i feel the need to blog about something that is on my heart. I may not type well today because I have a hurt hand, in a cast.
i don't want to go into details about the fight, just so you know. but there was a fight between my little sister and i. well, not exactly. i didn't fight with her, she fought by herself. she got mad at me for something that I did, (actually she got mad for something that I wouldn't and COULDN'T do) and i will admit, i talked about her to my mom and she found out. I figure the one person in the world i should be able to talk about my sister to is my mom, she will love her no matter what. sometimes you just need to vent and get stuff out. and you can't go to my sister and be honest with her, she gets mad and does this. so actually, i would have been better off telling her the truth of the matter rather than my mom. it turned out the same and it would have been more upstanding of me to do it that way.
how did she find out you ask? it was done sneakily, and she wouldn't have found out if she wouldn't have done what she did. that doesn't excuse me talking about her, but she wouldn't have known.
but she did it, and got mad. now, she had a right to be mad. what i said was the truth, but understandingly, she took offense to it. then she dragged a mutual friend into it and that caused a bigger fight and I have lost that friend.
now my sister has told me not to contact her in any way. she blamed me for things that were not even happening.
so this is hard for me. i have spent my WHOLE life taking care of my little sister. when she had problems i always helped her. when she had situations with other people come up, i always stuck up for her. and many times, i knew that she was in the wrong and even lying about it, but she's my little sister, so I did it. i remember reading to her when she was too little to read. i baby sat her and taught her how to ride her bike without training wheels and how to drive a stick-shift. I've stuck by and supported her on things that i didn't agree with because she is my little sister.
little things happen almost every day and i want to call her and tell her. funny things, sad things, miraculous things, hurtful things and just things. my kids miss their aunt tracy. we don't see pictures of her, they don't get to talk to her on the phone, she didn't even call to tell my daughter happy birthday. i guess that it is hard to call someone when you delete their phone numbers though.
so in her madness, she is hurting not only me, but my children as well. i am not ok with that. and now this morning i went to look at pictures of my niece and nephew, which i can't see now at all because she won't let me, at their daycare. the daycare they go to has a facebook page and i can see pics of the kids there. but when i went to check, i was no longer a "liker" of the page. I know I didn't "un-like" it, so that means I was kicked out. that hurts.
here is what i have decided about the situation. i can't control my sister. i can only control me. and i can control part of the situation. so i have taken control. how you may ask? I can't contact her so does that mean i am going to? nope.
I won't let it bother me. I feel sadness about it, but i do not let it run my day. when i think of her and i want to tell her something, i erase the thought and call a friend. when i need to laugh about something to someone, i call a friend. it's been well over a month since all of this has gone on. i am still sad that it has all happened, but that sadness does not creep into my life. I feel it, then move on. i am in control of how i react to this situation, and i am not going to react.
putting myself in control takes away her power of the situation. yes she is the one who laid down the rules, no contact. but i am the one who decides how i follow the rules. i will follow the no contact. that includes my heart and my mind also. if i am cut off and basically non-existent in her world, than that is how it will be. so she can tell me not to call, text or email. but i have to take that further to protect myself because this hurts.
i had to blog about this because it's all been running through my mind. but i have told myself that i am blessed with people who love me. they don't lie to me and expect of me more than i can give. they want to be in my life and in my children's life. it's not a here one day, gone the next type of thing. i have never not been able to talk to my sister. this is a first.
my plan now? to move on. i have only one biological sister, but i have many other sisters. sisters in Christ and sisters in the Lord. my kids have aunts, biological and non. my kids have cousins, biological and non. we will survive this.
i will stay in control of this. i have been in control of this. if you had asked me two months ago how i would be not being able to have contact with my sister, i would have said a mess. but in actuality, i've done quite well. i miss her, but i won't let her get to me. this is part of her manipulation and in won't buy into it. i have better, more Godly things to worry about than something this petty.
there, i have stated how i feel and where i am going with this. i feel better now. i am so glad that i am firmly grounded in the Truth and His love. It carries me through and lets me know that i can make it thru this.
About Me
- Danielle Leigh
- WA, United States
- I home school my kids, highly involved in my church, love to read, drink tea, and design tags.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Here's Lily Book Review
When given the option to review a book that will be perfect for my kids I usually choose that book. In this instance, I am glad that I did. I am always on the look-out for Christian based books for my kids that won't bore them. Here's Lily by Nancy Rue is a great book for young girls. I definitely would suggest it to any mother asking for their own daughter. I will be downloading this onto the kindle that I have for the kids.
Lily is a 6th grader with flaming red hair that she thinks is too fuzzy. In school she deals with bullies that pick on her because of her looks. It lowers Lily's confidence in herself, until she meets Kathleen. Kathleen is a teacher for a modeling school and chooses Lily to attend.
But Lily's parent are not so sure about it. She has to find a way that God shows Himself in this modeling business before her parents will agree to send her through the full schooling. Lily seems to be more wrapped up in herself and her pride to be looking for God.
Certain events take place to spin Lily around and make her come to full realization of what she is doing and what she is capable of doing. Sometimes it takes something huge to open our eyes.
I want to read the next book in the series, which is #2 called Lilly Robbins, MD (Medical Dabbler)!
This book was given to me by Booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.
Lily is a 6th grader with flaming red hair that she thinks is too fuzzy. In school she deals with bullies that pick on her because of her looks. It lowers Lily's confidence in herself, until she meets Kathleen. Kathleen is a teacher for a modeling school and chooses Lily to attend.
But Lily's parent are not so sure about it. She has to find a way that God shows Himself in this modeling business before her parents will agree to send her through the full schooling. Lily seems to be more wrapped up in herself and her pride to be looking for God.
Certain events take place to spin Lily around and make her come to full realization of what she is doing and what she is capable of doing. Sometimes it takes something huge to open our eyes.
I want to read the next book in the series, which is #2 called Lilly Robbins, MD (Medical Dabbler)!
This book was given to me by Booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
One Month to Live Book Review
This book definitely had some great ideas and advice in it to help live your life to the fullest. The authors in this book, Kerry and Chris Shook have asked the reader to pretend that their life is ending in one month. Then they go on to ask you what you would like to accomplish in that month.
I think this may be a really good book for some people without direction in their life to read. Or maybe they just need to open their eyes to the wonderful life that they currently have, and this book and ideas is one way to help to help them do it.
Personally, I thought the book was dull even through the good advice. I found it very hard to get through and I did not want to read it.
I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review and opinion.
I think this may be a really good book for some people without direction in their life to read. Or maybe they just need to open their eyes to the wonderful life that they currently have, and this book and ideas is one way to help to help them do it.
Personally, I thought the book was dull even through the good advice. I found it very hard to get through and I did not want to read it.
I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review and opinion.
The Quotable Rogue by Matt Lewis Book Review
Now I don't know too much about politics and the like, so some of this stuff I didn't even know what she was talking about. But the parts that I did I thought that most of it was pretty funny, witty, true or thought provoking.
One of my favorite quotes was one that she made about Vice President Biden. It was one that made me chuckle out loud.
If you are interested in, or if you like what Sarah Palin has to say, you should read this book. It is enjoyable and can even help you learn something. You can read quotes from Sarah on topics like abortion, Barack Obama, Education, Media, Family and much more.If the election had turned out differently, I could be the one overseeing the signing of bailout checks and Vice President Biden could be on the road selling his book Going Rogaine.
I received this book for free from Book Sneeze in return for my honest review.
Bible Stories for Preschoolers Book Review
The stories were very engaging and interesting. It held the attention of these small blessings very well. We have read quite a few stories in it by now and we do like reading this book.
I like that the book has questions and activities for the children to answer and follow. This helps to instill those lessons into those fresh minds.
One thing that has confused my assistant teacher, my students and myself is that in the stories that talk about God being there, He seems to be portrayed as an angel. It is confusing I think to the kids because God is not an angel. We have been sure to explain this to their little minds because they did ask about it.
My assistant and I could not help but giggle at some of the pictures and the ways they are drawn. There are a lot of pompadours drawn onto people. Some of the illustrations also have people standing in weird ways or holding their hands in strange positions. We have had a few laughs about that.
All in all, this is an ok book. The stories are good if you can get past the pictures. I personally wouldn't go out and buy the book, but I am getting use out of it.
DISCLAIMER: Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Winter Storm 2012
I have never experienced a storm like the one we just did in the 34
years I've lived in this state. And the same can be said of my hubby
who has lived here 42 years of his life. With that said, I will tell
you the journey that we experienced these last 5 days.
Wednesday 1/28: Knew that a snow storm was coming and we were preparing for that. We had cancelled children's choir and AWANA at church that night. The snow had already started the weekend before, but we hadn't really had a large accumulation. We finally did get an accumulation of about 6 inches. At about 8:45 Wednesday evening, the power went out. With the snow coming down outside, it didn't look promising, but I wasn't expecting what happened next.
That evening it kept snowing. I believe that it snowed until sometime Thursday afternoon when the snow turned to frozen rain. By now I had already made 2 pots of coffee on the propane camp stove that we set up outside on the porch. I also cooked us a dinner of scrambled eggs and frozen hash browns that night on the stove in my wonderful cast iron skillets! Thursday evening my hubby told me that he could hear branches falling outside in the dark. It was from the frozen rain weighing down the snow on our trees.
Friday was the day that we really experienced the trees and things falling. When I woke up that morning, there was already evidence of branches down in places. My hubby's car, that we couldn't start to move, almost got hit by one branch that first night. My nephew's car had branches covering the top, but didn't hit the car I think. I went outside Friday morning and could hear branches falling off of trees everywhere. I mean everywhere. Just standing outside for 1 minute you could see at least 5 branches fall and maybe even a tree top or two. The freezing rain continued.
All day Friday when we stepped outside we could hear and see limbs, branches, tree tops and many whole trees just falling all over. It was a weird experience. The big tree out front that worries me in the big wind storms didn't drop that many branches. One it did drop was right behind hubby's car, which was the 2nd close call. After it got dark on Friday night it was very unnerving because we could hear things falling all around us but we couldn't see anything. Sometimes we heard cracks so loud they sounded like gun shots. Some trees fell so close we felt them hit.
It was hard to get the kids to sleep that night. No noise to cover up the sounds of the woods just crumbling around us. All the rest of the day it was falling snowballs, iceballs and branches until the snow melted.
On Saturday we were still cold and tired of being in the dark but thought the worst was over. We went to bed that evening and I told Amanda it should be nice to fall asleep without something to worry about. She agreed. Around 2:30 in the morning we woke to the sounds of a tree hitting the house. The wind was blowing furiously outside. The kids and I were sleeping on the couch in the living room and it sounded like it hit the master bedroom where hubby was. Amanda yelled and started to panic, and we heard hubby say it was ok. We laid back down and I rubbed Amanda's back and hair to block the noise some and calm her down. We saw a bunch of blue lights in the sky and assumed they were transformers blowing. The wind makes me so nervous already, I could hardly take the panic I felt. We prayed so much during these days to keep our worries down.
When I got up on Saturday morning I walked around the house, dodging the gigantic snowballs and iceballs that were melting and falling from the trees, along with branches still. I wanted to see what hit the house. I couldn't find anything. But I did find a huge maple tree in the back yard had fallen over. That surely had to be the sound we heard. It was just so loud it sound to all 3 of us that it hit the house. This was part of a tree that Amanda and I watched the top just fall right off 2 mornings before into our backyard.
There had been several trees that came down in our driveway. A couple took down our power lines. Ruined some fences. The one day the kids and I were sitting on the couch in my living room and we heard branches breaking and turned to see if we could see it. It was branches falling off of the tree in front of my sister-in-law's house. We watched 3 big ones fall right onto her porch roof.
Never in my life. I've never experienced this. I think it was Friday or Saturday night when my nephew borrowed a generator from a friend and we were able to plug in a tv, space heater and a lamp when it was running. It didn't heat us up, but helped take a bit of the chill off. There were several times when we could see our breath in the house. There also were a few times when it was actually warmer outside!
Our power was finally restored today, Monday the 23rd. We were out of power for 5 days and 5 nights. We bundled up every morning, spent much time snuggling under blankets and with cats who also felt the cold. When I finally got to get out of the house and drive around, I couldn't believe the devastation. It looks like a hurricane came through. Tops of trees are gone everywhere. The trees that don't have their leaves are the most noticeable. Especially when you see a bunch of them together and all you see are broken tops.
I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father that he kept us safe through this storm! And my house in one piece!
Wednesday 1/28: Knew that a snow storm was coming and we were preparing for that. We had cancelled children's choir and AWANA at church that night. The snow had already started the weekend before, but we hadn't really had a large accumulation. We finally did get an accumulation of about 6 inches. At about 8:45 Wednesday evening, the power went out. With the snow coming down outside, it didn't look promising, but I wasn't expecting what happened next.
That evening it kept snowing. I believe that it snowed until sometime Thursday afternoon when the snow turned to frozen rain. By now I had already made 2 pots of coffee on the propane camp stove that we set up outside on the porch. I also cooked us a dinner of scrambled eggs and frozen hash browns that night on the stove in my wonderful cast iron skillets! Thursday evening my hubby told me that he could hear branches falling outside in the dark. It was from the frozen rain weighing down the snow on our trees.
Friday was the day that we really experienced the trees and things falling. When I woke up that morning, there was already evidence of branches down in places. My hubby's car, that we couldn't start to move, almost got hit by one branch that first night. My nephew's car had branches covering the top, but didn't hit the car I think. I went outside Friday morning and could hear branches falling off of trees everywhere. I mean everywhere. Just standing outside for 1 minute you could see at least 5 branches fall and maybe even a tree top or two. The freezing rain continued.
All day Friday when we stepped outside we could hear and see limbs, branches, tree tops and many whole trees just falling all over. It was a weird experience. The big tree out front that worries me in the big wind storms didn't drop that many branches. One it did drop was right behind hubby's car, which was the 2nd close call. After it got dark on Friday night it was very unnerving because we could hear things falling all around us but we couldn't see anything. Sometimes we heard cracks so loud they sounded like gun shots. Some trees fell so close we felt them hit.
It was hard to get the kids to sleep that night. No noise to cover up the sounds of the woods just crumbling around us. All the rest of the day it was falling snowballs, iceballs and branches until the snow melted.
On Saturday we were still cold and tired of being in the dark but thought the worst was over. We went to bed that evening and I told Amanda it should be nice to fall asleep without something to worry about. She agreed. Around 2:30 in the morning we woke to the sounds of a tree hitting the house. The wind was blowing furiously outside. The kids and I were sleeping on the couch in the living room and it sounded like it hit the master bedroom where hubby was. Amanda yelled and started to panic, and we heard hubby say it was ok. We laid back down and I rubbed Amanda's back and hair to block the noise some and calm her down. We saw a bunch of blue lights in the sky and assumed they were transformers blowing. The wind makes me so nervous already, I could hardly take the panic I felt. We prayed so much during these days to keep our worries down.
When I got up on Saturday morning I walked around the house, dodging the gigantic snowballs and iceballs that were melting and falling from the trees, along with branches still. I wanted to see what hit the house. I couldn't find anything. But I did find a huge maple tree in the back yard had fallen over. That surely had to be the sound we heard. It was just so loud it sound to all 3 of us that it hit the house. This was part of a tree that Amanda and I watched the top just fall right off 2 mornings before into our backyard.
There had been several trees that came down in our driveway. A couple took down our power lines. Ruined some fences. The one day the kids and I were sitting on the couch in my living room and we heard branches breaking and turned to see if we could see it. It was branches falling off of the tree in front of my sister-in-law's house. We watched 3 big ones fall right onto her porch roof.
Never in my life. I've never experienced this. I think it was Friday or Saturday night when my nephew borrowed a generator from a friend and we were able to plug in a tv, space heater and a lamp when it was running. It didn't heat us up, but helped take a bit of the chill off. There were several times when we could see our breath in the house. There also were a few times when it was actually warmer outside!
Our power was finally restored today, Monday the 23rd. We were out of power for 5 days and 5 nights. We bundled up every morning, spent much time snuggling under blankets and with cats who also felt the cold. When I finally got to get out of the house and drive around, I couldn't believe the devastation. It looks like a hurricane came through. Tops of trees are gone everywhere. The trees that don't have their leaves are the most noticeable. Especially when you see a bunch of them together and all you see are broken tops.
I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father that he kept us safe through this storm! And my house in one piece!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
2011 List of Books I Read
1. Life Without Limits by Nick Vujicic
(12/30/10-1/5/11)2. The Story of Salt by Mark Kurlansky
(1/9/11)3. Witch and Wizard by James Patterson
(1/9/11)4. Dean Koontz's Frankenstein Book 3 Dead and Alive
(1/15/11-1/27/11)5. Sabbath by Dan Allender
(1/27/11-1/31/11)6. Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
(1/31/11-2/11/11)7. The Walk by Shaun Alexander
(2/11/11-2/15/11)8. A Quiet Strength by Janette Oke
(2/15/11-2/17/11)9. Tribulation Force by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
(2/22/11-2/24/11) 10. The New Answers Book 1
with Ken Ham as general editor (2/24/11-3/4/11)11. Gray Matter by David Levy M.D.
(3/4/11-3/8/11)12. Discover Your Children's Gifts by Don & Katie Fortune
(3/8/11)13. 31 Days of Power by Ruth Myers
with Warren Myers (3/2/11-4/15/11) 14. Nicolae by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
(3/9/11-3/12/11)15. Transforming Prayer by Daniel Henderson
(3/12/11-3/24/11)16. Like Gold Refined by Janette Oke
(3/15/11-3/24/11)17. Soul Harvest by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
(3/24/11-3/26/11)18. The Class Trip from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler
(3/26/11)19. Epicenter 2.0 by Joel C. Rosenberg
(3/31/11-20. Epicenter Study Guide by Joel C. Rosenberg
(3/31/11-21. Apollyon by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
(3/26/11-3/28/11)22. The Reason Why Faith Makes Sense by Mark Mittelberg
(4/14/11-4/15/11)23. The Talent Show From the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler
(4/16/11)24. Assassins by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
(4/16/11-4/24/11)25. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
(4/24/11-4/29/11)26. Secrets of the Vine For Women by Darlene Marie Wilkinson
(4/29/11-4/30/11)27. The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene
(5/3/11-5/5/11)28. A Christmas Carol and Other Stories by Charles Dickens
(5/5/11-5/7/11)29. The Indwelling by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
(5/7/11-5/10/11) 30. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
(5/10/11-5/13/11)31. Praying for Your Future Husband by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer
(5/13/11-5/14/11)32. No He Can't by Kevin McCullough
(5/14/11-5/19/11)33. Boy Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl
(5/16/11-5/19/11)34. The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
(5/19/11)35. The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
(5/20/11-5/28/11)36. The Mark by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
(5/28/11-6/6/11)37. The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Well with IBS by Kate Scarlata
(6/6/11-6/7/11)38. Honey, Garlic and Vinegar: Home Remedies and Recipes by Dr. Patrick Quillin
(6/18/11-6/20/11)39. Desecration: The Antichrist Takes the Throne by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
(6/25/11-6/28/11)40. The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker
(6/30/11-7/1/11)41. A Place Called Blessing by John Trent
PhD (7/4/11-7/6/11)42. Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikolautos (7/2/11-7/20/11)
43. The Valley of Horses by Jean M. Auel (7/9/11-7/23/11)
44. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling (7/23/11-7/24/11)
45. The Class Election from the Black Lagoon #3 by Mike Thaler (7/23/11)
46. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery (7/24/11-8/1/11)
47. Wild Thing 1: Winnie the Horse Gentler by Dandi Daley Mackall (7/21/11-7/23/11)
48. The Remnant by Time LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins (8/1/11-8/7/11)
49. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (8/10/11-8/18/11)
50. Armageddon by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins (8/18/11-9/2/11)
51. The Overland Escape (The American Adventure Series Book #1) by Lee Roddy (9/2/11-9/11/11)
52. Go Big by Cory Cotton (9/11-11-9/21/11)
53. Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business by Barbara Park (9/22/11)
54. Ascent From Darkness by Michael Leehan (9/22/11-10/10/11)
55. The Glorious Appearing by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins (10/11/11-11/2/11)
56. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (11/3/11-12/29/11)
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Miss Wibbs & Molly Cole
Oh my it's been forever since I've blogged! I have been so busy crocheting and filling orders! I'll have to do a blog post about that soon. But that's not why I am here this morning. This morning I have a special treat for my readers! An interview with a new children's book author. She also happens to be my aunt! Go check out her Facebook page and "like" it for me, would ya?! Also, check out her website to learn more about her and her book!
So before I say anymore and bore you all so that you're not still reading, I will turn the floor over to Molly Cole and her interview!
1. When did you know that you wanted to write?
I was really young. I loved making up little stories as far back as I can remember. When I was ten, and in fifth grade, was when the passion really started.
2. Tell us about your new book that is coming out.
The book is a children's book called, 'Miss Wibbs'. Miss Wibbs is an older dog that enjoys pushing cans all over her yard, and chasing them. One day she finds a little mouse (uninvited of course), in her favorite can. Marvin the mouse is stubborn, but Miss Wibbs is bigger, and more stubborn. After a battle of wills, a compromise takes seed, and a friendship is born. The book caters more to 3-7 year olds, teaching them compromise, sharing, kindness, and the value of friendship.
3. What inspires you?
People inspire me. Life inspires me. My kids and grandkids inspire me.
4. Many authors have a great support team. Do you have one and can you tell us what you love about them?
Fortunately, my support team is my family, friends, and other published/non-published authors. I love the fact that they're my best reviewers and critics. They are just as excited as I am, and all very encouraging.
5. Any advice for young writers out there looking to get started writing books?
My advise to other your writers, or even older writers, is WRITE! Every day, find time to write. Keep a notebook and pen with you, and when an idea grabs you, write it down. It's important to write what you know. There's no such thing as writer's block. You just have to keep writing.
Her book, Miss Wibbs, is scheduled to be released January 9 of 2012!! How exciting! I can't wait to get a copy to add to our homeschool library!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Over The Top Part III
The following review is from my friend Carrie that went to the conference with me. Since she loves to write and loves to be heard, we decided it would be fun to include her thoughts since she used the extra ticket that was given to me for the review. I know you'll enjoy her review.....so read on!
Have you ever been in a place in life where you needed something but didn’t know what? One of my favorite movies is “Fools Rush In”. It is completely immoral, but I still love the story, and you know there are several we all have that could fall into that category! (Even “The Little Mermaid”!) ANYWAY…….In the film, Matthew Perry tells Salma Heyak, “You are everything I never knew I always wanted.” It has always stuck with me, isn’t that how so many of us feel about God?
I have found myself at this huge crossroad in life and I have been desperate for a little guidance from God. One of my oldest and closest friends from High School, that I have not really spent time with in far too long was looking for someone to go to the Women of Faith conference with at the Key Arena in Seattle. I thought for sure she would have found someone, so I didn’t even bother to say anything. I know, totally Eyore of me right? Finally, I spoke up and told her I would love to go. I can say, with total confidence, that God had planned just that all along.
Danielle and I picked up right where we left off, as if ____ years had never gone by. I leave the number blank because it scares me to even put it on paper. I honestly had the best time before we even found our seats.
Then the conference began. They kicked it off with a bit of worship and it was beautiful. It was a perfect blend of melody and harmony, accompanied by the Presence of The King of Kings. Then, this little firecracker named, Patsy Clairmont, gets up and begins to share. Being the people watcher that I am, I will say she should stick to blonde and ditch the red hair, but hey, at least she is enjoying it! She tells it exactly like it is and packs a punch! She has such a great God Story, you know the story of what God saved you from? She conquered crippling fear in her life that is very inspiring. To go from being Agoraphobic to speaking on stages across the country is a serious testimony in and of itself.
Then ADHD stepped on stage. He goes by the name Andy Andrews and in Q & A he informed us that his mother did not name him Andrew Andrews. He is an author and once you get past the craziness, he is incredible. He made me nervous, I hate when people even pace, so his speaking style was hard for me. But he had so much to say that spoke to me.
The way that they did lunch was total chaos and the food was not at all worth the wait and frustration. But all in all, the day session was exactly what I never knew I wanted or needed even. Patsy said something that day that is still ringing in my ears. “God gave us a will that is stronger than our emotions. Our emotions don’t have brain cells because they weren’t meant to think.” Remember the crossroad that I referred to? I am still chewing on that one and trying to figure it all out, but now I have peace about it all.
The evening started off with a bang after an overly long break of…. FOREVER! Mandisa rocked the house and Mr. Andy Andrews closed it out with a great, and surprisingly focused message. I really want to read all of his books and have my eye on The Traveler’s Gift to start with. His perspective on everything is so simple, yet profound and everyone could benefit from reading one of his books.
Danielle and I had an old fashioned sleep over at her dad’s house and honestly there was very little sleeping. As exhausted as I was the next day, it was totally worth it and so long overdue! I think that so many women lose sight of how vital friendship is. We were not meant to do life alone and even in the privacy of our own home and family life we can feel alone. There is nothing greater than having a great friend. In today’s society we have slipped into this “facebook friends” interaction between friends. We used to get together for a cup of coffee or talk on the phone to catch up, now we post something on the other’s wall, and we lose touch with the people we care about. As sad as it is, I have totally fallen into that routine. This weekend and conference got me away from just that and it was so refreshing in every way possible.
The next day was awesome! It was a beautiful clear day in Seattle, which everyone knows is something to be cherished. I laughed and cried at the conference on Saturday so much as cliché as that even sounds. Everything said seemed to be exactly what I needed to hear. You know that feeling in church where you swear the Pastor has been reading your mail? Yeah, all weekend. It was poignant and meaningful and thought provoking.
I left the morning session feeling revived and then let’s just say Danielle and I decided to skip the provided lunch. She opted for the over salted and over priced pretzel at the Key Arena and I went to the Food Court for my cold over priced slice of pizza. I am not normally a complainer, especially about food. I worked in the food industry for many years and I am very sympathetic to problems and whatnot in that field. However, if I am going to give an honest review, than I guess I better be honest! We spent the rest of our break walking around and taking some random, abstract photos of Seattle and it’s inhabitants. The Science Center grounds were filled with 20 plus food trucks and I desperately wished I had brought more money. Well, if I am wishing, I am actually wishing I HAD more money to bring! Back to the point though, we had a great time with our conversation and our cameras, taking a look at a beautiful city through a different lens.
The latter part of the day was back to the Arena for more worship, Godly wisdom and a lot more tears and laughter. Selah performed for the second time, I am only mentioning it now, because they didn’t feel noteworthy the first go-round for me. I now am addicted to their song “Unredeemed”. It is precisely where I find myself. It talks about, in my humble opinion, the darkest moments of our lives. Those times when we feel so alone, and afraid. The, “in the midst of the storm” kind of moments. Those are, “the places where grace is soon to be so amazing”……….I cannot get enough of that lyric. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for a grace from God that I am so unworthy of. Andy said something to go along with just that about us not wanting to get what we really deserve. God is just so good, isn’t He? His love is overwhelming and His grace………. That is a sentence that I may never complete.
God showed up for me in a very personal way this weekend. Really, He was always there, I just became very aware of his presence. It was, “everything I never knew I always wanted.” I needed to be filled up with fresh wisdom and worship and insight…..and laughter with a great friend.
Isn't that the truth? Carrie hit on something there really deep when she brought up our relationships with our friends. We both needed that time together. God knew more than we did how much we needed that time. I love U2 Carrie!
Have you ever been in a place in life where you needed something but didn’t know what? One of my favorite movies is “Fools Rush In”. It is completely immoral, but I still love the story, and you know there are several we all have that could fall into that category! (Even “The Little Mermaid”!) ANYWAY…….In the film, Matthew Perry tells Salma Heyak, “You are everything I never knew I always wanted.” It has always stuck with me, isn’t that how so many of us feel about God?
I have found myself at this huge crossroad in life and I have been desperate for a little guidance from God. One of my oldest and closest friends from High School, that I have not really spent time with in far too long was looking for someone to go to the Women of Faith conference with at the Key Arena in Seattle. I thought for sure she would have found someone, so I didn’t even bother to say anything. I know, totally Eyore of me right? Finally, I spoke up and told her I would love to go. I can say, with total confidence, that God had planned just that all along.
Danielle and I picked up right where we left off, as if ____ years had never gone by. I leave the number blank because it scares me to even put it on paper. I honestly had the best time before we even found our seats.
Then the conference began. They kicked it off with a bit of worship and it was beautiful. It was a perfect blend of melody and harmony, accompanied by the Presence of The King of Kings. Then, this little firecracker named, Patsy Clairmont, gets up and begins to share. Being the people watcher that I am, I will say she should stick to blonde and ditch the red hair, but hey, at least she is enjoying it! She tells it exactly like it is and packs a punch! She has such a great God Story, you know the story of what God saved you from? She conquered crippling fear in her life that is very inspiring. To go from being Agoraphobic to speaking on stages across the country is a serious testimony in and of itself.
Then ADHD stepped on stage. He goes by the name Andy Andrews and in Q & A he informed us that his mother did not name him Andrew Andrews. He is an author and once you get past the craziness, he is incredible. He made me nervous, I hate when people even pace, so his speaking style was hard for me. But he had so much to say that spoke to me.
The way that they did lunch was total chaos and the food was not at all worth the wait and frustration. But all in all, the day session was exactly what I never knew I wanted or needed even. Patsy said something that day that is still ringing in my ears. “God gave us a will that is stronger than our emotions. Our emotions don’t have brain cells because they weren’t meant to think.” Remember the crossroad that I referred to? I am still chewing on that one and trying to figure it all out, but now I have peace about it all.
The evening started off with a bang after an overly long break of…. FOREVER! Mandisa rocked the house and Mr. Andy Andrews closed it out with a great, and surprisingly focused message. I really want to read all of his books and have my eye on The Traveler’s Gift to start with. His perspective on everything is so simple, yet profound and everyone could benefit from reading one of his books.
Danielle and I had an old fashioned sleep over at her dad’s house and honestly there was very little sleeping. As exhausted as I was the next day, it was totally worth it and so long overdue! I think that so many women lose sight of how vital friendship is. We were not meant to do life alone and even in the privacy of our own home and family life we can feel alone. There is nothing greater than having a great friend. In today’s society we have slipped into this “facebook friends” interaction between friends. We used to get together for a cup of coffee or talk on the phone to catch up, now we post something on the other’s wall, and we lose touch with the people we care about. As sad as it is, I have totally fallen into that routine. This weekend and conference got me away from just that and it was so refreshing in every way possible.
The next day was awesome! It was a beautiful clear day in Seattle, which everyone knows is something to be cherished. I laughed and cried at the conference on Saturday so much as cliché as that even sounds. Everything said seemed to be exactly what I needed to hear. You know that feeling in church where you swear the Pastor has been reading your mail? Yeah, all weekend. It was poignant and meaningful and thought provoking.
I left the morning session feeling revived and then let’s just say Danielle and I decided to skip the provided lunch. She opted for the over salted and over priced pretzel at the Key Arena and I went to the Food Court for my cold over priced slice of pizza. I am not normally a complainer, especially about food. I worked in the food industry for many years and I am very sympathetic to problems and whatnot in that field. However, if I am going to give an honest review, than I guess I better be honest! We spent the rest of our break walking around and taking some random, abstract photos of Seattle and it’s inhabitants. The Science Center grounds were filled with 20 plus food trucks and I desperately wished I had brought more money. Well, if I am wishing, I am actually wishing I HAD more money to bring! Back to the point though, we had a great time with our conversation and our cameras, taking a look at a beautiful city through a different lens.
The latter part of the day was back to the Arena for more worship, Godly wisdom and a lot more tears and laughter. Selah performed for the second time, I am only mentioning it now, because they didn’t feel noteworthy the first go-round for me. I now am addicted to their song “Unredeemed”. It is precisely where I find myself. It talks about, in my humble opinion, the darkest moments of our lives. Those times when we feel so alone, and afraid. The, “in the midst of the storm” kind of moments. Those are, “the places where grace is soon to be so amazing”……….I cannot get enough of that lyric. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for a grace from God that I am so unworthy of. Andy said something to go along with just that about us not wanting to get what we really deserve. God is just so good, isn’t He? His love is overwhelming and His grace………. That is a sentence that I may never complete.
God showed up for me in a very personal way this weekend. Really, He was always there, I just became very aware of his presence. It was, “everything I never knew I always wanted.” I needed to be filled up with fresh wisdom and worship and insight…..and laughter with a great friend.
Isn't that the truth? Carrie hit on something there really deep when she brought up our relationships with our friends. We both needed that time together. God knew more than we did how much we needed that time. I love U2 Carrie!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Over The Top Part II
After we returned to the Women of Faith Conference 2011 from lunch we were privileged to hear Patsy Clairmont and Andy Andrews speak more. The session before we took a break for dinner was the Q&A with them.
All of this time, there is a little area next to the stage, it's been sectioned off with chairs inside. So far, no one has used that area except Andy Andrews who kneeled over a chair.
After the Q&A it was time for dinner. Dinner started at 3:30 and the evening session didn't start until 7:00, so we had a few hours to ourselves. We walked to a restaurant that wasn't far from our car. Our mistake was staying there and eating. We should have turned right back around and gone somewhere else. The food was gross, the decor was horrid (Carrie liked the ceiling tho) and the waitresses belonged in a totally different dimension than the one we were in. Especially the new girl.
We were freezing and it was pouring. It was also getting dark and we didn't want to be walking the streets of Seattle at night. So since we had so much time, we sat in the car with the heater on for a while to warm up.
When the evening session started we were warm and cozy in our assigned seats and waiting for the drama to begin. The drama was very real to us! It was about all the different hats that moms wear. Oy, it exhausted me just watching it! The drama was performed by Katharine Everett and she was new to the Women of Faith team. She did a really good job I thought.
We, as moms and wives, do wear soooo many hats! Sometimes we have to wear more than one at a time. And as uncomfortable as that can be, we get it done. Albeit, there are the occasions when we make it through with less hair than we had before, or another layer of enamel ground off our teeth (I'm a teeth clencher when I'm mad). But we make it through! And we're ready for another day of non-stop hurdles.
Now the section that had the chairs in it next to the stage was filled. It was called The Porch. It is where the Women of Faith ladies sit during the conference.
Before our evening concert, we had another session with Andy Andrews. I really enjoyed his speaking and I sincerely hope to see him again.
And then, the concert. We've all been waiting for Mandisa to come out. I liked her since her song My Deliverer came out. And what a doll! She made me giggle and giggle because she was just so cute! Our seats were behind the ladies that sat on the porch, so when there was music going from the praise and worship gals, Mandisa was down there just a dancing! I got pics of that, even though it was from behind, she still was a cutie!!
I enjoyed the concert that Mandisa put on. She is a fabulous performer.
Ok I have to add something here that I didn't like about the music. I didn't like the use of the worldly songs. I just don't think they fit into a Christian conference. The worst was when Mandisa was singing a medley and they were all contemporary music. One song in the medley I was even shocked to hear. It was Beyonce's song All The Single Ladies. I just don't think that fit! I'm sorry, it may be my Baptist views, but it didn't belong.
When the concert was over, we sleepily shuffled out and back to our car. Now the fun part, finding our way out of Seattle and to my dad's house. It took us a bit, but we finally did it.
At my dad's house we got all of our stuff ready for the night and chose where we'd sleep. Then we laid down and talked. We talked and talked. I think it was about 1:30am and I said, "I'm tired." I got up, turned the lights off and laid back down. We kept talking and talking. Before we knew it, it was almost 4:30am and we were still awake! The morning session started at 9am and we were planning on leaving my dad's house at about 7:30-8am.
We didn't move at any great speeds when we did wake up. We took our time and got ready. We made it to the event about 10 min. before the morning session started, so we did pretty good. And for as little sleep as we got, we weren't feeling too bad. Of course, Starbucks coffee and a BAWLS energy drink are good for helping you stay awake too.
Stay tuned for Part III of Over The Top.......
All of this time, there is a little area next to the stage, it's been sectioned off with chairs inside. So far, no one has used that area except Andy Andrews who kneeled over a chair.
After the Q&A it was time for dinner. Dinner started at 3:30 and the evening session didn't start until 7:00, so we had a few hours to ourselves. We walked to a restaurant that wasn't far from our car. Our mistake was staying there and eating. We should have turned right back around and gone somewhere else. The food was gross, the decor was horrid (Carrie liked the ceiling tho) and the waitresses belonged in a totally different dimension than the one we were in. Especially the new girl.
We were freezing and it was pouring. It was also getting dark and we didn't want to be walking the streets of Seattle at night. So since we had so much time, we sat in the car with the heater on for a while to warm up.
When the evening session started we were warm and cozy in our assigned seats and waiting for the drama to begin. The drama was very real to us! It was about all the different hats that moms wear. Oy, it exhausted me just watching it! The drama was performed by Katharine Everett and she was new to the Women of Faith team. She did a really good job I thought.
We, as moms and wives, do wear soooo many hats! Sometimes we have to wear more than one at a time. And as uncomfortable as that can be, we get it done. Albeit, there are the occasions when we make it through with less hair than we had before, or another layer of enamel ground off our teeth (I'm a teeth clencher when I'm mad). But we make it through! And we're ready for another day of non-stop hurdles.
Now the section that had the chairs in it next to the stage was filled. It was called The Porch. It is where the Women of Faith ladies sit during the conference.
Before our evening concert, we had another session with Andy Andrews. I really enjoyed his speaking and I sincerely hope to see him again.
I enjoyed the concert that Mandisa put on. She is a fabulous performer.
When the concert was over, we sleepily shuffled out and back to our car. Now the fun part, finding our way out of Seattle and to my dad's house. It took us a bit, but we finally did it.
At my dad's house we got all of our stuff ready for the night and chose where we'd sleep. Then we laid down and talked. We talked and talked. I think it was about 1:30am and I said, "I'm tired." I got up, turned the lights off and laid back down. We kept talking and talking. Before we knew it, it was almost 4:30am and we were still awake! The morning session started at 9am and we were planning on leaving my dad's house at about 7:30-8am.
We didn't move at any great speeds when we did wake up. We took our time and got ready. We made it to the event about 10 min. before the morning session started, so we did pretty good. And for as little sleep as we got, we weren't feeling too bad. Of course, Starbucks coffee and a BAWLS energy drink are good for helping you stay awake too.
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