Wednesday Grats.....

For those of you new to this....I am taking Wednesdays to take some time and refocus for the week.  Look for those things in my life I am grateful for.  Living with a spirit of gratitude, makes you look at your life and the outside world in a different way......truly it allows you to give a bit more grace to those around you.

I am grateful for.....

The new church I am working with.  I am so excited about the possibilities and the people I am working with.  I truly feel there are some wonderful things coming.

Some women's conferences that I am planning on attending in the next few months.  Just a great chance to get away, bond with new friends...and just get recharged.

Love the relationship with my family......that I can count on them, and they just make me laugh.

Getting excited about planning a holiday open house here for the first time.  Working hard to get back into the swing of "crafting"....it's been hard to get back into that creative mode, but I love it.

Great friends......the ones you can call at all hours of the night because you need to talk...and they still answer the phone...LOL

And I am grateful for all of you that show up here......leave your comments.....share your hearts.....and just let me know your here!!!

Hugs to you all!
Debbie

Thursday Thoughts.......

Good Evening All!!
You know, some times God just sneaks up on you.  It is interesting to get that tap on the shoulder that let's you know that something is brewing....then sit back and watch what developes.
In the last few months, I have had the door open to work with developing a woman's ministry for a new church plant.  As that door opened, and I stepped through.....I am amazed at what He has brought my way.
Friends that I had not been in contact with for some time...that had something to share in what I was doing began to contact me...out of the blue.  He just amazes me with the grace He bestows.....the fact that He is in the smallest detail....just that little extra thing that lets you know...yep, it's God.

What is this ministry about?  I was lead to this scripture when I was working on the mission statement.

So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified.
Romans 15:7 (NLT)

Accept each other?  Kinda tough when we are busy setting standards that we can't even reach.  I am amazed at the "Perfect Christian Woman" yardstick that I have seen pulled out at times to measure whether we are worthy   But I truly believe each woman desires that acceptance.....that someone believes in her....expects the best.....and wants to cheer her on.

Mission Statement:
To offer a haven of acceptance to women.  To continually work to place their hands in God's and provide the tools for the journey ahead of them...through bible study, fellowship, and shared experiences (small groups, outreaches, gatherings and one-on-one).

My heart is to make this a woman's ministry that speaks to a woman's heart in very real, relevant ways.

So "stay tuned" as this journey begins...and please keep me and the other members of this church plant in your prayers!

Every experience God gives us,
every person He puts in our lives
is the perfect preparation for a future
only He can see.----Corrie Ten Boom

Hugs to you all!!!!!
Debbie

Gratitude Wednesday......

I have always loved the song....it is a reminder to me that things are not always as they seem. It also is a reminder that regardless of how things look...God is still in control.....and there is great peace in that!!!

So what are my grats today....
We have had a rough first year without my husband....but God has faithfully and gracefully walked us through each step of the way. Without faith and knowledge of Him as our Father and source...I don't know what I would have done.

I am grateful for wonderful friends that have been so awesome.

Love that my son put his life on hold for a bit for us to get through this, but is now moving forward with his own.

I am grateful for great books that feed my heart, spirit and mind....

Grateful to be part of a new church family that just makes me smile!!!

Hugs to all of you....I am grateful for each of you.
And if any of you want to join us in our Wednesday Grats...just click below, grab the link and sign up!!!

Sunday.....

And whatever you do,

Whether in word or deed,

Do it all in the name

of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to

God the Father through

Him.....

Colossians 3:17

Gratitude Blog Hop.....

We have been talking about gratitudes....how they change our focus to the positive things in our lives.  It changes the way we look at our lives, the world in general....and even the way we treat others.

My friend, Kathie, suggested that we use a linky and start sharing our grats through our blogs.  Now I am new to this, so bear with me as I try to set this up.  But what if we take Wednesdays, the middle of our week and share our grats with each other???

Are you in???

If so just grab the link below and add yourself to the linky list...when you go to the site it will explain how to do it.  Looking forward to reading your grats!!!

Hugs, Debbie

Recording The Journey....

I have talked about working on my health and diet stuff.....but I have hit a glitch where the scale just isn't moving (ok, let's not talk about the cheesecake that was delivered to the house on Sunday...oh baby!!!).  In trying to pull back and take a look at what is going on, one of the things I realized that I have slacked off  on is using the "My Food Diary" .  Now you don't have to use this online program to stay on top of what you are doing....but for me it is huge.  It tracks my foods, the types...if I am getting enough fiber, too much sodium...exercise...the works.  And being able to see it, makes a difference for me.  It is amazing how you can get "amnesia" about what you eat when you don't have a record. If only the body would "forget" and not add it to your thighs!!!  smile 

Having this record truly keeps me on track.  It helps me make better decisions...and even if I am going to eat something that may have more sugar or calories than is really good for me...I can work the rest of the day around that to help minimize the damage.  It truly is about the whole accountability thing and having everything in the open to recognize what you are doing.

So why am on I on this whole accountability thing?   Because in reviewing at how far off you can get when you just aren't looking, reminded me of the difference in my life when I am journaling and doing gratitudes and when I am not.

Several years ago, I started through the book Simple Abundance with a group of friends.  One of the big things I got from this book is trying to daily do a list of gratitudes.  With all the junk that goes on in our lives, it is so easy to get pulled into the muck and mire....walking around with a dark cloud hanging over your head.  Even in the worst of times....there are things in our lives to be grateful for.  When we switch our focus to gratitudes instead of gloom and doom....it really affects how we live our lives and how we treat others....and whether anyone wants to be around us!!!   (smile)

And it is not just the grats....journaling to channel my day..the good and the bad.  To write it down and then go back and look at it from fresh eyes can give me insights to the situation that I might not get otherwise.  Journaling is also a record of our growth....in all areas of our lives.  For me it is a record of answered prayers...at how God was resolving something in my life or that of others in ways that I just couldn't see on my own. 

Many years ago, in a group I had we all journaled through a bible study.  We all learned so much for ourselves and had shared that together.  At the end of it, one of the ladies shared that she was going to go back into her journal and "white out" parts of it.  She didn't want her kids to ever read it and think poorly of herself or her hubby.  I was a bit shocked by this...but then I thought...isn't that what we all do?  We like to whitewash our stories a bit so people will not know just how wacky we can be.  But I think the truth is always more powerful.  Frankly, if all the people we meet through the Bible were perfect, I would just throw in the towel.  Knowing that God uses flawed people is such a source of comfort for me....because it tells me that no matter how I screw it up, He still loves me and can use me for His purposes.

(The Message) Isaiah 30:8....  So go now write all this down.  Put it in a book so that the record will be there to instruct the coming generations....

Find a book that appeals to you....it doesn't have to be the regular journal.  I use a sketch book with blank pages...because I can write, draw, glue in articles or pictures....make it something that truly reflects what I am feeling.  Just make it yours.  And if you don't write every single day...it is ok, the earth will not end!!!

Write it down......

Hugs to you all...

Debbie

Freckled Foodies Giveaway......

I don't do a lot of giveaway info here....so when I do, it is something that I am really interested in and want to share with you.  Recently, I discovered Sami at Freckled Foodies Blog....I love her blog, her faith and her sharing of healthy food ideas.  It has become of one my favorite blogs.  Currently, she is hosting a giveaway for:

They are giving away a container of Amazing Meal, she has been bragging about how great this product is.  I have been interested in trying it.....and how better to do it than with a great giveaway????

So run over to Sami's blog... Freckled Foodie and check out all the info.  And stick around, look through her posts, I am sure you will find lots of info you will enoy.

It has been a crazy week....so I will try to get everything together and post tomorrow!!! 
Hugs....now go, run to Freckled Foodie!!!
Debbie

Quiet Day....Down Time Creativity

So the day started out on the crummy side....feeling lousy, deciding to stay home today.  Good day to just crash, try to feel better...
Frankly, I just can't do totally nothing for long....so I started looking for something creative to play around with....ok here is the blank canvas....

Sunday night I am in a G-12 class for our church.  We were in a study about prayer this last week and I wanted to put together a prayer journal to use.  Now I couldn't have a plain one....LOL  So I pulled out some scrap papers, stickers, mod podge and started to play around.  And here is what I ended up with....

TA-DA....my new and improved prayer journal.  Love this one and it kicked off getting several projects in gear.  So from the prayer journal...I pulled out some fabric....

This fabric just said "rice bags" to me....flannels and ribbons......and

Rice, with lavendar flowers....and lavendar oil......ohhhhh such a relaxing scent!!!

Quickly sewed up several muslin bags and filled with the rice/lavendar mixture.  Then I pulled out the flannel to sew up covers for the lavendar bags.....and tie up with pretty ribbons.  Then they are ready for me to put on Etsy or hold for the November Open House. 

Feels good to have some things completed and I am looking forward to pulling out more fabric and patterns. 

Hope you all are having a great start to your week.....

AND I am looking forward to starting the Jonah bible study on the Women's Bible Cafe. 

Sweet Dreams All.....

It's Thursday......

Yes, I will be the first to admit I have been a bit out of the loop lately.  Things are going well.  I am loving school...I have stepped on board a church mission in our area working with their women's ministry.  So there is alot going on.  But as I have stated in the past, I am struggling with this whole "creative" thing that has been lost as bit in the last year.  I am so used to having tons of projects all going on at the same time....shows to get ready for.....booths to fill.....orders to knock out......and all of that is "silent" right now. 

I thought the thing to do was to take a "Big Girl Pill" and just realize that things change, focus shifts, "to everything there is a season"....etc, etc, etc.  But there is still this nagging thing in the back of my mind that I want to jump back in.  I thought about shows, maybe doing one.....about booths as an outlet.  But a friend of ours was talking to me about her cheesecake business and wanted to brainstorm ideas.  I was so excited for her and what she is getting into.  Then in class the other day, my instructor was talking about rice bags and teaching how to make them in class to use in your massages.....they are going to use tube socks....(insert shudder here)....as you know that I was making the muslin bag ones with lavendar flowers and oil...with a nice pillow cover you could wash.  Well, those of you that know me, know that the brain kicked into overdrive...LOL.  So I have decided to have a holiday open house here in November.  It gives me time to prepare and I am inviting my cheesecake friend to be here to and maybe some others.  I think it is a way for me to have something to work toward and test the waters without going off the deepend.  In other words, if it doesn't go well you are all getting rice bags for Christmas!!! LOL

Anyway...things are going well.  I am looking into doing an online study of Jonah with the women on

http://www.womensbiblecafe.com/

It would be great if you would join me in this!!  I found the workbook available at our local Lifeway and will be picking it up tomorrow.  But you can go to their website and download the first chapter to see if it is something that you would like to do.

Thanks for reading....for being a follower....for commenting....for encouragement.  Life is at a really good place right now.  And frankly there have been moments when I had trouble seeing this far down the line.  Your sharing, faith, prayers and friendship have meant so much.

Off to start those rice bags.....and what color did you need????  LOL

Hugs to you all,   Debbie

Standing Knee Deep....

Recently, I started thinking about this song.  I was reminded of it awhile back in a Simple Abundance reading.  There is a lot of truth here on many levels....the people that we take for granted, those things that we always intended to do and think we will have plenty of time for, people in need that we believe someone else will take care of.

We are such a busy people.......racing through life and missing so much.  Standing Knee Deep.....

Just a thought.....
Hugs to you all,

Debbie

Happy Father's Day.....

So thankful as we remember all the wonderful times we had with John in our lives.
For those of you that still have your fathers.....be sure to let them know just how much they mean to you.
Hugs,
Debbie

Where To Go From Here......

The last few days I have been kicking around what to do with this blog.  Continue on....but if that, with what?  I started this blog when my son was graduating from high school, to explore a bit (out loud so to speak...) about how our lives were changing....from his graduation, there was home stuff to share, craft shows and a new store, my husbands illness and passing, moving to start over, school....  A bit of a mixture.

I know there are many blogs that have a grand purpose...faith, books, crafts, cooking and such.  And there are many that I follow when I can.  But I have wondered where I fit.  And I guess I have wondered if I really have anything to say that anyone would want to read.

Finally, I have come to the decision, just to write, where I am, what is going on, regardless of how many or how few followers.  I have so appreciated all of you.....  and thank you for supporting me so far.  And if you continue to follow.....I would love your feedback from time to time.....  And thank you for your "gift" of patience...LOL

Moving on.......

What is going on?  Well, the family joke is that if anyone finds out that I have called the doctor for an appointment, that they should go ahead and order the funeral flowers because the end must be near!!! LOL  Truly, I hate going to the doctor and will do anything to avoid it.  But in the last few months, I have decided that I really need to take better care of myself.  With that in mind, I found a new doctor for our family and went in for a visit.  I really surprised myself, as I love this medical group.  Everyone there is just concerned and helpful and open to alternativel treatments (they offer massage, accupuncture, and other alternative medicine)  Ok....so I really liked them, that was until the blood work and the medical fast!!! LOL  I know, I survived, but I am still on the gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, caffeine free, almost meat free program.  I KNOW....who knew I could survive this for over a week!!!  But I have, and I have a couple of meds I need to take now to balance out my system......and I don't know when I have ever felt better. 

The struggle is to figure out how to live like this.  I have known people with food sensitivities, and have sympathized, but now trying to find new ways of cooking, new foods....I have a whole new outlook on this and appreciation for what they go through.  It is not easy.  Friday, I went to a large grocery with my mom...was looking for a few products and just became so overwhelmed with how hard it was to find the things I wanted.  Trust me, I know this will work out....I will get a handle on this....it is just a lot at one time. 

Moving forward, my life right now is school, massage, and this new lifestyle.......working in my normal daily dealings with faith, family, home, friends....it is all a juggling act right now....sadly I am dropping more than a few balls at times.  But this is a work in progress.....and I am at peace with so much of what is going on with us  now. (For everything there is a season....)

And there are some new doors opening ahead, I wish you would just add me to your prayer list about those.  I have found some things that God put in my path  long ago, are now coming together.  Funny how He works like that!!!  You know, from time to time I have tried to share with God how He could handle something better....and then He shows me why He is God and I am not.....smile.

Thanks for hanging with me so far......Hugs to you all.....
Thanks for sharing the journey with me,
Debbie

Happy Sunday.....

Yes, I am still around!  Above is a picture of one of my new displays on the front porch...I love birdhouses and I found these on sale at Hobby Lobby this week....

I added them to a baby changing table that I found.  It was white and we spray painted it a darker sage green...love the look.  It is a great piece to place by my front door for packages and such.  I am still looking for some things to add to the other shelves but for now I am happy with how it is coming together.

Finally, I updated the side panels with new books on my to read list and health items.  I saw a new doctor on Friday and I really love the people he has in the practice.  It is all about overall health care and not just waiting for problems to pop up.  So I had alot of blood work done (yes, I am the one that is REALLY scared of needles...so you know how much I loved this!!! LOL)  And I am having to fast all weekend to get rid of the sugar, caffiene and other things.  I thought it might be worse than it is, but other than a couple of headaches, it hasn't been to bad.  I have to go gluten free for awhile to see if that is a problem.....and while this will mean some major changes, I am looking forward to having a plan and some answers.  But on the down side, I am so over the whole water only thing!!

Hope you are all off to a great Summer.  June is a hard month for us....John passed away a year ago, his birthday and Father's Day all falls this month....so many reminders....but truly so many are really happy memories.  I thank all of you that have been so supportive and caring to us during this past year.  We are so thankful for dear friends and family.

Have a great week!!!!
Hugs,
Debbie

Never Forgotten....

We All Need A Little Positivity.....

During a recent Business class, they were talking about daily affirmations.  Didn't really think much about it, but then I ran across this You Tube video and it just made me laugh......and think.  What if we all started our day with something positive???  Now, don't expect me to be climbing up on the bathroom sink and cheerleading.....but what a better way to start the day instead of cranky!!!

Hope you are all having a great week.....I will post more soon!!
Hugs to you all!!
Debbie

Where Does The Time Go?????

Seriously, where does it go?  I had a break from school and not much got crossed off my "to do" list....  We had planned on a trip to Atlanta to the museum and at the last minute decided to reschedule it so that things could get finished here at home.  And still.....it slipped away.  I think I have done more today than the whole 5 days put together....geesh!
But one thing I did do this week was cook.....I picked up Trisha Yearwoods new cookbook and really love it!  So far we have made baked bean casserole, hot corn dip, and "sweet & saltine".  Let me just comment on the Sweet and Saltine recipe.....I saw Trisha on The View and she said her family calls this treat "Crack"...and I know why!!!  That stuff is so darn easy and quick to make.....and it just way to addictive!!!  And I know, we have been working on eating healthier, but during my time off, I just felt a need for some good old fashion southern cooking---can't do this often, but darn it was good!!! LOL  Now I will be heading to Weight Watchers.......

Hopefully in the next week or two, I can work in the trip to Atlanta for the Bodies In Motion exhibit.  I have heard such wonderful things about it and I want to get there before it is gone.  If any of you have been to it, I would love to know what you thought about it.

School starts tomorrow.....classes in Kines, Business Law, Special Populations, and Sports Massage!!!  Looking forward to them and to getting closer to finishing!

Have a great week!!!!
Hugs,
Debbie

**Quote I heard this week and love..."If you know Him well enough, if you need Him bad enough, He will show up early..."

Happy Easter....

Hopefully, this is where I am going to spend much of my afternoon...with family and friends.  I pray that all of you have a wonderful Easter!!!
Hugs to you all,
Debbie

(P.S.  For some reason the comments area isn't working and I can't figure it out...I have posted  for help with blogger, so hopefully it will be fixed soon!!---don't know why but suddenly it "fixed" itself with this post......Easter Bunny???? lol)

Saturday Potpourri....

Happy Saturday All!!

Well this morning I am trying to memorize the "Sweet 16" muscles that attach to the scapula.  Aren't you impressed??? LOL

Love the Gerber Daisys above...found them at Lowes this week and had to have them.  There is just something so cheerful about them.  They are in a planter by my front steps...they are my "greeters".

Things have been busy here...as I am sure they are for all of you too.  We have been trying to work in the yard, clean the decks...get ready for warm weather.....all while trying to study for this quarters finals.  I have two more tests this coming week and then I have a week break. I am really looking forward to that!

Have you been watching the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution....love that show and his passion for these kids.  The show from last week where NONE of the kids in the elementary school class knew what a tomato, potato, or cauliflower was....so darn sad.  But heck they knew what catsup and chicken nuggets were. It not only saddens me that our kids don't have the grasp on what is healthy for them to eat, but the fact that we are all so busy that we lose that time with them at the table sharing a meal and sharing our days.  I know I have been guilty too....and it is so easy to justify not having the time....but "busy" is coming with a really high price tag....costing us in our relationships and our health.  And I point the finger at myself as much as anyone else.

Other "televison" stuff.....Lost, Lost, Lost.....I have to say I am going to miss that show.  They were stressing me out with the first shows not answering anything....but now things are coming together...and it will be interesting to see how it ends.  Who do  you think will end up as Keeper of the Island?

Do you have any fun plans for Easter?  We are planning on going to church and then having a simple cookout with family.  Normally we would have the whole ham and every Southern dish my mom could possible make for Easter....but this year we wanted to keep it really simple, less stress, and easy for everyone.  We have a new grill and it will give my son and brother a chance to play with it. 

I need to get back to studying.....Wishing each of you a blessed Easter and a wonderful week!!!!
Hugs to you,

Debbie

A Little of This, A Little of That......

Life is pretty busy right now....but I wanted to drop in and say thank you to those of you that follow this blog and hang in here with me. Your encouragement and friendship is so wonderful!

Let's catch up a bit. Did anyone see Oprah today? It was a repeat of her show with Michael Pollan and Alicia Silverstone on Food 101. I saw it before...and it makes you think about the foods we eat. And not about not whether you think you should or shouldn't eat meat...but the fact that the meats we eat are not what our great grandmothers were preparing. With all the added antibotics and other stuff.....we don't really know what we are eating. Interesting stuff.....I picked up Alicia's book. While I don't see me going Vegan.....I have been working on cutting back on meats....and the meats that I have been buying, I have been looking for more grass feed beef... We have a new Earth Fare grocery in Chattanooga....and I LOVE this place!!! Really great food.

School is going great......I had to miss today with a bug of some sort. Just one of those goofy things where I have just felt a little off all week...and then last night feel really bad and then it continued in to this morning.... I will be fine, just needed a day to sleep and just recharge.

So what are you all watching??? We are watching Lost and Survivor (and Modern Family). Lost is giving me a headache.....good grief, can they start helping us a bit with some info instead of more questiosn?????? They are driving me nuts!!! LOL

Well.....that is about it for now. Hope you all have had a great week...and have something fun planned for this weekend. I just want to stay around home and veg this weekend.....
Take care!!!
Hugs,
Debbie

Massage Are Us.....

I realize that this is a big deal for me.....but not so much for anyone else!!! LOL I FINALLY received my massage table today and I am really excited. And well, a bit stressed too. We have to have 50 massages done on our own by the end of the quarter. Since we just received them today...I have some massagin to do!!! So I am calling all my friends, relatives, passerbys to come on over!!! LOL
These are just a couple of pictures of the area I set up to do massage in. All kidding aside, I really am loving this and the people I have been meeting through school. I knew there was more to this than a lot of people think.....but I am really impressed with all we have to learn. From Anatomy to Kineseology to Somatic Psych and more.....there is just so much that goes in to doing this and doing it well.

My schedule has changed and I have had to add a class to Fridays for awhile. Hate that, as it was my at home catch up day. But it is only for 1/2 a quarter and I will survive!! Dust bunnies may take over, but it will work out!!!

Hugs to all of you!!! Have a great weekend.....

Debbie