Saturday, July 30, 2011

Spotlight on my Mom!

Time after time, Mom, you are the one
who proclaims your pride in me,
but today it's my turn to talk of pride
and place the spotlight on you -
for the life you've lived
and the example you've been to me.
No matter the situations life has dealt,
you've handled them with honor and grace.
You are a woman of countless abilities.
I've looked up to you all my life;
growing up, I assumed you could do most anything.
The pride I have in you goes beyond
all the things you have done.
I'm proud of the person you've always been -
kind, caring, dependable, and wise.
So I am the one who is bragging today
because I have a mom
who makes me so proud.


Happy 50th Birthday, Mom!!

I love you!!!!

Monday, July 25, 2011

The not so gentle cycle.


Are you ever seeking God for something and you sit there waiting for the lightning bolt to come down from the sky and give you all the answers?

To simply put it, God just doesn’t work like that.

How much time do we waste just stubbornly sitting there saying, God I’m not going to move until you give me some answers.

God wants us to diligently seek him out. Whatever the circumstance may be, he calls us to put our faith in to action, read the bible and search in scripture.

Gah, how stupid have I been? 

I came across this scripture this morning-

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind.” Phil 4:6-7.

He wants us to pray.
He wants us to petition him.
He wants us to present our requests to him.

And at the end there is peace.

I found myself walking around my neighborhood last night. The sky was a beautiful color of pink and purple. I found myself crying and saying out loud to myself demanding him “God, I just need some answers.”

I spent a majority of my walk crying. It was a woe is me hour walk I spent stuck in my own pity party. Kept thinking about this vicious cycle I’ve been riding on for awhile now in a certain area of my life. It’s a ride that God has been calling me to jump off of for quite some time. But somehow I’ve found myself comfortable just going around and around. Because if I jump off, what then? Then I’ll actually have to do something to change my circumstance. It’s up to me. It’s like there’s a fork in the road and I can go one of two ways…. I can go the road that brings forth changes, or take the road where I find myself hopping right back in the cycle.

You know how on a washing machine you have different cycles? Well one of them is gentle for delicate clothing, right?

Funny how we seem to be in a cycle and not willing to do anything to change our circumstances, but we have no problem saying, but God, just be gentle with me. You think in a situation where we’re clearly being disobedient that God is going to be gentle. No, it’s going to hurt, and it’s going to be painful when we’re not aligned with God. 

I’ve been disobedient. I haven’t been honoring God because when he says jump off, you better know he means jump.

He knows so much better than we do.

Time to put an end to the cycle. Do you find yourself in a cycle yourself?

It’s time to make the jump!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - NKOTBSB



And this my friends is where I'll be Friday night!!!!! Got last minute tickets!!! Completely stoked!!! A girl's night with Michelle and some old school BSB music... Ahhhhh, doesn't get any better than that!!!!!

Oh, but wait, it does get better!!! Matthew Morrison from Glee will be opening!!!! Be still my Glee loving heart!!!!!! 

So are you a BSB lover, NKOTB, or both????? :)

Monday, July 18, 2011

The question we all ask and answer.

"How are you doing?"

In any given day, how many times do we ALL get asked this????

And how many times do we automatically say "Oh fine" or "I'm great, and how are you???".... We all do it. Sometimes it can just be an automatic reaction and maybe other times it's just to take the focus off ourselves.

If someone asks me that question, I think if I were honest I'd say....

  • I woke this morning questioning God's plan for my future.
  • I drank another coke today when I've tried over and over again to quite caffeine.
  • I stayed in bed this morning when I know I should have got up and ran.
  • I wish money would grow on trees. Finances stress me out.
  • It sucks because I just found out I need new back tires for my car and my transmission is acting up. (But praise God that is under warranty).
  • It feels like I will NEVER get out of school.
  • Discipline in certain areas of my life I really struggle with.
  • I'm WAY to addicted to Words with Friends. I need help.
  • Will I ever get married and have kids?
  • Will I ever find contentment where God has me at this moment in time?
  • I really need to eat healthier.
  • My priorities can be way out of whack sometimes.
  • I struggle with making that quiet time with the Lord.
  • I pick up book after book, but why can't I consistently read my bible?
  • Sometimes fear holds me back.
  • I can struggle with jealousy.
  • I need to cherish the time with my family and friends more and know when to step back from technology.
  • I'm over my job but blessed to have one.
  • I stink at time management.
  • I wish I could step out of my comfort a little more.
And wow, just let me stop there!!

So, that one question..... "How are you?" .....The person would probably be sorry they asked......

But lets just be honest here....Today, how would you answer that question?? Ha!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Hogwarts Smogwarts

That's what I say.....




I could care less about Harry Potter. Have ZERO interest. I have not read one book or watched one movie. I thought I was all alone in my disinterest, but took it to Facebook and Twitter...Oh, and I am so not.

Someone, PLEASE enlighten me! I just don't get the hype.

Feel free to talk amongst yourselves!!

PS: I had to laugh because after I posted this I had Hogsworth Smogsworth in the title of this post (has been changed), and apparently it is Hogwart. I stand corrected, lol!! Shows my love for HP goes far and wide, LOL!!!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Skin care.


I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m HORRIBLE at skin care. I do not have a skin care routine at night. But all that is about to change. I will sleep with my make-up on. I shower in the mornings, and so I’ll take my make-up off in the shower to only reapply again when getting ready for the day. Awful, I know!

I’ve recently had a horrible breakout on my face. 

I’m going to get in the habit of taking care of my skin. 

My question for you is what skin care regimen has worked the best for you??

Carrie is the new face of Oil of Olay.



If my skin can look like hers, I’m all for it. Ha! 

Your input would be appreciated. 

Thank you!!!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Real life.


Do you ever have those mornings where you feel like you need to get back into bed, step back out and have a redo?

This morning I found myself popping straight up in the bed and wanting to scream “PETER, WE SLEPT IN”…. (Anyone remember the movie Home Alone? Ha.)

I woke up with about 10 minutes to get ready and I have a little bit of a commute in the morning.

I wasn’t able to shower.
I have a zit on my face that won’t go away.
I had all intentions of shaving my legs.
I didn’t even have time to do my make-up.

But…..

Perfume will cover the fact that I’m shower-less.
Concealer can mask the zit.
A long dress can cover the legs.
I did my make-up when I got to the office.

And this is real life folks. And there’s always the hope that Wednesday will come.

With that I bid you a good day :)

Friday, July 8, 2011

Girl time.

After work today I’ll be heading to spend the weekend with one of my dearest friends Jill.




We have not been able to connect in a very long time. I’m looking forward to catching up with her, laughing, girl talk, and spending time with her. She is truly one of a kind and so thankful God put her in my life. She is a gift. YAY for a girls weekend :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Any fun weekend plans???

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

The Not Guilty Verdict.

Disclaimer: This is not meant to start a debate. But I came across this article. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, and you may agree or disagree. Just thought it was interesting. It made me think and just wanted to throw it out there.

Justice, Judgmentalism and the Casey Anthony Verdict


Her “not guilty” verdict made a lot of people mad. But before we vent any more anger we may need an attitude check.
Where were you on July 5 when the Casey Anthony verdict was released? Just before the 2:15 p.m. announcement, I was in a restaurant in Orlando with my family—and our waitress was so anxious to hear the outcome of the trial that she brought up the topic after we ordered our lunch. Not since the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial have Americans invested so much emotional energy in a courtroom drama.
Because I live near Orlando where the trial was held, I’ve grown weary of the never-ending local news coverage, which included stories on how much Casey was allowed to spend on toiletries every week at the Orange County jail and how long out-of-town visitors waited in line to get tickets to the trial. I remember when 2-year-old Caylee Anthony went missing in 2008. I remember when her decomposed remains were found six months later in some woods near her home. I listened to the blur of reports about duct tape, the suspicious odor in the trunk of the car, the chloroform, and her mother’s partying habits.
“Before you spend any more time analyzing the evidence, complaining about the jury or judging Casey’s motives, ask God to touch her. Could God have actually been involved in this unexpected verdict to give Casey more time to discover Him?”
People became engrossed in the case of the so-called Tot Mom. Many became armchair prosecutors. Some of them flew to Orlando to get a seat in the courtroom. Millions more followed every detail of the trial through Nancy Grace, Dateline and other news programs. Many amateur crime solvers were convinced Casey killed her little daughter—and they were ready to hand her a death sentence.
After the verdict was read on Tuesday, many Americans were shocked—mostly because Casey’s lies during the lengthy ordeal destroyed her credibility. Thousands of angry Twitterers formed a virtual lynch mob. Their words were harsh, exemplified by these tweets from people who referenced God:
• “The jury may have found her ‘not guilty,’ but she'll get what’s coming to her. God will make sure of that!”
• “Casey, you didn't win. You have a dead daughter, a guilty conscience, a society that hates you and a date with God.”
• “Dear Casey Anthony, God will deal with you. Good luck finding a lawyer that will help you lie to Him.”
Maybe I’m in the minority, but it disturbs me when I hear Christians spewing vindictive statements about God’s judgment in anybody’s direction—especially toward a woman who has just been pronounced not guilty in an American courtroom. Yes, I feel horrible for little Caylee, whose life was stolen from her. Yes, I think Casey’s story seemed to be full of holes. And no, I don’t believe the not guilty verdict brought the kind of “closure” Casey’s parents claim to have now. We’re not any closer to solving the mystery of her death.
But in the end, people who follow Christ should not be grabbing pitchforks and demanding vigilante justice just because a trial didn’t turn out the way we thought it should. Our response should be tempered with redemption. I’d recommend the following:
Thank God for His mercy toward you. Every one of us deserves a guilty verdict from God because of our sins (see Romans 3:23), but in His perfect love He engineered a way to satisfy justice and yet grant us full pardon. If you truly know the forgiveness of Christ, you cannot cold-heartedly desire revenge for others. Our attitude should be guided by Ephesians 4:32 (NASB): “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you."
Pray for Casey Anthony and her family. Before you spend any more time analyzing the evidence, complaining about the jury or judging Casey’s motives, ask God to touch her. Do you believe He loves her? Could God have actually been involved in this unexpected verdict to give Casey more time to discover Him? Pray that Casey and her parents will come to know His salvation in a personal way. (P.S. This whole thing has reminded me that I’ve not spent too much time praying for O.J. Simpson, either.)
Pray for the children who are abused every day and don’t get news coverage. According to the organization Child Help, a report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds. Almost five children die every day in the United States as a result of child abuse, and more than three out of four are like Caylee Anthony—under the age of 4.
If Christians become more aggressive in addressing child abuse in all its forms—and channel our righteous anger in a positive direction—Caylee’s death will not have been in vain.
J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. His most recent book is 10 Lies Men Believe (Charisma House).

Thoughts?

I'm not trying to throw a "What would Jesus Do?" at you. I believe in my heart Casey was guilty as sin. But I would think we could all agree Casey and her family need our prayers.  And like a friend said to me today, we aren't Jesus, we can't be like Jesus, and that's why we NEED Jesus.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

July 4th weekend.

Friday night I went to the hospital to visit my friend Danielle’s little girl.




She was born 9 weeks early. She is a 3lb 7oz bundle of joy. I could have sat there holding her all night. She is in the NICU. She is going to be just fine but her little body just needs to grow and is going to be in there for a few more weeks. So precious!!

Saturday was the perfect day. I exercised, caught up on some tv, finished a book, pool, napped, and went to dinner with friends Saturday evening. A group of us went to downtown Orlando to celebrate our friend Laura’s birthday. The food was yummy and the company even better.




It was a fun night.

Sunday was about as unproductive as you could get. I was glued to the Casey Anthony trial ALL.DAY.LONG. It has been something else to have this trial so close to home. Will be glad when the verdict is read so I can have my life back. Ha!

Monday I was up bright and early for my July 4th 5k run.

Michelle was my running buddy.



I loved having somebody to run with. This was only my second 5k race and I beat my last time. Not by much but I’ll take it, ha!! It was a fun race.

We went out to breakfast afterwards and got my red, white, and blue pancakes. YUMMY!!!!! :)


I was beat from the race and so was lazy the rest of the afternoon. Then last night went over to my best friend’s house for July 4th festivities and fireworks. Can you believe I didn’t get any pictures?? BUMMER.

But here’s me in my red, white, and blue!!!


Hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend celebrating the 4th and remembered the true reason we celebrate the holiday and what makes this country so great!!

And YAY for a short work week this week!!!! :)

Friday, July 1, 2011

The 4th.



Happy 4th of July!!!!!

 Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!!!!!!!