Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday evening started out quite lazy... I had intended get a few things done around the house, but ended up on the couch reading blogs and watching TV. Sadly, it was nice to veg out after a busy week. Spring semester ended on Tuesday, so I have no required papers, readings, etc until summer session starts. :)

The weekend forecast was predicted as lots of rain, so I wasn't quite sure what Saturday would entail. I had registered for a the local Rockin' Ronald McDonald 10K/5K and my brother & sister-in-law joined me. It was their first 5K and they did AWESOME. The picture to the left is us AFTER the race! :) I finished in time to catch most of superson's soccer game in the rain. Afterwards, we grabbed a quick lunch and headed home. We tackled family chores inside and it was only mid-afternoon (woo!). I knew if I sat down I was likely to fall asleep, so I ventured out to the local consignment shop & Home Depot with my neighbor.

As you may recall from my Friday post, my kitchen is on my mind. :) I had originally wanted to go with a similar color for the walls, but my neighbor convinced me to work with the countertops. I think we've decided to not try the countertop transformation I mentioned in the other post. We'll keep what we have until we can afford to have the replaced professionally. SO, I'm leaning toward a color in the green family -- I picked up the 3 Valspar samples in the picture to the right. Right now, I'm leaning toward one of the bottom 6. We had a busy Saturday and got alot accomplished. For dinner, we went to a local burger place totally overdid it there - but enjoyed it!

Sunday, we enjoyed a great morning of worship & small group. We stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few things & $100 later... well, you know how that goes. :) Superhusband grilled some burgers & hotdogs -- they were delicious! After lunch, I took a nap (hope I can still sleep tonight). After supper, I finished up our meals for the week!

How was your weekend?

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful ladies out there! I am incredibly blessed with a wonderful mother who has shown God's unconditional love to me throughout my life. I can only hope and pray that I will be same Godly influence on super-son. She's certainly given me big shoes to fill.

Motherhood did not come easy for me. It took three years of trying and waiting, but finally our bundle of joy was on the way. April 4, 2001 is a day I will never forget -- each detail of the day etched in my mind forever. I don't think anyone could have ever prepared me for the wealth of emotions that came with motherhood. I truly understand what it means to wear your heart outside of your body. Mine walks around as a brown-eyed; brown-headed young boy. :)

The hardest part of being a mom -- life lessons. On Friday, super-son learned one of many life lessons. Without question, I do believe this is the hardest lesson he's learned so far (for all of us actually). I was mad and then upset and then mad. He has consequences associated with this lesson. He's been grounded from all electronics until Wednesday. (if you don't have a 10 year old, it's pretty big stuff to go without your tv, video games, computer, and tunes). Super-husband and I are pretty sure he has learned a valuable lesson; however, it's been extremely difficult for me NOT to bring up the situation (again and again). We told him once it was a discussed as a family on Friday night - we would not talk about it again. I've had to bite my tongue a couple of time as a I started to say... "are you sure you understand?"

Anyway, this morning I was reminded --- Jesus forgives us as soon as we ask... He doesn't bring the situation up over and over and over... If we want to talk to Him about our problems, He will listen - but He's not going to beat us over the head... So, I'm going to be more like Jesus... Show super-son unconditional love and let the consequences speak for themselves...

Distractions

Are you easily distracted? Once upon a time, I was a very focused young lady. I had my list of "to-do's" and focused on getting my list accomplished it. I tend to do well with list - whether they are for cleaning, errands, schoolwork - I enjoy checking the box off to see the task completed. Once I became a mom, it has become harder for me to stay focused on my list. It seems that I am more easily distracted now. Not necessarily because of my son (perhaps I could use this excuse when he was a newborn, but he's TEN now!) -- there are lots of things I "should" have done this weekend -- a take-home history exam due Tuesday; a 10 pg research paper due May 3rd; a 7 pg research paper due May 10th; more cleaning... but instead I was distracted. I've put the take-home exam off which I may regret *ugh*.

As I sit in church on Sunday, it's hard not to notice some of the distractions. I try very hard to stay focused on our Pastor who has a specific purpose -- to deliver the Message that God has laid on his heart for us to receive. However, some Sundays it is harder than others -- paper rattling; people in front of you whispering; children crying; people looking around and you can "feel" they are looking in your direction; candy wrappers being opened; people yawning (or some snoring!).... you get the picture I think! There are SO MANY things that can distract us away from the Message. However, I think we need to try as hard as we can to put blinders on (as the picture above) and really focus our mind & heart on what we need to hear.

Happy Easter!

I love the colors of Easter - beautiful pastel eggs; gorgeous azalea blooms; Easter outfits full of frills and occasionally an Easter bonnet. While these are all wonderful things about the Easter & spring season, let us not forget the reason of the Easter holiday. Thousands of years ago - it was a very dark & sad day that our Savior hung on a cross for my sins and yours -- tortured and bleeding for our transgressions. But, what a glorious day it was when they found the tomb EMPTY that morning -- Praise God - He Lives! I hope you know Him and have a personal relationship with Him. For in Him, you will find peace, comfort and best of all EVERLASTING life!

Enjoy one of my favorite songs -- reminds me of Easter... "In Christ Alone" By Avalon.

Storms in Life

Last night, we had a spring thunderstorm -- lots of rain, thunder, lightning (literally brightened the bedroom with flash) and strong winds. Often storms make us feel very vulnerable. We may have a roof to protect us, but we don't know where the next bolt of lightning make strike or whether the strong winds will circulate into a tornado.

Our individual lives can often seem the same way. Health issues can leave one wondering what's next or how to afford the medical care needed. Unemployment leaves feelings of emptiness and even loneliness - how will I make it financially? Other storms in life may be from broken relationships or unraveling addictions.

Regardless of the storm in our life, God has promised us that He will protect us. Even when you feel like your boat is ready to capsize -- He is with you. During storms in my life, I find music to bring great comfort. A couple of my favorites -- "He is with You" - Mandisa & "Love Has Come" - Mark Schultz

To know the strength of the anchor, you must weather the storm....

Goals for 2010

I'm really not very good at this bloggin' thing - so it's probably a good thing I don't have any faithful readers. :) I thought I would post some of my goals here for 2010 - admittedly, they are completely random in some ways - but it's just who I am!

1 - Become more fit. In 2009, I completed a 5K training program. My goal was to run the entire 5K, but I ended up doing walk/run intervals. I really would like to "become a runner" - I don't know why - it's just something I want to do. I hope to complete 2 - 5K's in 2010.

Need some inspiration -- check out this blog - http://freshfoodiefitness.blogspot.com/2010/01/blogging-jogging-entry-2.html . The video is my 5K training coach - Stacie Battjes. I have nothing but great things to say about her and Fleet Feet.

2 - I'm going green with my clothing. Stay with me. I really enjoy digging and come across an unexpected find. Well, I've ran across two blogs since January that have inspired me to only buy clothing from consignment shops, thrift shops or Goodwill. There will be some exceptions to the rule as noted in one of the blogs.

• Undergarments and shoes will be bought brand new from a store.
• Same with bathing suits.
• If I get a gift card to a store I can buy clothes with the gift card.

Check out these two blogs for great finds:
http://paulsbride.blogspot.com/2009/12/thrift-store-shopping-spree-and-new.html
http://beautyandbedlam.com/category/frugal-fashionista/

3 - Cook more. I love to cook (but hate the clean-up!)... I hope to try new recipes and expand my horizons. For money reasons, we don't eat out that much - so I do find myself in the kitchen quite a bit.

4 - Get my learn on! Last year was an incredible journey starting school again - I'm excited to start spring semester in February. May I toot my own horn? I had a 4.0 GPA for fall semester -- not bad for a working mom eh? Here's hoping for a for a few more 4.0's!!

5 - ENJOY LIFE --- take advantages of all the precious memories and times made with my family and friends!

Wonderful Wednesday!

Wow! Two days in a row - I can't believe it myself! Hope everyone is having a great week. I love Wednesdays. The work week is half-way to the weekend and my spiritual batteries get re-charged at church.

It's been a busy week and the house looks like a disaster zone - I guess I will be busy this weekend. :) Still debating on the Apple Festival, I LOVE the festival - my mom and I have been every year for the past 16 years. I really want to go, but something about "chillaxing" at home on Saturday sounds really good this week. Not to mention at this point, the weather forecast is RAIN for Saturday. We usually go up early in the morning, but I suppose we could head up in the late afternoon. If it's raining, we might luck up on some great deals from vendors! :)

We always look forward to Wednesday night. The fellowship meal is just an added to bonus! Often, I'm amazed that some churches don't even have a Wednesday night service. Granted - nothing says it's required, but why should church just be open on Sunday? We (modern day Christians) find time for so many other activities during the week - dance, piano, Scouts, sports (of all kinds); yet, we seem to carve out less and less time for God. Sometimes, the Wednesday night is just what I need to boost myself through the remainder of the week. What if Jesus didn't have time for us on the cross?

Think about it!

Anxiety

By definition, anxiety means 1 a: painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill b: fearful concern or interest c: a cause of anxiety2: an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it.

Geesh - just by definition it seems like something we would want to steer away from huh? So, why do we get ourselves tangled into the mess? I've had several anxious moments over the past 6-8 months. For some reason, this week a couple have weighed exceptionally hard on me. Last night at church, imagine my surprise when the pastor spoke on -- you guessed it? Anxiety! If there was every a time that I felt like a message was prepared for no one else but me - that was it! I was on the verge of tears for the timeliness of the message - I almost talked myself out of going last night. "I needed a mental break." Imagine the blessing I would have missed had I stayed at home.

The message centered around Phillipians 4:6-7. There was no exceptionally profound theological message - just some basic nuts and bolts. I pray that God will help me stay focused on the message last night and what I need to do, so HE can do his work in me.

The Spirit of a Child

Things I've Learned from my "Spirited" Child

I wish I had the care-free spirit that washed the stress of the world away

I wish I was so comfortable in my own skin that I could "beat to my own drum"

I wish I could speak as honestly as he does without worrying about what other people think

I wish I could be as happy playing with a empty paper towel tube and big box

I wish I was as imaginative and creative

I am so thankful that he is our super-son. I am thankful he has a teacher who doesn't see children as "cookie-cutters" - they are each unique, special and individual in their on way. I pray that God will teach to me be the loving mom he needs with a "spirit" that will harmonize with his.