It Was Her Time

Great Grandma Sweetie passed away this morning.

My family is headed up to Illinois tomorrow morning.

Please be in prayer for the entire family for understanding, coping, and for safe travels.

PLEASE rejoice over her life with us and PRAISE God that such an AMAZING, WONDERFUL, LOVING, KIND, and AWESOME lady ever lived! 

If you never had the chance to meet her, you truly missed out...and no...I'm not being bias. It's just a true fact of life. Grandma Sweetie truly lived up to her nickname of "Sweetie." (Her given name is Juanita, but she hated that name.) 

Grandma Sweetie, we love and miss you already! I know I am a better person because I knew you. Thank you for all those years of swinging on the porch. Thanks for letting us swim in your pond. Thanks for all the RC Cola. Thanks for letting us sleep in the heart room with you when we visited at your old house. Thanks for always ALWAYS singing a song...especially Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which I love the best. Thanks for always being full of life, even when you were in pain, tired, or not feeling well. Thanks for ALWAYS giving me a reason to laugh. Thank you for the wisdom you've bestowed on me. Thanks for calling my husband Ryan. We crack up about that often...most recently as of last night. Thanks for always listening, always being patient, and most of all, always being an example of Christ. I love you infinity! 

xo,

A

Organizing The Apartment Pt. 1

It's been a while, but I promise we've just been super busy getting ready for the whole foster care thing! (So exciting!!!) I plan on sharing some before and after pictures as we get things accomplished, but they may be slow-coming as it requires money to keep things going! :-) For now, take a gander of an easy project I tackled in 30ish minutes...and $5!

The Guest/Vance's Bathroom Linen Closet

Before:

Everything's thrown/stuffed in there from when we moved in. It seriously needed a makeover and some organization! Even though people wouldn't see it...unless they're nosey...it still makes me feel better! Wanna see the changes? Check them out below!

After:

Isn't that SO much better? All it cost me was $5! I bought the top shelf basket, the two pack of small baskets, each level of the staking shelves, and the third shelf basket to make this project a success! $5 + tax! An easy, inexpensive project made possible by Dollar Tree! (These items also come in hot pink and lime green at my Dollar Tree.)

Top Shelf (L to R): Heating pad, basket w/light bulbs, extra wallflower room freshener bulbs, etc., cosmetic bag with extra hair product, seasonal soap, lotion, and body wash.

2nd Shelf from Top (L to R): Bubble bath/nail polish remover/aloe/Vance's hair trimming kit, 1st small basket w/nail polish, 2nd small basket with razors/waxing kit, stackable shelves have first aid items (bandaids, neosporin, anti-itch cream, bandages, burn gel, ace bandage, etc.) in bottom shelf and medicinal (ibuprofen, excedrine migraine, thermometers, nyquil, nettie pot, nasal spray, etc.) in the top basket.

Middle Shelf (L to R): Vance's towels (some were in dirty laundry), hand towels, basket w/wash cloths.

2nd Shelf from Bottom (L to R): Beach towels, guest towels, extra towels.

Bottom Shelf (L to R): Extra pillow cases/shams, flannel sheet set (one more sheet set will go on top of them once they are washed.)

So there you have it! My much better organized linen closet!

All it took was 30 minutes, motivation and around $5!

What do ya think??

xo,
A

I know. I suck.

I know! I KNOW! It's been too long since I've posted. I've just been so busy! Between working both jobs, organizing our apartment, taking care of foster care stuff, and budgeting/meal planning/trying to sleep more than 5 hours a night, I've just been too drained to blog.

I honestly don't have a ton to say right now...except that I have a whole lot to say. I just don't know how to say most of it. There's just...so...much! Here's my attempt...

1. My great grandma, Sweetie, has been ill and progressing more and more so. Hospice has been called in. Please pray for her situation. She told my grandparents (when they were in IL visiting a few weeks ago) that she's ready to meet Jesus. While I admire her faith and her peace, I am having such selfish thoughts of not wanting to let her go and also about the timing when she does die! Foster care classes start September 11th and are every Tues/Thurs until October 11. If she dies at the "wrong" time, I probably won't get to go to Illinois for her funeral...which would crush my heart. See? I'm being totally selfish in this regard.


Update: Please continue to keep Great Grandma Sweetie in your thoughts and prayers. The end is near. Please pray that her pain is minimal, her spirits remain high, and that those of us who know and love her remember to mourn like those who have faith and not like those who have no hope! 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (The Message) "And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don't want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus."


2. Foster care stuff has my mind CONSUMED and swarming!!!! We applied, but are STILL waiting to hear from our social worker about our "interview" home visit. Vance has called several times and she is so kind, but there isn't anything they can do to make the background check people move faster. FRUSTRATING, but understandable. I have no doubt that it will all work out, though. I have a million and two questions about things though! Some things, I ask one of my managers at work since she and her husband adopted three kids through foster care last year. Some things we ask Vance's mom since his siblings are all adopted through foster care. Some questions, neither know the answer to, since they didn't apply to their situations. I trust God has all of this in his hands. We've been praying for all of this. Can't wait to get rolling!

Update: We should hear from her tomorrow. She's not in the office today, Monday, so if our background checks are back today, like she was expecting them to be, we should hear from her tomorrow!

3. We have been super busy organizing and cleaning the apartment! We've gotten a lot done, but haven't gotten everything that needs to get done, finished! We've been working hard, but it's a work in progress! Stay tuned this week to see some of our project progress! (Tomorrow's post is about our linen closet! I know, right??? Exciting stuff!!)

Stick with me folks. I promise I won't disappear forever. Thanks to those who have stuck by me for so long and have been faithful readers/pray-ers! Keep it up!!

xo,
A

My Heart Aches For Them

So much heart ache has happened this week...for other people.

If you know me in person or if you've read my blog for a good while, you know I am a sarcastic, in your face, opinionated sweetheart. What you might not know, though, is that I am super sensitive, especially to other people's pain. I tend to take on what other people are feeling and bear the burden as if it were my own. It has made me into a better pray-er, but it doesn't do good things for my migraines.

Anyway, I say all this because the last few days have SUCKED in relation to other people's heart-breaking news. SUCKED BIG TIME.

Wednesday, the people I nanny for had a doctor's appointment. They hadn't told me directly, but I knew they were pregnant. When they got home, I knew they were no longer pregnant. I looked at this couple and saw sadness in both of their eyes. Then M (the wife) started crying in the living room. S (the husband) obviously was trying to keep it together as Max, their 2 year old son, was just happy/surprised to see them home so early. I gave M a hug and she cried and said, "Thank you." I didn't say much to her except, "I am so sorry." There really isn't anything you can say to someone who just lost their last chance of having another child. (According to something M said previously, this is their last round of IVF.) Please pray for them, if you're a praying person.

Then yesterday, I read a blog post of a wonderful woman named Ashley. I've posted links to her blog Feigning Fertility, before, but this link isn't as wonderful. Please read it in it's entirety. (Seriously. Do it.) She is currently pregnant with a "miracle" baby, but there is something "wrong." There may be nothing but a scare, but she doesn't seem to think so. (Make your own opinion by actually reading the blog post I linked to.) Either way, this is an incredibly scary time for her and her husband, Mike, so please keep them in your prayers as well.

xo,
A

So Much For That Heart Attack

I just heard from Vance who just had a conversation with DCS, that Foster Care classes don't start until September 11th now. They've reworked the schedule and didn't update the website.

In some ways, that's really good! It gives us more time to better prepare for what's to come. It also gives us more time to have our preliminary home visit and fill out our initial paperwork.

Whew. That takes a little stress off my shoulders, that's for sure!

Please pray everything goes quickly (ha!) and smoothly so we're able to get started in September. If we don't take the class in September, the next one isn't until January! AH! I don't want to wait that long, nor do I feel like we should wait that long!

Isn't it kind of funny (or odd) that my gut said September is when we should take the class...and September is when we can take the class?? I do believe that God is in this!

xo,
A

I Almost Had A Heart Attack!!

I just had a conversation with Vance about starting Foster Care classes this September. I wanted to confirm that this is still what he wants to do. I definitely still want to, but I wanted to confirm with him. He agreed. So...I went to the website to find the phone number to Social Services here, so we can call and make sure we're prepared for the classes.

This is where the heart attack sets in.

The classes do not START in September. They END in September. Classes BEGIN NEXT MONDAY!! Holy cow!!! I am SO glad I double checked the dates! Holy snot! I would be so sad if I had to wait until October to start the classes!

I still feel like we NEED to be doing this and we NEED to be doing this now.

So...apparently I got my dates mixed up. No biggie. We're just rolling with the punches of life...as usual!

Besides...who wouldn't want US as {foster} parents? That's right...no baby/kid out there!

Asian Chicken with a Twist

Hello friends!
   I have a self-created recipe to share with you today! (By request of a couple people who saw it on Instagram/heard about it on MFP and by my mom!)

Vance and I "created" (I use created loosely since it isn't difficult, but we didn't follow a recipe, so we still kinda created it) this recipe based off of Wal-Mart's newer "Wholesome Goodness" line of products. We found an Asian marinade in that section and decided to give it a try. Our first attempt was good, but not amazing. We continued to slightly adapt it each time. Last night, we hit the jackpot!! (Please note: the "with a twist" part is mainly because I use Cumin, which is traditionally, a non-Asian spice!)

So...without further ado...I give you....Vance and Angela's Asian Chicken with a Twist!

Asian Chicken with a Twist
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 4 T Wholesome Goodness Asian Marinade
• 1 T Low Sodium Kikkoman Soy Sauce
• 1 c Long Grain White Rice (Dry)
• 1/4 c Sweet Peas (Frozen)
• 1/4 c Golden Corn (Frozen)
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Cumin
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder 

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a square (or rectangle) baking dish. 
2. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin sprinkled on top. (This is not an exact science. If you like things spicy, make sure to be generous with the red pepper flakes. If not, use sparingly. Go easy on the cumin no matter how you like your food. It's a strong spice. Use garlic powder according to your tastes. Go easy with the salt, but it is necessary to use at least a little!) 
3. Measure out the Asian marinade and dribble over top of the chicken. It's good to have some around the sides of the chicken in the baking dish as well. 
4. Cover the dish and store it in the fridge for at least 4 hours. (It can marinate longer or shorter depending on your needs, but the longer it sits in the spices/marinade, the more flavorful it will be!)
5. When ready to make dinner, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (or don't preheat...I rarely do) and bake chicken for 20ish minutes.
6. While the chicken is baking, cook the rice according to the directions on the package. (I use a Pampered Chef microwave rice cooker that works excellent! I put the cup of rice and two cups of water in it, stick it in the microwave for 20ish minutes and tada! It's awesome!)
7. After the rice and chicken are done, add the rice, soy sauce, peas, and corn to a deep skillet or pot. Cook for a few minutes, stirring it constantly so it doesn't burn or stick. Let it brown the rice a bit and cook the peas and corn. 
8.  Dice the chicken into small chunks. When satisfied with rice mixture consistency, add the contents of the baking dish (chicken, juices, spices, etc.) to the rice mixture and continue to cook/mix together for a few minutes, letting the flavors combine.
9. Divvy it up into two bowls (we use measuring cups) and enjoy!!

Nutritional Info.

390 calories (not factoring in the spices) per serving! 

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Happy 33rd Birthday, Turtle!

Happy 33rd birthday to the most wonderful husband a lady could get! I love you infinity and 'yond!

xo,
Your Sweetpea

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TTC Update 7-12-12

Psch. I have basically nothing to say.

We aren't pregnant...shocker, right? We don't know if we'll ever be pregnant. I have only a slight glimmer of hope in the forefront of my mind that we will ever BE pregnant. I've pretty much accepted that if we do get pregnant, it'll be a miracle...also known as a God-ordained life event. I'm ok with that...most days. I can't say that I'm "over it" because, for goodness' sake, this isn't something you just "get over." It's my life. My body. My lack of conceiving a child.

But it's ok. It's ok because even though I cry when I think too long about it, even though I am ok most days and only have a couple of rough days every other month or so, even though I still battle the green-eyed monster whenever someone gets pregnant "on accident," I know, in my heart of hearts, that my life is not my own. Even though I am holding back tears and trying not to lose it as I type this, I am content with letting God be in control, even if that means I never get to be pregnant. That thought DOES terrify me. I think that's ok and that God's cool with it. I think He can handle my fear and sorrow over the thought of possibly never being able to carry my baby inside of me, to never experience child birth, to never feel a kick, somersault, or hiccup from within me. If God can (and does) have control over my life, he certainly can handle my insecurities, fears, doubts, and heartache. Afterall, what is a Father for?

I don't really know where we're going from here. I'm needing a doctor's visit, but between work and finances...geesh. We're going to try to get an appointment in August and discuss options. I've lost 32.4 lbs, so maybe they'll take me a bit more seriously when I say I want to have a baby. W'ell see...

Please take a gander at this post Ashley wrote back in April. She has a fantastic blog about her struggles with infertility. She adopted a daughter, carried her son, and is currently pregnant with her third child! Even though she already has kids, she's still infertile. She needs the extra help getting pregnant. She totally gets me without never having met me. I love her for her bluntness, honesty, and openness about something that so often gets ignored. Please don't ignore this link. It's important to me.

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She Works Hard For Her Money!

I do not wish to go to work today.

I'd rather stay home and read people's blogs. Blogs that I've neglected to read for a good while, since so far, this summer has been a whirlwind! Blogs like Baby Making by Becky. She has two adorable twin boys, Grey and Micah! I've caught up on The Great Umbrella Heist, written by the lovely Sarah about her identical triplet girls, Allie, Emily, and Anna. I've also stayed up to date with First Day of My Life, written by my beautiful friend, Cami. There are just so many other blogs I wish I was caught up on! I suppose those will have to wait until tomorrow when I FINALLY have a day off from work AND have nowhere else I HAVE to be! Heck...I might even get some sewing done! :-D

Have a great day, all!

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How Do You Know?

I've had babies/toddlers/preschoolers on the brain lately! Wait...what else is new, right? Well, lately, instead of being like "OOOO I want to buy this for our future baby!" I'm like "OOO...I bet a foster child could benefit from this!" ...Wait a minute...What? Who am I these days? That doesn't sound like me. That doesn't sound like something I could've or would've THOUGHT, let alone said aloud to Vance, my foster-care-hearted husband, 6-12 months ago.

Source

So what has changed??

For starters, my heart. God has been working in/on my heart since the moment I met Vance. Of this, I have no doubt. On our first date, he told me about how his siblings were adopted! "Great!" I thought. "I love adoption! I have a passion for adoption! Wait? What's that? Adopted through foster care? Come again?" He explained how they had fostered lots and lots of children throughout their years of living in Ohio and in Greensboro. "Interesting, but scary..." I thought. I hadn't even heard the crazy stories of children trying to eat the family cat, having to be restrained and held down in order to go to sleep, being born addicted to crack, etc. yet. (They saved those stories until AFTER Vance and I were engaged/married! Those sneaky Bailey's...)

I honestly never thought foster care would be something I was interested in. Sure, I always thought the foster parents were strong people. I always admired them. I always felt badly for the children in the foster care system. I always felt badly for the bio parents who had to work so hard (but sometimes not hard enough) to get their kids back because of mistakes they've made. I've always felt so badly for the social workers who worked WAY TOO HARD for their menial paychecks. BUT, I never felt like I would EVER...IN A MILLION, BILLION YEARS...want to become a foster parent.

Well...apparently...I was wrong. (For like the first time ever...ok...maybe second time!)

Vance mentioned to me, about a year ago, that we should look into doing foster care. I humored him, but internally, I thought, "Yeah right! I am not cut out for this! I am too young. Too unqualified. Too impatient with political garbage. Not skilled in dealing with "unbalanced" children. Not enough." (Not enough? Satan has been telling me that my ENTIRE life!!! I should have recognized those feelings of inadequacy right out off the bat, but I did not.) So, I told him I didn't feel like it was the right time for us (read: me) and that I'd consider it again in the future.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago! Vance broached the idea of foster care again...but in passing. It flipped a switch in my brain, so I looked into it and went into research mode. (Have I ever mentioned I research the crap out of things when I want to know more about it??) I found out there is a class coming up in September that is required in order to become a foster parent. 30 hours is required, plus 10 every year after that, for licensing. You also have to pass a home study, which includes a safe living environment, fire inspection, etc. You have to be able to support yourself and your family BEFORE being qualified for foster care. You can't have petitioned for emergency help with living expenses in at least a year. Etc. Etc. Etc. The foster care system is pretty intense in qualifications of becoming a foster parent. However, we meet all of the check marks we need to qualify.

Source

"Hmm..." I reflected. "Maybe it's time...Wait what??? It's time? To foster? But I've never felt like foster care was for me! What in the world is going on inside my head?" I struggled with these thoughts for a day or two, not mentioning them to Vance until I resolved some things in my head/heart and with God. (I kind of understand what it was like for Jacob to wrestle with God now...even though mine wasn't a physical encounter...and he didn't karate chop my hip!)

I feel like it is time. It's time to start this process. Vance and I have discussed it thoroughly. He's ready for kids to be in our house, whether or not we get to keep them. We definitely want to adopt through foster care. We'd prefer to only take in kids that are likely to become adoptable, but (and I'm not fully convinced of this yet) Vance said he's ok with taking in kids if it's short term, too. (My reply to this being...honey...it's foster care. You know that they may say two weeks and it turns into 8 months!) I feel not only like foster care is something we should pursue, but it's something we should pursue NOW. I feel a sense of urgency about this. Last night, I spoke to Vance about the urgency that's been placed on my heart. I told him that I'm not sure if the urgency is because our baby is coming home to us soon or because there's a child in foster care that's going to need us, but I feel like we should definitely be taking the next round of classes and get this ball rolling ASAP.

Wow! Who'd have thunk that I'd be so passionate about foster care? There is a LOT of uncertainty and a LOT of apprehension in my heart due to my own semi-fear of the unknown, BUT I do know that this is something we're supposed to do, so I have a sense of peace about it, too! Not I! We'd appreciate any happy/warm thoughts and/or prayers you guys can offer for us! 

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Be Still My Heart

Source

My heart and my mind are OVERFLOWING! I have soooo many things I need to share, but I haven't wanted to blog. I am SO stinkin' busy, it's ridiculous! Buuut, since Max is playing trains (and the little goober does NOT want me to play with him!!) I thought I'd take a few minutes to update all of my faithful (???) readers out there on what's going on in the Bailey household!

1. We moved! It went well! Out apartment is a disaster as we try to condense two years worth of HOUSE build-up into a 2/2 apartment. We definitely need an Ikea trip in the near future to take care of a couple of issues furniture wise (like a new entertainment center since what we've been using is way too big for the area in which it needs to fit!) We've used the pool at least 7 times in the last two weeks. Definitely loving that we moved in right when it got warm! When the mess is put away, I will definitely post pictures!

2. We celebrated two SPECTACULAR years of marriage! I have no pictures of the event, as we didn't make a huge tado about it! We plan on celebrating somehow later, but we don't have the extra money/time to do it right now. We both worked that day (June 19th), came home, exchanged sweet cards, had awesome homemade Asian food, went to our apartment complex's gym, swam, watched a movie, etc. It was a sweet night! I adore my husband with every ounce of my being. To me, there is no greater guy in all of eternity (excluding Jesus, of course!)

3. I gained/lost weight. Yeah. During those couple of weeks of packing/moving, we didn't cook a lot at home due to our stuff being packed/not wanting to buy a ton of food before we moved. Soo...I gained a few pounds. BUT...I've also lost a couple of them already this week. I was super frustrated and discouraged, but my My Fitness Pal buddies have been seeing me through! Set backs happen, but I'm not allowing myself to fall this hard next time!

4. Still no baby. Sigh. Two years of marriage signifies two years of not being pregnant. It's difficult, but not super difficult for me. I was reminded today of God's perfect (although sometimes ironic) planning. He orchestrates things to work out for the best. For that, I am extremely grateful! I had to cancel my doctor's appointment this week because I needed to watch Max. We're going to try to reschedule sometime next month, though. With all that being said, it leads me to my next point...

5. We've decided to further explore/start the process of....foster care! Yep. We may be foster parents soon! It's hard to believe that I, the woman who swore she'd never do foster care because "it's scary," is so stinkin' excited about it! We're (ideally) hoping to adopt through foster care. We have pretty strict criteria for the type of children we're willing to take into our home, though, so it could be a long road. We basically don't want to foster kids over 3 years old. I don't feel like I'm old enough to take in a 10 year old, let alone a teenager. Speaking with people who have experience in the foster care system (have I ever mentioned that all of Vance's 6 siblings were adopted through foster care?) and people who have adopted through foster care, we NEED to make our specifications and stick with them as they WILL call about kids outside of your criteria. I'm getting ahead of myself, though. Before we can even have children enter our home, we have to go through the process, which includes a home assessment, financial statements, background checks, references, medical exams, a 30 hour training course, etc. The next course is in September, so that will be the one we attend, if all goes well. We also plan on attending an into to foster care class before then, just to make sure we're going to do this. I feel super strongly about this, though. I feel like God is telling me to do it. I feel a sense of urgency about it, too. I don't know. It's weird, but I'm trying to be obedient. Please pray with us about this! It's a HUGE deal!

I think that's about it, for now. Please pray with/for us about our future, weight loss journey, our new home, our marriage, etc. We can't do anything a part from God!

P.S. Sorry for the lack of pictures!! Here...have a picture of my cute babies enjoying their bed in our new bedroom!

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The Book of James

I've decided to start doing something that I feel like I need to do. I'm going to start writing my Bible reading reflections on here. In the evenings, before we go to sleep, Vance and I read a chapter of the Bible together. It isn't formal. It isn't always "deep." Sometimes it's so straight forward, we don't even share any thoughts or verbal reflections. We take turns reading. When warranted, we ask questions or offer reflections on certain verses/passages. We read the foot notes since we're using my NIV Study Bible if we need elaboration or explanation. I thoroughly enjoy our Bible reading time together. :-)

This week, we read through the book of James. We read the forward (it's a study Bible) one night and a chapter a night after that. There were a few verses/sections that really hit home for me.

Source

(Please note, all copied/pasted verses are from www.biblegateway.com and are the ESV, English Standard Version, translation.)

1. James 1:2-4, 12 & 17-18
²  Count it all joy, my brothers,^[b] when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.¹²  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. ¹⁷  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.^[d] 18  Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

This one hit home for me. We're coming up on two years of marriage, which means two years of trying to have a baby...with no success, whatsoever. That may not seem like a trial for some, but for me, it certainly is. I feel like it IS a testing of my faith. There have been times where I was proven to be weak of faith during this test. These days, I have a strong faith that God knows what he's doing...even if it isn't when I'd like!! It IS producing steadfastness/perseverance in me. I don't feel as if I'm perfect and complete, because I do feel like I'm lacking in something. However, the other day, I was thinking that maybe if now's not the time for our baby(ies) to be here, that I am content being Vance's wife. I've throughly enjoyed our two years as husband and wife. I can't wait for another 70! (Yes....we are living that long. Deal with it!)

2. James 4:13-17
¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

This passage, again, hit home for me. How often do I sit and make plans? How often do I get bent out of shape when those plans don't go the way I want them to or think they should? All too often, to be quite honest! Don't get me wrong, planning is a good thing. Planning is wise. Planning is oftentimes much better than flying by the seat of your pants. HOWEVER, this passage is pointing out that making life plans without talking to God about it. What good are my plans for my life if God is not involved? Life is SO short, a mist or a vapor that disappears shortly after it appears. What good are my plans in such a short time if they are without God? God's will and plans are by far greater than anything I could possibly come up with. For instance, when Vance and I had our first date, I wasn't the least bit interested in him as a boyfriend, only a potential friend. We weren't even on a date...at first. It was just a time to hang out. But after the first...oh...5 minutes, I was INFATUATED with him...and apparently he with I. It's amazing what God will do when you're making plans for your life!

3. James 5: 13-16
¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

As I was reading this last night, I felt a sense of comfort. How often have I prayed about my baby? How often have I screamed at God from the depths of my heart about my suffering? On the other hand, how often have I ignored God completely? How often have I turned away from him in my distraught moments? All too often. Probably more often than not. I am not righteous in those moments. I am not having the faith I should. However, when I do pray in my time of suffering, this verse assures me that God is listening. That God is working an amazing thing in my heart, family, and body. It is SO easy to sing praise when in a cheerful disposition. I am striving to make it just as easy to pray in my dark and sad moments.

Do you have any reflections you'd like to add? It can be from any part of the book of James, whether or not I reflected on it. Care to write a reflection next week?

Vance and I are starting 1 Peter (we are basically going through the General Epistles, James-Jude, right now.) We are reading the forward tonight, then we'll read chapter 1 Saturday, chapter 2 Sunday, chapter 3 Monday, chapter 4 Tuesday, chapter 5 Wednesday, and the forward to II Peter on Thursday. I'll then write a reflection from those chapters on Friday. Then...we'll continue on. If you'd like to join us, I'd love that! If you have a blog and want to write a reflection, make sure you tell me so I can check it out!

Have a great weekend!

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Be Kind. Always.

Growing up, my mom always told my sisters and I to "kill" rude/un-agreeable/moody people with kindness. She also told us to be kind to everyone, whether we know them or not. Include everyone. Embrace the new people. Cherish the old friends. ETC. (My mom is pretty wise.) So...even into my adult life, I try to keep those virtues close to my heart. I extend kindness to strangers...even rude ones. I welcome visitors whether it be at a social gathering, at church, or at Grandma's house! I try to meet people where they are, on a level they're comfortable, and do my best at making them feel comfortable. I don't always succeed. Sometimes I fail miserably. Sometimes I'm so preoccupied with what's going on in my life/mind that I fail to notice others. Sometimes I'm so self-centered that I avoid other people because I just don't WANT to reach out. It's those moments that I'm ashamed of. It's those moments I'm grateful I'm covered by the grace of Jesus. It's those moments that remind me of why my mom taught my sisters and I all that she did.

Source

I recently had someone say to me, "I can only handle so much of you. I've had my fill." Quite honestly, this statement didn't hurt me. It caught me off guard. Don't get me wrong, I know I can be a handful! I am perky, bubbly, optimistic, focused, driven, a combo of Type A and C personalities, outspoken, honest, etc. I don't kid myself into thinking EVERYONE wants to be my friend. I don't lie to myself and say I'm the easiest person to get close to. Trust me. I know. I'm an over the top, not afraid to speak truth even if it isn't pretty, kinda gal. (That whole 100% honest, confront you if I have to, don't try to walk all over me side of me is 100% my daddy, by the way.) HOWEVER, when I heard that, so bluntly put, (she later told me she wasn't being rude...just honest) I thought for a second about what I could have possibly done to make her think that. (Type C coming out...self-reflecting and all that...)

You know what my verdict was? Not a darn thing. I've been nothing but nice to her since she and her husband first started coming to our church. I've always reached out. Always offered help. I tried to be nice to her always, even when it wasn't easy.

Some people don't understand where you're coming from. Some people misinterpret. She told me she thinks I'm trying to be a know-it-all. Misinterpretation right there! I don't TRY to be a know-it-all. I actually know this is one of my flaws. I inherited it from my father. I come across as a know-it-all because as unhumble as this sounds...I'm smart. I know things. I desire to know things. I like learning, so if I don't know the answer to something, I research the crap out of it. If I think of something or come across something I don't know much about, I look it up. I am constantly trying to expand my wealth of knowledge. I want to know more. I inquire about things, which sometimes comes across as me being a know-it-all. I ask why such and such is better than this or that. Being a Type C personality, I am very detail-oriented. I totally get why I can come across as a know-it-all. I TOTALLY do. I have, however, worked for a LONG time on bettering myself, admitting when I'm wrong, and asking questions when I don't know. I explained all of this to her, so I think she understands me just a wee bit better now. She apologized, which was nice.

The moral of the story? Talk to people. Express your feelings in a humble, unaccusing, unassuming, non-jack wagon sort of way, and the world will be a better place!

Proverbs 15 (The Message)

God Doesn't Miss a Thing

 ¹ A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire. 

 ² Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise; 
   fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense. 

 ³ God doesn't miss a thing— 
   he's alert to good and evil alike. 

 ⁴ Kind words heal and help; 
   cutting words wound and maim. 

 ⁵ Moral dropouts won't listen to their elders; 
   welcoming correction is a mark of good sense. 

 ⁶ The lives of God-loyal people flourish; 
   a misspent life is soon bankrupt. 

 ⁷ Perceptive words spread knowledge; 
   fools are hollow—there's nothing to them. 

 ⁸ God can't stand pious poses, 
   but he delights in genuine prayers. 

 ⁹ A life frittered away disgusts God; 
   he loves those who run straight for the finish line. 

 ¹⁰ It's a school of hard knocks for those who leave God's path, 
   a dead-end street for those who hate God's rules. 

 ¹¹ Even hell holds no secrets from God— 
   do you think he can't read human hearts?

Life Ascends to the Heights

 ¹² Know-it-alls don't like being told what to do; 
   they avoid the company of wise men and women. 

 ¹³ A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; 
   a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day. 

 ¹⁴ An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth; 
   fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies. 

 ¹⁵ A miserable heart means a miserable life; 
   a cheerful heart fills the day with song. 

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Thankful Thursday 5/31/12

Normally, for my Thankful Thursday posts...if I remember to make them...consist of 4 or 5 things I am thankful for. Today, I'd like to focus on two.

First of all...my husband. What an incredible man! He is loving, kind, sweet, HILARIOUS, sexy (ahem.), forgiving, understanding, slow to anger, patient, empathetic, sympathetic, giving, serving, selfless, courageous, self-evaluating, honest, compassionate, tender, etc. etc. etc. He gives of himself so so much is often taken for granted by those around him. He does his best to provide for our family and hates that I have to work, though really...I don't mind because I'd be super bored if I didn't work! (Plus, my student loans don't pay themselves, ya know!) Vance is an amazing husband. Hands down. My co-workers at Old Navy CONSTANTLY compliment him and talk about what a sweet man he is. I have had several women tell me they hope to marry someone just like him someday. What a compliment to me! What praise for him! What a proud wife I am! Vance is truly my dream come true, and I am exorbitantly grateful that he is in my life! We've been married for almost two years and known each other for three years. These have been three of the best years of my life! I look forward to many many more with him by my side!

Secondly, my job nannying for Max. He is SUCH a cutie pie! I love Love LOVE this kid! He keeps me laughing on a daily basis! I never know what he's going to say next...except that he's in the repeating phase, so he'll pretty much say back to me whatever I say to him...which can be extra fun! For instance, I said, "Thank ya, Bay-bee!" the other day and he said, "Thank you, Bay-bee! Haha....funny!" in reply. Now, it's a game with us. A game which he thoroughly enjoys! He is developing a very funny sense of humor, too! He'll say things sometimes then says, "Hehe....funny!" Even if what he says ISN'T funny, the funny part is when he giggles at himself and says it's funny! I love Max's personality! He is so funny, snuggly, and compassionate! I stubbed my toe the other day and said, "OHHHH OUCH OUCH OUCH!!!" (Seriously. I don't swear, so that's about as strong of language as I use...haha...) Max came over and said, "Ok???" And said, "Kiss it! Kiss it!" He then planted a big ole slobbery kiss on my big toe. It was the sweetest thing he's done in a long time! (It was also kind of gross!) Max is so smart! He knows all of his colors, can recognize his name when it's written out, can find the letter M (and usually the A and X as well) in a sea of magnet letters, knows all of his animal sounds, can count/say the alphabet with a little guidance, knows every type of car that can be a part of a train, knows the name of pretty much every type of vehicle/farm machinery out there (seriously...he's taught me a thing or two!), etc. etc. The kid is smart! The kid is funny! The kid is adorable!

I linked up with my sweet friend Cami's blog, First Day of My Life and Julia at Black Tag Diaries! You should, too! What are you thankful for today?

If you could take 2 seconds and give this a click, it would mean so much to me! Thank you!!

Don't Take It Personally/Taming the Tongue

Don't take it personally.

That phrase rubs me the wrong way. Nine times out of ten when a person says that to another person, the conversation IS personal.

"Don't take it personally, but...

...your breath smells like onions."
...you look extra wide in that skirt."
...your kid's head is shaped like a deflated football."

I mean seriously...how can you NOT take those things personally?? I have pretty thick skin. I kind of have to to grow up in my family! We razz each other. Mess around. Sometimes it goes too far and that's when we have to slow our roll and say "Whoa. Wait a minute. That wasn't meant to sting."

But ya know what? Sometimes it DOES sting. Sometimes the things that leave our mouths affect others in a negative way. Sometimes we have to suck it up and say, "I'm sorry. I screwed up. Please forgive me." The typical American (oftentimes worldly) responses of "Eh, you'll get over it" or "Don't take it personally" just don't cut it, when things go too far!

Source

Proverbs 21:23 (ESV)
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

Proverbs 15:1 (ESV)
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Taming the tongue is very often an issue in my family. We're all loud, outspoken individuals who often speak first, then think. We are really into talking and not as good at listening. I've worked REALLY hard over the years to become a better listener and to think before I speak, but more often than I'd care to admit, I find myself having to humble myself and apologize for letting my tongue flap loosely without thinking. I've had to apologize for things that I didn't mean to do. I've had to seek forgiveness from people who I've hurt by my carelessness. I've had to right some wrongs in situations that I didn't even understand completely. I had to do all of those things because I let my tongue (or sometimes my fingers in the case of typing) run ramped without much thought.

If I have ever wronged you with my words, especially unintentionally, please know that I am sincerely sorry. I never meant to cause trouble or offend. I never meant to hurt your feelings. I never meant to be so un-Christ-like. I hope you can forgive me.

If you could take 2 seconds and give this a click, it would mean so much to me! Thank you!!