Creative Photography

Well, Kimmie - see side Mr. Blinky for her blog! - just linked me to a new contest! I imagine Kenn will be playing, too - and he's VERY creative. SO, for my first entry into Roger's contest, Creative Photography, I'm going to enter this photo. :) It's the one I started my blog with.

I hope you enjoy it! I've got LOTS to play with, so I think this is going to be lots of fun.... :)

Celebrating didn't stop THERE...

Good morning, dear one! I'm SO glad you dropped in to visit! If you haven't been here in a while, I'm describing my birthday celebrations this year. The last post was what I did ON my birthday. :D I actually spread it out over three days, so I didn't have to rush from one thing to another. Friday the 13th wasn't a wonderful day for me, but dinner was nice!

I'm getting ahead of myself.... :D

Friday morning, Mom and I headed out to garage sales. We went to an estate sale first, and I felt a little claustrophobic, so I told Mom I was going to pay and go out to the car. Well, it's a good thing I did! As I got to the car, I realized I was REALLY nauseous. Yup, got sick. My dumb medications do that sometimes - and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. :(

We went on to another sale, and Mom met one of her old work friends there, so I paid and went to the car to wait. Yup, got sick AGAIN. Called the doctor's office and made an appointment. Mom came back, and we decided to go home. I got sick yet AGAIN on the way home - I've NEVER been sick THREE times in one morning! Phooey.

So, I came home and laid down for a bit. I slept about 20 minutes - then my phone rang, and it was one of the guys Kenn works for. I gave him the phone, and then went downstairs. Kenn had to work Friday afternoon, so he took off soon afterward.

I needed to go do my grocery shopping for my Saturday celebration, so I took off around 1 in Dad's car. Almost immediately after I left, the heavens opened and it POURED. I made it to the Walmart parking lot, and was trying to avoid cars while peering thru my rain-drenched car. CRUNCH. What a sickening sound! It was Dad's driver's side MIRROR - I think I hit it on a shopping cart corral railing. AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I called him right away, and 'fessed up. He was just happy I was OK. Thanks, Dad. I really, REALLY felt badly. :(

I waited until the dowpour let up a bit, then went into Walmart. My sister, Kelli, had sent me a Walmart GC, so I bought a couple of movies - she can take the credit for one of them! :D - and some dishes to put appetizers for Saturday on, and I'm going to use them in our stock photography, too.

Went a couple of other places for groceries, and didn't get everything I needed. So, I went home frustrated.

It's a tradition in our family that Dad takes us out for a birthday dinner. I had a hard time choosing where to go this year, but Kenn saved me. :) He found this place, and the girls had wanted to go there last year for my birthday - but they're closed on Sundays. So, that's where I chose. We met Kenn there, because we needed to hit one of the grocery stores in Lebanon. So, off we went.

Dinner was really nice; we had a waitress who picked on Kenn the whole time. :D The food was yummy; I had a sandwich, because I didn't want a heavy meal after my morning fiasco. :) They also brought me out a chocolate cake - the frosting was slumping, because it was still hot, but it was yummy! :D Mom & Dad gave me my birthday check, and Kenn gave me a bottle of my perfume. :)

We had a nice, relaxing time, and then Mom and Dad headed home - stopping by McD's for an ice cream cone. :) We headed to Publix, to pick up the last two things on my grocery list.

Remember that Friday the 13th thing? Yeah, I took it ALL for my family - unless you count the mirror as Dad's part.

As I was getting out of our car - trying to hurry, because Kenn doesn't like me to take a long time when there might be traffic behind him - my palazzo pants hem got caught on the seat adjusting handle. Yup, I bit the pavement. Hard. If there hadn't been a pillar there for me to catch with my left elbow, my FACE would have caught it. As it was, my knees got chewed up. They're STILL sore!! Everyone coming out of the store came over to make sure I was OK. I picked up all the stuff that had fallen out of my purse, said I was fine, and hobbled into the store. I got the last two things I needed, and hobbled out to the car. Kenn has a hard time admitting he married a clutz, so he asked me if it was my eyes. NO, dear, just my clutziness. AND I was tired, which always means I hurt myself more. :)

So, we came home, and Mom and I took this photo together. :) Isn't she a beautiful woman??? She takes such good care of me. I am so blessed with wonderful parents!

Afterward, I went upstairs and doctored my knees, watched a little TV, and we went to bed.

And that was Friday the 13th, the second day of my celebrating. :D

Is it already Tuesday????

I can't believe it's almost been a WEEK since my birthday already. Wow, time flies.

I'm not feeling too hot today, so the catching-up is going to come slowly, I'm afraid! But I really want to plug Kenn's blog again; he's really writing some GREAT stuff. I will tell you I don't always agree with him, but if you're not afraid to take out your beliefs and look at them, you'll really enjoy what he's publishing!

I also want to plug this particular post, where he toasts me for my birthday. :D He's very sweet, and I want you to know I'm making him chocolate chip cookies today. :D

OK, so back to posting about my birthday!

Kenn had to work in the morning, so Amy and I made plans - we were going to go to Opry Mills with her son, George, and maybe see a movie, and go to the Disney Store. I got an email Wednesday that said, "Change of plans. Grandma called, with no prompting from me, and wanted George to spend the night. It's just us. Pedicure's on me!" :D

I got up and made low-carb, whole wheat toast with some of the sugar-free jam from the day before and freshly-brewed mint iced tea for breakfast. See? :D

Dad and Mom were in the garden, and Dad planted his Father's Day gift from us. I took pictures, but I'm going to post about Father's Day later on. :D Kenn had left a note on my desk on a folded piece of copy paper, and I just thought it was a nice note wishing me a happy birthday - and showing me he didn't steal my favorite pen when he used it. :D I was cleaning up my desk, and picked up the note to move it - and it felt heavier than a piece of copy paper should. I opened it up, and there was a bunch of money for me to have fun with!!!!!! Oh, WOW!!!!!!!!!!! I had a HUGE grin on my face for about 10 minutes; we don't have a lot of money, so some to PLAY with is a huge blessing!!!

Amy got here just after 9:30, and we sat down, along with Mom, to figure out some Avon things. (Amy got a new tackle box to organize her samples in, and she was quite happy to be able to find everything she wanted quickly! :D I just love her....) Mom gave her her order, and - oh, did I mention that Amy brought me presents? :D She brought me a Rte. 44 Diet Coke from Sonic - one of our shared vices ;) - and a gift from her, and one from Angela. So, I opened presents after we took care of the Avon. Amy gave me a set of FAR AWAY purse-sized perfume, body wash, and lotion, and a marker like one of hers I had admired. :D The gift from Angela was a Pooh shirt and a scrapbook.

Then, we took off! We went to Providence, and went to Natural Nails, Too; they're a family-run business, and were very busy. They asked us to come back in a half-hour, so we said yes and went shopping. :D Amy needed a new "undergarment", so we went to Belk's - I'd never been there before. Well, I actually found two things that fit me - I'm not a size most stores carry!!! - that I loved. I picked up a really pretty skirt, and a fuchsia shirt that had polka dots "embossed" on it. More about when I wore those in later posts! :D Great bargains, and I was so grateful to Kenn for giving me money to spend!!!!

We headed back to the salon, and still had to wait a few minutes. I had a book in my purse, and Amy ran out to get hers out of the car. We had LONG foot soaks while they finished up other people, then got our feet done. I got a red color that has a gold pearlish sheen to it. Amy got French. Don't we look GOOD? :D They did a really nice job, and were very nice to us - wished me a happy birthday several times. :)

After that, we were STARVING, so we headed across the street to Panera for lunch. The last time we were together - that Tuesday! :D - we'd eaten at Panera, and I had a hankerin' for the same panini I'd had. So, we ate and talked and laughed - and Kenn called me to tell me he was on the way home.

Well, after that, we headed to the Hermitage area to do some errands we needed to do. Unfortunately, the red onion that had been on my sandwich didn't agree with me too much, so after going to the post office, Office Max, and the Dollar Tree, I told Amy I wanted to head home.

When we got home, Amy was able to use her tackle box again when Kenn told her he was looking for some new cologne. :D She stayed a few more minutes, then took off.

If you read my blog on my birthday, and read the comments, you know that Kenn told me he made reservations at McDonalds for us for dinner. :D Well, *I* knew - and most of you did, too - that he was just trying to not tell me where we were headed. Mom didn't quite get it - she told me the next day when she asked how dinner was, "Well, you BOTH said you were going to McDonald's. Why should I think any different? But I DID think you were gon an awfully long time for dinner there...." :D

I rested for a while, then put on my new skirt - it's a black underpiece with a chiffon-type overlay with pink and white flowers on it. It's got a very pretty flounce around the bottom, and it makes me feel very girly. :D So, I wore it, some heels, and one of my favorite black blouses. We headed off about 6ish.

We headed downtown, and stopped at the Union Station hotel; an acquaintance from the Opryland Hotel is one of the chefs at their new restaurant, but Kenn had already found out he wasn't working. Still, it was a pretty nice place. It's called PRIME 108, and doesn't have their website up yet. It's pricey, I'm warning you, but the service was EXCELLENT, and the decor was very nice. We had a nice dinner; I had a cowboy ribeye, and Kenn had some Ahi tuna. We relaxed and took our time, and got home about 9. Then, we took this picture. :D

Upstairs to relax and unwind, and that was my birthday. Amy is the absolute BEST; we're so different, but we have SO much fun together. I can trust her to tell me the truth, and to let me know what she thinks. I am SO very blessed by her!!

And KENN! Well, that tribute on his blog, the spending money, the care and thought he put into where to take me for my birthday dinner - God's truly blessed me with him, too.

Speaking of whom, I'd better go work on his cookies before he gets home. :) Stay tuned for more birthday celebration details of Friday and Saturday, and Father's Day! :D

Count YOUR blessings today -I bet you'll end up being so grateful, you can't help but PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and I still have that pesky blog candy to give away! :D

I'll be posting more later...

but I really wanted to share this video with you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeXxkbgCVE

At least think about it.... :)

Happy Birthday to ME! :D

Yup, it's official. I celebrate the end of another year of life, and the beginning of a new one. In some ways, I feel older than the hills. In others, I have trouble realizing I'm not still that high school girl I feel like! :D

So, I'm off to celebrate. Amy & I are going out together this morning, then Kenn will come home from work this afternoon and take me someplace for dinner to celebrate. :) Tomorrow night, we'll go out with my parents. Saturday, I've got a few friends coming over for an appetizer party. I can't wait!

Oops, she's HERE! Gotta jet! Thank you for celebrating today! :D OH, and don't forget to enter my giveaway - I'll draw before the day's over!!!

Have you forgotten??? ENTER NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't forget! I'm doing a giveaway for my 100th post, drawing tomorrow! You have to go HERE to read what's going on, and to enter!!!!



It's canning season again!!! Guess what we were making today - that's right, strawberry jam! We made SIX batches of regular, and a batch of no sugar added. It smells like strawberries in here, and sugar, and hot water - the last batch is in the hot water bath right now. Phew!



An update on Mom: She went to her regular doctor today, and is officially off work until Tuesday. Of course, she's hard at work HERE - but I'm being a harpy, so HOPEFULLY she's not working as hard as she would...! THANK YOU SO MUCH for praying for her!



I'm sorry I haven't been around a lot this week; trying to get caught up, teaching a class, and still dealing with church fallout has been REALLY stressful. But I really want you to enter the giveaway!!!! I need the strokes. ROFL!!!!! GO ENTER NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is a balm in - SMYRNA, TN?!?!??!

Yes, it's true!!!!

Sunday morning (You already know Kenn's side of the story, if you've read his blog today. :D) we had decided to go to the Smyrna Assembly of God. Yes, it's the real Assembly. :D Kenn & I had attended one in Florence, Oregon, and really enjoyed our time there. Also, the Smyrna Assembly's mission is to reclaim the arts to God's glory - something that is near and dear to our hearts. We've been there to a couple of great shows, and I have to admit to being quite envious that their church actually did the shows, not tolerated having some acting going on.... :D (Go check out their theater's site - they're REALLY active!!!!!)

So, we'd decided not to go to their early service - it's about 40 minutes or so from our house. We left here just before 10 a.m., and stopped for Kenn to get a couple of shots of horses. We got there early, and said hello to Kenn's contact from work - and I got to meet someone else from the office. Then, we went and found some seats and settled in.

Some very nice people greeted us - but didn't pressure us at all. :) That's important - especially because I'm REALLY shy in person, and have a hard time for the first few times I meet someone. The senior adult coordinator introduced himself to Kenn; he was a VERY nice man!! His wife introduced herself after the service as "his better half". ;)

The worship service was really good; as Kenn wrote in his blog, it wasn't nearly as much a spectator event as it was a "participate as you wish". It was very free, and really wonderful. I don't think we knew any of those songs, but we caught on pretty quickly. It was really great.

Can I just say it's been a LONG time since anything SPOKEN has touched my heart MORE than the music?!?!?!??! Well, not only did it happen ONCE, but TWICE - and neither were in the sermon - which was good, anyway. :D

The first time was during the offering. The young man who spoke was in the praise band; he played sax and trumpet, and maybe the trumbone.... ANYWAY. You've got to understand that the church we WERE attending was very much about tithing to receive God's blessing - and the way it was done HONESTLY made it hard to be a cheerful giver. But not this. From the bottom of his heart, he explained why we tithe. It's not because it's expected of us, or you gotta give to get. It's because we're saying to God, "You have ALREADY blessed me SO MUCH, I don't NEED everything you've given me!!! You're SO GOOD!!!"

Woah. Not out of expectation, but out of THANKSGIVING???? I've NEVER heard it put that way!!!!! But BOY, did it touch my heart!!!!!

He went on to say there are four things to do with your money: tithe, sow (to further the kingdom, feed the poor, etc.), save - if you spend everything you make, you'll NEVER make enough money; you'll just spend everything - and spend. It's OK to spend, and make wise choices with your money.

I was crying by now. I told Kenn, "We can leave now; I've heard the sermon already." :) But WAIT! There's MORE!!!

It was Communion Sunday. Another gentleman came to present it, and what he said - WOW.

I'm going to paraphrase:

I've been suffering through some physical stuff lately, and you know how hard it is to concentrate when you're in pain? You tend to do things that don't demand a lot of concentration - or ANY concentration! - while you're feeling pain. The worse the pain, the harder it is to focus on anything else.

The pain that Jeus went through? We'll probably never be able to understand how excruciating it was - the movie THE PASSION OF CHRIST did a pretty good job, but even so..... Yet through it ALL, Jesus was able to keep in mind what He was doing, what His final goal was. He could have stopped it ALL at any moment. That tearing of His flesh, the beatings, the blood loss - He suffered HORRIBLY. Yet THROUGH IT ALL, He kept us in mind. He kept His purpose - paying for the redemption of man, putting death behind Him and triumphing!!!! - He kept it all in mind in the middle of that torture.

Can you see why it touched me??? It's so easy to get blase' about things we do on a regular basis. He made it FRESH to me again.

Well, this is already a book, so I'm going to stop elaborating. The sermon was great - the preacher can really belt a song!! :D - and it was WONDERFUL to be renewed and exhorted and bathed in His presence. God is SO GOOD, my dear friend. He loves us SO MUCH!!!!

Kenn and I continue to hash through what happened, and it will take us a while. But God is showing His mercy and grace to us, and I think THROUGH us. :) It's been a rough week, but it's been a DEEP week.

Oh, and MOM CAME HOME YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you all SO VERY MUCH for praying for her!!!!!! She got a steroid shot Saturday evening, and it worked wonders for her. She's been going quite hard today - and I've been a bit of a harpy, trying to get through to her to SLOW DOWN. But that's Mom. :) She's not happy unless the house is SPOTLESS and she's rearranged some furniture. :D

SO. Please leave me a comment!!!!!! :D I'd love to hear from you!! :D

KNOW THAT YOU ARE BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED, ANNOINTED OF GOD!!!!!

Wow, what a weekend!!! This post is SATURDAY....

Ever been so busy, you wonder what you've been doing?? :D That's the way Saturday felt to me. I SO missed having Mom home to do things with - Saturdays, we USUALLY go either thrift shopping or garage saling. I still went to a couple of sales within a mile of the house - believe it or not, anyone who REALLY knows me, I was made up, dressed, class all ready, and at a garage sale by 8:15!!! :D

I found a couple of good deals - a hardcover book for a buck, and a brand-new lavender bath "stuff" kit for a buck. I LOVE lavender, and LOVE bubble baths, and LOVE to read while I'm taking them, so it was a GOOD day. :D LOL!!

Then, I taught a class from 9:30 - 11. Cleaned up a bit, puttered around, and left a little while later to grab some lunch and go to Goodwill - after getting the news Mom was NOT coming home Saturday. She'd had a rough night.

Goodwill had their half-price Saturday, and since I had class to teach, I couldn't get out and going and hit as many as I'd have liked to. :) I did find a few things, including a really pretty blouse for Mom. I hope it fits, and that she'll wear it - she seemed to like it....

So, I called on my way to the hospital, and Mom wanted chocolate. WELL, she definitely knew who to ask! ROFL!! I took her quite a variety, and you should have seen her eyes light up! Dad stayed for a little bit, but left to "let us visit". So we chit-chatted, etc. (After the first time I answered her phone at the hospital, I had to answer, 'Becky's room, Lori speaking' because EVERYONE gets us confused!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) She received two phone calls while I was there, and I left while she was talking to my sister, Debbi.

I headed home to fix Dad dinner, so he could get back to the hospital. Kenn helped out by making a salad while I got the other components of dinner ready, so Dad ate and left. Kenn & I did our own things for a while, then decided to head to Dairy Queen for some ice cream. :)

While there, we ran into a young lady from our former church, who is one of my favorite people and is doing some babysitting for a bunch of my friends this Saturday to raise money to go on a missions trip to South Africa - be watching for me to link you to her blog while they're there! She hadn't heard about what had happened, but was very supportive and loving. It was great to catch up with her - she's a very BUSY young woman, attending Belmont for her nursing degree.

ANYWAY. We then came home and just spent the last couple of hours of the day together, watching TV and chatting. And THEN I fell into a deep, deep sleep.... :D

Update on Mom

This is the email my dad sent out to explain everything. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRAYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to everybody who prayed, visited, called wrote and prayed!

We have a diagnosis:
--pneumonia in the left lung
--This caused inflammation of the pericardial sack where the lung rubbed on the sack, causing the intense pain.
--kidney infection
--The antibiotic they gave last night after the pick line was inserted will be repeated tonight. They believe that will be effective in knocking out the infection.

--They have continued the morphine every 6 hours. This morning's dose did not take the pain away totally, so they added another medication (some level of an ibuprophen) which helped.

--Becky's doctor indicated he expects to release her to come home tomorrow. It will be interesting to see what prescriptions he gives her for the trip home.

Did I remember to thank everybody for praying?

Thanks again!

Please Pray!

My mom just called me; she and Dad are going to the hospital. She's been having trouble breathing this week, and thought it was due to perhaps catching the pneumonia she had earlier this year - thoguht for a while that the z-pac she was taking was helping, but cannot catch her breath today.
Thank you!!!!!!

100th Post!

Can you BELIEVE it?!?!??! This is my 100th post on this blog - time for a giveaway. :D All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and tell me two things: Why you visit my blog, and a praise for something God's going or giving you in your life right this moment. :) It's pretty easy! And I'll leave it open for ONE WEEK, and pull the winner on MY BIRTHDAY. :D

I also HIGHLY encourage you to go to this uTube video - thanks SO much for sharing, Karna!!! Get a kleenex!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ

God BLESS you, dear friend. I can't wait to read your comments!!!!

Taste!

Goodness! It's been quite a week. Just talking to Kenn about what happened, and what we think church should be, and where to go from here - and all the time, trying to check everything I say and do against Scripture, to be sure I don't sin.

Thanks be to GOD that he's given us His Word to go by! Even if it does cause trouble in interpretation, those parts I understand, I can use. That's what He's wanting of me. So, I walk in the understanding He's given me - and His Word is sweet, and comforting, and sustains me.

I'm not going to lie and say everything's all better; I'm still glad it happened quickly, but the relationships are fractured, and that grieves me. Please pray for that, too, dear friends. I SO appreciate your thoughts and prayers!!!

God's working in our hearts, too. I think we're both much more sensitive to what He's trying to tell us. I've seen Kenn seek reconciliation in a relationship with a dear online friend, and my heart rejoices! :)

Please share with me what God is doing in YOUR life right now. If you need prayer, please let me know. I FIRMLY believe that the church Christ started is about caring for each other, lifting each other up, encouraging each other - praising God together, and seeking His face about decisions and hardships we each go through. HE CARES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Praise His name, He is GOOD, all the time! He loves each one of us, my friends. What an AWESOME thing that is!!!!

Well, it finally happened....

We were asked to leave our church last night. It wasn't the way I thought it would happen, but God had told me earlier this year we'd be released by summer - and here we are. :/ Please pray for us while we figure out where God's calling us to serve Him next - and for all the emotions that go along with the whole thing.

Kenn has started his own blog; he and I don't always agree on theology, but he is a TRUE seeker of Truth - and that's one of the things I've always admired and loved about him. Here is a link to his new blog:
www.BereanMusings.blogspot.com

He would LOVE for you to visit his site and LEAVE A COMMENT! :) Discussions on theology are high points in his day, so if you like them, or know someone who does, please point them to him! :)

I'll post again tomorrow. HAPPY JUNE!!! We are blessed and HIGHLY FAVORED, dear one, no matter what circumstance we think we find ourselves in!

God's sense of timing is interesting....

While Kenn and three other guys from our church are in the front room "discussing" theology, I finally watched this video.

http://neverfails.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/church-gives-pastor-new-truck/

All the talking in the world will never touch my heart as much as a church showing its love to its pastor - or one other person giving me a hug when I'm feeling lonely or worthless.

Dare I suggest that we live our faith a lot more, and talk a little less?

God's in control!

Hi, dear friends! Here we are at the middle of May already - can you BELIEVE it?? Where has the year gone? And as I look forward - NOT! - to celebrating another birthday in just a couple of weeks (SIGH), God keeps nudging me to remember the lessons he's taught me over the years. Here's another one: He doesn't want me to just walk in Him when I'm making the BIG decisions, but also the SMALL ones.

This is heliotrope. If you've never smelled it, you've missed a great treat. It's an heirloom plant; my dad winters ours for me, because I love it so much - and it's not easy to keep alive! But the plants are big and healthy.

One of the really unique things about these blooms are that they make up clusters. Kind of lilacs in individual trumpet shape, they make small clusters - and smaller clusters grow together to make bigger ones.

Kind of like the decisions in my life. Little decisions add up. If I don't give Him the little ones, how am I going to REALLY give Him the big ones? I want to be like Balaam - nothing he could receive could tempt him to go beyond what God commanded him to do. Living in God's commands, His will, is worth so much more than anything I could get on this earth. It's funny how much we KNOW that, but it doesn't take much to throw us off course. :)

So, that's what I'm thinking about today. How about you? What's God saying to you? I'd LOVE to hear from you - I'm feeling like I'm talking in the dark again. :D I think my next post will be an in-depth introduction of myself, because I'm finding out a lot of you don't know much about me! LOL!!!

God bless you, my dear friend. He loves you - rest in that knowledge today! :)

God of the Second Chances

Today's photo taken by Kenn!

Poor Hosea. Called to share God's grief and woe over his love being unfaithful. God's nation had turned her back on Him yet again - and Hosea's wife did the same. God's nation had fallen in with loving other gods - Hosea's wife "loved" other men. They both felt anger, grief, and shame for their loved ones.

But they BOTH were willing to give their loved ones a second chance. A chance to return, and love and be loved as purely, as passionately, as boundlessly as the first time they were loved.

Two things jumped out at me from this verse selection today. First, how GREAT our God is, to continue to love us and want us to be His, even when we chase after all the carnal pleasures we think we want. It's absolutely amazing to me!

Second, how desperately WE need to be able to love this way. We're so afraid of being rejected, of not getting what WE need out of a relationship, of LOTS of things. God's put this example out there for us: second chances are NOT just FOR us, but are to be FROM us. Not the kind where we hold back, just because we've been hurt. The kind where we love as God loves us - and BECAUSE He loves us the way He does, we're able to love each other. Just the way it was when we first loved!

Please note: if you liked today's post, and would like to receive things like this in your emailbox every couple of days or so, please email me at pooh0612@aol.com. If you get tired of it, you can always remove yourself super-easily. :)

Here's the slideshow I promised you!

Hi, everyone! So sorry that I have taken a long time to get this up; I've been trying to find my desk. AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's been a week-long project - LONG story, but lots to do before I could even start on the desk itself. :D SO. Part of finding the top is getting these scanned in and up for you.

Please note: there are some that use one or two Stampin' Up! things, and ALL images from the company are copyrighted, 1990 - 2008. Thanks. Hate the small print. :D

Anyway! There were some wonderful cards, and I cannot thank those of you enough who took the time to help make my mom's birthday special!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Enjoy! And take the time to bless someone!!!

Six Word Memoir

Discovering God's Neverending Love Every Day!

Each and every day, God's love captures me. He will not let me go, and nothing can force me out of His hand. His mercies are new every morning; He loves me despite what I feel about me. His love never changes, no matter how much or little I do. He puts things into my day to remind me that He loves me. Whether my heart is shattered regarding an earthly issue or bursting with pleasure about something in my earthly walk, He loves me. Boundlessly, unceasingly, mercifully, gracefully, abundantly, deeper than I can ever measure or imagine - that's how much He loves me!


My dear friend Sparrow tagged me for this memoir meme. Here are the instructions as posted on her blog:





Instructions from Maxine to do your own 'Six Word Memoir'.
.
1. Write your own six word memoir.


2. Post it on your blog, and include a visual illustration if you like.


3. Link to the person who tagged you in their post.


4. Tag five more blogs with links.


5. Remember to leave a comment on the tagged blogs inviting them to play.

I'll list a couple of individuals but they are free to participate or decline. Please remember tags are always meant to be fun with no pressure.

Of course, Becky, Nancy, and Kimmie are tagged! I think I'll tag my sister, Kelli, and see if she'll have time to play in the next couple of weeks. :) And, YOU, if you'd like to play along! Just let me know you're playing - and put your blog into Mr. Linky over there at the right of this page!!! :)

I can't wait to see what y'all do. It made me think: what has my life up until now been? There are LOTS more things I can think of, but THIS is the one that God's been impressing on me the last year or so!

Have a wonderful BLESSED day!! :)

It's MONDAY!

And it's time to share about what you learned in Sunday school, church, or watching/listening to your program yesterday!

Yesterday was Graduation Sunday at our church; we had three high school graduates, and three college - I THINK. :) There were some sweet photos of some of the grads when they were little. Oh, the memories. I'm feeling a bit OLD today!!! :)

Our youth minister preached, and it was a good sermon! He talked about operating from the platform God has us on - using as his reference Nehemiah 8:4-6. He also tied it in to the sermon his preacher preached two weeks ago - giving what little you have to God, and allowing Him to use it. It was an encouraging, exhorting sermon - and Jerry should preach more often!!! :)

We arrived at Sunday School late; I'm fighting a sinus infection, and Kenn's allergies are really acting up, too. But we got there, and the lesson was on Life Changes - specifically, Jacob's relocation to Egypt where Joseph was.

I can't wait to hear from you! What did you learn yesterday? What is God saying to you TODAY????

Greg McDougal!!!!

I know it's last-minute notice, BUT....

http://www.horsentack.com/

A live feed for Greg's concert in Florida tonight (May 17) - starts at 5 our time!!!!

If you don't know Greg or his story - 3 of his 4 kids have been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis - please check out http://www.ahouseformykids.com/!

If you can't watch, PLEASE pray for them - they've been in Florida this week, and Greg didn't have much to say except things are going incredibly, and to get this to as many people as possible - so you MAY get this again. :D PLEASE PASS IT ON TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN!

It's Thursday...

and I don't have much to report - but I want to say hello, anyway. :) Things continue to perk away here; Stampin' Up! is rolling right along - some days REALLY exciting, others, well.... :D I need to pray that God will help me be content wherever I am in business, as well as personal life!!!!!





I realized I didn't post too many photos from when we were in Paducah; I took a lot, but I now don't find too many of them exciting - except for the ones I took of Kenn, and I'm not sure how many of him YOU want to see! :D But THIS photo IS NOT KENN. ROFL!!!!

Some of you may know that there's an elk & buffalo preserve in the Land Between the Lakes area in Kentucky; we drove through, and saw many buffalo - no elk, though....

Anyway. It's a face only a mother could love, and I saw enough of them while we were there to last me a while. LOL!! There WERE a few calves, but they were lying in the grass - it was VERY hot the day we were there. So, no CUTE ones to show you.... :D

Well, I'm procrastinating; I need to be working, cleaning my stampin' area for my party tonight, and doing other non-fun things. :D

One more thing: I'm thinking of starting something like Kelli's Show & Tell (see previous posts!), but doing it on another day, and more about what you CHERISH - people, animals, things, whatever you have that you want to share. If you have a suggestion for a name, please leave it in a comment - and, if I pick your name for my sharing day, I'll send you a prize!!! :D

OK, I'm off to find something else to procrastinate with.... :D Have a wonderful, BLESSED day!!!!!!!!

Good morning! :)

Peonies!

How are you doing today? WHAT are you doing today? :D I just got done planning for my class tonight - nothing like procrastinating, is there. :D I had a hard time getting motivated yesterday; I've been sneezing my head off, and been tired a lot lately. So, I didn't do EVERYTHING I should have yesterday - and am paying for it today. :D

Well, things are growing quickly outside now! It's a beautiful day here in middle TN again, and the next wave of flowers is here. :) I thought I'd share some of God's beauty with you; I don't have much to say today, except to remind you to take a moment to notice what God has put into your day to bless you with. Maybe a flower? Or a person you don't say thank-you to often enough? Take a moment to count your blessings, praise God for them, and bless someone else! :) Enjoy, dear friends!!! YOU ARE LOVED, BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED!

These are going to be gold lillies SOON!

These are mini carnations. :)

Happy Monday!

Good morning! How are you today? Did you have a good Mother's Day? Not only was it Mother's Day here, but also my mom's 60th birthday. THANK YOU to those of you who sent cards; I'll be making a slide show of those cards she received later this week, when she's tired of looking at them. :D

Kenn & I were in charge of dinner - Dad financed some of it. :D Kenn grilled veggies and ribeyes; we also had corn on the cob, baked white & sweet potatoes, and asparagus - and then a chocolate fondue with both semisweet & white chocolate sauces, LOTS of strawberries - my mom LOVES them - bananas and angel food cake. It was YUMMY. :)

SO. Lots of weather activities across the world this weekend; I pray you're safe! We were blessed by the severe storm systems Saturday night splitting and going completely around us. Kenn stayed up to keep a watch, but it was evident to him by 12:30 that we were going to be OK. God is good. And GOODNESS! The WIND we had all day yesterday!!!! When we went out to the car to go to Sunday school, the rose petals were scattered for YARDS!!!

These are some of the roses that I cut and arranged for a centerpiece for Mom. :) I used the buttercup-yellow bowl I showed in Show & Tell a while ago to arrange them in; it was low enough that it didn't hide the person on the other side of the table. :D Dad's roses are always beautiful!!

Well, it's Monday. What did you learn at church yesterday? Kenn & I came home after Sunday school; since I'm not a mom, I don't enjoy Mother's Day sermons much. :) Plus, I wanted to honor my mom with having a good lunch prepared!

Sunday school was more about Joseph, and the path to reconciliation. But we had a LOT of prayer requests, and that took a lot of time - lesson was short, which was OK with me. I think, honestly, that a lot of time we equate reconciliation with resumption of the relationship - and it's not the same. I feel it's important to reconcile, but that doesn't mean that the right thing to do is to pick up the relationship where you left off. I have an ex-friend with whom I reconciled, but did not resume the relationship - and even then, she did the SAME THING that caused the problem in the first place. She has no desire for reconciliation, and honestly, that's OK. That's her problem. I'm trusting God - and I have no pain from losing the relationship.

SO. :) What did YOU learn yesterday? What was your Mother's Day like? If your a mom, were you honored in the way(s) in which you'd like to be? Do you feel cherished today?

Talk to me, ladies! :D

Have a WONDERFUL, BLESSED day. Remember you are a child of the King, highly favored. If you're loved by Him, the rest of your world will see His love in you!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Happy Thursday!

Good morning, dear friends! How are you today? It's rainy here today, kind of gloomy - the BEST kind of day for snuggling down into your bed and sleeping all day. :D Is that what I'm doing?

NO!!!! :) I've already taught one class today, and have another this evening - so I'm having to be alert and oriented. ;D

Please go read this post from Lysa:
http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/2008/05/still-holding-hands.html

Now, come back and tell me: are you as CONVICTED by her post as I am? It's SO hard for me, in my relationship with Kenn, NOT to keep a record of wrongs. There are days when it all piles up, and I just want to scream ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then something comes along, like Lysa's post, and I am so convicted I can't sleep. Do you struggle with this in your relationship, too? Has anyone found an EASY way, or even a way that works for YOU, to forget those wrongs????? It's not even BIG ones that I have trouble with. It's all the LITTLE ones. LOL! As women, I really think this is something that is difficult for us. So, I'm asking you to pray for me. Talk to me; am I the only one who's struggling with keeping no record of wrongs?

Oh, what a BEAUTIFUL day!!!

THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE; I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow. What a GLORIOUS day it is here! The sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, and God is on His throne. I am SO blessed!

Yesterday was my friend, Angela,'s birthday. Last year I kind of started something - if you've followed my stampin' blog, you saw the results! :D - of getting to choose whatever we wanted to do for our birthdays, and Angela chose a mani/pedi party at a local salon with some dear friends who do that as a service.

Well, let me tell YOU! What a party we had. There's one person missing - Jennifer - who had to leave early and go to church. But the ones in the pink aprons, April and Melissa, are the ones who do the whole shebang. Then, to finish the top row, is Ang and Lori P. - whose birthday is the 13th of this month. Amy's kind of the middle row, and that's me and Cris P. on the bottom. SPA pedicures, followed by maincures - and all accompianied with petit-fors, brownies, muffins, and CHOCOLATE, coffee, and punch. Whew!!! The girls did SUCH a wonderful job! My toes and fingers all match! :D

After that, the five of us who HADN'T been working :D left for dinner, and I drove. One of Ang & Cris P.'s college friends, Ron, was working at Carraba's - so off we went. He treated us all like QUEENS!!! We had a great appetizer - thanks, Cris! - and a leisurely meal - and THEN Ron brought out a dessert for us to share, compliments of him. There were three different desserts on this one plate!! :D And the plate itself was covered with choclate and caramel. Do you think we enjoyed it? :D LOL!!!! And MY birthday is next. Decisions, decisions!!!!

OK. So, it's MONDAY. We're supposed to be sharing what we learned yesterday. It was a wonderful day at our church; it was Seniors Day, and they were honored in different ways - like getting to sing some of the OLD hymns, including one *I* had never heard before, but really like now, "Little Is Much, When God Is In It". We had a guest pastor whose sermon was titled that, and our music minister taught us the song. WOW, was it appropriate!!! The gist of it was: if GOD is in whatever you're doing, NOTHING is too small. One of his examples was the little boy who had brought his lunch when he came to hear Jesus speak. Five little barley loaves, and two little fish. A boy's lunch, nothing big definitely. But when Jesus blessed it and distributed it, it fed over 10,000 people, and there were LEFTOVERS!!!!!

I think I'd grown ambivilant about some of the stories. Yeah, it happened. But hearing it applied in this way - WOW. I never thought of it THAT way. It sure puts a lot of things into a different light. Each year, about this time - about a month before my birthday :D - I usually start feeling like my life isn't going anywhere, that I'm stuck in a rut. But you know what? I may not be doing GRAND things, but that doesn't mean my God can't MAKE them grand. All He wants is for me to give even the little things to Him to use and bless!

Sunday school was about Joseph again, this time about what his story has to say about relationships with others. I maintain again and again - and feel this is a GREAT example of what I say! :D - that you cannot change or prevent most things that happen TO you. The chance for SIN to enter is when YOU CHOOSE HOW TO RESPOND. Joseph could have been vengeful - he had over 20 years to think about what his brothers did to him - and he had a lot of opportunities, while he walked the plan out about bringing Benjamin to him, when he could have said, "Too hard. I want to PUNISH you for everything that's happened to me!" But he didn't. He's a very interesting character study, ladies!

OK. I've REALLY written a book today. :D I hope you had a great weekend, and your week is starting off beautifully. Go enjoy this moment that God has given you - and PRAISE Him for it!!!!

My latest blog quiz! :D

You Are A Peanut

You are popular, even with people who tend to have picky taste. Kids love you, as do dogs. From rednecks to snobs, most people have a place for you in their hearts. As popular as you are, there are some people who can't be near you. Don't take it too personally. There's just a few people you rub the wrong way.

What Nut Are You?

Would you like to join in?

Good morning, everyone! How are you today?!?!?!? It's a beautiful, sunshiny day here in mid-TN; the birds are enjoying the back yard, and I'm enjoying the flowers and the birds. :)

Nancy has read this book before - it's the one Kenn and I are going to go through together - and suggested that she'd like to go through it on a chapter-by-chapter basis, too. Would YOU like to do that, as well? It's available online, in bookstores - we got ours at Books-A-Million - and at libraries. We'd LOVE to have you join in!

Kenn and I are going to do a chapter a week, because we're so busy - we don't want to rush it, and don't want to have it become a HAVE-TO thing. I'd really like to keep it that way here, too! SO. leave a comment if you're going to walk through the book with us. :)

I hope you will - it reallly looks like a great book, and the more observations, the better! :)

Good Monday Morning!

How was your weekend? Did you get to spend time with friends and/or family? I was SUPER-busy! What IS it with weekends nowadays?!?!?! I feel like IF I get a break, it's during the WEEK sometime! CRAZY.

Anyway. :D It's MONDAY; it's time to share what you learned - and we're going to expand that a bit, I think, since there are a lot of my dear friends who either aren't churched right now, or can't always go. So, what did you learn at church, in Sunday school, or in your devotions? What is God saying to you???? What does He want you to do this week?

Kenn and I have started to read Randy Alcorn's book, HEAVEN, together; we JUST got it, and will talk about it once a week - this is something I've been wanting to do for a while! So, I started reading the introduction. Did you know, in our world, 250,000 people die EVERY DAY? They're each destined for either Heaven or Hell. It just made me start thinking - JUST that statement: what have I done to influence the choice that each person around me makes?

I've never believed in being one of those hellfire people; I firmly believe God has asked me to lead a life that SHOWS Him. I know I USED to be effective at that; I can't help but wonder how I'm doing these days. I pray that He will use this blog to touch someone's life today!!!!!

So, what else are you up to? Talk to me! I LOVE hearing from you! I want to know what God is telling you. I'm always amazed at how He can start movements one individual at a time. I want to LISTEN, and OBEY!!!!

Show & Tell Friday!!!!

It's Show & Tell, sponsored by Kelli! Be sure and go to check out her site - it's a wonderful, warm, welcoming site! :)

It's been one of THOSE days, where nothing *quite* seemed to go right. SO, I'm going to show you a salad that we make a lot around here, especially for company. :D

It's a copycat recipe from Applebee's - I LOVE their Oriental Chicken Salad! I have tweaked MY recipe a bit, but here is a link to the copcat recipe!

The reason I think this qualifies for the Show & Tell? Well, I've made it MY recipe. I'm KNOWN for this salad now. :D And I took this great picture, too. LOL!!! It's coming up to summer, too, and this salad is light and refreshing - and I hope those of you browsing thru the Show & Tell sites will try this, and enjoy it! :)

Have a BLESSED day!!!!!!

The award goes to.... :)

Hello, dear ones!!! My friend Kimmie gave me this award - almost two weeks ago, I'm ashamed to say!!! - and it's MY turn to pass it on.

I would send it right back to Kimmie; she's always so sweet, and encouraging! But since she's already GOT it, well.... :D

Becky, for ALWAYS loving me, no matter what I say, for always encouraging me, and for being an awesome inspiration.

Jamie, for being my friend for a VERY long time, and never giving up on me. :)

Jennifer, for making me laugh no matter what kind of mood I'm in.

Sparrow, for being a great inspiration, and ALWAYS very sweet and uplifting.

Nancy, for ALWAYS caring, ALWAYS checking up on me, and ALWAYS sharing her heart.

Thank you, my dear friends. You BLESS me so much, each and every day!!! Even if you don't hear from me for FOREVER, I hope this will help you know how much I appreciate you!!!!

I'm home!

But it's taking me a while to get into reality again. :D So, while I figure out what the heck I'm doing, here's a quiz to take. It's a FUN one!!!! :D

You Are Bare Feet

You are a true free spirit, and you can't be tied down. Even wearing shoes can be a little too constraining for you at times! You are very comfortable in your own skin. You are one of the most real people around. You don't have anything to hide. Open and accepting, you are willing to discuss or entertain almost any topic. You are a very tolerant person. You are accepting and not judgmental. You should live: Somewhere warm You should work: At your own business, where you can set the rules

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

Still gone!

Just wanted to stop in and let you know we're having a wonderful time! We'll be back late tomorrow night, in case you need me, but I wanted to stop in and say hi. Miss you, and can't wait to hear from everyone!

OK, it's Thursday night...

and I'm headed out of town. :) It's been a really busy week! I'm headed to the WOMEN OF JOY conference in Branson, MO, and then Kenn and I are going to take four days and remember what it's like to be a COUPLE. :) So, I'll see you sometime next week - I MIGHT try to post while we're gone, but not sure.

Have a WONDERFUL week! I want to hear all about what you've been up to!!!

Show & Tell Friday!

Good afternoon, everyone! It's Friday, which means Show & Tell, sponsored by Kelli.

This is my contribution for this week! It's actually TWO show & tells in one! :)

The two pots on the ends are ones I threw about 10 years ago. I LOVE throwing, and LOVE doing ceramics - but time and especially FINANCES have contrived to stop me from doing either.

These two are from a class I took at a community college in Florence, Oregon. I make a huge mess when I throw, but I can't tell you how satisfying it is to watch something with a beautiful shape grow out of a lump of clay and some water!!!

The teapot in the middle belonged to my maternal grandmother, who passed away over a year ago. She LOVED having a pot of tea and reading a book - something I also love to do - so I was blessed to receive this. She was a gentle woman who loved to laugh, and I got my love of reading partly from her. My mom reminds me of her - the GOOD points, anyway. :D

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed your visit, and will be back soon! :D

BE BLESSED, you who *are* blessed and highly favored!!!!

Good morning! :)

There's not a lot going on here; I'm still trying to remember what "normal life" is like. :D I got to go socialize with a group of ladies from my church last night, and tonight I get to go out witha group of rebel Red and Purple Hats. :D I have FRIENDS?!?!??! Woah. Haven't seen most of 'em in a LONG time!!! :)

So, since there's not a whole lot going on life-wise, let me tell you what I've decided to do! You know those tiny flower pictures I keep showing you, the ones with verses on them? Well, I'm going to be offering them in some poster sizes, so you can order for yourself or for loved ones as gifts. Also, I'm going to do greeting cards with them. I want to get a few more images together, and determine pricing, before I get the whole gallery set up. But I'll also continue to share them here. :)

Here's one for today. May you have a richly blessed day, fully content in resting in Him while you take care of all the "must-do" things you have!

It's MONDAY!!!!!! :D

Good morning, dear ones!!!!!! The show is OVER. I have to admit, I did get a BIT emotional yesterday - but it's all Trey's fault. :) He's a young man we've worked with before, and he's a joy to be around - very polite, and his mom is simply WONDERFUL, too. :) ANYWAY. He had his mom bring me flowers - and she said it was ALL his idea! :) Such a sweet, THOUGHTFUL thing for a boy to do. They were the only flowers I received!

ANYWAY. I guess you could put that into the "what I learned yesterday" category! :D Thoughtfulness in children ISN'T dead! :D

Kenn & I only went to Sunday school yesterday; we needed to gather things to use for the strike, and we were VERY tired!!! Poor Kenn's been working a LOT, and just hasn't been able to get rested - and he's fighting ANOTHER cold. We are talking about Joseph - as in the Technicolor Dreamcoat :D - for the next few weeks. We talked a lot about communication in families, and how things can affect us for life. We had a great discussion - besides just regular discussion, we have a therapist in our classroom, plus MY specialty is interpersonal communications. :D

Anyway. It is a GLORIOUS day here - and yesterday was, too!! The tulips are simply GORGEOUS. I'm going to leave you with THIS thought today - God is SO good, my friend. HE LOVES YOU. Thank Him for all He IS today!!!

I just HAVE to brag a bit!

We got a great review from a local newspaper, The Lebanon Democrat, last week - but here's one I didn't even know was going to happen! Trudy LOVED our show. :D So, that's TWO people who reviewed it for others. I'm SO thrilled! Go HERE to check this review out!

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday! Oh, I said that already, didn't I. :D Well, I meant it! LOL!

This picture was featured in Monday's devotional that Kenn & I send out, so I apologize if it's a repeat for you - but I REALLY liked this shot. :)

Have you heard about the WOMEN OF JOY conference? Well, I'm BLESSED - I get to go to the one in Branson, MO this month!!! Here's the link, if you're interested in finding out a bit more:

http://www.mywomensevents.com/

If you're going to be there, please drop me a note! I'd LOVE to meet up with you!

So, what's everyone up to today? It's the beginning of allergy season here, and I'm starting to pay for it. I've got a wicked sore throat, so I'm taking it easy today - because I have four more days of show, and Sunday's going to be DIFFICULT, with strike and church and show.

Please talk to me! :) I may take a little long to get back to you, but I promise, I will eventually! :) There are a lot of you hurting right now; thank you for trusting me enough to tell me about it. I am praying for you, dear one. God knows your heart! He loves you, and knows the plans He has for you. He knows the desires of your heart - and they're His desires! You've sought after Him, and He loves you, SO MUCH. Rest in Him today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BE BLESSED. You ARE blessed, and highly favored! Now, go BE BLESSED!!!!