Are you ready for ANSWERED prayers?

Back in the '90s, when Garth Brooks was at his pinnacle of success, he released a song "Unanswered Prayers".  It's a cute song, and despite the fact that its (gasp!) secular, really did help me as a young Christian put into perspective Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

I'm thankful for the unanswered prayers.  I'm also thankful for answers that I didn't even know I had a question for! But that's another post and I want to share with you tonight an answered prayer that I honestly was not prepared to be answered.  I know, I know - I'm the wife of a minister, I should have faith enough for this right?  Well, let me tell you - it's a LOT easier for me to have faith for you in your situation (or any other sister in theirs), but it's a WHOLE 'nother matter for me to have faith for MY situation.

My hubby is out of town for the week at the South GA Church of God Campmeeting. (BTW, I posted a link to watch the services live, but the correct link is 2012 South GA Campmeeting Live Stream)  We have a situation we are praying through right now, and I could sense in his voice one of the 5 millions times I called him today (not really 5 million, but I do miss him) a sort of down-on-myself, I'm-not-worthy kind of attitude about some tasks that the Lord has set before him.  I tried to encourage him, and even quoted scripture to him (Did I really do that?? Seriously, he's a minister.  He knows those scriptures already!! LOL).  I could tell it was going in one ear and out the other.  Maybe he felt that I'm his wife, so I was SUPPOSED to say that, right?  We've all felt that way about some sort of advice someone gave us.

So this evening, before the night service began, I started doing some house work and felt that I should spend that time praying for my husband. (Please don't think I'm June Cleaver for Ruth Graham or anything - it's nothing near as structured as that!)  And I prayed that God would encourage him in this area, and to please "make Yourself REAL to him tonight, Lord." and I prayed that God would send someone to my hubby to encourage him tonight!

Even though I was trying to watch the service, Mommyhood intervened, so I did miss some parts of the awesome message Brother David Price preached at Campmeeting tonight.  When my hubby called me after service (WAAAAY after, but I was trying to be patient, you know...) it turns out that God not only answered my prayer about being REAL to my hubby, but God also sent someone my husband trusts with a word for him AND sent a second person with a confirmation to that word!

Now we are unapologetically pentecostal. So please forgive me if I'm talking about something that makes no sense to you, but when J told me of the events that happened tonight, I was absolutely OVERWHELMED with a sense of shock and unworthiness and just gratefulness because a split-second after he told me that, I realized - Wait a minute!  That's what I prayed for!!  So I started boo-hooing and HAD to raise my hands in the middle of my living room to give thanks to my God!  Oh my Lord - that You would answer a prayer that I prayed for my husband when it's just been recently that I have been feeling led to pray more and more for him....And You answered it about this specific situation, and sent a specific person with that specific word, and I prayed that!  And You answered it!  Who am I, that you'd listen to my prayers??  But You listened!!  and You answered!!!

All this was going through my mind and through my spirit in a matter of seconds.  I'm still in awe that God would answer this prayer I prayed in such an unquestionable way!  And to think that He's the One who nudged me to pray in that way for my husband to begin with!!

Oh, God you truly do cause ALL THINGS to work together for good to me and my family, because we LOVE YOU, and we are CALLED for YOUR purpose!

Are you ready to listen for His still, small voice - nudging you to pray for this person or that situation just so that you can see how He's going to work it out for good?

Surprise - Country Themed Wedding/Anniversary Party!!

We were finally able to (almost) surprise my parents with their 40th anniversary party this weekend.  Now, my family is not one of those families where everyone is happy all the time, so of course there was some drama, but I can honestly say that we all enjoyed revisiting old memories and even made some new ones! :-)  My cousin Sara was sweet enough to take pics, so as soon as she edits and uploads them I can post more for you.  In the mean time, I will share some of the preparations with you!

We chose a country theme (not country-western...just country!  There IS a difference, as I learned from my little sister!).  And these are the invitations we sent out:

The verse above the bow says: SHHHHH!!!!  It's a Surprise Party, so don't tell a soul!  Tommy and Cheryll have made it to ruby, now they're headed to gold!

I used burlap (which I bought online by the bolt so we could have plenty for decor and such) and ivory-colored cardstock, with jute twine tied around the cardstock.  To adhere the cardstock to the burlap, I just used double-sided tape and to adhere the bow and string of twine around the cardstock, I used Tacky Glue.  Because of the bow, the USPS couldn't send the invitations through their machines, so we had to pay extra postage for each of the invitations (still only $0.65, though).  The envelopes were just catalog-style 6x9 envelopes from office depot that I used an inkpad in "weathered burlap" (I think is the name of the color) to make it look like wood slats.  I actually came upon that technique/look by accident, but hey, it worked!! ;-)

For favors, we decided to make coasters!  Our cousin (another one - I have about 3 million cousins...) Amanda (btw, Amanda also did a CRAZY amount of work for the party, too!! We SOOOO could not have done this without her!!) donated about 130 tiles for me to customize.  My sister and I chose to put a "love" themed quote on each coaster.  Originally, I was going to design them on the computer with some country-themed artwork, but I stumbled across a burnt paper quote somewhere...probably pinterest...and fell in LOVE (pun intended) with just using a very simple primitive country font to make each quote the focal point.  Here are some pics of our work:

This is after printing, trimming and burning the quotes .  It took a while, but I love the primitive look it contributes to the tiles!  To burn paper like this just youtube "burn paper tutorial".  There's plenty of great tips out there!

My first three.    I used Mod Podge as the main adhesive/sealant and did one coat all over (brushing L-R), then placed the quote, then after the first coat dried, I did a second coat L-R, then a THIRD coating I did up and down to create a cross-hatch, fabric effect.  VERY cool, but my iPhone didn't catch that detail. ;-) THEN, because I read somewhere that the Mod Podge doesn't make it waterproof, we used a clear acrylic spray to seal it.   (Just noticing that there is a lot of blurry images below - my apologies!!  If it was too hard to read, I tried to include the quote in the caption beneath the pic)

Sorry for the blur - this is the chorus of "When You Say Nothing At All".  Notice the soot on the left.  I had to keep reminding myself that the beauty of hand-made is that not all of the items will be perfect....I still had my favorites, though!

From an Alan Jackson song -- that man writes some great love songs for married people!! LOL

One of my sister;s quotes that wound up being one of my favorites.

"A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers."  -- a quote by Ruth Bell Graham, wife of  Billy Graham.

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person" - Mignon McLaughlin 

1 Cor 13:13

1 Cor 13

A quote I found YEARS ago...I want to make me and my hubby a plaque with this on it but haven't gotten around to it yet...

Marriage is our last, best chance to grow up. - Joseph Barth

We don't have much...but we have love.  And that's enough. - me!  --Taken from the song I wrote for the parents.

Don't know where I found this, but I LOVE it!! 

"Sometimes two people have to fall apart to realize how much they need to fall back together" - source unknown 

from my FAVORITE Alan Jackson song Like Red on a Rose: "I love you like all little children love pennies.  And I love you 'cause I know that I can't do anything wrong.  You're where I belong - like red on a rose"

And this is the rows and rows of coasters by husband and friends Darin and Judy helped us to make!!

To finish the coaster, we Tacky Glued felt to the back of the tile to protect furniture surfaces.  Of course you can use these tiles for accent artwork or anything, but we kept calling them coasters, so that's what they became. ;-)

We also used mason jars as center pieces and did burlap wraps and things for them, but I will make that a post later.  Right now, I must find my bed!  It's been a CRAZY weekend and my hubby is going to be gone this next week to the South GA Church of God Campmeeting (he's leading worship Wednesday morning!!  Follow the link to watch live!!) so I will be single-parenting-it this week since my son's school doesn't celebrate their last day of school until FRIDAY!  Sheez...I don't know of any other school district in session this late...

Hope you have a GREAT week!!!

A Day Off Means Work!! (Don't miss this tip!)

As with most working moms out there, my day off today consisted of a considerable amount of work!  I did get to "sleep in" for an extra hour this morning, though.  I use that term loosely because my time "sleeping in" was peppered with Col asking "can I get up now?", "Can I play my DS?", can I do this...that...etc, etc.  I finally gave up and started my day. :-)

So, now nearly ALL the laundry in my house is DONE, we've installed a new faucet in the kitchen and bathtubs, toilets, and floors have been cleaned.  But what I'm MOST proud of today is my SHINY SINK!!!

I really should have taken a "before" picture, but here's my sink now:

Yes, I have a cow on my sink.  It's been on every sink we've had since we were first married.  Back then, I wanted to do my kitchen in a black & white country farm kind of theme, but we couldn't afford to go out and by all new things.  My husband happened upon this toy cow at a yard sale and bought it for 25-cents so that I could have something black & white/cow/farm related in my kitchen. We've changed our kitchen decor a dozen times since then, but that cow goes with us where ever we go! :-)

I used the "shiny sink" method from flylady.net.  It is a VERY thorough cleaning that I have used in every place we've lived since I learned about it years ago.  We've been renters for more than 10 years, and while I'm not usually germ-o-phobic, the thought of using sinks without doing this really does make me cringe.  :/

So, I encourage all my readers who are renters or ministry wives with housing provided by the church to check out the flylady's method for shining your sink.  Even if you think your sink is clean already. :-) Here's the link for that: Flying Lessons: Shiny Sink.  (BTW, even if you own your own place and have for years, still check it out!!  While you're there browse around the flylady's site.  It's very helpful for any domestic engineer, whether you work outside the home or not.)

Since I love my readers so much that I gave you the link to see how to make your sink shiny, I won't bore you by regurgitating what that link will tell you.  I will, however, give you a few pointers that I've learned (I may have even learned them from the flylady and just don't remember...regardless, I'm sharing my knowledge anyway.) :-)

• The entire process will take more than two hours to complete, BUT each side needs to soak in the hot water/bleach mixture for an hour, so most of that time is just waiting.  It helps to have laundry available for while you're waiting. ;-)  
• Speaking of laundry, wear something you don't mind being ruined.  No matter how careful I think I will be, I still manage to get some bleach of some sort on my shirt & then get angry with myself.  Don't say I didn't warn you!
• Read all the instructions before you get started.  (probably should have put this one first, right???)
• DON'T BE AFRAID to use brillo/steelwool pads in your stainless steel sink!  What she tells you to do WILL NOT hurt your sink, I promise.
• If you have a shiny chrome faucet (like my new one above), I wouldn't use the steel wool pad on that -- I've never tried it, but I'm thinking that, unlike your sink, the chrome faucet WILL get hurt by the steel wool.  
• Use a sharp knife for the nasty crud/lime that may have built up over the year.  And be ready to put some elbow grease into it!  My cleaning the sink actually logged me about 24-minutes of activity on my body bugg, but my sink looks awesome!
• Flylady mentions that if your sink still doesn't look as good as you wanted, you can use certain types of oil to sort of "polish" it.  I've never used the oils, because my sinks always wound up looking great anyway.  Let me know if you try it and like the oil better.
• After you finish cleaning your sink, keep it up throughout the year.  The easiest way is to wipe your sink dry everytime you use it! I know, I know, that seems completely weird...and kind of OCD...but think about it - you know how those water spots on your really nice glasses irritate you when you unload the dishwasher (or dish drainer)?  Water spots will dull your stainless steel sink too!  And when people come over and don't see even a water spot, guess who just became the best housekeeper on the block? LOL

So, there you have it!  My first post about housekeeping.  When you try this, make sure to take a before/after pic if you're able, and post it in the comments for me to see!!

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!!

Saturday List - Blogs & Sites

Yes, I know there's a place on my sidebar for this, but I wanted to give you a list of all kind of blogs and sites  I've found helpful and just plain enjoyable... :-)  They are in no particular order and you'll find all kinds of topics, from fitness to Chrisitanity, to motherhood, to crafting.... I'm sure there's something for (nearly) everyone in this Saturday List!!

fittipdaily.com == This site is a GREAT resource for all kinds of tips - from exercise to nutrition to even style & Hollywood.  I've set it as a favorite and check in every few days for whatever little nuggets the crew at fittipdaily.com have for me.
sparkpeople.com == You've seen me write about this before, but the fact is you can't beat a FREE resource for tracking food and fitness.  Honestly, even though I use my bodybugg and its software/program, I still use sparkpeople for my nutrition tracking.  Sparkpeople's food tracker has probably the LARGEST collection of foods to choose from & will allow you to add a recipe or food that's not listed.  When you do that, it's put into the collection so all the other sparkpeople.com members have access to it, too -- I'm serious.  Mega-Info on this site!
bringingprettyback.blogspot.com == follow Kristen as she continues on her journey to bringing the "pretty" back into her life.  She's already accomplished quite a bit in the fitness/weight loss arena, and she also writes about real-world things and it's really fun just to keep up with her.  Plus, I love her radio shows that she posts!!
moneysavingmom.com == one of the first blogs I started following a couple years ago...I totally have a blogger/mommy crush on Crystal!  The subtitle of her site says "Helping You Be a Better Home Economist" - and she totally does!  She'll alert you to deals - whether they are online, in store (and most times with coupons), but she also gives tips and info for living simpler and (drum roll, please...)  DEBT FREE!  Dave Ramsey is one of her financial 'heros' and he's actually mentioned her on his show and website because she's doing such a great job equipping families today with what they need to survive (and thrive!) in today's economy.  Plus, she's a Christian, which is always refreshing in the blogging world! :-)
fussymonkeybiz.blogspot.com == One of the most recent blogs I've been following.  I LOVE how Crystal (interesting how many Crystal's this list has...) uses Proverbs 31 as part of her header on her blog.  She blogs about her family and events and such like everyone does, but she has such a talent for decorating and shabby-chic craftiness that I feel totally inspired every time I visit!
lysaterkeurst.com/  == Lysa Terkeurst is my hero for helping me to realize that my weight loss battle isn't just a flesh-and-food kind of battle.  You may remember, she is the author of Made to Crave - a book that has totally transformed my life.  On her site, she does a great job at giving day-to-day encouragement on many different topics even though she goes through many hard times herself.  She is an awesome woman of God!
eachdaygodsway.wordpress.com/ == Leah is a good friend of mine, who I'm ashamed to say I don't see NEAR as often as I want.  But she is SUCH an encouragement on her blog!  Leah's a stay-at-home mom and wife who blogs about whatever truths the Lord reveals to her, and I can tell you from experience she is full of God's grace and love for her fellow Christian sisters.
And, last but definitely not least: sharalonghorne.blogspot.com/ == Let me just say it this way:  I want to be a Shara when I grow up! LOL  Shara is full-blooded, unashamed, almost in-your-face Pentecostal & proud of it.  It's so rare to find a Pentecostal woman who is NOT a kook (or "code 24" as some my my old WHC security friends would have said), but who is confident enough in what she believes that she honestly feels like she'd be doing wrong if she DIDN'T share! But she also blogs about things that real parents in the real world are concerned about.  I love her encouragements and her teachings, and I'm sure you will too!

Hope you enjoy!!  Happy reading!!

Blessed Art

I'm getting into craftwork again! I'd forgotten how much I enjoy it and how therapeutic it can be! ;) This is a gift I made for my bff's birthday, whichbis today. I got the inspiration for it on the way home from church this morning (what? You think I procrastinate!?!?!) and this verse is super special for us because my sweet BFF is pregnant with her first child! Hope you like it! I know she did! I had to "bling" it up a little bit cause she loves her some bling! ;)

It's kinda hard to tell in this pic, but the plaque is not black-- the color is actually "oiled bronze" which goes so well with the burnt paper the verse is printed on. I also used Mod Podge, hot glue, jute twine, sandpaper to distress the wood after painting, a clear acrylic sealer spray and of course a bling-y pearl, lace, and feather rose. :)

NSV's...my own list

So, here's a list of things I'm thankful for  - things that I owe purely to my newfound commitment to fitness!

• went down a pants size
• lost 25+ lbs
• playing with my son is a lot more fun for both of us!
• when I started out a few weeks ago it took more than twenty minutes for me to walk ONE mile.  Now I'm at just under 17 minutes for walking one mile.
• I'm running at an avg speed of 4.5 on the treadmill
• people are noticing that I'm losing weight
• clothes fit much better (didn't realize how freaking tight they were till they started fitting RIGHT!)
• I actually feel worse when I DON'T exercise

And, things I need to work on:

• staying committed to healthy eating ALL day
• exercising in the morning vs. evening - it helps me drink much more water throughout the day!
• my posture (see previous post)
• walking more at work instead of being so chained to my desk ---makes me wish I could afford one of these:

A LifeSpan treadmill desk.  I want one!  But seriously, why did they have to put an old guy on there?  Don't they know that hot, fit working moms want them too?? ;-)

So that's it for the Saturday list.  Now on to my favorite grocery store for healthy food choices for the rest of the week!!

PS - we are working on something REALLY big that's got my creative juices flowing!!  So be ready for an AWESOME DIY/shabby chic kinda post coming up soon!!

Modified Couch-to-5K (& one more treat!)

This week has been a CRAZY week!  Started the week with Mother's Day, which was emotional in all sorts of ways for me, I wound up getting sick Monday, and the rest of the week I've pretty much been catching up.  My exercise program has begun to fit into a nice routine, and the couple of days I missed the exercise, I REALLY missed it! ;-)

I've been walking on the treadmill since I saw my doctor last Friday.  He believes that my headaches after exercising are caused by some muscular issues - mainly poor posture, but also enlarged trapezoid muscles in my shoulders.  The poor posture is mostly my fault, but if you've seen my maternal grandmother's family, it may very well be a bit genetic too.  So I've been VERY careful to keep better posture this week (including my neck) and it's seemed to help.

The enlarged trapezoid muscles are due mainly to my size - hopefully as I watch my posture and become more fit that will be corrected. ;-)

The trapezoid muscles can be enlarged in obese men & women, resulting in muscle strain during seemingly "normal" activities.

Given my history of having headaches after exercising, I decided that I would just walk on the treadmill for a while instead of doing the more intense boot-camp type workouts.  So, Saturday night, I got on my -determined to just keep moving - after all some movement is better than none, right?

Well it is INCREDIBLY boring to be working out for a stinkin' hour doing nothing but walking!!  So, I decided in the midst of my walk that I'd still do my couch-to-5K program --- I would just modify it!  So here's my Couch-to-5K modified program:

Week One: 3 miles (or one hour), running as fast as possible while retaining good form for 1:00 every 15minutes.
Week Two: run every 10 minutes for 1minute
Week three: run every 10 minutes for 1m30s
Week four: run every 10 minutes for 2 minutes.

I'm not sure how I will do on this "program".  My main concern is that I maintain good form while running so that I don't wind up hurting myself.  I will push myself to do more, but I will not push myself to the point of injury!

So, It's after midnight! I will update some non-scale victories in the next day or two...stay tuned!!

BTW - here is my boy and his very first science fair project!!