Galveston

I was born in Galveston. I have always wanted to go but never got the opportunity until this last October. A close friend of mine and I went down and spent the weekend there while the hubby stayed home with the kids. We had a blast!

The beaches there are so awesome. The salt in the air and the sound of crashing waves on the shore reminded me so much of growing up near the gulf. I didn't realize how much I missed living that close to the beach until then. In the mornings I would wake up and go sit outside on the condo balcony. The view and the sound of the waves helped my mind to wander aimlessly and rhapsodize on various subjects. Napping, reading and playing in the waves were so much fun and relaxing. Eating at new places - especially the Old Mexican Cafe - was great. We even rode Segways and toured a neighborhood and then rode on the sea wall. I loved every minute of it.

Now when I get stressed or overwhelmed my mind plays back to my time in Galveston and of course the song singing in my head is always "Some beach... some where.. there's a big umbrella casting shade over an empty chair... "

View from Murdock's Pier

Yep, it's a healthy buffet - Chinese!

View from Condo in the morning

The Segways we rode

A three wheel car!

South Texas Trip

Monday September 24th Alex, Katie and I headed down to Kerrville Texas to visit our aunt and uncle. It took us about 11 hours to get down there. Our drive down was lots of fun. We stopped at rest areas with parks and played. We chilled at a couple of picnic areas. Played at a restaurant (probably McDonalds). A very enjoyable trip down for sure.

We also had so much fun while we were there. Playing in a park near the Guadalupe river. Taking drives during the kids' nap time in surrounding areas since they wouldn't sleep in the house. There are such beautiful hills and sights around there. We conquered one of the hills on our daily mile walks around the neighborhood. We loved visiting with our family and their three schnauzers. Alas, all good things must eventually end.

When we headed home on Saturday September 29th I had no idea our trip would end with a 14 hour stress filled drive. It rained the entire drive which meant no stops to play in the parks or chill outdoors. We got lost after leaving a McDonalds during an intense part of the storm. And worse of all in Jared Texas we needed assistance from the local police and fire department to come get Katie out of the truck.

Yep. I was *that* mother. Granted the whole event took maybe 20 minutes, but at the time it sure felt like it took hours. After filling up with gas I pulled Alex out of the back seat and shut and locked the doors. Then I walked around to get Katie. Guess what? Yes you guessed it. Her doors were locked. Locked up nice and tight. No biggie. I'll just get my keys... oh yeah, those keys along with my cell phone are sitting on the drivers' seat right next to the other locked doors. Can we say complete and total panic??? Being the rational person I am my first response was to check my shoes to see if I had heels on to break a window. Nope, rubber sole tennis shoes - not helpful. My next thought was the tire jack but it was dismissed just as quickly due to the fact it was under the back seat where my beautiful daughter sits.

I rushed inside the gas station and asked them for help calling a locksmith. Of course they didn't have a pay phone and the entire time I was panicking and watching the truck through the huge glass windows while they searched for a number. I told them what was going on and requested they call the police or fire department. The cashier was kind enough to call using her cell phone and Lt. Thompson answered the call and immediately sent the fire department out. The fire department quickly used their tools to unlock my door and let me get my beautiful baby girl out. They were of course concerned with the possibility of scratching the paint on the truck but I flat out told them they could break all the windows or scratch any of the paint they needed to for me to have my girl back.

Filling out the paperwork and answering the questions for the fire and police departments took longer than what the whole incident did. They amused me by asking where my husband was and one fire department man actually made a comment about my husband "letting me" take such a big trip with two toddlers. They were all very kind and helpful and I am so grateful they were there. By the way, you will be happy to know there are no warrants for my arrest in Texas or Louisiana. Yep, I laughed when they told me that.

We finally arrived home late that night after many, many hours of stress filled driving and stops. I am so thankful for my friends who let me ramble on the phone with them about everything I could think of my last two hours of the trip. They helped me stay awake when I was overwhelmed with exhaustion.

It was a fun trip but I am very glad that the next trip I make down there will be in my new minivan. Not only does it have a lot more room than the extended cab truck, but it does not have manual locks so I will hopefully never again think a door is unlocked already and find out it is not.

Short Yarns

Want to exercise your creative wings and do a little writing? How about read others' short stories? Go to : http://shortyarns.wordpress.com/ and follow the blog today! Two writers and some crafty friends joining together to provide motivation, inspiration, accountability and some good ol' fashion fun.  Today's prompt is listed below!

Pick a bad habit you have, write about a character that has the same bad habit but only worse. Write about how that bad habit gets your character into some serious trouble.

Prissy the Procrastinator
Why do today what can be put off to tomorrow was the motto she lived by. Living in a house built by her great-grandparents over 100 years ago, Prissy the procrastinator was never one to let her motto get her down. Her yard stayed overgrown with weeds so tall you couldn't see the front door. Every six months or so the city would come and mow it and leave a bill on her door, adding to the collection of bills already piled up. Her mailbox was so full the post mistress had put a hold on Prissy's mail years ago. The utilities had not been on since her parents added them to her responsibilities. The roof on the house leaked every time it rained, dripping down walls and helping the mold growth. Prissy knew the roof needed to be replaced, the house cleaned, the mold killed, and probably a total renovation needed to happen. That would all wait for another day. Every morning Prissy woke up to a beautiful sunrise and thought about all the things she needed to do. Then she rolled over knowing those things will be there tomorrow.



Go to http://shortyarns.wordpress.com/ to share your responses or to see others' responses!

Friends

The Lord has blessed me with such awesome friends. They're all wise Christian women who have helped guide me. I want to write a little about each of them, but only a few per blog entry.

This particular lady has watched Alex for me numerous times. She cracks me up with her sense of humor and puts me in awe with her creativity. Her little.. oops.. almost slipped... child is adorable and brilliant and I love watching this child and Alex play together. This lady's heart is full of love and soft. She takes the problems of her friends on as though she could possibly solve them. This is a new budding friendship, not long planted and I look forward to seeing it as it grows throughout the years.

The next lady on my list has also watched Alex for me numerous times. Even with her overwhelming schedule she makes time to watch him for hours on end. She and I can talk about anything, including Chinese food,  bidets and cannibalism. She gives Godly wisdom to me and speaks God's Word so there's never any doubt. She makes me think before I act and is teaching me how to have a softer, more loving heart. She's honest with her words and does not ease into controversial conversations yet is always reminding me that I'm not the only one she's speaking to.

I have a lady who has been a friend of mine for about 10 years. We don't always get to talk but when we do we always understand one another and can help each other look at things from a different perspective. She's so young at heart (and looks.. I think she looks younger than me!), she makes me forget her age. She makes me laugh and is great for any trip. Even soaking our feet in a hot tub in the middle of a cold night is fun with her. Her capacity to love and devotion to try to help others inspires me.

Another lady I bring up is my favorite shopping buddy. Whether it's midnight, 5 a.m., or 1 p.m., we always have fun. I don't get to see her half as often as I'd like, but when I do it's as though not much time has slipped by. She is wise beyond her years. She works hard and shows a dedication to the people she serves that images Christ's love.

To talk to this lady is a miracle indeed. Though time passes so quickly and we're more likely to get a 5 minute conversation in only if the sun, the kids, and the houses are just right, it's as if we talk all the time. She is the one I know I can confide anything to and she can always relate. She's been there, done that, or is doing that. She shares her Godly wisdom in love but also with such a sense of humor one can't help but laugh. She epitomized a minister's wife long before it was a concept. Even through her hectic schedule she always manages to serve and minister to others.

These are just a few of my closest friends. There are ones not listed that I eat lunch with every blue moon, that I go shopping with when they're not overwhelmed working a million details out, or that I just exchange messages with via phone, email, and Facebook. They're all important to me and I love them all dearly. And one day soon, I'll write more about them.

A Roller Coaster of a Week

This week has been so up and down. Morning are great starting off with time with God, but after that it's a free for all. Monday was the least dramatic with it mainly being emotional as I tried to list our dogs all over the internet and anywhere in town so that we could find new homes for them. Tuesday was a visit to the doctor's for my bi-weekly check up. An appointment that would've only taken about an hour took three due to the electronic medical records transition and the ultrasound lab tech being backed up. Side note: still having a little girl!

Next was Wednesday. It was such a day, it deserves it's own paragraph! Started off with taking the smaller of our dogs to the vet to get her vaccines up to date. First I couldn't find her collar so I improvised by using a slip leash. Minute I get her to the truck, she somehow gets out of the leash and runs. I chased her down, put her in the truck and then headed to the vet. At the vet, I was tugged in one direction by a 33 pound dog on a leash and in another by a 26-27 pound toddler holding my hand. Ended up having to pick up Alex to get us inside the vet's office. Then with my hands obviously overloaded as is, the lady asks me to fill out paperwork on the dog. So I put Alex down and the diaper bag down to start filling it out. Next thing I know, the dog has pooped on the floor and my dear son is just about in the midst of it to investigate. I barely grab him up in time and then had to wait for them to come and clean it up before I could fill out the paperwork. After that, the only thing that occurred was Alex having a HUGE tantrum when the dog was pulled back for her shots and he couldn't go. An uneventful 20 minutes back home and I was ready to chill for an hour or so. Not. Happening. I glance at my email and notice one from Alex's music teacher. That's when it hits me: Music class has been moved up a day this week, and it starts in 20 minutes! I had just enough time to scrub my hands gather Alex and back out the door we went. Arrived at music class and Alex manages to run 5 feet, trip and smack his face/head on the hardwood floors. Poor baby was more upset over the fall than physically hurt. The rest of the class Alex was determined not to participate. On the way to the truck after class, one of my flip flops broke. We didn't have time to run back to the house so I decided to just buy a pair at Target since I needed to pick up my prescription anyway. Target was not too bad. I didn't get out of there until 11:15 due to a customer asking random questions about every product she bought. For instance, my favorite question, she asked if a botanical shampoo she was purchasing was organic. I just had to shake my head. Finally out of there and on our way to Shreveport where we're supposed to meet a friend for lunch at 11:30 (yep, I was running late at this point). 11:40 find us sitting in the parking lot of Posados off Bert Kouns waiting for a response from the texts and calls made to her. At this point, I'm starting to get really worried because I know it's not like her to not respond. I call her mom (yep, her mom) to see if she's heard from her. She hasn't so she starts getting ready to head over there and check on her, also notifying the boyfriend so we can really bombard the poor lady! The boyfriend manages to get her attention. Poor girl has been working so many crazy shifts in the ER, she overslept. Glad that she's okay, I wait it out in the truck with Alex napping in the back for her and her mom to come eat at Posados. I love these two ladies so much. It was definitely the highlight of the day, followed by fun shopping. Alex and I arrived home about 3:30ish. He was of course cranky due to not having as long of a nap as usual, so I had lots of fun managing whiny, temper tantrum boy. That pretty much sums up Wednesday!

On to Thursday, which wasn't a bad day per say. Started off nice and quiet. Then I was chewed out via e-mail for even thinking of placing my dogs in the pound and slammed by a public ad on Craigslist for the same thing. After two hours of emails back and forth to the lady who chewed me out, we finally got to a point where she understood where I was coming from and is helping me find a home for the dogs and also find cheaper options for their vaccines and such. I love when I get to see God's Word proven: "A kind word turns away wrath." Prov. 15:1 Even though I wanted to jump right back at her, I purposely stayed calm and prayed before, during, and after reading and writing each e-mail. As always, He was faithful and the situation was resolved with just a little drama. Emotionally exhausted after that (I don't handle drama well), Alex and I just curled up and chilled for the rest of the afternoon. Rob came home about 5:30ish and had to get the mail for me since wasps had taken over our mailbox. He comes in bearing a letter from my mom. She (and my brother) had been arrested earlier this week and she wanted me to come bond her out. Even worse, in this letter she writes that she knows I don't want to have anything to do with her and if I do this for her she promises to never bother me again. What????? My protective and loving husband is mad because she's the one who has ignored our phone calls and texts, yet the minute she's in trouble she immediately calls me to help get her out. I'm upset thinking where does she come up with this paranoia mess?!? Of course, I'm sure being an alcoholic helps this along. I call the prison she's being held in just to discover my brother and she have both already made bond. Now I'm trying to pray and think about how I should respond to her letter.

Today is going well. I need to go to Walmart - time to overspend. Right now if you'll excuse me I need to go deal with a toddler having a tantrum because he doesn't want me to change his dirty diaper. Praying for an awesome day to end this roller coaster week!

Oh My Aching Feet...and Head!

Today I spent a few hours shopping with two good friends. I am learning there is so much stuff for little girls! I have always enjoyed buying things here and there for a little girl, but to plan on a one in my house?!? Whole other story! There are so many times when I'm looking and trying to decide on what to get, which size and how much to spend that I just want to run out the door screaming. I remember being overwhelmed when Alex was due. I remember having to start from scratch in deciding all baby stuff. Quite frankly, I think that was less stressful than just trying to decide one little girl's wardrobe. Tights. Headbands. Barrettes. Dresses. Gowns. Light pink. Dark pink. Hot pink. Orange pink. It's enough to drive anyone crazy.

I am so grateful to my friends who are helping me through this. With their advice, support, and just calming presence they bless me and help keep me sane. I'm sure I'm driving them crazy with my topic jumping, over-doing, and just plain hysteria but they come across as bearing it well.

While part of me can't wait to see my little girl, Katherine Grace aka Katie, another part of me is very thankful that I have a few months before that happens. Hopefully, by the time Katie arrives I'll have everything straight and ready..at least for the first few months!

A Sacrifice Worth Making

I am not Catholic, and up until the last few years, I always thought Lent was for Catholics only. Each year I learn of more and more people making sacrifices in remembrance of the greatest sacrifice of all. This year, I am feeling compelled to make a sacrifice myself. What will it be? The few hours of TV I watch each week? Facebook? Emails? Reading? Each takes precious time away from something else I could spend time doing. They each have too much control in my life, control I allow them to have.

Walking a Christian life is not easy. It's full of temptations that come in many forms. It's hard to walk in the path of Christ when you feel you are the only one. That is why it is always good to have prayer partners, Bible studies, and a wonderful church family. Accountability to your fellow Christian brother or sister is very important. It can make the difference of someone doing just enough to get by, and someone who is experiencing all God has to offer in full force.

My dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to hold me accountable for this time. I pray for the next six weeks I'll use the time that I would normally take on Facebook and spend it on something honoring Christ and/or my family. Praying my relationship with Jesus is much stronger at the end of this.

The Potters' Hands

Ever felt crushed by the world around you? I know I have. There have been times I have felt completely annihilated to the point it hurt to breathe. I know we have all been there at one time or another, whether its through the loss of loved ones, loss of jobs and financial struggles, or just the battle of making it through the day without drama, depression, or sometimes even a substance crutch. In one way or another, we have felt crushed. 

Today, my heart was lead to read Jeremiah 18:4 

"But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, 

so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over." NLT

God is the potter. He is the only one who can allow the world around us to crush us. When He allows such things, it's to make us a better vessel. On March 2, 1998, after my grandmother's passing, I felt as though my heart was crushed entirely, my lungs unable to take full breaths, and my mind unable to even process a single thought. For a little over a year, I made bad decisions one after another. I threw away values and morals I had upheld for years as if they no longer mattered. Worse of all, I turned away from God in my time of pain, refusing to allow Him to help me and spurning those who would dare suggest I do otherwise. 


When I finally started to turn my life back around, I still continued to be apathetic towards God. I was not purposely turning my back against Him, I just was not running towards Him either. Still, He continued to be with me. I have always known that. I knew that the entire time I lived in my crushed state. When I finally started praying again, and asking for His hand to be in my life, my entire world changed. I no longer felt crushed. I no longer struggled with my shame over the mistakes I made after my grandmother's passing. I began to take shape into a new vessel. A better vessel. 


I am not by any means perfect. I know God is continually working on me to become an better vessel tomorrow than I am today. He will always be working on me. I know I will be crushed at times. I also know He knows what is best for me, and will always have His hands around me to help keep me malleable, stable, and protected. 

"But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed 

say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the 

potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for 

special purposes and some for common use?" 

Romans 9:20-21 NLT

Door Keeper To The Lord's House

Amazing how something as simple as holding the door open for people can adjust your outlook. As I spent 45 minutes opening the door for people coming to watch our church's Christmas program, I had so many people show me the true meaning of kindness. There were men who kept trying to hold the door for me, proving there are still gentlemen in the world. Women who would say the kindest words about how gorgeous I looked and how sweet I was. I needed those words when I was feeling nauseous, standing in 30 degree weather with the wind blowing like crazy! And then there was the best words that I kept hearing over and over, different versions of the verse about being a door keeper in the Lord's house. When I arrived home, I promptly looked up the verse they were telling me about. 

"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; 

I would rather be a door keeper in the house of my God 

than dwell in the tents of the wicked." Psalm 84:10 

After reading that, all I could think is wow, how awesome that God gave me the privilege to do such an awesome job. To be a servant at His house. Each time someone would quote that verse to me, in so many different variations, I just kept thinking that it is so true. There is no where I would rather be than at the door of God's house, letting His people in. 

Are You Multi-Task Functional?

Making appointments on the phone. Changing diapers. Checking email. Washing dishes. Doing laundry. Getting dressed. All at the same time. Ladies, I know you hear me. You've been there, done that and are probably doing it again tomorrow. I find it amazing that every woman I talk to is always in the midst of a dozen other tasks while on the phone.

What would happen in our lives if we only did one thing at a time? Rob, my loving husband, has been telling me to just do one thing at a time all day today as I stress over a million things. I thought I'd give it a try. What happened? First let's go over what didn't happen. Laundry didn't. Dishes didn't. Truck windshield didn't. The list goes on. What did happen is that the truck received a new emissions vent solenoid, the windshield was priced and date set to have it done, groceries were bought, and half the plants I bought the other day were planted. Oh, and of course Alex was fed, played with and loved on.

Part of me is not happy that I didn't accomplish more. Most of me is feeling a lot less stressed than if I did manage to get everything done. Verdict: I am multi-task functional but sometimes it's just better to do things one at a time. So are you multi-task functional?

Wisdom in the Midst of Confusion

The phone rings. There's a voice on the line you haven't heard in years. Offers are made. Choices now have to follow. In the midst of all this, one question becomes prominent. How do I make the wisest decision? Prayer. Advice. Listening. Waiting. God will provide the answer. 


How many times do we have major decisions sneak up on us? How do we know we're making the right decision? That we are following God's plan for our lives? Or does the plan adjust depending on the choices we make? 

"A wise man will hear and increase learning, 
      And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel" Proverbs 1:5 NKJV

I have so much on my mind this evening, it is hard for me to put it all into words. Needless to say, I have an important choice to make. I pray for God's wisdom and for me to hear a clear answer through wise counsel. 

Clutter Hog

I am such a clutter hog. I hang onto magazines, articles, knick knacks, clothes, shoes, and just about anything else you imagine. I receive 4-6 magazines a month through the mail. I only read one sometimes two on average each month. Why do I bother? I have no idea. I guess I think I'll miss something. So about every six months or so I do a crash reading of magazines. It takes me a couple of weeks to clear them all out. Same with newspaper articles that catch my eye. I read them, enjoy them, cut them out, and I'm *supposed* to file them (rarely goes this far). Usually they just pile up in one of my 'spots' until I clean which results in me moving them to another spot, typically to the office which is a whole room devoted to piles of paperwork for me to file. Oh how this list of different things I collect could go on.

The question is how do I get motivated to clear all this clutter out? I am very good at the starting part of it but then I get distracted and forget what I was doing or where I was. It then feels too insurmountable to tackle so I just remove the pile out of my sight and close the door. Well, no more! I am officially going on a clutter diet! I will catch up on my magazines. Any magazines older than three months will be tossed without me worrying about missing something. I will file all those articles floating around. I will declutter this house. First I just need to find an article to help me out. Now which pile is that in?

Some of The Idioms in My Life

This blog jumps around a lot. I just found random idioms from online, jotted them down and wrote sentences or paragraphs on how I feel they apply to my life. Please know that some of this is tongue in cheek and without a doubt your guess is as good as mine on why I felt the urge to do this. And all idioms are in bold!

A watched pot never boils. I can tell you from experience a watched pot will eventually boil, but a pot without a fire under it will never boil. I have a habit of putting a pot on one burner and turning a different burner on. Fifteen minutes later, I figure out what I've done and rectify the problem. I wonder how many things in my life are on the wrong burner. I can say that my service to God is not on the right burner. Though my prayers and Bible reading are, somehow I haven't quite moved back into action quite yet. Work in progress though!

Okay, confession time: I am an impulse shopper. I see something that sparkles, I snatch it right up as if I can not live without it another second. Then I bring it home, don't figure out how to utilize it, and the next thing you know it's piled up in my garage waiting on my eventual garage sale. That brings us to the following idiom: a penny saved is a penny earned. How true this is! These past two years I have had to get used to not working, living on one salary, making AND following a budget. Here's the nifty thing: I'm actually doing it! I follow Crown Financial (crown.org) and Dave Ramsey's (daveramsey.com) financial guidelines though I must admit that I adjust them to fit our lifestyles. I use coupons and sales ads. I plan our meals. I plan our future. So when I save a penny, I know I have earned it!

Flylady, a wonderful woman who put together books, website, and cleaning supplies tells you everything you need to do to help run your house as a efficiently as possible. One of her things is to shine your sink. There's even a method to this, according to her. http://flylady.net/pages/FLYingLessons_Shine.asp. I listen to some of the things she says. I do her bathroom swish and swipe frequently (not daily as suggested). I do a load of laundry daily to keep the CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome away). Somehow I manage to do those regularly, but never manage to get to the sink. Hence I chose this idiom: Everything but the kitchen sink. Appropriate, don't you agree?

When Alex was born, he slept in a co-sleeper in our room. Rob and I switched sides of the bed so that I would be closer to him and wouldn't have to stumble all around the room to get to him when he woke. We have never managed to switch back as of yet, so this next idiom applies to me daily. Get up on the wrong side of the bed. I manage to do that everyday, yet I don't let it get me down! By the way, just to get another idiom in, Alex spends a lot of his days acting like he's a southpaw (left-handed).

Ooh, this one is so deep. Idle hands are the devil's tools. I know this applies to me on a regular basis. When I am idle, I get lost in my own thoughts, depressed, lazy, mean-spirited, and just down right ugly. I don't do well being idle at all. One of my biggest battles I have been facing is being an ACTIVE stay at home mom. I get so bored with doing the same things day in and day out that I am more likely to get lost in books rather than clean, socialize, or take care of the home as I should. I pray daily to the Lord for motivation, guidance, and focus so that my days glorify Him and not allow me to be idle.

So that's all I'm going to randomly write about today. There's a method to my madness I'm sure, or it may just be a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Either way, I hope you don't think this is over the top and please remember Rome was not built in a day and practice makes perfect. Always remember you are what you eat, and to use your loaf. To make a long story short,  I have now run out of steam so I am flying by the seat of my pants out of here.

Girls Night!

So I joined some ladies for an all girls evening last night. It was loads of fun! We watched a Barbra Streisand movie called "The Mirror Has Two Faces". Lots of laughs! There were some parts that really got me to thinking. When you look in the mirror, do you see who you really are or who everyone says you are? I would love to say I see who I really am, but I don't know that is true. For years I've been told things about my appearance that I have come to just accept as though they are true.

God sees us in such different eyes than we see ourselves. Covered in Jesus's blood, I am perfect in His eyes. He loves me and He thinks I am beautiful. He loves everyone and thinks everyone is beautiful. How do I know this? I know this because He created us in His own image and He said it was good. Now to only see myself the way He does, how I pray that someday I will.

Election Day

Today I have stared at the map of the United States on CNN's website showing Republicans taking control of the House. I am so thrilled with this change. Yet I feel this change is not enough. Sure it's great a different party is in control and I no longer have to listen to a certain woman's ignorance as house speaker, but I want so much more than Republicans being in control. I want Christ following Republicans in control. I want men or women who pray every day for our country, who delve into God's Word for guidance and wisdom, and who honor God in all aspects of their life. I want our country to have examples of Christ's love working for it everyday so that more and more people will be drawn to Christ. I want it all. What about you? 


For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:9-14

Clean House

Every time I take a trip out of town, doesn't matter for how long or how far, I have to clean my house. It's irrelevant if I just cleaned it the day before, or that it's going to get messed up before I even leave, I still feel the need to do it. So today, I have spent hours doing floors, dusting, cleaning glass, and vacuuming. Tomorrow, I will probably do the same. Well, close enough to the same. I'll dust some more, probably decide I need to do my baseboards, or something nonsensical as that. I'll wash all the bedding then probably decide that I need to do the curtains too. The funny thing? I'll only be gone for a few days, and when I return... I'll do all of it over again. Why? It doesn't matter how long or how far I have gone, when I come home I have to clean my house.

Stifled Creativity

You know that feeling that you can create anything? If you're a writer, you feel that you can write for hours and you have so much to say. If you're a painter, you have a million pictures in your head that you want to create. On and on it goes for scrap bookers, photographers, gardeners, floral arrangers, and all other creators out there. Well, I had three or four days that I felt I could write about anything. There's plenty of inspiration in the world around me. Then yesterday I did something I hadn't done all week. I turned on the TV. Now every time I sit here to write something that inspires me all I can do is hum the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song. It's enough to drive a person insane. So today I devote my day to no TV and hopefully by tonight or tomorrow, I'll feel inspired again!

Tiara Time

Better Homes & Garden magazine did a calendar with ideas from Life's Too Short by Lisa Quinn. In this book part of what she recommends is wearing a tiara when you want your family to leave you alone. She said that way your family knows that it's Queen Mum's time. It got me to thinking. Now granted, I haven't been a mom for long, but do you really need a tiara to have time of your own?

Rob, my wonderful husband, has been so good to me. I get time to myself every evening, because of him. He works six days a week, and yet he still will take over watching Alex for me to go take a hot bath, curl up with a book, or read magazines. Granted, a lot of days I don't do any of those things. Instead I am usually washing dishes, rotating laundry, folding clothes, or returning correspondence. It's hard to be a woman. We have so many roles we fill. Wife. Mother. Employee. Employer. Child of God. The list goes on and on. Yet how many times have you thought to wear a tiara to get a break from these roles?