yah - I didn't need that!

Part 2 of original post:
Yes, in case there is a question, I didn't need that!!!  At lunch today, I took care of the enevitable.  $172.00 (OUCH) and 2 months probabion = not on my record

a thought to reflect on...

Greater is HE who is in us than he who is in the world. 

Strong words if we believe them . . . true words if we know Him.

Meaning takes hold only when we know that He is in us; and His presence is the power of God to change us. The accuser may whisper, cast countless doubts and lead us down blind alleys, but if we know that we are in Christ and He is in us, then hope lives in our hearts.

Run to Jesus - whatever my/your situation may be today - and find true hope. We are filled with hope because He is greater and He is in us.

some days...

Do you ever just want to start over?  Tell the day you won't let it have an attitude with you like this?  Well, my day started like that today.  I decided to treat myself to breakfast this morning from Sonic.  A supersonic breakfast burrito (w/no jalapenos) and a carmel iced latte.  The sad thing is, I never got to drink my beverage.  The lid was not on tight and it slipped off the cup when I crabbed it as I was getting out of the car to come into the office, split all over the shotgun side floor!  I hadn't even had one sip of it!  $2.99 wasted. down the drain into the carpet.  ice and cream and carmel sticky mess all over the place.  Yah...I remembered to count my blessings:
The car now smells really nice!
I didn't get any of this mess on me!
I will treat myself again to another iced latte when I run errands for the office because I had my heart set on it, even if that means the impact of the cost is now $5.98 in the budget!

An update @11:00am:
I ran errands for the office and ordered myself another carmel iced latte and asked them to make sure they put the lid on tight as the one I ordered on my way to work ended up all over my car and I never even got a sip of it.  Guess what?  They comped it to me...I like businesses that want to keep your business and make you a happy customer!  Good job Sonic!  (and yah for the budget).

oops...I didn't need that!

I was on my way to work this morning...driving down FM731, talking on my cell phone, zoning in the sense I was just cruising down the road, really not paying attention to my speed.  But in some ways I was because I knew I was going 52 and I thought I was in a 50mile an hour zone.  Ugh, nope!  Cop does a complete u-turn, blazing his lights and pulls me over.  No mercy...ticket issued..."Ma'am please sign here, this is not stating you are guilty.  Have a nice day!"...huh?  A nice day when you just issued me a fine at probably $200?  Yah, thanks sir! 

PLEASE NOTE: 
I did confirm I was speeding - I backtracked to make sure it was a 40mph zone. 
I am guilty. 
But sure didn't want to give you my hard earned money.

update on Terry

Terry begins work again on Monday, August the 2nd with Goodwill.  This is a very good step in his recovery process from the detour he took back in May.  Please pray for him that he will keep his focus on being a servant as unto his master for the Lord.

Quotes

Forget your mistakes, but remember what they taught you.

Real Simple Daily Thought

In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t.
―Blaise Pascal

verse to reflect on...

be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT)

Brian Tracey Quote of the Day

Hope works in these ways:

it looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst; it discovers what can be done instead of grumbling about what cannot; it regards problems, large or small, as opportunities; it pushes ahead when it would be easy to quit; it "lights the candle" instead of "cursing the darkness.

- Anonymous

poem ~ It's In the Valleys I Grow

It's In the Valleys I Grow
by Jane Eggleston

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe.
It's then I have to remember,
That it's in the valleys I grow...

If I always stayed on the mountain top,
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God's love,
And would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn,
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it's in the valleys I grow.

I do not always understand,
why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing,
My Lord will see me through.

My little valleys are nothing,
When I picture Christ on the cross,
He went through the valley of death,
His victory was Satan's loss.

Forgive me Lord, for complaining,
When I'm feeling so very low,
Just give me a gentle reminder,
That it's in the valleys I grow.

Continue to strengthen me Lord,
And use my life each day,
To share your love with others,
And help them find their way.

Thank you for the valley's Lord,
For this one thing I know,
The mountain tops are glorious,
But it's in the valley's I grow.

Old Chair - in process of complete redo

I got this chair at a flea market sale...probably at least 8years ago (or more) for $5!!!  I think the style is very cute and I knew it couldn't be that hard to fix up.  When I first bought it, I attempted to paint it black, but I didn't do a very good job as it didn't apply well to what was already on it and I wasn't impressed with the black color because it ended up looking more like dark grey.  So it got stuffed in the attic for "another day".  I decided it as time to either do something with this chair or sell it at my next garage sale.  In my quest to use up, clean out and fix up, I decided I would fix it up. 

Last night, I bought stripper, two types of gloves, a plastic stripping tool and got to work.  This was my 1st time to ever use stripper and after using it, I have mixed feelings about it.  I am allergic to latex, so I was worried about the gloves causing me an allergic reaction.  Secondly, I wasn't sure how "easy" this whole process was going to be.  It seems a lot of these types of things are portrayed as taking very little time and so easy to do, but in reality, it is rarely that way.  I decided to launch into this project full force after getting home from work at 8.30pm.  Well, I wasn't even 2 minutes into it when my fingers and hands were on fire in the thin latex free gloves.  I am not sure if it was the chemical reaction to the product or something else, but after 10minutes of trying to apply the stripper with the gloves on, something had to go.  So I ditched the gloves.  That was a mistake also...I got some flecks of stripper on my hands when I was brushing and it was like I had stuck my hands in an ant pile...they were on major fire and itched like crazy!  I relented to opening the other set of gloves, the heavier latex gloves I was trying to avoid using.  These gloves seemed to do a better job, but  by the end of the project, my hands had the heat issue going on again and the fingers were sticking together because of getting stripper on them.  They went straight into the trash.  In some areas the stripper removed the paint and grim quiet nicely, in others it dried to quickly for me to get off.  I attempted to use a paper towel to get at these areas, mistake.  The paper product just stuck to the goop.  The whole process took like two hours between applying, removing and cleaning up the mess.  These photos are right after the stripper was applied when I was waiting my "15minutes": 

Would I recommend using stripper?  Yes, if you have a think amount of paint you are trying to remove and sanding won't accomplish or will simply take too much time; BUT be aware of the other complications. 
Warning: it is a VERY messy process and the products hurt like mad when in contact with your skin. 
Suggestion: have two or three sets of heavy gloves so that you can complete the project without extra hassle over it.  Also put something (not plastic as the stripper will eat straight through it) on the ground so you don't have mess on the floor in your garage to try to clean up later. 

I meant to take pictures after the stripping process before sanding, but I was in such a hurry to get started when I got home from work today that I didn't so you will just have to imagine it.

I am not done with the sanding, but I am getting close...I need to do the underneath sides of the arms, the bottom of the chair, a few corners and the posts to the arms.

Now I need help...suggestions please???  stain the wood or paint it?  Since I was able to get so much of the paint grim off, I am thinking about doing a dark stain.  Any thoughts?  And no, I have not picked out any fabric yet for the "cushion/seat area".  The chair will either go in my bedroom or the living room...just depends on what I find - maybe I'll even find it in my fabric stash.  I want it to be versatile and interchangeable between rooms.  I am open to your ideas...so send them my way! And THANKS in advance for the comments...

paint applied...

I had a lovely front door that everyone admired, but when the topic was discussed, it was agreed it needed to be replaced, mainly for safety concerns though it wasn't the best thing for energy efficiency either.  But do you know the cost of front doors?  It is enormous for anything that has any bit of character, design and glass in it.  I felt to spend loads of money on a front door just because was not something I should do.  So when I went shopping I had to narrow the selection by price.  One of my very nice friends purchased it for me, because as he said, if I was his daughter he would not like what I had and would feel it needed to be replaced.  I got a basic fiberglass door with a narrow amount of etched glass in the center.  My contractor friend installed it for me sometime last year in the fall, if I remember correctly.  I can't believe it has taken me this long to get around to it, but over the July 4th Holiday weekend this year, I decided to tackle the project of painting it...here is the finished product...I love how it turned out even though painting in the hot high humidity of Texas were not optimum painting season and created some issues...I absolutely like the color, just don't look too close at the paint job! 

wednesdays bible verse

Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.     Ephesians 4:29 (NLT)

Quotes

Adults devise a plan and follow it, children do what feels good.
~Dave Ramsey

Real Simple Daily Thought

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.
― Anonymous

company for lunch!!!

Today was my scheduled day for company...it took some work to find some people in town that could accept the invite to attend lunch at my house but in the end I got confirmations from Terry, Sherry, Steve & Roseann, and Jody & Linda. 

Menu:
Chicken Pasta Primavera
Pugliese Artisan Bread ("pool-yee-ay-say" the southern italian loaf with an authentic bubbly center and delicious crust)
Green Salad
Apple Crisp w/Vanilla Ice Cream (if desired)

Once again, it was fun to entertain and have time with everyone at my own place!

song ~ another day

Another Day
by Curt Collins

I’ve known all along
This wouldn’t be easy
The pain last so long
And my strength grows weak
So just send down a little more faith, Lord

Cause I don’t wanna give up hope Lord
I wanna see this thing through
I know your word is true
And I’ll raise my hands up higher
Lord it’s my desire
To live my life for you
Just give me the strength to endure all this
For another day
For another day



Move through my heart
And take away all the darkness
Heal all my wounds
Break away all the chains
And just send down a little more faith, Lord

Cause I don’t wanna give up hope Lord
I wanna see this thing through
I know your word is true
And I’ll raise my hands up higher
Lord it’s my desire
To live my life for you
Just give me the strength to endure all this
For another day



One day I’ll worship you in Glory
And I’ll be free
Free from all this hurt I’ve known

Cause I don’t wanna give up hope Lord
I wanna see this thing through
I know your word is true
And I’ll raise my hands up higher
Lord it’s my desire
To live my life for you
Lord I live my life for you
My life for you
And I'll raise my hands up higher
Lord it's my desire
To live my life for you
Just give me the strength to endure all of this
Just give me the strength to endure all of this
Just give me the strength to endure all of this
For another day
For another day


For another day

Quotes

Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.
- Charles Mingus

Quotes

True peace only comes from the Prince of Peace.
John 16:33

Quotes

Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities.
-Terry Josephson

update on Terry

Terry met with his counselor today.  She has given him two more weeks before she will re-evaluate his return and clearance to work.  He is a bit down because he needs the income to meet rent and buy food (he was dropped from the food stamps program here in Texas).  We are not sure what the process is and what causes all this confusion, but evidently one department has information that is not being transferred to another so they thought he was (still) working.  If you want, send him a note/text message or give him a call to encourage him to not give up.

Quotes

It is better to sleep on things beforehand than lie awake about them afterward.
― Baltasar Gracian

Real Simple Daily Thought

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.
― Bernard Meltzer

thoughts...

One of my blogging friends wrote an excellent post today.  It struck me how easily she can write what she is thinking, what she is feeling, and simply just share what is on her heart.  Am I afraid to do this?  Do I open myself up for God's soul searching and pruning of me?  If you want to read the full post, you can do so here, but I want to share with you the main thought (copied from her blog with permission):

You are enough because of Me.

The biggest hurdle for me right now, today, is to get it through my thick skull and scarred up heart that I am enough because of Him.  There is no “if only” or “but” or “however” or any of that… that’s it. I am enough because of Him.

Lord God, please snap the prefixes off my [in]security and [un]belief. I want to walk in the security and fullness You came to give me, and never doubt it one second.



Thank you Heather for your post! May the Lord bless you greatly as you open your heart and strive to please him...

July 2010 Adult Verse Night

Proverbs 14:15
A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.  NIV

song ~ lead me

Lead Me
by Sanctus Real

I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling
But on the inside, I can hear her saying...

Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?
Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone



I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They're just children from the outside
I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine
They're in independent
But on the inside, I can hear them saying...

Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?
Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone



So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up
I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone
Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Real Simple Daily Thought

Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.
― John Lennon

Lonely Poem

A few years ago, I was participating in weekly young people events where we got together every Friday night and/or Sunday night.  At these events, someone would share their testimony, we would read from a book that someone felt had a lesson to be learned or would enspire us, we did a bible study on a certain subject and broke out in groups to discuss, we played bible games, or we were assigned a project.  In this case, it was to write a poem and then share it.  This was the poem I wrote.  I was reminded of it recently when trying to help someone deal with lonliness so I thought I would share it.

Lonely

Lonely tho I feel
Lonely tho I be
Lonely tho I stay
I know you walk with me.

Lonely tho I wish I wasn’t
Alone still will I be
Unless I remember still to trust
You’ll always be with me.

March 2003 - MWG

Quotes

Chasing happiness will send it flying ahead, always just out of reach. Try sitting quietly and, like a butterfly, it may alight upon you.

~Nathaniel Hawthorne

...and I associate it with 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.

(this was posted by a friend on Facebook and I had to repost)

update on Terry

Terry made it home to Texas!

CHECK OUT the giveaway!!!

I follow Michael Hyatt's blog and he has written an excellent post on Leadership and Forgiveness Part I.  He is also giving away 100 copies of The Heart Mender: A Story of Second Chances. I am not familiar with this author, but would love to win the book and read it. 

CHECK OUT the giveaway!!!

two Rachel Ashwell books, autographed!  this is a giveaway I really want...really hope I win...but since I don't win things, I probably will just have to be content with having the opportunity to enter and browse online blogs like this one for ideas & inspiriation!

update on Terry

I spoke with Terry this morning on my drive to work.  He was on the road, having left at 5am leaving Flagstaff, AZ today.  He was cheery, quite chatty and hopeful he wouldn't get sleepy as he tries to make it all the way to Texas today.

Quotes

I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense.
― Harold Kushner