Biting the Blogging Bullet...Welcome to my Blogdom!

WARNING!!!  If you are looking for happy in this post today, it's not here.  You might find a little joy, though.  :) Last night Natalie and I went on a little Mother - Daughter date.  She's been begging for one for a couple of months.  It has rarely been just me and her here lately, so she wanted to go out just the two of us.  In my mind, we are together ALL the time.  What's so different about getting dressed up and going out.  (Yes.  I am admitting I have mentally become a man, HAHAHAHAHA!!!!)  Anyway, we went out to eat and to the movies to see Inside Out.  It is very cute, and I highly recommend it!  If you aren't familiar with it, it is the story of the emotions that live inside a little girl and cause her to make the choices she does.  I won't spoil the movie for you, but it was rather enlightening. At some point during the night, Natalie asked me, "If you could be any character, which one would you be?"  O...

One day this week, my Natalie (7 years old) and I were pulling up to the Post Office.  My mind wasn't even at the Post Office, but more on the kazillion things I'm behind on.  Out of the back seat, I could hear Natalie carrying on a one sided conversation.  It went something like this.  "Oh, hey!...Really?! (said as an excited squeal)...YAY!!!!....Can I tell Momma?...Tell her now?...Ok, thanks!...Yep, I love you, too."  I admit, I was only vaguely interested.  You know how imaginative kids are.  But then, she piped up from the back seat and informed me that God had told her she had a package at home, and we needed to hurry and get there.  I let her check the mail right quick, and didn't even have to chide her to hurry, lol.   On the quick drive home, Natalie wondered aloud what could be in her package.  I had ordered her a few things, so I knew it was possible that she did have a package.  However, I hadn't told her I'd ordered a...

~Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” A few months ago, God started sending me this verse.  He has actually sent it to me off and on for years, especially when I was facing health issues or major life decisions.  Well, last fall (when this latest bout of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome started setting in), I started getting reminders daily.  On my birthday in January, God sent it to me multiple times!  Since then, the reminders have continued.  Often more than one time a day.  I have already received it through a friend's post, just this morning! There is another verse that God has been sending me repeatedly (and again, one that He has used to encourage me every single time I battle with doubt about my life and where I am in it.)  It was in the exact same post!!!  Talk about God's timing! ~Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares...

Back in November of 2012, I was getting ready to go on my very first mission trip.  I knew in my heart I wasn't ready, I just didn't know why.  I took one Thursday and just prayed and read my Bible.  The lesson He taught me over the next few days is one that I revisit often.  Evidently it's one I'm constantly needing to re-learn.  :) That morning I took a seat in Huddle House.  One I didn't normally sit in.  The one closest to the front door with my back to the door.  (Big no no for me.  My normal spot is near the back door, in a corner, back against the wall so I can see everyone who comes and goes.)  I figured this would be the seat of least distraction, since I really couldn't see ANYTHING!  While adding milk and sugar to my cup of coffee, I opened my Bible randomly and petitioned God to please show me what I needed to do to get myself ready for this trip!  He gave me several verses over several days, but the first one w...

Let me just say, I've had an amazing Christmas. We are so very blessed! I can't even begin to say how wonderful God has been to us this year, I can't even count all of my blessings. They are too numerous to tell.  Yet, now that I have stopped, now that the festivities are over, my heart is heavy. Maybe it's because this time of year always brings a sort of melancholy along with it. Maybe it's because my family is so far away. Maybe it's because I'm missing my friend (wh o has gone on to be with the Lord) terribly today. Maybe it's because time is passing, kids are growing up, I'm getting older, life is different...there are a thousand maybes.  Whatever the reason(s), I was randomly looking through my photos from this year, and this one caught my eye. I've loved it since I took it. For some reason, it spoke to me. As it does now.  God, with his still, small voice, whispered into my soul to stop. To take it all in.  "What do you se...

Last night our pastor taught on Matters of the Heart.  He preached from Nehemiah 1, and how Nehemiah had a passion for Jerusalem.  So much so that he cried when he learned of Jerusalem's devastation.  He couldn't rest until he, himself, was able to rally folks together and rebuild his beloved city. As Pastor Jerry  taught on this, he asked us three questions. 1.  What is your passion? 2.  What are you doing about it? 3.  Have you repented for not doing it? I had to sit there and ask myself, what IS my passion?  I honestly didn't know.  He broke those three questions down, and focused on question 2.  Here are my notes. 2.  What are you doing about it? *What I am passionate about: -I am willing to change. -I will work to improve. -Will bring me to a place that people will question me about it. -I will share about it. -I will pursue. Now, I have several talents that God has blessed me with.  Talents that I use ...

Have you ever been on a long, familiar journey, knowing there is more than one way to get home? I have. My trip to SC to see my family is exactly like that. There are about a dozen ways I can go. I usually go up one way and back another, just to keep the trip interesting. However, sometimes I'm undecided as to which back road I'm going to choose until I get right there at it. I have even had times where I was undecided until the very last second, and didn't make the decision until I was almost past the literal fork in the road. Life is like that. God gives us so many choices about our lives. Sometimes His direction is very clear, and sometimes it's just a still small voice whispering deep in your heart. This past year God has been changing things in me and for me. I've felt for a while that I needed to give up photography. I almost walked away at the beginning of the year, but I just couldn't. My business picked up, and I was feeling much better abo...