Wordless Wednesday...

A picture can speak so much! I managed to snap this on our summer vacation while Hubby and I were on our way out to fish, just the two of us at sunrise one morning. It takes me back to that serenity of nature....

I know... Wordless Wednesday!

My mission... update

Last week I set out to find someone around me that needed something. Anything from a smile to money, time, whatever God seemed to send my way. I wanted to seek out what God would have me do for him. I think it is something that we need to be conscience of all the time, and I was doing this mission in an effort to make myself more aware of those around me and what of God's work I could be doing for people in my daily life.

It never occurred to me what would happen. I am a "night owl" so to speak and Hubby a "morning person" which has always been a challenge. I'm have most of my energy in the evening and he's ready to check in early most of the time. Lately it has been more that way due to some overtime he has been offered. His company is struggling, so overtime is a rare occurrence and you take it when you can get it. So, he has indeed been extra tired.

On top of that our 3 yr old has not been wanting to sleep at night. Once he gets to sleep, anytime he wakes at all he is hollering for me to come help him get back to sleep which disturbs Hubby's sleep as well. He's been doing this a few times in the first 2-3 hours of his sleep.

I have been having trouble going to bed when Hubby is ready lately, and knowing that our little guy will be up again soon. I've been staying up later than my normal just so my sleep isn't so broken. I seem to be more tired if I try that approach.

The other evening Hubby was ready for bed and our little guy went to bed a little easier than he had been. I decided to go ahead and turn in early too. Hubby was so happy to have me to snuggle with while he went to sleep he told me "Thanks for coming to bed with me." We have always been snugglers (maybe too info, I know) and he missed falling asleep with me beside him more than I realized.

Didn't think my mission would be so close to home, or at home for that matter. Something I will be working on now that I've realized it.

Morning Musings... Living Life for God, even when you don't like yourself

I'm finding that the longer I live, the more I cherish the small stuff of life. I've always loved plants and gardening, but it's seems to amaze me more and more how those little garden plants can grow up in 2 months and produce an abundance of vegetables or flowers for the season. They start from a tiny little seed and begin to grow. How do they know what to grow into? What size to be? What flowers and then fruit to produce?

I know that the scientist's will tell you it's all in the genetics, but I think there's so much more to it than that. They can do the same with us. We are made up of so many genetic combinations that blah, blah, blah and not one of us will be the same.

Well, have you ever seen a couple with an abundance of children? Not one of them look exactly alike, even twins are vaguely different. They each have their own unique personality as well even growing up in the same household at the same time.

Everything in God's kingdom is unique and different for a reason. Just like they say you will never find two snowflakes that are alike, I don't think you will ever find two people that are exactly alike.

If you're like me and you don't like everything about yourself. Maybe what makes you different makes you stand out. That's ok. God uses those differences, even the things you don't like about yourself, to glorify him if you allow him to use you.

Maybe you have a disability and you can't do some of the things you see others doing, but you have a genuinely positive attitude about life. That positive attitude can be used in amazing ways for God's glory. I know a young man just like that. He was born prematurely and is slow about doing things and knows his limitations, yet he is always happy that he is alive and that he is able to do what he is. I have trouble with my limitations sometimes and I think about him and his effortless positive outlook on his life. How can I complain when he isn't? It's definitely an eye opener.
God puts us where he does for a reason. We all need to build each other up on our strengths and our weaknesses. Maybe we don't like where we are, our work, our schools, our home's location, but God has us there this very moment for his purpose. We all need to realize that we can't all sing like a songbird, write like an author, dance like a ballerina, or cook like a chef, but that we all have our own individual duties that we are good at that God wants us to use for his glory where we are right now.

Maybe you don't know what you're gifts are yet... you're saying, "God, show me the plans you have for me." Be patient and I encourage you to try a few things. Maybe you have extra time and you could go volunteer and try that out. Maybe you get compliments on your cooking and love to have people over, start inviting your neighbors over and if the topic comes up invite them to church if they don't attend one. Maybe you love to shop and you've noticed a neighbor that doesn't have much time for her family, see if you could help her our out by grabbing some groceries while you're out getting yours so she can spend time with her family. There are lots of ways we can glorify God despite our downfalls, and we don't have to be perfect at our attempts to serve him.
Christians are not perfect, just forgiven.... I keep seeing that and so true it is. Don't think that if you are or choose to be a Christian that you have to be the perfect Christian. We all fall and have our shortcomings. I'm not giving you the permission to go out and do something that you know is wrong because you can always ask for forgiveness. I think that's an idea that can get in the way of being a true Christian. If you truly love God, just like your parents, you want to please him in everything you do and sometimes you just fail because you're human, not because you knowingly failed. If you do fail, he's always ready to pick you back up, just ask!

So, all in all, don't get caught up in life because of your differences, God planned them! You are the special person he made you with all of your strengths and shortcomings. Keep smiling and let God work.

May you find God in your life somewhere today.
Love & Blessings...

Amazon... shopping for Christmas yet?

I'm finding that the internet is a great place to find good deals for my home and family. With Christmas coming, and my use of Amazon for the kids stuff this may come in handy.

I signed up awhile back for 3 month long trial offer of Amazon Prime and love it! Free 2 day shipping on most any order (works on any item on Amazon marked with their "Prime" logo). If you need something faster then just pay $3.99 for expedited delivery.

I'm going to show you how I did it so you can too.

Because I'm a subscriber to Prime I can't link you directly to the deal, but I can tell you how to get it.

Here's how to do it:

• Click on my link below to take you to the Amazon Prime area where you can sign up for a free 1 month trial of Prime.
• search for "textbook"
• find textbook store link at top of page and click on it.
  
• Find link on side for free 2 day shipping and 3 month trial of Prime & click on it
  
• Click link "shop for eligible textbooks"
• Place enough textbooks in cart to reach $100
• go along like were going to check out, you will probably be taken all the way up to where you would hit purchase. When you get to the last page before you actually hit purchase you will find the link to sign up for the free trial of Amazon Prime... sign up.
• Clear your cart

There is no wording anywhere that you have to purchase the textbooks, just that you have to place $100 worth in your cart. Because I looked around the site before I did it I felt comfortable going ahead with it. If you're uncomfortable with it, I encourage you to try the 1 month trial before Christmas if you think you may order anything online... it's a great program.

Complete all these steps and you did it! You just got free shipping for 3 months on eligible purchases... great time to do it being that Christmas will be here before we know it.

Songs of Inspiration: MercyMe & Bring the Rain

I went to an amazing women's weekend a year ago and the theme song we had for the entire weekend was "Bring the Rain" by MercyMe. The song has spoken so much to me during this time in my life, more than I ever thought a song could.

My Hubby and I have been on the worship team for a long time and we were in charge of the youth group and their worship team before that, so we both have a love of music. I sing and Hubby plays guitar and we both love it. Our 3 yr old son knows how to hold a guitar and pick, and can carry a simple rhythm on the drums without ever having had instruction.

This song speaks to me because a few days after that weekend I hit one of my lowest of lows and I know it was Satan who spurred it and allowed it to happen at all. He wanted to get me because I was on a Godly high and he was determined to knock me down. This song let me know that I can praise Jesus even during those rains and storms in my life. They are going to happen and the best thing to do is to lift him up and allow him to work on me and through me. If I close the door to him during the hard times, they only get harder because I'm not letting him help me. Oftentimes, I've noticed, the points in my life where I spend the most time with God are my lowest.

If you think about it as a parent, you don't want your children to fall or to fail, but when they do you savor the time you have to help them back up on their feet or to hold them tight. That's a precious time to get close to them. We are God's children and he wants to do the same for us.

Here's a link to the song

the chorus:
So I pray....
Bring me joy, bring me peace,
Bring the chance to be free,
bring me anything that brings you glory
I know there will be days, when life brings me pain
but if that's what it takes to praise you,
Jesus bring the rain.


I found this picture of my son from this summer after a rain. I knew I'd taken some pictures of him playing in the water, but I hadn't realized that the expression that he had is the same way I feel everytime I hear this song. It almost brought me to tears when I found it. What a blessing to find a picture of your little one that speaks the words you feel... God is amazing!

This is the first song I ever sang a solo on for my church family. I'd never had the courage to do it before as I'm the quite type. Singing with someone else has become natural, but a solo was never an option. I've connected with this song so well that even during that first solo, I was able to do it almost entirely by memory.

Every time I hear it when I'm driving I just want to pull the car over and sing along at the top of my lungs! One of these days I just might :)

Online shopping... how sweet it is!

This is a great time to shop for something you want/need that you can't find a coupon for.

Amazon is offering a discount on groceries and a free subscription if you shop with them. If you don't want the free subscription keep reading, there's another option as well.

There is currently a grocery coupon that takes 55% off of your grocery item purchase at Amazon(CLRNCFTY)...

Combine that with their Special Offer with $25 Order in Grocery or Health & Personal care stores (I believe your total would have to be at least $25 after the coupon in order for this to work) and Get a one-year subscription to Self Magazine (a $12.00 value) included with your order when you spend $25 or more at Amazon.com’s Grocery and Health & Personal Care stores.

or

If you don't want the subscription to Self Magazine just make a copy of your Amazon confirmation/order and complete and send in the form to receive a $12 refund (the cost of the magazine subscription).

Hurry!!
Offer valid for purchases made between August 15 and September 15, 2008.

Just an example of what you could do with this....


I'm looking at the Starbucks Coffee

1 order of 3 bags is $29.55- 55% = $13.30
Buy 2= $26.60 (shipping on these is free for me because I signed up for the trial of Prime and these qualify). My description of Amazon Prime is here in my other blog. or click on the link below (I love it!)
- $12 refund (I'm sending in instead of getting the magazine)
Total= $14.60 for 6 bags of coffee that would cost me $9-10 each in the local store.

So I could spend $13.30 for 3 bags or $14.60 for 6
Can't beat the gain for $1.30!!

To find out more about Amazon Prime or to sign up for the trial,
click on the link above & have fun shopping!

I almost forgot...
Find the form
here to get your refund instead of the subscription.

New inspiration... Living Beyond Yourself

I managed to get out of the house Weds evening for some "me time". Actually, it was more like, me, God, and other women time, but I got out of the house by myself for a couple of hours without a task or errand to run. That alone was liberating!

The church I belong to is starting a new women's Bible study with the series called Living Beyond Yourself, by Beth Moore. The church purchased the video series she prepared and we began it last night. Beth gave us so much insight and inspiration on the first video that I'm excited to see where it goes from here.

She talked a lot about how she knows that the main passage we are focusing on is relevant today and some of her life experiences. She's a fun speaker! My pastors wife is leading the study and she previewed the first video and her husband from the other room asked her why the speaker was yelling all the time... well, she's excited about this series and I am too!

I learned something too that made me smile. As I have begun to blog and write other places I have noticed that I use a lot of exclamation marks!!!!! Well, Beth said when she began writing studies she did that all the time too because her excitement came through in her writing. She had her daughter search one of her Bible computer programs to find out how many times Jesus used "!" in his teachings, or how many times the author of each account used one. I don't remember the final count, but it was a lot! So now I feel ok to do the same, although I'll try not to overwhelm you with them.

The main focus of this study is about the fruits of the Spirit... love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, from Galations 5:22-23. She had someone teach us how to sign the verse in sign language and we are supposed to work on memorizing it and although I know it pretty well, I seem to always miss one of the fruits so I have to work on that.

She talked a lot and how God can work in us and through us beyond what we are capable of. Wow... I always knew it could happen that I could do something that is beyond my means if your talking adrenaline or something, but the know something you shouldn't know one got me. Sometimes when God is using us he can give us knowledge beyond our own understanding. I can only imagine an experience like that and what an eye opener that would be.

We also have "homework" between sessions that I have to be sure and get into my schedule. She noted how important it is to keep up, so I will be doing my best.

I hope to share a little with you about what I learn from this study and maybe you or the women in your church would be interested in it as well.

Blessings...