Day 2 - A picture of you & the person you have been closest to the longest.

This is my brother Eddie. I don't have any pictures with him. Neither of us are keen on taking pictures.

He has been my rock for 42 years and he has never wavered in his support of me. When I think of security I think of him. He is the big brother that every girl needs,

31 Day Picture Challange

I saw this on a friends Facebook and I borrowed (stole) it from her-

Day 1 - A picture of yourself & ten facts.

1. I am married.

2. I did not grow up in Booneville.

3. I like to laugh.

4. I one day will meet Matthew McConaughey, he will fall in love with me. I will leave my husband for him and we will live happily ever after. (Not I will not really leave my hubby)

5. I have seen every episode of NCIS (almost)

6. I love to sing..alone...in my car.

7. I am addicted to electronic devices.

8. I don't mind making fun of myself- hence the Fiona picture

9. I feel like I just grew up in the last five yeas

10. I'm gonna be a parent soon!!!

Waiting, waiting, waiting....

We are waiting. Waiting on the Lord. It is not fun to wait. I am an impatient person. Ok really I don't mind waiting I just want to know how long I will have to wait. If I have an appointment at a certain I expect to be seen at that time. I KNOW!!!! I get antsy when I have to wait without knowing how long I'll be. If anyone knows me well they know that I always have a book or a magazine with me when I have to go places where I might have to wait. I can't just look at walls, even thinking about gives me the hives lol.

We are waiting on DHS. Someone has misplaced my fingerprints. I have been told not to worry about. Might as well tell me not to breathe. I have found though that when I am worrying about that God know exactly where those prints are and they will be found in just the right time. I know that the Lord hasn't brought me this far to leave me here. When I start worrying I turn it over to the Lord and tell Him that I know He is in control and I trust Him. I have been praying that quit a lot the week or. I know that the Lord's timing is perfect. I can look back on my life and see where the Lord has worked in my life. So I am waiting.

We are also waiting on a Realtor/bank/USDA. We have an offer on Steve's dad's house. The couple has qualified for a loan but they have to explain some stuff to the USDA who is underwriting the loan. I think we are both at the point that we are ready to give the house to the next person who looks at it.

We are waiting on some money from an oil and gas company to come through. That could be up to 60 days. That is TWO months!!!! Don't these people know I am impatient? Don't they know that I have plans for that?

My husband keeps telling me that God is trying to teach me a lesson but for the life of me I don't know what he is talking about. I know that in the last two weeks I have had to learn to wait. I have had to learn to trust in the Lord. I have had to learn that God has everything in control and I don't need to worry about a thing.

So I have been praying for the kids that we will have in our home. I have prayed for the couple that is looking at the house that it will be a home for them. And I have thanked the Lord for the unexpected windfall that is coming our way.

When I was in college my sweet sister-in-law wrote me a letter that had an amazing Bible verse in it that encouraged me then and is still an encouragement to me. (Much like my sister-in-law) Can you guess what it is?

Isaiah 40:31

³¹Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary

Zoe

This is Zoe. Oscar is uncharacteristically in the background.

She is the first dog I have ever had. We got her at a dog shelter. I loved her at first sight. When she runs her ears flap behind her...it is so cute. she knows she is my dog. She loves Steve too but somehow she knows that I wanted her. She sleeps with me, she goes to bed when I do. (Right now she is curled up in a ball leaning on my leg) She is a good dog. She does 't bark, or bite. I have seen her let a child pull her ears and not even flinch. She doesn't play with toys or eat dog treats. She listens to me she knows my voice. I can get her attention by making a specific sound. She comes when I call her. That is the extent of her tricks.

For the first couple of days we had her we never saw her eat or drink. I was so worried about her that I forced sugar water down her throat. Did I mention she was the first dog I have ever had lol. So after a couple of days I woke up and found that she found my purse and drug all the stuff out of it. I couldn't be upset with her because she actually DID something. So I gathered up all my stuff shoved it back in my purse, put Zoe in the bathroom and went off to work. When I got home she had eaten through the exhaust hose from the dryer and chewed at the hole in the wall too. I guess she was trying to chew her way outside. So then we bought her a crate A huge crate. Steve could have fit in this crate. She hated the crate. She chewed the food bowls that we put in there. At night she whined and whined and whined some more. That didn't last long. She does not like to be locked up no matter how big of the space. We have occasionally locked the dogs in the kitchen with a baby gate, they can still see us and we talk to them but they hate it. Zoe HATES it. She can spend 90 percent of her day curled up on the couch or the bed but as soon as we put her in a confined spot she starts whining. She doesn't realize that we really are looking out for her. That we are really doing what is best for her.

I realized today that we are like that when God tells us to do something. We like to stay on the couch where we just are. Nobody bothering us. God tells us to go we sit. He wants us to stay within his boundaries we whine and care and whine till He says "FINE!" He only wants what is best for us. He loves us and He is just trying to protect us. One of my favorite verses is 'I know the plans I have for you, plans to give a hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) I forget that, I forgot it today, I need to be reminded that He in control we just need to let Him. I would never use myself for an example of what a Godly person is. I not only trip and fall but I fall flat on my face daily, hourly, sometimes every minute but I know that if I hadn't gone through the valleys I wouldn't appreciate the mountains. What gets me every time is that I listen to the wrong voice I know its the wrong voice but I listen anyway and I know its just a bunch of lies. I don't answer when the Voice of truth calls me. It's all about which voice you listen too.

Have a blessed day :-D

You know I have to-

Voice of Truth

Oh,what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
You you'll never win

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

But the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
The Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
'Cause Jesus you are the Voice of truth
And I will listen to you.. oh you are the Voice of truth

Books

I am a reader. If I don't have a book handy I feel incomplete. My mom is a reader, she passed the love of reading to her four children. I got my very own library card for my fifth birthday. This past summer I bought myself an e-reader. One of the best things that I have ever bought.

I read for enjoyment. Mostly fiction, I have read some non-fiction but enjoy fiction better. I don't like to have to think about what I read either. I have tried to read Anna Karenina but couldn't make it past the first couple of chapters. It took me two tries to read Gone with the Wind and somewhere in my house is a copy of Scarlett but I haven't made it through that either. Maybe it's the size, maybe it has too may details.


When I was a kid read the Nancy Drew books and the Bobbsy Twin books. I loved the Little House on the Prairie books. One of the biggest thrills of childhood was going to Mansfield, MO to actually see where the books were written. (I got the chance to see the Little House on the Prairie when I was an adult!) Mom never backed away from allowing me to read books. I read the Thorn Birds when I was in elementary school, I felt so grown up. I was not allowed to read any book that was below my reading level. (No romance novels!)

I like to read because it stretches my imagination. I have just gone through a battle at the Ministry of Magic and was taken back to Hogwarts via a portkey. I have been to Forks, Washington and saw what happens to a vampire in the sunlight. I ran through the streets of Rome and Paris with Robert Langdon (before he looked like Tom Hanks)

I remember reading the meaning behind The Wizard Oz when I was in high school. Dorothy represented something and the Tinman something else, etc. I wasn't sure that Frank Baum meant all that, he wrote a children's book. Right now I'm in the middle of reading Harry Potter again. I know that a lot of people see a lot in those books. To me it's a good verses evil kinda thang and good wins (always)

I do read Christian fiction also. For whatever you like to read there is a Christian alternative for it. Karen Kingsbury, Neta Jackson, Ace Collins, Terry Blackstock are just a few of my favorites. The things I like about them is that real things happen to the characters, some of them get hurt, some get sick, some die, just like real people.

Soooo pick up a book. It will introduce you to new friends and take you places you never imagined.

Football

I am watching the Sugar Bowl. Right now Arkansas is down by 18 at the beginning of the second half. Of course I'm yelling at the TV, my husband is yelling at the TV. People on Facebook are complaining about the way Arkansas is playing.

It's fun to watch football with a big group of people. There always seems to be a person who can think they know better than the coach, people who are there just to be there and watch the commercials. Me I just want to watch the game and people.

Of course I didn't watch football until I got married. My hubby loves college football and it is surpassed only by his love for high school football (specifically Bearcat football) So going to every game possible I have learned some things. OK they are really just things I figured out-

You really don't know more than the coaches and no matter how loud you yell they are not going to listen to you and change what they are doing.

The refs do make bad calls but once again no matter how loud you yell and boo them they are not going to change to call (OK high school doesn't have instant replay)

The people around you do not care what your thought is about the last time the touchdown was called back and how we would be ahead right now if the refs weren't blind.

I do know that nachos that come from the concession stand at a football game are better than the nachos I make at home.

I know that as many people come for half-time as they do for the game. (YAY BAND!!!)

I know that if you missed anything that happened in town during the week you will get caught up Friday night.

I know that I always tear up when the National Anthem is played.

I know that I still like hearing the prayer before football games.

I have experienced how cool it is to stand in unison with 1000 to watch a 16 year old kid run down the field, and to gasp in unison when a pass is dropped.

I know how cool it is to see a bunch of kids to take a knee when a player on the field is hurt. It is even cooler to see your players pray for a player from the other team.

I have realized that no matter how loud I yell at the TV "STOP HIM" the players will not hear me.

Lastly I know that when I got married I hated football and wondered why we had to go to every game and 16 years later I am the one saying we have got to get there early if we want to get a good seat. My heart now beats purple and gold (and every now and then blue and white)

GO HOGS!!!!!!

Miserable in their Miserableness

Don't you know people like that? They are miserable and they want everyone around them to be miserable too.

There is someone like that in my life. They make life hard for everyone. When they call me and tell me they have problems, I offer solutions (I'm a fixer) but they think of reasons why the solutions won't work. I offer help but often it's not the kind of help they wanted. They just want to be miserable in their miserableness.

It wasn't too long ago that I poor pitied my self all the time. We were living in a very small rent house, I was hurtling toward forty and didn't have kids, still making barely above minimum wage, never got any breaks, oh woe is me. Some where in that time I took inventory of my life. I HAD a Lord that died for me. I HAD a roof over my head. I HAD a job. I HAD a husband. I HAD a car that started every morning. I didn't have it so bad. After a while it just took too much energy to be miserable all the time. I lost track of who I was suppose to be mad at, so I stopped keeping track.

I have learned that everything comes in the Lord's timing. We are living in a house that is ours (well in 30 years it will be ours.) I have a job that I LOVE, we are going to be foster parents, we will adopt one day. Life is good. Even when it's kinda meh I say it's all good.

The most important thing that I have learned is that when I am miserable I feel disconnected from everything, God, family, church..I was just going through the motions. I now feel more connected to God and church and family. When people get on my nerves I give them more of a chance, maybe they are having a bad day. I don't even yell at customer service people anymore.

Do you want to be alone in your miserableness or do you want to live life with others? (the second choice is really loads more fun!!!)

So what song should I add here? The Happy Song of course.

Today I am grateful for laughter

The Happy Song

Oh I could sing unending songs
Of how you saved my soul
Well I could dance a thousand miles
Because of your great love.

My heart is bursting Lord
To tell of all you've done
Of how you changed my life
And wiped away the past
I wanna shout it out
From every roof top sing
For now I know that God
Is for me not against me

Everybody's singing now Cos we're so happy
Everybody's dancing now Cos we're so happy
If only we could see your face
And see you smiling over us
And unseen angels celebrate
For joy is in this place!

Written by Martin Smith �1994 Curious? Music UK

Dogs...

We have two dogs- Zoe a beagle/dachshund mix and Oscar a shih tzu

I have found that not only do we need to be like dogs, we need to treat others like we treat our dogs. Wait WHAT????

We need to be more like dogs- Every time I walk in the door they are excited to see me whether it's been five minutes or five hours. They literally jump up and down when they see me. They can see out the back door and I can hear them barking for me while I am still in the car with the radio on. Sometimes I sit in the car an extra couple of seconds because I know at that minute I am loved. As much as I love my husband he doesn't jump and down when I come home. I'm doing good if I get a head shake when I see him. (Although the last couple of weeks when I walk through the door I hear "Mommy's home!" coming from the living room.

My dogs are more forgiving than I am. Last week I stepped on Zoe's paw by accident, she yelped, I hugged her, baby talked to her, five minutes later she was putting her head in my lap. She doesn't hold grudges. Oscar hates going to the groomer (we have an excellent groomer btw) but when we pick him up he is excited to see us (he usually gets a new toy after the harrowing experience) We rub his belly and he is good to go.

When we are gone for a long time the dogs may use the kitchen as a potty. When this happens I sigh, say that it is really my fault and get the paper towels and pick it up. I don't get upset with them and go on. When my husband leaves the seat up I hunt him down, drag him back to the bathroom and force him to put the seat back down. It would be so much easier to just put the seat down.

If we leave food in the a trashcan and are gone more than a couple of hours the dogs will tear into it. They also like to eat anything that is left on any table in the house. I just pick it up. I tell the dogs not to do it again (knowing they will) Heaven forbid if Hubby leaves a coffee cup or a plate out. He gets yelled at, threatened with everything short of death not to do it again.

So my goal for tomorrow is to be more like my dogs.

If you haven't noticed today I am grateful for my dogs and the unconditional love they show me.

I resolve....

..to lose weight
..to eat better
..to exercise more (or any)
..t0 not watch as much tv


This is a natural time of reflection, what happened in the last year, what we hope will happen in the new year. To be honest this past year has been bah..neither good or bad. Good things happened, Steve decided to go to school, we started the process to become foster parents, I was able to see my oldest nephew graduate from college. (Does that make me old?) Some not so good things, Steve was laid off (again), I had surgery (no more gallbladder), Steve's dad's house is still for sell. Next year we will become foster parents, Steve is going to start school to become a nurse and who knows what else will happen.

The thing about these plans is that they are about us. Me and Steve and what WE are gonna do. We know that the Lord had led down these paths but we instead if the focus being on us we need to put the focus on Him. We need to find out where the Lord is working and meet Him there. Too often we decide what we want to do and expect Him to meet us there. He is already at work we just need to look for Him.

Last night the Youth Pastor challenged the students not to read the Bible through or have a daily a quiet time. he challenged them with a much more attainable goal: to read the Bible for five minutes a day for 21 days. I thought I can do that 5 minutes for 21 days. Steve already named it 5/21. So I take up that challenge...and I challenge you to that also 5 minutes a day for 21 days, you can do it.

My other challenge for myself and you- be more grateful, thankful and let people know that I am thankful for them.

I am thankful for my Creator who even though He created the heavens and the earth he knows every hair in my head.

Happy New Year to you and yours.

Jeremiah 29:11 (The Message)

I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.