My life in pictures Day 2

Amber over at Everything Except the Grill is hosting a photo challenge. Today's challenge: Something on your table



So, this is my "nightstand." The stack of books includes a Bible and a notebook so I can jot things down. My favorite thing on this table is the "Live, Laugh, Love" thing.

Tomorrow's challenge: The View From Your Front Door

Giveaway!

There's a super giveaway going on!!! Visit The Reality of Happily Ever After for details! She's giving away a FREE blog makeover! Who wouldn't like one of those???

The makeover is brought to you by .

Again, visit The Reality of Happily Ever After to enter!

Titus 2 Tuesday!

What have you learned from a woman this week (or ever)?

Whenever I write my "Titus 2", I think for a long time and ponder my story with this person.

What can I say about AnneMarie?

She's amazing.

She's a sweetheart.

Our journies have had paths in common and I'm glad they crossed. I am so blessed to know this woman, I can't even really describe.

I met AnneMarie when we worked together several years ago - can't believe it's been several!

At first, I wasn't too sure about her. :) It took me awhile, and slowly but surely, we grew closer. We had some great times working together, but staying there was not in God's plan for either of us! We also had some challenging times... like the time we were in lock down for 3 hours!!! If I had to pick anyone to go through that situation with, I'd pick her. :)

This wasn't the day of the lock down... lol

The one thing that I've always loved about AnneMarie was her attitude of gratitude. She always showed such joy... even though I know that she wasn't feeling it on the inside. I wouldn't have guessed it then, but I know now.

AnneMarie recently shared her testimony with her church. In it, she stated that one verse that got her through was Jeremiah 29:11. While I like this verse, one other verse that reminds me of AnneMarie is Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, and who have been called according to his purpose."

AnneMarie has definitely been called... and she definitely loves Him... and all things are working for her good! Although I was honored that I had witnessed to her; what AnneMarie doesn't know is that her testimony recharged me and also gave me a sense of hope.

I always look up to people with great faith and those who show the light of Jesus. I never thought that I was an encouragement and witness to others.


You can listen to AnneMarie's testimony HERE!!! Scroll down and click the mp3 link for March 22. :)

One thing I've learned - lately - from her is that you never know who you're planting a seed in. I listen to K-Love radio at my desk all the time... always have. I always like when people ask what I'm listening to... gives me a chance to share. Maybe God will open the same opportunities for you to share your story.

My Life. In Pictures

Amber over at Everything Except the Grill is hosting a photo challenge. I love it! I'm such a shutterbug anyway. The challenge is photograph something each day and share the details of your life... in pictures. Today's challenge: Something New.



I picked something that's relevant to my life right now. Since I'm leaving the country in a few days, I chose this. The luggage is semi-new (I got it for Christmas) and everything inside it is new; travel size bottles, razors, swim suit, clothes - including my Easter skirt on top.

Tomorrow's challenge: Something on your table... Hmm.

Not me!

Here we are, another Not Me! Monday! This blog was created by MckMama. Her son Stellan is still in the hospital and they definitely need your prayers. Please check her blog for updates!!!!


In the last week I did NOT vote for Danny Gokey on American Idol... 5 times. Why on earth would I do that?!

I did NOT buy a bunch of clothes for Haiti and justify it by saying "I NEVER buy clothes!" I also did NOT accomplish anything on my to-do list... and it keeps growing... this includes staying up way too late to NOT finish laundry!

I NEVER get annoyed when I see how people raise their children. I would NEVER! Some kids are in for a rude awakening when they join my class. :) Miss Leslie doesn't play nice when it comes to skimping out on manners!

I haven't NOT called any of my family to talk to them before I leave. I wonder if it would be bad to keep NOT doing that?

Happy Monday and remeber to keep praying for Stellan!

Another award!

I just received the Kreative blogger award from Meg. She's the one that got me into this blog world. I love her layout and her ideas. Go show her blog some love!

The rules are:
1. Post the award on your blog, and link to the person who gave you the award.
2. List seven things you love.
3. List seven blogs you love.
4. E-mail or comment on those blogs to let the people know you've given them the award.

My 7 Loves (in no particular order):

1. My family & friends - I don't know what I'd do without them!
2. Rain - So peaceful
3. Baseball - One of the best past times. What beats a summer day, watching ball, eating hot dogs?!
4. Pictures - Looking at and taking
5. Kids
6. Pedicures - I'm weird about feet, but I love when mine are all soft!
7. Traveling - Nothing beats a new adventure around the corner or a day trip!


7 blogs I love:

Soaked to my Soul

Just Tabitha

INfertile Myrtle

Take Me the Way I Am

According to Ashley

JAM Adventures

Pampering Beki

Six Words

Describe your life in six words. Go to Show My Face to join!!

One week: shopping, packing, going crazy

or

Weathermen have no idea what's happening!

One Week

I can't believe it's here.

Tonight was our fundraiser dinner... we raised approximately $1,100. Awesome!!

I can't believe one week from today we'll be flying to here:

Haiti's beach

and living here for a week:

Main House @ the Hands and Feet Project

and hanging out with these kids:

Don't they look precious?!

Keep praying for us!! It's much appreciated. :)

God bless!

Titus 2 Tuesday

What have you learned from a woman this week (or ever)?

I thought since last week I shared about my mom, that this week I'd share about my stepmom. My stepmom used to be this annoying woman who (I thought) had the goal of letting me never see my dad again. In the time I've been blogging, I've shared a lot about my relationship with my mom and my dad, mostly the downs, because they've definitely shaped my journey and who I've become.

My stepmom is no different. There were many times when they (being my dad and her) would have her nephews for the weekend... instead of me and my brother. When my brother lived with them, he was constantly complaining about her. He still does and some days I can't blame him. In the last couple years as my relationship has progressed with my dad, so has my relationship with my stepmom. There are a lot of things I've come to learn about her.

Last week I told you all about my mom and my "mommy wishlist." Let me preface this next sentence with: this is very hard for me to say. I've been churning it over in my brain for awhile and it doesn't get easier the more times I say it. My stepmom, in all honesty, is my mommy wishlist.

When I'm on the phone with her, she doesn't hang up the phone until she says "I love you." She is.. how do I say.. a lot more loving than I am used to. At first it was scary for me, but I've managed... and I enjoy it.

My stepmom, me, and my sister

I'm Waiting

For the last couple of weeks I've been pondering the movie Fireproof. Some of my single friends have currently watched the movie, and have said they didn't like it for different reasons. As a single person you need to watch the movie for the messages... not constantly thinking, "Where's my partner?" etc., etc.

One thing that struck me was the song "I'm Waiting" by John Waller... check out the lyrics and see if this hits the nail on the head.


I'm waiting
I'm waiting on you, Lord
and I am hopeful
I'm waiting on you, Lord
though it is painful
but patiently I will wait

I will move ahead bold and confident
taking every step in obedience
while I'm waiting
I will serve you
while I'm waiting
I will worship
while I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'm running the race
even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on you, Lord
and I am peaceful
I'm waiting on you, Lord
though it's not easy
but faithfully I will wait

I will move ahead bold and confident
taking every step in obedience
while I'm waiting
I will serve you
while I'm waiting
I will worship
while I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'm running the race
even while I wait

I will move ahead bold and confident
taking every step in obedience
while I'm waiting
I will serve you
while I'm waiting
I will worship
while I'm waiting
I will not faint

I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on you, Lord...



This is my prayer. That I can serve, worship, and patiently wait no matter how hard it is. It's been quite some time since I've "searched" for a guy. I'm a member of a Christian dating site - and rarely log in. Hmm... is he right around the corner? I don't know, but I'm going to keep living my life until he shows up! By the way - this is an excellent movie; married or single! :)

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog was created by MckMama. Her son Stellan is in the hospital and they definitely need your prayers. Please check her blog for updates!!!!


In the last week I did NOT get hooked on Dancing With the Stars... Nope, that would just be another reality tv show for me to watch. I also did NOT feel like I did not nothing but eat. Nope, my pants aren't feeling tighter at all... :)

I did NOT make my final payment for Haiti. 11 days... eek!!! I was NOT so emotional that I cried all the way to work... and again later that night. I would NEVER cry for no reason.

One of my church kids did NOT fall and begin bleeding, while she was in my care. I also did NOT avoid my mother's text message this afternoon. Nope I would NEVER. I am NOT super excited because my car is almost paid off. That would NOT make me happy at ALL!


Happy Monday, everyone! Remember to keep praying for Stellan!

Six Word Saturday!

It's time for Six Word Saturday!! Visit Show My Face to get started! :)

Ugh... there's so much to do!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Picture of the week

As this week winds down - sort of. :)

Wishing everyone well on their March Madness brackets.. and maybe even some relaxation.

Me and Crystal

AI recap

Ok. I've been avoiding blogging about American Idol, but this week, I just have to!! For the most part I like them all for different reasons, but here are my thoughts on the top 11.


Danny - I love Danny even more after watching him sing "Jesus Take The Wheel." He gave me goosebumps! I've always loved the song, but never have gotten goosebumps before. (More blogging about Danny coming soon).

Scott - I like Scott, but sadly I don't think he'll last a long time. He's not exceeding like the others, which makes me sad.

Michael - I love this country boy!! He did a good job with Garth last night!

Adam - Ok. Where do I start? I dislike him... a lot. Before last night I was on the fence about him, but 1) He messed with Johnny Cash, and 2) He was bad at it!!!!

Lil - I like her. Last night you could tell that she was out of her element, but she did good singing Independence Day.

Kris - I love, love, love him!! He did awesome singing Garth too.

Anoop - I'm so glad Anoop redeemed himself from last week!

Alexis - I'm kind of the fence about her too. I like her singing, but I'm mildly annoyed that the judges constantly want her to be 'dirty'. No variety?

Megan Joy - She changes her name every week... seriously. Not sure on her.... her voice is... different; sometimes that's a bad thing.

Matt - Hmm... kind of on the fence about him too. I think he's good, but there's something about him..... He did do a good job singing a Carrie Underwood song - that was surprising!

Allison - I'm not sure about her; I think her voice is weird... :)


So who will be booted tonight? I hope it's Adam!!! :) We'll find out in an hour (central time).

Titus 2 Tuesday

What have you learned from a woman this week (or ever)?

This week I'm going to share a bit about my mom. My mom has lived her life in Nebraska, raising kids - me and my three brothers. For the most part my mom and I get along. For the remainder of the time, I'm either annoyed at her, she's annoyed at me, or something's happening. Since I was 5 years old, it's always been my mom, my brother, and me. When all these other people started entering our lives, it got... well... weird.

The thing I love about my mom is that she's absolutely hilarious. When I look at my parents, I can definitely see where I get my sense of humor. She's a strong woman who's dealt with a lot in her life. She tries to be the rock, when I really know that she has to have times of break down. There has been one time in my life when I was all consumed emotional and my mom was there to catch me.

To this day, I don't ever recall my mom telling me she's proud of me or that I look beautiful. She always finds something to critique me on - whether it's that my hair is curly (in her eyes, this is not 'fixing' it), or whether it's that I didn't wear enough makeup. Is it the job of a mom to critique?

My mommy wishlist: Some days I wish my mom understood me. I wish she wasn't jealous of me having a life, that she never did. I wish she would tell me that she loved me - without me having to say it first.

But.

At the end of the day, she's my mom and I love her.

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Here goes my first attempt.

In the last week I did NOT get my last shot for the Haiti trip and I also did NOT get my prescription filled for malaria pills. I couldn't figure out why they had to order them. Doesn't everyone ask for those? :)

I was also NOT so busy that I couldn't keep my schedule straight. Nope, that would never happen to me. I also did NOT have time to watch stupid reality tv. Nope, I would NEVER. Speaking of tv, I do NOT love watching 90210 and am NOT a month behind.... it's ok it's not new until March 31.

I did NOT have 9 girls between the ages of 3 and 8 at my house. I did NOT keep them up way past their bedtime and let them eat everything they wanted. I would NEVER do that. This past weekend is NOT a total blur and it did NOT end like this:




What did you NOT do this week?

It's Amazing...

• How much bigger my room looks when it's clean.
• How you can see a friend once or twice a year and always pick up where you left off.
• How much you can miss someone whenever you hear about them.
• How much it hurts when a "friend" doesn't respond.
• How something you used to have/do all the time, you no longer miss.
• How the more things change, the more they stay the same.
• How fast time goes when you don't want it to, and goes slow when you wish it hurry up.
• How you can be constantly 'labeled' like you're no more than that.

It's been a crazy week and it's only going to get worse before the weekend is over. Last night I had dinner with a friend from high school, which was great! Tonight I had church and ended up bailing on my cousin - I felt horrible, but I am exhausted! Tomorrow night we have a sleepover for our missionettes girls (at our house). Saturday we're working Women of Faith for K-Love and then going to dinner with my friend Crystal. Sunday we have church and a K-Love concert (Kutless). Whew!!! Happy weekend everyone. :)

Welcome to Tuesday!

What have you learned from a woman this week (or ever)?

It has taken me awhile to decide who to write about today. I've changed my mind so many times. This week I'm writing about my friend Crystal. Crystal and I met when I worked at a college in Lincoln, and she was a student. I immediately loved her. She has such a sweet heart, was funny, and the most independent woman I knew.

A little bit of Crystal's story: Crystal was a normal teenager with goals and dreams. She ran track and was a cheerleader. Shortly after graduating from high school, she was involved in a car accident that left her completely paralyzed from the waist down. She relies on her wheelchair for full daily mobility, but she doesn't let that stop her. She has an amazing faith, a wonderful personality, and the willingness to never give up.

We got closer when Crystal introduced me to Ms. Wheelchair Nebraska. I planned the graduation for our school and Crystal thought they might benefit from me helping with their pageant. They instantly welcomed me into the group as one of their board members. By 'they' I mean Crystal and her brother, which was the entire group at that time.

I was a member of this group for 5 years before I moved to Kansas. At one point I had lost my job and almost had to move back in with my parents. Crystal was determined not to let that happen and offered me a place to stay with her. I lived with her for a year before I moved on. We've always been close - sharing faith, ups, and downs. One of my absolute favorite moments with Crystal. If you've seen the Friends episode when Phoebe is trying to turn off the smoke detector....

Well, one night, the smoke detector was beeping CONSTANTLY!!! Crystal's house had very high ceilings, which made things even more interesting. Here I am, standing at 5' even... standing on the arm of the couch, trying to grab the stupid thing. Crystal is sitting in her chair staring at me and then has this brilliant idea and says "OH! Try my gripper!" I am literally BEATING the smoke detector with this thing. The top pops off and then we see.... it's hooked into the ceiling. OH MY GOSH!!!!! During this whole ordeal I had to state that it was our Friends moment of the day. We finally left it and her brother-in-law came to fix it. :)

Since I moved to Kansas, we've remained in touch, always picking up where we left off. I haven't seen her since last Memorial Day Weekend. We rarely talk on the phone, but sometimes email. Crystal will be in Topeka on Saturday judging the Ms. Wheelchair Kansas pageant... so we're hanging out! Am so excited! :) Here are some pics:

me and Crystal at Ms. Wheelchair Nebraska, 2007 pageant

Crystal and I last Memorial Day Weekend

March currents

I took this idea from Meg, as I do everything. :)


current book:
The next book I want to read is "When God Writes Your Love Story"

current music:
Chris Tomlin - Hello, Love

current shame-inducing guilty pleasure:
Watching 4 hours of the Bachelor finale

current fetish:
Reality tv

current drink:
sweet tea

current songs:
Sing, Sing, Sing - Chris Tomlin

current movie:
Fireproof!

current wish-list:
People to buy tickets for our fundraiser dinner

current needs:
a part time job

current triumph(s):
Finding old friends (and teachers) on facebook!

current annoyance:
lack of funds

current indulgence:
cookie dough

current happiness:
Seeing Melissa dance on Dancing with the stars :)

current outfit:
jammies :)

current excitement:
Seeing friends this week!

current quote or song lyric:
Give me a revelation
Show me what to do
Cause I've been trying to find my way
I haven't got a clue
Tell me should I stay here
or do I need to move
Give me a revelation
I've got nothing without you

current mood:
fantastic!

Picture of the Week

Normally I do pictures of the week on Fridays, but last night a friend was in town and we went to dinner at McCormick & Schmick's on the Plaza. So, for my picture of the week... our dessert. It was soooooooo yum! :)

Not a very good pic... but to give you an idea: It's a "lunch bag" made out of Belgian dark chocolate, filled with white chocolate mousse and berries. Yum yum!

Six Word Saturday

I found this blog topic at Show My Face. Go there to join the fun. :)

Being lazy rocks my socks off!

I Wish

At the end of the day, truly I wish...

• The DVR wouldn't stop recording 3 minutes before the show ends.
• Laundry would do itself...
• ...same for the dishes
• I didn't worry so much.
• I would pray more...
• ...and spend more time in God's Word.
• That I could move all my friends to one place.
  
• That I had more local friends.
• That the man of my dreams wasn't faceless.
• I wasn't so competitive.
• I was more giving.
• I was more motivated
• I wouldn't have eaten so much at dinner.
  

... To be continued...

Reality

Dear TV Writers,

I hate you in all your reality t.v. glory. You suck me in night after night, when I should be doing something productive. You make me like people I couldn't pick out in a line up. You make me peeved at men who pick women, then change their minds....

You force me to listen to people who can't sing, but I watch them anyway. Don't even get me started on the adults forced to live in a house all summer long while we watch them create "allies" and make out with every other person in the house.

Darn you, reality tv... darn you.

Titus 2 Tuesday - Friend Therapy

For today's Titus 2 Tuesday, I've chosen a woman who has become one of my best friends. I met Meg in college. She worked in career services and I was a student working in the library. We started hanging out when work was quiet and we were working late... I don't even really know how. We both worked at the school for several years before life took us in different directions.

That was over 8 years ago.

Wow. It doesn't even seem real!

In the last couple years, Meg and I have grown a lot closer. I left Nebraska and now live in Kansas. Despite the people who never keep in touch, Meg and I chat online at least once a day, whether we're both ready for bed or not! :)

The things I love about her is that she's real. She will always tell you what she feels, not sugar coating anything. She has a great faith that's come to the surface and she's always willing to share her experiences. Meg is a wonderful listener and will bend over backwards for those that she loves.We've been through some good times, some lazy days, and we've been there for each other during the losses in our lives.

Meg got me started in the whole blogging world. I'm really excited about it! She's also been a bad influence and got me watching way more shows than I can handle! :) Jump over to her blog and give her some love... one of my best friends ever!

Love ya, Meg!

Tag.. you're it!

The rules: open the 6th picture folder on your computer, open the 6th photo and blog it. Write something about it. Then tag 6 more people to do the same.

Here goes:


This is the Lyon County Courthouse in Emporia, Kansas. I thought the building was kind of cool looking.

I'm tagging:
Lora @ Take Me The Way I Am
Maime @ Equilibrium
Nicole @ What A Trip!
KC Mom
Linda @ 2nd Cup of Coffee
Tabitha @ Just Tabitha