grandma was going to be getting out of the hospital on Saturday but she ended up developing a fever and so she had to stay Saturday night as well. So my mom, sister, and I went shopping at a couple of places Saturday and I did sooooo much damage at...





I hadn’t been shopping for myself in a looooong time, so it was a nice little treat. So we left the hospital Saturday and ran around to a bunch of pharmacies trying to get the medication taken care of so my grandma could go home and have the stuff she needed and then Saturday night hung out with the family and ordered in Chinese and then went home to pack and get ready to leave the next day.

The whole time were concerned that my grandma wouldn’t be out of the hospital in time for us to head home Sunday night as planned but thankfully she was released Sunday morning and just in time for all of us to make it to the 100th birthday party, which that in itself made the whole trip worthwhile. How many people can say they went to a 100th birthday party? So my grandma was able to get the medication and go-ahead that she needed to get home and she had an appt. with her doctor first thing Monday morning. So at least we got to go to the party which was the whole purpose of the trip, it’s just the weekend didn’t turn out as planned, but what can you do, right??

So here are some pictures I was able to get in the midst of all the craziness of the weekend, enjoy :O)

I could not get comfortable on the plane but my mom and sister could, haha! My sister's face is covered up, lol. She's sitting next to my mom.


The view of the harbor from the balcony of the beach house where we stayed. Unfortunately didn't get a picture of the house, so cool.








Me with the sis!


My pretty Momma and I :)


My grandma and I after she got out of the hospital!


Three generations!


Keri and her boyfriend Dan!


Brother and Sister!


My sis with Aunt and Uncle!


The birthday girl! She sooo does not look 100 and certainly doesn't act like it!


How cute are these candy bars with this packaging!






I thought this picture was too funny! Danielle with her Uncle Russ!


That's more like it :)



Russ's (is that how you do that or is it Russ', ha?) kids Harry and Wyatt! LOVE them! Soooo adorable!










Make a wish :) Here's to another 100 years!


Mom with Grandpa!


Then after the party it was time to come home. I thought the sky was so pretty coming back. I love flying at night!







Okay, you better be glad I love you because this post took forever, haha!!! It's going to be great because we're going to see most of the New York gang at the end of the month for my sister's high school graduation, and then we're going to take a trip to Disney World. It will be Harry and Wyatt's first time! It's going to be a blast!

Well, yesterday was kind of rough, had to leave school early last night because was having some tummy issues and was not feeling good at all last night but feeling better today. So came home and plopped on the couch and watched Dancing with the Stars and then crashed in bed. I really think it's going to be Melissa and Gilles in the finale, what do you think??

Please excuse...

this pathetic excuse for a post!

Seriously, I got back from NY last night and I'm going to be a walking zombie today and can't even put a coherent thought together! And so it's back to work and school today and hope I can make it through, ha. The trip went by in a flash and definitely did not go as planned, but you learn to deal with the unexpected and roll with the punches! So I'll be back tomorrow to fill you in and share some pics!

In the meantime, I leave you with my sweet mom and I on Mother's Day! :)

"Show Us Where You Live Friday"

It's that time again for Kelly's "Show Us Where You Live Friday" and this week is living rooms. And since I'm going to be flying in the sky tomorrow to New York, wanted to post it tonight. Enjoy the tour :)

My living room as you see it coming in from the front door.


Living room as you see if from the dining area.


The entertainment area. Yes, the TV is a tad bit small for the box, but hey.... it's not about quantity but about quality (and the fact that it brings me all my favorite TV shows, ha)


This is above the TV. The ceramic piece on the left of the face is a piece I made in ceramic class in high school and it was on display in the school, haha. Still have it and the other picture on the right is when we went to go see President Bush when he came into town in 2004 and he's the first president I ever shook hands with and we got a picture of it.


This is by far my favorite piece in the whole living room.


The home is where memories are made.


Love these. They say:

In every way and everyday, cherish family, friends, and traditions..
and..
Work as if you don't need the money, love as if you've never been hurt, and dance as if no one is watching.


And lastly, both end tables.

The shrine to my brother's family... Aren't they adorable?




It's been fun ya'll, come by again :)

Oh, and I gave my mom her mother's day gift tonight since we're all leaving tomorrow because the less you take on the plane, the better... she loved it all...



I got her Marley & Me, a gift set of boby care products, and a sign that says " I Love You To The Moon & Back" to put on her desk at work.

I heart my Mom! It's going to be sooo fun having a girls weekend in New York with her this Mother's Day! And I'll have a post for her coming up on Sunday telling you all about my precious momma!

Talk to you when I get back!!! :o)

A teachable moment!

I had quite a revelation yesterday! Yesterday morning I texted my sister and just said I hope you have a better day today because her day before was not all that good. And apparently neither was yesterday. We texted back and forth and they weren’t very nice and you could just tell she REALLY was not having a good day.
My sister and I are 7 years apart, different as night and day, but we love each other and would do anything for each other. We’re just at different stages in life and so it’s hard to relate at times on the same level, so our relationship has been rocky at some points, but I feel truly blessed to call her my sister and she’s such a gift in my life.

I, at times, can be sensitive by nature and my yearning is to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit. So with that said I really thought long and hard about how I was going to reply back to her text messages, because I wanted to say something snappy back to her. Again, I sat there for a moment, and then it hit me and I thought to myself… Lauren, you have a choice as to how you’re going to respond to this… you can either say something rude back and add to her already rough day, or you can show compassion and turn her day around and this was my response…

“I know you are having a bad day so I am going to overlook your rudeness. Love you and hope your day gets better.”

Instead of going with my flesh, I chose to be sensitive to her and not take the remarks personally, and then I prayed for her and cried a little, because I could feel her pain. I may not understand everything she goes through but I know being in high school is not easy these days and all the stuff you have to deal with and our high school journey’s were completely different…but she is going to be heading to college this fall and a whole other beautiful world awaits her out there.

I say all this because I’m sure all of you have dealt with similar circumstances like this with different people that come into your life. They may not always say what you want to say and it might sting a little, and they might not always act the way you’d like. But I ask, how are you going to react to it? I would say, react with a little more compassion and don’t be so quick to come back with a comeback that could sting them just as well…

Because in the end, it’s all about that teachable moment!

So yeah, I just woke up this morning realizing that I have school tonight, won’t get home till late, and still have to pack for New York tonight when I get home. And did I mention that we have to leave the house at 4am tomorrow morning? So do the math as to what time we actually have to wake up. Fun stuff :o)

As I was driving on my way to work this morning, looked down at my legs, and to my dismay, totally forgot to shave and the legs, TOTALLY exposed. Just sayin! And keeping it real here. Nevertheless, they will be completely hidden under the desk today unless absolutely necessary. And hopefully no one will be looking and if they are, what are they looking at my legs for anyway?

Oh, and not to mention that I have a fever blister on my lip the size of Texas. TOTAL cuteness! Which means no lipstick, double whammy!!

I should be posting again before I leave and will be giving you a tour of my living room to participate in Kelly’s “Show us where you live Friday” :o)

P.S.
Thank you for the perfume ideas! I know everyone's tastes are different, but it was great getting suggestions!

P.P.S.
Niki is holding a wonderful giveaway to celebrate her 100th post!!! You won't want to miss out. Go and check it out!!

I heart Wednesday!

Ahhh, Wednesday, my favorite day of the week! It's so funny how much I've come to enjoy my Wednesdays. It's a nice mid-week break from school, I actually get to get out for lunch and not have to work through it so that I can leave for school early, and most of all, it's one day closer to Friday!

Happy Hump Day!

Okay ladies, need your help. And truly, What happens next is up to U:o)



Has anyone actually ever tried this perfume? I just happened to find this, haha! I was putting on my perfume this morning and literally, I'm out of everything and on my last leg of my only bottle practically. I'm really wanting to try something new and different, any suggestions? I think you ladies could probably help me out with this.... I'm just up for a change and open to any suggestions. I love perfume! Also, my birthday will be coming up here soon, so hoping to get some ideas!! :o)



Also, wanted to let you know about an awesome radio station here in Central Florida. It's called Z88.3 FM. Please check them out. They can also be heard online. If you don't have a good Christian radio station in your area, then this is the radio station for you. It is such a blessing in this area and lives are being changed. They are currently in the midst of their annual fundraiser to meet their budget needs for 2009 because they didn't quite meet their goal last November. See, they are totally listener supported, so it's our contributions that keep them on the air. I've had the privilege of volunteering with this wonderful ministry at numerous events and answering the phones at the fundraisers and I've really come to make some wonderful friends through Z88.3. So I encourage you, if you feel led to give, please go by. And if anything, just go and listen. God has done awesome things through this radio station and I know he's not done yet!

Okay, someone has got to know... I missed it, but I heard Melissa had a costume malfunction this week on Dancing with the Stars. Is this true? I saw the video online but nobody I've talked with saw that. Poor girl, I'm really hoping this is not true.

Thank you all so much for your encouraging comments yesterday! Breath in, Breath out, right??? haha! :)