Its been a few weeks since I've Confessed a Few Things, and with the Friday Confessional Link Up, there is no time like the present.
1) I HATE, HATE, HATE short work weeks. Now, don't get me wrong I loved the long holiday weekend, but short weeks always end up trying to do 5 days of work in 4 days, and for this gal, that means NO FUN!
2) I am seriously thinking of tanning. There I said it. I want to have a nice glow for my friend Tif's big day next month, and spray tanning is just not my thing. Still thinking out it, and who knows..........however, tanning is still an option.
3) For the last two weeks I have been whiting my teeth each night with peroxide, and I can honestly say my teeth are whiter. Thanks Monograms and Manicures for the helpful tutorial, it really works.
4) I have to spend at least one day a week cleaning our house. Dust, Vacuuming, Bathrooms, Laundry, etc. It makes me feel accomplished, and like a great wife when our home is orderly and neat.
5) I have decided that I will be joining in on Beth Moore's summer bible study series - Kelly Minter’sNehemiah: A Heart That Can Break.Click here for more details.
6) I have tried, tried, and tried to give away a subscription to O Magazine, and I just can't seem to do it. I received an offer in the mail to subscribe and to add someone for a year for FREE. Soooooo, I've asked several people and they have all said no or they were unsure. What gives? Is there something I don't know.
7) Last one, the following definitely describes me:
..........Of My Favorite Things!! Oh yes, its Wednesday, and this week is just flying by! And, of course since its Wednesday, its time to link up to one my favorite blogs.......What I'm Loving Wednesday, and today I have lots of fun things to share.
1. I love that I keeping finding gift cards from past birthdays and holidays - HAPPY DAY TO ME!! This past weekend, I went on an organization spree around our house and found a lot of gift cards. Two days later, I have enjoyed downloading a few new albums on I-Tunes (Gift Card), ordering a couple of books on Amazon (GIFT Card), and stocking up on kitchen hand soap and decorative soap holders (Gift Cards). Its like a mini-Christmas.
2. I love that I finally spotted a possible choice for my new car. Actually, Matt drove me by the dealership on Sunday, and it was the first time, in a long time, that I actually liked what I saw. I am sooo picky with cars, and even though we are a few months away from purchasing, I now have a viable option.
3. I love that we officially booked our plans for an upcoming trip to Atlanta with our good friends the Montgomery's. I am looking forward to a little baseball, shopping, and spending time with some of my favorite people.
4. I love that I keep thinking about seeing Buffett at Riverbend. I really really really want to go to Cincinnati this August to see Jimmy Buffett. (This is my plea to my hubby, who I know reads my blog. LOL!!)
5. I love these new sandals from Victoria Secret. Think I will use the VS GIFT CARD I found and order a pair in black.
6. I love that our fridge is stocked with lots of delicious and healthy goodies! AND, that I have already worked out everyday this week!!
7. I love that I got to catch up with so many friends and close family on the phone this past weekend!! Its been a long time since I've had so much phone time, and it feels so nice to catch up with everyone!!
Hello Lovelies! Its Official...........Summer has finally begun! And, what a relaxing LONG Holiday Weekend!! And, yes its be HOT, but this gal is not complaining. These past few weeks have been insanely busy; however this weekend is exactly what I needed - lots of relaxation, time to organize projects around the house, and even got a few work projects completed too.
Friday Night was filled with working late, and then meeting my two favorite peeps for dinner at Wasabi. We had a great time laughing and catching up from the week!!
Saturday was simply quiet. I slept in, worked on ideas for my sweet friend Tiffany's bachelorette party (details coming soon), cleaned house, laundry, worked out, and simply just chilled around the house.
Sunday my sweetie was off, and we enjoyed a morning worshiping at church, running a few errands (somehow we were out of everything), cooking a delicious meal on Sunday evening, and enjoying the incredible weather outside.
Monday was ALL work. It was nice to have quietness as I put together some MAJOR reports. Not the best way to spend Memorial Day, but I know the hard work will pay off.
So, what does the rest of the week hold. Lots and Lots of Work. We have a MAJOR deadline and we have seven (7) days to complete the project. My stomach is in knots; however, I have a good feeling out about the entire proposal.
All I can think of is that I am SOOOOO ready to get back to "normal." And, in 7 days, I am hoping that is what I will find.
This evening I felt the Lord call me to a time to be quiet before Him. To stop my busyness, and just sit and spend time in His Word. Oh, what a sweet, sweet blessing. I am so honored with my relationship with my Lord. He is my peace in times of chaos, my encourager in times of doubt, and provider of all my needs. He has blessed me with more than I ever deserve, and I am humbled that He called me this evening to spend some sweet time with Him!!
I came across Psalm 18, and couldn't help but write a sweet prayer to my Lord as I read through the scripture. As I finished the chapter, I felt the Lord encouraging me to share this scripture and my prayer. I hope these words encourage you. (Hint: My prayer is written in blue, scripture in black.)
Psalm 18
1-2 I love you, God— you make me strong. God is bedrock under my feet,
the castle in which I live,
my rescuing knight.
My God—the high crag
where I run for dear life,
hiding behind the boulders,
safe in the granite hideout.
Lord, I love the You with all that I am. You are my refuge in times of confusion, chaos, and uncertainty.
3 I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty,
and find myself safe and saved.
Lord, I love to worship you with song and praise. I ask my spirit to be less, and allow the Holy Spirit in me be greater. That I may have more of You Lord, and less than me. That I don't get in the way of where the You want to use me.
4-5 The hangman's noose was tight at my throat;
devil waters rushed over me.
Hell's ropes cinched me tight;
death traps barred every exit.
God, the ways of this world are so enticing, as I fight the temptation to give into my flesh and world desires. I feel myself entertaining these temptations, and instantly I feel the pressure of the world engulf me. Its so hard to resist the temptation of materialism, pride, status, and notoriety, as those things bring overwhelming stress that paralyzes my thoughts and dreams. As the worldly desires overtake me, I have trouble remembering your truth Lord, because the lies of the enemies seem so believable.
6 A hostile world! I call to God,
I cry to God to help me.
From his palace he hears my call;
my cry brings me right into his presence—
a private audience!
Yet, just as I feel overcome by failure, exhaustion, and worry I remember that these are only lies from the enemy. I know that the devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy, and that as I buy into the ways of the world, I am buying into the enemy's lies. He ultimately wants to kill my joy, steal my integrity, and destroy my witness as a child of God. As I realize this, I cry out to the Lord, and He hears my voice. I feel the Holy Spirit within me jump and leap, as the Father has heard my cry.
7-15 Earth wobbles and lurches;
huge mountains shake like leaves,
Quake like aspen leaves
because of his rage.
His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke;
his mouth spits fire.
Tongues of fire dart in and out;
he lowers the sky.
He steps down;
under his feet an abyss opens up.
He's riding a winged creature,
swift on wind-wings.
Now he's wrapped himself
in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness.
But his cloud-brightness bursts through,
spraying hailstones and fireballs.
Then God thundered out of heaven;
the High God gave a great shout,
spraying hailstones and fireballs.
God shoots his arrows—pandemonium!
He hurls his lightnings—a rout!
The secret sources of ocean are exposed,
the hidden depths of earth lie uncovered
The moment you roar in protest,
let loose your hurricane anger.
God, I know you are real. You are above all creation. No other God is like you, or greater you. You have might to move mountains and part the sea. You are a great and mighty and awesome God. You are faithful and loving, and I am honored to serve you, and revere you with a Godly fear.
16-19 But me he caught—reached all the way
from sky to sea; he pulled me out
Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
the void in which I was drowning.
They hit me when I was down,
but God stuck by me.
He stood me up on a wide-open field;
I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!
But God, even in your mightiness you heard my call for help. You noticed my plea. You recognized my voice, and came quickly. My enemies wanted to see me fail. Those so called "friends" laughed behind my back as they smiled at me to my face. The worries of my health defeated my belief in a miracle. Yet, Lord those thoughts are mere lies from enemy, as you quickly heard my prayers and came to my rescue.
20-24God made my life complete
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together,
he gave me a fresh start.
Now I'm alert to God's ways;
I don't take God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works;
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I'm watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.
Jesus, I am so thankful that you intervened in my life. You got my attention by surrounding me in love. Lord, you took my life that was failing miserably, and put it back together. You made me strong, and you continue to build me up each day. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and I know that You will lead me ALL the days of my life. You rescued me from destruction, and you have restored my life to more than what I could have thought of imagined.
25-27 The good people taste your goodness,
The whole people taste your health,
The true people taste your truth,
The bad ones can't figure you out.
You take the side of the down-and-out,
But the stuck-up you take down a peg.
God,so many people think that belief in you is a crutch for the weak, yet, God I know what its like to live without you. And, believing in you, is only who those who have strength, as we we lay down our lives daily to serve the life you called us to. Holy Spirit give me the desire to see what is good in each day, give me a desire to put my health before temptation overcomes me, and give me a desire to read and meditate on your Word.
28-29 Suddenly, God, you floodlight my life;
I'm blazing with glory, God's glory!
I smash the bands of marauders,
I vault the highest fences.
God, thank you for stopping me this evening, and inviting me to spend time in your Word. You place a spotlight on my life, and expose the dark places that need to be brought out into the Light. Thank you Lord for your love for me, and drawing me closer to You.
30 What a God! His road
stretches straight and smooth.
Every God-direction is road-tested.
Everyone who runs toward him
Makes it.
God you are calling me to a life bigger than what I can accomplish myself. You have already gone before me and made a way. You know my future, because you created this life I live. God I trust you, and I know I will make it.
31-42 Is there any god like God?
Are we not at bedrock?
Is not this the God who armed me,
then aimed me in the right direction?
Now I run like a deer;
I'm king of the mountain.
He shows me how to fight;
I can bend a bronze bow!
You protect me with salvation-armor;
you hold me up with a firm hand,
caress me with your gentle ways.
You cleared the ground under me
so my footing was firm.
When I chased my enemies I caught them;
I didn't let go till they were dead men.
I nailed them; they were down for good;
then I walked all over them.
You armed me well for this fight,
you smashed the upstarts.
You made my enemies turn tail,
and I wiped out the haters.
They cried "uncle"
but Uncle didn't come;
They yelled for God
and got no for an answer.
I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind.
I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter.
God you promise to give me strength to meet challenges. Yet, you never promise to eliminate challenges from my life. God you never said there would be no rough roads to walk, no mountains to climb and no battles to fight, because if that were the case I would never grow. Yet, when those challenges do come, you are faithful. The same God that created this world is that same God that stands next to me during challenges, teaching me and strengthening me throughout the way.
43-45 You rescued me from a squabbling people;
you made me a leader of nations.
People I'd never heard of served me;
the moment they got wind of me they listened.
The foreign devils gave up; they came
on their bellies, crawling from their hideouts.
As I prepare for the day and pray about the challenges that this day will bring, Lord I ask that you give you an agape love, peace that you are in control, overflowing with joy, patience in all situations, kindness to everyone, goodness in my words and actions, faithfulness that all things will work out to your Glory, gentleness in times of stress and anger, and self-control in all my actions and thoughts in public and private. God, as I ask for these things, guide me into your will. Rescue me from the drama of situations, and set me a part to do your will, and not get caught up in the worldly desires.
46-48 Live, God! Blessings from my Rock,
my free and freeing God, towering!
This God set things right for me
and shut up the people who talked back.
He rescued me from enemy anger,
he pulled me from the grip of upstarts,
He saved me from the bullies.
God, you have saved my life. May my mistakes be turned into giving you glory for restoring my life. God, you have chosen me to be your witness, so that I may know and believe you and understand that you are God.
49-50 That's why I'm thanking you, God,
all over the world.
That's why I'm singing songs
that rhyme your name.
God's king takes the trophy;
God's chosen is beloved.
I mean David and all his children—
always.
Thank you Lord for saving me. Thank you for richly blessing me with an incredible marriage, a loving and supporting family, encouraging friends, an incredible career, and a desire to serve others. Lord I want to sing your praises all the days of my life, and I look forward to all that you have in store for me in the coming days, weeks, months and years.
I used to always link up to a blog for Top 2 Tuesday's; however, the blog went away, and its been over a year since I last participated. This week however, I was thinking of a way to get creative, and thought I would share Two Tips on a Subject. Short, simple, and fun!! I may try this for the next few weeks, we will see, and if it gets fun, then I may try my own link up.
So, here goes.............TOPIC: At Home Beauty Tricks
Tip #1: Budget Home Teeth Whitening
Last week, I read about an at home whitening trick on Pinterest, and then one of my favorite blogs did a tutorial about it. All you needed was a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and a q-tip. Its sooo simple, and takes very little time. Click here for the How-Tos: http://www.kappaprep.com/2012/05/budget-teeth-whitening.html
Tip #2: Self Tan without the smell!!
For the past two weeks (2), since we got back from vacation, I have been working to keep my "tan." However, I HATE the smell of self-tanners. So each time I get out of the shower, I immediately mix a dollup of Self-Tanner Lotion and two-dollups of my favorite lotion, Crabtree & Evelyn's Nantucket Briar and lather up. My skin is moisturized, tanned, and I love the smell!!
Its Monday. And, if your an organizer like me, you like to plan ahead and think about what's ahead for the week. This week, I have high expectations for what's coming my way!
1) I am excited that I am the only person in my department at work that will be in the office today. Its vacation time of year, and all my co-workers are out of the office, so that equals productivity.
2) I started exercising consistently last week, and I even though it was a little tough, I always enjoy the second and third week, because my body is getting stronger and my endurance is much better.
3) I am kicking-off a 14 Week Study on the Proverbs 31 Woman this week, and looking forward to getting into this scripture, and learning allowing the Word of God to encourage me!!
4) I have struggled over the years to really define my dreams and goals, yet over the weekend I took a few hours to take a Work/Life Balance Assessment through EWI (Executive Women's International) from a webinar I participated in recently, and was really able to get some perspective on 4 BIG Goals I want to accomplish in the next year. During the time I am achieving those 4 goals, I will determine what my 5 and 10 years are, and begin working toward those.
5) The season finale of American Idol & Glee. So excited!!
6) That the weather next weekend looks like perfection. Hope I get to find a few moments to get outside and enjoy it!!
7) Rejoining my Life Group. Its been week's since I've been able to join them, and I am looking forward to spending a little time with them this week!!
That sums it up.............hope you have a fantastic week!!
This weekend was busy, and a lot of fun. Friday and Saturday I was busy co-hosting a group of travel writers in town. I spent Friday night at Riverplains Farm for a fun night on the Holston River. And, Saturday I headed downtown to the International Biscuit Festival, and enjoyed the Biscuit Brunch by Blackberry Farm! Here are some pics of the fun............
Yup, We Were OFF Roading!!
However, it was really worth it!! Friday Night Dinner!!
Friday Night Dinner.......On the Holston River!
Everyone had a GREAT time!!
Biscuit Brunch!!
International Biscuit Festival!! (Photo News Sentinel)
Sunday, I headed to church and then went to order my Maid-Of-Honor Dress for my sweet friend Tiffany's wedding!! I love the dress, and so excited to celebrate her big day!
This afternoon is filled with cleaning, laundry, organizing........you know all the things a working wife likes to do to feel like she's being a good wife. And, I can't complete this update without saying THANK YOU to my "Church Parents" aka Randy and Rene for the Sweet Card!! I am so blessed with incredible friendships, and I was so encourage by their sweet card!
With My Closest Friends - Ryana on far right celebrating my 30th B-Day!!
I got to see one of my FAVORITE people this evening, Ryana. We had a great visit, and I loved hearing about all the great experiences she is having in Cambodia. Ry has been there since last year, and is only in town for a few days!! Read more about Ry's Story by clicking here: http://www.acouplecooks.com/2012/04/cambodia-at-the-green-mango-cafe/
This was a great way to stop and realize what is really important in life. And, I am thankful for true relationships like Ry's!! Love Ya!!
