A Moment Of God's Grace

NEW BLOG!

2009-03-17T16:47:00.002-05:00

So I made a new blog. Long story. But I changed email addresses, so I changed google accounts, etc etc etc. Just easier for me this way. New blog is here. Please follow me!! Hehe. Love you guys!

Exciting Things!

2009-03-16T15:35:00.000-05:00

So today is my sister’s closing day for her new condo. I am so uber proud of her! Buying a condo at 21 years old. Ya can’t beat that! She is so excited! We’re painting this week and hopefully getting the new carpet put in this week, so we can move in next week. We’ve already given our notice to our landlord and we have to be out by the end of the month. That’s just 15 days! EEK! Hannah’s living with our parents for right now, because of the construction zone in our house. Ugh. If you haven’t heard about that on Facebook, just ask me.

I can’t wait to move. I’m tired of living with all the dust from the ceiling collapse, and all the boxes piled EVERYWHERE! I want to be able to walk around! AND I want to be able to use my new sofa and loveseat! I am so excited about those! Hehe. Not to mention being excited about getting a cat! I’ve been wanting a cat for a long time. We’ve lived in this place for almost 2 years, with no pets allowed. So Hannah is letting me get a cat. I almost have everything I need. Litter box, food and water bowls, bed, toys, etc. Just need litter, food, etc. I can’t wait!

My friend Falon has planned a lunch to celebrate my birthday. It’s at a Japanese restaurant, so I’m kinda scared. LOL! I’ve never had japanese food. Matthew loves it. Falon loves it. My friend Rachel loves it. Hannah doesn’t like any asian food. LOL! So we’ll see how that goes. I love chinese food, but I’ve never had Japanese. But I’ll find out if I like it or not on March 29th!

After my birthday, Matthew and I are going to NC to pick up 2 of his daughters for spring break. The oldest is going to her godmother’s house. But we’ll have the younger 2. I’m excited and nervous. I’ll be meeting his daughters and their mom at the same time. But we’re bringing them back here for the week. Planning tourist-y things around Nashville. We MAY stop in Gatlinburg on our way back to Nashville to go to the aquarium. Hehe. (CHEAP with military id!!) I’m excited.

Well, I guess that’s all for now. More later.

The Way I See It #21

2009-02-18T09:08:00.002-06:00

People need to see that, far from being an obstacle, the world's diversity of languages, religions and traditions is a great treasure, affording us precious opportunities to recognize ourselves in others.

-- Youssou N'Dour
Musician

Love...

2009-02-13T20:10:00.004-06:00

So I have an amazing boyfriend. Today he sent me a dozen red roses in a gorgeous red vase with "Happy Valentine's Day" things. And an "I Love You" balloon. He sent them to my office. I was not expecting anything like that! It totally made my day. He is so wonderful. I am so in love with this man. He makes me feel like a princess. Like the most beautiful woman in the world. And to him, I am. I have never known a love like this.

I just wanted to tell you that.

The Way I See It #1

2009-02-13T10:27:00.001-06:00

"Zeroes are important. A million seconds ago was last week. A billion seconds ago, Richard Nixon resigned the presidency. A trillion seconds ago was 30,000 BC, and early humans were using stone tools. America's national debt is now $7.5 trillion, and it's skyrocketing, even as America's population ages. There will never be a better time to start paying off this crippling debt than today."

-- Denis Hayes Every so often, an author comes along with a thought so powerful, we feel compelled to continue the discussion. Above you find the first quote to appear on Starbucks cups as part of "The Way I See It," accompanied by a Q&A session with the man behind the message, environmental advocate, Denis Hayes.

The Way I See It #22

2009-02-13T10:25:00.000-06:00

"Everywhere, unthinking mobs of “independent thinkers” wield tired clichés like cudgels, pummeling those who dare question “enlightened” dogma. If “violence never solved anything,” cops wouldn’t have guns and slaves may never have been freed. If it’s better that 10 guilty men go free to spare one innocent, why not free 100 or 1,000,000? Clichés begin arguments, they don’t settle them."

-- Jonah Goldberg Goldberg is the founding editor of National Review Online and currently serves as its editor-at-large, where he writes “The Goldberg File.” He is also a nationally syndicated columnist and member of the board of contributors to USA Today. He currently lives in Washington D.C. with his wife, Jessica Gavora, their daughter, Lucy, and Cosmo the Wonderdog.

The Way I See It #31

2009-02-13T10:23:00.002-06:00

"Risk-taking, trust, and serendipity are key ingredients of joy. Without risk, nothing new ever happens. Without trust, fear creeps in. Without serendipity, there are no surprises."

-- Rita Golden Gelman, Author of Tales of a Female Nomad. She has had no permanent address since 1986.

The Way I See It #27

2009-02-13T10:23:00.001-06:00

"Do not kiss your children so they will kiss you back but so they will kiss their children, and their children’s children."

-- Noah benShea, Poet, philosopher and author of Jacob the Baker, Jacob’s Journey and Remember This My Children.

The Way I See It #51

2009-02-13T10:16:00.002-06:00

Americans spend an average of 29 hours a week watching television - which means in a typical life span we devote 13 uninterrupted years to our TV sets! The biggest problem with mass media isn't low quality - its high quanitity. Cutting down just an hour a day would provide extra years of life - for music and family, excercise and reading, conversation and coffee.

-- Michael Medved
Author of Right Turns and radio talk show host

(Yep. From my Starbucks cup again)

Gotta Love It

2009-02-11T16:46:00.002-06:00

So my roommate hasn't paid her rent yet. Again. She's lived with us for 8 months now, and probably at least 5 months out of the 8 she's been late paying rent. And several times when she's late paying it, she like disappears for a week before she pays it. I don't know what the heck she's doing, but it's not good. For her or anyone! If she would just come out and tell me "Hey, I don't have it all right now, can we work something out?" Or something. I wouldn't be so mad. But the fact is, she doesn't do that. She avoids me at all cost. It's stressful for everyone involved.

Ok, enough about her. Matthew's birthday was on Monday. It was so much fun. I took him to Hard Rock Cafe. It's his fave restaurant ever. He hadn't been to the one here in Nashville, so he was so excited. I didn't tell him where we were going, but when we got close to Broadway, he was like, "Where are we going..... We're getting close to Broadway.....that's where Hard Rock is!" SO funny.

I gave him a cd he's been asking for for like a month. And I gave him a gift certificate that I made for 2 tickets to the Grand Ole Opry. He gets to pick the show we go see. He liked that gift too. I also bought him a Hard Rock collectors pin. And I ordered a fruit drink in a collector's glass that "I just don't have room for". Hehe. I know. I rock. LOL!

So Saturday is Valentine's Day. It's also our 3 month anniversary. I was bummed about it because Matthew has to work his second job all weekend. No one was allowed to request off because of Valentine's Day. Well, he found out last night that he is scheduled early on Saturday, so he won't have to close, and his boss gave him Sunday off!! YAY! So we're going to celebrate on Sunday.

Well, I guess that's all for right now. Maybe I'll post again soon. L8R!

The Way I See It #299

2009-02-10T10:28:00.001-06:00

"There is a subtle difference between a mission and a promise. A mission is something you strive to accomplish - a promise is something you are compelled to keep. One is individual, the other is shared. When a mission and a promise are one and the same... that's when mountains are moved and races are won."

-Hala Moddelmog

President and CEO,

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

(Taken from my Starbucks cup this morning)

This week...

2009-02-03T20:47:00.002-06:00

I haven't updated much lately. I know. Guess I just haven't had much to say.

We started a Bible Study class for single women in their 20's. It's at my mom and dad's house. We've been meeting every Monday for a month now. It's really awesome. My mom is teaching us to really study the Bible. We have memory verses, and she gives each of us different passages to look up and study, so the next week we each tell about what we've learned.

* * *

I'm bored. I have so many things I want to do, but I can't get the motivation to do any of them. I mean, I'm getting sick, so I don't feel like doing anything. But still. I have like 15 library books to read. 5 movies to watch. Etc etc etc. I wish I could work from home. I would have more time to do stuff. I mean, at work, I feel like I waste time. Because I get stuff done, or sit on hold for hours. And the whole time I'm thinking about the stuff I need to do at home. Ugh.

Anyways. Bed time. LATER!

Brentwood

2009-01-16T11:29:00.003-06:00

So the other night, my sister and I were on our way home from church in Brentwood. We stopped to get gas, since my tank was on the edge of empty. It was really very annoying because the pump didn't have the little catch on it to keep it pumping without having to hold it the whole time. So, there I was, holding the pump. Freezing. There was a Jeep in front of us. There was no one standing by the car, so I couldn't tell if they were inside the store, or sitting in the car. All of a sudden, gas starts SPEWING out of the Jeep's tank. I mean, everywhere!

"OH MY GOSH! HELLO!" I looked in my car and got my sister's attention and pointed at the Jeep. I was still holding my pump, now carefully watching the gallons I'm putting in so MY car doesn't do the same thing. My sister JUMPS out of the car and RUNS to the Jeep and stops the pump. Then, the driver of the car, (a teenager obviously from Brentwood) gets out and says "Oh my gosh! The little thing didn't go off! Oh well. Eww gross!" (She had to touch the gas on the cap to put it on!)

After we got back in the car, my sister said that she heard the girls in the car saying "What is she doing?!" (When they saw her run towards their car) We kept saying "Oh my gosh. Like, seriously?! Do you not know how to do ANYTHING?!" for like 5 minutes down the road. Crazy Brentwood people. Don't care about anything. Losing money for gas spewing out of the tank. Probably won't think about the gas possibly stripping the paint off the car. Which will cost more money to fix. But why should she care? It's not her money! It's daddy's money.

Needless to say, I can't stand Brentwood people. I used to live there. Most of the people there are very stuck up. For example, when I lived there, the lady I lived with (who is SO not "Brentwood") had a party. Her mom and brother came over the day of the party and COMPLETELY rearranged the house because it didn't look "Brentwood enough". SERIOUSLY?!?!?! So stuck up. Don't get me wrong. I love her mom to death. But dude. There's more to life! I'd rather have my house a little messy and spend time with my real friends at my house, than to have everything freakin SPOTLESS and have a ton of people who I can't really stand in my house. Ya know?

I guess it's just me. Oh well. Enjoy.

New Year. New Things.

2009-01-08T21:04:00.001-06:00

This Christmas season was big for me. For one thing, it’s the first time that I’ve had a boyfriend during Christmas in… 4 years. Wow. Not only that, but it’s the first time ever that my boyfriend has made an effort for Christmas. Not just for me, but for my family as well. Such a sweet experience for me. It’s something that I will treasure forever.

On Christmas Day, my cousin, Eric, proposed to my roommate, Amanda. I’m happy for them. They are planning the wedding for December 26th, 2009. Yesterday she asked Hannah and I to be her bridesmaids. I’m so excited. I know Hannah is! This will be her first time to be a bridesmaid. Hehe.

So, New Year’s Eve…. Matthew made it to my house at 11:58pm. Just in time to kiss me at midnight! Another first for me!!! He had to work that night, and then left as soon as he could and FLEW down to my house! LOL! Then he spent the night at my parent’s house and the whole next day. We had our annual New Year’s Day Open House party. SO much fun!! First time I’ve had a boyfriend there. (Well, one that actually mattered.) It was a great, great start to the new year.

In other news…BIG news…I’m moving to Clarksville. In June. To be closer to Matthew. It’s not like I can’t handle being an hour away from him. Because I can. But we want to be able to see each other on a daily basis and see how our relationship goes.

One Month

2008-12-16T16:17:00.001-06:00

I’m so excited! Thursday, Matthew and I, and I think my sister and my roommate, are all going to the Point of Grace Christmas concert!! WOOHOO!! Hannah and I went 2 years ago and it was incredible! I can’t wait!

Matthew and I celebrated our one month anniversary on Sunday. We had so much fun! We went to church together. (This man is SO amazing, he’s been going to the “Empty Chair” class with me, for support. It’s for people who have lost loved ones and are dealing with the emotions around the holidays. My whole family has been going because my Mamaw died in October.) Then we went to the mall for lunch and a movie. We walked around a little bit before the movie. After the movie we went to my friend’s church for their Christmas play. It was soo good! Very funny.

I feel so blessed. Matthew is so much more than I ever dreamed of. It's hard for me to come up with words to express how I feel about him. I love him. He is so good to me. He treats me like a princess. He does everything in his power to make sure I'm happy. I try to do the same for him. I have never had someone love me like he does. It literally makes me speechless.

I love him.

So Happy.

2008-12-11T13:28:00.001-06:00

So tonight I'm going to Clarksville to help Matthew decorate his apartment for CHRISTmas. I may also meet one of his best friends and his wife. Not sure yet. I can't wait! I get to leave work at 1630. (Oh yeah. I'm using military time, since Matthew uses it. That way I don't get confused. Because I do. LOL!)

I'm so excited about this relationship. Matthew treats me so well. He always makes sure I'm ok. He gets along well with my family and friends... Which is SO important to me. I'm talking, my parents have gotten him 2 CHRISTmas presents! They have NEVER even thought about buying gifts for my boyfriends. They really like him. My heart is overjoyed.

Gotta go back to work. I'll update more later.

News

2008-12-04T08:49:00.002-06:00

I keep wanting to update my blog, but every time I think about it, I’m at work, and I can’t really do it. Well, I’m at work now. On hold. With United Airlines. AGAIN! LOL! So I decided to start writing my blog. I may not post it yet, but I’m at least going to email it to myself so I will have it.

I’m pretty sure that not many people read my blog. But I know that some of my REAL friends do! Hehe. I mean, let’s face it. If you’re not subscribed to my blog, then you’re not my real friend…..Right?

JUST KIDDING!

So for those of you who actually do read my non-blog, let me just tell you some of what’s been going on in the life of me.

First of all, I’m having a small Christmas party on Saturday. WOOHOO! I’m so excited. We invited a few people from church, a few from Hannah’s work, one of my friends at work and her friend, and then a few random friends that aren’t church or work friends. LOL. Of course, some of the other people I wanted to invite, like my BEST friends, are ions away, so they can’t come. (Yes Jen, I know I’m writing humongously long sentences.)

Anyways. It’s going to be a potluck type thing. We’re going to be playing “Dirty Santa”, but I asked everyone to bring a nice gift. I don’t want anyone to end up with a crap gift. I’ve been there. Not so much fun! I have little gift bags for everyone to take home. There’s not much in them, just a few little things. I have a “Yule Log” dvd that we’re going to play some during the party. It has a fireplace and you can hear the crackling sounds. It will also play Christmas music at the same time. I’m excited. I bought some awesome cookie cutters to use. One set is from Williams Sonoma and they are shaped like ornaments. The other set is called “ABC Cookies” (For “Already Been Chewed”) hehe. They look like gingerbread men, but one has no head, one has a missing arm, and the other has a missing leg. SOOOO cute! I’m really excited.

Let’s see, what else…..

OH! We put our Christmas lights up last night! ‘We’ being my roomie Amanda and I. We had SO much fun!! I mean, we were so hyper. It was hilarious. We have icicle lights hanging on our awning over the door, colored lights around the sliding door to Amanda’s room, snowflake lights in our ‘garden’ on the patio, lights shaped like Santa next to the snowflake lights, and more lights on the bricks around the ‘garden’. It’s so pretty!! We also put up my 3 ft tall tree and decorated it. We officially have FOUR Christmas trees. One in the living room that is 6 ½ feet, one in the kitchen that is 6 ½ feet, the 3 ft tree in the kitchen on the hutch, and a 6 inch tall tree in the bathroom. If I had one for every room, I would do it! I was going to put the 3 ft tree in my room, but I don’t really have a good place for it. Oh well. I love Christmas!

Other news….Hmm….

OH! Just the BEST part!

I have a boyfriend now. This is the first boyfriend I’ve had in over 3 years. Crazy. He’s the sweetest guy. He pays attention to details, what I say, etc. His name is Matthew. He’s 34 years old. He’s in the Army. He joined the Marines when he was 18, and was in for 8 ½ years. Then he transferred to the Army and has been in for 8 years. He has a 10 year old daughter named Callie. I haven’t met her yet, but I’ve seen her picture and talked to her on the phone. She’s a cutie patootie. He also claims his ex wife’s two older daughters, Kristin (16) and Carey (14). According to him, they think I’m really pretty.

We met online. (I know. Big surprise, right!) We started talking online on Nov 9th. On Nov 11th we talked on the phone for the first time. We talked for hours. On Nov 14th, we had our first date. It was a group date with my roommate Amanda, her boyfriend (and my cousin) Eric, and my sister Hannah. It was fun. I felt more comfortable with them being there, since it was the first time I was meeting him. We all had fun. We went to Olive Garden for dinner. Matthew had everyone cracking up. He’s so funny. Then we went to see the new Bond movie, “Quantum of Solace”. He didn’t really want to see it, but he knew I did, so we saw that. (GREAT movie, by the way!!)

Our next date was just the two of us. On Nov 19th, he was supposed to meet me at my house at 5:30pm, to give me time to get home from work and change clothes. Well, at 5pm he sent me a text message asking what I was doing. Long story short, he got to Nashville at 4:30pm (an HOUR early) and went to a florist. When he walked in my house he had a purple rose, with purple baby’s breath, purple tissue paper, and a purple ribbon. WOW! I was blown away. He also had 3 Billy Gilman cds for me, because he knew I wanted them.

He's gone to church with me once. He's going to church with me this weekend, and next weekend. He believes all the same things I do. There's so much I could say about him, but it would take too long. And like I said at the beginning of this post, I'm at work.

Neglect

2008-12-02T08:39:00.001-06:00

I'm officially the worst at keeping up with my blog. So sad. I can't write much now, since I'm at work. But for those of you who actually read this, I wanted to say HI! I'll update later. Love you all!!

Soles4Souls

2008-11-10T10:19:00.001-06:00

What's in store....

2008-11-05T01:06:00.002-06:00

Well, history has been made. The first black president has been elected. Unfortunately he happens to disagree with many things in the Bible. As well as things this country were founded upon. He has the potential to completely destroy this country. What is going to happen to this beloved country? The place my heart belongs to. Will it survive the wrath of Barack Obama? I pray the Lord will spare us.

I pray for wisdom. For the truth to be seen. Prayer warriers, join together!

YOUR vote counts!

2008-11-04T10:14:00.001-06:00

NEITHER CANDIDATE'S NAME IS MENTIONED IN THIS POSTING (except for a Gallup poll and Gallup shows Obama ahead overall). ASK GOD IF HE WANTS YOU TO VOTE PRO-LIFE TODAY. HEAR BOTH SIDES OF THIS ISSUE BELOW (they are my words and not some forwarded, hateful partisan jargon) and remember that Laura Smith is just a lover of life and not a stump-speecher (or a Republican). PRAY THE ENDING PRAYER WITH ME IF YOU FEEL YOU CAN (and forward this email to all you know). IF YOU CAN'T PRAY THE PRAYER, PLEASE, NO REBUKING EMAILS, OKAY? IMAGINE MY VOICE AND SMILE BELOW. AT LEAST READ THIS ENTIRELY ANYWAY AND THEN, DELETE IT AT WILL.

QUESTION:

If all the aborted babies could come back to life and vote in this election, who do you think they would vote for?

How many babies have been aborted and how many votes would that be? Just since Roe v. Wade in 1973, there have been an estimated 38,325,000 abortions. They would definitely determine the winner of the 2008 election. Let's be the voice for the unborn, ok? If you cannot decide who to vote for, go to the voting booth anyway and as you are standing there, think of someone you know who has had an abortion. Then, be the voice for that unborn baby. If you love babies period, be their voice! Biblically, the pro-abortion movement is tied to the worship of two idols, Chemosh and Molech, the gods of child sacrifice (go read 2 Kings 23:10, Lev. 18:21 or one of the other two dozen times these spirits are mentioned in the Bible).

1. "But if Republicans were for the war in Iraq and 4,000 American soldiers have been killed there, how is a vote for the Republican candidate voting for life? (whether for President, senate, local, national, whatever).

4,000 of our soldiers have been killed in Iraq, but 4,000 babies are aborted DAILY in America. Soliders that died were of age and signed up for the military knowing they risked their lives. No baby ever signed up to give its life.

2. "But not just soldiers died in the Iraqi war. Thousands of innocent Iraqi children died too."

I recently found a poem I wrote called "I'm Sorry Iraqi Child," during the Persian Gulf war in the 90's. I HATE the death of innocent of children or the thought that their parents might die and leave them orphaned. But from God's perspective in Scripture, he often destroys entire countries who have persecuted His people. Babylon in Scripture is modern day Baghdad, Iraq. Listen to what God says about Baghdad:

Jeremiah 51:11 & 55.

"Sharpen the arrows, take up the shields! The LORD has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is to destroy Babylon. The LORD will take vengeance, vengeance for his temple. The LORD will destroy Babylon; he will silence her noisy din. Waves of enemies will rage like great waters; the roar of their voices will resound."

3. " But that's the Old Testament. Jesus is for peace."

I agree. Also, "peace" is a fruit of God's Holy Spirit. When Armageddon is fought in the end days, however, countless lives will be lost. So is God against Armageddon, which he will win? Also, if we truly believe in the Trinity, then we believe that Jesus was "around" when His Father fought every war in the Old Testament. Jesus once said:

Matthew 10:34

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."

Matt. 24:6

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass."

4. "I am disillusioned with the government and probably won't even vote. My vote doesn't count anyway."

I am disillusioned too. Government is broken! Republicans and Dems alike! But, I get the Gallup poll into my inbox every day and it tells us that among church goers who attend weekly or twice monthly, McCain will win the vote 2 to 1 (65% to 28%). Among non-church goers and non-Christians, Obama wins 2 to 1. So what does that tell you? IF YOU ARE A church-going Christian your vote will make the difference! In the 2000, it came down to 532 votes in one state. 532!!!!! If you divide that by the 100something voting stations in that state, that's only 4-5 votes PER VOTING STATION! Imagine what might happen if you do NOT go to your local voting station! Don't be one of the 4 or 5 that leave America with a candidate who does not support protecting the unborn.

PRAYER (pray this aloud if you can agree with it): "Father, may YOUR choice for President wind up in the White House despite if it is our candidate of choice or not. We know you say in Prov. 6:16-20, "There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." You also say in Deut. 21:9, "So, you will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD." You spoke in the Bible of a people who sacrificed their children to idols and how it was the downfall of nations: Psalm 106:38: "They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood," so the land of America is obviously desecrated due to our choices on this issue. If we will end abortion Lord, the land will be restored and it will effect our economy, foreign affairs, health care (because you are Jehovah Rapha and so healing will be more easy to attain by even your children). None of these issues will be solved by either candidate if they do not help end abortion. We also see that even though God LOVED King David enough to promise him that his lineage would sit on the throne forever (and Jesus is called "the Son of David"), He would not allow him to build the temple because he had "shed too much blood," proving that even if we are Your children but shed innocent blood, we can be forgiven, but the sin will continue to bear bad fruit in our lives somewhere down the road. You said through Jeremiah, "...do not shed innocent blood in this place" (v. 22:3). So Father, forgive America for the 38,200,000 abortions that have occurred here since Roe v. Wade in 1973. Oh please, Father have mercy on us! Help us to turn with our votes today and choose-life so that you might bless us again with a better economy, less global warming, better health care because we'll need less of it when you heal us, and improved foreign policies since peace will be upon us as you smile upon America. So Father, we pray for life to win-out today, whichever candidate you affirm when you look into his heart. We pray that voters would have their eyes opened and hearts grieved and moved on this issue of abortion. We pray all this in the name of the only One who matters: Jesus. Amen."

God bless you and God bless America.

~laura

Day to day

2008-10-28T08:25:00.003-05:00

My life seems so boring right now. I go to work every day. On Tuesdays I go to Kairos. On Sundays I go to my church. And the rest of the time I'm at home! I have friends, but we never seem to make time to see each other. I have NO dating interests. Or even the remote possibilities.

I'm trying to find out Who I am. We've been talking about it a lot in Kairos. "Who Am I?" "What is my pain?" etc. They are deep questions that you really have to take uninterrupted time to think about. Time that I have not exactly taken as of yet.

Sadness

2008-10-26T09:38:00.003-05:00

This month has been very sad for my family. Especially my dad. First, his mom died. Then he pretty much lost his sisters too. They didn't die, but the relationship did.

A week later, a longtime friend of our family, Vickie, died. I grew up with her kids. Her oldest, Brandon, is a year older than me. Tyler is a year younger than me and she's getting married in 2 months. And the youngest, Cameron, is only 17. The visitation for Miss Vickie lasted longer than the 4 hours it was supposed to. We stood in line for 2 1/2 hours, just to pay our respects and see the family. It was heartbreaking, but also a testiment of how many people were touched by Miss Vickie. She will be greatly missed.

Yesterday, my dad's friend died. I'm not really sure if my dad would consider him his best friend or not, cause my parents' don't really have "best friends" (besides each other). But he did spend a lot of time with Frank.

Oh and then there's the tv issue. My dad has been waiting for years to get a new tv. He finally had the money to buy the 51 inch HDTV that he wanted, and when he turned it on, the screen was cracked and there were lines all the way across. And the store won't take it back, and the warranty won't cover it. He is so upset. I mean, he shelled out $2600 for this tv and it doesn't even WORK! I'm upset about it too!

So needless to say, not such a great month for my dad. Please pray for him.

Yes

2008-10-23T15:27:00.001-05:00

If you can read the following paragraph, forward it on to your friends and the person that sent it to you with 'yes' in the subject line.

Only
great
minds can
read this

This
is weird, but interesting!

fi
yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too

Cna
yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

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cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The
phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde
Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny
iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The
rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is
bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a
wlohe Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can
raed tihs forwrad it

Everyone should see this!

2008-10-14T16:58:00.001-05:00

http://www.maximumreferrals.com/bridge

Sad.

2008-10-03T13:10:00.000-05:00

Today, my Mamaw went home to see Jesus. And Papaw. Good for her. She's not in pain anymore. And she can spend the rest of eternity praising her Father.

For the rest of us left behind, its sad. Especially for my dad and aunts. They've had to watch both of their parents die from the same horrible disease. Its heart breaking. And at some point, it may have even been preventable. The really scary thing is, I've had a great uncle die from it too. And another great uncle and a cousin may have the same thing. There are class action lawsuits going on right now for the same reason. I wish my family could do something.

My parents are driving to Oklahoma right now. I'm not sure when the funeral will be. My sister and I will not be able to go. Which is kind of hard to deal with. Not sure how my aunts and cousins feel about that. But that doesn't matter. What does matter is that I got to see Mamaw a month ago. I can remember her that way, not the way she got in the last few days.

Sarah

2008-10-03T11:15:00.001-05:00

GO PALIN!!

Sarah

Taking things for granted

2008-09-25T21:57:00.004-05:00

Today my eyes were opened to something everyone should see. My bosses David and Debra and their youngest daughter Felicia just got back from their mission trip to India. We got to see pictures and videos today from their trip.

We are so blessed to live in this country. To be free to worship the one true God. To have clean streets. To have water we can drink without worrying about dying from some disease. Definitely something to think about.

2008-09-04T12:04:00.005-05:00

It’s interesting how things turn around. One day you’re incredibly upset with someone. A few days later you’re feeling bad for them and wanting to help them. And then God shows you why. It’s an indescribable feeling.

* * * * *

I went to Kairos this week. I haven’t been since last May. It was, by far, the most amazing worship I have ever experienced. God was ALL up in that place! It was incredible. I will definitely be going back every week from now on. I have definitely needed it.

* * * * *

I am praying for Haiti. They have been hit pretty hard by Gustav and Hanna. Now Ike and Josephine are on their way. Please pray for the people of Haiti, as well as all the missionaries down there. I know there is a mission group going down on Saturday with New Missions. Please pray for their safety.

* * * * *

I am going to Grandma’s Camp tomorrow! I’m excited. Falon will be there, her usual upbeat self, so I’ll definitely be entertained. Hehe.

For those of you who don’t know what Grandma’s Camp is, here is an excerpt from their website.

Grandma’s Love
Hello Friends-
This is a little insight to what Grandma’s Camp is and will be to come!
Grandma’s Camp is run by many giving people. We all have a passion for children and helping the grandparents stay involved with their grandchildrens lives.
Marti Carelli-Gilbert is the founder and visionary of Grandma’s Camp. Have you ever seen the movie “We Are Marshall”? Yes! Great! Grandma’s camp was founded in memory and in honor of Albert Carelli, one of the coaches who perished with the football team in 1970.
Marti found a way to join children with their grandparents and to honor all other grandparents who never had the chance to meet their grandchildren.
Think about how much your family means to you! We know that our family is a very important part of our lives and we cherish the little times we spend. To spend more time with our loved ones is a significant goal of ours!
We are a non profit organization that works hard to fund camps throughout the year through your donations and volunteer work.
We will be posting blogs occasionally so check back with us to find out what’s new! Make sure you check out the video, and make a donation on our site!
Allison Vanderpool and Falon Morel
-Grandma’s Camp Volunteers

* * * * *

Needless to say, I’m excited.

FINALLY!

2008-08-25T09:37:00.003-05:00

I got the post back. Thank God. I was so upset about it. Thank God for postmaster delivery with the attached email when it doesn't send!

Making up for lost time

2008-08-25T08:48:00.001-05:00

It's so odd to me. I used to blog almost daily. Now I do good to blog once a month! What happened to me? I used to be so good at writing and keeping up with my blog, even if it was superficial stuff! Now....nothing. So sad.

So I've been basically obsessed with the Olympics ever since they started. My sister and I have recorded it all. We're watching a little bit at a time, so we're like a week behind. Granted, we missed 4 days of watching the recorded stuff because we went to Oklahoma to see my grandmother. She has cancer and is not doing good. It was the first time I've been to her house in 5 years. Sad, I know. I'm not even sure she really knew we were there, or who we were. Anyways. Olympics. Michael Phelps! WOW! Can not get better than that. Gymnastics. I feel so heartbroken for Alicia Sacramone. Yeah, they won the Silver medal in the team final, but did you see her face?! She was devastated. Her 2 mistakes on beam and floor alone....if they hadn't happened, they would have won Gold. So hard to deal with. Proud of Nastia and Shawn for getting Gold and Silver for All Around! Makes me really wish I had stuck with gymnastics when I was little. Oh well.

I have been so aggravated today. UGH! First of all, I have had a TON of groups to price today....they keep piling up. (For those of you who don't know, I'm a travel agent....A Group Airfare Specialist) Secondly, the airlines have been taking forever to give me quotes. I mean like, it's taking half an hour or more to get a QUOTE! Not to mention actually booking a group! UGH! So annoying.

* * * * * * * * * *

I have majorly neglected myself. I have not been to Curves since April, before our vacation. I have gained weight. I've always been overweight, but this is an all time high. Not pretty. In fact, it's downright ugly. I hate it. I want to lose weight. I have the desire to lose weight. I just don't have the determination and discipline to do so. I'm trying to eat better. Not eating out as much, which is good for my weight and my wallet. But when you can't really afford to buy groceries except for maybe once or twice a month, it makes it really hard to buy healthy foods. I would love to eat all organic food, different varieties of foods, and would love to cook them! But my energy is around 0% when I get home from work. Which of course is because of my choice of diet and lack of exercise. It was much better to go to Curves when I had a buddy system. Now my buddy has moved away. It's hard to get back in the swing of things. Oh, and they closed the Curves location I was a member of. Now I have to pick from 2 other locations that are both out of my way. I'm leaning towards one, simply because I did not work there. LOL!

* * * * * * * * * *

God has big plans for my life. I know He does. I just don't have the slightest idea what they are! Well, ok, I'll be honest. I have a slight clue about some of them. But they are long term plans. Right now is just a big ball of fuzz. Am I in the right place? Am I doing the right thing? I hate not knowing. I trust Him. I just feel that maybe it should be a little bit clearer so I don't feel like I'm wasting my life away. This is the most frustrating feeling.

* * * * * * * * * *

I wonder if anyone is even reading this blog. Oh well.

Not Happy

2008-08-23T12:16:00.001-05:00

Well, it still hasn't shown up yet. I guess I'll have to rewrite it. Or what I can remember of it. So annoying. Maybe later.

UGH!

2008-08-22T16:26:00.003-05:00

I emailed a huge long blog to post on here. But it's not here yet. Let's see if it shows up. I emailed it from my work, so it might take a while. But I'm freakin out, because I deleted the email from my sent folder AND from the deleted folder....since it was on my work email. So now I can NOT get it back. OMG! It better show up. I am NOT happy.

Ya Never Know

2008-08-05T18:34:00.001-05:00

First impressions are not always true. I've recently made an aquaintance with someone who has won over several of my family members. Including myself. Until a few weeks ago. This person lied to me about something that is very serious in my book. Now it seems they are lying about even more serious things. I have lost trust in this person. Was I wrong to trust in the first place? Is this person also lying to my family members? Some who would be extremely hurt if that is the case. I pray this is not true. I pray this is all a huge misunderstanding. But at the same time, my instincts have a track record of being correct. That being said, my guard is most definitely up. Unfortunately.

Bittersweet Day

2008-08-03T22:20:00.002-05:00

Today was the last Sunday that Bro. Jerry served TRBC as the senior pastor, after 22 years. It was definitely a bittersweet day. Bitter, thinking about all the turmoil that the church staff, church members, and the Sutton family have been through in the last year and a half. Sweet because we know that God has great plans for Bro. Jerry and his family.

We had a reception for Bro Jerry and his family tonight. It was scheduled for 4pm-6pm. It ended up being over 5 hours long. It was awesome to see that many people show up to express their love and support for our beloved pastor.

I look forward to seeing the great things that God has planned for the Sutton family, and for TRBC.

Growing up

2008-07-16T16:25:00.001-05:00

Ever since I was old enough to care, my favorite color has been purple. Then at some point, I discovered that pink is pretty too. My bedroom has always been decorated (somewhat) with purple and pink, besides the few years that my bedroom was adorned with BASEBALL wallpaper. Once I finally got out of the baseball room, I had purple walls. SO pretty.

I've gone through flower, pastel, etc bed comforters. Posters on the wall. Stuffed animals all over the room. Etc. Now it's time for an adult look. I bought a new comforter for my bed. It is black and a tan/gold color. Wide stripes of different fabrics. Very elegant. Very beautiful.

My plan is to decorate my room around my comforter. Tan/gold colored curtains. Not sure what else yet. I'm very excited about it.

Ah, the joy of Blogging

2008-07-14T16:25:00.002-05:00

Recently a friend of mine wrote a blog about how her life is full of things that aren't really "blog worthy". Yet she keeps writing them. And people enjoy her spin on random, "non-important" happenings. I feel the same way. My life is so boring right now. I sleep. I wake up. I go to work. I go home. I watch tv. I go to bed. And then it starts over. On Saturdays I sleep in. I wake up. I watch tv. Maybe do some scrapbooking or something. I clean some. I go to bed. On Sunday I wake up. I go to church. I have lunch with my parents or friends. I go home. I watch tv. I go to bed. I sleep. And then it all starts over again.

When did my life become so boring?! I used to hang out with friends all the time. I used to be a busy girl. Now, I'm not. And I don't feel like my life is doing much. I mean, before I started working here, I felt like I was wasting my life. Now I have a great job, in a christian environment, with people I love. But I still kind of feel like I'm wasting my life. Like there is so much more that God has planned for my life. And I'm so ready to get started with it! But apparently it's not God's timing yet.

So here I am. With a boring non-"blog worthy" life. Waiting for God's timing. Which has been my motto for several years now.

Peace!

The Devil

2008-07-09T16:26:00.003-05:00

Let me tell you people, the devil is out to kill. He loves to pile things on top of your head, just when you think it can't get any worse. That's his job! And he LOVES his job!

My friend's car was pretty much totaled yesterday. Last night, she had parked her car (that she got in March) in their garage (At the top of the very steep driveway) and then it proceeded to ROLL down the drive way, hit the corner of her mom's SUV, rolled across the street, in between 2 cars (missing them both by inches), in between 2 houses, hit the AC unit on one house, knocked it completely off the foundation, tore down the fence, and then stopped. Thank God no one was walking on the street or anything. It could have been SO much worse than it was. But at the same time, it was pretty bad. Now she is having to deal with the insurance company and all of their confusions, as well as figuring out what to do with her car.

See, my friend has been doing what God wants her to do lately. Her dad is going on a mission trip in 2 months and we have been raising money for that. She has been doing all kinds of things to raise money. Collecting cans, coins, etc. And it is exactly what God wants her to do. Which is why Satan is pouring out the crap on top of her head! Poor thing.

Weddings

2008-07-07T15:47:00.003-05:00

So my beautiful Forever Friend Katie got married this past Saturday. It was such a beautiful ceremony. I couldn't be happier for her.

I did the photo guestbook for Katie. I took pictures of everyone as they came in, and they wrote messages to the Bride and Groom on 3x5 cards colored in red, black, and silver. It's going to be really unique when the guestbook is done.

2008-07-04T14:42:00.001-05:00

. *.....* * * .. * . . . *. . *. . !!!HAPPY 4TH OF JULY !!! . . *. * -Sarah

Hmm

2008-07-03T13:04:00.001-05:00

Lately, I haven’t really felt like blogging. I feel like I have nothing to blog about. Job is going good. Roommate is awesome. Sister is awesome. The rest of my family is good.

Tomorrow is the birthday of our country. No work. Fireworks, food, and fun. I’m proud to be an American. Like no one can believe. My heart bleeds red, white, and blue. My heart also breaks for my country. We’ve definitely seen better days.

So, I’m reading this book, “Someday My Prince Will Come”. It’s about this girl who wanted to be a princess. It’s a true story. The girl wrote the book about her life. It’s very interesting. But she talks about moving to London for graduate school. All the things she talks about in the book. And my friend who lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. It really makes me want to live abroad for a while. Maybe for school. Maybe just for the experience. It would be SO much fun.

I’ve been thinking about writing a book. No clue what I want to write about. But I have characters running through my head all day long. Where do they come from? Where are they going? What do they do? I don’t know.

So this blog is totally random.

My roommate called me from home today saying that the plumbers need to cut through my sister’s wall to fix the OUTSIDE spout that anyone in the building can use. Um…NO. I called our landlord and she was mad. Because #1 they didn’t call her and she is the owner. #2 they didn’t schedule a time convenient for us. #3 she doesn’t understand why they have to cut through the inside wall to fix a spout on the outside.

Needless to say, she’s calling the association to “give them hell”. LOL! She’s so funny.

Ok children. I’m going to lunch. Lata!

Interesting

2008-06-19T20:15:00.003-05:00

Have you ever been one way and annoy your friends and family to death? How about completely changing and then have someone else act the same exact way and annoy you to death? Well, that's happening to me. It's so frustrating. But at the same time, its interesting to see how my friends and family felt when I was doing the same thing. Puts it all into perspective.

Just wanted to say that.

Social Security - How do YOU stand?

2008-06-10T12:18:00.002-05:00

You've got to read this all the way through to the bottom.

I HEREWITH FIRMLY STATE THAT I WILL NOT VOTE FOR ANY POLITICIAN, REGARDLESS OF THE OTHER ISSUES, IF HE DOES NOT SPONSOR AND SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING LEGISLATION. THAT INCLUDES EVERYONE STANDING FOR ELECTION IN 2008. LET US SHOW OUR LEADERS IN WASHINGTON 'PEOPLE POWER' AND THE POWER OF THE INTERNET. LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE WITH ME ON THIS BY FORWARDING TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT!

KEEP IT GOING!!!!
2008 Election Issue !!

GET A BILL STARTED TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOC. SEC.

This must be an issue in '2008' Please! Keep it going
----------------------------------
SOCIAL SECURITY:
(This is worth reading. It is short and to the point.)

Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years.

Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it.
You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan.

In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan.
For all practical purposes their pla n works like this:
When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die.

Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments..

For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275, 000.00 during the last years of their lives.

This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries.

Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives.
Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00.

NADA..! ZILCH...

This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan . The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds;

'OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK '!

From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into, every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer). We can expect to get an average of $1,000 per month after retirement.

Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator! Bill Bradley's benefits!

Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made.
That change would be to:

Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us

Then sit back....

And see how fast they would fix it.

If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve.

How many people CAN you send this to?

Better yet.....

How many people WILL you send this to ?

Tiny Frogs ( this is good )

2008-06-02T15:41:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs.... who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.

A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants....

The race began....

Honestly: No one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower.

You heard statements such as:

'Oh, WAY too difficult!!'

'They will NEVER make it to the top.'

or:

'Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!'

The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one....

Except for those, who in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher..

The crowd continued to yell, 'It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!'

More tiny frogs g ot tired and gave up....

But ONE continued higher and higher and higher....

This one wouldn't give up!
At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top!

THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it?

A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal?

It turned out .... that the winner was DEAF!!!!

The wisdom of this story is: Never listen to other people's tendencies to be negative or pessimistic.... because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you -- the ones you have in your heart!

Always think of the power words have. (There's life and death in the power of the tongue - Proverbs 18:21.)

Because everything you hear and read will affect your actions!

Therefore: ALWAYS be .... POSITIVE!

And above all: Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you cannot fulfill your dreams!

Always think: God and I can do this!

Pass this message on to 5 'tiny frogs' you care about.
Give them some motivation!!!

Most people walk in and out of your life......but FRIENDS leave footprints in your heart.

New Blogger!

2008-04-26T02:18:00.004-05:00

So I'm new to Blogger. I've been blogging for years now, just not on this site. I've really been slacking on my blogs lately, but I'm really hoping to get back up to speed.

So. New news. I'm leaving for my vacation on TUESDAY!! I can't wait. Walt Disney World for 6 days/5 nights, then a Carnival cruise to the Bahamas for 4 days/3 nights! WOOHOO!! Oh and trust me. There will be hundreds of pictures when I get back! LOL! We will have like 4 cameras, at least.

Well, children. It is 2:27 am and I'm going to bed.

Praying for God's Will,
Sarah