Nuggets

I collect sayings. Yeah I am weird. I may be reading something a verse or a poem and something just speaks to me and I have to copy it down and keep it where I can look back on it. Well, this morning, I decided to clean up my desk at the office and lo and behold I found little nuggets to brighten my morning. Here is some of what I found. If there is anyone else reading this please, please, please add some of your own!

*Stop telling God how big your storm is...instead tell your storm how big God is.
*A man is what he thinks about all day long.
*When God places a burden upon you, He places His arms beneath you.
*If you begin to live life looking for the God that is all around you, every moment becomes a prayer-Frank Bianco
*Hope is like the sun, which as we journey towards it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us. -Samuel Smiles
*Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.-Helen Keller
*Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you. 1 Peter 5:7

The gym

I started back to the gym. Let me just say that ugh- its rough. Yesterday was my first day back in 2 weeks and boy, I feel like I am starting all over again. I did not want to overdo it so after 25 minutes on the treadmill- I was outta there. Tonight was a little better than yesterday.... 20 mintues cardio plus strength training. (That's gonna hurt tomorrow!) I feel better after I go to the gym...so why is it sooo hard for me to stay motivated?

Now that I think about it....why is my spiritual life like that sometimes? I feel so much better when I take the time to soak Him up! I need to flex my spiritual muscles more instead of trying to handle everything on my own. Weight lifting takes on a whole new meaning with Jesus. I should be giving my weight to Him instead of holding onto the weight and making myself tired, out of breath and sore. When I give Him the things that weigh me down....He lifts them up and makes me feel so much stronger. Thanks to a bloggy friend that posted a wonderful reminder that that is what we all should be doing!

I think I will go flex some of that spiritual muscle right now!

I'm Back!

Yep! That's right...I am back. I know its been a while but it has been really hard getting back into the swing of things since we got back from our cruise on January 11th. Our first week back was absolutely brutal. Going back to work, trying to get the house back in order and trying not let the daily grind get the best of me is quite a task it seems.

The trip was amazing and I really feel it was the first time in a long time that I allowed myself to soak up some peace. I stayed on track for the challenge from Wendy Pope which is a great accomplishment for me. I saw some of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen and met some really interesting people. I just didn't want it to end. I came back to work that needed caught up on...laundry that had grown to something short Mount Everest and ....a family member who learned nothing from the consequences of his stealing stint last April. By Wednesday, I just wanted to turn around and go back to the islands!

Then I read today's reading from the challenge. I have it good compared to Job. But even so, Job never took his eyes off of God. That is what I want to do. So, this week that is what I want to do. I want to take my mind and my anxious thoughts off my issues and focus of God. That is a good way to start the new week. Wish me luck!

Excitement

Well, here it is at 4:30 am and I am sitting in the lobby of the Comfort Suites in F. Lauderdale. I am excited and I really can't sleep. This is very strange for me because as my husband will tell you, there isn't a time or place when I can't sleep. I love to sleep-lol. Well I think it is because I am excited and I felt that as I woke at 2 a.m. this morning the Lord was directing me to begin my day in His Word no matter how early it may be. So, here I am, I just finished my reading for today. ( I am doing the challenge Wendy Pope brought to over 1000 people for the New Year).

In todays reading I find myself sad, happy and excited all at the same time. I am sad because I look at the begining verses under Noah and he flood and I see how disappointed the Lord was with his people so many years ago. He was sorry that he ever made them and put them on the earth. How can it be that he is not that disappointed in his people today? Many of the same things happening then are still happening now- only now we have the promise of forgiveness and love and eternal life through Him. Before that though I was struck by what the Lord said to Cain in Genesis 4. Cain so angry with God because Cains sacrifice was not heart felt. His response to Cain..."You will be accepted if you do what is right....But if you refuse to do what is right...then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it." Boy did that speak to me this morning. The same words that he spoke to Cain so many years ago - he speaks to us today. We too struggle with right and wrong with pure and unpure thoughts and ways and we must learn to subdue it or it will control us. God wants so much more for our lives and this is what he desires to have a right relationship with us.

He found favor with Noah, though. And He knew that Noah desired to live and serve Him. So he spared Noah and his loved ones. Even back then he was int he business of forgiveness and grace. WOW! How wonderful is that?

I am glad that I didn't just lay in bed thinking of a bunch of things this morning...I got up, came to the lobby and read His Word and I do feel refreshed. I was concerned at first with this challenge of reading through the bible in a year because I don't follow through with a lot of things. I must admit I am afraid of failure but I know that if I keep my eyes on Him he will see me through. This of course was a challenge for the new year and I am away on vacation- (going on a cruise-we board the ship tomorrow afternoon. In my human-ness I wanted to make excuses...like well I probably won't have time...I won't have access to see what others are thinking about this same challenge and coax me along....and the excuses go on and on and on.... but then I said" There is always time and why not start this challenge in the midst of Gods wonderful creation that I have never seen before?" So here I am in awe of the opportunities that He has placed before me in this New Year already.

Thank you , Lord...as always...you know what I need more than I do.....

xo
Julie

Treasures to Ponder

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.- Luke 2:17-19

When the Christmas Day came to a close last night I decided to read once again the story of the most wonderful gift this world was ever given. I got dressed in my new comfy pajamas that I received and snuggled into bed with my bible and turned to the pages of Luke Chapter 2. There I found something that I do not remember reading before. Maybe it is because I feel like I have heard this story so many times before. I don't know but what I do know that last night...the night of the day we celebrate our Saviors birth I found something that brought a new light to the wonderful story of Christmas. The shepherds had come to see the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying there in a manger. They were so excited to tell Mary and Joseph what they had seen and heard from the angels in the field. Everyone was excited of the news. Then I came across was Mary did at this time.

Of course I could just be reading into this too much.. Have you ever been in the midst of chaos? Take for instance a holiday party or picnic...people all around...conversations and stories buzzing all around. So much going on that you just cannot focus on a task at hand. Have you ever been in the midst of chaos and then stopped, stepped back and tried took everything in like a camera trying to capture a picture? This is how I pictured Mary last night in the scripture that I read. All this excitement going on all around her and the baby and then her taking a step back and taking it all in. Treasuring up all these things so that she can savor every moment, every emotion and every expression on the face of her husband, her guests and most of all her precious baby.

We should want to live the same way. Taking each moment in like a breath of fresh air. Trying to breath in Jesus the way Mary did on this starry night. She didn't want to miss a thing and you know what? Neither do I........

Life with Bailee and Boo

Meet Bailee and Boo. Please note their apparent calm, obedient demeanor. Remember...some things aren't always what they seem.

It all started about 8 years ago. Hubby and I moved into our house and immediately hubby thought we needed to get a cat. He insisted that we needed one to help chase mice that may come in from the field that borders our property. Yeah..he really looks like a mouser doesn't he? We got Boo from a local shelter. He was already 3 years old. Truth be told...I was always more of a dog person than a cat person but Boo grew on me quickly. Three months later...enter in Bailee. Bailee was also adopted from a local shelter. She was 6 months old and full of herself and lots and lots of energy. Right from the start the two hit it off. That is of course right after Boo told Bailee that HE is the boss not her. Bailee took the news well.

Our first Christmas together as a family, I decided to be like those of our friends and family who actually have real children and decided to send Christmas cards to all our loved ones of our four legged children. The first year worked great. I got a pic of them together longingly staring out the window. Everyone loved it....and so the pressure was on for each year since. I have not come up with a pic I love more than that one...but I cannot send them the same one year after year. Well for the last 7 years hubby and I have ruined countless hours trying to get these two to cooperate with us. Some how they just know when it is Christmas card time and they purposely act like they have never liked each other before.

This was the closest I could get them to each other one year.....and dang nabbit Bailee has red-eye!

As you can see the next year was sooo much better.......However this is how they act with each other normally......

Anyway...after telling Boo to quit eating the tree, and after telling Bailee that she does not have to scold the cat for eating the tree....we have come up with a photo for our 2008 Christmas Card. I wanted to use the one at the top of the page, however.....Hubby says Bailee looks old and his Bailee is never getting old. So I settled for this one.......done at least until next year!.....

Kids.....they drive me nuts (but I couldn't live without 'em!)

Heathy Level of Insanity

Something fun to make you laugh....

Ways to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car with Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone Has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Smuggling Diamonds"

7. Don t use any punctuation

8. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

9. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

10. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."

11. Sing Along At The Opera.

12. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme

13. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.

14. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.

15. Have Your Coworkers Address You By Your Wrestling Name,' Rock Bottom'.

16. When The Money Comes Out of The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"

17.. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"

18. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

19. Visit a local clothing store and hide in the clothing rack. When someone comes by yell "OOO Pick Me...Pick Me!"