Perrin's ponderings and pictures

Perrin's ponderings and pictures

                    BE STILL MY THRIFTING HEART..

My o- stinking my!!! I soooo WANTED to jump into the new year with the great intention of trying to blog everyday... NoW of course I knew the realities of this happening were pretty slim at best BUT come on... I have not blogged now in 5 weeks!!!

It's not like I don't have time (although I do wonder where my time goes...Hmmm???) So I just have to admit that it is obviously going to get done when I feel like it...That being said.... I have sooo much to share!!!

I am a self-proclaimed JUnK QuEeN!!! I love to go junkin and looking for treasures.. The past two weeks have found me scouring all sorts of haunts looking for cool stuff... I went to Canton last weekend with my friend Ashlee.. We had so so much FUN and found lots of neat things.

This cute little thing came from a farm sale just down the street from my house. You can't tell from the photo but it is on casters.Not sure what it will be yet perhaps a  Bar/beverage cart for summer entertaining or a great place for flowers to be planted. Possibilities abound though.

Picked up a beautiful white chenille popcorn bedspread and silver platter from a sweet little lady at Canton. Both were great buys and in great condition.

This chippy peeling beauty was my greatest find this weekend.. I have been wanting to make a bench for awhile now but hadn't found the right bed yet... CHa-CHing!!! Found it AND the best part was that it was only 10.00!!!

Was looking for certain letters in this huge box of plastic 3-D letters when the seller told me I could have them all for 5.00. SOLD.... I see glitter, fabric, ribbon and paint in their future..

Found some sweet old small suitcases and an assortment of vintage embroidery hoops.

I also have a fondness for old pretty china. Found these little darlings at a roadside garage sale as well as the cute little angel statue that has a pale pink patina.

Found some sweet vintage floral pillows and an old BALL mason jar. I already own some but I love them so... Also couldn't pass up these frames that had such pretty detailing on them. I see different colors in their futures but I love the daintiness of the frames themselves. 

Spindle legs were finds at Canton. They are going to become legs for a table that I am making out of an old window. Turquoise perhaps??? Loved, loved, loved the vintage floral painting. Not in perfect condition but workable condition. Also found this cute little broken child's rocking chair. Thinking of fashioning it into some kind of planter or shelf. Not sure yet...

This is not a complete or comprehensive  list of the two week haul but oh what fun I had searching and seeking out each and every one of these finds. NEED to run so I can go get started on all these AWESOME restoration projects!!! Hope you enjoyed my little junkin tour...

Gypsy Love , Junkin Heart and Butterfly dreams

I Love, LOVE, lOvE the Junk Gypsies on HGTV...There is not anything that inspires me more than to see WHAT they are gonna create. Now don't get me wrong, I am fairly creative but I do not have: a) tools or workshop
b)family at my disposal that will drop everything to help me create my most recent dreamed up fanciful ideas c)$$$ d) their adorable cuteness . 

Last weekend I sooooo wanted to go junkin and just be with some of my girls kicking back and having a good time. Well.... as my luck (which if you know me is NEVER good) would have it, gas prices jumped 16 cents in one day, several of my normal running buddies had plans and so my dreams of a road trip to Brenham, Texas to go to the Garage Sale Competition that was being filmed for the girls new HGTV show was sidetracked and permanently de-railed. RATS!!!

What ever is a self proclaimed Junk Queen to do??? Well....I decided to stay at home and do some creative stuff closer to the casa. I painted my quilt nook with some very pretty hues of my favorite colors ( all warm and yummy) : turquoise,yellow, red and orange!! I painted them and then antiqued them a little with a pecan stain. I LOVE the way it came out. I also ventured into our local Saturday night auction up in town. I have wanted to check that place out for several years now but never had made it in there. Who knows how much good junk I missed in this length of time???

There was a LOT of junk to be had at the auction and not all of it was good BUT I had a blast!! Brought home a few treasures and the best part is I was entertained for a couple of hours and spent less than 20.00. Not bad for  a Saturday night. The hubby went too and he actually had fun ( go figure).  I also took some time to watch some of my Art class videos. I am learning how to create all things with wings. I started watching the videos about butterflies. I haven't completed a drawing, painting or sketch of one yet but I HAVE come up with the perfect quote to go on one I have in my head. It will say ," God didn't want me to spit and sputter so he gave me wings so I can flutter." original quote by me. 

What kind of things get you excited? Junkin, watching those creative Texas gals, painting, going to garage sales and DREAMING are all things that I have a definite passion for. I hope you find time to explore things that make YOU happy in the coming week. 

Blessings,

Dalene
XOXO

A bucket of blessings or anxieties??

Today was EXHAUSTING!!! I began the day feeling very blue and overwhelmed and not really sure why?? I was borderline weepy on the drive in to work. It could be hormones or a direct result of just getting older but I think the feelings of the last couple of weeks have finally decided to rear their ugly head..

I am SCARED... not for any one thing. I'm not the alone or lonely kind of scared because I know that God is always with me and never leaves me. I am afraid of CHANGE...OK, I have said it and out loud even. I like all my ducks in a row and for sameness ( or saneness, whichever applies more). I have always resisted change and it could be a direct result of sometime in my life feeling that things were totally out of my control and my whole life was all about change. You know the rolling with the punches, taking life as it comes kind of change. Maybe because too often change is/was viewed by me in a negative light with all sorts of inconveniences instead of being embraced as an opportunity for new possibilities to present themselves.

I think how much my life changes on a daily basis but those are small somewhat manageable changes. I can't be the scared caterpillar not wanting to burst into a beautiful, colorful butterfly because of all the the changes I would have to go through. Beauty sometimes emerges from change. Truth and reality come with change too. Change is often a result of a failed attempt at doing something so you tweak and search for a better way of doing whatever it is thus creating a changed situation and hopefully even better attitude as a result.

Work causes me enormous stress at times because it is so unpredictable and it is all about change. Daily, hourly and sometimes even minute to minute depending on how that moment presents itself. Sometimes it is the kind of constant change that leaves you winded and wondering what just happened while other times it's like a claustrophobic smothering anxiety. Don't get me wrong, I love my job for the most part and it's manageable but I wonder if I would be any happier if I didn't have to go through so much change on such short notice.!! I'm sure there have been many wrinkles added to my face as a result of some of these daily changes.

I think of others whose lives have been radically changed because of life altering circumstances; ie, health issues, loss of job, car wreck, fire, natural disasters, divorce, death, etc.. How do they cope and deal with these changes? I think of my mom. She has had so many changes in her life in the past three years. She however chooses to stay upbeat and I admire her immensely. She has endured some tough things; breast cancer, the death of her beloved mother (my sweet, sweet granny) and numerous other health issues to name a few. I look to her for inspiration because in my eyes she is one of my heroes. When I think about her my little petty changes in life seem so small and insignificant but when you talk to her she will tell you her changes are small compared to others. I guess it really is about perspective.

I guess it is time to put on my big girl panties ( and not only to cover my bottom) and face whatever comes my way with the strength and dignity that she does. You can't stop change but I guess it's time to stop whining about all the things that seemingly go wrong and the changes that make my days crazy and accept the fact that that's what life is all about. It is what helps us to grow stronger, love deeper, have more faith in others, ourselves and how God is directing our paths for a better tomorrow. Instead of having a negative attitude about change I want to BE THE change I want to see in the world. In order to do that I must embrace life, change and all. 

Blessings,

Dalene

Brrrr.... I want summer back

Brrr..... That's right it has been downright cold the last few days. Don't get me wrong, it's not like in negative temps with ice and/or snow on the ground but for a born and bred Texas girl... well, it is COLD!!! I have always been of the notion that i would much rather be hot than cold. The cold makes me miserable and I am so grouchy!!! Today I got to learn a new word about winter precipitation. It is grauple and it is snow pellets which is actually a mixture of snowflakes, sleet and fast frozen ice. I have NEVER heard of this word before today or witnessed what it looks like. It looks like dippin dots or styrofoam pellets like what would be inside a bean bag. Very weird looking. 

Disclaimer*** this photo obviously was not taken today. Another thing the cold does is make me lazy... I just want to snuggle in a warm cozy blanket and think of warmer days. This picture was actually taken last SUMMER (oh I long for you summer) at Camp Copass in Denton, Texas. I have been blessed the past several years in being privileged enough to accompany a group of pre-teen students there for a week of church camp. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it there. This is where the canoeing takes place and is a great place to sit under the trees and enjoy the wind, partial sun and shade. I hope everyone has a dream spot that warms not only your  body, but also your heart and soul. I am comforted this evening by the warmth and love that comes from the Lord. BLessings to you all. Keep warm and relish God's eternal warmth and love for us all. 

Blessings..

Those who plant blessings shall also harvest blessings. Go be a blessing to someone in life...Smile, Share, Laugh and Love..

Dreams, Wishes and New Beginnings

     

I am a dreamer...I think of things constantly that I wish or dream  about doing... Vacations that I would love to take, business ventures that interest me just enough to dream about them without trying to worry about making them a reality, GRAND ideas, and small ones too.

The prospect of a new project is something that almost makes me giddy. The dreaming, wishing and planning that brings you to  the beginning of something new. A blank page in a journal or the cleanliness of a blank white canvas just begging to be splashed with color.

The wrecked remains of last years flowers and container gardens yearn to have a new beginning with new bulbs and seeds all fulfilling the dream of growing into something beautiful.

I have this sign above the bed in our guest bedroom because that room also doubles as my craft/art room and the simple message speaks to my soul. I have many hopes, dreams and wishes. Over the years I have developed the love of baking. I liked it so much that last year I invested multiple months ( 4 to be exact)  not to mention money to explore cake decorating. I actually enjoy it so much that I decided to start my own in home bakery called Fat and Sassy's Sweets. I did a ton of orders last year but not enough to have to claim it for taxes or even enough to make a living at it. Being a dreamer, I can imagine one day owning my own place. Not just a bakery but a place that I can decorate (  since I enjoy that as well) , have art being created in a separate studio or classes being taught, as well as it having a vintage/antique feel to it with a small resale.thrift area but that only offers refurbished items , vintage items or antiques.. Of course bakery items would always be available to all customers for purchase. A place full of conversation, love, compassion and community. I dream of a place where people can come and nourish their creative talents, connect with other people and sit and visit over a cup of coffee and a cupcake or cookie.  I KNOW that this is quite a dream but what does it hurt to dream? We have a little travel/business  trailer that sits at the front of our property. It doesn't have electricity in it and it needs some repairs but I would like to make that into my makeshift craft/art studio until such a time that the OTHER dream can either be made into a reality or let go.... Dreams....Maybe someday but for now I will continue to utilize what I have which is pretty awesome except that I can't leave it too messy in case anyone comes to visit. 

God provides us a new beginning each day. He gives us hope, a spirit of love and a longing to dream of the plans that He makes for each of us individually. I look forward to the breaking of a new day as it gives me the opportunity to praise Him for all that He provides and to dream of all that is possible when we put our faith in Him. 

"For I know the plans  I have for you , declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Take or is that make time to smell the roses

                      STOP and smell the roses

I have often heard the expression take time to smell the roses. In reality taking the time really boils down to MAKING the time.. We use our time so unwisely...
Thing is we aren't guaranteed a specified amount of time. At least not the we have knowledge of. Only God knows the plans he has for each of our lives and the paths that he would have us each travel. Yesterday I asked if you would pray for my mom's. Both had better days today so YAY,  prayers were answered. 

Funny thing though... As I was praying this morning as I was driving ( which is a daily practice since my morning commute is around 50 min to work) I began to not only thank God for the good things in life ( mine , friends and families) but also to thank Him for the trials and hard times too. We want to skirt around those times but just as the footprints poem states, it is then that He carries us. Through hard times he desires nothing more that for us to depend on 
His love, grace and mercy. How many roses are you going to take time to stop and smell? Savor the goodness of God in each delicious, fragrant breath.

The Lord Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand." Isaiah 14:24

Special people deserve special prayers

                                               MOM

                               SHIRLEY (mom-in-law)


Sometimes we just need special prayers for the people that we love. Today I ask for prayers 

my two moms. My sweet mother -in-- law aka THE DOGGY MEMAW is in the hospital after 

a fall. She is ok but needs  to have some tests run and to be kept for observation for a day or 

two. Also asking for unspecified prayers for my mother aka MEMAW. These two amazing

ladies bring so much joy and love to their families and so I lift them up in prayer for God's 

healing hands to make them well. Thank you in advance for all prayers lifted in their names.



1 John 5:15 " And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him."


With much love & gratitude,

Dalene

Of hallways, owls and love..

Well today was the day... That's right it was back to work again after a wonderful two week break. The picture on the left is what the hallway where the classroom that I work in is located. This picture was taken at around 7:40 this morning and as you can tell the halls were pretty sparse at that time. The cute little owl on the right is a stock image I found somewhere out there in internet land. 

Today I am going to write just a bit about what work means to me. I work as a teacher's aide in a self-contained classroom of special needs students. I love my job and the kids are awesome. My co-workers in general are wonderful people but some of my best friends work with me and that makes my job oh so much easier to like. 

I get to make a difference in the lives of children everyday. I probably spend more time with each of them on a daily basis than their parents do. I get to help develop their minds through  educating them but my job goes far deeper than just that. I get the privilege of helping to teach them life skills like manners and appropriateness (believe me that is important in life) , how to dress themselves and to take care of their personal grooming needs. In addition to that I get to laugh with them , make them smile and of course that works in reverse as well , console them when they are upset, calm them down when they are angry, anxious or just plain fidgety , hold them close when they are scared or just need a hug and most importantly love them in a way that they have no doubt that school is a safe place that has people who care about each one of them and that are there each day eagerly waiting for them to walk through the doors.

Our school mascot is the owl and every time our assistant principal does the announcements he always says, "It's a great day  (pause) to be an owl." Today as is the case with most of my days, because of these kids and the relationships that we have created with each one ; as well as the friendships of teachers and other school staff I KNOW that today WAS a great day to be an owl. 


"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."  1 Corinthians 13:4-7

PICS!!!

 YAY!!!  I figured out that if I switched my browser I was able to upload some pictures. Soooo. Here are the some of the pics that I talked about in my last post. Hope you enjoy ....

With Love,

Dalene

Happy New Year, a few days late..

I have been trying in vain to figure out this whole blogging thing. I have spent so many hours online trying to download cute fonts, adorable backgrounds and then today I have tried to apply some of those things and well.... IT JUST ISN'T WORKING!! If you are an old I Love Lucy fan, insert her wailing cry here!!


I can't figure out how to add photos which is the primary reason I decided to attempt this whole blogging thing again... Ughh.... I know it has to be easy but I am at a loss right now. I want to blog about whatever picture I take each day and whatever else strikes my fancy..

Right here is supposed to be a picture of my vintage Santa collection. As we begin a New Year it means that YES, all my decorations must lovingly be boxed away again  for another year. I have many treasured Christmas lovelies..I have collected Santa's for over 15 years and I have all sorts of them. I have whimsical ones that make me laugh, fabric ones , all types of glass ones , lots of different wooden ones and a slew of vintage plastic ones.

I also collect snowmen and gingerbread men/houses. I know, I know... My husband says that I am a hoarder in every sense of the word except that I am not one who suffers from psychological issues where my home is stuffed to the ceilings with trash or anything, just I have a lot of stuff and I have a strange  attachment to it.  That's not to say that if something were to happen ( God forbid) I wouldn't get over it because it is after all just stuff  and material things can't be taken with you anyway.  I absolutely adore collecting all these things though and enjoy keeping my snowmen up a little longer ( till  around the end of February) since they are Winter related and not necessarily only for Christmas. I didn't put up  any of my gingerbread stuff this year.. Some years it is like that and I go through phases. I also did not put up my huge snow village either. I had started to collect the cute little houses several years ago and then maybe two or three years ago my mother gave me all of her houses and accessories so now I have a huge SNOW VILLAGE with a candy shop, multiple churches, bakery, park with gazebo, school, and about a dozen different houses. I have all sorts of people that go with it including snowmen, carolers, kids and parents..

I also have an infatuation with all the ornaments I have collected over the years ( insert another cute  unloaded picture here). I relish in unwrapping each ornament and placing them under the tree while I decorate it as I "look " for just the right place for that special memory to go. I have the first "set" of ornaments that we got the first year we were married almost 28 years ago . A salesman was selling them door to door which is odd to me now but not so much back then. It is a set of a dozen porcelain bells that are in the shapes of animals. I don't remember how much I paid for them but it couldn't have been much. We have the Hallmark sports figures ornaments with the likes of Troy Aikman, Jeff Gordan, Dale Ernhardt Sr. & Jr, Larry Bird, Tony Stewart just to name a few, not to mention the Batmobile with Batman and Robin racing to their next adventure. We have all sorts of religious ornaments from crosses, angels, nativities to ones that were made in Sunday School classes.  All of them holding some special meaning or memory. Of course my recollection of our many ornaments wouldn't be complete without mentioning my most favorite ones which are the handmade ones. I have a sweet little girl made from embroidery floss, felt and a pipe cleaner that I made with my paternal grandmother so many years ago. I also have some that she made me as well. I have some ornaments and decorations from my maternal grandmother as well and seeing as they are both in heaven now, they are precious reminders of love, happiness and all things sweet. I adore all the sweet , cute, messy ornaments that were made by sweet little boys that have turned into men now.. Those are my FAVORITES... Then there are the handmade ornaments that I forced my men into making with me back in 2004. I planned a whole day around making memories and part of that plan was having everyone get creative and make special ornaments. The memories that go with these ornaments come flooding back each year as I unwrap each ornament one by one. 

Of all the things that "say" Christmas to me none has more meaning to me than our Nativity. We actually have several but there is the one that I place over our mantle in the middle of our living space  front and center and in the most prominent place. . I always do the surroundings a little different each year but there is usually gold beads that represent the gold, a little woven basket that I imagine might have held the incense and a small wooden urn that represents the container that would have  held the myrrh. Of course there is also an angel in this setting too. This year I added two things ... I added a small slender tree on one side of the mantle that I made ornaments for. There were 25 ornaments each with a different name of Christ written on it. I also made a banner with 25 pockets to go over the mantle. Each pocket contained a different scripture or  bible reading to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord. I so ADORED how it looked but more imporantly reading all the messages each day. I must admit, I did get a little  behind and didn't read each one but close to it.I guess I will have something to look to forward to next year.

As another Christmas season closes and a New Year begins I am excited about the plans God has for me and my family in this coming year. What paths will he take us down, what obstacles might we have to overcome? Just as I anticipate putting out all my lovelies each Christmas season and cherishing  each memory that goes with each one I eagerly anticpate the memories that will be made in another year of serving my Lord.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can conceive what God has planned for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

Ponderings of Where the Past 5 Years went...

Oh my!!! Where oh where has the time gone?? Well as you can tell with your very own eyes it has been a whopping 4 + years since I made my last blog entry. I HAD good intentions of blogging more frequently, honest.. but life just kind of gets in the way sometimes. Therefore I decided to revamp this space and create a place that I want to write and that maybe others would enjoy visiting occasionally. My posts will be about random things I am sure because that is the way that my brain just seems to function most days. As we are just starting a new year I decided I wanted to try to blog more and to take time to make something creative everyday. I thought about this and came up with the idea of posting a picture a day and blogging about it. No real themes or pre-conceived notions of great photography but just the opportunity to LIVE and relish the everyday things we so often take for granted. As you can see I am already a few days behind due to my overhaul of this space but will try to make up for lost time and posting a couple of pictures and posts tomorrow. This girl is super sleepy from HOURS of working on this space so additional posts will have to wait until I catch up on a little shut eye.  I hope you will join me on my journey through the next year. May God Bless you until we meet again.

 

Dalene

The Worries of a Mother..

Worry... A five letter word that can do more damage to a person physically, emotionally and spiritually than anyone can imagine. As a mother, that word is permanantly engrained into my very being. Moms worry about EVERYTHING... We worry when our kids are ______________ (fill in the blank). I have 2 wonderful boys but lately I find that I have been worrying more than normal about their happiness.

As much as I would love to have children that are never unhappy, that is just not a reality and thus I have been thrust into finding myself in a "funk" myself because I am not able to be much help to my boys when they are unhappy. Unfortunately, there have been more than a few unhappy moments of late for both boys. There are relationship struggles, past hurts, shifts in friendships, etc.. Some days there is too much drama for this mama!! I have been trying very hard to give my worries and strife to God. Sometimes though... I take them back and find myself fighting the urge to "fix things" myself. (as if I could).

Some of my worries as a mom don't even directly relate to my children.. I worry about the future... mine... thiers... our families.. the nations... I worry about all my "kiddos" whether they are church kids, school kids, my children's friends, etc.. Maybe I would be alot happier if I worried less and prayed more... I started a new bible study " The Prayer of Jabez" and it is amazing how much God wants to bless us if only we would ask. That is my prayer... that I will no longer worry about the things that I can't change but ask God instead to bless me, my children and family abundantly. Just like the song...my new motto is going to be "Don't worry... be happy" and perhaps my ultimate happiness is just a prayer away.

I come in peace...

I have heard the phrase " I come in peace" everyday now for the last 6 school days. I work with children with special needs and sometimes they say the darndest things. I work in a lifeskills class that teaches these precious kids how to do basic tasks but also how to function properly in social situations. Everyday we have a time of the day known as morning message. The kids all take turns "greeting one another" and then introducing themselves; ex: " Good Morning, my name is Bobby." and then stating what school they are at and if they are happy, sad or mad. We have one precious girl that apparently is a huge sci-fi fan because she has yet managed to do her greeting without adding... I come in peace.... That in itself is just funny to me ...

This afternoon we had a mandatory meeting afterschool. We had one of the superintendants of our district there to address all the teachers about expectations for the new school year, etc.. He began his greeting with , "Hello, my name is Dr. ___ and I come in peace." It took everything I had to not bust out laughing at this because here we were trying to teach our children the "appropriate" way to greet their peers and then the superintendant greeted us in this manner. He meant his comically to kind of break the ice with the teachers but maybe that's what our little girl was doing to. She in essence has been drawing on something that she knows to "break the ice" with her new teachers and peers. Humor.... you find it sometimes in funny places. Can you imagine the ramifications if we all "came in peace" instead of throwing up our guard all the time? What a different world it would or could be... by the way... not only do I come in peace but I have peace in my life because of Jesus. Would you like a piece of this peace? Follow Jesus... the puzzle of life starts with Him....

The Realities of Change

CHANGE...

Such a small word but yet it creates a huge amount of anxiety in even the calmest people. This past weekend I spent a great deal of time trying to calm and encourage my wonderful mother in law as we helped her move from the home that she has lived in for over ten years to a new home in a new city. I don't really think that it was the move itself that was scary for her but she was giving up a part of her life... part that can't be replaced. My father in law passed away 3 years ago and she has had to adjust to her new life without him. The actual grieving has past but this was her first move without him... The life that they built together was packed into boxes and put into storage..a life of memories condensed into some neatly packed boxes to be stored away and forgotten until another day. This was hard enough because she was so terribly overwhelmed by this task but then she had to "deal" with my husband, her son who despite being a great guy has no patience. There were several times that I thought she was going to cry just because of some of his comments when he was "just joking" around with her. I am sure he never even thought about the emotional toll that this move would take on his mother and how hard it was for her to decide what was going to her new home and what would go into storage until who knows when. We don't really realize what an effect that change has on our lives into we are body slammed with it and it totally knocks the breath out of us. We all struggle with change..I wish I could have done more to offset the heartbreak that I know that this move brought for my mother in law even though she will now be roommates with her daughter which she is really looking forward to. But change is like the wind... it will eventually blow your way... sometimes quietly and othertimes with hurricane force... Sometimes with a force that you don't think you can endure.

Our church was rocked to the core this past summer by the sudden departure of our beloved pastor of 17 years. God has moved him into another area of ministry and although we were initally sad with the news we were totally happy for his opportunity to serve in another area. CHANGE... small word...huge uncertainty...Today was our annual church conference where we as a body of believers come together to look at where we have been in the past year and where we are going in the coming year. The crowd was noticeably smaller in size than normal ( some people haven't figured out that church is not about who the pastor is but what God is doing in the life of the church and it's members) but even with the decrease in attendance the evidence was notable... The winds of change have blown through our church family too. We are still searching for an interim pastor and new policies and procedures have had to be put into place too. The economy has created changes in our church as well.. The cost of gas has given way to families having to decide if they can "afford" to go to church once, twice or three times a week. CHANGE... small word... lives forever altered.

As mentioned, change definatly can be negative but what if we choose to look at change as a positive? As a Christian, I can personally attest to the positive change that has come from my decision to accept Christ as my personal Savior. I am truly blessed and I try very hard not to worry about change because then we "short change" God in allowing him to work in our lives.. to fulfill His plans for us.

God has a plan for my mother in law's life and her move is all a part of that plan. Perhaps He will bring her into contact with people that will help her with her grieving... new friends... a new job... a different but new life. The same could be said about my church family. I truly believe that God is strenghening our faith in Him by not providing us with what we think we need right away. CHANGE... in God's time might just possibly be divine. He will increase our faith through all of our anxiety... uncertainty... anger .... and fear... Better days are coming... CHANGE... I feel a lift in the wind already... What about you?

Creative Burnout!!

Today was day two of being "officially but unofficially" back at work. We are required to be there but there are no children until next week. (Thank goodness..) This week has already been much different than this same time last year. Last year I was just starting to work in a new district, didn't know the teacher I was reporting to work for or really anyone else I was going to be working with. What a difference a year can make!!

This year was different for a lot of the same reasons but in a different kind of way.. Are you as lost as I am ?? What I mean is that although there are some things that are similar about this year and last.. new school (again!!), new co-workers (ditto!!) not knowing really any of the kids, this year is different in that I know at least the teacher I work for (Caroline is awesome!!) and the other aide Tawyna so that is a relief.

The most significant thing that is different this year is that my creative side was discovered over the past school year by my co-workers and I am getting the opportunity to use it. Caroline is great about giving me creative license on pretty much doing whatever I want in the classroom. This is a good thing but for me can be physically and creatively draining. I am such a perfectionist when it comes to putting things together "just so.." I fuss and then fuss some more... stand back .. observe...contemplate... and then fuss some more.... This absolutely wears me out... Don't get me wrong... I LOVE IT!! but beginning a new year can be a very daunting task for the creative minded individual . I liken it to a writer that ponders everything, writes down a few lines then amazingly comes down with Writers Block... Being creative can be kind of like that..

I often have an idea... can envision it, almost feel what it will look like when it is finished but then comes all the fussing which eventually turns to CREATIVE BURNOUT!!! That was what it was like for me today. I wanted a unique space for our classroom reading area so I decided to create a cave overhang with a waterfall coming over the top. Sounds easy enough right? Wrong!! Being vertically challenged was well a challenge... I had a hard time getting my waterfall the right height proportionately so I did what all creative people do... fuss, fix, and fussed with it some more until I finally just "caved in to the fact that it will for now, be less than perfect". Did you hear the gasps? I know.... I can't even believe it either. Tommorow is a new day though..

I hate to think that the wonderful gift that God gave me to be creative at times causes me so much stress. In retrospect... God didn't create us as perfect individuals.. I sure am glad that he doesn't stress over all my little (and big) inperfections... But... as I see the way that He has had His hand on my life... changing me... strengthening me... completing me.... I can't help but wonder if God is a "fusser" too. I sure am glad that God doesn't get creative burnout but delights in His creations.

Isaiah 64:8 "Yet O Lord , you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."

Things worth cheering about...

Well...tommorow will be a week since me and our wonderful team returned from our mission trip. It took me several days to make sense out of what it was that I had just experienced. This mission trip was unlike ANY trip I had been on yet and I think that is why it captured my heart the way it did. The thought of going to Massachusetts didn't initially seem too exciting or interesting but boy was I wrong... I had personally never been to a place that was so beautiful but unattractive at the same time. Let me explain... The cities that I visited were emaculate and very pretty, quaint even, however; there was a definite darkness , a stark constrast to this seemingly cozy place. It didn't really even take very long to realize what it was that was different but it seemed to me just plain weird..



There seemed to be very few people in New England that know about Jesus let alone put their hope and faith in Him. In Texas where I live, you don't have to go far to see evidence of faith in Christ everywhere. Everywhere you look you see adults,teens and children wearing T-shirts emblazened with His image or some other religious saying on it. You can often walk into a public store and it will be playing christian music over the intercom. There is more than one christian radio station to choose from on the radio and there would appear that there is a church on every corner. This is NOT the case in New England. I sensed the difference in the people right away. They were missing something... Something that is normally everywhere around me.. The thing they were missing was Joy. There is a certain Joy that comes with being a christian but a greater Joy comes from having a personal relationship with Christ. We are His joy and He delights in us. I felt so sorry for these people... They don't even KNOW what they are missing. Although the region is by far very unreligious, I was fortunate to be on mission working with a small but great congregation of wonderful, God-loving Christians.



Our mission last week was to bring the Joy that we know and are assured of through Christ's love for us to another group of believers. The act itself was not hard, emotional at times but not really difficult for me since I am a people person and love to be around others. The thing that amazed me though when I returned home and started reflecting on my time there with these precious people was that even though my purpose was to spread joy, they in turn blessed me beyond words and brought me so much more joy than I could imagine that I brought to them. God's love is funny that way... Just when we think we have things figured out, He shifts gears on us. I guess it is a good thing that I depend on God to be in charge of the wheel and I try real hard not to be a backseat driver. Some of the things that I brought back from my trip:

• God's grace is sufficient for us all even when we try to sell Him short.


• Working as a body is not always easy but it is what we are called to do.


• Love CAN conquer all things, even really difficult things.


• People the world over have the same kinds of needs, fears, hopes and dreams


• Hope might be better than a lifevest when we feel like we are drowning in despair.

My hope is that All people will someday realize their need for Jesus and that they will come to Him, eager to fall into His loving arms and rest there for eternity..That's where my hope and faith is...in Jesus!!

Changing for the world...

Have you ever thought about what you could do to affect change? I mean real , honest and meaningful change... It could be something small or something grand.. Jesus was always about affecting change in the lives of people that he encountered. He fed them, healed them, talked with them but most importantly loved them. He didn't care about outward appearances unlike most people today.

Sometimes making a difference could be as small as smiling at someone and brightening their day.It could be that you offer a random act of kindness... Have you ever bought the coffee of the person standing behind you in line at the donut shop? Why not? Are we as a generation afraid of "laying ourselves out there" ? Do you think that the person that you just bought coffee for will reject you.... Of course not! They will probably be surprised at the gesture.. And possibly..... Return the act of kindness to someone else...

What if we could ask for anything with the hope that someone will fulfill the wish? There is a website that has only been up for about 3 months called Askwish.com that is already affecting change in the lives of the people that have signed up. The site is awesome and the concept itself novel. I plan on trying to help others on the site when I am able but there is another hope that we so often overlook. That hope is in Jesus Christ. He has given us a way to change the world..
We can live in a world of light instead of darkness because of his love for us. God has the ability to fulfill our hopes, dreams and wishes.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE A CHANGE IN THE WORLD TODAY????

Inspiration on the internet, are you kidding me??

I know it seems a bizarre concept to say the least, however; it is true.... there are actually (brace yourselves) inspirational stories on the world wide web (who would have ever imagined it?)...Today...day 14 post surgery, I was having yet another mundane day in the midst of the world without cable or satelite TV and decided to "see" what I could find that had any type of moral value on the computer. I decided to watch "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. This man captured my heart in his ability to accept the things that God has presented him with and instead of standing around waiting for "his fate" he is instead ...embracing life!!!

Come to think of it... maybe....could it be that this is the way that God would have us all to live our lives? Jesus did... although he knew from birth his eternal purpose he also embraced life and lived his 33 years on this earth to the fullest.

Why is it that the average person is afraid to LIVE their lives with careless abandon? Why do we run away from challenges instead of embracing life? Why do we spend our lives burying our hopes, dreams, fears ,and abilities deep within our selves only to have them die long before our body ever gives out?

I am determined to live my life ... maybe not with reckless abandon...but I will live it as God directs me and I will choose to EMBRACE every day just like Randy is doing...just like Jesus did.
What about you...When life hands you lemons...make lemonade and share a glass with a friend !