P.M. Blog

I got busy playing and walking our dog, Pixie and just jotted my memory re: my blog. Pixie is so smart, that I can point to something now and she knows what I mean. Who says dogs don't have keen minds? She sure does!!!! She's loves to go for a walk! She has always been an inquisitive minded precious dog!

I hope everyone saw the NBC poll that was taken: Just in case you didn't:

86% to keep the words, IN God We Trust and God in the Pledge of Allegiance
14% against

[That is a pretty 'commanding' public response. ]

Yea!!! This is awesome! To leave God in........victory, oh victory! Yea!!!
I didn't get a chance to get in the poll, but if you did....THANK YOU!!!!!

500th Posting!!!!.....some great thoughts today!

Wow! Today is the 500th posting I have actually given my take on and published! That must be why I'm up early to celebrate! ('jez kidding)....some morning just begin earlier and this is one of them! Guess it was meant for me to get caught up on my reading. Just let me encourage you today. Think kindly of someone instead of always thinking negatively! This world needs more positive people! People who care about the welfare of others. I know God has truly given us two kids (are they called kids when they are grown adults???....hmmmm) Both of them have communicated with either me or their Dad before the week begins and that's so appreciated! It is so amazing that they take time out of a very busy schedule and check in. I am so moved to get plenty of rest and keep on, keepin' on, as we used to say when we lived in California at one time!!!

And those are my great thoughts, though they possibly may be random....how about you? Hopefully your Monday will be happy. I know mine will be thinking about blogging 500 times! Wow!

Yea - It's Sunday!!!

I know I've blogged this title before......but I do LOVE SUNDAYS....a time to worship God....a time to hear the Word, a time to fellowship with all.....a time to just be sacred, I guess. I love just being me and this is what our church does for me....of course the people are wonderful....so put on your duds and come on out!!!! Just be YOU at our church. We are relevant, right in the then and now!!!! You will find a friendly warm spirit and as someone put it "a loving church." So come on out today and stay for Q&A.....it's a time when you can ask my husband (the Pastor of course) any question that is on your mind...you're be surprised at some of them...very transparent.....and sooooo good, so we will see you then.....remember services begin at 10 a.m. until 11 only.

Gotta go walk....our dog, Pixie...See ya.

Take Time Out To Smell The Flowers!

I've been blessed with beautiful flowers since I got back! One of which was a dozen yellow roses from my hubby........take time out to smell roses. It makes your day! We have a baby rose bush in our front yard but this year due to the heat, there aren't s many in bloom.

I also received another bouquet of flowers from a beloved church member! Oh, they are all kinds of flowers, but yet smell fabulous!

Have fun today. Saturdays are always fun for me. We practice our music, and prepare for Sunday......God is good to give us such an amazing teamwork effort!

See ya tomorrow....10 a.m. In the meantime, please take time to smell any flower. & while you're at it - send someone flowers!!!! We sent my mother-in-law flowers as her 86th birthday is Monday. She always enjoys the lovely bouquet. I also sent flowers to a friend who did something great for me while I was on vacation. What's really neat is our granddaughter will go out in the yard and find a flower to give to me. Look for the great things today like smelling lovely flowers and don't be disappointed. Look for joy and blessings!

Encouragement RE: Doubt

I had a lady ask me this week "Sometime I find myself doubting God and my faith, nd I feel ashamed. What can I do?"

A Bible answer would be - both David and Peter struggled (as our Pastor has been teaching on II Peter at this present time).....with doubt. Both men recognized their weakness and humbled themselves before God, and God used them. God doesn't mind doubt as long as we are seeking Him for help with our doubt. God gives us plenty of evidence to believe in Him. Doubt comes when we ignore all the evidence. And when doubt turns to disbelief, we are in danger of ignoring God altogether.

John 20:27 says "Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!" Doubt can be healthy or destructive, depending on how we use it.

Use your doubts to learn about God and to make your faith stronger! Short and simple: Feed your faith and your doubts will disappear. Have a happy Friday. Sunday is Q&A after church. See you there!

What is Prayer?

Psalm 38:18 "I coness my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done.

Prayer often begins with a confession of faults. Through prayer we praise our mighty God!

Our prayer must be accompanied by a willingness to obey with our actions.

It's a promise from God. I Peter 3:1,2 "The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and His ears are open to their prayers."

I journal my prayers. Daily I pray for our immediate families; each one individually, and for my other families; our church families; the President of our Country; safety, basic needs, and lots of praise for health, strength and an encouragement to all I see. Have a blessed Thursday!!!

Encouragement for Lonliness

Hebrews 10:25 - Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of His coming back again is drawing near.

Awesome plus!

God never intended for us to be alone. He has promised us that He will always be there. Nothing can separate us from Him. He intended for us to have human, as well as spiritual relationships.

The best way to avoid loneliness is to get together with others. Call them; JUST DO IT!

Kid Day At Church

Yesterday was cool!!!! It was "Kid Day" at church and the 5, 11, and 12 month olds were absolutely adorable! When the 11 month old darling girl was recognized, the 12 month old precious boy clapped for her! I will never forgeet that! What an encouragement to see parents and grandparents so proud of their kids. And I don't blame them!!! For the love of kids....just wonderful!!! Make Monday a good day!!!

Beautiful Flowers!!!!

I am blessed. So far since I got back I have received several bouquets of flowers. My husband started out with a dozen yellow roses. My favorite!!! And the rest - friends who missed me..........I am so appreciative. My daughter started it with a dozen of magnificent roses before I left....now I'm just so grateful for the fabulous encouragements!

C ya in church! I'm soooo excited about being back!!!!

Get Focused!

.......the "To Be Dones"
.......the thank you notes for all the gifts given
.......spread encouragement!
.......our Date Night was extraordinary!!!
.......my husband is SUCH A JOY!
.......remember W.O.W. Women of Worth is tomorrow - 9 a.m. sharp! Wake up and smell
the blessings! Bring someone with you! Pray for those in need!

Encourage - Give Courage

I came back from vacationing at our fantastic daughter's!!! - talk about ENCOURAGED! A dozen yellow roses from my beloved husband! Another bouquet of flowers from a devoted family from our church.......lots of cards....our home spotless from my hubby and a 2 dogs that are so aware that I was around another family dog....our new grand-dog, Clementine, who is is precious, precious, precious!

It has been tremendous to have such welcome back!!!! I'm grateful I had the "courage" to go and of course cannot even begin to explain what a marvelous time I had. Our daughter treated me like a Super Queen!!! It's hard to come back down to tasks at hand, but I know and appreciate everything being so encouraging! Make it a great day and encourage someone today. You'll be glad you did!!!!!

New Look! Yay!!

Awesome!
It's totally amazing what you can do to change the look....everyone knows I've been with our daughter.....well.......on her fabulous Apple laptop, we looked at my blog. In the speed of lightening, we changed to a new layout. After all.....great vacation....and a chance to start over with something new!!!! And there will be more changes to come!!! Yay!!!

ENCOURAGE - to give courage....I'm so into encouragement, believe you me!
Hope you like it and you can even subscribe to it. I'm very appreciative of our son giving me encouragement to put my blog in....and then the gratefulness for our daughter being so talented and super encouraging! I am encouraged very much! Okay...now pass on this new look to one and all!

Faith Is the Only Door

I've been wanting to blog on faith for a long time. My faith is in Him and I hope your's is also.

There is only one door into Heaven; that door is faith. There is only one ship that sails for the skies; her name is Faith. There is only one weapon with which to contend with opposition; that is faith. Faith is the first step; faith is the second step; faith the third step; faith the fourth step; faith the last step. We wenter the road by faith. We contend against adversaries by faith; we die by faith; Heaven is the reward of faith.

Faith soars above the mountains of uncertainty and utters a confidence and assurance in our Lord God. He has a precise way of tunneling though, going over and around, and finding the answers. We must give Him our unconditional trust.
F - forgetting
A - all
I - I
T - trust
H - Him!

The Bible says "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 Bottom line: Faith in the negative comes from worry. Faith in the positive comes from unconditional trust in God. The most difficult part for me in putting faith into action for answers to come is when I must completely turn all over to God and take my hands off. I'm a doer, incredibly stubborn; I don't give up easily when I have a sense of direction from God. But what often comes is a time when I hear God say, "Hands off and let me." It is at this point where I learn to actively put my FAITH in Him for helping and actively trust Him to fight the battles as I learn to sit back and go along for the ride!

As I close this Epistle on FAITH....I do want to add; I cannot imagine a day without blogging, but as this is our daughter's fabulous birthday week -- she is definitely first on the agenda - and I make no bones about it --- she is #1 in my priorities.......so I send much love to one and all....and say Happy, happy 4th of July!!!! .....I'll be posting at a later date.......C ya!

Just for Today. . .

Good habits are purposefully formed. And that's what you want to do today....and every day...form good habits, even (and especially!) in the area of caring for your home. Why? Because what you are at home is what you are. So....

loving your home for an entire week, fussing over the people you love and the place you love for seven whole days...tending to the little touches that transform a house into a home!

...and those are my tender, loving, caring thoughts today.....c ya in W.O.W. 9 a.m. or Worship Center at 10 for the a.m. service.

Gratitude Archive

Most of you know I DO Carol's Creative Cards. I have created a "Gratitude Archive"
Whenever someone sends me a note of thanks for something I did or said, I save it - and I put it in a place where it can easily be retrieved. I collect these notes in a box and take them out and read them when my spirits need a lift. If you (or me) ever have a day when we cannot remember anything good we ever did, or anyone who ever appreciatedus, just take out of the gratitude box a card and spend a few moments absorbing it.........reminding us of our worth!

Speaking of worth, W.O.W. (Women of Worth......WOW also spells Mom upside down) is tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. Come on ladies....you can do it...9 a.m. is not too early! Also, 2nd & 10 class taught for the Men is also at 9! C ya there!!! W.O.W. Subject: "Have you ever tried to harm yourself?"

Intentions

There are many ways to "set" an intention. You could stand on a mountain top and profess your resolution to the trees and sky around you. You could write down some positive changes you want in your life. You could wash your hands in a basin to affirm your intention. Or you could light a candle to support your intention of achieving more inner peace. Intention is powerful in itself. It is a way of proclaiming to yourself and to others that you are committed to change and renewed vision. Think of an important intention now and affirm it. Make it a great day!

Energy

People ask me: Where do you get your energy? I believe energy begats energy! Over the years I've learned to focus my energy on the present, to be fully aware of what's happening in every moment and not to worry about what should have happened, what's going wrong, or what might come next. Yet because I give out so much information and absorb so many people's stories every day, if I didn't find a way to decompress, I'd be totally ineffective - and probably a little crazy, too.

Take care of yourself so you can better care for others is an idea many women I talk to still can't embrace. Keep a gratitude journal --- energy will come rolling in - be grateful. Trust your husband that he is phenomenal in all ways! That will drain your energy if you are always thinking about how to make him live his life.

I'm not real sure I answered the question where do you get your energy? I guess I can say - I don't dwell on drainy things.....always looking at the good in others and the love that comes back to me. Putting positive thoughts and happy thoughts into my mind......being able to be grateful and not carry grudges. .....some day I'll blog more on this question. Have a great Thursday and make someone's day!!!!

Ancient or Relevant?????

Obviously, you can tell I'm an avid morning person. This morning I went out on the patio with the adorable, precious dogs and we were having fun. (I'm talking about very early) When I came back in, I heard the vivacious dog barking a lot, like a cat walked by or a person....who knows. (My husband says it could have even been a leaf blowing a way by the wind!!!!)

So, as quickly as daylight approaches, I note with interest our neighbors were tp'd.........I thought that was an ancient ordeal (what else would it be called?) Well, it is kind of funny.......they did a good job and the tp is rolled out in a form of tic,tac, puzzle in neatness. It must be more relevant than I thought; because those neighbors have been tp'd at least four times this year alone! All I can hope for is that the sprinkler system doesn't come on or it would be gross trying to clean up that mess!!!

Never a dull moment in my life....life is full of fun, that's for sure!!! Make it a good day!!!

Please YOU!

How much of your life will you have to consume before you can please you?

Every day, passion speaks to us through our feelings. That's why when you allow yourself to become anesthetized by what others think, you literally block yourself from living the life you were called to live. And as you become clearer about who you really are, you'll be better able to decide what is best for you - the first time around. The people who truly love you want you to love yourself. That's your great support system! Remember - every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, pay attention and enjoy every moment!

Trust me, I'm around a lot of self-centered person's and I know I am not self-centered, so I can enjoy things that please me and I know you can because of that fact (not being so self absorbed).....so go ahead please YOU today and make it a positive, kind, enjoyable day!

Where have all the flowers gone????

I HAD the most gorgeous flower garden in our front yard; posies, and pansies, and mums....the mums are still there but the others just dried up and died. Oh they were beautiful! (And I kept them watered...hmmmm) I am a flower addict...and they made my day going out and picking out the weeds so they could stay so lovely.
But, I'll still just enjoy the mums; rusty brown, yellow, gold, and red. I'm sure the hot summer sun just was too much for the precious flowers. I note with interest my neighbor's pansies have died also. Oh well, back to Lowe's to see what I can plant to replace them.

added happy note: Church was amazingly incredible yesterday. We had every pew filled but one! And then we had a marvelous Q&A afterwards....oh, am I in for church growth and that we are seeing! Yea!!!!Two precious babies...2 adorable little fellows; one is 3 mo. old and just a doll! And the other a little older but they have the cutest smiles I have ever seen! The family that the two little cutie pies belong to are so encouraging! I just hope and pray all who attended have a super great week and can't wait to fill up that other pew!!!! Keep on plunkin' as we used to say when we lived in New England!!!! Okay...so I'm up early rejoicing and feeling the sadness of loosing my flowers...but I also have plenty of stuff to get caught up on...make it a good day!! C ya tomorrow! & say a prayer for me as I figure out this flower delima........

Early Baker

Okay....I feel sooooo good.....I got up at 4 and made 32 loaves of banana bread for each fam in our church!

Why?

.....because they always say they love my banana bread....

.....to make their day....

.....to make my day.....

to hear my hubby rant and rave about the smell in the house from baking such delicious bread!!!!!!

maybe if someone is kind of down....it will cheer them up!!!!

C ya at 10........we have Q&A today afterwards....great meal!!!! You will love my husband's message...I've had a sneak preview...very relevant to today's events!!!!

Disappointments

The greatest disappointments in life come from unfulfilled expectations, unrealized dreams, and the only "tree" that will sweeten the bitter waters of disappointment is the Lord Himself. Only when your expectations are focused on God can you overcome the disappointments of life. He is an expert at healing the brokenhearted. Thus, your disappointment can become God's appointment to discover that He alone must be your pleasure, your desire, the focus of your heart's affection.

Cya in Church tomorrow......10 a.m. I promise you will not be disappointed!

FF (Finally Friday!)

I've been looking forward to Friday. It seems like all the things I didn't get done on MTWTh can be wrapped up on Friday. Whoopee.....plus no cooking b/c of FNDN (Friday Night Date Night).......my girlfriend read my blog and said why don't you tell where you go and what you do on FNDN? I said, no, that's the fun of it...We're public peeps as it is....why should our private life be so public??? Nay, nay, nay!

I will say, this might sound corny but I celebrate him and he celebrates me. And the first thing that pops into my head when I say that is the theme song that Julie sang in Sound of Music.... "Love Makes World Go Round," love makes the love go round, etc. I've been singing the lyrics of that song for the past couple of years. We all ask a similar question is the comfort of that song true? Can I truly get in the Love feeling that the song says and make "love go 'round?" As I continue to have conversations with women from all walks of life and the many common hurts we all share, perhaps we all need to spread a little love around. Love comes from God first and we find verse after verse in the Bible to call upon God and thank him for the love He has given us well!

Priorities/fun, fun, fun.....random thoughts

My hubby and I had so much fun last night. After our 3rd Wednesday Service, we had fun on a date.....so went to bed late, hence I'm up now, just now doing my blog. Our priorities are Home first, then Church next. We take a "Creative Dating" approach; something might be my idea and the next his. That's what makes marriage exciting. Who wants to have a life of dull-drum? Definitely not us.

Looks like storms are coming.....I hope the people who have been without electricity from the last storm have their electric on....and I hope this storm doesn't knock the power out! (We just filled up our freezer!) Have a happy Thursday!

When Is Competition Appropriate?

In my "coaching" with ladies, I see a lot of competition they exhibit and would you believe with even their own husband. Is competition good or bad? I always refer to the Bible for the answer. I Corinthians 9:24 - Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You almost must run in such a way that you will win. That sounds "pushy" to me in a marriage. Competition can drive us to improve ouselves or sharpen our skills. Why it is not favored in a marriage is because: God looks upon us as having equal worth. Also, men and women are different. So, when the woman begins to fulfill the man's role...trouble starts. Competition becomes inappropriate anytime it causes us to think we are more important than others.

How can you learn to lighten up? Colossians 3:23 - Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. I think we should work hard, focus, do our best, not to beat others. Our best honors the God who created us. And......last but not least, we should be happy when ANYONE has created or accomplished something that makes them feel good about themselves. When there are eight people in a room and seven comment with enthusiasm what a great job you did and the one person did not......the one who made no comment stands out like a sore thumb.....jealous, bitter, sad looking....hey ladies that's negative and it will show up in your health! Everyone is important.....everyone works hard....everyone is happily supporting that person who has tried so very hard to accomplish and finish a project!

Make it a great Wednesday! Think of a way you can spread joy, encouragement, love, kindness!!!! Be happy someone else is great at what they do!!! ...and those are my very caring thoughts.

Daylight

I personally wonder how people still can sleep when it is daylight outside. My feet hit the floor just before daylight and then when I see it (daylight) it's gorgeous!!! At the same time, when it become very dark night....my sweet eyelids close into such a peaceful sleep!

What's on my mind this early in the morning? Being very grateful for health, happiness and amazed at how God is so fabulous and supplying just every need! He says in Philippians 4 He will supply....why should I even wonder? I'm just so thankful! How about you? Do you take for granted all the needs He supplies for you, or do you just plod along........... and I wonder if we all forget to give Him honor and praise? Each day, I say a prayer and cannot thank Him for all His provisions and I hope this is encouragement to pass on!

Initiative

......is the child of necessity. Can people be taught to take the initiative? ...Maybe because they figure the extra work will go unrecognized? When was the last time you undertook an initiative at work without being asked? Did it matter to you whether it was recognized or not? Organizations, churches are full of intelligent, motivated, and experienced people who LACK initiative. To me, it's a fire that burns with an individual. It isn't waiting to be told what to do........an innate drive! Both of our kids have super great initiative!

I knew a lady I used to work with that processed medical claims; this lady would take home manuals nd Health guidelines...hour after hour, evening after evening, reading more to find the answer to a quicker and better way. That's initiative! I'm sure the bonus she received was just the frosting on the cake!

I have to brag on an eleven year old girl at church yesterday that had initiative to straighten the basket with drawing paper and the pens that did not work! That, ladies and gentlemen is pure initiative!!! Give us more people who will JUST DO it AS Niki proclaims!!!! Happy Monday!

Happy Father's Day!!!!!

The world lost a life -
A face you can't see
A voice you can't hear
A hand you can't hold.
Memories
Some fade

Some stay
As clear and bright
As a beautiful summer sun.
They visit us...comfort us
Until the day we are reunited.
Sheer joy.
What a day that will be.......

We lost a super great person when my father-in-law passed on to glory. He always treated me like a queen! My own Dad is passed away several years ago.....but we still have the phenomenal memories and fun being around my own husband who is a fabulous Dad and our Son who is a totally awesome Dad.....and we had so much fun already celebrating Father's Day last night with them.....It is my sincere hope that all Fathers get what they truly deserve......a marvelous day!!!!!

See ya in church 10:00 a.m. There will be a gift given to each Dad. Happy Father's Day each one of you beloved Dads!!!!!

My Question: Why So Much Criticism?

Yesterday for our Date Day we chose Olive Garden. They have a scrumptuous Soup/Salad for $5.99 (all you can eat) for lunch only. When you walk in the Restaurant right outside by the main entrance is a sign with the Manager's full name and of course also reading General Manager. As we were finishing our lunch, she came over and as I looked up saw her name embroided on the Chef jacket outfit she had on.....she proceeded to say we were chosen on our bill to be the customers that get $10 off if we go on line to this site and give our criticism of Olive Garden and how we were treated. My husband and I thanked her, but told her we don't have any criticism; all service, food, etc. has been fantastic! So, as she stood and talked to us, she said that is how she surveys and manages her skills at the restaurant to improve customer service. Hmmmm.......of course I filled out the servey, but on a scale from 1-5, 5 being the best; that was our rating.

On the other hand, I can see why she wants to hear the negative because it gives her higher goals to reach. And the truth is we go in to have a date with each other and bond together after a very busy week. Also to enjoy a nice lunch....the answer to my own question - why so much criticism would make me not want to go back in that restaurant if it's that bad.....looks like it is defeating its own purpose. Oh, well, I will joyfully use my $10 coupon word....and this time devour the breadsticks which are so delicious to take home and reheat....so that's my take on restaurant surveys and gratitude for just being able to give my opinion! Whoopee!!!!!

See ya in church tomorrow. My husband has a fabulous Father's Day message...come on Dads.....you will also receive a neat gift for ccoming as we celebrate Father's Day 2008!!!

Keep on Keepin' On

Don't give up on any victory you want to live in your life! Just do some "cheerleading self talk" and say: "Keep on Keepin' On!!!!"

YOU CAN DO IT! Keep your goals and achieve victory!

Love Stays

You wake up in the morning and your whole world changes. Nothing will ever be as you have known it to be.

You realize the Lord is such a gentle shepherd....a caring and dependable guide.

He will not leave us broken; He will not leave us......the only thing in life that I have learned never changes....is the love of God. I've been trying to memorize I Cor. 13 love chapter....so remember love stays. What a terrific promise because His love is constant! my heart is so grateful, knowing He cares and loves and I can only hope you have experienced this same love! If not, contact me....I can tell you how.

Great Quote!

"To succeed you have to believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a reality."

Anita Roddick

I truly love this quote! We have to get real! Achieve your goal!!!! Don't give up! Your passion will become a reality!

I'm excited about reaching the goal of "filling the pews" and having more attend Lighthouse Church! That's what it's all about....that is definitely a passion with me! Have a great Wednesday!!!

Moving Right Along!

Starting on Projects and then FINISHING them!

The day goes by altogether too fast!!!!! I almost get to the finishing point and get interupted. But, that's okay because it's fun instead of getting in a rut!

My mind goes a mile a minute when I organize. But, having a mind set to throw things away is super!!!! Out of sight, out of mind...if you haven't used it for three months (volumes of "stuff" like paper work, coupons, etc.) throw it away!!!

So, I am moving right along........I'm still doing a study on Proverbs and right now my brain is fried trying to memorize the 3rd chapter of Proverbs. I love Prov. 3:5-6trusting in the Lord with ALL.......great promise!

Added Thought:
Every single day I know I go against the grain so to speak. Having a blogsite called "Carol's Caring Thoughts" when unfortunately society dictates don't care! And believe you me, I see it every day that people don't care. Well, I do; so I love blogging and sharing what's on my mind and I'm so grateful when our Son set it up for me, the title fits me to a "T" .... I will never stop caring - it's like people who LOVE TO run - they will never stop running.....or people who collect things or love to travel. I love to care.......and please don't ever stop calling the church's 24/hr. prayer line because that is where my care begins (except for a new day!!!!) Make it a Great Day!!!! Happy Tuesday!

Pics!!!!

Victory!!! As many know, I love Outreach...because I believe in a church not becoming stale, but growing more families, and more people!! I've been calling approximately twenty people on Saturdays....it finally happened! There was one very faithful couple who never miss who weren't there......plus my beloved hubby and our enthusiastic "Welcome Guy" (who definitely do not miss!) The church totally filled! We even had a lady sitting on the furtherest back pew!!! So, I took pics!

If any of y'all get a chance to read my blog......I know you are happy as well as excited! This has been a goal I have been working hard for a long time and that goal was achieved yesterday -- filling the pews!!!! Yea!!!!

It's been a rough night as I can only guess our freon as gone out on our air conditioner and I lost a ton of sleep.......I'm definitely grateful for ceiling fans is about all I can say. Make it a good day!!!! And celebrate whatever goals you have accomplished!!!!! (While I accomplish my goal of finding a good A/C Service!)

Yea - it's Sunday!!!

God is good.
Church starts at 10 a.m.
Yea, it's Sunday.......cya in Church (Shortest blog in history.....from me at least!)

That Was Easy-My Eventful Shopping Experience

A few months ago I had to go to the Office Supply Store and purchase some office supplies, of course. But this time I took our Grandson --- it's a kid's dream because he's seen his Dad's or Mom's supply of office products.....but he found this noise maker that (was annoying) when you push the button, it says "that was easy!" To this day, I have no earthly idea what happened to that noise maker, but I've had the thing go off in my head as yesterday spending at least three to four hours buying a new pair of COMFORTABLE shoes. Although, I was not about to give up....the Sales Associate at Macy's stayed with me....I have to wear "Clark's" shoes for a number of reasons which I won't go into. Actually main reason...they fit my feet and although they are expensive, they are so comfortable when I shop 'til I drop!!!!! If they are comfortable enough, I don't really drop....they provide the energizer bunny shopping!!! (a-ha)

Have you noticed Sales Associates that sell shoes, to me, must get a pretty good commission as she stayed with me. Clark's has new styles and she kept telling me, most of the ladies that stand on their feet wear a certain kind. Of course, I tried that one on....did NOTHING for me. Okay....After the tenth style (I also opted to change to Naturalizer or Liz Claiborne...no, no, no...ouch!) I chose comfort. They're not really what I would call snazzy looking, but they fit my foot perfectly! On sale for $49 - can't beat that with a stick....but the Clark's I run around in will have to be thrown away...they look like who done it, so now I will wear the new ones all summer.............SO THAT WAS EASY!!!!

The good news is I splurged and bought a purse at Target that matches the shoes exactly!!!! And that was EASY! I always look for the Sales Associate to help me...four eyes are better than two...and she found the perfect purse for me. So, I have a purse feddish (most women do) so as I go to the Granduation event today...I'll be in style...I'm sure we will have to walk a long ways to the Event Center!

I wish our Granddaughter would have been with me....because I surely did shop 'til I dropped....but remembering the visit to the Office Supply and the "That was EASY" noisemaker our Grandson found made my shopping fun!!!! And if you can't have fun, don't go.....'cause it's more fun to be blessed to buy something instead of looking at other shoppers buy!!!! So, those are my happy thoughts about my outlandish spending adventure ..... ON ME! Happy Saturday to you!!!!

Respect

I always feel like there is so very much respect shown to me from everyone and I appreciate it. It's always so much joy to be around people who are grateful and respectful. I will honestly proclaim - as each year progresses, I feel myself noticing how younger people (oh, at the Bank, Corporate World, Theatres, Churches, Grocery Store, Hairdresser, etc. places I frequent to) call me Miss Carol. Of couse, I'm married...they don't know a lot about my life, but they say my personality is efferdescent and they love my enthusiasm! And the truth is I'm on Cloud 98 because I'm in the older (cool) category with the 25 to 42 age people who constantly talk to me and ask me how I'm doing. I'm so respected. Even the other age group categories saying pleasant things to me!

It does each one of us a world of good to brag on ourself at times, so this will be the post I would categorize as "bragging on self - regarding respect" Some have said I'm definitely with the program - so that's what matters......appreciation and respect!!!! This is going to be a very busy day, so I had better get my own day started and tackle each task with vim and vigor!!! Have fun - Be Positive - it's Friday!!!!

Embrace Your Distinctiveness!

We received six High School Graduation Invitations (or are they called Announcements?) this year. I have enjoyed so much having a part in congratulating each one and to admonish them to embrace their distinctiveness! Many people don't value themselves because they are looking to other people to set the standards for their lives. They are living by comparison - looking to people around them or to models in magazines to tell them how they should dress, act, etc.

The truth is......YOU are the Designer's original! You are not a cheap imitation of someone else. .....or a copy....you have your own specific physical identity....genetic code, fingerprints and voice.....you are distinctive - soar high and make a huge difference in wherever you live, whatever you do! Remember God's thoughts are for you to have the peace of God which passeth all understanding! Take God on your journey. He is with you and wants to help you through any and all struggles. ....and those are my encouraging words to the Graduates....Invest in what God has put inside of you!

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!

I actually sat in a movie (Chronicles of Narnia) the entire time:
.....did not fall asleep (my kids won't believe this....but it actually happened!
.....did not get up and miss any of it!
.....great movie!
My hubby and I had a great time!

After we returned I fixed a "Thanksgiving June Candlelight Dinner" - cornish game hens (we both had our own game hen, cooked to perfection!) (cooked the entire afternoon @ 300 degrees, so was perfectly done) with all the trimmings; mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, scrumptuous salad (he master minded that one!) and delicious tea!!!! Fun, fun, fun! Stuffed, stuffed, stuffed!

Topper: I received a huge package sent by UPS from my Sister in Missouri...people that know me know that would not be hard to guess what it was??? Not one, but 5 chickens!!!! Come on now; you can't beat that with a stick??? A "London Fog" coat...whooopee, and a suit with a long skirt! (She went to a Church Rummage Sale....: ) Hmmmm - Maybe the day should be called "Christmas in June Celebration Dinner".......whatever ..... I am extremely so grateful and blessed! And I hope she gets blessed for thinking of me!

Make it a good day for you! Be real nice to yourself and enjoy the process!

Power!!!!

You know what real power is? Real power is when you are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing the best it can be done! Authentic power! There's a surge, there's a kind of energyfield that says, "I'm in my passion." I'm where I belong. And nobody has to tell you, "You go girl," because you know you're already gone!

Love, love, love it!!!!

I've always heard efficiency tends to deal with THINGS.
Effectiveness tends to deal with PEOPLE
We manage THINGS, we lead PEOPLE! I am definitely a PEOPLE person! (With a principle of caring!) .....and those are my caring thoughts.........I hope your Tuesday is happy!

I'm Definitely A Lucky Mom!

......there are so many answers to life's delimas.....
knowing someone cares enough to ask me what I've been
up to is such a lift! Our daughter is so caring. She
knows my life consists of soooo many answers to helping
women and is she is so supportive and encouraging....
..beautiful in all ways...what a fabulous
person, let alone I gave birth to her!!! Wow!!! I'm
the luckiest Mom having a daughter like her and I love
the way she gives me super phenomenal advice to not "over-
do" (she knows me like a book) and I need to hear that (be-
cause I do overdo) Ugh! About me.....I will sift care-
fully through this week which is a very busy week and
take some time to "smell the beautiful flowers" I planted
in our yard. I hope you do the same! Happy Monday!

Hang On To Hope!

Where would we be without Hope?

Here's an Albert Einstein quote: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

That's the way I live my life......it gives me HOPE as though we have miracles happen every day! I look for them! Trust me, they do happen!

Whether you believe you CAN or you belive you can't - you're right either way!

Cya in church. 10 a.m. (W.O.W. 9 a.m.) I'm exciting about a lady I spoke with yesterday that is going to visit our church today! Yea!!!! That's what it's all about. Remember to hang on to HOPE! I hope you have a blessed day!

OUTREACH---yea!!!

Saturday is always Outreach day....a chance to see where everyone is....the why, if's, ands, or's (as my Mom used to say) and what's going on!!!! Reaching out to people is such a blessing!!! The ultimate goal is to their commitment to come to church on Sunday....no pressure, but caring as to why we haven't seen them lately. I know where would I have been if someone wasn't interested in me......and of course, W.O.W. is tomorrow...........yea! I finally heard from one of our W.O.W. absentees....boy have I missed her!!!! So, 9 a.m. - bright and early....I'm to the point where I have ladies calling me now and asking about it!

I hope your Saturday is a great one! Cya in church! My hubby and I have fun working on new music, his message, and many blessed things!!!!

Great Statement

This is very inspirational.

Not everything that is faced can be changed but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

Better have your facts lined up!

Because......
Tough times don't last, but tough people do!

I truly care.....so hang in there....as we used to say many years ago to the Teen Department, that I taught......Keep on plunkin'!......You CAN do it!

....Let go and let God! (oooooo a good one!)

I wish you a very happy Friday! I know I am! Go ahead....make someone's day!

The 10 Rules

1. Always eat breakfast
2. Move (exercise)
3. Read labels
4. Keep a Strategy
5. Quit being so self centered!
6. Be consistent!
7. Make special occasions count
8. Get a life!
9. Know it will get easier
10. Throw away ood (out-of-date items!)

This is a combination of a "several ages group" - cool, hu?

Fathers Do Count....Very Caring Thoughts

On Mother's Day we as Moms had our fabulous, marvelous day charmed with wonderful flowers, phone calls, etc.........for the terrific Mom that we are. Now, we're headed into June where we can celebrate the cool Fathers! My husband is a super Dad to our kids as well as Pastor to many people. It is our prayer that finding a way to be in touch with your Dad would make a super Father's Day 2008!

My husband and I spent many hours volunteering to help a new Pastor several years ago, and he liked the big daddy image. No, neither am I the Mom of just any person, nor my husband the Dad of any person.....I'm admonishing this Father's Day to connect with your Dad...Dads do count and they are cool as can be! They are always so humble and tend to not like a lot of hip, hip, hooray though. I don't mind being transparent on this subject, because of the celebration in grand style that our kids bring soooo much joy to their Dad. Take a leap of joy and contact your Dad this Father's Day and thank him for bringing you into this amazing world!

And those are my very caring thoughts. June 15, 2008! Yay!!!!!

Getting Back In The Grind

Just make a choice to get up and get goin'! I couldn't even begin to say all the things my hubby and I accomplished yesterday! (Sigh) - a day off! I did have one person who called for help, but it was my pleasure to listen and help.

Today will be a day of getting back in the grind....ugha-ugha...away we go. There's two choices to tackle all the appointments....just say and pray...God will give us strength, He will give tons of love, joy, and caring to go around to all of us!

I've had a lot of ladies send me an e-mail with prayer requests....remember we have a 24-hr. prayer line that takes calls at church, so don't hesitate to call. Your request will be prayed for six times today. God bless your 4-day work week!

Twice The Fun!

My husband and I had such a great time yesterday after Q&A.....watching funny movies can really enlighten one's day!!! We both never laughed so hard! When you've been married as long as we have, we take turns serving each other. One night he might cook and the next I might cook. One night he serves me my favorite ice cream and the next me serve him his favorite. I truly love it though, when we came home from serving others at Church and just sat and communicated. I love to hear his heart which is what he did to vent to me. Marriage is twice the fun when both get their way. I love it!

Happy Memorial Day!

Painful Experiences

God uses painful experiences to purify our faith because He understands the great value it will be. ....don't have a lot of time to elaborate on that...will at a later date.

In the meantime.........

I hope that everyone has a happy pre-Memorial Day and beyond that a Memorial Day tomorrow remembering those beloved ones we have lost to death. In the meantime, see ya at Lighthouse Church, 10 a.m. And....the fun we will have afterwards at Q&A and a fabulous Cook-Out!

Balance

We all need balance in our lives. The positive with the negative.
Laughing and sadness.
Good with the bad.
Problems and victories.
What is your choice?
The one fact, I believe, we need most of all is to attend Lighthouse Church regularly to where the teaching my husband is giving out from the Bible and Victorious Christian Living will be the answer to balance.
Cya tomorrow at 10 a.m. You matter to God......and YOU matter to us!

Here's our commitment to You:
We'll accept you where you are.
We'll give you a safe place to investigae the message of God's word.
We'll remind you again and again that God loves you!
So, welcome - again, we'd love to see you! Attend and find out about "Balance"

Up & At 'Em

Late night....early morning! But, I'm up and at 'em and can't wait to see what this day holds! I've been "catching up" on blogs I read. Sooooo encouraging! There are so many super phenomenal writers...it inspires me to keep on caring and writing. (in that order)....Friday is a great day to just close off the week with admonishment and encouragement: Here's a great quote: "In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future." Alex Haley

Make it a great day!

Signs Of Drift

Some very caring thoughts.......

Lately I've noticed people denying there even is a God who loves them and is there any time we need Him......Even in my own life, when I feel like I am drifting, I find a promise in the Bible and one that I found is "I will never leave you nor forsake you." He is always there for us and of course the question remains to be answered....who drifted away? God ??? Me??? Many times I've found that an attitude is contagious, especially if you are around someone who has no comment about what victory they have had in their life as far as God being the victor!!!

End the negative cycle; if you sense something, no matter how small, is not quite right in your relationship with God, don't wait until it becomes a big problem....I know I journal my prayers and that helps to keep me close to God and not drifting away. How about you? ....oh, one more promise....."My God shall supply all your needs..." The book of Philippians is awesome and full of God promises to keep from drifting!

I'm Here!!!!!!

That was fun! It is with enthusiasm that I join voices with the Psalmist, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" - Psalm 118:24.


Cya in church tonight; 3rd Wednesday!

.......Grandma.....

A grandma is a baby-sitter who watches the kids instead of the television.
Yes, that's me............as said by grandkids.... Whoooopeeeeeee
Cya in church and W.o.W.

...from my "I Love You, Grandmother Daily Calendar"

I don't miss a single blog as you have noticed. But, as you noticed I missed one......As you can guess, I'm Grandma-ing...and love, love, love it! But, I've been on a very fancy (way over my heard) Apple Computer, so have chosen not to write from there. a-ha (sigh) I'm on a non-Apple...so I can whiz through. The last thing I want to do is mess someelse's, exactly what they have, computer!!!

Thanks for any and all comments, though.

Here's a cool comment from my "I Love You, Grandmother Daily Calendar" and the writer is Libby Houston and the dates were June: "Children use up the same part of my head as poetry does. To deal with children is a matter of terrific imaginative identification. And the children have to come first. It's no use putting off their evening meal for two months." (My comment: it's no putting off the grandkiddos for ANYTHING!) ...Carol D.

Oh no, I must not pass this one up from Annabel Twigg: "When I am sad and down, my grandma holds my hand; when I am happy she sits and smiles with me." (This is me). Happy Saturday............Cya Ladies in W.O.W. Women of Worth tomorrow, 9 a.m. Whooopeeee!!!!!!

The Bible

I was actually talking with someone yesterday who doesn't believe the Bible is truth. To me all she needs to do is read it. Especially the book of Proverbs. That book will rattle your cage!!! Such truth is definitely be found! Read the part where "a fool hath said in his heart, there is no God!" Wow! I'm doing a study on the entire book. It has been very inspiring! I'll blog a synopsis when I finish! :-)

Generosity

I found this quote from Dr. Frank Crane......I'm not sure who he is but he is mentioned in my "Love Inspirational Book." He said "Don't be afraid of your generous emotions." I love that! I'll pass it on to those of who read my blog today and hopefully it will be an encouragement to you as well. Happy Wednesday!

Enjoy The Memories

Yesterday I declared Monday as a day to ENJOY THE MEMORIES of Mother's Day 2008! No cell phone, only sent one e-mail, but just lathering in the wonderful Sunday I had! I call it my "I love you Mom day!" I love Inspirational quotes. Here's one "Only connect" - E.M.Forster Soooooooo, now today is "Catch-up" day...gotta get busy, lots to do and lots of thank you notes to be sent!

i'd love to hear how your Mother's Day went.....hope it was happy!

Very Happy Mother's Day!

First I heard from our Son and then I heard from our Daughter! Makes a Mom's heart so happy and joyful! What wonderful conversations. They have always been so very thoughtful to call me and share their thanks, concern for my welfare, love and gratitude for me being their Mom.....love, love, love it! My day was described as a very happy Mother's Day! I received, as I always say, everything I wanted or did want, or will want! The love between a Mother and child is something to count on forever!

Happy Mother's Day!

May your day be ever so happy. This is our Day, Mom's. Can't wait! I love, love, love Mother's Day! I have the most awesome, fantastic, fabulous (even though they are grown) kids in the entire world! They rock!!! They tend to get shy about my bragging rights, but that's why I truly adore being a Mom, because my kids are so phenomenal! ....I'm going to have a glorious day and I hope you do also!

Cya in Church 10 a.m. where we will be honoring Mothers.

Fabulous Evening!!!

Both sets of grandparents, the honoree birthday girl....our "10" year old granddaughter, of course our son and daughter-in-law (lucky parents) and our grandson + avid friends who have the title "Uncle" or "Aunt." And our granddaughter chose a Japanese Restaurant for her grand event! And we sat at the table in a room all by ourselves - tremendous atmosphere and respectfully took our shoes off before we entered.

I want to brag on our granddaughter who so appreciated her gifts as she said so many gracious thank you's to everyone! She is sharp as a tack!!! She looked over and saw I was struggling with chopsticks, so she politely gave me a set of connected chopsticks that I could use to eat my rice and teriyaki chicken. She loves sushi, thus selecting Japanese cuisine. What a tremendous great evening! Who said families can't have super conversations, and tons of fun???? I had the best time of my life!!!! It's one of those times when you walk away and have ALL positive and only great comments on your travel home!!!

Re: Today's agenda: I'm so happy to honor all Moms and Daughters at a great event at our church in about four hours at a brunch. Another fun event......and what follows for Mother's Day is going to be super as our church honors all mothers in a special service they won't forget! Cya there!!!!

So far, so good..................

The closer we get to Mother's Day, the more I withdraw into a shell (so to speak) because my precious Mamma passed away in 1970, and I miss her drastically. So far, so good......Mother's Day has come early this year and we have been observing our adorable granddaughter's birthday and she gets so excited over things, it keeps my spirit up!!!!!

Never fear....I think about my Mom and she left a lot of super fantastic memories for me. But, I will have many special moments of remembering the great things about her; what a phenomenal woman! Here's something you probably won't believe...my Mom never drove a car...in fact as each one of us sisters grew up and had a boyfriend that drove, when we would go on a date, she would ask that we drop off at the grocery store and pick up "Del Monte Green Beans." The label had to say Del Monte...I think it was more to check out the time we got in from a date because she would be up waiting for that can of Del Monte Green Beans and would always say "Thank you" ....My Mom was a giggler. I can remember her sitting on a stoole in the kitchen, smoking a cigerette, and giggling at what my fiance at the time (now my beloved husband) would have to say. She thought he hung the moon and would probably have giggled over anything he said.

My Mom was one of a kind......I hope you love your Mom and enjoy her giggles or whatever it takes to just ENJOY her. I'll be talking to my Mother-in-Law and enjoying her exciting greeting to me "Carol, hello!!!!!" - she will be 86 years this year and of course is in a rehab center, but still loves to hear our voices!!!

Have a super Friday and enjoy your day!!!! Make it a good one while you're at it!

Personal Perspective

This is your basic attitude in life. How do you think? Personal perspective influences your thoughts, opinions, choices, actions, and ability to make changes.

Always be willing to see another perspective. Choose if you want to change and decide to change it - even if you do not know how yet. Stay connected. Keep change at the forefront of your mind by reviewing your lists daily. Add and delete things. Change will happen more easily and quickly than you anticipate if you focus and refocus on what you have written down.

The happiest people keep their mind learning. My goal is soul searching and spirit shining. I constantly face up to past disappointments and learn from them or adapt to goals that change the circumstances.

Be challenged to have fairness to all people for your personal perspective. Write down goals to achieve this. Build on positive challenges and don't be afraid to admit you have wronged in this area. You'll feel different and better!

One of the questions I ask ladies when they want help is "What is your answer to showing fairness?" Sometimes they look at me like "Dah, I don't know what you're talking about." Articulate those thoughts and e-l-a-b-o-r-a-t-e.

Something to think about on a Thursday, but make it a good day!

Blogger Buzzes & Mother's Day Question

Hmmm still have not taken the time to upgrade my blog but after reading the "Blogger Buzzes" I'm excited about learning and having fun with it!
Can't say when.....me thinketh me procrastinate : - )

THIS IS A COOL MOTHER'S DAY QUESTION ANSWERED BY 3 2ND GRADERs ABOUT THEIR MOM.

Question: How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like He made me. He just used bigger parts.

Oh, and Happy Birthday, TCD!!!!! : )

You Never Know..............

.....what a person is going through.....
Yesterday I talked with a person who was struggling.....
You couldn't tell by just looking.....
I told her she didn't have to carry that load by herself...there are
people who care.....after she vented, she said she felt a whole lot
better. My heart went out to her. It makes me wonder how many other
people are suffering and do not trust anyone to share it with. Hmmmm
Fact #1 - there really are caring people whom you can trust.
Fact #2 - there also remains people who go around causing what I call
a ruckus whom you cannot trust. (jealous because you can be
trusted.)
When I cannot trust someone I tend to ignore them.
I'd love to hear your take on this subject: Trust is something you earn.....especially if you've heard someone tell
something (Fact #3...heard it with my own ears) ....then go strict
boundaries to not trust that person until proven otherwise.....I will
let this subject GO because I'm looking forward to what lies ahead this
week.....our granddaughter's birthday and all the awesome Mother's Day
events we have at our church...yay!!!!!! And being a Mom to two tout simplement magnifique (totally awesome) kids is wonderful!!!!!! Have a fun Tuesday!

Motivating & Inspiring : - )

Several years ago I received the "Outstanding Speech Student" award at a College I attended. The speech I gave was to be motivating and inspiring.

I quoted the Founder and phenomenal business lady, Mary Kay Ash, of whom I was a Sales Consultant for her extremely successful Company, Mary Kay Cosmetics!

"God didn't have time to create a nobody - just a somebody. I believe that each of us has God-given talents within us waiting to be brought into fruition. Every person is unique and special."

How motivating is that? Very motivating!

And the main point in my speech was keeping business moral in a positive perspective. And the point was to help workers gain confidence by building on their strengths. Think about getting Outstanding Employee of the Year because he/she would flourish in the system. We are all so very important in the scheme of things and should be treated like we are unique and special. Whether a person chooses to treat us that way is their problem, not our's.

And those are my caring thoughts today.............have a blessed Monday and know you are loved!

Ask Your Husband, He'll Tell You The Truth

.....okay ....one of the "luxuries" I have is getting my hair fixed. Some times I can do it perfectly, other times, it's definitely off to the hairdresser who cuts it precisely and exactly to my satisfaction. And, of course, I have been going to her for approximately two years. Some times I can't stand my hair falling down in my eyes, so I ask that it be off my forehead....what do I get? Falling down on forehead......so she explained to me my hair tends to fall in place that way. I would never want a rift with my hairdresser; she has a license to do her job and I love her "laughing at my jokes" giggle. On the day we had our renewal of our vows in the church service on our wedding anniversary, she came over early and gave me a present of "fixing my hair with the veil top pinned down securely." Needless to say, she is awesome!

I shared it with my hubby.....my dissatisfaction about asking for the hair not to be falling in my eyes and that maybe I could do it better myself. He gave me a lil' sermon on "I love your hair like that and you look so pretty.....and no, you know you love getting your hair fixed by that Hairdresser....." So, once again because he was really telling me the truth, I'm just going to accept how it looks and be content with the fact that I love the process, how great it feels to have the fancy looking hair do......Hmmmm what women don't put their husband through, but I'm glad I can trust his comments...of course, always and forever. :)

Cya in Church......remember W.O.W. ladies....Trust issues today is the topic!

by the way.....I'll be transparent and say, Ladies if you are running around with a crowd that belittles, criticizes, or makes you feel like you have less than a great man, (your husband), steer another direction....that is toxic and makes you build walls of resentment, hate, and jealousy......trust my words on that one!

Does Trust Have To Be Earned?

Absolutely, unequivably! Because she has proven herself to be untrustworthy.
.....or maybe so many lies being told.

We will be discussing this question with a panel discussion. I have chosen three ladies to be our "panel experts" on this question. Come on out....9 a.m. tomorrow to W.O.W. (Women of Worth) at Lighthouse Church. C ya there!!!

Every Person Who Is Put In Our Path.........

for a reason!

When we awaken to this fundamental truth, we begin to understand that a benevolent force of energy is available to guide and direct our lives.......God Himself....because when one has not spoken to a friend for a long time, a renewed friendship is always such a blessing and joy!

There are no coincidences........the way we view our life, who comes into our life and I truly believe it is for a reason, is a touch from God and this person becomes a friend that gives insight, support, and just plain ole' love and kindness. Though there be thousands of miles that separate us.....what a refreshing time of fellowship, friendship, and rejoicing!

I hope you have such a joy and blessing from a friend who "loveth at all times" as the Bible says. And of course it's Friday.....so do plan on having fun at the same time!

Friends

Choose your friends wisely. Make sure they are trusting. And for sure, make sure they don't lie. Lately I'm running into some people not telling the truth. Okay......offer a prayer up for me. Because that does get my dander up! Have a very truthful, honest day.....plaaaeeeeezeee!

Nothingness

There are so many ways we can communicate...blogs, e-mails, text-messaging, mail, and then get connected to what is going on....TV 24-hr. news; iPods, satellite radio and the newest out, Twitter. Everywhere messages are going into our minds.

Do we ever have solitude? A time to just do nothing?

I want to quote from a book I've been reading lately. The author is
Henri Nouwen and the book is “The Way of the Heart”…

“In solitude I get rid of my scaffolding: no friends to talk with, no telephones calls to make, no meetings to attend, no music to entertain, no books to distract, just me - naked, vulnerable, weak, sinful, deprived, broken-nothing. It is this nothingness that I have to face in my solitude, a nothingness so dreadful that everything in me want to run to my friends, my work, and my distractions so that I can forget my nothingness and make myself believe that I am worth something.”

I hope you have your solitude time and truly enjoy it. Happy Wednesday!

Energy Drinks....hello!!!!! - random thoughts.....

I was actually shopping in a store and a Clerk (right in front of me) was drinking one of those energy drinks. Couldn't tell you the name if my life depended on it. I'm thinking it was Red Bull or something like that.

Sometimes I have to go early in the morning to a store that is open 24/7. I see people on their way to work, buying A DRINK and from a distance I can see the "energy" word on the can. Hmmmm - makes me wonder at 8 or 9 a.m. do they go back to the store and get another can of energy drink? Is that what keeps them going all day?

Oh, for Pete's sake, please don't get me a can. I don't have a problem with energy, except when I'm around a person who makes a drastic comment about how energetic I am; then I zone out and make it a point to stay away from them. (I think they are wishing they had some of it!) I'm proud of my energy. I totally believe it is definitely a God-thing! I ask Him daily to give me a great attitude of having life in all its fullness! He says "Ask and Ye shall receive." So I ask and He gives! Without the energy drink....I wonder what these energy drinks really do to a person. Hello........today while I'm in a store I'll read the label and maybe blog about it again! In the meantime....make it a good day today! I know I will! I'm up early to finish a book I started reading: "Hope Happens."

Good Grief It's Monday Already!

.....Don't let me kid you......my favorite part of the week is Monday...yea~~~~~~~~
I love Mondays! We get to practice our Christianity what we learned on Sunday!...a-ha.....And I can get all the laundry done and we begin the week with ultra clean clothes! So I got carried away getting the laundry all folded nice and neat for my hubby when he needs it!!! Yea....it's done...out of the way - well maybe until Thursday and I will repeat this wonderful task. Most wives look on it with drudgery, but I think the more we support our family system, the more we are optimistic instead of grumpy and out of sorts!!!!!

Here's a great inspirational thought!

Belief in ourselves is like a muscle - it is strengthened by constant and careful use! Yea...have a super dooper Monday!

Kids Rock!

It doesn't matter if they are seven, (almost ten) in their thirties, they rock! Okay so I picked up a "cool" word. Last night I had a loonnnggg super great conversation with our daughter. I feel like I'm a "Queen Mom" when I finished talking to her. I think it's super to raise kids and then later on in life, they give back to you what I call one hundred-fold...it comes back to you. To hear what they are doing in their lives is so phenomenal! hey - I know they are busy, but the respect given me to "yack" a while is so appreciated! WOW!

See ya in church - today Q&A, but the Worship Service begins at 10 a.m.-11 a.m. and the Q&A is afterwards. :)

Thought Provoking Question

Whose life did I touch today?

Of course, it's too early in the morning to answer that question. But, as the day goes by, what will be the answer?

Fact is, do we really care?

I know I care. Maybe too much some times. Hmmm, in thinking about it....I would say that is me....then, the "letting go" plays in and that's where it becomes a "God-thing" and I HAVE TO turn it over to Him.

I think we all lack a certain amount of caring. But, yet that sounds too judgmental.

I give up......I want to touch someone's life today...be it my husband, my kids, or the community. Last night on our date night, we ended with going back to Cracker Barrell and sharing a fabulous tasting strawberry shortcake dish and devoured it, left a pretty sizable tip for the Server (her eyes popped out) and walked away happy, knowing we "touched her life." So, the question still remains today....whose life will I touch? Hopefully, several lives as my life today will be reaching out to enthusiastically invite others to our Church Service tomorrow.

Say a prayer for me and I say "thanks!" (& I hope you get a chance to touch a life.)

Challenges

I truly love challenges. Many times, our "Welcome MC" at church will challenge us to get out of our box and invite others to church. I'll be the first one out the door and take the challenge with all the invigorating, looking for someone to invite beginning with Sunday and each day of that week.

As I was growing up, the Coach on the softball team always couldn't wait until the game because I was a player who DID WHAT THE COACH told me to do; if he said "Carol, hit the ball on left field," that's what I did. If he said "It looks like the 2nd baseman is not looking or paying attention, hit the ball straight out," that's exactly what I would do! (We had many winning scores because of my challenge from the Coach!)

I'm very challenged to bring others to church....where would I have been if my Senior High School girlfriend had not invited me to church? Thus, inviting others is not only a challenge for me; it makes me not want to give up....someone has to come and bring their family and I call it "fill those pews up!" This week I actually met a lot of people who do not have a church home. Was I definitely challenged? Absolutely! .....and hopefully they will be there Sunday. It's only a couple of days to keep on keepin' on....praying they will be there....greeting them at the door when they do attend! As my Aunt used to say....you can't beat that with a stick! Have a super, fantastic Friday! Do not let anyone steale your joy that you have with challenges! And whatever you do, do not give up!

DO THE MATH

Some people add something to life - we enjoy them.

Many people in this world desire to help others. - these people are adders.
I say they are adders because adding value to others requires a person to give of himself and that rarely occurs by accident. I have endeavored to become an adder. I like people and I want to help them.

Some people subtract something from life. we tolerate them.

Some people multiply something in life - we value them!

I am fortunate. I have a lot of multipliers in my life; highly gifted people who want to see me succeed, people such as being passionate about making a difference. They help me sharpen my vision and maximize my strengths.

Everybody needs somebody.

A New Twist On Life

.....moving furniture.....can be fun......it gives me
.....a new perspective
I can tolerate change more than most people.
Who wants to see the same thing day in and day out?
Changing perspective can cause you to start seeing and thinking things differently. But, definitely gives a new twist on life.

Change

I have a low tolerance for so-called gurus who claim they change people's lives. No one can change the life of any individual except that individual. Certainly, others offer a greater or lesser incentive for a person to improve his or her life. Nonetheless, responsbility still rests with each one of us for our own lives!

I love Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote: "What lies behind us and what lies before us are but small matters compared to what lies WITHIN us."

To the questions in your life in regards to change, you are the only answer. To the problems in your life, you are the only solution. You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it! If you choose to change......change for the better...your life will be happier and you will be content! May your Tuesday be great!

I Found It!!!!

It took approximately 3 hours to find an important document I needed for today!

It was in the last file I looked in!

Isn't that always the truth??? (Amen on that one!)

But the main thing is I found it! Nothing stresses me out more than knowing something is supposed to be there and it's not! I shouldn't have waited until the last minute to look for it!

I hope your day goes well.

Oh, no, my hubby comes in and says "What are you doing?"
Carol: "Just now doing my blog?"
Hubby: "Could I interupt you to help me find a book I'm looking for?"
Carol: "I think it's on the shelf..........etc., etc."

Well, at least we are started the day on THE SAME PAGE! - a-ha God is good!

Building Network of Friends

.....is what I spend a lot of time doing. There are friends from "way back" I keep in touch with and then networking of new friends.

Recently I have had the privilege of meeting new friends. A lot of people don't like to make new friends and it is not an easy matter for many of them. Many have developed strong walls of defense because they have been hurt so many times with friends.

Well, in approximately three hours I will be meeting with lady friends for a Women of Worth Class I teach. Yes, they are definitely friends...so very faithful and loving.

God bless you this Lord's Day. See ya in Church!

Finally No Storms!

Hopefully we will have a day of beautiful sunshine! I followed the storm the other night on a weather channel....the meterologist was a tad bit behind on reporting the storm coming to our town, but watching the pattern the storm took interested me. As a kid I was mortified at storms, but as I'm older I will even watch the lightening out the window and the trees being torn asunder.

I'm looking forward to a GRAND day! Taking our Grandson to his Soccer game and I just know he'll win, and then all the fun things we can do afterwards, as the day will go by quickly I am sure.

Can't wait until tomorrow - W.O.W. and Church! See you there!

.....Attitude 101, day 2

Get honest with self.

Make sure that you're not carrying around excess baggage. If you have areas in your life in which you constantly struggle with your attitude and you cannot seem to get free, then you need to ask God to show you what's holding you back. Ask God to show you if you have any bitter roots that you need to get rid of. God will show you the truth about yourself and your attitude. There is no obstacle on this planet you cannot conquer if you CHECK your attitude and have a desire to get along with someone.

You CAN do it. I know you CAN!

Cya in W.O.W. class in two days - 9 a.m. :)

Attitude 101

AN ATTITUDE -

Thoughts

turned

inside

out

Life is good, but it could be a whole lot better if people would just take a big time check on their attitude.

Last night my husband was teaching on the Life of Jonah and that he had a rebellious attitude. He ran from God! Whoa!!! That hit home to me....not the rebellious attitude because I check that out hourly and I do not do rebellion in all it's form. What hit home to me was running.....I run from people who have an attitude of pushy-ness or overly controlling. No one likes to be controlled, but the persistence is the part I think gives them a bad attitude and apparently they cannot see it for themselves.

Attitude Check!

Today I will have a grateful attitude, (attitude of gratitude) recognizing this day is a gift! ...and choose friends who will lift me up rather than pull me down. And I know my attitude will take me places I never imagined!

The Truth!

Here's a great quote:
"What concerns everyone can only be resolved by everyone."

Friedrich Dürrenmatt

To me this represents truth and fairness! That is one of my pet peeves; when someone is not being fair or telling the truth! Think about it.

I hope your Wednesday (day after ugh....taxes) is awesome!

Cya at 3rd Wednesday tonight!

Post #415 - Date 4-15

A friend of mine has a phenomenal blog...when I finally figure out how to link, do all the miraculous blog stuff, I will share.

She posed a question: "How do we know it's of God?" Interesting question -- in my Post Title today...I am knowing it's of God...this would never happen in a zillion years. I'm on Post #415 on 4-15! This would only happen to me...I think it is of God....I feel His presence every time I sit down and write and then to note that as I pull up the screen to post the next blog...it numbers my blogs (those are the behind the scenes that I see before I write). Most people would say...that's no big deal...well, I look on it as it's cool...and you can call it luck or of God...I just think that's the way things happen for me....I am so blessed far beyond comprehension and it is just one more reason to enjoy life, look for ways to get excited about all the tons of things I enjoy.......Sure, to someone else they may just blow it off...to me I think it's just way cool!

And as my husband says, "If it makes you happy, it makes me happy!" Honestly, these are days when people are doubting God...does He really exist, or why go to church? or .....is the Bible relevant? ...I care....so if you want to know answers to these questions....don't be afraid to ask. Where is God when you need Him? Trust me, He is there!

Monday Came Quick!

I think all the walking yesterday:
....made me sleep soooo good!
....and made Monday come quick!

At any rate, I had better get going....had a 6 a.m. breakfast with one of the awesome ladies from Church.......came home...put a load of laundry in and have several "loose ends to tie up" as I call it. So, with that in mind, and a few phone calls I have to make, this Monday will be come and gone!

Become a better YOU today.
Romans 8:28 "And we know all things work together to them that love the Lord!" What a great promise!

Phenomenal Sunday

.......I was busy this morning before going to church to finish the Mother/Daughter Annual Brunch display at our church! sooooooo I ran out of time and the day has been phenomenal!

So....instead of saying Good Morning, I will say Good Night because in a couple of hours I will enjoying a great night's sleep!

Church Service was awesome today. My friend finally came for the Worship Service. I was so happy to see her.

I hope your day was eventful. My hubby and I went to Barnes and Noble and enjoyed some Cheesecake Factory Strawberry/Cream cheesecake! OOOOOOOO so wonderful tasting! Very refreshing. They were passing around samples of a new Starbuck's Mocha Frappachino.....ooooo yummy on that one! Good night all!

Confidence In Outreach

.......comes solely from God

.......just do it!

.......When feeling crummy about confidence, wallow in it for a bit, but above all, get confidence in Outreach!

...........if I listened to every negative comment about going out and telling others about Lighthouse Church, I'd never leave the house! Hello!!!!

..........I'm a "Wannasee".....okay Carol crap, what is that????

"Wannasee The Pews Filled" on Sunday Outreach dedicated Person!!!! I can't wait for the attendees I invite to get the same blessing I get out of my husband's teaching!!

.......and those are my very caring thoughts today. See ya in Church tomorrow...10 a.m.-11 a.m. - Worship Service - one great service is all we have!!!

Respect

Webster's Dictionary defines RESPECT: "an act of giving particular attention : consideration; high or special regard : esteem, the quality or state of being esteemed."

The ladies at church are asking me to give a lesson on "Respect." As they have gotten older, they say they have noticed that there is no respect given for their Mom by the younger world. On the other hand, there are ladies that are Mom's themselves, but have no respect whatsoever for their Mom. Hence, they fear they will "turn out like their Mom" therefore, they turn away from their own Mom.

Respect is a foreign word to some people. We should have ultimate respect for our husbands, our kids, our in-laws, our friends, especially our parents who have "weathered the storms of life" and we can learn from their tremendous love and respect. I can remember my Mom always saying, "Respect your elders." To me that meant a Sister who is older than me; actually anyone that was older and wise, so it would behoove me to learn something for my own good from these women. The Bible says we who are older should teach the younger and be an example. I take that literally and am proud to help someone who wants to learn from me.

Society has dictated (unfortunately) that your parents don't know anything...they are old foggies. To me, that's where the respect has been lost and it's tragic. If we don't teach our kids respect, they will have chaos when the child gets to the teens years.....no respect, to me, means they will have an attitude and that could get them in a lot of trouble.

One of my pet peeves is knowing someone is not respecting me and believe me you, when you get upward in years, you see how some people place you in an OLD category and they truly don't have any respect whatsoever and to be quiet frank, we have a choice of letting it annoy us, or feel sorry for the person who has no respect or clue what it means to respect an elder. Okay so I've been on a soapbox today....and do I want to teach the younger women at church RESPECT.....most definitely!!! I will patiently wait until the next class and thank them for wanting to know! It's an interesting subject especially since most of the ladies are Mom's themselves and it's an amazing discovery that the way they treat their Mom is exactly the way they will be treated when their children grow up. The Bible says we reap what we sow.

I feel sorry for the person who has never learned the meaning of respect and does not have that character quality. I'm so happy we raised our kids who truly love and respect us. .....and I know they care so much. I also thank God for the mutual respect given to us by the church members. What do you think? Do you have respect for your elders?......meaning high consideration as Webster Dictionary says? And, THANKS dear ladies for getting me pumped up about a topic I believe is very relevant to our lives.

My heart is so touched by this caring subject! My husband and I had a pre-date discussion about it last night (the subject of respect) and perhaps ......to be continued tonight. I can dig it!!!!!

I love it!!!!!

......this is my 410th blog, but it coincides 4-10-08...that is so cool and I love it!!!!

I've never been a "luck" person; in fact, I don't even believe in luck! But I do believe in positivity and can relate pages and pages of how much positive attitude changed from negative attitude works most definetly to the max!!!

Try it; you'll love it!!!!

Take a week off from negativity and wear a positive attitude - I promise you will be happier, calmer, sleep better, and even FEEL better! Thus, a peaceful home, peaceful relationships, and even your kids will wonder what happened to you! I submit your life will be transformed and things will work out that will amaze you!

I'd love to hear how it goes....since I know YOU CAN DO IT!!!! (Cheer, cheer!)

Our Deepest Sympathy

.....to her husband, Andy Whitwell; as his precious wife, Vanessa, passed away last Sunday and her funeral is today at 11:00 a.m. I know she touched my life with her beautiful singing voice, and charming, humble way she made me feel so welcome. Before my husband founded Lighthouse, we attended a mega church to help out (in whereever the need was). I joined their choir and my husband taught in the Home Team class. Vanessa was the Choir Director's "right hand assistant" and she made me feel like I was the most important person in that choir!

Yesterday I attended a one-hour ladies event contributing to her phenomenal talent, creativity in setting up events at the church, and we all were in tears because even though I'm not at that church to have seen all the decorative skills she has done, I had fond memories of her singing and very positive life!


I would also like to share some of her life that was shared about her:
"Vanessa Whitwell, 34, beloved by her family and endeared to all, fell peacefully into the loving embrace of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday, April 6, 2008 due to a brain hemorrhage.

Vanessa was born May 9, 1973 in Waco, Texas. She was raised in and around the HEB area and attended Trinity High School in Euless, Texas. After graduating from high school in 1991, Vanessa received a B.S. in Psychology from the University of North Texas in 1996.

Vanessa’s true gift of music influenced her early career choices, but her heart for God drove her to the ministry. Utilizing her superior singing voice, she toured with Sierra, a contemporary Christian singing group in 1999. Completing that tour, she returned to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area to facilitate worship with her beautiful singing voice."

I know the family is devastated over this great loss. Please take a moment today and pray for them and I want to thank the Lord for Vanessa being so cheerful and encouraging of a person at a time when I needed it, and that was her; always ready to be so full of life! That is how I will always remember her.

Great Book

Have you ever picked up a book you have on your shelf and cannot put it down?

I go through spurts in reading because at some point I fall asleep reading. After graduating from Bible College, I began working as Secretary to the Controller of the Missions Office. This is where I met my husband as his Grandfather was the Director of Missions. My boss, the Controller and his wife were a fabulous couple and a beautiful example of life!

So goes a great story.....never in my wildest dream would I realize I would be dating my boss's boss's Grandson!!!! Long and short of it all, we fell in love and when we planned our wedding, my boss and his wife provided the beautiful duet of the music we chose and it was marvelous! Their little daughter was our Flower Girl. Recently she sent a book she has authored "Anchored in Grace" (Kathleen Coffer) a story about their lives! I knew they had three daughters so talented and such a great family.

In a section they feature my husband's Grandparents as they were the closest and most loving friends in their entire lives! Wow! I couldn't put the book down and am so blessed to have this book. They live in Branson, Missouri and I am so grateful she and he cared enough to send this book and remember us after some thirty-five years as, unfortunately, we have not had any contact. What a marvelous, great book. Not only that, but truly marvelous people! They truly practice their faith! What a thrill to be personally acquainted with Logan and Kay Coffer, and to read of their solidly knitted lives!

F-a-i-t-h

F - orgetting
A - ll
I -
T rust
H im

Acronyms tell it all! Faith is just trusting Him for no matter what the circumstances. You want peace - trust Him to give it to you! It's not complicated! It's simple! And above all, take the shield of faith by just giving problems to Him. We can fully rely on God and have F-A-I-T-H to live a victorious life! Those are my caring thoughts TODAY!

LC = (Lighthouse Church)

9 a.m. W.O.W.
2nd & 10
10 a.m. Morning Worship
Mom & Son Clarinet Duet
Church Full of Friendly People!
A Pastor (& his wife) who have been in the Ministry thirty-five years, yet bring
relevancy to the forefront!
Dynamic Worship music
Coffee/Refreshment/Fellowship
FFW - Family Friendly Worship
Super Great Welcome!!!
A Place Where You Can Be You
See you there!

Take Care

......72 hours ago my husband and I both came down with the "crud" - that would be spitting, spurtering, coughing, continually. Mine felt like sand paper in my throat...naturally our tasks is our voices..........my husband began taking care with the fav - roby...robitussin and adding allergy med to the mix. At first I thought it was allergies to the max because I worked in the yard and most of the weather meterologists say last week was the worse week for "things" in the air....I still wanted to go out, play with the dogs, or just go out and enjoy the sunshine! Not a good thing, because the coughing became consistent.

Am I better, you ask?

Yes.

Do I let it get me down?

No.

I'll just continue to "take care" as my kids say and if it is contagious (which it's not) and won't pass it on. In the meantime I'm hoping everyone who doesn't have it, will enjoy this day to the max. I'm feeling great! Have a happy Saturday and enjoy that sunshine!!!!!!! .....and please remember to "Take Care."

Bulletin Boards...some Great Caring Thoughts

Okay.....not only do I collect chickens, but I believe I collect bulletin boards also! A favorite store of our's closed its doors (Comp USA) and the Lady that was sent to "shut everything down" talked to me at length about some family issues and because I cared enough to take the time to help her, she gave me fifteen bulletin boards! Some are still stacked at the church (don't worry...I will put them to full use soon)....but some I brought home. This weekend I am going to bring one home to put our grandson's notes, and creative things on. (I already have one for our granddaughter.) And .... as many of you know.....thanks to our daughter-in-law's beautiful creativities, I make "Carol's Creative Cards" ...CCC and I still have posted her first thank you card as she was our newest addition to the family.

One of my Sisters asked me - "Why bulletin boards????" Positive Encouragement! These little sticky notes written or printed or pics drawn are such a great encouragement when I pin them up to view daily, if I want to. It also reminds me when I taught the third grade in a private school.......great memories!

So, what about you? Do you have or even like bulletin boards? I guess now the going thing is to frame the kids' creativity. That's awesome because it makes gorgeous decor for a home or office. One of my favorite things to do is watch the people at our church READ the bulletin boards.........there are great messages - I wish I had time to share them. One of these days when I really learn how to blog and post a picture, I will show you a vast array of my bulletin board collections. Until then, enjoy whatever your way of displaying so much love for philosophical or inspirational memories............it's such a great feeling to display the encouragement coming from your kids or grandkids or love notes from hubby....lifetime treasures!

Blog Issues

Sorry......I have wireless problems so couldn't get into my blog today. Hopefully it will be fixed TODAY.

I've been on the phone with a Technical support person and he couldn't even get in.
Be back later..........when I can find out what the issue is.

Bummer.....but it has to be until it's fixed!

Have a super Thursday!

Yea - Finally Wednesday!

I'm cheering myself on......finally Wednesday - middle of the weeker for me! It's when I make my new TO BE DONE list and really get things done!,,,,,and begin Outreach which I love most dearly. There are so many people in need of someone JUST TO CARE - some elderly ladies who have no one......some business manaager ladies that just need a listening ear. ....do not need any advice .....just to have someone to care. ....putting the "encouragement" to great use. ......getting mind off SELF and helping to put a lil' sunshine into their day a tad bit more happier.

Make it a good day! Send a card, call with cheerful encouragement, be encouraging and optimistic - oh go ahead.....make someone's day!

There's That Word Again...Encouragement!

Mr. Truett Cathey, Owner and Founder of Chic-fi-la's world-wide said:
How do you identify someone who needs encouragement? That person is breathing!

I believe that deep down everyone wants to become an encourager - even the most negative person. We all want to be a positive influence in the lives of others. And we can be. If you want to lift people up and add value to their lives, keep this in mind:

Encouragers commit themselves to giving Encouragement DAILY.

Encouragers do the little things no one wants to do.

Encouragers initiate the positive in a negative environment.

Encouragers understand Life is NOT a dress rehearsal! It is real!

All you have to do is care about people and initiate!