Adventures in Life

Photo A Day 3-5

2012-02-05T15:51:00.000-06:00

Photo a Day #3-Hands

My husband loves to paint so I took a picture of him painting a figurine. He is so talented and can paint the finest, tiniest details.

Photo a Day #4-A Stranger

How often do we have people who live within steps of us but we don't really know them. I have 2 neighbors who I know really well (the ones who wil help you into the house when you have locked yourself out by using a credit card), a few neighbors I know as acquantainces, and a few who I do not know at all. We are strangers who pass in our cars or while we are on walks.

Photo a Day #5-10 a.m.

This was my 10 a.m. today-taking care of my sweet little boy who was not feeling well at all. He just wanted to have his blanket, paci, his favorite chair and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Photo A Day #2-Words

2012-02-02T22:00:00.000-06:00

Things in life.
Things are busy.
Things are blessings.
Things can be happy.
Things can be sad.
Things can be family.
Things can be friends.
Things can be co-workers.
Things can be seen.
Things can be unseen.
Things can be confusing.
Things can make sense.
Things can be important.
Things can be unimportant.
Things happen all day every day all around us.
How often do we stop to think about the good things in life?

Photo A Day-Your View Today

2012-02-01T21:51:00.000-06:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: YOUR VIEW TODAY

My view for the day is seeing my sweet boy in my rearview mirrow.

February Photo Challenge-A Photo A Day

2012-02-01T21:40:00.001-06:00

For the month of February, I am going to take part of a challenge from Fat Mum Slim http://www.fatmumslim.com.au./ For each day of the month, you will take a picture that reflects what you have been asked to take a picture of on that day (see list below). I am excited about this challenge because I have wanted to start taking more pictures and this will encourage me to pick up my camera and take some fun pictures.

My Wedding

2011-12-30T20:30:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! I am linking up with http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/ to share about wedding ideas and businesses that I used. My husband Jamie and I were married on December 27, 2008 at Crosscreek Baptist Church in Pelham, Alabama (reception held at the church as well).

My Wedding Party (photo by His Hands Photographs: http://www.hishandsphotographs.com/, 205-862-3374). All dresses were from David's Bridal in Hoover, Alabama and the men's tuxes were from Men's Wearhouse in Hoover, Alabama. I loved my dress because it had red across the top and down the back. I got the dress during one of David's Bridal $99 sale.

Our photographers were a husband and wife team from Birmingham, Alabama. His Hands Photographs http://www.hishandsphotographs.com/ 205-862-3374 did our wedding photos and after-session photos. They took phenomenal pictures and we had our photos back within a few weeks. For planning your wedding, do a lot of reseach for your photographer. Ask for references and examples of pictures. Our photographers met with us before the wedding so they could get to know us and what we like. They asked us to provide them with a list of "must-have" photos which was important to me because I did not have to worry about the pictures and if they were getting the ones I wanted. They knew in advance so they ensured that I got the photos I wanted. The photos above are after-session photos.

Our rings were from Diamonds Direct http://www.diamonds-direct.com/ in Mountain Brook, Alabama. We had phenomenal service and we have loved our rings. We have been back several times for other purchases. They asked us about our budget and showed us rings that would meet our budget. They did not try to sell us anything outside of our range.

My flowers were from Publix http://www.publix.com%20in/ Hoover, Alabama. I was very happy with all of the flowers but my bridal bouquet. It was way too big but Publix still did a great job on the flowers. The bridesmaids flowers were used in vases on the tables for the reception following the wedding.

For the reception, we used a catering company located in Hoover, Alabama. They did a great job with the food and the most popular item at the reception was the chocolate fountain. Everyone had fun dipping different food items (marshmallows, fruit) in the chocolate. It was so popular that we only had 3 pieces of the fruit leftover for us.

The bride's cake was from Publix (like the flowers). The cake was delicious (vanilla cake with vanilla icing)and they did exactly what I asked. I did provide the ribbon and the cake topper. The cake topper was an S that I purchased online. I still have the S on a bookshelf. The ribbon was purchased at Michaels'. The tablecloths were provided by the catering company.

The groom's cake was from Louise's Cakes and Things in Hoover, Alabama and it was a huge hit. The cake was a Star Wars Stormtrooper and it was chocolate cake with vanilla icing. I surprised my husband with the cake since we were originally going to use the chocolate fountain as his "cake" but I didn't feel right now having a cake for him. http://cakes-n-things.com/ 205-823-6799.

We provided a picture frame mat for the guests to sign. Most of our guests signed the picture and it is now hanging in our bedroom. The picture frame mat and frame were purchased at Bed, Bath and Beyond http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/

The programs were printed on my personal computer. The program designs were purchased from Target http://www.target.com/. We used Microsoft Word to print the programs. We spent about $50 on the programs (well, technically more because I printed the programs on a different type of program and realized that I had switched two numbers so I had to buy new programs. I ended up liking the 2nd set of programs more). Both sets were purchased from Target.

For the guests, we provided bubbles purchased from Walmart and a CD that we made. The CD contained the #1 song for the year of each person in our wedding party. To cut down on costs, we burned the CD's on our computer. We spent about $20 on the bubbles and about $30 on the CD's (CD's, I-Tunes cost, printed covers on the home computer). On the table, I put out a scrapbook of photos from our time of dating to the wedding. The book was "Our Story".

Photo by His Hands Photographs

In addition to surprising my husband with the Stormtrooper cake, I also surprised him by providing our wedding party with lightsabers that we walked under as we left the reception. We had bubbles and lightsabers. The lightsabers were purchased at Toys R Us http://www.toysrus.com/ for about $10 a piece.

Our wedding was memorable and there are only a few small things that I would change if I had to do it over again. If you are trying to do a wedding on a budget, shop around, ask around and do a lot of internet shopping and research. We were on a tight budget but we were able to do almost everything we wanted to do. A great resource to use is http://www.theknot.com/ - great resources. Have fun with your wedding planning and remember that it is a special day. Don't stress the small stuff, enjoy every moment and keep a camera with you all the time.

Christmas

2011-12-15T22:04:00.001-06:00

I am linking up with kellyskornerblog.com to show my Christmas decorations. Due to having a 19 month old, the decorations are minimal this year because he thinks he has to play with every ornament. Here are a few pictures of some of my decorations.

One of my favorite decorations. I played Secret Santa to my grandmother one year and I put this tree outside her door. She is gone now but I put this tree out to remind me of her.

A great reminder on my mantel of what the season really is about. Believing in Christ!

I have always wanted a Charlie Brown Tree and this one is on my kitchen table.

My husband decorated this gingerbread house. I can't wait until my son James can help with the decorating.

My favorite ornament..my sweet little boy's handprint.

I used my drink containers for ornaments. I have two containers and they are on my kitchen counter.

My Christmas tree is sad this year because the top half has ornaments and the bottom half is empty. My 19 month old takes off all of the ornaments. I plan on having a tree full of ornaments next year when he is old enough to understand to not remove the ornaments.

I have a sports theme tree upstairs outside my sons' room. I plan to add to this tree every year.

A Struggle with Guilt and Balance

2011-12-04T15:46:00.000-06:00

Laughs, playing, fun….laundry, dishes, dinner…. studying, research, emailing….working, wife, mother….exercise and sleeping (what are those). I struggle every day with finding a balance between all of these and along with the struggle comes the guilt that I am not doing enough or maybe I am doing too much.

My sweet 19 month old is growing up before my eyes and I want to hold on to every moment that I can. I don’t want to miss his laughs, seeing his face the first time he discovers he can do something new, hearing him laugh when he is caught doing something he knows she shouldn’t be doing (ex: taking ornaments off the Christmas tree), the temper tantrums, racing around the house trying to “get” him as he giggles, tickling his toes, blowing raspberries on his stomach, watching him “reading” a book, listening to him laugh as he begin to understand the funny parts of his favorite show Mickey Mouse, watching him climb on and off the couch, learning to make his fire truck sirens go off again and again and again, playing in his pool of balls and throwing them all over the den, racing his trucks around the floor, watching him splash in the bathtub, rocking him before he goes to bed, and saying his prayers.

On the other side of my non-playful life, the loads of laundry seem to never end, the dishes overflow onto the counter, the dishwasher always seems to need to be loaded or unloaded, my computer is always screaming at me to work on my thesis so I can be officially done with my master’s, the carpet needs to be vacummed on a daily sometimes hourly basis, my thoughts sometimes go to thinking about work and how I can make a change or thank my teachers more, how I can be a better wife, how I can be a better mother, will I ever lose weight because I can’t keep blaming the pregnancy, and what is sleep and how can I get it.

How does someone find a balance between working, being a wife, a homemaker, and a mother? I keep thinking that the struggle and guilt will get easier but I have come to realize that I don’t think it will get easier so I have to find the balance between everything. How have you found a way to balance all that life brings?

Dinner-Mexican

2011-11-28T10:36:00.001-06:00

Dinner...one of the hardest meals for me to make. Do you ever find yourself, like I do, struggling to come up with healthy, quick and easy to do dinners? I feel like I feed my family the same meal over and over again although James loves macaroni and cheese, green beans, corn and spaghetti so he is the easy one to feed. As for the rest of my family, one of the favorites in our family is a Mexican Enchilada dish. It is easy to mix up, not too expensive and all it needs is a little bit of Spanish rice. Here is a quick and easy recipe:

1 can (10 3/4 oz) Healthy Request Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Pace Picante Sauce
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican 4 cheese
6 flour tortillas (6"), warmed
1 small tomato, chopped (optional)
1 green onion, sliced (optional)

Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl (Picante Sauce Mix).

Stir 1 cup Picante Sauce mix, chicken and cheese in a large bowl.

Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place them seamside up in an 11 x 8" shallow baking dish. Pour the remaining Picante Sauce mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with tomatoes, onion and extra cheese.

Enjoy!

I Am Thankful For...

2011-11-23T23:02:00.000-06:00

....my relationship with the Lord
... my husband
... my sweet James
... my old job at CCR
... my new job at BH ELC
... my family
... my friends
... my church (Hunter Street and Brook Hills)
... the ups and downs of the last year
... the ups and downs of the next year
... a roof over my head
... food on my table
... my health
... everything I have in my life.

Extreme Couponing

2011-11-14T11:42:00.000-06:00

Extreme couponer I am not but a wanna-be extreme couponer I am. In an effort to cut out costs and cut down on trips to the grocery store, I have a set weekly amount for groceries and I attempt to come up with a 2 week menu based on the coupons I have and the sells in the stores. I shop at Publix (love the BOGO's), Walmart and Target (use my Target redcard which saves me 5% on every purchase). Saving money using coupons has taken me a long time and I am still working on saving more than 50% per trip. I buy papers at the Dollar Tree in bulk (4-10 papers), use the internet for coupons, buy coupons through http://www.thecouponclippers.com/ and through ebay, use my Target redcard for savings, use CVS for Extracare bucks and shop at Publix for the BOGO specials. In the 18 months since my son was born, I have never paid full price for a pack of Pampers diapers. I spend an average of 3-10 hours per week cutting out coupons, organizing and making my shopping lists. I am also working on developing a stockpile of items that do not expire or go bad quickly including toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels, canned goods, bath soap, diapers, etc. I have a long way to go but I love saving money. If you have ever wanted to save money, stock up on papers from the Dollar Tree (yes, they are only a $1) and start clipping. Give it time. Even if you only save $2 the first time, you will save more the next time.

My Coupon Book and examples of inserts I use

On this trip to Publix, I had a total of $100.68, saved $45.90 and paid $54.78 (almost a 50% savings).

Where Have I Been?

2011-11-13T21:40:00.000-06:00

It is hard to believe that I have been missing from the blogging world for almost 6 months. However, I have a great excuse....James.

James, it is hard to believe that you are 18 months old now. The time has flown by so quickly and I want it to slow down. I am enjoying every moment with you including your giggles, belly laughs, kisses, hugs, running, playing, throwing toys, prayers with you...everything.

18 month stats:

Height…34 ¼ (90th percentile)

Weight…30 lbs 2oz (90th percentile)

Hair…Blonde

Eyes…Blue

Shoes…Size 5

Diapers…Size 5

Sleep…You sleep 8-10 hours a night and take a 1-3 hour nap.

Physical…You run everywhere, can climb stairs, throw a ball, and you move constantly.

Words…You are saying over 30 words and your favorites are “uh-oh”, “to-down (touchdown)”, and “doh” (Homer Simpson)

Likes…Mickey Mouse, Favorite Blankie, “Pa” (pacifier), Red Hammer, Grilled cheese sandwiches, Green Beans

Dislikes…Your stroller. You will not sit in your stroller at all which makes going anywhere difficult. You also will not sit in the grocery cart except for the race car carts at Publix. As long as you can “drive” the cart and eat a cookie, you will sit still.

Favorite Toys…Red hammer, Balls, Race cars

Favorite Songs…Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Favorite Game…Peek-A-Boo, Throwing balls

Favorite Time of Day…Bathtime

Nicknames…Punkin, Mommy’s Sweet Boy

James, you are mommy's heart and I love you more than I could have ever imagined loving anyone. The first 18 months have been amazing and I can't wait to see what our days ahead hold.

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-19T21:26:00.000-05:00

Jamie and my dad

James is chowing down on mac n' cheese

James and his daddy

James and his granddaddy

Biblical Resolutions

2011-01-02T11:29:00.000-06:00

It is so refreshing to start the new year with a morning spent learning about the Lord. In Sunday School today, we talked about making decisions and making BIBLICAL RESOLUTIONS not New Year's Resolutions. Before making a decision, take time, seek advice, weigh effects and listen to God.

What struck me the most today was the idea of making Biblical Resolutions by asking the following questions: How can we grow in our inclination to listen to God? What are some decisions we should be making in our marriages? What principles should guide how we are for/view our bodies? Should our financial priorities be governed by God's Word? What other areas should we resolve to submit to the Lord?

What Biblical Resolutions do you need to make? I am starting the process of making Biblical Resolutions by going to God in prayer so that I can be shown where He wants me to grow.

1.01.2011

2011-01-01T22:31:00.000-06:00

Out with the old in with the new! 2010 was a year of ups and downs, tears and laughter, joys and sorrows, births and deaths and just plain craziness. I started the new year in Florida celebrating my 1 year anniversary and I was pregnant with my first child, James. I knew that 2010 would bring so many memories yet it was one of the hardest years of my life. I could blog about so much but I am going to blog about the one thing that affected me the most in 2010: my son James. I was so excited about the birth of my first child. The child I prayed about for over 30 years. I had a dream about how I would become a mom and how my sweet baby would enter the world in 2010. In May, my sweet baby James was born but not in the way that I had always pictured. I went into labor in the early morning but since I wasn't really sure if it was truly labor, I moved from the bedroom to the living room where I started counting the minutes between each contraction. I did not wake my husband up because I knew he needed his sleep plus there wasn't much he could do. I heard his alarm go off for getting up for work. I was in the middle of a contraction so I had to text him that I was in the living room in labor. He was so confused that I had to go back in the bedroom once the contraction went away to tell him about what was going. We headed to the doctor at 10am, told I wasn't in true labor, stood up from the table, my water broke, told I was in labor and checked into the hospital. So many things went wrong during the birth of my son. He was stuck at the top of the birth canal, I had to push and push through horrible labor pains to get him "unstuck", finally given an epidural at 3pm, pushed more and more, finally got him unstuck, we both ended up in distress, he was delivered using forceps and he was born after 6:45pm. My first thoughts were "he is so tiny" (we had been told he would be close to 10 pds but he was only 7 pds 11 oz) and "why isn't he breathing". About 2 seconds later it hit me that I am a mom. I am James mom. My life will never be the same. Following his birth, he was fine but I was not. His physical birth brought on 7 months of heartache, love, joy, tears, and pain. From May 2010 until December 2010 I have struggled to be the person I have always been, to the mom I always wanted to be and to be a Godly wife. I sometimes feel as though I have failed at all three. I will focus on being the mom I have always wanted to be. I came home in so much pain that I could not walk. I could not walk to pick up my son when he cried. When I wanted to hold him I had to ask for someone to bring him to me. I couldn't get up and fix his bottles because of the pain. I couldn't change his clothes in his room because it took me 5 minutes to walk more than 15 steps. I had to sleep sitting up on a couch for over a week instead of in bed. I feel like I missed out on the first two weeks of his life because I didn't get to do the mommy things. I felt like a failure because I couldn't do the basic things that a mom is supposed to do. I still deal with feelings of anger and sorrow over how I became a mom. Over the next few months, I was diagnosed with having gall stones so I had my gall bladder removed, I had to have surgery for an umbilical hernia, I haven't exercised since 2009 due to restrictions, diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder because of the trauma to my body (not a mental type of PTSD but my body is going through PTSD) and I have not been my normal joyous self. Despite the awful health year, there is one thing that I did right with my sweet baby boy. I have ensured that he knows his mom loves him. I hug and kiss him everyday and I tell him that I love him. I have taken the time to find the "firsts" and remember them (rolling over, eating baby food for the first time, his first ear infection, his first nanny, his first child care teachers, sitting up, trying to crawl, his sweet baby feet peeking out from under the covers when he is sleeping, his laughs, his temper tantrums and so much more). He will turn 8 months in 5 days and the time has gone by so fast. I never imagined that I could love someone as much as I love him and I would lay my life down for him. As for 2011, I am praying for good health, continuing to learn how to be a good mom and being the Godly wife that I am supposed to be. I also don't plan to make any resolutions for the new year (I could make a resolution to blog more) because I don't know what the year will hold and my only expectations are that it will be another year of ups and downs, tears and laughter, joys and sorrows, births and deaths and just plain craziness.

Love, Love and More Love

2010-09-19T17:03:00.000-05:00

The little person above is the reason that I rarely blog. There are so many blogs in my head but I rarely have time to write them down because when he is awake, I am spending my time with him. When he is asleep, I am cleaning, cooking, making bottles, laundry, etc. I have always wanted children and I have always loved the children I have known but I never imagined in a million years about the amount of love that I could have for my sweet baby boy. I take in all of the moments that I can: the giggles, smiles, holding my hand, watching me in the morning thinking I am still asleep, playing, talking, cooing, the hugs, the kisses, the spit up, the many facial expressions he has especially when trying a new food he doesn't like, temper tantrums, crying, fake coughing, and so many more. Life truly is about the little moments!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2010-08-04T22:46:00.002-05:00

Jamie and I are in a marriage mentoring class through our church. We are being shepherded by a beautiful couple and one of the things that I love the most is that Juanell is a fabulous cook. The other night we had Sweet and Sour Chicken that was DIVINE. I thought I would share the recipe. Enjoy! (the recipe is from a church cookbook)

2 cut up chickens
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 (8-oz) bottle Catalina salad dressing
1 can cranberry sauce
1 can pineapple (small chunks)
Craisins (as many as you are interested in)

Lightly spray 9 x 13 inch pan. Lay the chicken pieces in pan. Mix soup mix, dressing and sauce, the pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool slightly. Good served with rice. Serves 12-15.

Not Wrong, Just Different

2010-08-04T22:45:00.003-05:00

Not Wrong, Just Different

When you hear the words "NOT WRONG, JUST DIFFERENT", what do you think of? I would love to hear your ideas and then I will do a follow-up blog explaining the words and what they mean from the angle I am talking about.

Just A Girl Standing Before A Boy Asking Him To Love Her

2010-08-04T22:27:00.004-05:00

Can anyone guess what movie that line is from? If you guessed Notting Hill, you are right. Julia Roberts' character tells Hugh Grant's character that she is just a girl standing before a boy asking him to love her. How many times in life do women stand by a man just asking him to love her? I think back on my days of dating and I only wanted to be loved and I wanted to love back. I can't even count on two hands the number of times that I said "maybe if I do this, he will love me", "maybe if I show him unconditional love, he will love me back", "he will change", "he will realize that my love is enough". I am happily married now to a man who loves me unconditionally but I often run into women who say "I thought he would change." "I thought that if I loved him enough, he would love me back." "I thought I would be the one." "What could I have done differently to make him love me?" "What did I do that caused him to not want me?" These statements break my heart because I remember asking those same questions. When I look back now I realize that my questions should have been: "Lord, is this relationship glorifying to you?" "Lord, is this relationship what you want for my life?" "Lord, what do you want me to learn about YOU through this relationship?" "Lord, how can I show the love I have for YOU to the person I am dating?" "Lord what do you want me to learn about myself through this relationship?" As for my life today, I should be asking the same questions but from a marital point of view. Relationships can be difficult, challenging, fun, adventurous, life-changing, and so much more. So, to all the girls out there asking the boys to love them and to all the boys asking the girls to love them, love the Lord first and foremost and the rest will fall into place.

Things I Have Experienced in Eight Weeks

2010-06-16T09:44:00.007-05:00

Over the eight weeks I have experienced so much about being a Mommy and some of the things I have experienced:

the amount and length of time it takes to heal after having a baby

how some babies can fight sleep and think that naps only have to be 10 minutes

the amount of personality that is evident in the first few days of life

the time between bottles can range from 1 hour to 4 hours although the 1-2 hour ranges seem to happen at night

the amount of time I have spent at home and not leaving my house for days

how sleep deprived one person can get

how fast the days have gone by and how big James is getting so quickly

I can't believe that I am back at work

how much I can miss my son during an 8 hour period

the amount of time it takes to leave the house because I have to get myself ready, James dressed and fed, remember to grab my purse, remember the diaper bag and get out to the car

how heavy a car seat can be when carrying a 13 pd baby

the first time running errands on my own and what use to be a quick trip into the grocery store or somewhere like Michael's has become a much longer trip because I can't just get out of the car and run in

the first time you have to cancel or change plans with friends or family because my morning didn't go as planned

the errands and times out that have to be planned around feeding times to that we are not in the car when a hunger cry, aka scream" happens

how much car sickness can happen when riding in the back of the car

the times I have plans to get stuff done around the house (laundry, cleaning, cooking) but nothing gets done

the times I have stayed in bed until noon and taken a nap because James was taking a nap

how great a sweet baby boy can be in the movie theater

how entertaining pictures on the wall can be to a small baby

how my time is no longer my own

how a small baby can help start great conversations with complete strangers

how sweet a baby smile can be

how much fun it is to hold and talk to my sweet baby James

how much I am blessed to be a mom and I can't imagine my life without him

Birth Story of James

2010-06-09T11:49:00.003-05:00

My son James measured several weeks ahead for almost the entire pregnancy so we thought he would probably come before his May 3rd due date. Were we ever wrong! James decided to start making his entrance into the world at 2:45am on May 6, 2010. I woke up at 2:45am with pain that I thought could be Braxton-Hicks contractions or the real thing. The contractions were anywhere from 3 minutes to 25 minutes apart. I sat in the den from 2:45am until 7am counting the time and wondering if James was going to make his appearance. At 7am, I heard my husband’s alarm going off letting him know that he needed to get ready for work. I was having a contraction when his alarm went off so I text him to let him know that I was in the den with contractions. The contractions continued off and on so I called the doctor’s office at 9am to ask them what I should do. They suggested that I come in so they could see if I was truly in labor or just in the very early stages. My husband and I headed to the doctor’s office and got there around 10am. The doctor who looked at me said that I was barely 2 cm dilated so it was probably very early labor. He did an exam and told me to come see him in his office once I got dressed. As soon as I stood up (after he left the room), my water broke so we knew that the 6th was James birthday. I will never forget standing in the exam room with my husband when my water broke and all we could do was laugh because we didn’t know what to do. The nurses heard us laughing in the room so they figured something had happened so they were not surprised when my hubby went into the hall to let them know what had happened. The doctor came back to the room and said “I don’t need to see you anymore in my office. You are heading downstairs to have a baby.” I was wheeled down to Labor & Delivery and checked in with lots of monitors. Because I was barely 2 cm’s dilated, the doctor on call told me that it was going to be a long day of labor and it could well be into the night before my sweet baby boy was born. Pitocin was started and within a few minutes really strong contractions started. Both of our families were there, in the room, until I asked my husband to ask our families to wait outside because the contractions were so painful and I was trying hard to breathe through the contractions while trying to not freak out the family. My doc told me initially that I could have an epidural when I reached 4cm’s. I thought he was crazy and when I was only dilated to 3 cm after over an hour, I knew it could be a while. The contractions became unbearable and were every 1-2 minutes apart so when the doctor told me that I was only 3 cm, I asked him if was serious. It was decided that I could be an epidural at 2:30pm so I breathed through the contractions and watched the clock. Around 2:45pm, the anestheologist came in and started the epidural. Within 10 minutes, I felt human again. Within 45 minutes of the epidural, I dilated from 3cm to 10cm. I began pushing with every contraction and I thought he would come soon but my baby boy James had other ideas. He got stuck and was having a hard time moving into the birth canal. I pushed for over 2 hours, was reprimanded by the doctor for not pushing hard enough, pushed more, got sick, epidural started wearing off, was given more pain medicine, pushed more and then it was decided that he had moved into the canal enough but forceps would have to be used. What I did not know (hubby and doctor knew) was that both James and I were having blood pressure issues and we were both becoming fatigued. It was decided that forceps had to be used and it was time to get him out. At 6:51pm, my baby boy was born. My first thought and statement was “why is he not breathing?” I saw him blink his eyes so I knew he was okay. My next thought was “he is so small”. We had been told for the last 3 months of the pregnancy that he was going to be anywhere from 9-10 pds but he was 7lbs 11oz and 21 inches long. My labor & delivery and recovery (still having a rough time) did not and have not gone as I had hoped for but my sweet son is worth it all.

42 Weeks

2010-05-14T10:13:00.004-05:00

My journey into motherhood began about 42 weeks ago. I remember the day I saw the word "pregnant" and I could barely breathe. I had waited 37 years to see that word and to know that I was going to be a mother. I woke Jamie up to tell him that we were going to be parents. From that moment on, life began to change. I had many moments of joy during the pregnancy: hearing the heartbeat, the first ultrasound, the day we found out it was a boy, deciding to name him James Sullivan (both family names), feeling the first movements, the first hiccups, spending time at night with just him (feeling him move), buying tons of boy items, decorating the nursery, and counting down the days until he was here. I started having contractions on Thursday, May 6th at 2:45am and I remember feeling scared and overjoyed at the same time. I couldn't believe that I was going to meet my little boy but I also knew that I was going to miss feeling him move (I still find myself reaching to my stomach to feel him move). My official labor began around 10am at the doctor's office and from there it was a whirlwind. The labor pains were horrendous but thank the Lord for epidurals. My labor did not go perfectly as my son and I both ended up in a degree of distress and he had to be delivered (after 3 hours of pushing) via forceps. My first thoughts when I saw him were "he is so small" and "why isn't he crying". I think I asked the doctor about 5 times why he wasn't crying and then he let out a tiny cry followed by a loud cry. I remember watching him while they cleaned him up and thinking "I am a mom". He was handed to me after a few minutes and I did not want to let him go. All I could do was stare at him and want to never let him go. My recovery has not been the easiest but he is completely worth it.
I am amazed at how quickly the motherly instinct kicked in. The moment he would cry, I had to pick him up and hold him tight. I would reach over into the bassinet to make sure he was breathing when he was quiet for more than 5 minutes. I stared at him and smiled at all of his facial expressions. I admired his little skinny body and still can't decide which of his little body parts are my favorite..I love his little feet, his long fingers, his cute little nose..I guess I love all of his little body parts. I know that I have to share him with relatives and friends but if it has been more than 2 hours since I have held him, I have to hold him for just a little while. I enjoy the moments when he is awake and learning about the world around him. I love how he roots around and tries to eat his hands when he is hungry. I love how he gulps his bottle as if he hasn't eaten in days. I love the squeaky noises he makes. I listen out for his sweet little voice. Despite the exhaustion, I love getting up with him at all hours of the night.
My sweet baby boy is truly a blessing and gift from God and I can't imagine my life without him. I can't wait to see what adventures come our way and I wonder who he will become as he gets older. As for right now, I am going to soak in every moment and cherish the memories.

Being In Your Right Mind

2010-04-09T07:50:00.001-05:00

Being in Your Right Mind
Philippians 2:5-11

Sometimes, as we get older, the mind does not always work as it did in the past. It starts by walking into a room and not knowing why you are there! Then, you cannot remember someone's name, which seems typical of most people until we realize it was our spouse!

In Scripture, being in your right mind relates to the mentality of Jesus Christ in His incarnation. What the Lord displayed in His disposition toward His Father evidenced itself in His relationship with people. A right attitude toward the Lord displays itself in right responses toward men. Our purpose is to consider the Lord Jesus' attitude and apply the exhortation, "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus."

The Philippian church had a division problem. Chapter two looks at the need for an "others" mentality to foster unity. At the very foundation of this mentality is the person of Christ. He exemplified the attitude of a servant, and is one of four illustrations Paul uses to encourage this mentality in the Philippians.

The phrase, "Have this attitude in yourselves...," means "have a sentiment or opinion, to be mentally disposed, or to exercise the mind." The exhortation calls believers to have the same opinion, sentiment, or mental disposition as Christ. This does not mean IQ, but perspective or attitude. Within the thinking of our Lord were certain processes rooted in a mind-set outlined for us in the verses which follow in this passage.

One may think, "How can I have the same mindset as the Son of God? He was sinless and I have selfishness built into my system." All that Christ did in these verses related to His humanity and, therefore, He set the stage for us to embrace His mind-set.

As we move through these verses, we will address the theological implications, but that is not the main point of the passage. Paul does not pen the words under the inspiration of the Spirit to present proof texts for the deity or humanity of Christ as his purpose. Instead the purpose declares the mentality of Christ for the intention of encouraging believers to look on the needs of others. Theses verses present four characteristics of Jesus' mentality.

I. THE MENTALITY OF SELFLESSNESS v. 6-7a

Verse six establishes the deity of Christ in these words, "...Who although He existed in the form of God...." The word "existed" is a present-tense participle. Literally, it could read "He exists...." Nothing in the language suggests that Jesus ceased being God. The next word, "form" has nothing to do with shape or outward appearance. Vincent defines it as a word which "...denotes that expression of being which carries in itself the distinctive nature and character of the being to whom it pertains, and is thus permanently identified with that nature and character." Wuest adds, "Form refers to that outward expression which a person gives of his inmost nature." In other words, Jesus possessed the very nature of God for He was and is God.

The next phrase, "...did not regard equality with God a thing to grasped...," begins to formulate the selfless mentality of Christ. The term "did not regard" is the same word used in verse 3. It means "have the rule over, to think, or judge." The idea of equality with God, according to Wuest, speaks of equality of expression, not possession. Because of no article with God, then it refers to deity. The idea is that this does not refer to equality with the other members of the Godhead. Jesus did not think of this equality "a thing to be grasped." The meaning of this phrase: "a prize to be held; or as Wuest puts it, "A treasure to be clutched and retained at all hazards." Jesus held onto the expression of deity as a treasure or prize.

Verse 7a establishes the truth that Jesus "emptied Himself." Because of the present-tense of "existed" in verse 6 Jesus never emptied Himself of deity, as the Modernist declare wrongly. Our Lord emptied Himself of that which He held as a prize - the expression of deity. Wuest states, "He set aside the outward expression of His deity when expressing Himself as a bondslave....He was setting aside His legitimate and natural desires and prerogatives as Deity." Along with this thought is the idea that Christ set aside "self." Perhaps the clearest passages showing this are found in John 5:19; 8:31; 12:50-51 and 14:8-10. The demonstration of this truth occurs in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus asked the Father to remove the cup, but gave up His will for that of the Father.

This sets the tone for all else in these verses. If unity prevails, it is because believers "empty themselves." We must come to the place of giving up our so-called rights, wants, and even our needs.

II THE MENTALITY OF SERVITUDE v. 7

Jesus "taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men," shows the attitude which He embraced as He emptied Himself. Christ opened His hand to the privileges of expressing His deity and took, with that open hand, the form of a bondservant. So, in one sense Jesus gave up expressing the "form" of His deity, so that He could take the "form" (same word) of a servant. The term used for "bondservant" speaks of a menial slave. The expression of His service is "being made in the likeness of men."

His service started not with man, but with God. Jesus, throughout the gospel of John, declares that He came to do the will of the Father (John 5:30). Before one can serve man, he must become a servant of God. Jesus belonged to the Father as His bondservant and did only the things which the Father told Him to do. The Father would never command His servant to insult people, abuse them, or selfishly promote Himself over others. Service begins with selflessness.

III. THE MENTALITY OF SUBMISSION v. 8

"Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death...." The word "appearance," according to Wuest, "...referred to that which is purely outward and appeals to the senses." Our Lord could be seen, touched, and heard by the physical senses. The word "found" speaks of "perception or sight." In His humanity Jesus humbled Himself. The idea here is that of Jesus humbling Himself, as the Son of Man, to the cross. That self-humbling flowed from His heart as a servant to submit to His Father. Because He submitted to the Father, He submitted to man.

True spirituality comes, not in forcing one's self into leadership, but submitting. Those who submit to others as servants are recognized as leaders. The outcome of being filled with the Spirit is submitting to one another in the fear of Christ (Eph. 5:18, 21). The Philippian church needed people who not only were selfless and servants, but who submitted to others.

IV. THE MENTALITY OF SACRIFICE v. 8

"He humbled Himself...to the point of death, even death on a cross." How much does a person give and give before they say, "Enough! I am tired of being a doormat?" Jesus gave to others continually for three and half years. He did not stop when faced with total rejection. He gave Himself for us. The sacrifice of His service shows itself here.

We must be willing to be a doormat, if that is what God wants. Does that mean we live in a physically abusive situation? No, but today much has been written in the name of "Christian boundaries", which is nothing more than a selfish way to not deal with someone who is impossible to love. If everyone had the attitude of sacrificial love for one another, harmony would reign in churches and families.

We must come to the place of emptying self, or letting go of rights, self-will, our plans, or our wants. In giving up on self, we can truly submit and serve others.

Dr. Jay Jackson

For The Gospel

2010-03-19T07:40:00.000-05:00

Written by Jay Jackson of the Wales Goebel Ministries
For the Gospel
Philippians 1:27-30
Perhaps now, more than ever, believers will wake up and realize we live in a heathen nation. People in the USA need the Lord. Without Him, they will perish in Hell. We possess the gospel message which answers their eternal-destiny need. Our understanding of this message, "for the gospel," should compel us to take certain steps which can impact others for all eternity. This section introduces Paul's instructions to the Philippians regarding their problem with division. Chapter two deals with the subject of unity based on a willingness to serve others. Before the apostle deals with service to others in Christ, he presents the need for unity based on our responsibility to share the gospel.

Paul presents four exhortations which flow from the motivation, "for the gospel."

I. THE CONDUCT FOR THE GOSPEL v. 27

"Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ...." There are two important words used in this phrase which amplify this exhortation.

A. The Conduct Befitting the Citizen "Only conduct yourselves...."

The word "conduct" ("conversation" KJV) is not the typical word related to one's behavior. This word occurs only one other time in the New Testament - in Acts 23:1 where it is translated, "I have lived." The word is the root from which we derive our word, "politics." Its primary meaning, "to behave as a citizen, to manage civil affairs, or to conduct oneself as pledged to some law or life." Paul uses this word to exhort, "Live as a citizen."

Later, in 3:20, Paul declares, "For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." The word "citizenship" is the noun form of the verb here in 1:27. The exhortation, then, is to conduct one's life as a citizen of Heaven. That carries some important characteristics. As a citizen of the USA, when we visit other countries our manner of life may change in terms of diet and comfort, but the interests, the perspectives, the thinking, and the focus are still rooted in the homeland. Our life here on earth should be like traveling through a foreign country. We are aliens here and citizens of Heaven. Our thoughts, focus, behavior, perspectives, and passions should relate to where our roots are.

According to Ephesians 2:6, we have been raised up together with Christ and have been seated with Him in Heavenly places. Our roots are in Heaven. We should view life from a Heavenly viewpoint. We should be laying up treasures in Heaven. We will spend all eternity there, not here. We are to seek the things above and to have our minds on things above, and not on this earth (Col. 3:1-2).

B. The Conduct Befitting the Gospel "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel...."

The phrase "manner worthy" comes from one Greek word which means "having the weight of another thing; of like value, worth as much; befitting, congruous, or corresponding." The challenge is that a believer's conduct should weigh the same as the gospel. It should be of "like value", or correspond to the gospel. One's life should reveal the worth of the gospel. How much was the gospel worth? It cost God His only beloved Son. This exhortation is to motivate us to live not only as citizens of Heaven, but as those whose lives reveal the weight of the gospel.

The gospel not only gives us a ticket to Heaven, but it radically changes us. The work of Jesus on the cross achieved forgiveness of sins, but also freedom from sin's power. This cost of Jesus dying should show "like value" in our behavior. The gospel rescues us from ourselves, not just from Hell. Our life, therefore, should compare to that truth. Our walk should show a selflessness rather than selfishness. The love of God came to us in Christ. Therefore, our life should show this value in allowing Christ to love others through us.

II. THE COOPERATION FOR THE GOSPEL v. 27

Part of this conduct includes how we relate to one another in the body of Christ. Paul gives two exhortations.

A. Stand Firm in One Spirit
"Stand firm" means "to hold one's ground." This persistence and firmness is in one Spirit, the Holy Spirit. This promotes the beginning of instruction regarding unity. Unbelievers are enemies of God and usually hate Christians. This fact should motivate believers to stand firm in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

B. Strive Together with One Soul
The word "striving together" is the term from which we get "athlete." The word "mind" is actually the word for "soul." The soul is the personality, made up of mind, emotion, and will. Oneness of soul is difficult for different personalities. Most couples state at the onset of marriage counseling, "We are just so different." Everyone is! Just as in marriage, it takes time and "striving together" in order to be one soul. Typically Christians strive alright, however not to come together, but to divide.

The motivation for striving together relates to the rest of the phrase, "for the faith of the gospel." We can put away our differences (if it is not major error or sin) for the purpose of seeing people come to faith in Christ. We cooperate for the gospel. A hundred years from now we will not be comparing who was right or wrong, but we will be praising the Lord for the souls who came to Christ because of our cooperation.

III. THE COURAGE FOR THE GOSPEL v. 28

Paul exhorts the Christian not to fear their adversaries. The unbelievers seek to instill fear and to intimidate the Christian. They take pride in attempting to cause one to renounce his faith. As we respond with courage, two signs will emerge in the situation. First, the believer's courage will show that the lost man faces destruction. Courage for the gospel impacts people, causing them to realize their lives are on a path of destruction. Secondly, courage for the gospel shows our salvation. A lost man would not take a stand for Christ if it cost him his job, his home, family or his life. Our salvation is from God Who saved us by the gospel for which we stand.

IV. THE CONFLICT FOR THE GOSPEL v. 29-30

Paul presents in verse 29 how suffering is a gift or privilege in view of the gospel. The word "granted" is the verb form of "grace" meaning "to be favored, be graced, or freely given." We have been graced with believing on Christ and also to suffer for Christ. The word "sake" means "in behalf of, for the sake of." God graced us with salvation and suffering for the sake of, and on behalf, of Christ.

The Philippians, like Paul, experienced persecution for the sake of Christ. Rather than view this as oppressive and something to be avoided at all costs, this suggests that these people were privileged by the Lord. They could embrace the suffering as God presenting them with a gift.

Those in Acts 5:40-42 were beaten for preaching Christ. They left the Sanhedrin "...rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His Name." Sharing the gospel sometimes means suffering. If suffering comes, then God gave a gift.

In verse 30 Paul relates their privileged suffering with his own. They saw Paul suffer at Philippi when he and Silas first preached the gospel (Acts 16). They were beaten and placed into the inner hole of the prison with their feet fastened in stocks. The Philippians saw the beating and Paul being dragged off to prison. Now they heard of his imprisonment in Rome. They heard of the trouble he endured being in prison at Caesarea for two years and then being shipwrecked on the way to Rome.

The Philippians had the same "conflict" or "battle or struggle." Evidently some of them had gone to prison, experienced beatings, or perhaps lost jobs and land. Was it worth it? For Jesus sake, or on His behalf, suffering is worth it. As Paul notes earlier in the passage, he suffered so that people would come to know Christ through his imprisonment.

The message for us is that our conduct, cooperation, courage, and conflict are for the gospel. Is not Jesus worth it? Are not the souls of lost people worth it?

Dr. Jay Jackson

Pregnancy Highlights

2010-03-03T22:58:00.002-06:00

Today I am 31 Weeks and 2 days! I am fully into the final trimester and I absolutely love feeling Baby James movements during the day. Baby James is approx. 4 pds 2 oz and too long to measure. I have less than 9 weeks to go before I see my little man.

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 31 weeks and 2 days
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Under 25 pds
Maternity Clothes: Since month 3
Best Moment this week: Every moment of feeling James move
Gender: It's A Boy - James Sullivan
Movement: Yes it is AMAZING!
Food Craving: Chocolate, Cheetos, Ice Cream
New Craving: Cheetos and Cheese Puffs (as of 1 week ago)
What I miss: Sleeping through the night!
What I am looking forward to: My upcoming appointment so I can see how big he is and how far ahead I am measuring. I have been measuring 2 1/2 weeks ahead. Also I can't wait to hold my sweet boy.
Symptoms: Heartburn and Swelling

Exciting news: I am almost close to finishing his nursery although I am still undecided about his bedding (not sure if I like it or not). All I need are pictures and his lamp.

Not Me! Monday

2010-02-15T11:16:00.006-06:00

Not Me! Monday was started by Mckmama
www.mycharmingkids.net.

I did not put both contacts in one eye and then proceed to look for the missing contact until I realized that both were in one eye. I did not cancel Valentine’s Day dinner without telling my husband (I thought he was too sick to eat so I thought I would be nice and let him sleep) until he said something about dinner. I did not sit outside the doctors’ office waiting on my husband and eat an entire roll of Rolo’s that I bought for him. I do not blame pregnancy brain on every mistake I make or every goof up I do. I did not procrastinate working on my thesis for grad school (all weekend). I do not have a ton of baby nursery items sitting on the stairs that have been there for 3 weeks. I did not get worried when my sweet baby boy decided to not move in my stomach for more than 12 hours.

% of Time

2010-02-07T14:34:00.003-06:00

% of time? What does that mean? I learned the valuable lesson of a % of time this morning in Sunday school. My husband and I will be involved in a marriage mentoring group this month. We are joined up with 3 other couples and we will be counseled by a strong Christian couple. As I looked at the sheet with the other couples names, I realized that a % of time was listed next to each person regarding the % of the number of times that someone has been in Sunday School since joining the class. I was absolutely saddened and shocked at the number next to my name. I remember the days of having a 95-100% next to my name. I am so embarrased and shocked by the number next to my name that I can't even put it in writing.
As I stared at the number, so many reasons popped into my head as to why I have not been in Sunday school as often as I should...took a while to find a couples SS class, traveled a lot when we first joined the class, weekends of babysitting, and severe fatigue when I was in my first 4 months of pregnancy. As I said the reasons in my head, I realized that I was using excuses for why I have not been in SS and not reasons. There are legitimate reasons for why I have not been in SS on many Sunday's but what about the other Sunday's? I can not think of one reason for why I was not there. I also looked at the % of time and thought about the lack of times I have been in SS and compared it to the amount of time I have spent in God's word at home. My % of time at home is not close to 95-100% either.
I thought about the % of time the entire SS class and compared it to our SS topic on true believers/spiritual people. What kind of example do I set for my husband, my family and my friends by not going to SS? What am I telling God about what I think of Him and my time with Him? My % of time with God has to change because it is important to God, my spiritual life, my family's life and the example that I set for others.
What is your % of time spent with God?

2009 Brief Review

2010-01-01T18:24:00.002-06:00

2009 was a year filled with joy, sorrow, fun times, hard times, growth, changes, ups and downs, new adventures and so much more. 2009 has been filled with learning how to be a wife, a better manager at work, a daughter, a better friend, a stronger Christian, and a mother-to-be. I have learned so much about myself through life and through my husband. I fail everyday at being the best wife, manager, and friend I can be but every experience is a growing experience. One of the most exciting events in my year, besides being married, is being a mother-to-be. I struggled with a miscarriage earlier in the year and wondered how long I would wait before having a child. God answered my prayer in 6 months and I am in-waiting now. It is amazing how a pregnancy..actually a child..can put everything into perspective. I no longer can put myself first but I put my husband and the health of my child first. Every decision I make with my body is determined by what my son needs. Bearing a child has been a time in which I have experience love, trust, growth, fear and many emotions. One of the greatest events that has happened in the pregnancy has been that my son decided it was time to remind me that he is there by kicking me often. Life amazes me because he has already shown distaste with the ultrasound doppler and with my laptop being on my stomach. He kicks until those two things are gone. My son has reminded me to enjoy the little things in life and that joy can come from something as small as a kick. As for 2010, I only have a few goals..being a stronger Christian...strive to be a better wife...be the best mother I can be. What are your goals for the year?

It Is Alive..Is It Alive For You?

2009-11-22T11:53:00.002-06:00

Today was a beautiful day in Sunday school. A missionary from Paris, Chris, spoke in our Sunday class about how he spreads God's word. There were two themes that resonated throughout the entire time he talked...Prayer and the Bible is alive. He spoke about his mother praying for him for 25 years straight that he would become a Christian. He talked about how he picked up the Bible after becoming a Christian and the Bible was alive for him. Alive...have you ever thought about the Bible being alive and real? Real stories..real people..real prayers..real miracles..real betrayals..real families.. Every time Chris was asked about how he relates the Bible to his life and to his work, he repeated over and over again that the Bible is alive and when you pick it up you can't help but see that it is alive. He spoke about his time working with Muslims and other individuals and he said that there is no way that someone can pick up the Bible and not see it as alive. He shared the story of an individual who read one parable and with God's intervening from that one parable, he became a Christian. One story..one real story..one story that is alive in the Bible. He shared about how he can be struggling with life and when he puts himself in the Word, he is alive again. Is the Bible alive for you?

Ethical Dilemmas

2009-11-19T15:51:00.002-06:00

I have been missing from the blog world and I am not even sure if anyone even reads anymore but I will still write because it is good for the soul.

I have had many changes in life and in case you haven't heard, I am expecting a new little one. We find out in a few weeks and I can't wait. I want a girl and my husband wants a boy. We will know officially on December 1st.

Life is busy getting ready for the changes and with that comes stress from every direction. One particular stress I am struggling with is that I have recently been put into a situation that has caused me to be forced to conduct practices that I feel are unethical but others think are perfectly okay. The definition of ethical is "pertaining to right and wrong in conduct". My question is how do you fight something that you believe to be unethical but you are met with the challenge of convincing others that unethical practices are happening. How as a Christian do you stand up for what is right when there is so much at risk if you stand up? How do you fight for what is right when you know that you are not going to win the battle? How do you continue to fight when you are constantly met with opposition and the fight leads to arguments and disagreements that get ugly?

All I know to do is to pray that what is right comes to light and I can find a practical way to fight for what I know is right.

Hidden Emotions

2009-10-05T22:31:00.003-05:00

I am in the midst of my first trimester of pregnancy and I get teary eyed when something sad or great is shown on television. The other day I got teary eyed while watching a tv program, I asked myself "what are you upset about" and I tried to dry up the tears. Once I cleared up my teary eyes, I thought about all the times that we hide our true emotions from ourselves and others because we are ashamed or think we are doing something wrong. We have truly become immune to rejoicing in tears with the small and big things in life whether they are sad or happy. Why do we feel the necessity to hide our true emotions? Why do we let our emotions run our lives and keep us from crying when happy things happen. I think we have trained ourselves to only cry when something really sad happens but what about all the other times? I remember as a child being told how to control my emotions, being told when it was okay to cry, being told when it was not okay to cry and I remember feeling shame if I cried when I wasn't supposed to. Although I am only watching television (and no, I am not crying at soap operas-he, he) but I do cry/get teary eyed when there are shows about real things that happen to real people and I think about all of the times that I have had friends who needed someone to cry with them but I protected my emotions so I wouldn't cry with them or I wouldn't embarrass them. It is amazing how I feel after I have had a great cry and life seems a little bit better. When was the last time you cried? Have you ever cried from being joyful? I am looking forward to motherhood but I am amazed at what I am learning about myself emotionally. PS I am not sure that my husband is enjoying me crying at tv shows but maybe he can learn a little bit more about me. :)

A Changing Life

2009-09-15T18:58:00.002-05:00

Friends come and go and I wonder why! When I think about life, I think about all of the transitions we go through..birth, toddler, preschool, school age, high school, college, new job, family, empty nest, retirement and death. Think back on those times in your life and think about the friends that you have had and those friends that you still have. I am in a period in my life where I am watching friendships change around me and I don't know how to hold on to those friends. We are all going through life changes and differences are coming to the surface but I question why we can't all go through the changes together. Why can't we share in the joys and sorrows in life together? We have friends in our lives for seconds, moments, months, years and a lifetime. Think about those in your life and thank the Lord everytime for the friends you have had, those you have, and those friends to come.

The Bus or No Bus?

2009-08-27T19:45:00.002-05:00

The yellow bus with the flashing lights is coming down the street. A child hides in the bushes not wanting to ride the bus but instead wanting her mom to take her to school. Yes, I am talking about myself. I remember as a child hiding in the bushes because I hated the bus. I have been reminded of this memory in the last two weeks as I have been driving through my neighborhood to head to work, I have watched a little boy walk as slowly as he can towards the bus, he stops at the top of the hill to see if the bus has come or not, waits and lets the bus leave without him, puts a big smile on his face and turns around to walk home. I have been feeding a neighbors cat so I get to watch him every morning. I sit in my car and watch him because he walks slower and slower every day since I am assuming that his mother is making him leave the house earlier and earlier because he can't seem to make it to the bus on time. Can you imagine the scene in his house as he has shown up back at home almost every day this week because he missed the bus. I wish I could see the look on his mom's face. Was there anything in your childhood that you purposely avoided?

The Waiting Game

2009-07-30T21:07:00.002-05:00

Waiting, as a child, to be older..waiting in lines..waiting for life to get better when it is all going horribly wrong..waiting to hear from friends...waiting, as a college student, for graduation..wait, wait, wait. I sometimes feel like I have spent a large majority of my life in a waiting game. This concept has become more real to me recently because since the age of 4, I longed to be married and to be a mother. I "waited" for 37 years until I was blessed with a loving husband. Now, I have waited that long to be a mother and yet, for some reason, God has me in a waiting game. I have longed for so long to be a mother, to hold a baby in my arms, to teach my children about Christian values, to drop my children off on their first day of kindergarten, to have family dinner times, to see my children take their first steps...to just have a loving, Christian husband and children.

I am so tired of waiting. I am tired of being patient. I am tired of waiting to see the positive sign to show up on the test but it never does. I question why I am having to wait. I don't want to hear that God is trying to teach me patience or show me something or that He is waiting for me because I am confused as to why He would allow me to have the desire to have children and yet, that desire continues to stay unanswered after over 30 years of waiting.

I am angry that my doctor told me that time is not on my side. I am angry that my doctor told me that having thyroid problems is not on my side. I am angry that my doctor wants to put me through a battery of tests in a month to see if "something is wrong with me". I am ready for life to be easy for just once..just once I don't want to have to wait...I want to feel the excitement and joy to have a 30-something year desire to come to fruition.

I am tired of playing the waiting game. Can't I win just one game of the waiting game?

Limits

2009-06-23T22:48:00.002-05:00

Boot Camp 2009 rocked into my life and kicked my butt. My friend Becky invited me to come along with her to the Boot Camp she is participating in. Even though they were in their last week of class, I thought for sure that visitors would catch a break. Was I ever wrong! We moved from backward lunges, crab walking on the asphalt all while keeping paper plates under our feet, jumping over cones, 100 sit-ups, 50 push ups and so much more. I complained the entire time and came so close to quitting. By the end of the 1 hour class that started at 5:45am, I was trembling and feeling sick. What is amazing is that I managed to finish the hour workout and I am still feeling the pain a few days later. However, I have felt pain in muscles that I did not know even existed. In the end, it was a great day learning how much I can push myself despite the pain.

As I have with so many things in life, I wondered how I could take this experience and apply it to my current life and there are so many areas. I thought about all of the times when I have wanted to quit different things because of the pain and stress. How many times has the Lord pushed me in my life to trust Him but I grumble and complain the entire time and try to quit or I do quit but once it is over, I look back and realize how much I learned about myself.

The Boot Camp class pushed me to my absolute limits but I realized that we are all going to be pushed to the limit in life more than one time but we will always survive. There will be challenges, struggles, pain, fear, feeling sick and much more but we always grow from our experiences.

Extreme Fit Training

2009-06-20T10:24:00.001-05:00

Are you looking for a way to jump start your fitness regime? Want to lose weight and gain strength and endurance? Check out the Extreme Fit Training Contest in which you can win a free month of extreme fit training.

Check out the following website:

http://www.extremefittraining.com/boot-camp-giveaway

Have fun entering!

Hopeful Below the Water

2009-06-02T22:44:00.009-05:00

Do you ever feel like you are struggling to keep your life above water? You can see the bright future and the many blessings in life but it still feels like you are just under the surface of the water but you can't seem to reach the top. I have been struggling with balancing married life, work and grad school. I feel sometimes that I wake up struggling to catch my breath and I go to bed still trying to catch my breath. I lose my temper easily, I immediately say no to everything at work before even thinking about what I should say, I stay stressed out about my thesis and sometimes I just lose hope in things ever calming down. I am ready for peace and times to not be so hard. However, God has a different plan. A few weeks ago in church the pastor spoke about the fact that we need to prepare for hard times and we, as Christians, are not immune to despair and loss of hope. A verse that really spoke to my heart was

1 Peter 1:3-Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

The sermon spoke about the idea that grace comes when we are mindful of God and we need to include God in the equation of life. I need to ask myself "what is my concept of God?" My concept of God shapes everything. My concept of God has been that there is no mercy being shown and I just want a break from things in life being so hard. However, I am told to endure the hard times in life with patience and graciousness. God is in the best and worst moments in life and I should never give in to despair, resentment, bitterness or anger. I must demonstrate my faith in God to those around me, be mindful of God all of the time, and know that there is a purpose for where I am.

Where are you in life and what is your concept of God? Where is your focus?

Love Is Not a Fight

2009-04-26T21:44:00.001-05:00

Love Is Not A Fight
By: Warren Barfield

Love is not a place
To come and go as we please
It's a house we answer in
Then commit to never leave

So lock the door behind you
Throw away the key
We'll work it out together
Let it bring us to our knees

Chorus:
Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
And if we try to leave, may God send angels to guard the door
No, love is not a fight but it's something worth fighting for

To some, love is a word
That they can fall into
But when they're falling out
Keeping that word is hard to do

Chorus:
Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
And if we try to leave, may God send angels to guard the door
No, love is not a fight but it's something worth fighting for

Love will come to save us
If we'll only call
He will ask nothing from us
But demand we give our all

Chorus:
Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
And if we try to leave, may God send angels to guard the door
No, love is not a fight but it's something worth fighting for

I will fight for you
Would you fight for me?
It's worth fighting for

4 Months of Marriage

2009-04-24T21:28:00.013-05:00

The hubby and I have been married almost 4 months and it is still an everyday learning experience. I don't think we have had a calm month so far but it has been fun. Here are a few of the highlights from our 4 months:

Weekend Florida Beach Trip

Fighting over the covers and stealing pillows even though the hubby has his own pillows but for some reason he needs three pillows at night

Sleep study followed by finding out that the hubby has to get a CPAP machine

Punching the hubby in the ribs in my sleep telling him "that's a great deal" (I guess I was dreaming about shopping)

Getting punched in the face in the middle of the night as the hubby was dreaming of spiders because I had messed with him before going to bed about spiders

Deep teeth cleaning for the hubby (I think he is falling apart at his age)

New king size mattress

Great very late night talks (3-4 hours of sleep is becoming the norm for me)

New food/cooking experiences

Traveling to the in-laws for Easter

Finishing grad school for the semester

Game nights

First snow together

Learning to balance time at work, time for school and time for marriage

Missing old friends who think that because we are married, we don't go out (we still like to do things for all of our friends who are reading this)

Exposure to mystery movies (for me)

Softball games at all hours of the night

Lots of unexpected expenses

Losing my grandmother

The hubby took a day off of work to help my office move furniture

Forgetting to put the trash out before the garbage men come

Disagreements over the temperature of the house (yes, I can be cold in 80 degree weather)

Lots and lots and lots and lots of laundry

The phrase "do you love me" can be used as an apology, affirmation, a question and a confirmation

Trying to figure out where to put all of the wedding gifts all while trying to finish writing wedding thank you notes

A 6 hour birthday party for a friend who is throwing his own party

Random holidays at work (for Jamie) are unfair..I mean really..who gets Confederate Memorial Day off (oh yeah...state employees)

Lots of fun messing with the hubby on the phone while pretending to be one of his claimants at work (I have fooled him a few times)

The rabbit does eat the bills (inside joke about a evil looking stuffed rabbit on our mantel who holds the bills until we pay them)

Relay for Life

Here are a few pics from our recent adventures:

The Real Me

2009-04-08T22:43:00.002-05:00

I hide my heart and my true feelings at times..I sometimes cry alone other times with those who love me surrounding me...I hide the heartache I have...I work until I am ready to collapse with grief and tiredness...I stay busy to keep from having to stop and really listen...I get tired of life being so hard...I have joy in life...I smile and laugh...

I may hide at times but there is one person who knows me from head to toe and inside out...the one and only God. He knows "The Real Me". I love this song by Natalie Grant because it describes life at times.

The Real Me by Natalie Grant

Foolish heart looks like we're here again
Same old game of plastic smile
Don't let anybody in
Hiding my heartache, will this glass house break
How much will they take before I'm empty
Do I let it show, does anybody know?

[Chorus:]
But you see the real me
Hiding in my skin, broken from within
Unveil me completely
I'm loosening my grasp
There's no need to mask my frailty
Oh,Cause you see the real me
Painted on, life is behind a mask
Self-inflicted circus clown
I'm tired of the song and dance
Living a charade, always on parade
What a mess I've made of my existence
But you love me even now
And still I see somehow
But you see the real me
Hiding in my skin, broken from within
Unveil me completely
I'm loosening my grasp
There's no need to mask my frailty
Oh,Cause you see the real me
Wonderful, beautiful is what you see
When you look at me
You're turning the tattered fabric of my life into
A perfect tapestry
I just wanna be me
But you see the real me
Hiding in my skin, broken from within
Unveil me completely
I'm loosening my grasp
There's no need to mask my frailty
Oh,Cause you see the real me
And you love me just as I am
Wonderful, beautiful is what you see
When you look at me

"Have To" Versus "Want To"

2009-03-22T21:20:00.005-05:00

Marriage for me will reach the 3 month milestone in less than a week. The "almost" three months has been filled with laughter, tears, joy, sorrow, and the "have to" versus "want to". I learned a few weeks ago what it means to choose my husband over my friends. I had a trip planned for over a month to see a friend of mine who was going to celebrate a very special time in his ministry. The plans were written in stone until 10:30pm the night before I was set to leave to head out of town.

My husband had been experiencing pain in his foot all week but we did not feel it was necessary to get it seen about until Saturday night when he got home and he could barely walk and he was in horrible pain.

I will admit that I struggled with what I had to do versus what I wanted to do. I wanted to go out of town and see my friend who is like a brother to me..I wanted to not be mad at my husband for the timing...I wanted my husband to wait until I got home from being out of town before going to the ER...I wanted a lot. I struggled with the "have to"..I have to miss my friends special day because I have to take care of my husband...I have to forgive my husband for the terrible timing...I have to follow God's command to honor my husband and to put him first. Now, you may be judging me for my struggle with the want to versus have to but I knew that I would hurt my friend and I knew that I would hurt my husband if I didn't chose him first. I knew what I had to do which was to chose my husband and to take care of him.

I would have never forgiven myself if I had not chosen my husband because as a Christian wife, he is to come first (or second after my relationship with Christ). I will admit that I cried a lot about having to hurt my friend because he is like a brother to me but I would have cried even more if I had hurt my husband by choosing my friend first. I will also admit that I got angry at my husband but through the anger, we had three days of conversation that ended up being very healthy and we talked about items that could have become problems later on. Through adversity came strength and love.

I hurt my friend and I hurt my husband because I even doubted what to do. Please before you judge me know that I am new at being a wife and I have a lot to learn and one of which is that my time is not 100% mine as it was when I was single. I love my husband and would do anything for him. I have to and want to love and take care of my husband.

Ephesians - Chapter 5:22-24,33
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 33. ...and the wife must respect her husband.

First Corinthians - Chapter 11:3
Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Colossians 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Snow in 2009

2009-03-01T09:11:00.002-06:00

Drums, Jewelry and the Neighborhood

2009-02-27T20:20:00.003-06:00

I pick up the phone to call to share a story about my life but she is not able to pick up the phone. I couldn't wait to hear about her family for a grad school project. I think of something funny and I want to tell her but I can't. My grandmother has been gone for almost three weeks and my heart is still in great pain. I can not tell you how many times I have picked up the phone to call her only to realize that I can't call her. I still haven't had the heart to take her phone number out of my cell phone. The thought of not seeing her name in my cell phone list hurts. I am working on a genogram (family tree) project for grad school and I was going to talk to her about her family history but I didn't make it to see her in time. She died a week before I was going to talk to her. My grandmother was my link to my mother who died when I was a young baby. She would share stories about my mother and her childhood. My grandmother would talk about her younger days, share about how she played the drums, and talk about how much her family meant to her. I will be sharing my family tree in class in one week and it is going to be hard to not have "her" section filled out on my project. I will have an emptiness on my report. I will share about her fiestiness, her love for watching her neighbors and their comings and goings, talk about her love for jewelry and purses and so much more. I am not really sure why I am writing this blog other than to say some things that I haven't said out loud. For those with grandparents still alive, call them and tell them that you love them. If you don't have any grandparents, call your parents and tell them how much they mean to you. We can never tell our family too many times that we love them.

Sign Off 10:42

2009-02-10T22:42:00.002-06:00

My Grammy Eleanor went home to be with our Heavenly Father this morning at 10:42am. As my Uncle Paul (her son) is a police officer, he told me today that in his precinct that the code 10:42 is "signing off/off duty" for a police officer.

I have felt sorrow before but nothing like this. My heart is in a million pieces and each moment of today has been hard. I miss her with my whole heart and I don't know that I am going to do without her. She was one of my rocks in life and a key to my past, present and future.

One thing that I have realized today is that we never have enough time to tell the ones we love that we love them. I have regrets about how I could have done some things differently but I know she knew that I loved her and I know that she loved me. Take time to tell those you love that you love them and give them an extra five minutes of your day. You will be glad that you did!

My "Grammy" Is Going Home

2009-02-09T21:40:00.002-06:00

My Grammy Eleanor, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, may be going home to our Heavenly Father this week. She is in the ICU fighting for her life. I am heartbroken that she will be leaving because I won't be able to call and talk to her about what is going on in our lives, I won't be able to take her out to eat after going to a doctor's appointment, I won't be able to take her to the grocery store and listen to her fascination at how much things have changed, she will never meet her grandchild she always hoped I would have (no, I am not pregnant), she will not celebrate another Christmas or birthday, she won't be in constant pain anymore from being 88 years old, I will miss her laugh that was so contagious, I will miss her fiesty personality that kept all of us on our toes and in tears from laughter, I won't be able to ask her stories about my childhood, I won't be able to hear her stories anymore about her exciting life when she was young, and most of all, I will miss her hugs. Her hugs from her petite little body have always been so strong and full of love. I will miss the love she always showed me! I will miss you Grammy!

Silence in Class

2009-02-08T13:49:00.002-06:00

My church home is a place where I have worshipped and met multitides of people. I have been at my church home for 12 years and my life has been blessed by the words spoken in the church service, the lessons taught in Sunday school and through the many friends I have made. I have been a part of the singles group for 12 years but today was a day in which I ventured into the married classes for the very first time with my husband. We have been invited to a few classes so we decided that today was the day for us to start so we started with a class that we were first invited too. We walked into a class that was filled with many couples of different ages (mainly 28-45) and many have children and many don't. My husband and I walked in to the class and we were met by two men and one woman who said hello, introduced themselves, welcomed us to the class, pointed out the donuts that were available, and then they walked away. We were left standing there, alone, not knowing a soul. As we stood there looking around the room, I noticed that everyone found their friends and stood in their "friend" circles. My husband and I stood alone for almost 10 minutes before I decided to pick up my purse and walk out because I realized that we are new to the class and no one seemed to care that we were new and that we needed to meet people. Yes, I could have walked around the room introducing myself but my philosophy has always been that when a visitor walks into a room, I am to immediately walk over and introduce myself, walk them around the room to introduce them to others, and then invite them to sit with me. We were greeted with total silence. My first impression of the class was that we did not matter and our presence was of no one's concern. I realized immediately that the class we visited will not be our Sunday school home. As for leaving the class, someone overhead me tell my husband that I wanted to leave and he made a comment about no one speaking to us, so two women walked over, said hello, thanked us for coming to the class, asked how long we had been at HSBC, and when they realized we were not strangers to the church, they left us standing there again. We never made it out of the class because it started before I could make a move but I realized that we as Christians need to be aware of our environment and of those around us who may be alone in the world. The next time you go into church or your Sunday school class, find someone you do not know, welcome them to church or the class, ask them about themselves, if they are new to your church ask them about visiting your Sunday school class, and then ask them if they want to sit with you in church or SS. You never know when someone you meet may be alone and just need someone to welcome them and include them.

Photo Caption?

2009-01-31T00:01:00.001-06:00

His Hands Photography (www.hishandsphotographs.com) did a free after-session for me and Jamie. With a great deal of creativity, they took these two pictures and highlighted the light sabers. How would you caption the photos? We would love your suggestions.

Our Home

2009-01-18T22:40:00.010-06:00

Home is a place where you can kick your shoes off, turn on your favorite music, cook your favorite foods, and relax. I thought I would share a few pictures of our home:
Christ is the center of our home!

This speaks for itself!

His and Her Shelf...Jamie has one shelf and I have four. Go me (thanks Jamie)!

One of our favorite past-times: Rock Band

This is the office/game room/hobby room.

Our bedroom...the pillows are the greatest which is why Jamie and I have at least one pillow stealing problem during the week.

My laundry system: white plastic is towels, dark hamper is for darks and white hamper is for whites. For anyone who doesn't have this system, it is great. Clothes have not been seen on the floor since we started this.

Our favorite hangouts: Kitchen and the Den

We would love guests anytime! We have a room ready for you!

Poor Jamie...his attic only had about two things in it until I moved in and well..you can see what has happened. Sorry Jamie but thank you for letting me have a place for my "stuff".

Love is what we show everyday in our words and actions to one another!

A Will to Live

2009-01-09T22:07:00.006-06:00

On Thursday, January 8th, I found out that one of the strongest women I know is facing Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer. My grandmother, who has been my rock for many years, has cancer and she has chosen to try chemo. Her doctor told us, as her family, that he would not typically offer chemo to someone in her state but her positive outlook on life and her will to live are the reasons why she has an option. Please pray for "Grammy Eleanor" as she begins a battle for her life.

Marriage Lessons 101

2009-01-07T23:02:00.006-06:00

I have been married for 11 days and I am amazed at how quickly I have learned several marriage lessons:

Marriage Lessons 101 by Alissa
1) I love my husband more and more every day.
2) No one can be totally prepared for marriage and no one can prepare you for marriage.
3) Loads of laundry piles up quickly and it never seems to end. 6 loads in one day!
4) If snoring is involved by one person, the other person must fall asleep first.
5) Pillow stealing can happen at any time of the night without the other person's knowledge.
6) Stealing of covers can lead to a fight for the covers at 3am.
7) Just because a donut box is empty doesn't mean that someone has eaten all of the donuts. Always check the 2nd donut box.
8) It is okay for one person to be upstairs on the computer while the other person is downstairs on a computer. Facebook allows for constant communication even when in the same house but on different floors.
9) I have cooked for my husband so that he will have lunch to take to work but I have never done that for myself.
10) It is wonderful to eat dinner together followed by a small container of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Chocolate fudge brownie! Yummy!
11) A mixed household (Auburn vs. Alabama) is possible.
12) It is easy to get someone addicted to satellite tv in one night. Woohoo!
13) Discuss grocery shopping tactics before going to the store. If one person walks every aisle while one person jumps from aisle to aisle, discuss grocery store etiquette before stepping through the doors.
14) If one person gets up before the other person, being quiet and polite in the morning disappears after two days.
15) Before my last name can be changed on anything, I have to go to the social security office except for the Alabama DMV who "pretended" that I changed my name at the SS office so that I wouldn't have to stand in line again. BTW, did you know that you can change your address on your driver's license to anything you want and they do not ask for one piece of evidence for proof.
16) Before I change my last name, I have to decide what I want to be called. Do I want to keep my middle name on everything or use my maiden name. The DMV recommended keeping my maiden name while the bank told me to keep my middle name. the DMV ended up putting four names on my license (first, middle, maiden and married name). I wish you could see my signature on my card.
17) My sweet husband puts my favorite shows on the tv although he didn't tell me one night so I never appeared in the den. Oops!
18) My sweet husband compromises on everything (okay, almost everything)!
19) Marriage is a constant compromise and I have A LOT to learn. I have a lifetime to learn it!
20) I am married to a wonderful, loving and caring husband!

Marriage Lessons 101 by Jamie
1) ALWAYS check your alarm clock, sometimes it gets turned off without your knowledge.
2) It is NEVER a good thing to upset both the father-in-law, the minister, and your wife in the same weekend.
3)15 is the magic number...
4) Sometimes it is better not to let your wife know your real IQ when playing a trivia game...It scared her.
5) The gulf water in December can technically cause the marriage to be illegal until one becomes a man again
6) There is always a good opportunity to have a friend administer the wedding rites...There is never a good time to find out he may not be certified. Luckily it turned out he was.
7) My old bed was a double, her's was a queen...Somehow we're now on a single.
8) When in doubt: agree, when in trouble: apologize, when you're right: keep it to your self because she will never admit to it.
9) "Our" house becomes "your" house when something either Breaks, flakes, or shorts out.
10) "Your" house becomes "ours" when it is fully decorated according to her standards...then she is right back to "yours" again when her hairdryer blows a fuse.
11) Crying on the honeymoon can mean that she is a little miffed.
12) Crying on the honeymoon can mean that she is very happy.
13) Crying on the honeymoon can mean that she is either "Pre, Mid, or Post Hormonal" which leaves one good week a month (Note: This was editted by wife who disapproved of what I put...see #8).
14) Just because there is a huge white elephant in the room, no one talks about it...No really, THERE IS A FREAKING WHITE CERAMIC ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM!
15) "War Tide, This is Roll Eagle" is the closest I can get to cheering during the Sugar Bowl.
16) When the wife is mad, you had better believe that she will have the guest bedroom prepared FIRST.
17) Don't knock it til you've tried it
18) Covers are a commodity, basic rules of business apply: Who ever has the most at the end of the night, wins.
19) Pillows are stock options: they are bartered for, traded, and even stolen from time to time...but things always seem to balance out by the close of business.
20) Green Day Rocks as a processional: "Wake me when September Ends"
21) Alissa wants me to end on a happy note...How about D flat.

Florida Sunrise and Sunset

2008-12-31T17:03:00.003-06:00

SUNRISE
SUNSET

A Few Wedding Pictures by His Hands Photographs

2008-12-30T23:20:00.004-06:00

Nightmare on Honeymoon Street

2008-12-29T21:21:00.003-06:00

The wedding on Saturday was absolutely beautiful and I had a great time. It is wonderful to be married and to have found "the one" who loves me unconditionally all the time. We have been excited about our honeymoon and I have always planned vacations and things have typically turned out really well. However, the one time I really needed to plan things perfectly, it didn't turn out that way. I made the reservations for our condo in Destin about 3 months ago. When I called, I was given the name of a place in Destin and I looked it up to see the pictures and it looked really nice so I made the reservation for a beach front condo. As I made the reservation, the lady on the phone told me that a very small service road ran in front of the hotel but that it would not be bothersome and that we could still see the beach and hear the beach and it would be like the "small service road" was not even there. As we drove up to the condo, I realized that the "small service road" was actually the beach front road that led to all of the restaurants and hotels along the beach. I tried to keep an open mind until we went into our room. I walked out onto the balcony and all I could see and hear were horns honking, music blaring from the cars, lights from the cars going to and fro, and the balcony was the size of a tiny bathroom so there would be no sitting on the balcony available. I went down to ask if we could change to a different room on a higher floor and we could only move one floor up. I decided to try it and this is where things really went downhill. As Jamie unloaded the bags, I walked out onto the balcony and realized that the noise was just as loud as the previous room. I broke into tears because I could not believe that I had messed up the room, I was upset because you only have one true honeymoon, and I was angry because the service road was not small. Poor Jamie..he walked out onto the balcony only to realize that I was in tears and as he hugged me (he wasn't sure how to respond so he went with his gut instinct to just hug me) and I began to sob. I told him that there was no way to was going to stay in a room on my honeymoon that overlooked the service road with the blaring music, cars, and lights. As soon as I said I would not stay there, Jamie immediately got on the phone and we were changed to a condo that is actually on the beach and there are no lights or blaring music. So, the moral of the story...the "small service road" is always a major highway and pictures on the internet don't always tell the truth.

With All Our Hearts

2008-12-25T00:28:00.004-06:00

"With all our hearts we praise His holy name."

The Christmas season has been filled with wonderful and uplifting songs. One of my favorite songs is "O Holy Night". I have heard the songs many times and I have sang the song at the top of my lungs while in the car when it comes on the radio but I realized tonight that maybe I have not truly listened to the words of the song. The one part of the song that stood out to me the most was "with all our hearts we praise His holy name." What a powerful statement...

With all of our hearts....when was the last time that I did anything with all of my heart? When was the last time I prayed with all my heart, trusted with my all my heart, listened with all my heart. God wants our entire heart in everything we do all the time. If I were to give with all of my heart, I would watch my thoughts more carefully, I would watch my words with greater restraint, I would focus more on others than myself, I would give God more than a few minutes of my time a day.

We praise His holy name...I am to praise Him all the time in everthing that I say and do. I am to praise His holy name in the good times and bad. I am to praise Him through prayer and worship.

It is amazing how one phrase can speak volumes of how everyday life is to be used to praise His holy name.

The Reason for the Season

2008-12-24T11:23:00.003-06:00

New Nephew Andrew Price

2008-12-17T22:30:00.002-06:00

Brownies vs Guitar Hero

2008-12-06T20:53:00.003-06:00

Warm, gooey chocolate brownies! Don't those words make you wish for a chocolate brownie with ice cream? If you are wishing for a brownie right now, make sure that you put the games down. I learned tonight that playing games and cooking brownies don't mix. Will, Clay and Emma (the three I am babysitting for) wanted brownies plus we knew we had friends coming over to watch the Alabama vs. Florida game so we thought brownies would be perfect. I put the brownies in the oven, set the timer for 24 minutes, checked the brownies at 24 minutes, add 3 more minutes to the brownies since they didn't seem done, ran downstairs to tell the boys something, got caught up in a Guitar Hero challenge, realized 8 minutes after the alarm had gone off that the brownies were in the oven, I dropped the guitar, jumped over a bean bag, raced up about 18 stairs and immediately took the brownies out of the oven. I was relieved to find that they were still good and warm. However, about 15 minutes after they cooled down, we could have used them as hockey pucks. So the moral of the story..you have a choice to make when cooking...

A Guitar Hero challenge or warm, gooey chocolate brownies!

Ready Or Not!

2008-12-05T21:40:00.003-06:00

I was about 6 years old when the dream began...one day I would be a wife and a mom. I have dreamed about my life and I have spent many years preparing to be a Godly wife and mother. I have had a dream but for some reason, God waited 31 years to answer my prayers, dreams and wishes. I had a time in my life when I was with the person who I thought I would marry. I thought I had it all together and that I was ready to be a wife and I was ready to give up my single life. I was ready to give up some of my independence and to be with someone for the rest of my life. I thought I was ready to be the kind of wife that God wanted me to be. I was wrong. God had other plans..God removed all men from a life for a period of time so that He could prepare my heart to truly be a Christian wife and one day a mother. I am three weeks away from marrying the man that God has put in my life as HIS ONE for me. What has been interesting about this time of preparing to be married is that I have realized that I have a lot to learn about truly being a wife and I have a lot of learning to do. I know that I am ready but I still have fears that pop in my head...am I really ready? what if I screw things up? how is life going to change? what do I need to do to prepare for the changes? am I ready for a lifetime with my man? is he ready for a lifetime with me? The journey to marriage has been one filled with happiness, confusion, joy, questioning, reassurance, excitement, and lots of getting to know HIS ONE.

Am I ready? Ready or not marriage...here I come!

You Know It's Christmas When...

2008-12-01T14:46:00.001-06:00

I found this house today as I was driving around. How many Santa's do you count?

A Little About Me

2008-11-24T00:59:00.003-06:00

I found his on Meagan's blog so I thought I would fill it out as well so those who read my blog will know a little bit more about me. Thanks for reading!

Three names you go by:
1. AB
2. Bittner
3. Alissa

Two things I want right now
1. For my grandmother to be healed from possible stomach or colon cancer.
2. For graduate school to be over with so I can focus on my wedding

Two things you did last night:
1. Played some serious Rock Band
2. Started decorating my fiance's house for Thanksgiving and Christmas

Two things you ate today:
1. Cheese grits
2. Chicken Salad Croissant

Two people you last talked to on the phone:
1. Grandmother
2. Dad

Two things you are going to do tomorrow:
1. Work
2. Start writing the 3,000 word research proposal that I have due in one week

Two longest rides you have taken:
1. Car: Birmingham to Great Bend, Kansas
2. Airplane: Birmingham to Maui, Hawaii (10 hours)

Two favorite beverages:
1. Propel
2. Water

Chapters In Life

2008-11-11T15:31:00.003-06:00

One closes and another one opens. Then another one closes and one more opens. It seems as though my life is about chapters especially right now. One year ago I was single, praying for a husband and family, getting ready to go back to school, and thankful that I had a job that I loved and I was surrounded by a wonderful group of Christian friends.

One year ago I was asking the Lord “Why am I still single?”, “What is wrong with me?”, “Will anyone ever want to marry me?”, “Am I going to be married and have a family one day?”, “Lord, if it is not your will for me to be married, please take the desire from my soul.”, “Lord if it is not Your will that I go back to grad school, please close that door.” “Lord, I need to know that You are there and I need peace and comfort.” “Lord, why, why, why?”, “Lord, please show me your way for my life.”

Fast forward one year and I have been blessed with a wonderful man whom I will marry in less than two months, I am in grad school full-time, I have a job that I love, and I am surrounded by a wonderful group of Christian friends. As I look back over the last few days, weeks, months and years, I see that God is in control of my life and when He closes on chapter in my life, He opens another. I think back on my days of praying for all sorts of things and thinking about the moments in my life when I would know that a chapter was opening or closing.

This week I was reminded of chapters as I cleaned out my storage unit and officially closed it out. I remember praying that the day I cleaned out my storage unit would be a time when I was doing it because I was moving into a home that had storage space. Guess what..my soon-to-be husband has a house with an attic. I laughed when I thought about how I prayed that I would be cleaning out my storage unit when I was moving to my future home and God reminded me this week that He is in the small things as well as the big things.

Another chapter in my life right now that is very sad for me is moving to a home where my sister (not technically sisters but we are sisters in Christ) will not be. My best friend and sister-in-Christ Anne has been there for me through EVERYTHING over the last almost 12 years. I am going to miss the days of asking her “does this outfit look okay?”, of walking out of my room on a Sunday morning and we are both wearing the exact same colors, having a woman to talk to about woman things at any time of day (I love my soon-to-be husband but it is just not the same as girl talk), talking about the trials of the day and how God is working in our lives, watching the cat do crazy and funny things for absolutely no reason, borrowing her jewelry at the last minute, and so many more memories that I can’t even put into words.

My “single” chapter in life is coming to an end but the “married’ chapter is opening. I am filled with excitement, nervousness, joy, and curiosity. I know that my soon-to-be husband is the one that God has put in my life to be married to but there are fears that pop up. I never realized that the idea of “forever” and a “lifetime” could be words that would encourage the thoughts in my head to whirl around and around. I am not scared of forever and a lifetime but I have been single for so long and I am so independent that I am working to give up the independence that I hold on to very tightly. I am so blessed because I have a man in my life who loves me unconditionally and without question, would do anything for me at any hour of the day when needed, he holds my hand in a way that shows the depth of his love for me, he challenges me on a daily basis, I want to be a better person for him, we worship together, he makes me laugh, we have come through a few challenges that have made us a stronger couple, and so much more.

As for chapters in life, bring them on. Some will be tough and some will be easy but I know that God is in complete control of my life and He opens and closes the chapters in my life as He sees fit.

Fall in Alabama

2008-11-08T20:46:00.004-06:00

Red, yellow and orange dominant the Alabama skyline. I am in awe everyday of God's wonderous glory and power as I look at the amazing colors that are before me every time I walk out the door or drive in my car. Alabama is having one of the most beautiful Fall seasons we have had in years. God has painted our trees and mountains to remind of His power and love for us.

Reviving, Rejoicing and Enlightening

2008-11-02T01:08:00.002-05:00

Life is a whirlwind at times. It seems as though everything that could go right, does but everything that goes wrong, does...all at the same time. My life is on a journey right now that is busy, happy, sad, crazy, fun, and everything you can imagine. During the last few months, I have struggled with giving God the time He wants and the time that I should crave with Him. I have allowed school, work, wedding plans, and just plan selfishness interfere. When I think about life, I keep coming back to Psalm 19:7-11.
"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Morever, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward."

A Nightmare Come True

2008-10-19T22:01:00.002-05:00

One week has been spent printing wedding invitations, envelopes, response cards, tying ribbons, stuffing and sealing envelopes. Tonight, after many hours of work, it was discovered that I put the wrong address on the wedding invitations. I should have put the address as 600 but instead I put 800. 200 invitations wrong. Guess what I do now...start all over!

A Dancing Emma

2008-10-07T13:14:00.003-05:00

A little girl I was taking care of over the weekend decided that she wanted to be like Hannah Montana so she put on her pink pajamas, her pink/purple Hannah Montana hair and she found her favorite CD. She danced and jumped for almost 4 hours. What a joy she is!

My Weekend in Review

2008-10-07T12:58:00.007-05:00

A Glimpse at the Zoo

2008-09-28T23:20:00.001-05:00

The Power of Love and Grace

2008-09-28T23:05:00.001-05:00

God has blessed me with the man I am going to marry and spend my life with. We have been planning a wedding which has been fun but totally crazy (update: we have almost everything set on the big things). During all of this planning, Jamie and I have made sure that we spend time together in which we don't talk about the wedding or the "stuff" we have left to do. We spend time just being with one another.

Jamie and I have had a relatively smooth relationship minus a few expected bumps in the road. I have always believed that love and a relationship with our Lord can get anyone through anything. A week ago, Jamie and I were met with controversy at church when we ran into someone we knew and the conversation went as follows: Jamie-"Alissa and I are getting married." The "someone": "what?" "you two are getting married?" Jamie and Alissa-"Yes we are getting married." "Someone" said to me- "you are marrying him?" Alissa-"Yes I am marrying him." "Someone said again to me-"he is the one?" I was able to walk away without saying anything mean because I was praying the whole time that I would be able to keep my mouth shut.

This past week Jamie and I hit a moment/bump in our relationship that allowed both of us to show the love and grace we have between one another. The moment/bump showed me that we will have times in our marriage during which our love will be tested. I believe that God gave us a glimpse of what type of joys and sorrows will come up but the situation also showed me that love and prayer will get us through anything. I am so thankful that I have a relationship with our Lord who I know will get us and me through everything in life.

As for me and Jamie, we are even stronger today than we were two days ago and my love for Jamie has grown even more. Our loving, merciful, and holy God has truly provided everything we need to be the godly individuals we are called to be.

The Fight for Friendships

2008-09-15T01:23:00.002-05:00

Joy, craziness, busyness, and excitement fill my life but with one emotion thrown in that I never imagined would be present as well: sadness. An engagement time should be filled with the craziness of planning but excitment and joy. However, my engagement has a sense of sadness mixed in. Almost everyone has been happy and excited for me and Jamie but for some strange reason I have a few people who are not overly thrilled and they have made it perfectly known. I feel as though I am losing some friends whom I call my "second family" and I have a couple of friends who are contemplating whether or not our friendship can continue. I never imagined that such a happy time would cause friendships to possibly disappear. The friendships I may lose are special to me and it is so painful to think about what will come to be. Shocking to many but I am actually at a loss for words and it is hard to express the hurt that is present in my heart. I am happy and blessed in my life but I wonder what God is doing in my life with the friendships that are at a risk of being lost. I do not give up easily so I will fight for the friendships until the fight is no longer left in me.

Wedding Craziness

2008-09-11T22:06:00.002-05:00

I am engaged! I am so excited and having a great time but small amounts of panic are setting in. I knew that wedding planning was tough but I honestly had no idea. We have a date, a church, my dress, the bridesmaid dresses, and much more but we are now realizing that the church may not be big enough so we are looking elsewhere, the money to be spent on food and flowers is astronomical, the bridesmaid dresses are all due to come in at all different times, we don't have the tuxes for the guys picked out, and this is just the beginning! I am thrilled to be marrying my man Jamie and I know that if we survive the wedding planning, we will survive the marriage. For all of my married friends, if you have any advice or helpful hints I would love to hear all of your ideas!

Acts of Kindness

2008-09-03T00:38:00.002-05:00

Hurricane Gustavo came in with a flash but left a path of damage. As I watched the hurricane get closer and closer to land, I wondered about those who were in its path. What struck me the most during the hurricane were the acts of kindness that I witnessed in Birmingham as I drove down the interstate. In a two day time frame, I saw over 15 power trucks from many northern states, Red Cross Volunteer trucks from many states and over 5 trucks that were carrying large generators. Who knows how many trucks and services were on the road that I missed. What an awesome sight that gave me chills when I realized that we as a country do come to the aid of those who are in great need. When was the last time you performed a random act of kindness?

88 Years of Wisdom

2008-08-19T22:53:00.000-05:00

My grandmother turns 88 years old tomorrow so I threw her a surprise birthday party on Monday night. We were a small group but we made a lot of noise with our laughter. My nephew entertained us with his dancing to one of her birthday cards and then he entertained about 30 older men and women with his dancing who were enjoying a night of singing. My grandmother had a wonderful time and she is the wisest, most fun woman I know. She has lived a long hard life but she is happy, upbeat, and has a great sense of humor. Happy Birthday Grammy!

McWane Science Center

2008-08-19T21:52:00.006-05:00

I enjoyed a Saturday at the McWane Science Center with my boyfriend Jamie and our new 7 year old friend Philip. Here are a few pictures from our adventures:

A Young Life Dedicated to Him

2008-08-10T22:41:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend, I enjoyed being with my 2nd family (the York's) in Arkansas. I had a wonderful time hanging with my "sisters" and one of the highlights of the weekend was the baptism of my friend T. who recently dedicated his life to Christ. I am so happy that I have another friend who will be joining me in eternity.

Biscuits, Rocking Chairs and Checkers

2008-08-07T22:53:00.003-05:00

There are many people who come into our lives and make a huge impression. You may have one or many people who have blessed your life and I have many. One of my favorite people in the world is my nephew Reece. He is a true joy and blessing to be around. Tonight, I had the honor of spending the evening with him and my two best friends Anne and Tracie joined Reece and I at Cracker Barrel. We laughed, played, and had a great time. I took a ton of pictures and videos and I wanted to share a few of the videos. Enjoy!

Rock Band/Game Night

2008-08-04T21:07:00.003-05:00

Game night was held on Sunday night and we had a great time. It was a wonderful time to catch up with old friends, laugh and have great food. Here is a small piece of video footage of some of my friends playing Rock Band.

Emergency "Numbers"

2008-07-23T13:05:00.001-05:00

Emergency Telephone Numbers
These are more effective than 911

When -
You are sad, phone John 14
You have sinned, phone Psalm 51
You are facing danger, phone Psalm 91
People have failed you, phone Psalm 27
It feels as though God is far from you, phone Psalm 139
Your faith needs stimulation, phone Hebrews 11
You are alone and scared, phone Psalm 23
You are worried, phone Matthew 8:19-34
You are hurt and critical, phone 1 Corinthians 13
You wonder about Christianity, phone 2 Corinthians 5:15-18
You feel like an outcast, phone Romans 8:31-39
You are seeking peace, phone Matthew 11:25-30
It feels as if the world is bigger than God, phone Psalm 90
You need Christ like insurance, phone Romans 8:1-30
You are leaving home for a trip , phone Psalm 121
You are praying for yourself, phone Psalm 87
You require courage for a task, phone Joshua 1
Inflation's and investments are hogging your thoughts, phone Mark 10:17-31
You are depressive, phone Psalm 27
Your bank account is empty, phone Psalm 37
You lose faith in mankind, phone 1 Corinthians 13
It looks like people are unfriendly, phone John 15
You are losing hope, phone Psalm 126
You feel the world is small compared to you, phone Psalm 19
You want to carry fruit, phone John 15
Paul's secret for happiness, phone Colossians 3:12-17
With big opportunity/ discovery, phone Isaiah 55
To get along with other people, phone Romans 12

ALTERNATE NUMBERS
For dealing with fear, call Psalm 47
For security, call Psalm 121:3
For assurance, call Mark 8:35
For reassurance, call Psalm 145:18

ALL THESE NUMBERS MAY BE PHONED DIRECTLY.
NO OPERATOR ASSISTANCE IS NECESSARY.
ALL LINES TO HEAVEN ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY.
FEED YOUR FAITH, AND DOUBT WILL STARVE TO DEATH

Happy 20/20

2008-07-20T22:45:00.004-05:00

Sunset

Birthday Girl

20/20 Group

This past weekend was spent playing in Florida celebrating my best friends 20/20 birthday (aka 40th). Anne turned 40 and decided she wanted to spend her birthday in Florida. We had a fantastic time despite the thousands of dead fish on the beach and in the ocean due to the algae/seaweed problem. We ate lots of doughnuts, played in the swimming pool, enjoyed watching the locals, had shopping adventures, ate out and laughed throughout the entire weekend. Happy 20/20 Anne!

Life Slogans

2008-07-14T11:11:00.004-05:00

Be Yourself: An original is always worth more than a copy.

Warning: Due dates are closer than they appear.

The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

A day without laughter is a day wasted.

If you think someone could use a friend, be one.

Save the drama for your llama.

Today is a great day to learn something new.

Listen and silent are spelled with the same letters.

If you don't have time to do it right, you must have time to do it over.

Give someone a hand and you both climb higher.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

You never know what you can do until you try.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.

The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.

(slogans from smilemakers.com)

Tailgating for Church?

2008-07-11T08:03:00.005-05:00

Thursday-Saturday:
An RV pulls into a stadium parking lot two days before a football game packed with family, lots of food, and a big screen tv. Everyone gathers together and grills out the night before the big game (even in the rain). On the day of the game, it is pouring down rain, but everyone puts on their rain gear and heads into the stadium two hours early.

Sunday:
The rain is coming down outside and we grumble that we are tired from the game, it is raining, and we are just too tired to go to church. We lay in bed for a few minutes, turn off the alarm, and fall back asleep saying we will go to church next week even though there is another home football game.

How often do we play all week, hang with our friends, stay out and up late, get up early to head out for a fun filled Saturday but when Sunday comes we are too tired and we skip church? Why are we not packing up the RV on Saturday night and heading to the church parking lot to grill out with friends the night before church? Why do we spend time gearing up for a football game but we don’t spend time gearing up for church by sharing our testimonies and singing His praises while hanging out in the church parking lot (even in the rain). Why do we get to a football game two hours early even in the rain but we don’t put on the same rain gear for church and we don’t get to church two hours early to begin “cheering” (aka: worshipping) our Heavenly Father?

We prepare for a football game but do we prepare for eternity? Which one are you ready for…the upcoming football season or an eternity spent with our Heavenly Father?

(this blog was inspired by a radio show I heard this morning that was talking about this very topic.)

Failure is Lurking

2008-07-10T07:59:00.000-05:00

Failure: a lack of success in or at something; something that falls short of what is required or expected; somebody or something that is unsuccessful.

I have failed at many things in life but I have never seen myself as a failure. I have always fought the good fight and not given up until the very end, if I give up at all. I am stubborn so I will fight and fight and fight more no matter what the circumstances because I don’t ever want to give up. However, I have a challenge in my life right now that has caused me to feel like a failure and to give up. I am in graduate school at the University of Alabama. I have absolutely loved all of my classes up until this summer. In June I started a statistics class which has been a thorn in my side since the day I received the syllabus. It is one of the hardest classes I have ever taken in my life, the teacher has not taught one thing (she tells instead of teaching), we are covering a semesters worth of material in 8 weeks, we are not allowed to ask the same question twice (she sighs if we ask more than once), we are talked as if we are stupid, we have a quiz and assignment due every week, our final is comprehensive and worth 200 points, and there is absolutely no room for error or mistakes. Now I know…I chose to take this class and I chose to be in graduate school but I am there to be taught-not to be told.

Failure defeated me last night and I think I have given up. It has been a long work week, it stormed on me all the way to class (it is an hour drive to school and an hour drive home), I get in class only to discover that I left my homework at home (if it is not turned in on the day it is due then we get a zero), I ran back out to my car in the pouring rain to look for my homework so I got soaked, came back in and had 5 minutes to do the homework, we had a quiz that was so tough for me because I was so frustrated that I turned it in blank (not totally blank-my name was on it), and then the true final straw….we were taken to the computer lap and told “good luck”. By the end of the class, I walked out of the computer lap with an attitude of defeat and I feel as though I am a total failure. For the first time in my school life, I have thought about not finishing a class. I know that I am going to finish it so I can say that I have but failure is lurking right in front of me.

A Dream and a Prayer

2008-07-09T09:25:00.001-05:00

Have you ever thought or dreamed about an idea or concept for a very long time? Did you have a dream as a child? Do you have a dream now? Have you ever had a dream that started to come to fruition and as the reality set in that your dream was coming true, you started to panic a little bit and get scared at the possibility? Have you ever prayed for something for what seems like a lifetime? I have had a dream and a prayer in my life for a very long time and it is beginning to come to fruition but as it is coming true, I have had a sense of fear and uncertainty set in that I never imagined I would experience. There is a sense of excitement mixed with fear but I never imagined that as the dream became a reality, I would experience fear. With a dream, there is a sense of uncertainty but with reality comes change. Maybe I am worried about changes? Something new? A new path in life? Have you ever had a dream in your life that came true? The only thing I know to do is to pray, pray and pray more (and to experience joy, fear, and happiness).

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15: 13

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3: 5-6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

How You Live

2008-07-02T12:11:00.002-05:00

I have needed words of inspiration today and as I was praying for peace, understanding and inspiration from our Heavenly Father, the following song came on the radio.

Point Of Grace - How You Live
From the album How You Live

Wake up to the sunlight with your windows open
Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress, use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes

And have what you want, but want what you have
And don't spend your life looking back

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances and let it all out
'Cause you won't regret it
Looking back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

So go to the ballgames and go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children, dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night

Don't run from the truth 'cause you can't get away, no
Face it and you'll be okay

(Chorus)

Oh, wherever you are and wherever you've been
Now is the time to begin
So give to the needy, and pray for the grieving
Even when you don't think that you can
'Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
And make peace with God, and make peace with yourself
'Cause in the end, there's nobody else

Blue Angels and a 2 Year Old

2008-06-30T00:05:00.008-05:00

On Saturday, I spent the day with friends, my father and my 2 year old nephew Reece. My father was in the Air Force and I grew up going to military air shows and I have always loved them so my father wants to instill the love for military air shows in my nephew. I think it has already happened. Reece had a great time at the air show, pointed at everything, had many jaw-dropping moments, loved getting into various cockpits, he never once cried when the military airplanes flew by and he cried when we left. Here are a few pictures.

Life is Busy

2008-06-17T01:11:00.002-05:00

I can not believe that it has been over two weeks since I last wrote a blog. It is amazing how fast time is flying by and I can't believe that June is almost over. There are so many things that have happened over the last few weeks that I want to blog about (Vacation Bible School in Arkansas, my graduate class that is going to be the death of me, work, good news, sad news, etc.) but I have not had time to sit down and write anything. Hopefully I will have a chance to blog in the next few days as I can't wait to share about my experiences teaching 21 first graders in VBS and the awesome experiences that I had with them. It is amazing what children can teach us about our view of God. I am wanting to blog about the reality of dreams that we have as children and how as an adult we realize that our dreams must change. I want to blog about my current graduate class that is unbelievably impossible and I am just praying that i make it through the semester. I will blog again soon.

A Scary Moment in Time

2008-05-29T23:24:00.002-05:00

In a brief moment in time, my day went from good to scary. On Wednesay, I was walking down the street in downtown Birmingham to go to my car to leave to go home. As I was walking down the street, I was talking to "my man" on my cell phone and I pulled my keys out of my purse. I looked down the street and saw a man walking towards me. He was well dressed and he smiled at me and I smiled back. Then, everything changed. He moved quickly, bumped my hand, grabbed my purse, I tried to hold on but my arm got jerked backwards, he took off running with my purse, I screamed for him to stop, he turned around, smiled at me and then took off around the corner. Thankfully I had my keys and my cell phone in my hand but in that instant, my entire purse and wallet were gone. A very long story short..I screamed for him to stop, I made the decision not to run after him in case he was armed, the police arrived, viewed video of the incident, apprehended someone who matched the description I gave them, I viewed the man, it was not him, they let him go, and then I had the pleasure (sarcasm) of finishing out sharing the story with the police officer. I am very blessed because the police officer said that since the guy was brazen enough to let me look at him and to turn back and look at me, he was probably armed with a knife. The officer also said that it was fortunate that I did not make it to the parking deck because he probably would have followed me into the deck. I was very shaken up and I have relieved it in my head over and over again thinking about how I could have done things differently but knowing in the end that I did what I should have done..I did not pursue him. So, the moral of the story...always be aware of your surroundings, hold your purse tight to you, keep copies of your cards and a list of your wallet contents at home, and scream as loud as you can if someone violates you or your stuff.

Georgia Aquarium

2008-05-27T01:01:00.003-05:00

A Great Weekend

2008-05-19T01:20:00.004-05:00

The weekend has been filled with GREAT times, laughter, friends, and great memories. A group of girls went to Art on the Rocks at the Birmingham Museum of Art on Friday night, I went to a bonsai exhibition (very cool) Saturday afternoon, a jazz festival Saturday night, and a church picnic on Sunday during which I was blessed to see my friend Linda be baptized in the river. This has been one of the best weekends I have had in a long time. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.
Birmingham Museum of Art

Bonsai Exhibition

Me and Leah dancing to great music (Leah is in the red, I am in jeans)

Jazz Festival Sunset

A Look Into Spring

2008-05-17T09:26:00.003-05:00

In His Image: Hands

2008-05-15T23:10:00.003-05:00

Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." When I think about creation and how God created man in his image I think about our hands. Have you ever thought about your hands and all that they can do? My boyfriend and I were comparing our hands the other day when it hit me that I take my hands for granted. Our Lord used His hands to heal, to work and to have nails driven through them in order to allow us to live in eternity. When I think about the significance of hands today, I am reminded of all the things that we do with our hands: wave, pat a hurting friends back, work, lift them in praise to our Lord, high five, talk to someone who can not hear, flip the pages of a book, type on the computer, dial a phone number, build a home for someone in need, grip the steering wheel, write a check for a charity, provide healing treatments for a sick child or adult, play cards with friends, play a musical instrument, write a note to a friend, and so much more. What blessing can you bring to someone's life today with your hands?

Inspiration

2008-05-06T10:12:00.002-05:00

Please watch this clip about Clay Dyer from Alabama! What an inspiration to all! (you will need to manually type in the address)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glrU4JKV1SI

Time Flies

2008-05-05T02:12:00.005-05:00

I have been missing from blogland but life has been so busy. The two biggest events from the past week are I finished by first semester in graduate school at Alabama and now the wait begins for my grades. The second big event was the 2nd birthday party of my nephew Reece. His birthday party was at Recreation Station (video games and inflatables) and it was so much fun to watch him play with his friends, open his presents, and climb on everything. It truly hit me tonight how fast time is flying by and how much I am taking it for granted. I feel like my first class in grad school was only a few weeks ago but now the semester is over and my nephew, who was born early and weighed only 4pds 1oz is now a happy and healthy toddler. Happy Birthday Reece!

Reece May 16, 2006 4pds 1oz

Reece May 2008 2 Years Old

Woman Vs. Man

2008-04-24T00:35:00.002-05:00

Tonight, JS "the man" and I were cooking dinner. I opened his refrigerator to get some items out and I was greeted with a ton of soft drinks and water. I immediately started laughing because my frig is packed with fruits, veg's, meat, etc. and his is packed with drinks with little to no food at all to be found. How different men and women are!

A Good Woman

2008-04-22T14:45:00.001-05:00

A good woman is proud of herself. She respects herself and others. She is aware of who she is. She neither seeks definition from the person she is with, nor does she expect them to read her mind. She is quite capable of articulating her needs. A good woman is hopeful. She is strong enough to make all her dreams come true. She knows love, therefore she gives love. She recognizes that her love has great value and must be appreciated. If her love is taken for granted, it soon disappears. A good woman has a dash of inspiration, a dabble of endurance. She knows that she will, at times, have to inspire others to reach the potential God gave them.

A good woman knows her past, understands her present and moves toward the future. A good woman knows God. She knows that with God the world is her playground, but without God she will just be played. A good woman does not live in fear of the future because of her past. Instead, she understands that her life experiences are merely lessons, meant to bring her closer to self knowledge and unconditional self love.

The Weekend

2008-04-13T21:31:00.004-05:00

Over the weekend, my friend Anne and I went to Des Arc, Arkansas to visit some great friends I have known for almost 3 years. We enjoyed great home cooking, kite flying, movies, games, hanging with friends, and so much more. One of the hardest parts of the weekend was seeing thousands of acres of land, homes, and parks covered in water. Des Arc has been the victim of huge amounts of flooding that have forced many out of their homes. It was amazing to drive down a road and to look to the right and left and to see water about 1/2 foot from the road. Homes had water up to the door, parks were under-water, huge fields of land were covered in water, park benches were unable to be seen, snakes were everywhere, and the people in Des Arc and surrounding communities are trying to save their homes and businesses from the water. We saw cars parked on the side of the road because people were having to use boats to get to their homes and they were moving out furniture and other belongings because the water is expected to rise again by the middle of the week. The levy's and dams are at their capacity and the people are praying that the dams hold strong because the flooding will be worse.

Pecan Orchard in 2007

Pecan Orchard in 2008

An Adventurous Night

2008-04-04T01:57:00.004-05:00

Tonight the "new man" (MG) and I had a date night after my grad class. We saw comedian Jeff Dunham at the Alabama Theatre. We should have known it was going to be an interesting night. I left class a few minutes early to make it to Bham in time to get to the 10pm show. I got back in Bham about 9:40pm and the early show group was just getting out and our show was supposed to start at 10pm. Needless to say, our show did not start until 10:30pm but it was an adventurous show. The opening act, "Guitar Guy", had issues because the sound went out in the theatre as did the projector so he had to do improv for about 10 minutes. Once he finished a hilarious opening, the comedian Jeff D. started the show with a great deal of slurred speech which meant he was seriously drunk although he sobered up around the middle of the show which led to an intersting time. The show was absolutely hilarious and we had a great time. We ended the evening by going through the Krispy Kreme drive-through at 1:30am. If you ever have a craving for a Krispy Kreme donut, they are just as good at 1:30am as they are at noon.

A Pain Unlike Anything Else

2008-03-31T01:26:00.003-05:00

Tonight I had the wonderful experience of getting a concussion. I was working in my dad's attic, stood up really fast, nailed the back of my head on a stationary board, got disoriented, dizzy, nauseated, ears ringing (all of the other classic signs of a concussion). The pain that I experienced was unlike any pain I have ever felt in my entire life. I waited for a little while after hitting my head before it was decided that I would have the pleasure of going to the ER. I was in the ER for about 3 hours in which they did a CAT scan, decided that I had a concussion but no bleeding and decided that I could go home. I did get a nice surprise when I left which is that my insurance company has now tacked on a $100 co-pay for ER visits. Now comes the fun part of my night..trying to find a way to lay down without feeling sick or making my head hurt any more than it does right now. A special thank you to J.S, A.J, R.G, and C.T for sitting with me in the ER. You all are the greatest of friends!

Fun Pictures at Easter

2008-03-30T00:14:00.005-05:00

I had the pleasure of getting out of Birmingham for Easter and heading to small town in Alabama to visit with the "new man's" family and I had an opportunity to take some fun pictures. I can not get "slideshow" to cooperate but please feel free to check out the following site for pictures of Newell, Alabama (a beautiful country town).
http://adventures.smugmug.com/gallery/4611028_jBAZF#272008930

Friendship

2008-03-29T10:37:00.000-05:00

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

"A friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself."

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up."
- Bible: Ecclesiastes

"The better part of one's life consists of his friendships."
- Abraham Lincoln

"Strangers are just friends waiting to happen."

"Sometimes you pick your friends, sometimes they pick you."

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being."
-Goethe

"No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever."
- Francois Mocuriac

"Friends are God's way of taking care of us."

"Friend - a person known well to another and regarded with liking, affection and loyalty."
- Collins English Dictionary

"What is a friend? A single soul in two bodies."
- Aristotle

Spring is in the Air

2008-03-28T16:36:00.003-05:00

Fun Pics

2008-03-17T02:04:00.002-05:00