Not looking back.

Thank you DeeDee for making boldness contagious!!!  Readers, Go here for other GREAT testimonies!

I gave my heart to God somewhere between the ages of 12 & 14.  I didn't understand the commitment until I was 23 and my first child was born.  I didn't understand the relationship and love until I was 29 and my marriage  was in trouble. 

I've struggled for two days wondering how much of my testimony I should share.  Finally, I decided to let my fingers to the talking and God would take care of the rest.  So once again I'm operating in the Faith that has saved me from so many things.  I won't go all the way to the beginning because so much has happened in my 33 years (almost 34)

In August of 2004 a sermon by our Music pastor rocked my world.  I can't say that I haven't had "the tug" numerous times, I can say that I didn't listen or follow until this particular sermon.  I was wrong in so many ways of living my life.  I was met by our current pastor's wife at the alter as we cried and prayed through the remainder of the alter call.  Hubby was working that morning, my in-laws were out of town - I was basically alone enough to be bold in what needed to happen.  

And it did happen.  A new me was formed.  One that was hungry and desperate for the Lord.  One that would seek and find.  You name it, it was me.  The newest thing was I began to listen.  (a very difficult thing for me to do)  I listened intently and followed.  A friend of mine says, I didn't just do a 180, I jumped off a cliff with both feet.

I quit my job of 9+ years - the one that carried more than half of our income.  I went back to school to be a teacher which is the calling I was placed in.  I dedicated more time to my family and more importantly my husband.  We survived and our marriage testimony is now shared as we minister to other couples.  My family never lacked for money or food.  We were blessed to have family members help us when we didn't ask.  God placed everything we needed in front of us.

I can sit and type for hours of all of the changes this has made in me and my family.  Hubby is now working on his certification to become a Pastor.  We are working together to start the marriage ministry in our church.   God is doing amazing things everyday in our lives...and not once have we looked back.  

Yes, I'm a baby Christian.  I have so much to learn!  But, I'm not letting that stop me.  If I can stop just one teen, one marriage, or one mother from the mistakes that I've made, than I've done what I was called to do.  

Much Needed Day Off.

I'm at home today.  

I have a doctor's appointment for a physical at 2:30 so, I opted to take the entire day off to catch up on housework, laundry, and rest.   I'm not sure how the rest department will work out seeing as I'm already up and have been since 7:00.

Soo, I'm off to do housework at my pace -which is snail pace.  I'm sipping on coffee and dragging my feet.

.. yeah, this is the life.  

Sniff. Sniff. Sneeze.

I'm not quite sure what I'm going to type today.  My mind is a little foggy and the cup of coffee in front of me hasn't hit my toes yet.  I don't feel very good.  If you saw me yesterday, you would've seen me carrying a box of Kleenex and red itchy, sneezy eyes.  Follow that with a yucky cough and you have the result of my weekend.  Wanna know the kicker?!?!? I didn't do anything!

We have a piece of property located in my in-laws back yard.  (Another story, for another time)  It is a nice corner lot with pine trees, oak trees, magnolia trees, and finally some bradford pears.  ALL of which are generating SOME sort of pollen.  My husband and father-in-law were cutting limbs from the blooming trees and piling them up so that we can have a friend come cut the 2+ acres.  My job was to drive the golf cart around, make sure the kids were out of trouble, and then when the cutting was done....  drive the golf cart with attached limbs to the "pile".  As you can tell... it was a rough Saturday.  Especially when I throw in the possible bugs falling out of the tree and a slight sunburn from "waiting" in the sun.  Yes, *sigh*, life is rough.

...And then, it starts.  After my second pulling to the pile, my son wanted to drive.  Me, being the sacrificial lady I am, gave up my grueling post as golf-cart driver and went inside for a rest.  Only to find myself sneezing within 15 minutes of being inside.  This ended up into a full blown attack on the rest of my body-thus causing the demise of a beautiful weekend and forcing me... Yes, forcing me to get nothing else done except watching an entire season of America's Top Model from the couch.  Yesterday, I managed to pull myself out of bed.  It was the first day of many as I fight the stuffy nose, random off guard sneezing, losing a lung coughing, and plain old foggy brain that coffee can't melt.  Yes.  That it is that bad that coffee isn't helping.  I even managed to talk Hubby into a visit to Starbucks, last night... and nothing.

Soooo, here I sit.  Waiting for my first cup of coffee to unfog my brain. Trying to figure out when I'm going to finish the laundry I couldn't bring myself to start and clean the house that I was forced to avoid because of my current condition.  I do see the Doctor tomorrow - for a physical.  Hopefully this won't be full blown infection by then.    

Heaven in a Jar

Ummm.. if admit this online then it'll still be a secret right?  

'Cause if this got out that I posted a yummy, possible high-calorie treat while trying to lose weight it might break a rule and I'll gain back the 3 pounds I'm so proud of.

It all started while I was in the Big Apple with a bunch of teenagers.  (It was a field trip)  We were in one of our many eatery stops and they had this crepe place and I had a free coupon and the rest is well... worth the 3 mm it'll put back on my lower area I'm slimming down.  I ordered a "chocolate" crepe.  Except this is ANY chocolate... it's made with Nutella.  I happened to be watching the man very closely who was making the crepe.  Just in case I truly enjoyed the snack and wanted to "duplicate" the recipe. (Yes, I cook...sometimes) Truly... the treat IS well worth the "duplication".

Sooooo... the next trip to the grocery store, my eyes were peeled.  I was using super-sonic-mommy-sight.  It was located next to the Peanut Butter (Can you say instant happiness?!?!!? Chocolate AND Peanut Butter)  So, I grabbed the jar and explained to Hubby WHY I had to have it.... it wasn't on the list.  Then I had to explain why it said... Hazelnut spread...and I'm calling it chocolate.  

....and here we go... tonight I opened the jar.  I waited an entire 4 days.  That should count for something... Wait!  Perhaps the time it sat in my pantry it was losing calories?!?! Needless to say... It's not only good with graham crackers, it's also VERY good when you take a small teaspoon, place it in a microwavable bowl or cup for 30 seconds and pour it over fresh cut strawberries.  OH!!! I used FRESH FRUIT in my snack so that makes it HEALTHY!!!!! WOO HOO!!!  Healthy chocolatey snack!! (Happy dance! happy dance! happy dance!---and that would be exercise...)

WFMW - Links

I had a request for the links.  I'm sorry it took a while.  I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoy them!  Think of them as presents!

KLove - Radio Station w/ Bible verse of the day***Personal Favorite

Proverbs31 Ministries - Devotions*** Personal Favorite

Christian Women Today - Devotions

Beautification Day

Hi all!!!

Today is Beautification Day on campus.  Yup - for 2 hours we are asking teenagers to "beautify" the campus and classrooms.  Mind you - it's also Take Your Child to Work Day so, I'm not expecting too many helpers.  

My plan is to start from the inside and work my way outside.   As I was making mental notes on what needed to be done (desks, filing, floors, boards, ceilings, dusting, blah, blah, blah) much to my surprise, I was sidetracked. I'm still figuring out if it's because I was thinking about cleaning or the topic I was sidetracked from) 

Enter Song:

My heart and my soul

I give you control

consume me from the inside out, Lord.

Let justice and praise

become my embrace

to love you from the inside out.

From the Inside Out, Hillsong United

I struggle sometimes with acknowledging the things inside of me that need to be cleaned up.  I'm human.  I make mistakes.  Everyday we see, hear, or participate in things that make us wobble in our walks.  Before I get out of bed, I ask for strength.  Not just physical, but emotional AND spiritual.  I don't know what will be thrown at me and I certainly can't do it on my own.  Yet, while I'm asking for that strength... I forget to take the strength that is provided for me and make decisions that would make me dusty inside.  Some days are better than others, and some days I opt to bypass the dusting and end up with a bigger mess.  If I'm giving the Lord control of my life and asking him to consume me from the inside out I certainly need to be focused on him and not be dusty inside.  

Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin"? ~Proverbs 20:9 (NIV)

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us ~1 John 1:8 (NIV)

All of this to say...........I think sometimes, we all need a Beautification Day.

Off to get my supplies!!

Works for me Wednesday

I hope did that right!!!  I'm still trying to figure this stuff out.  Please go here for more helpful WFMW information.

What works for me?!?!  E-mail of Bible verses and Devotions. 

In my busy day that starts as early as 4:30AM, I sometimes can't get myself in gear to particpate in a FULL devotion.  So, I have them e-mailed to me.  Actually, I have several e-mailed to me, so I have my choice AND a bible verse of the day.  The other super cool thing is that I feel important because I have so many e-mails in the early morning!! (Or Presents depending on my mood in the morning)  I have the opportunity to read these morning or night AND I'll look at the bible verse and try to memorize it as well.  If I don't succeed with the memorization, at least I've seen them and I have a fresh word for my day!

I'll update with some of the versions and websites later tonight.  I'm off to baseball with Monster!!!

OOOOOh...

I WANT to do the Works for me Wednesday but, I'm out of time!!!!

Thoughts

I chose the difficult path, full of mountains and tears

yet the result will be happiness & joy for many, many years.

You chose the easy one, full of gifts and fun

after 5 years of ups and downs, you think you've caught your one.

I've kept you in my prayers, I've called you on the phone

and yet you return nothing, leaving me all alone.

********************************************

This is just a bunch of thoughts describing a friendship I once had.  I'm being reminded of it often and I'm not sure why.  As you can tell there isn't much contact.  I can't explain the circumstances and why the paths were chosen, I can only say that for whatever reason a wound has been reopened.  The two of us were so close you couldn't tell where one started and the other one ended.  

Do I get in touch or leave it be?

Monday

Not my favorite day.  

I'm up 30 minutes earlier than normal because my alarm clock went "off" but, had no sound - after the 3rd snooze button hit.  (I allow myself an hour of 'snoozing')  In those 30 minutes one might think I'd be extremely productive...  It's not exactly working out that way.  I'm on my 2nd cup of coffee, third wardrobe change, 2nd pair of shoes, and I'm avoiding accessories for fear of changing my shirt just one more time.  However, I've managed to type out my plans for the week, check my e-mail (work and home) and sip silently as I ponder over today's verse and yesterday's message from church......AND NOW... I'm typing a post.  So.. I'm kinda productive but, not as much as I'd like.

**UPDATE**

I did end up taking a nap on Saturday... after chewing out Hubby for the stupid budget...Let me explain.  First of all.... We're (Hubby and I) attending Financial Peace University (Dave Ramsey) at church.  Second of all...I'm an emotional, free spirit kind of gal.  One that prefers shopping over laundry ANY day.  

Buggy's soccer game was over, the kids were on their way to see in-laws with the in-laws, and I was by myself.  The last post indicated that I was behind in domestic duties.  However, I was fully in the position to AVOID said duties as well as not feeling guilty because I was by myself and not pressured to finish these duties.  Soooo... as I was driving "home" to start the domestic duties, I decided to go shopping.  I had money.  I had CASH money AND money in my account.  This WAS a budgeted item.  It fit under the category of "blow money" which means, I could FREELY spend it on WHATEVER I wanted to!!!  

So, I go into the first store.  I grab several CUTE things to try on.  I'm even excited that some of them are a SMALLER size and before I even make it to the fitting room I talk myself out of it.  Yes.  You read that correctly.  I, admitted Shop-a-holic and avoider of domestic duties, TALK myself out of trying on clothes and ...wait for it... walk OUT of the store without purchasing anything.  Mind you... I had money, it was budgeted!  So...  I think to myself... still laundry at home...still avoiding it...  I'll go grocery shopping and get a jump start on next week.  I had the "envelope" for groceries... Yet, half way to the grocery store, I switch lanes and go home.  Why?!?!  Because I didn't have a LIST.  So, I don't purchase fun stuff AND somewhere between store and grocery store, I become a responsible shopper and redirect myself home to do..... LAUNDRY!!?!?!  I was so angry at myself for following the stinking budget (It's totally cramping my style!) I called Hubby chewed him out - He laughed uncontrollably at me, started a load of laundry , and put myself straight to bed for a NAP! 

Yeah.  That was my Saturday.  Followed by a beautiful Sunday....which brings me to today. An indecisive clothes day.  I'm off to review my wardrobe one last time before the kids are up.  

  

Night Lights

Hi.  My name is Rho.  I'm thirty-something and I need a night light

 -  ONLY when Hubby isn't in the house.  Yup.  Hubby was out 'o town last night for a Men's conference and I slept with 4 lights on in the house.  

Sadly, this is not because of fear of someone coming IN the house.  It's for fear of running into things if I can't sleep.  Which is also a side-affect of Hubby not being home.  

I spent most of this early morning trying to figure why that is the case:

I remember in the early years of our marriage how I celebrated if he wasn't home because I wouldn't have to share the bed.  It was ALL mine and I could sleep diagonally if I so wanted to - which was quite often.  Now, as his job requires him to work 8-5 (Praise-a-leujah!)  I've gotten quite used to not sleeping diagonally.  So last night, I attempted to sleep - even diagonally - and nothing.  It was too bright.  So, I'd shut lights off and it would be too dark.  (You automatically see where this is going)  The outside of my house looked like a Christmas tree with timed lights set on random.  

So here I sit.  Sleepless on Saturday.  The Saturday where I'm taking Buggy to Soccer and the in-laws are carrying the kiddos to see more in-laws and I have the day to myself to catch up on housework.  The housework that is 2 weeks behind due to my extended field trip and recovery time.  Now, I'm adding MORE recovery time into the mix with the need for a nap.  I wonder what the day will hold.  Will I follow through on the chores or select sleep?!?!  Hmmm.  Either way, I'm behind on something.  Lovin the chaos.  Needing more coffee.

Defying Gravity

I'm just now getting my first cup and I've been up for an hour.  I'm still dragging my feet and I'm wondering if it's no longer the fact of recovery but something else.

I'm in a bubble.  One of those that is un-poppable and you feel like you're just listening in on everyone's conversations instead of participating.  I've got a lot of things on my mind, none of which I'm willing to share for fear of an emotional outburst, that I don't feel I should be having.  So, I'll stay in the bubble until the time is right.

Random thought of the day:  

"Something has changed within me,

Something is not the same.

I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game.  

Too late for for second guesses,

Too late to go back to sleep.

It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes, and leap."

Defying Gravity - Wicked Soundtrack.

I have an awesome alarm clock.  One that I got from Hubby on Christmas.  I have the choice of waking up to the radio, the buzzer, or my favorite playlist on my ipod.  Obviously, the ipod wins hands down.  I randomly set up my "Wakeup" playlist to upbeat and inspirational songs to wake up to.  This morning's song was Defying Gravity.  It hit me this morning.  When I have my less coffee and more chaos mornings, this song tends to redirect a complaining spirit.  It's a learning point for the character and she chooses to stand for something she truly believes in.  This morning it hit me that I'm almost in that place.  I say almost because I'm not quite sure what I'm standing up for yet.  I'm pretty sure that my family, friends, students, and any others I come in contact with will see where my beliefs are.  My trust is mostly in the path that God puts me in.  I'm not perfect, so I'm not always trusting.  I'm tired of playing some of the games of life.  I'm tired of playing by rules that someone else thinks is appropriate and fitting all the while they are breaking them.  

I'm dealing with situations that I'm not used to and I'm watching how others handle it.  I don't like what I see so, I'm out on my own limb. 

Example:  I had a student who was visibly upset.  This particular student is at least 6 inches taller than me.  His girlfriend had broken up with him, he was teary eyed and bulked up like he would hurt someone or himself.  He was attempting to walk by my class (the one he was supposed to go into) to go somewhere else.  After I established that skipping wasn't an option, he came into the class and sat in the back.  His options were to talk or write it out.  He sat for 15 minutes stewing on how he'd present it to me.  Ultimately, he chose to talk to me.  The short version.... his girlfriend broke up with him because her parents didn't want them dating.  This is what went through my mind.............

World View:  You're in seventh grade.  There are plenty of other girls.  If it was meant to be, you'll get back together.

Heart View:  Honor your parents.  They are protecting you.

End Result.......I asked why she would go against her parents wishes.  He says... he's  not supposed to be dating either and therefore if he can do it, so can she.   I say... Wait.  Perhaps the reason why His parents don't want him dating is for this very reason - Having his heart broken so that he could focus on what should be important to him and that's his education... get this!!!  He agreed!!!  

There's more but, I'm out of typing time.

I need to get my kiddos up and pour my second cup.

TTFN.

Numb.

I'm recovering from a field trip that was 1 week long.  I'm struggling with getting back on track.  I'm overly tired and can't think straight.

Simply put.  I'm numb.  Numb to what is happening, going through the motions, and trying to keep my head above water so that I can breathe.

I'm going to church tonight.  I'm going to reintroduce myself to the Deep End because I've been out for so much.  I need to worship, praise, hear the word, and rest.  

Life is getting busy again.  It seems as if the more I cut out the busier I get.  

How is that possible?!?!

I'm trying to figure out how to search for other blogs.  Any suggestions?  

Getting to know me.

I spent a good bit of last night playing with colors and trying to figure out how to get this just right.  I won't tell you how many "new questions" I went through to get the one I answered in my profile.  I think I'll try "surfing" other blogs tonight.

I'm a normal poster on Xanga and have a friend that introduced me to Blogger.  It'll take me a while to get into the swing of things.  What are the differences?  What is the benefit?  

I use my blogs as a point to follow out my ideas, thoughts, and life situations.  Most of the time I'm typing out what's happening to me - humorous or not.  It's a creative outlet.  Occasionally, I'll have completely random posts about Queen Rho - a princess at heart - thrown into ruling a land she's quite fond of (Shoppingdom) and forced to fight battles in a land that has no end (Laundrydom).  It's a venting moment for me.

I'm simple.  I love my God, my Hubby, my family, and coffee.  My children give me laughs and grey hair everyday which requires bi-monthly visits to the Hair Goddess.  I have more shoes than one person would care to admit and I'm on a constant search for more.  I read, paint, and find ways to avoid laundry as a list of hobbies.

 

HELP!!!!!

It's my first post in Blogger and I'm super confused.  Must not have enough coffee.  How on earth do I connect with friends who also post?  What are the different layouts and settings and blah, blah, blah.  I need a super easy cheat sheet... Anyone?!?!