Counting my blessings, especially the little ones!

So, my handsome husband preached this morning from 1 Peter 4:12-14 and 5:6-11.  He titled his sermon "Doing it God's Way"...my FL panhandle (and proud of it!) summary is basically "suffering is gonna happen, so don't wallow in it!  It is for your betterment and will end, eventually."   These scriptures really spoke to me, especially where Peter (I can only imagine him saying this firmly but with a smile) says " Humble yourselves, therefore under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  You see, I've had plenty of things to be anxious about (3 significantly sick grandparents that I love dearly and don't get to see often enough, my hair falling out in patches due to my stress from work...blah, blah, blah)...but that's not what I want to write about!  Despite all these worries, God has spoken to me all week!  He sent a beautiful girl, who was in my very first girls' accountability class in 2004! to surprise me at my home with a quiche!!!  Yall who know me best, know I love good food and I have been happily eating on that the last few days!  We had a moving communion service this morning that left me smiling for an hour.  Then I decided to go to Wally World and get a pool for the girls..you know those hard plastic ones with all the fish wearing snorkels smiling at you?  We'll I decided since I was going "chincy" on the girls' pool, I'd get the cadillac of the cheapo pools...and the biggest! with a slide!  Forgot I only have a Ford  Explorer!  So as I was struggling to somehow cram this huge circle into my rectangular vehicle fussing at my self for once again doing something "blonde", when a nice older gentleman offered to put it into the back of his truck and follow me home with it.  Ok, so I know what you're thinking...not the thing to do in this day and time.  But something told me it would be alright.  He had his 2 year old granddaughter with him, who was dressed to the nines complete with boutique bow and embroidered pinafore and he was dressed just like my dad!  I know Columbia fishing shirts are not exactly a character qualifier...but something inside of me said, "let him help you!"  So I did and he was so kind!  Come to find out he is a very good friend of members of my church!  So instead of what could have been another frustrating afternoon (did I mention that Robert has gone to Annual Conference for a week?), it was a heartwarming one. 

Thank you, Lord for all these things, good and bad...but especially for the little things that bring unexpected encouragement!  And so, I will hold on to this: " And the God of grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen"

May you all revel in His blessings this week!

Goodnight Sweetheart...

One of the first things that attracted me to my wonderful husband was his beautifully deep, rich baritone singing voice.  I can remember sitting in the pew at Chestnut Street UMC in Lumberton, NC and thinking "Wow, now that is a voice I could fall asleep listening to every night, Lord."  Never for one minute, however did I think that he'd ever give me the time of day, much less marry me!  I think the hymn may have been Were you there? 

Now, 9 1/2 years later, through the miracle of telephones, I get to listen to him sing our girls to sleep from Atlanta.  They love for him to sing them the chorus from that old song Goodnight Sweetheart...fitting, don't you think? 

As much as I hate him being gone all week long, almost all year long...I will cherish this memory. 

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 5: 19-20

 

Fun with Textures

Stuck at home, watching it rain, broken ankle = a good excuse to play with Photoshop Elements. 

I really love the textures that the photographer/blogger of Shadowhouse Creations (see link above). So here are a few of my trials and errors!  

My favs are being saved for my Dublin Camera Clique homework, of course!

Hope everyone has a great week!  :)

Check out this Smirk!!!

"Momma, I'll only pose like this then I am going to go catch Anna Grace!"

I heard that www.iheartfaces.com was having a photo contest centered
around smirky faces.  We have plenty of those around our house!!!

A blessing from hard work.....

For the past two weeks we (The Homeless Program at the VA) have been preparing for an outreach for homeless veterans in our area.  I can honestly say I haven't physically worked that hard in a LONG TIME!  We gave out military surplus most of the day today, and as I watched the stream of men and women walking through those armory doors, I was humbled at how blessed and fortunate I am.  There were men with so many lice that they were jumping off them and crawling down their shirts, there were others who were obviously high on some sort of substance and many smelled of stale alcohol.  One veteran was contemplating suicide and I am certain that it was no lucky coincidence that a crisis counselor was unexpectedly able to clear his calendar and happened to be there at just the right time.  Nope.  Jesus was in that National Guard Armory today.  Ebenezer Baptist Church surprised us all by showing up...all the way from Atlanta to Brunswick, just to help us hand out the mounds of jackets, underwear, pants, shirts, blankets, ruck sacks, water and sleeping bags.  Such a blessing, their spirits and presence was uplifting for us all. 

Robert is usually the one off on youth or mission trips or in Atlanta all week for school, so even though we worked hard, it felt like a mini vacation for me!  Turner Lodge on SSI is wonderful!  The Crab Trap was amazing.  But the best part was Emma calling last night to tell me that  " I love you berry much!  I know I love you and Daddy the same, but I really love you and I miss you berry much and I will be so glad for you to come home!"    Almost made me ready to come home right then...almost, but exhaustion and obligation won.  :)  Good to be comfy and clean on my couch now....counting my blessings!

Will post pics soon!

I Heart Faces Weekly Photo Challenge

Anna Grace's Stroll on the Island

Small Sacrifices

So, I sort of knew when Robert started seminary that things would change (LOL). I say sort of because I really had NO IDEA how much. Robert warned me about the little things we'd have to give up since we were taking a big hit to our income. So like a trooper, I gave up my Paul Mitchell hair products, attempted to clip coupons, switched to Wal-Mart make-up...you get the idea. (Side note for you Estee Lauder gals...Loreal's mineral loose powder blush is better, last longer and there are more colors to choose from!) My other cut back I planned was no more highlights in my hair. This is where the real story begins. I started about a year ago dying my hair myself (something I had NEVER done, back when I had a brain)...the idea was matching my roots = saving money on salon trips. So far so good, except my hair kept growing out darker than the color I chose. So I decided to go one step darker...Robert thought the color would match great, his newest theory is that the box must have been labeled wrong. Let's just say, if it were Halloween, I could pull of Courtney Cox without a problem. Horrified,I pulled Emma out of the living room to see what she thought...her lying to kept from hurting your feelings filter isn't fully developed yet, so I could trust she'd give me an honest opinion. Her reply was "Wow, your hair is really dark..especially right here...it's ok, Mommy...maybe it's just the living room lights." Ughhhh...did I mention we were getting ready for church?

So in the grand scheme of things, I know that these sacrifices, in particular are nothing. We have everything we need and some of what we want. Our blessings are abundant and tangible. So I'll just own this vanity of mine...no "root " cause analysis needed...and pray for fading!