Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thanksgiving is a time of quiet reflection...an annual reminder that God has, again, been ever so faithful. -Charles R. Swindoll

Take a minute to remember the times that God has blessed you, kept your from harm, provided exactly what you needed it, held you close, and reminded you that you are His.

SWEET!!!

Just had to share since I was super-excited about this. My car was almost bone-dry the other day and I was able to fill up for less than $20!! I sure hope gas prices stay down for a while. It'd be nice to have a break and save a little money, especially around the holidays.

Here's a picture to prove it!

Dinner Party

Okay, so I know my blog is a pretty random assortment of topics and photos and events of my life (but so is my life!!). :) So, in keeping with the tradition of my blog, here comes another random topic. If I could invite 8 people over for dinner that I've never met, who would they be and why? (This list excludes JC because let's face it, He would obviously be invited for even obviouser reasons....and obviouser is too a word.) Besides I met Him years ago! :) So here's my list....

1. The Apostle Paul

He is a man after my own heart. Paul says so many things in the New Testament that I feel every day of my life. He strives onward toward the Lord even though he admittedly fails horribly at times. I look at his life and am encouraged that if God can do what He did in Paul (changing him from a killer of Christians to a guy who wrote part of the Bible and subsequently lead many to Christ) then I think there's hope for me yet. I am not where I want to be in life, but I have hope in the One that I am following! 2. Beth Moore This woman's faith and fervor for Jesus never ceases to amaze me. I love her in depth Bible studies and the way she can just bring it. If I could have just a tiny chunk of her fierceness and self discipline I'd consider myself much better off! Oh to be as crazy in love with Jesus as Beth is, that is my prayer! What a beautiful example she is to us ladies. 3. Tom Hanks One of my favorite movie stars - I like everything he's in....I mean really, has he made a bad movie? The Burbs? Castaway? That Thing You Do? (Which he wrote) Big? Sleepless in Seattle? All so good! I think he'd be a great asset to the dinner party - what witty conversation we'd all have! :) 4. My Great-Grandfather (my mom's mother's father - confused yet?) He was killed in a car wreck before I was born, but from what I hear he was quite a character. Always teasing and playing little jokes. He was a tailor too which I think is pretty neat. I have mastered making pillows, but oh to have him teach me how to make an entire outfit! :) 5. Jim Halpert Okay, I know he's a fictional character, but I wanted to see what all the fuss about this TV show was, so I went and rented the last few seasons of the Office and I love Jim! He's sweet and endearing and I love all the stuff he does to Dwight. It gives me ideas for pranks to play on my co-workers. I've yet to put anyone's stuff into jello-molds, but it's not beyond me either. 6. Donald Miller He's one of my favorite authors.....he's writes so candidly. His books, while I don't completely agree with everything he says, have lead me on some long, thought-provoking journeys. I've laughed, cried, gotten mad, cheered, feared, been speechless, felt lost, searched and discovered lots of new things about myself, the world and the Lord while reading his books. 7. The 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series Championship Team Okay so I know thi is technically more than one person, but it's only one category. I'd love to meet the guys that broke "the curse" and won the series (on my birthday I might add) after all those years. 8. My future husband This is assuming of course that he is someone that I've never met....and this also would make for either a very awkward first date or a very interesting first date! :) Providing Musical Entertainment after dinner would be: Chris Tomlin (featuring Christy Nockles and Matt Redman); Louis Armstrong; Harry Connick Jr.; and topping off the concert would be the old school DC Talk (back when they rapped!). Hmm....I just noticed that with the exception of one musician, I have only invited ONE female to my dinner party!! :)

In the Middle of the Jordan

Wow. Beth Moore really brought it tonight at Bible Study. At least she brought exactly what I needed to hear from God! Tonight's study looked at Joshua 4 when the Israelites crossed the Jordan River on dry ground after the Lord caused the river to "be cut off and stand up in a heap" - how crazy is that?? (exerted from chapter 3, verse 13). Chapter 4 tells us how there were 12 men, one from each tribe, chosen to go to the middle of the Jordan River while the water was "cut off" (or separated in two) and each of them select a stone to be used later as a Memorial to what God had done. Beth made a point to stop here and talk about where the Lord had those 12 men select the stones from. The Lord told them to go to the middle of the river to get the stones. Why would God want them to select from the middle? There they are, the Israelites, standing in the middle of the river, almost like their half-way point between Egypt (a land where they were not free, but persecuted and held as slaves) and Canaan (their Promised Land). They were looking one way at Egypt and saying even though it was not a fun place to be, it was comfortable and predictable. And then they were looking the other way at Canaan and envisioning all the promises from the Lord, but realizing they were just a little bit out of reach at the moment, that the road ahead was still a long one. They had two choices......go back to the old, unfulfilled, life of agony and despair. -OR- Remember how God had taken care of them thus far, the provisions He given them and choose to be hopeful that He would come through yet again and deliver them into the Promised Land just like He said He would. That's where I am right now. Right in the middle of the Jordan River......looking one way at my former self and all the strongholds that keep me paralyzed, all the fear, all the doubts, all the sinful pleasures, all the manipulation, all the things that have bound me and kept me there because they are habits, even habits that I hate, but they have somehow become safe and comfortable to me. Then I look the other way. When I look the other way, I see the hope of what things could be. I see growth, change, redemption, love, . And although sometimes it feels like I'm chasing a figment of my own imagination, I see a life that is more than I could have ever dreamed in my most wonderful daydreams. I know how the Israelites felt though. They look over there towards Canaan...but they can't quite see it yet, it's just a little too far away. So they wonder if they are chasing the wind or if they are going to be disappointed when they get there and instead of Milk and Honey it's more like Tap Water and Mayonnaise. They had to wonder when they do reach Canaan, if it will really live up to what they have pictured for all those years in their heads. They wonder if they would really liked to have stayed in Egypt....even though they were slaves, they lead lives of certainty.....they would certainly be serving food or certainly be cleaning the palace or certainly be fixing the chariot. But continuing on the journey to Canaan was full of uncertainties. Maybe they even wondered at times if they were really heading in the right direction. Is this really the path that God asked them to take.....did they hear Him right? Maybe He said to take a left back there because Canaan doesn't seem like it's getting any closer. I bet they wondered if there really was a Canaan sometimes.....does it really exist? Or is it like the 4th floor swimming pool at my 3-story high school that we sent freshman looking for? Because they had to wonder sometimes if something so wonderful really did exist. Yes, I feel a kindred spirit with those Israelites. I understand their doubts and insecurities about heading on towards Canaan. I know the fear of the unknown that they were experiencing. I know the tinge of uneasiness in the hearts about whether they were really heading in the right direction. I know the anxiety they felt about being let down if they really never made it there. But I also know the rest of their story. I know that they did indeed make it to their Promised Land and it was everything God said it would be! Joshua 21:45 tells us that "Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled." So this is my hope. As I stand in the middle of my Jordan, feeling discouraged and worn, but hopeful and content all at once, I choose to "hurry over" as Beth said and continue striving for the things the Lord has promised to me. While I don't know how long it will take, I do know that the Lord has a lot in mind for me and that it will go a lot easier if I just choose now to keep plugging away and remember all His previous blessings and provisions in my life. And I can rest assured that following Him into my Promised Land will be so very much more wonderful than going back to Egypt and my former self!

The Past Three Weeks

Well life sure seems to have a way of getting busy....it's been a while since I've made an entry. So, here's a little recap of the past three weeks of my life...

Sept. 14-19 - Hurricane Ike swept through KY (believe it or not!) and knocked out power to a big chunk of the city. So, I was without electricity for about 6 days. Luckily my neighbors are pretty nice and let me plug my fridge into their generator. Although I still couldn't cook anything because I have an electric oven. But I could keep water cold and stay thoroughly hydrated. :)

Sept. 20-21 - I went to visit my grandparents in Danville. My friend, Shannon, went with me. There was a festival at the Constitution Square in downtown Danville. It was so much fun! Each vendor that was selling at the festival had to have hand-crafted their products. So everything we bought that weekend was hand-made. Pretty cool huh? Shannon and I then went from Danville to Lexington for my company picnic. There were pony rides, a corn hole tournament, and BBQ....can't ask for more at a company picnic.

Here's a couple photos from Danville:

Me, Granny and Shannon enjoying the many vendors of the festival.

We ran into my former youth pastor and his wife (Kerry and Kathy) at the festival! Kerry is and will always be one of my favorite people. He was very influential in my life and taught me a lot about being humble, living a genuine Christian life, and how to play "No-Bones" (Among lots of other things!). Kerry just turned 50 - man he's OLD! :)

Sept. 22-26 - I seemed to have something going on every single night (which is the case in any given week of my life). So the week really flew by. On Thursday night though, I signed the papers to put my house on the market (instead of continuing with For Sale By Owner). So, my house is officially listed on the MLS! YAY!! I am believing God that He will sell my house at just the right time. I'm even sure He's already got a buyer picked out. On a side note to this, I had been praying for a several months that my neighbors would move their junker truck out of their side yard (it doesn't run and has weeds growing up alongside it). I didn't want to have to confront them about it, I just prayed that the Lord would move the truck for me! And He did!! The truck is gone and the "curb appeal" looks a lot better now.

Sept. 26-28 - I went to visit my brother's family in Murray. My niece, Boo, turned One, so we had a big celebration. I think she had a lot of fun tearing into her cake. :) My friend from church, Megan, rode down with me and we hung out with Jackie, who goes to college in Murray. We went to an MSU football game, ate twice my favorite Mexican restaurant ever, Los Portales, and went to the lake as well. We also went to my brother's church on Sunday and got to hear him preach again. Here's a few pictures from my Murray weekend:

Jackie, Megan and I at the Lake. We tried skipping rocks, but mostly ended up hurling them in instead.

The kiddos watch as Murray's football team runs onto the field while the band plays the Fight Song.

Boo tore her cakes to smithereens! She didn't eat much of it, but she liked playing in it. Sept. 28-Oct. 2 - I seem to have entered allergy season....it's official. I woke up Tuesday very dizzy, with my head feeling like it was in a glass jar. My ear was rather sensitive to sounds and I pretty much felt like dog-doody. I survived the day though and went home and slept until the next morning. I ended up taking half days off work on Weds. and Thurs. The doc said it was inner ear trouble and she couldn't do anything for it (so much for that $20 co-pay!). My head finally felt liked it was connected to the rest of my body by Thursday afternoon. Oct. 3 - I dropped down to 32 hours at work. Basically I just feel like there are some things that I want to make a priority in my life and they trump working! :) So, I am only doing 32 hours now and taking advantage of having a whole extra day off. I'm hoping to do a lot of studying and finding things out about the Bible and also just to do some volunteer work and help someone else out. Maybe they will see Jesus in me. Today I spent the entire day in my Bible. I've never personally studied God's Word that long in one day (outside of a conference or something). It was a very refreshing day and I hope to have more of them in the near future. Oct. 5 - Huber's Farm! My Sunday School class, er, Life Group went to Huber's for a good ole day of country fun. We took a hayride and picked pumpkins, ate a wonderfully delicious meal, and browsed the market.
Okay, now you're caught up on my life. But enough about me......how are you? :)

Power Outage

Well as most of you reading this probably know, we got to see the remnants of Hurricane Ike right here in Kentucky. Pretty crazy I have to say. Through a series of events, I ended up being in my car with a couple friends through the majority of the storm. We drove all around Louisville, avoiding fallen trees and power lines all the while getting pelted with debris, dust, rocks, leaves, sticks, and of course, wind. They said the winds reached 75mph, which is considered hurricane force. It was hard to keep the car going straight at times....but the Lord was watching out for us and we made it back home in one piece. Once I got home and realized the power was out there wasn't a whole lot to do. I read for a while and then cleaned. I sat outside and watched the neighbors dismantle trees from their roofs (luckily I have no major trees in my yard, although I did lose half of the only tree I do have). I sat on my front porch and read some more. And it kind of hit me.....how simple life can actually be. That all the technology we have, while great and helpful, has caused us all to be so reclusive. Everyone stays in their houses and watches TV or sit in front of the computer or kids play video games or listen to iPods. But Sunday as I looked around at the view from my front porch, I just had to stop and sort of take it all in and realize how a power outage can actually be a time to renew and return to old roots. There were actually kids outside playing, neighbors were conversing with one another, and even helping each other out. I had to use a broom instead of my vacuum cleaner - what a concept! :) It made me remember how much I actually like manual labor. Everything just seemed different all of a sudden, more simple. I felt a little pressure lift off my shoulders. Because without electricity its hard to feel burdened with projects that need to be finished. Without lights to see by, it's hard to make myself feel bad because I didn't get a million things done in one night. They aren't sure exactly when the power will be fully restored to everyone. There are still about 200,000 people without it. The list in the paper says that Hospitals, Fire and Police Stations, People with medical needs, 50 of the 154 schools in town, industrial and commercial businesses (with critical needs) will all be in line in front of residential homes and businesses in getting their power turned back on. They say it could be 10-14 days before it's completely restored. So, I may be singing a different tune after 2 weeks with no electricity, but right now I'm trying to remember that life can and still does go on even when the lights go out! I pray that God would show me what I have taken for granted through this and that I might have a better appreciation for those things. Here's my parents the other night while we played cards by candle light on their deck. Here's one of the moon.....without the glow of city lights, the moon was really bright!

Tiny Houses

I came across these "Tiny Houses" on a web search a while back and the concept is really interesting to me. These people live in homes that are sometimes less than 100 square feet. I'm not sure why the idea has grabbed my attention so much, but I just thought I'd share some photos. You can find lots more information about these types of homes here. Or you can go here to view video tour of one of the homes. Here's a couple photos: Being the pack rat that I tend to be, I don't know that I could live in such a small space, but lately with the way I've been purging unneeded items from my house, I might be able to fit into one of these evetually! :)

Disappointed...but not Discouraged

I had an Open House yesterday in hopes that the perfect person would stop in and see my little house and decide it was exactly what they wanted. Well....that didn't happen. As a matter of fact, not one single person came to the Open House. I know, bummer - I had made my famous cookies and everything! (Although my mom and grandma came over for a bit and enjoyed them) But I refuse to be discouraged by this because I know that my God is bigger than my circumstances and that my house will sell in His timing and not mine. Because rarely is my time table on the same schedule as His. So instead, I'll just keep relying on Him, keep saying that I know He knows best and that He will provide when the time is right. For all I know He could be preparing something for me that is just not quite ready yet. Or there could be something He wants me to follow Him into, but it's just not time yet. Or he could be sparing me from an awful buyer that would try to con me or something! :) Or He could be using this to teach me something greater. The Lord is always working behind the scenes so I will not be discouraged by this. He has lead me this far into the selling process and I know that He will continue. Part of following Him is doing it even when I don't know what the outcome is. And I do get frustrated at times with this....because I just want to say "okay, God - enough!" But then I remember how closely He draws me near when I blindly follow and really trust Him to come through. And I do want to really trust Him. So I have to show Him that I do through saying again...."It is Well." No matter when I get frustrated or impatient or am ready for things to be different....He knows where I am and where I need to go and so I say...It is Well....no matter what.

One Life

one life

one chance

changing daily

changing quickly

never changing

always hoping

dreams not yet fulfilled

wishing there was more

praying for another tomorrow

wanting to do better

thoughts in a whirlwind

anticipating what is next

listening

asking

longing

laughing

enjoying

learning

searching

knowing

remembering

smiling

Hobby Retreat

This past weekend I organized my first Scrapbook/Hobby retreat as a Creative Memories Consultant. It was at a little retreat house called "Pieceful Haven" in Crestwood, KY. Here's a couple pictures...

Eating a Meal

The Hobby Room

The Tool Table

The t-shirt quilt I'm making out of my college shirts.

Just before we all started packing up....what a fun weekend!

New Tunes and New Thoughts

Okay, so I decided that I wanted to try and keep my blog up to date on more of a daily basis.....nothing special, but just writing about some of my day to day activities and stuff......just so I can look back one day and see where I was and what I was up to and maybe see how I've grown (hopefully). :)

I got two new Cd's in the mail last week.....it was a pre-buy deal that 268generation.com was offering. For $25 you got three Cd's.....David Crowder Band's "Remedy" (which also includes a live DVD), Charlie Hall's "The Bright Sadness" and Chris Tomlin's "Hello Love." The first two arrived last week and I absolutely love them. The third will arrive next week. Charlie Hall is edging his way up my list of favorite artists.

I especially love Charlie's song "My Brightness"

It goes....

"Well I've been hit from every corner, I've been thrown from side to side and I'm cracked up on the inside so I come to you for life.

Your presence always heals me so I want to drink it in and you know where we're going, God, and you know where I've been.

And your love is like a rock when I'm spinning around.

Yesterday I felt so angry and today so insecure and I hate it that I wrestle with the God that I adore.

And your love is like a rock when I'm spinning around.

I know less about you but my heart loves you so much more. You're the bright in sadness, you're my brightness.

I wish this thing could pass from me but I'm wanting what you want. So bring me high or bring me low just hold me in your love.

And your love is like a rock when I'm spinning around."

Something just hits me in that song....and says what I want to say. As long as I'm here the Lord's not through with me yet and I know in time I'll figure out just what His purpose for me might be. As I look into the unknown that is my future, my prayer and my hope is simply that last line of the last verse...."bring me high or bring me low just hold me in your love." And I know He will. That's what makes all of this so scarily exciting. Part of the unknown is very scary because it is just that...unknown. But the other part is so exciting and I just get crazy with anticipation waiting for whatever it might be. I really want to be open to whatever it is the Lord is preparing me for. Whether He takes me across town, across the country or across seas, my heart just wants to please Him and live for Him and I don't want to do it half-heartedly. I want Him to have it all.

Until the Lord makes it clear in my life what is coming next, I want to continue to serve Him and make Him famous in the here and now. So that means working faithfully at my job and loving my co-workers the way He would. It means hanging out with friends and figuring out together what life is all about and pouring my life into theirs in hopes that they see Jesus in me. It means loving people just because they are people (even when they cancel appointments to look at my house!) because after all.....it's all in God's timing. And I can't do anything to hurry Him along just because I'm ready for it now. And I've said this to a good friend before and I remind myself now, that God didn't teach me patience for no reason. And part of learning patience is having to practice it.

I'm really tired of practicing patience, but it's where the Lord has me right now. So, I wait expectantly and with hope and a smile on my face because I know that following Him and being patient even when I don't want to be is the only place I really want to be anyway.

Daily....most definitely!

Does anyone else out there struggle with remembering to give everything over to God DAILY? Why is this such a hard concept? I didn't think that I was that forgetful of a person, but apparently I am. One day I have such a grasp on turning everything over to the Lord and keeping His promises fresh in my mind. The next I am wallowing in self-pity and declaring the Heavens silent, wondering where God is in all that I'm going through. But then when I stop to think about it, it is not God who has moved away from me, but I have moved away from Him. The desires in my heart are so strong and big sometimes that I can't get enough of praising the Lord or devouring the Bible or just knowing that the Lord is and will always be. Then there are literally weeks that go by without me even blowing the dust off my Bible, much less reading it. I so long to be consistent and faithful. Is there hope for me? I think that is one trick of the Devil, to slowly grab my attention to other things, just normal life things that are not harmful or wrong, but things that my attention turns to and then one day I look up and realize that it has been a while since I had a real conversation with God. I am not a very disciplined person a lot of times, but I want to be so very badly. I know that just asking God for discipline is not enough, that I have to be willing and make myself be disciplined. Man, that is so hard. But I encourage you who are reading this, as well as myself, to do it! Be self-disciplined and let God help you get there. Be sensitive to His proddings and as hard as it is to make yourself do something (or not do something) just remember that His way really is the best way! I can do it! You can too! :) Some verses that I keep close to me for encouragement are: Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Job 23:10 "But he knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." Psalm 1:1-2 "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalm 19:13 "Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgressions." Psalm 22:19 "But you, O Lord, be not far off; O my strength, come quickly to help me." Psalm 34:14 "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 138:8 "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever - do not abandon the works of your hands."

Pool Float = Life Giver (Action Required)

Something that keeps going through my mind lately is something that I read in a Priscilla Shirer book called "Discerning the Voice of God". This book has a lot of wisdom about how to hear and recognize the voice of the Lord and also what we should do in response to His voice. The Lord showed me a lot of things as I read this book and also through doing a Video Bible Study on the same book with some girls at church. One thing that has really stayed with me is something that she referred to as "pressing into the Lord." When things are hard to figure out or they don't make sense or when life seems to be throwing you nothing but curve balls or even when you feel like the Heavens are just utterly silent, Priscilla tells us in the book to "press into the Lord." And I know it may seem like a small little nothing thing to have gotten out of a book that says so many other things, but this idea of "pressing into" really got me thinking. I think because it implies an action (or movement) on our part as the child of God (not to be confused in any way that our actions "earn" anything from the Lord, but simply a way of showing the Lord that our faith and trust is in Him no matter what). I think so many times we just sit back and wait for God to bless us and wait for Him to reveal things to us or wait for Him to heal our loved ones or wait for Him to steer the direction of our lives, but that puts everything on God as if we play no role at all in the outcome of our own lives. But the Lord has given us options and choices. And while I think it's important to wait on the Lord, I think in our waiting we should be applying this action of "pressing into" Him. I think our normal reaction when adversity falls upon our lives is to recoil and to become withdrawn, sometimes especially when it comes to the Lord, because we think He should have done something to stop whatever the adversity is. But I think we need to do quite the opposite. As Priscilla says, "Press Into The Lord". This means, when you feel like moving away from Him, move closer to Him instead. It is not always the easy thing to do, but it is absolutely the best thing to do. Press closer into Him. One way that I have found that I can Press Into Him is by claiming the promises He has given us in Scripture and reading them often (I find that reading scripture out loud really helps me to grasp it - and pay closer attention to the Words). And then when you feel like you aren't seeing the light at the end of that long tunnel you've been going down....Press Into Him even more! Be diligent! He really is right there with you the whole time. Hang onto Him and Press Into Him the same as you would if you were out in the middle of the sea and had only a little pool float to keep you above water. You wouldn't let go even for a minute to see if you could make it on your own...and you wouldn't just float on your back waiting for a helicopter to rescue you. No, you would cling to that thing with every bit of strength you could muster...until your muscles were sore and shaking and then you'd hang on some more because you would know it was the only way you would stay alive in that sea and get back onto solid ground. In the same way, Press Into Him because He is the Life Giver!! (or pool float in this example). He will keep your head above water and keep you afloat and will give you assurance that you will see solid ground again if you hang onto Him and Press Into Him. Oh how much more your faith will increase and your love for the Lord will grow. Clinging to the Lord in times of struggle, heart-ache or confusion is sometimes the sweetest place you could ever be. James 1:2-6 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like the wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

My House - For Sale!

Feel free to forward any pictures along to anyone you know that might be interested. The house is located in the Valley Station area in Louisville, Ky.

$105,000

•Charming Ranch Style Brick Home – 3 Bedrooms, 1 Bath, Eat-in Kitchen • 1 Car Detached Garage, Large Lot, Fenced Backyard • New 20 –Year Roof April 2008 (House and Garage) •Newly Installed Security System (2008), Furnace only 5 years old •Laminate Wood Floors Throughout, Designer Colors, Updated Bath, Open Living Room/Kitchen Plan, Large Pantry, Updated Kitchen Cabinets & Counter, New Dishwasher (2006), Above-the-Range Microwave, 6-Panel Doors, All Bedroom Closets are Double-Hung, This is a Must See...Lots of Updates! • All New Landscaping Summer 2007, Backyard Provides Fresh Cut Flowers All Summer! • Move-in Ready! Great for First Time Home Buyers – All Big Items Done! • Seller to Provide Paralegal For All Paperwork – No Realtors Needed!

For Sale By Owner

Tonight marks a milestone for me. I have put a For Sale sign in the front yard of my first home. It's been quite emotional actually. My parents came over and we had a little sign hoisting ceremony in the front yard (okay so it was more just sticking little metal rods in the ground than it was actually hoisting, but I like to exaggerate for effect). Then they prayed for me and that God would clearly direct me in the next steps of my life and that my house would sell. I think they think I'm a little crazy and I guess I am to sell my house with no real plan of action to follow. But one thing I don't mind being crazy about and consider it quite a compliment actually is when it comes to following the Lord. I want to be so crazy for Him that I will not hesitate to do what He asks of me, even if it means selling my little house. I think there is a lot of wonder and excitement in the unknown. Just knowing that God is moving and working in my life and growing me (and those around me) and asking us to do bigger and bigger things for Him....not even knowing the outcome. How amazing is that? That God in Heaven cares about our lives!! But I believe wholeheartedly and without reservation that if I will truly give my entire life to the Lord that He will not let me down. He knows that some things may cause me pain for a moment, but will bring much joy, growth, purpose, etc... at a later point. He knows that when I cry or feel pain or don't understand that He can see the bigger picture and that He really DOES have a plan for little ole me. I just pray that I will always follow Him. I pray that He keep me close to Him and that His voice is very recognizable to me. I pray that as I follow Him, that He would humble me and use me to show Him to others so that they would know His amazing, wonderful, awesome peace in their lives. So, this is the reason that I am putting my house up for sale. Because God asked me to and I want to do what He says, because my life serves a greater purpose than just whats going on in my own little world and how it's affecting me. And this will be the reason that I do whatever comes next, because He will have spoken it to me. If my life is lived for nothing more than to show others more and more of Christ, then I will be one joyful & fulfilled woman. I'll add some pictures tomorrow of my house. ...just in case anyone out there is interested. :) But for now, I'm heading off to bed and hoping for sweet dreams.

Late Night

I can't sleep tonight. I figured this would happen since I actually got in a nap this afternoon. Plus, I managed to set off the alarm system on my house at about 10pm so I think that got my adrenaline pumping. I read for a while which usually makes me sleepy, but nothing seems to be working tonight. On top of it all there have been some pretty loud thunderstorms roll through and now there are tornado warnings to the northwest of us and the storms are moving southeast, so I'm wondering if they are heading towards us? So, here I sit. Watching the news and enjoying the night-time hours. I'm a night-owl so this doesn't bother me all that much except for the fact that I have to leave for work at 6:30 every morning so late nights really cost me when the week gets here. I worked all weekend on various things around the house....touching up paint, installing closet rods, weeding flower beds, etc...trying to ready my house for sale. I was hoping to have a sign in the front yard by the end of today, but I am almost positive it will be tomorrow. I have some cleaning to do and then I have to take pictures around the house and make up a flier to put out with the sign. I will add some photos to the blog so if anyone out there wants to pass along the info they can (and I would be very appreciative). Well, I guess that's enough rambling for one night. Although I'm still not any sleepier, I feel like this post is going no where, so no use wasting anyone's time writing about nothing.....so until I have something more interesting to write about, good night and sweet dreams. ;)

Praline Goodness

My co-workers found out that I like to bake and so they actually started taking up a baking fund so that I would make something sweet to eat every week. So every Thursday I bring in some kind of treat. Usually it's chocolate chip cookies because I think I can make those in my sleep by now and everyone really likes them. But sometimes I switch it up and make something different. Today I brought in super-easy Praline Bars. I had them at my cousin's house a few days ago and they were very yummy!

In the pan

Ready for the co-workers

The best part is that they are very easy to make! I included the recipe below for anyone that wants to try it. Pre-heat oven to 350 Line a greased cookie sheet with a single layer of graham crackers Melt two sticks of butter in a sauce pan Add one cup of brown sugar to the melted butter and bring to a boil Boil butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes (stirring occasionally) Pour over top of graham crackers making sure to cover all parts Sprinkle 1 cup of chopped/crushed pecans over coated graham crackers Bake about 10 minutes Cool and cut with a pizza cutter (Tip: don't let them cool too much because it's harder to cut them! Plus they are really good when they are still a little warm.)

My First Post

So here it is. I'm officially a blogger. Like many others, I decided to start a blog as a way to document my life, to share about what I'm learning and what I'm involved in, and as a way for friends and family to stay connected with me. Hopefully it will be something that I keep up with pretty regularly and hopefully one or two people will actually read it. :) So for my first blog, I thought I'd just share about myself a little. I wanted to share maybe some things that people don't know about me. So here are the top ten things that you may not know about me that seemed fun to put in my first blog...

1. I'm laid back, but motivated; adventurous, but not a thrill-seeker; outgoing, but reserved; smart, but not a brainiac; creative, but not abstract; continually on the move, but a good listener; fun, but not crazy; organized, but messy.

2. I like old black and white movies. My mom and I used to watch these together a lot. There’s something nostalgic and classy about them. So different from today’s movies.

3. I have a great appreciation for Jazz music. My high school band director had lots of records (yes, records) that he played over the speaker in the band room all the time…guys like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Maynard Ferguson. We even played jazz tunes in our marching band.

4. I’ve recently really gotten into reading. For whatever reason I never enjoyed reading before now. But I have this new found love for it and find myself up til all hours of the night with a book in my hand.

5. I really like to work with my hands, creating something or building something or painting something or sewing something. If I could, I’d make a living just by selling stuff I’ve made. I have a hard time sitting still (which works great with my 40 hour a week desk job), so when I get home in the evenings I am always working on some kind of project. I have discovered that I am interested in so many things that there’s not enough hours in the day or months in the year to try them all. I want to learn how to paint, how to make clothes, how to crochet more than just a scarf, how to change a flat tire on my car. I want to travel the globe, learn new languages, learn about geography and cultures, get a stamp on my passport. I want to learn to play guitar, swing dance, water ski. I want to write a book, start a business, run a marathon, go camping for the first time. The list could go on and on. I have been exploring my own curiosities lately and have been learning a lot about myself in the process. I’m a lot more inquisitive than I used to be.

6. I would love, love, love to live in a studio apartment. I love the idea that everything is in one room. I would want a big wall of windows on one side that maybe has a nice view of something. It would be cool to live in the heart of a downtown city somewhere.

7. If I could pick one “super power” to have (and not necessarily one to fight crime or something), I would want the ability to eat anything I wanted and never gain weight. It’s no secret that I like to eat, so how wonderful would it be to eat anything at all and not have to worry about it adding on poundage??

8. I have this little redneck dream. I would love to get an RV and drive across the country. I think it would be cool to spend 3 months or more on the road…exploring, photographing, discovering. One of my goals is to visit all 50 states by the time I’m 30. I’m about half way there, but I’ve got less than a year and a half to go….and with the crazy gas prices I’m not sure I’ll make it to them all by then, but hopefully soon.

9. I look forward to being a wife and a mother one day. I am very content (most times) where I am in my life right now and where God has me, but I think one day when I get to be a wife and a mom that I will learn so much more about myself and about my relationship with Jesus. I don’t think right now that I am able to comprehend quite what unconditional love is. I know what it means, but I think having a husband and children will show me so much more of what it really is and show me so much more of who God is and the way He loves us. I look forward to Him teaching me many things through my children and by being a help-mate to my husband.

10. I am putting my house up for sale. For quite some time now, I have felt God leading me away from Louisville. I think I’ve probably drug my feet a little bit out of fear, but I have kept moving in that direction regardless. Sometimes I feel like I can’t grow up here. I’m stuck in this little world of Louisville. And while it’s not a bad little world by any means, I just think it’s time to challenge myself in new ways, to discover, to learn, to grow. I’ve always been Brad’s little sister, Robert and Cindy’s daughter….and I love that, don’t get me wrong, but I need to find who I am aside from being someone’s sister and daughter. My greatest desire in life is to become what God wants me to become and I think this is all just part of the journey. I’m excited for this next chapter in life and can’t wait to see where God leads me!

So there it is, 10 more things you didn't know about me. Thanks for reading!