Happy birthday to hubby...

Happy birthday to the most wonderful man in the world. You are my love, my life, my laughter, my joy, my strength, my pride, my everything.

I hope you have one gloriously, wonderful day. I love you with all my heart.



Reasons why.....

Here is the reason you should check to make sure a restaurant has kid's cups before ordering a toddler a   small milkshake.....

She stayed all night with us while her Mommy was out of town Saturday and I did not think this through.

It is simple math......

1 two year + one chocolate shake = very late bedtime

And to think, I wondered why I was so exhausted on Sunday.

Deals of the day...

I found some good deals Saturday in my shopping. I needed some 8.5 x 11 scrapbook paper for a Children's Church project and some for a Vacation Bible School craft. So I headed to the Scrapbook Store 50% Off store. I love this place. It is a division of the Scrapbook Store, but the wonderful part is most items are marked down anyway; but when they total your purchase an additional 50% is taking off your total order. Normally, this size paper is 4 for $1.00, making it ring up at 4 for .50 cents. Well, yesterday was apparently "let's get rid of old stuff" day. I walked up to the paper and the sign said "25 sheets for .99 cents." So I bought 50 sheets. It rang up at $1.98 and after the 50% off button was hit, I paid .99 cents total for all 50 sheets. I was so excited.

Before the scrapbook store, I stopped at a local community yard sales. I love to scour yard sales. I am always on the lookout for teapots, tea cups or tea for one sets at a good deal. I have found a few but they are hard to come by. Normally, when I find them the prices is $5 or $10 because the owner knows they are collectibles. Imagine my joy yesterday when I found this little set for only $1.00. It was a perfect addition to the new spring look in my kitchen.

Over the years, I have tried to "copy" many decorating styles I saw in older homes. I tried Americana, rustic, early American, many different things. But my absolute love for flowers always got in the way. I could never find things I really liked but when something had to do with flowers, birdhouses or butterflies, I would fall in love with it. I finally decided I could admire others decor, but I was sticking with my love of flowers. One of my bathrooms is floral, butterflies and birdhouses in the whole room. It's one of my favorite rooms in the house. It has all the colors of spring in it. So you can imagine how I had to snatch this little bargain up for the bathroom at only .50 cents.



Am I on the right road?

Yesterday was a beautiful day and I had several places I wanted to go. Before the day was out, I had traveled through three counties and logged many miles. But it was a beautiful day and I love to drive. As I was going to my final destination of the day, I was traveling along a road I have only been on a few times in my life. I'm just beebopping along when it hit me...am I on the right road? My granddaughter was asleep in the backseat and Greater Vision was blasting on the radio. This was the beautiful view out my front window. Blue sky, green grass, not a car in sight. That's when it hit me. "I don't know where I'm going!" So I picked up the phone and dialed a dear friend and called to ask "How do I get from HERE to THERE?" Am I going the right way? Did I go to far? I was getting into a little of a panic mode. But she gave me good directions and I got to my destiny without mishap. I thank her for her guidance.

Is there a point to all this? Yes, there is. God works in mysterious ways. This was just another of life's little lessons.

I was going to do my blog this morning as Down an open road, BUT GOD, as my dear friend likes to say, had other plans. As I posted the photo, the words Am I on the right road? came to my mind. As I started typing, I began to realize that yesterday was just one more of those God moments. So often in life, we get lost in the effort of day to day struggles that we sometimes forget which road we are supposed to be traveling. Should I turn left? Should I turn right? Or should I just turn around and start all over again? Is the correct road right around the next corner or did I pass by my turn by being too cautious and missing the road sign? Do you struggle with what you should be doing? Which road you should be taking? Does God often put your turn signal on, but you hit your brakes to decide if you want to turn? When you are on the road of life, do you face each curve in the road, riding your breaks and expecting it to be one of those hairpin curves that puts butterflies in your tummy? We shouldn't. Instead, we should face those curves with our feet on the gas, full speed ahead and know that God is in control, He directs are paths and all we have to do is keep our hands on the wheel and follow His roadmap for us. If you do, I guarantee you will be in for the ride of your life

My morning musings.....

Musings: thoughts, especially when aimless

Well, that certainly sums up my brain this morning. I have only been up an hour and already had my mind running down about 17 different highways. I love Saturdays! I have so much I want to do and so many places I want to go today.

I am very excited about a local community yard sale at Catlettsburg school today. It is at the end of my road so no matter what my plans become, I can pop by there on my way out.

I want to go to Lifeway Christian Store today. I want to look for an old Dottie Rambo CD with the Holy Hills of Heaven on it.

I want to go to the Scrapbook Superstore - Discount location. I love that place. Everything is 50% off every day. And it is usually discontinued items that are already marked down and then at the register you get 50% off the lowest marked price. Last time, I got $47.00 worth of stuff for $8 something. I'm really excited about going there. I have a great idea for a craft for my next turn at Children's Church. I'll share it with you later.

If I'm at the Scrapbook store, I'll have to pop into Joanne's since it's in the same complex.

I also want to go to Kohl's. I really need to start looking for a new Easter dress. I am torn between a dress or a matching skirt/top set. Of course, what I want doesn't really matter, it's what I find that will fit this old body that usually gets purchased.

My dilemma is that 1/2 the stores I want to go to are in one direction and 1/2 are in the other direction. I just need to wrap my mind around a game plan.

Of course, if I head to Knoxville, I'll be right beside Target. And since their popcorn is my new weakness, I'm sure I'll have to pop in and have some. But I really want to head into Sevierville to the scrapbook store. Decisions, decisions.

Whew, I've worn myself out just thinking about what all I want to do today. I need a bowl of ice cream for breakfast to give me some energy!

Oh, well, it's Saturday. That's what it's for. Enjoy your day.

Today I'm linking to Jeremiah 29:11. Be sure and pay a visit and join the fun.

 

But by the grace of God I am what I am... - 1 Corinthians 15:10

 

Sometimes I can be so silly. Sometimes I can be so serious. Sometimes I laugh and sometimes I cry. Sometimes I take things with a grain of salt and sometimes I take them as a personal affront. Sometimes my husband will just look at me and shake his head and chuckle because of my reaction to something. When he does, I just smile, shrug my shoulders and say "You just gottat love me." which always cracks him up. But no matter what "mood" I'm in; no matter what fates befall me at a particular moment, I am what I am. A child of God. A product of His grace.

 

grace alone

which GOD supplies

strength unknown

HE will provide

CHRIST in us

our cornerstone

we will go forth in grace alone

One life - a little gleam of time between two eternities. - Thomas Carlyle

Definition: Gleam - A brightness in a person's eyes taken as a sign of a particular emotion

What puts a gleam in your eye? What are the "little things" that leave you with a smile, a tear of joy, a feeling that something has touched your heart? Here are some of the things that put a gleam in my eye....

• The laughter of my grandchildren as they play
• A small little hand reaching down to pick that first flower of spring and then handing it to me
• A child's smile
• The look in my husband's eyes when he watches me
• The smile of a loved one who hasn't seen you in a while
• A blessing from an old southern gospel song
• A card in the mail from my sister
• A quick note or phone call from a dear friend
• The suns rays as they burst through the cloudy sky
• An eagle as it soars through the sky proud and free
• The Star Spangled Banner
• A hand holding mine
• A hug
• The words "Good job!"
• Driving through the country side with my window down and music blasting
• A good bargain
• My mom staying all night and telling me she loves me at bedtime
• Memories of my daddy
• Just being silly with my family
• My children and their family coming to visit
• The smell of a new baby doll
• The sounds of the birds on a quiet summer day
• The ocean
• The rain on the roof
• The first butterfly of the season
• Going barefoot through the grass

Any time life gets to you and you start feeling overwhelmed, just stop and ponder on the things that bring a gleam to your eye. I guarantee it will be a great pick me up.