Friday's Letters!!!

B is for Bethie - My friend Paulene created this most beautiful B and I claim that it is 100% for me. Dear friends, Thanks for reading my 31 Days and for your encouraging comments.  I'll keeping it up - so far so good! Dear weekend, I'm ready for you!! Lovely autumn weather is in store - not too hot and not too cold, so maybe we can get some pics of both sweet nieces this weekend at a pumpkin patch. So hopeful. Dear decisions, I totally don't want to deal with you right now, but I think I may not have a choice. Dear coupons, how I tire of trying to keep up with you, shop with you, save money with you. But I also hate paying more than I should. *sigh*  Dear Dave Ramsey, I'm very thankful for your class, for the advice you have given and for this feeling that I may be able to control my spending and get "there" one day!! It's an actual goal that I may see happen! Granted, I've spent all my dining out money and still have a week to go unti pay day. Hmm...

Ya'll, thanks for joining me - I love hearing from you and appreicate your time. :)
Have a GREAT weekend!

31 Days - Day 9 : You are Beautiful

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One of the most amazing concepts I've tried to wrap my head around is the fact that GOD CREATED ME in HIS image, whose talents and skills were specifically given to me to honor Him.  My green eyes, specifically chosen by God.  My fair skins and freckles - gift from God! The fact that my hair is crazy thick, or I'm taller than the norm, or I have an affinity for music and art - God, God, God.

The fact that I'm not great at science - that's ok, too, because God made someone else who is a science genius and that wasn't what I was created to do.

I'm sad to think of how often I have look at myself and wanted to me something different. I wanted to be able to sing beautifully, or draw so skillfully.  To have the talent of doing quick math in my head or being poised and professional.

Instead I'm a loud talking, loud laughing, casual, off-the-cuff, non-professional, horrible singer, flip-flop wearing, Southern redneck.  But with those traits come the ones God sees - I make people feel comfortable, I make them smile. I do laugh a lot, I have sympathy and caring for folks, I like making people feel good.  I develop relationships and enjoy people's stories. I have lots of love to give.

So instead of pouting about what I didn't get, I try to be thankful for who I am! I'm someone God Loves! I'm in His Image! I'm His DAUGHTER! His CHILD! His CREATION! His HEART.

When I went to YouTube to find this video (that I'm posting again because I really want you to watch it), I was surprised to see how many videos are made about women needing to feel beautiful. Sadly, we have really misplaced the concept of beauty to be one of an outer shell.  Our perfect hair, plump lips, wrinkle-less eyes, high cheekbones. So of course are self-confidence is destroyed because we don't look like that!

Please, get beyond that silliness and realize your beauty is not in your face and body, but in your heart where God is dwelling with His love.  He is your beauty.  You are never going to feel beautiful as long as you are trying to be Barbie.

So go watch this video.  :)

31 Days

31 Days - Day 8 : Be Still

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.  Psalms 46:10

God has given us such beauty in our lives. Sunrise, sunset. Black skies with twinkling stars. The smell of rain, the color of the flowers, the sounds of nature. It is so amazing to see God's artistry in His works all around us. 

One problem I have is learning to be still and appreciate it. See it. Hear it. Soak it up and rejoice for the beauty God has given to me. It seems life is so cluttered and rushed and important that the truly important aspect - my relationship with my loving Father, The Lord, is pushed to the wayside. 

So let's be still and learn who God is, appreciate the Beauty He has given to us and find rest in Him. 

31 Days

31 Days - Day 7 : The Notebook.

Yes, I know this picture is crooked as all get out.  It's actually better than the original, sadly. 

Anyway, this is my notebook. It's small, 4" x 6" and fits perfectly into my purse.  My pen pal friend in Louisiana sent it to me and I immediately knew what I wanted to use it for - scripture. She is a wonderfully encouraging Christian woman - so fitting her gift would be about encouragement and growth, too. 

Inside I have written verses from the Bible that have caught my eye or spoken to me at that moment. I've taken notes from devotionals, scribbles quotes from various people - things that have touched my heart, my emotions, my life.  Just bits and pieces that are nice to have around in a dark moment or to share when someone else needs a pick-me-up.  

"Let your hope make you glad.  Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying." Romans 12:12

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."  Proverbs 3:5

"Our prayers may be awkward.  Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference."  Max Lucado

"A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger."  Proverbs 15:1 (I should have read this earlier today. *sigh*)

"Everyone should be slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."  James 1:19-20

"Seek God's will in all you do, and He will show you the path to take."  Proverbs 3:6

And one of my Favorites: 

"Don't worry about anything but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God."  Philippians 4:4-9

While my faith is always with me, I do find it so helpful to have tangible words at my fingertips to encourage me along the way.  To still my fears, to build my faith, to remind me of the direction I should be pointing. :)

31 Days

31 Days - Day 6 : Build Me Up, Buttercup

Y'all know the song. It is now stuck in your head, too. Muahahaha.

Y'all, we are so bad to tear each other down instead of building each other up. Sometimes it's a full frontal assault but more often than not, it's little passive aggressive digs that are sneaky and mean. Ohhhh you so know what I mean. It's not just women, either. Men are bad to do it to their ladies. 

Are you facing people like this?? 

"But those who trust in The Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. Thy will walk an not grow faint."  Isaiah 40:31

Have faith. Look to God. Tell Him your fears and worries. Stay strong in your faith and love for God because He is always with you. He sees and hears it all. He knows it all. 

He doesn't believe what is said and neither should you. You are made in God's image. He designed you for a specific purpose. He gave you talents and skills. He blessed you with gifts! You are HIS CHILD! He loves you and wants good things for you.  

So have faith. Be strong. And don't give in to the pressures and evils. You are wonderfully made by God himself. 

31 Days

Monday Muses.

This weekend was filled with Sweet Niece #2 love, as her parents celebrated their anniversary at the beach.  She is just too doggone cute for words and I am so glad we got some time together.  It almost makes me want to buy a crib so she can sleep at my house! :)

We started Saturday morning wtih some play time, which then required some rest time where I became the recliner for Little Miss as we watched some PBS Kids.

And when it came time to sleep, PawPaw read Llama Llama Red Pajama a few times and before you knew it, Baby Llama was sound asleep.  What a cutie.

So obviously my weekend was wonderful - I barely left my house.

Did I have much time to think? Not really, but I did contintue to blog for my 31 Days, which I'll add Monday's entry later today.  I think that's what I spent time thinking about, my faith and relationship with God.  But I'll talk more about that later.

1)  It very easy to find all the faults in people.  Really easy. Those things stick out to us and it's so easy to comment about them, tell someone what they SHOULD be doing or should QUIT doing, how to IMPROVE and CHANGE for the better.  But in reality, most people know their own faults and don't really need someone else pointing them out.  How about instead we find the GOOD in people, what they are doing GREAT, what their TALENTS are and how they have HELPED us or IMPACTED us.  I think it would go a lot farther that all the negative.  BE POSITIVE!

2) Going along with this theme, I'd like to share a YouTube video that is making the rounds.  I love it, I love the message and it's something I know I needed to hear. And I need to hear it over and over and over because doubts creep in and I put myself down (like any of us need someone else putting us down, right?)  So watch this.  And open your heart to hear it and believe it.



Ok, that's enough for you this morning. :)  and I need to drink some more sweet tea so I MIGHT be able to wake up enough to function today.

31 Days - Day 5 : Send in the Whales

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Dad and I had a very short but interesting conversation yesterday about people making mistakes. My thoughts are that everything happens for a reason and God has more insider knowledge about what is going on than we do. While Dad agrees, he believes God also lets you make your own stupid mistakes. 

Lol. Well, I can't disagree. Looking at my own life, I'd say God wasn't too happy with many of my choices and decisions. But, it's those times in life that I grew, I learned, and I eventually drew closer to Him. 

So I was replaying the convo in my head this morning and thought of Jonah. Jonah made a poor choice that wasn't fitting with what God had told him to do - it didn't fit with God's plan. So, God sent a whale to swallow Jonah and put him back in the right path. Probably not as happy and friendly of an experience as pictured here, but you get the picture. 

I think if you are prayerfully seeking God's will for you, you ask to be led in the right direction, He will guide you down the right path. And if you make choices without prayerful consideration and go the wrong way, there will be consequences but God never leaves you. And He will use the mistakes to continue His plans. His plans will not be thwarted. It's about having faith that God's will is the best for you. Remember, He has more knowledge than we do so why would we assume we knew more? 

Some Sunday morning thoughts for you :). See you tomorrow for more of the 31 Days adventure! 

31 Days