Guest of Honor

I may not fit the "single, independent woman" stereotype, but I'm taking a page out of my 70-year-old neighbor lady's book who does:

"Sometimes you need to be your own guest of honor."

I love being the woman of the house, a wife, and caretaker of children (babysitting). I also enjoy doing things for myself, which I'm learning is an art as you get older and begin taking on more responsibilities.

Tonight I am the guest of honor, and by circumstance, the only guest at my table tonight. Instead of throwing a bag of popcorn in the microwave or eating soup from a can, I decided to treat myself to a beautiful dinner. It feels strange, but exciting. I'm fighting that urge to feel lonely. Why do I fight the silence and stillness around me? Why is such a rare occurrence perceived as anything but a blessing to some, like me? The answers have always eluded me. We'll see how it goes.

The Menu:

Vegetarian Southwestern Layered Bean Dip with Chips

Sweet Corn On-The-Cob

Snicker Salad - cHoCoLaTe! Mmm...

The Plan:

Enjoy Cooking! One of my favorite things to do anyway!

Make my husband jealous by texting delicious food pics! =)

He'll get the leftovers. I'm not that mean.

Watch a Chick Flick.

Maybe go for a walk or take a bath while listening to my favorite tunes.

This is my time. ;)

I already enjoyed a nice walk to the grocery store with my reusable bags. It makes me feel powerful to be able to make a difference with such an easy, simple task! Love it!

What have you done or wanted to do to treat yourself as the guest of honor? I'd love to hear your experiences and ideas! Being a woman is awesome!

Men's input is welcome also. Y'all deserve a little honor too!

Round and Round We Go

Where we stop? Only God knows!

Why do they call them merry-go-rounds? Was it named after a girl? I have to say that not everyone finds them merry. Especially people like me who have awful motion sickness! =) I was thinking about that because of summer life.

At first, I thought life felt like a roller coaster. However, it hasn't been up and down. It's been extremely busy, reminding me of when I was a kid on a merry-go-round that was being twisted into torturous revolutions by an older bully while I was screaming to be let off. Do you ever have days like that?

It's fun to have a busy schedule in the beginning, but when gravity starts to catch up with me and there's no end in sight, all I want to do is lay on my back in the grass with my eyes closed until my world comes to a peaceful, calm resting place.

It's in these whirling, chaotic times that I'm learning to look to the sky instead of my surroundings and circumstances and ask God for what I need. Patience. A quiet and gentle spirit. Refuge. Perseverance. Joy. =)

I seem to find these things in the early hours of the morning, before the wheels of the world begin turning. The Psalmist was onto something...

Psalm 63:1-8 (KJV)

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

God is faithful, especially in the crazy times.

Steve and I are preparing to leave for a week at church camp. I've never been there before. He hasn't gone in years. We both have a lot on our minds and our to-do lists. I struggle with anxiety in these moments. God has reminded me via my husband that He never gives us more than we can handle. Isn't that awesome?

Just remember: God is watching that bully, and one tap will bring the merry-go-round to a screeching halt before you lose your lunch. God is merciful and good. ;)

Come, every soul by sin oppressed, there's mercy with the Lord; and He will surely give you rest by trusting in His Word. Yes, Jesus is the Truth, the Way that leads you into rest; believe in Him without delay, and you are fully blessed. Only trust Him, only trust Him, Only trust Him now. He will save you, He will save you, He will save you now.
~ John H. Stockton

Freebie!

Love Jars of Clay's new song "Out of My Hands"?

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Quick Camping Recap!

Steve and I had a great evening and day at Rock Creek Campground. Here are a few photos I shot with my phone. Better pics to come!

Steve creek-walking

I love being outside!

The campsite next to ours. We were jealous. =)

The beautiful creek that ran past Campsite #4.

More pictures and a few stories are on their way. For now, I'm going to catch up on some sleep.

Out of Towners!

In an outdoor sense! We're off on our first camping trip of the summer. Hope you're all enjoying your weekend! We'll have pictures and stories to share when we get back! Love you all!

Growing Like A Weed

I've been watching this little girl since she was six months old. We've been through a lot together, and it's been great. I don't think I'll ever comprehend the miraculous rate at which children grow up. Bittersweet!

The Horrors of Teething =(

I'm so proud of the little lady she's becoming!

Morning Devotion

I receive a daily email from "Living Free Every Day". Honestly, there are many times I just ignore it, but it grabbed my attention today. Here are some snippets from the devotion:

Living Free Every Day®
Friday, July 9, 2010

Today's Scripture
"I will do right and praise you by learning to respect your perfect laws." Psalm 119:7 CEV

Thoughts for Today
If we want to truly praise God with all that we are (Psalm 103:1), we are called to praise him with our actions. In the words of the psalmist, we will praise God by learning to respect his perfect laws.

We can praise him with our day-to-day living showing love for others with our actions, not just our words - being quick to forgive, trusting God and not walking in fear and worry, refusing to succumb to the compromising ways of the world, telling others what the Lord has done for us.

Consider this
Do your actions throughout the day bring honor and praise to God?

We are all learning. Becoming more Christ-like is a lifetime process, and we will make many mistakes along the way. But ask God to help you become more aware of ways to praise him not only in your prayer times, but in all your relationships and activities throughout each day.

Prayer
Father, teach me to have an attitude of praise, not only in my prayer time or at church, but throughout each day. Help me to praise you in my attitudes, my relationships and my actions.

Hope this encourages you today! It's hard to obey someone or something you don't respect. Respect takes time and learning. I believe the more we learn about who God is and what He does, respect will come easily to our hearts and minds, as He transforms us.