You Are Now Entering Rachelleville

Just a Little Update

2011-09-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

It's been several weeks since I posted, so I thought I'd catch you all up on my life. I'm still a stay-at-home wife. I'm hesitant to call myself a homemaker just yet, because I really stink at making a home. I'm confident the Lord will do a great work in me, and I will, someday, be a good homemaker.

I do not have a job, and we're still OK with that. We're still praying that if God wants me working outside of our home, He'll drop a job in my lap. I'm sure you all have differing opinions on that matter, but we have a peace about our decision. God has provided faithfully over the last several months, and we trust Him. Our photography business has been steady, and we're praying that it will grow if God wants us to continue pursuing it.

I'm in school. I'm taking Design and Art History at Greenville Technical College. I like both of my classes. Design is much more challenging than I anticipated (probably because I had NO CLUE what that class involved when I registered for it), but God has been faithful. He has answered the many prayers that have been lifted up on my behalf, and I'm making it through the class. Art History scared me. Historically (hehe), my strength has not been in history, and I've only taken one art class in my life (it was in sixth grade, and I only remember one assignment that involved lots of black crayons). Surprisingly, I'm doing well in Art History. I give all of the glory to God, because I know He is the one making my brain work for that class.

The plan for next semester is to take three classes. I wanted to take four, but they are only offering three that I need. Fortunately, they are all back to back, so I'll still only be on campus two days a week. I'll actually be taking a photography class, which is why I'm a student at GTC. I'm excited! I met the photography professor, and I'm looking forward to being in his class.

I'm leading a small group for the women's Bible study at my church again. We're going through Breaking Free by Beth Moore. It's been a good study so far, and I'm looking forward to the weeks to come. I have a great group of ladies who are open to the Lord working in their lives, and they're open to sharing with the group. That's a great combination.

I'm loving our community group. Over the last several weeks, we've made an effort to take things a little deeper, and it's been a rewarding experience. I'm grateful that God has provided us with a group of people to do life with, which is the way He intended things.

There are babies galore being born, and four of them are in our lives (yay!). Joseph's sister, Gina, had little Ruthie in August. She's precious! We're really happy for Jay and Gina. Our friends Brent and Shannon had their daughter, Brigid, about a month ago. She's adorable! We took her newborn pictures, and it was a blast! My best friend, Crystal, is pregnant with little Isabella Grace. I can't wait for Matt and Crystal to have her in their arms! Dan and Rachel from our community group are expecting their son in December. Exciting times all around!

Nope. That wasn't a segue to tell you I'm pregnant.

I hope you're all doing well. If you just read this whole post, you may be sleepy now. I give you permission to go take a nap. :o)

Opening the Curtains and Battling Depression

2011-07-21T11:18:00.001-07:00

I've shared with you that I'm unemployed. That has left me with a lot of free time on my hands. For some of you, that might sound thrilling. You could probably come up with a list of dozens, if not hundreds, of things you would like to do around your home. I have a list like that. I've accomplished some of it, but certainly not all of it.

Often, I find myself sleeping late, sometimes until the middle of the day, because it makes the day go by faster. I watch the minutes tick away, waiting for Joseph to come home so I'm not alone anymore.

Loneliness is hard for me. It's one of my biggest struggles being unemployed.

One of my other struggles is a lack of desire to do anything. I've wondered if it just boiled down to laziness, but I don't think it does. Oh, sure, some days I'm just being lazy. Others, I just don't want to do anything, even things I enjoy doing. I just want to stay in my pajamas, not put my contacts in, leave the curtains closed and the lamps off, and lie on the couch.

I recognize that as a symptom of depression, because I've been depressed before.

It seems different this time. It comes in spurts. Sometimes, it sneaks up on me in the middle of a happy moment. I'll have a few good days, and then I'll have the days where I want to keep the house dark and keep to myself.

I don't think I'm depressed because I'm unemployed. I think the unemployment triggered the depression. There's a difference.

I think if I were depressed because of the unemployment, I would have some sort of longing for my old job or for a new one.

Instead, I think the loneliness, a feeling of a lack of purpose, a feeling that I no longer contribute to our family, those things triggered my depression.

I don't want you to feel scared for me. I assure you I am not depressed to the point of suicidal thoughts or anything of the like. If anything, I would consider this a mild case of depression, because I can usually pull myself out of it (with the help of the Holy Spirit, of course, because without Him, the curtains stay closed).

I'm trying to recognize when I'm feeling depressed and counteract it. When I notice the living room is looking dark and gloomy, I make myself open the curtains. When I look at the clock and it's almost 2:30 in the afternoon and I'm still in my pajamas (oops ... like now!), I make myself get up and put on real clothes. I make myself put my contacts in, brush my teeth, brush my hair ... you know, typical good hygiene.

One of the most important things I'm doing is striving to spend time with the Lord in the mornings. I notice a difference in my days when I do. I'm more apt to be joyful and to be productive around the house. When I connect with the Lord, I'm reminded that I have many reasons to be grateful and filled with joy. I'm reminded that He is with me always, even when the curtains are closed.

Also, when I connect with the Lord in the mornings, I'm more apt to connect with Him throughout the day. When I start my day talking to Him, I talk to Him throughout the day. When I bring others to Him in prayer in the morning, I find myself thinking of them throughout the day, and I continue lifting them up in prayer.

I also recognize the spiritual warfare connected with this depression. I've been seeking to trust the Lord and follow His leadership in this new phase of my life. I know the enemy doesn't like that. He is going to do everything he can to try to distract me and keep me from staying connected to the Lord. So I must suit up:

^"10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹²For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand inthe evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;¹⁷and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,¹⁸praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak." (Ephesians 6:10-20, courtesy of biblegateway.com)

Unemployed

2011-07-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

I'm unemployed. I've been unemployed since March 1, 2011. Being unemployed is strange for me. Strange because I don't know what to do next.

Joseph and I started a business with Premier Designs about a year ago. While it was profitable for us, and we think Premier Designs is a great company, we sensed the Lord directing us not to continue our business. Initially, I thought our business with Premier would replace the income I made at my last job. With that thought in mind, I wasn't concerned about losing my corporate job. Without it, I grew a little concerned.

Joseph and I have a photography business. We really enjoy photography, and we'd love to see our business grow. We just have to be realistic that sometimes it can take a while for a business such as photography (particularly in a pretty saturated area) to grow. The Lord has really used photography to help us make ends meet, and we're so grateful. It just isn't a full time job for me.

I was just about to blog about the fact that school hasn't worked out for me. I attempted to register for classes at Greenville Technical College in the spring, but all of the classes I needed were full. The same thing happened in the summer. As I started to type, I was prompted to check GTC's website to see what courses were available. The two classes I needed to begin my coursework with were both open, so I'm registered for them! Praise God!

I feel hopeful now. We've been praying for direction. Course availability was direction we needed.

That still doesn't answer the unemployment issue, but at least it will occupy a lot of my time and eventually help us in our photography business (I think I forgot to mention my goal is to take photography courses at GTC).

Our prayer as far as employment is pretty simple right now. If God wants me to pursue a job, we're asking Him to drop it in our laps. That may seem like we're being lazy and not doing the good old fashioned hard work of looking for a job. Please trust that it's not. We don't know what we want me to do. I don't want another corporate job like I had before where I was unhappy. I think I would enjoy a job in a church or other non-profit organization, but I don't know what exactly I would like to do. God knows me better than I know myself, and He knows our needs better than we know them. We're trusting that if He wants me to work, He'll prepare just the right job for me and make it obvious that's what we should pursue. I would love it if you would join us in that prayer.

I know this post was a little dry, but I thought it would be a good way to answer the "what next" questions I receive on a regular basis about what I'm doing now that I'm unemployed. Thanks for reading!

Cow Appreciation Day

2011-07-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

Friday, July 8, 2011 was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-a. Anyone who went to Chick-fil-a dressed as a cow received a free meal. Fortunately for us, Chick-fil-a was generous with what they considered a cow costume. Ours consisted of dressing in black and taping white paper spots onto our shirts. I put my hair in pigtails, and Joseph made bull horns out of paper and one of my headbands. We totally rocked the cow-look. haha! Enjoy a few photos from our fun evening!

Thrifting for Children's Books

2011-07-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

I've had fun over the last several weeks thrifting for items to use for my birthday party and for photography props. Most recently, I've started thrifting for children's books. It has been so much fun for me!

I have a lot of children's books from my childhood, including 6 books from the Raggedy Ann and Andy Grow and Learn series that was published in 1988. My mom purchased one for me each time she went to the grocery store - so sweet. There are 18 books in the series, plus a parents' guide. I actually found the parents' guide at Miracle Hill today (25 cents!), and that gave me hope that I can find the other 12 books. I could purchase them online, but they're a minimum of $4 each, plus shipping. I'd prefer not to pay more than $1 each for them.

Because of my love for these particular Raggedy Ann and Andy books, I decided to start collecting any Raggedy Ann and Andy books I could find. I've already purchased several. Even the covers of them make me smile! They're tempting me to decorate our nursery some day (in the distant future) in a Raggedy Ann and Andy theme, but I think that may be too much red, white, and blue for me. Maybe I could incorporate them into a generic "vintage" theme. We'll see. I have time to decide, haha.

I've also started purchasing Berenstein Bears, Little Critter, Sweet Pickles (Do you remember those? They had a special carrying case!), Clifford the Big Red Dog (for Joseph!), Cabbage Patch Kids, and Ameleia Bedelia books. I would really love to have a great collection of "classic/vintage" books for our kids when the time comes.

My trick for purchasing books without duplicating any is a small notebook I keep in my purse. I have a page for each series (or character) of books. As I purchase a book, I make a note of it in my notebook. This came in handy today when I was scratching my head and thinking, "Hmmm, do I already have this one?"

Do you like collecting children's books? Do you have a favorite place to purchase them? I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks, Husby!

2011-07-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

I'd like to thank Joseph publicly for all he's done around our house lately. Recently, he fixed two problems in our master bathroom that were a major nuisance to me (really to both of us, but, not-so-surprisingly, I was the most vocal about them). He fixed our toilet that ran constantly (to the point that we finally turned off the water so it didn't bug me at night), and he fixed our sink that didn't drain well (gross, people, gross).

I'm so grateful to have such a diligent husband who takes pride in our home. He seeks to serve our family any way he can, and he does it all without grumbling or complaining. On a daily basis, he points me to Christ through his servant leadership, and I thank the Lord for bringing us together.

Thanks, Husby! I love you!

Thoughts on Divorce: Part 3

2011-07-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." ~ Ephesians 4:29

As we go throughout life, talking and interacting with people, we have two choices: 1) We can tear them down, or 2) we can build them up.

I've used Ephesians 4:29 many times to discuss this topic of building up/tearing down with children. I told them when they said hurtful things to people, it was like tearing down a house with a bulldozer. On the flip side, when they said encouraging, grace-filled things to people, it was like they had a hammer and nails, and they were building a house. Which one sounds better for people: tearing them down with a bulldozer or building them up with a hammer and nails? I could often be heard saying, "Please put your bulldozer away and get out your hammer and nails."

Ephesians wasn't just written for children. It was written for all of us, and it's a great place to start when considering how to encourage divorced kids.

One Sunday when I was in high school, I was at church with my youth group preparing for Youth Sunday (one of the best Sundays invented in Baptist churches, haha). I was lying on the floor working on something. I'm not sure what prompted the question, but I looked up at one of the sweet youth volunteers and asked, "Since my mom hates my dad, and I look like my dad, do you think she's reminded of him when she looks and me, and it upsets her?" She answered wisely, "When she looks at you, I'm sure she's reminded of the good things about your dad, and she sees those things in you."

Please don't think my mom ever said she hated my dad. She never spoke negatively about him. That was her policy, and she stuck to it. I think somewhere in my mind, I determined my parents hated each other because they weren't married any more. I guess I thought the only alternative to married love was hate. I'm glad I was wrong!

The youth volunteer who encouraged me hit on something important. She mentioned that my mom saw the good qualities about my dad in me. This is where I'd like to exhort you to encourage divorced kids.

When talking to them, you have options. You could speak negatively about their parents, or you could find positive qualities about their parents that you can encourage them in. Example: "Sarah, I love the way you serve your younger brother. I think you get your compassionate spirit from your dad. He is kind hearted and always considers the needs of others."

Remember to keep your bulldozers parked when you're talking with divorced kids (or anyone for that matter!). If you say negative things about their parents, they tend to internalize them. They're a part of their parents, so they may think you see those negative things in them as well (even if you don't).

Pull out your hammer and nails. Build these kids up as much as you can. Encourage the areas where you see God at work in them, and look for opportunities to say kind things about their parents. Your kind words will go a long way.

Thoughts on Divorce: Part 2

2011-06-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in Part 1 that my parents divorced when I was a baby. For me, that divorce was just something that happened before I could even walk. I don't remember any of it. I just remember life after it. My earliest memories are after both of my parents remarried. Life as I have always known it consisted of two families.

When I was 15, my mom and stepdad separated, and they divorced when I was 16. That was the divorce that rocked my world.

I lived with my mom and stepdad, as well as two of my siblings (both several years younger than me). Aside from my raging hormones and temper, I thought our house was normal and stable. I was shocked when I learned that my parents were separating and then divorcing. If ever there has been a time in my life when I felt like everything was crashing down on me, that was it. Have you ever watched a scene in a movie where everything disintegrated? Life felt like that for a long time.

The purpose of this series isn't for me to tell you all the details of our home life. I just wanted to give you a smidgen of background.

Fast forward a few years. I was working at a summer camp, a place that God used to provide me with a great deal of comfort and solace over the years, a place where I grew closer to Him and learned about serving others.

During one of the weeks of camp, we had teenage girls in our cabin. One of them was a 15-year-old with a slight attitude. We didn't bond right away. In fact, I don't think we really bonded until her last night at camp.

We always had a worship service that concluded with the girls filling out commitment cards. They could commit to anything they wanted - anything from a commitment to following Christ to a commitment to clean their rooms. The choice was theirs. After the girls filled out their commitment cards, we as counselors spent a few minutes of one-on-one time with them discussing their commitments.

I don't remember what this girl's commitment was, but I remember her story. I remember it because her story was so incredibly similar to my story. With slow, quiet tears gliding down her cheeks, she told me about her mom and stepdad divorcing. She shared with me that all she remembered was life living with her mom and stepdad. She told me how close she was to her stepdad. She told me about slamming her bedroom door, curling into a ball on the floor, and crying her eyes out. She told me about feeling helpless, about screaming out and wanting to fix things. She felt her whole world was crumbling around her, and she didn't know how to deal with it.

With each word she spoke, I had flashbacks to my own life. I had never heard a story so similar to my own, and I knew God had placed this girl in my life for a reason. She needed to know someone understood her pain, a pain most of the people in her life couldn't relate to. I shared my story with her, and her eyes sparkled behind her tears. I hugged her, prayed with her, and encouraged her as much as I could in the time we had together.

Paul encouraged the Romans when he wrote to them. He told them all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). That verse came alive to me that night. I saw God working together everything for my good, for the good of the sweet girl in my cabin riddled with pain from divorce. Perhaps for the first time in my life, as I helped someone start processing her pain, I began to feel a peace about my own pain.

I only had a few minutes with the girl in my cabin. I wish there had been more time to try to encourage her, but I trust God gave us the time we needed.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've felt God nudging me. He has laid on my heart the hurting divorced kids out there. I'm praying about possible ministry opportunities He may have for me. God has blessed me through the hurting, and I want to be a blessing for others through their hurting.

Are there divorced kids in your life? Pray about how God would have you encourage them. As I continue this series, I'm going to try to share some ways I think you can help them, whether they're your own kids or someone else's.

Thoughts on Divorce: Part 1

2011-06-17T09:08:00.001-07:00

I've never been divorced, and, by God's grace, I never will. I know a lot about divorce, however, just from a different perspective - the perspective of the child.

My parents divorced when I was a baby. That divorce laid the groundwork for life as I knew it from that point onward. I never knew life any different from having two families. In fact, the lives of my friends who only had one set of parents were always intriguing to me.

My mom and my stepdad divorced when I was 16. That was the divorce that rocked my world.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been thinking a lot about how divorce affects the children of the divorced couple. I'm not a professional with any kind of degree in counseling or the like, but I'd like to share my insights.

Why do I want to share my insights? Do my readers really care what I have to say? Am I going to be one of those people who uses a public blog to vent and hurt others?

My intention is not in the least to hurt others, or even to vent. I pray that I will be very careful and guarded with my words. The purpose of this series will not be to say negative things about my parents. I love ALL of them VERY much! They all did the best they could with what they had.

I want to share my insights because I think believers are missing opportunities to minister to the children of divorce. Part 2 of my series (which I may post in a few minutes) will be a story of an experience I had with another divorced kid, a moment where God spoke to me and confirmed that I could use my experiences to be a blessing and encouragement to others. If I can help even just one person be a blessing and encouragement to just one hurting divorced kid, it will have been worth writing these blog posts.

Our Fine China

2011-06-09T14:50:00.001-07:00

When Joseph and I were registering for wedding gifts, we decided not to register for fine china. The main reason is because it can be very expensive. If someone wanted to spend $100 on us, we would prefer that person be able to purchase an entire set of dishes from Target, not just one dinner plate from the fine china section of a department store.

For our wedding reception, we purchased china tea cups, saucers, and dessert plates from thrift stores. As we were shopping, we found a china pattern that we liked, and we decided to start purchasing pieces of that pattern as we found them. We committed not to spend more than $1.00 (vs. $100!) per piece, excluding serving pieces (do I hear $2.00?).

Since then, we've done just that. We've purchased pieces of our pattern as we've come across them in various thrift stores.

The thing is, I've had a hard time remembering the name of our pattern. I just had a good idea of what it looked like (white, silver trim, white "lacy" overlay around the edges). It was simple and classy. After purchasing the wrong pattern once, I had the idea to jot the name of the pattern down in a notebook I keep in my purse. Only, I never did that.

Fast forward to today. I was out doing a little thrifting, and I came across a dinner plate in "our pattern". It was $1.00, so I snagged it up. I also committed to jotting down the name of the pattern in my notebook when I got home, as well as tallying up the pieces I had so I wouldn't over-buy in the future.

When I arrived home, I pulled out my notebook and our china plates. If you'll recall, I knew I had purchased some that weren't the same pattern, so I was expecting two patterns. It turns out we had SIX different patterns! SIX! haha! Oh, well! They're all so similar that I'm not too worried about it.

I now have them cataloged in the notebook I keep in my purse. It starts out "assortment of the following" and then lists the SIX patterns! haha! I'm still giggling a little, because I guess my memory and eye for the pattern aren't as good as I thought they were!

Dream Home

2011-04-04T07:54:00.001-07:00

I told Joseph yesterday that I have an idea of what I would like our next house to be. I'd like an old farm house with a good bit of land (not a working farm or anything crazy like that) and a barn that we could convert into a studio for our photography. If we landscaped well, we would have a great location for outdoor photos. We would have our own barn, so we wouldn't have to drive down road after road looking at barn after barn wishing we had access to use them for photos. Inside the barn, in addition to the studio, we could create a playroom so our kids could be right there during photo shoots. I think it could work. Now to save up the money and find the perfect house ... :O)

A Little Less Ugly in the World

2011-04-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

We had one of those moments today where we both said, "Why didn't we do this a long time ago?" and "We should have done this the first week we had the house."

We had three ugly trees in front of our house, as in flower bed style. All three of them looked like Christmas trees. One was as tall of the house, and the other two were probably 3-4 feet tall and flanked our front steps. We've disliked the trees from the first time we saw the house.

We borrowed a trailer from Joseph's parents today so we could clear some limbs/branches/piles of ugliness from our backyard. Doing that was a big improvement to our yard. After we loaded the trailer with limbs, Joseph mowed the grass - another big improvement to our yard! He was preparing to return the trailer to his parents, and I suggested that we saw down the ugly trees and throw them on the pile in the trailer. Joseph agreed that it was a fantastic idea!

This is a shot of the tall tree.

Joseph sawing the tree

Joseph sawing the lower branches

These are the two smaller trees (I like to leave the front door open so people feel welcomed ... and, you know, I was raised in a barn.)

This is the side of the house minus the tall tree. I think I actually like the drain pipe better than the tree. It's OK if you disagree.

This is the front of the house without the smaller trees. I will admit it looks a little naked now, but we can put something prettier where the Christmas trees were.

The trailer all ready to head back to Piedmont. Buh-bye, ugliness!

Can you believe it only took us about 15 minutes to saw down the Christmas trees? I think that's when we really wondered why we didn't tackle the trees sooner. We both assumed it would take longer. We do still have to dig up the roots, but I think our house already looks better! A little black paint on the shutters, a new front door, and some pretty flowers in the flower beds, and we might actually have a little curb appeal.

Linen Closet

2011-03-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

I decided to work on the linen closet first, because it would help me with the laundry closet and the guest room.

I started by pulling out all of the towels and putting them on our bed. I thought if I put them on the bed, I'd be motivated to finish.

I told you it was a lot of towels! We have a king size bed, and it was covered!

Another angle - I counted, and we have almost 50 bath towels (not counting hand towels, washcloths, or beach towels). That's just a few too many for two people.

I decided to box up the bright and pretty ones, because those are my favorites, and I think those will make me the happiest when we un-box them. I kept out the brown ones that we chose to go with our hall bathroom and all of our old towels that we had before we got married.

The closet looks a lot better. We have a manageable number of towels in there now. I also pulled out a few sets of sheets to donate to Goodwill. We have enough for when guests come, and we don't need more than that! There is also room again for extra blankets on the top shelf. I managed to clean out three stacks of towels and some blankets that were in the guest room.

I added a shoe organizer to the back of the door. It's loaded with an assortment of things that were previously in the laundry closet. By using the space behind the linen closet door, I'll have room for more stuff in the laundry closet.

3 Projects

2011-03-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

I have three projects on my to do list that I would like to finish over the course of the next couple of weeks. 1) I'd like to clean out our laundry closet so that only laundry supplies are left, along with empty shelves that I can use to store stockpile groceries and toiletries as I find good deals on them. 2) Our linen closet is a little out of control, partly because we have so many towels (there are 3 stacks of towels in the guest room). I'd like to put some of the towels in storage and straighten up everything on the shelves. 3) I'd like to make the guest room a place where guests feel comfortable and welcome. At one point, we had the guest room cleaned out enough that someone could sleep in it. Then we started using it as a dumping ground for anything that didn't have a permanent home. The following pictures show you the chaos. :O)

Sought Out

2011-03-28T10:00:00.001-07:00

In my whiny post, I mentioned that I just wanted to feel sought out. There are two people in my life who constantly make me feel sought out.

Joseph is the first person. He sought me out for our first date, and he's been seeking me out ever since. He seeks me out to make me feel loved. He seeks me out when I'm hurting. He seeks out ways he can serve me. He seeks to extend grace and forgiveness to me when I've wronged him. He seeks to show me God's love day in and day out. My relationship with Joseph has strengthened my relationship with the Lord, because, through Joseph, I have a better understanding of Jesus.

That brings me to the second person: Jesus. Over the last couple of years, I've learned more and more about His grace. I could have never done anything to earn God's favor, but Jesus sought me out and extended it to me. He sought me out to save me, and He continues seeking me out as He leads me by the Spirit. He seeks me out to make me feel loved. He seeks me out when I'm hurting. He seeks to extend grace and forgiveness to me when I've wronged him.

With Jesus and Joseph both in my life, I really don't have any reason to be whiny - just grateful and humbled.

Organizing My Coupons

2011-03-26T20:18:00.001-07:00

I aspire to be a great couponer. For some, that isn't a big deal. For others, you know being a great couponer could mean the ability to save our family a lot of money over the years. Having a good organizational system for coupons is a key element in my goal to be a great couponer.

For a while, I kept my coupons in a 3-ring binder. Rather than clipping all of the coupons from the inserts each week, I just punched holes in the inserts and put them in a binder. When planning my trips to the grocery stores and pharmacies each week, I use southernsavers.com. She matches coupons up with the sales each week. When she matches up the coupons, she mentions the insert containing the coupon. That's the only way the 3-ring binder system worked for me so long. I liked it because it saved me a lot of time by not clipping coupons I didn't end up using.

I decided a few days ago that it was time to change systems. It took a few days, but I'm all set and ready to go now. I bought a plastic container and alphabet dividers. I put an envelope behind each divider (I cut the flaps off). Then I filed the coupons by brand. Pretty simple.

The other thing I did was file my coupons electronically using an Excel spreadsheet. Now when I'm making my shopping lists using Southern Savers, I can search my spreadsheet to see if I have the coupons before I start digging through my box. It my seem like a lot, but I'm hoping it will save me a lot of time as I'm making my lists each week. Yes, it's more time on the front end, but I decided I'm more interested in saving time on the shopping list end.

Mini Meltdown

2011-03-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

I had a mini meltdown today. I think it was one of those days where a lot of things had been building up, and one little, insignificant thing tipped me over the edge.

My meltdown happened as I was driving down Woodruff Rd. Joseph knew I was sad, so he said we could go to Michael's to look for baskets for our kitchen. When we left Michael's, he reminded me that I could always talk to him when something was bothering me. I started telling him about the little, insignificant thing that tipped me over the edge. Then it hit me why it bothered me so much, and I started crying.

I cried and told him I just wanted my family to want to come visit us, even if they couldn't. I at least wanted them to want to. We've had our house for over a year, and I'm pretty sure my cousin Johnnie Ann and her family are the only ones from my side of the family who have come to see us.

Please don't read into this that I'm upset with my family. If you're my family, I'm not upset with you. I know life is busy. We're all busy. I know gas is expensive (I had a dream last night that it's going to be $20 a gallon, so prepare yourselves). We're just always the ones who do the travelling. It would be nice to be sought out.

I guess I should have warned you that this post would be a little whiney. I've been a little whiney for a couple of days. I should probably spend some time outside in the sunshine when it returns.

Joseph and I decided that the only thing we could do about the situation of people not coming to visit us is make sure our home is ready for visitors. We're going to tackle the guest room over the next couple of weeks to make sure it would be comfortable for anyone who chooses to head this way.

I could also actually try inviting people to come, rather than assuming they know our home is always open to them. I think I've just been rejected enough over the years that it's hard for me sometimes.

OK, enough. I'm sorry. I know I don't typically write "downer" posts. I guess I just wanted to be honest and show the world I'm not a shiney, happy person 24/7. I do get a little whiney from time to time. :O)

Random Things I Love: Wet Wipes from Quaker Steak & Lube

2011-03-25T19:07:00.001-07:00

Quaker Steak & Lube has amazing wings (my new favorite flavor is Louisiana Lickers), and they provide wet wipes to their wing eaters. I love them! Why do I love them? Because they smell like Froot Loops!

Flip It-Fold It

2011-03-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

Joseph gave me a very practical gift for Valentine's Day this year, a Flip It-Fold It. Because it was something I've wanted for years, I was totally OK with receiving a practical gift. The fact that Joseph remembered I wanted it was romantic. :O)

Valentine's Day was well over a month ago, and I just used this wonderful gift for the first time today. It wasn't at all because I didn't want to use it. It was because I knew I wanted to refold everything using it rather than just starting with the laundry.

Today worked out to be a great day to get started with Joseph's two t-shirt drawers. I'm going to share the excitement with you using step by step photos! Aren't you so excited?

I hadn't even taken it out of the box yet! I love opening things for the first time!

This is what it looks like, all ready for something to fold!

Start by placing the shirt with the front down (the back of the shirt will be facing you). If the shirt is longer than the folder, fold the bottom of the shirt so that it's flush with the bottom edge of the folder.

Flip the left side.

Then flip the right side. (If you have any excess sleeve hanging over the edge, flip the left side again.)

Then flip up the middle.

You end up with perfectly folded garments that are all the same size and stack neatly.

Isn't that beautiful?

Look how neat they look in the drawer!

Love it! There was enough room left behind the t-shirts that Joseph's shorts will fit there as well. Yay!

Joseph, thank you for showing your love to me through a practical gift that made doing laundry a lot more fun! I love you!

Leftovers Transformation: Yummy Burritos

2011-03-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

I made a not-so-incredible dinner two nights ago. It consisted of chicken quarters I cooked in the crock pot with a lemon pepper marinade. The chicken had a good flavor and wasn't dry. That's all I needed in the chicken. I decided to try to make black beans and rice as the side. It didn't turn out quite as well as I had hoped. In fact, it was pretty mushy and bland. Joseph said he liked it, but I wasn't a fan.

As we were putting dinner away that night, I had an idea to transform the leftovers into burritos, and I'm so glad we did! The leftovers made delicious burritos!

We used carb smart tortillas, the mushy black beans and rice, the leftover chicken (pulled off the bones), salsa, shredded cheese (a blend of the remnants of a couple of different bags in the refrigerator!), and Bird's Eye's Southwest corn (yum!). It was a really easy meal, and it tasted really good! It was filling as well.

How do you like to transform your leftovers?

Quick Update Regarding School and Work

2011-01-04T19:33:00.001-08:00

Since my last post, Joseph and I decided I should go ahead and pursue school this semester. I'm going to have to be a little creative with my course selections (a combination of online courses and classroom courses), but I'm hopeful that the Lord is going to work out all of the details. I have the privilege of attending a 4 hour orientation this Thursday. I'm hoping I'll be pumped about it by then, haha. Please be in prayer that God will open up a spot for me in two different classes I'd like to take. I ask that trusting completely that He has something else in mind for me this semester if those spots do not become available to me.

The last I heard, January 31st will more than likely be my last day at work. I'm not making a countdown calendar this time (to be fair, I only made a Post-it Note last time). While we're grateful for the extra month of income, Joseph and I are both really looking forward to the next chapter in our sweet romance.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement. I really appreciate you!

God and Sinners Reconciled

2010-12-14T09:51:00.001-08:00

Throughout the Christmas season, I often sing along with familiar Christmas carols. I burst forth in jubilant song, trying to outsing the radio, but I rarely ponder the words. This morning, God stepped in and caused me to focus in on a very important line of a very familiar song.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing was on the radio this morning, and one line has been on my mind today: God and sinners reconciled. That's a powerful line jam packed with truth and grace - comfort and joy!

In the midst of the American hub bub that is the Christmas season, most of us Christians take at least a little time here and there to ponder the true reason we celebrate: Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. I wonder how often we take those thoughts beyond the sweet baby in the manger. We rarely think on how unpleasant the circumstances were surrounding his birth that night, so I wonder how often our thoughts drift to baby Jesus all grown up and hanging in bloody shreds on a cross for us.

Sweet baby Jesus was God incarnate - God with a purpose - God come down to rescue sinners. A terrible chasm existed between God and man, a chasm caused by sin. The perfect sacrifice of Christ was the only thing that could reconcile God and man.

So, this Christmas, when you sing about the sweet little Jesus boy, born on a silent night, and tucked away in a manger, remember that He came so that you, a sinner dead in your trespasses, might be reconciled to God.

Hark! The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled!

Transition ... More Difficult than I Anticipated

2010-12-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

I found out several weeks ago that I will be losing my job (along with a lot of people, but I'd prefer not to discuss all the details on a public blog). While most people have been upset, angry, scared, and a whole host of other emotions in relation to the news, I've been elated. I'm so excited about beginning a new chapter in my life.

God provided my current job to me about 5 1/2 years ago, and it has been a blessing. God has used this job to provide financially for my needs (and now my little family's needs), as well as to grow me. Over the last several months to a year, however, I've grown to realize it wasn't the best fit for me any more. Joseph and I both sensed the Lord leading us to transition me to something new, but we knew it wasn't the right time for me to leave.

God's sovereignty has been so evident in all of this. Joseph and I paid off all of our debt (sigh ... debt that I brought into our marriage) this summer (woo hoo!), so we aren't as dependent on me having a full time job. We also started our own business at the end of August. We are independent distributors for Premier Designs, a wonderful, biblically based jewelry company. With those two pieces in place, finding out I'm losing my job sooner than we thought wasn't scary to us. Of course, trusting a kind, loving, gracious God who always provides for our needs gives us a lot of peace, too!

We were given a very likely end date of January 3rd, so I started planning! I want to go back to school. More specifically, I want to go to Greenville Tech and earn a degree in photography. I think that will really help us with our photography business. With a deadline for applying approaching quickly, I submitted an application to begin classes in January.

Now there is a kink in my plans. January 3rd is no longer the likely end date. February 1st is much more likely. Because classes begin the week of January 10th, school (at least full time like I had planned) seems very unlikely.

While I still completely trust that God is in control and has all of the details of my life mapped out, I'm still finding it very difficult to be content with this change of plans ... yes, this change of MY plans. I recognize that God's plans may be very different from my plans.

I say all of this publically on the internet because I need prayer. I want to be filled with peace and trust as God's plan unfolds. I don't want to miss out on what God is doing because I was so bummed out when my plans didn't go as I had hoped.

Crock Pot Black Beans - Totally Worth the Effort!

2010-07-31T18:25:00.001-07:00

I'm starting to enjoy cooking in bulk. A few weeks ago, I cooked several pounds of chicken in the crock pot and stocked our freezer with shredded chicken. It was super easy, and we've really enjoyed having the chicken prepared ahead of time. It takes about 3 minutes to defrost the chicken in the microwave so it's ready to be incorporated into a recipe (so far, we've used it for enchiladas and tacos). I found the instructions for the shredded chicken here. The only thing I plan to do differently next time is cook more chicken. Our large crock pot can handle almost twice as much I cooked before. I'm going to keep an eye out for chicken on sale so we realize a cost savings.

After being successful with the shredded chicken, I decided I wanted to prepare black beans in bulk as well. Typically, we buy a can of black beans, divide it in half, and use it for two recipes (tacos and enchiladas ... hmmm ... I'm sensing a theme here). That works great, but canned black beans are loaded with sodium. I knew buying dried black beans would be more cost effective and would cut out the sodium. I just wasn't interested in cooking beans on the stove every time we wanted them. So I searched for instructions on cooking black beans in bulk in a crock pot, and I found those instructions here. The only thing I did differently was purchase 2 bags of black beans. She mentioned at the end of her blogicle (is that the correct term for a blog article/post/thingy?) that she would cook more at one time the next time she cooked beans, so I just started with more. Two bags of beans fit in my largest crock pot for the soaking part, but I didn't think they would cook well without overflowing. I decided to use my largest and my medium size crock pot, and the combination was perfect!

We like about a cup of black beans in the recipes we use them in, so I bagged the beans in snack size baggies. I had 21 snack size baggies of beans!! That's the equivolent of 10.5 cans of beans! Woo hoo! I must be honest. I don't know the cost of a can of black beans vs. a bag of black beans, but I think they're similar in cost. So I'm going to say our cost savings was equal to approximately 8.5 cans of black beans. How do you like that fancy math?

I didn't think the snack size baggies would work well in the freezer, so I put 4 snack size baggies into a quart (?) size freezer bag. That worked really well! Photo:

It turns out black beans in baggies stacked on the counter aren't exactly photogenic. HA! Oh, well. I'm still proud of them!

Let me know if you've tried cooking in bulk. What worked or didn't work? Any tips? Thanks!

I Used to be Dead

2010-04-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

I wasn't born with a terminal condition. I wasn't diagnosed later in life. I didn't suffer from an accident or someone else's wrongdoing. I was born dead.

If it weren't for the grace of Jesus, I would have stayed that way. I would still be dead. I would be a 28-year-old zombie.

But Jesus didn't want me to stay that way. He didn't want me dead in sin. He wanted me to be alive in Him. So He drew me unto Himself. He rescued me from sin. He gave me new life. In a sense, He resurrected me.

I thought about that today as we celebrated Resurrection Sunday. The focus, of course, was on Christ's resurrection - the fact that He died on a cross on Friday, laid dead in a tomb over the weekend, and arose from the dead on Sunday.

That's unheard of. People just don't come back from the dead. I'm very fortunate, because I haven't experienced a lot of death in my lifetime. I know something about death, though. Once the people I knew died, they didn't come back. Only Jesus did that.

The only other "resurrection" experiences I know of are the believers in my life. You see, I'm not the only one who was born dead. We all were. Every last one of us. No one escaped that.

As I was watching everyone worship in church this morning, I really thought about the fact that I was in a room filled with people who used to be dead. I was in a room filled with people who know the power of sin and death but who also are very familiar with the resurrection power of Christ. They worshipped so freely and joyously. They worshipped the fact that we serve a risen Savior, and they worshipped the fact that just as He arose from the dead, conquered death, and is alive, Jesus raised them from the dead into life with Him.

I love moments like that, when I look around and observe people worshipping. I love them because I know they're glimpses of what heaven will be like. I look forward to being in heaven with millions of believers rejoicing over the fact that they used to be dead, but Christ gave them new life, eternal life. Now that's going to be an awesome worship experience!

2010-03-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

Joseph and I made a quick trip to Conway over the weekend. We arrived late Friday evening, and we left late Saturday afternoon. I hate that it had to be such a short trip, but it was a really good one.

My cousin Katie and Aunt Kathie hosted a really nice shower for us at the church where I grew up. We had a pretty good turn out, and we received a lot of nice gifts. It was so good seeing people I hadn't seen in years. My favorite gift was a set of dessert/salad plates from my grandmother Kirkpatrick. She and Pop Pop received them as a wedding gift almost 61 years ago, and they look almost brand new! They made a really sweet gift that will mean a lot to us over the years.

Yesterday afternoon, we went over to Grandmama and Pop Pop's house for a litte while. It was a little surreal seeing this and knowing it may have been the last time I ever visited them in their house in Conway:

My grandparents have lived in their house for almost 50 years, and they're now selling it and moving to the Charleston area. I know that will be a great move for them, but it's still hard for me thinking of them being somewhere other than the house where they've been my entire life. I have so many fond memories there. But those memories aren't going anywhere!

While we were there, my grandparents mentioned that my grandmother has 3 sewing machines. My first thought was "I have 2 I don't use, so I probably don't need another one." Then my grandmother started telling me that her old Singer, while needing some TLC, was always the best machine she had. I really do want to learn to sew, and having a good, sturdy machine would certainly be helpful. So ... now I have a "new" sewing machine!

It's made into a nice cabinet, and it has a coordinating stool.

I'm going to attempt to recover the seat of the stool with the fabric that matches my desk. :O)

Wanna Be Like My Jesus

2009-08-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

For almost a year now, the pastors of Southside Fellowship have been teaching through the Gospel of Mark in a series called “Real Jesus Real Life”. A focus of this teaching has been dispelling our own personal ideas of who Jesus is and replacing any false ideas of Jesus with the true Jesus as depicted in Scripture. The teaching has been phenomenal, and I often find myself thinking “Why do I believe that about Jesus?” or “Why do I put Jesus in a Rachelle-sized box?”

I’ve been listening to the musical genius of Todd Agnew today, and I love his song “My Jesus.” The lyrics challenge me, particularly my perception of Jesus, even more particularly the way I neglect to imitate the Christ of Scripture.

Todd references these verses in Ephesians: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (5:1-2). I challenge you to reflect on these two verses and read through the lyrics of “My Jesus”. I hope you’ll find yourself asking questions similar to my own:

How well do I imitate Christ when I shirk back in fear as a homeless person asks for some spare change?

How well do I imitate Christ when I stare judgmentally at a woman who is immodestly dressed?

How well do I imitate Christ when I meet women who are trapped and suffering in abusive relationships?

How well do I imitate Christ when my heartbroken waitress shares her story with me?

Am I seeking the wealth of this world, or do I hunger and thirst for righteousness?

Do I bow down to the American dream, or do I submit my life to my Savior?

Do I imitate the Rachelle-sized Jesus I’ve created in my mind, or do I imitate the true Jesus of Scripture – the Jesus who laid down His life for the “least of these”?

How much am I willing to sacrifice in order to be like Jesus? He went as far as sacrificing His own life for me.

My Jesus by Todd Agnew

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Then why do you look so much like the world?

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despised the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!

Not a poster child for American prosperity, but like my Jesus
You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that means to be like You Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me
Can I be like You Jesus?
I want to be like my Jesus

Hold the Light

2009-05-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

I'm listening to the song "Hold the Light" by Caedmon's Call. It encapsulates so many of the thoughts and feelings I have had over the last couple of years. I just thought I'd share it with you. Maybe you're in the position of the person singing, or maybe you're in the position of the friend holding the light, or maybe you're in the middle somewhere. Wherever you are, I hope you're encouraged. :O)

It's been a long year
Like a long sleepless night.
Jacob wrestled the angel,
but I'm too tired to fight.

Every wednesdayfor two years we've met.
I've showed you all my anger
my doubts and bitterness.

There was no judgement in your eyes
just the silent peace of God,
that felt so real in you.

Will you hold the light for me?
Will you hold the light for me?

And I stay up late
because I cannot sleep.
I don't want to face the quiet
where its just God and me.

I'm waiting for the gavel
handing me the sentence down,
because I don't believe forgiveness
or even repentance now.

There was no judgement in your eyes
Just the silent peace of God,
that felt so real in you.

Will you hold the light for me?
Will you hold the light for me?

I want to feel redemption
flowing through my veins.
I want to see with clear eyes
beyond lust and hate.
I want the war to be over,
and know the good guys won,
and I want love to hold me
to know I'm not alone.

Standing around a willow weeping,
we were praying in the backyard.
In the chill of the night
the friendship light reminded me who we are...
who we are, who we are

Will you hold the light?
Will you hold the light for me?

Purposeful Not Passive

2009-05-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

A few minutes ago, I went through Day 2 of the devotion that Pastor Brian put together for this week. The focal passage is Mark 9:30-37, with the particular emphasis of this day's devotion being 9:31 (the pastors are teaching verse by verse through the Gospel of Mark).

Pastor Brian compared the word "delivered" with the way it is used in Romans 4:25 and Romans 8:32 in order to emphasize the purposefulness behind the deliverance of Christ unto death. Christ's death wasn't just a passive happening or the consequence of how things played out because of man's choices. Christ's death was a purposeful plan from our loving, sovereign God. Christ's redemption of His people was purposeful. Christ's atonement was purposeful. Christ's justification of sinful people was purposeful.

My salvation isn't merely a bonus prize that came along with a passive death.

My salvation is the result of a choice ... God's choice. God chose how to redeem His people, and He set forth that plan of redemption very purposefully.

So why do I live my life as a follower of Christ so passively?

Because it's easy.

Making purposeful decisions to put others before myself and to serve them with unconditional love can be really difficult and really inconvenient. On my own, I have no desire to live that way. That's why I'm so incredibly grateful that "it is God who works in [me], both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13 ESV).

I can do nothing apart from Christ. I must rely on the Holy Spirit every second of every day. It's time for me to stop being so ridiculously passive and start living purposefully. It is time to "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14 ESV).

Diving In

2009-05-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

Today marked a major milestone for me. I went through the membership interview at Southside Fellowship this morning. I'm really looking forward to starting my journey with this group of believers as we live in community with one another.

This certainly wasn't on purpose, but I realized this morning that today is the one year anniversary of when I moved back to Greenville. I came here with hopes of a fresh start, and God has given that to me. It seems fitting that I took this step on this day.

A large part of the last two years has been very trying, but I trust that God has had a plan in all of it. There is a time and a season for everything. I'm diving into this new season with joy and anticipation of all the Lord has in store for me. :O)

Reflection on Goslings

2009-05-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

You're likely aware that I love spring. There are so many things going on in nature that serve as reminders of our risen Lord that it's difficult for me to comprehend not loving spring (while I do extend a bit of grace toward those who suffer from allergies to such a degree that they can't help but harbor hard feelings toward spring).

This year, one of those reminders has been the goslings that hatched recently by the pond in front of the home office.

I watched them for a little while this afternoon as we awaited the beginning of a meeting. The interactions between the goslings and their loving, protective, instructive parents is quite fascinating. Their parents are instructing them on how to be mobile in different environments. I've seen them nudge them along the asphalt driveway toward our employee parking lot. A coworker told me how the parents teach the goslings to be brave and jump down off the curb and then teach them how to jump back onto it. Today, the goslings were waddling up and down a small hill, their parents just a few feet away, watching attentively.

As I think of the precious new lives waddling around the pond in front of our building, I'm reminded of our life cycle as Christians. God pulls us out of the muck and mire and transforms us. He gives us new life. We are new creations. (cf. 1 Cor. 5:17)

The growth process begins immediately. God builds and strengthens our faith day by day. As we study His Word and sit under godly teaching, our knowledge of the Lord expands and deepens. God reveals our spiritual gifts to us, and we begin to step out and serve.

God places people in our lives to assist with this process: elders, counselors, friends, family, new brothers and sisters in Christ. They are in our lives to nudge us along and keep us on track. One of the goslings has a tendency to lag behind and stray away from the group. The parents, very lovingly and gently, seek out the gosling and nudge him back where he belongs. Our fellow believers do the same thing for us.

Even more importantly, He has given us the Holy Spirit, an ever present advocate and aid. In John 14:26, Jesus told His disciples, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." What a precious gift from the Lord!

There are many days I still feel like a gosling, not because I'm growing and learning, but because I'm tumbling down the hill again. I'm very grateful for the other geese God has placed in my life. They help me get back on track, and they do so in a loving and gracious manner.

Take a look around you today. Are there goslings in your path in need of some encouragement? Maybe you're in need of encouragement. If so, I adjure you to seek out fellow believers and allow them to minister to you. After all, I'm sure you don't want to waddle around the pond forever. Don't you want to fly some day? I know I do. :O)

Officially the Start of a New Week

2009-04-18T21:10:00.001-07:00

I certainly had no intentions of being awake as Saturday melted into Sunday. Alas, I am. Whilst I wind down and prepare for bed, I will blog a little.

I decided to set a few goals for the week. One goal would have been smart, but I'm not that kind of gal. I ended up with seven goals. I know, I know ... I'm probably setting myself for failure. OR ... I could be setting myself up for seven times the success that I would have had with only one goal.

For the sake of at least a smidge of accountability, I'm going to share those seven goals with you. I hope I can remember them without walking to the bathroom to read the Post-it Note on the mirror ...

1) Have at least 5 times of devotion
2) Go to the gym at least 5 out of 7 days
3) Up by 6am Sunday through Friday (I'm cutting myself a break on Saturday!)
4) Bed by 10pm Sunday through Thursday (I decided bed by 10 on Saturday just wasn't an achievable goal this week considering it was after 10 when I was compiling my goals.)
5) Lose 1 pound
6) Read at least 3 chapters of Boundaries
7) Read at least 2 chapters of The Shack

I'll report back and let you know how I do. There isn't anything spectacular about my goals. In fact, most of my goals are things normal people do all of the time. I'm a little slow in some areas. God is good. He loves me anyway, and He has given me the Holy Spirit to help me grow. What more could a gal want? :O)

Oh! I remembered my goals without looking at the Post-it Note! That means I'm off to a good start!

Hilarious Conversation with my Grandmother

2009-04-13T18:30:00.001-07:00

Grandma: "You know 'X' was in the paper today."
Me: "Oh yeah?"
Grandma: "Yeah, for that sport he plays. What is it? Volleyball? I think he plays volleyball."
Me: "Really? I don't think he plays volleyball."
Grandma: "He plays that one where you kick the ball - I think."
Me: "Soccer? Volleyball uses a net. You have to get the ball over the net."
Grandma: "Oh, you use bats to get it over the net?"
Me: "No ..."
Grandma: "Well, I know there's one that uses bats."
Me: "Baseball ..."
Grandma: "No, there's one that uses bats and a net."
Me: "Badminton has a net, and you use rackets that look sort of like tennis rackets to get the thing over the net." (Throwing "birdie" into this conversation would have tanked it completely.)
Grandma: "Well, I knew there was something that used bats and a net. Oh, well, I don't know what he plays."
Me: "Pretty sure it's soccer ... You know, you could get the paper back out and read it again to find out what he plays."
Grandma: "Yeah, I suppose I could ..."

2009-03-30T17:29:00.000-07:00

I'm attempting something this week that I've attempted before, but I've never been completely successful at it. So far, today has gone OK. That is only by God's grace. With each day that passes, however, I know there will be stronger temptations to quit. I'm committed to making it through Friday, though, and I know God will help me do it. I'll try to post throughout the week and share with you what God is teaching me. I definitely want to post on Saturday or Sunday, because I'm confident I will have at least one thing to share. Because God is awesome, generous, kind, loving, wise, a most excellent teacher, etc., I supsect I will have more than just one thing.

Already, God has placed someone in my life for whom I am truly grateful. She is an answered prayer. She is helping me put some things into the right perspective. She's helping me grieve and grow. Tonight, she reminded me that I cannot control anyone else's actions. Through God's grace, I can work on my own life, but I cannot do anything that will change someone else. Sure, I can impact someone, and I can pray that God will intervene in someone's life, but I am not responsible for how that person responds or acts. That's a liberating thought. :O)

"Hollered" vs. "Hurled"

2009-03-26T17:13:00.000-07:00

Back in September/October, I started tutoring a little girl who is in the third grade. We get together once a week so I can help her with her reading. At first, I wasn't sure if she liked me, and I wasn't sure if I was really helping her much, but we stuck it out. Over the last couple of months, I have seen more and more progress, and she seems to like reading more and more. It's been awesome!

I feel I must share with you a happy, yet honestly almost a little sad, moment I had today while tutoring. My tutoree really enjoys the Junie B. books, and we're now reading our second one, Junie B. and a Little Monkey Business. In this book, Junie B. uses the word "hollered" a lot. The little girl I tutor is from Vietnam, not the south, so she isn't very familiar with the word "hollered." For weeks, every time she came to that word, she would say "hurled." So, instead of reading something like "I hollered" or "she hollered," she would read "I hurled" or "she hurled." I always corrected her, but I giggled a lot inside when she said the wrong word. Is that mean of me? Anyway, after a couple of tries today, she started saying "hollered." I was really proud of her for getting it right! I will, however, miss my inner chuckles ... I know, mean, right?

Earthworms: One Good Memory and One Not So Good Memory

2009-03-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

I saw two earthworms in the parking lot at work today. Those two earthworms brought to mind two very different memories.

I'll start with the Not So Good memory:

During my time at North Greenville, I learned that a lot of rain equalled a lot of earthworms. I was walking across campus one evening during a particularly rainy period of time. It was REALLY rainy, so that meant there were a TON of earthworms! There were so many earthworms that I had to jump all over the place so my feet had somewhere to step that there wasn't an earthworm! GROSS! I almost cried! It was a horrible experience, but I'm sure I experienced personal growth from it somehow ... I'll get back to you on that one. :O)

Now the Good memory:

When Joel, Shana, and I were growing up (well, I was pretty close to grown up at this point), there was a Sega in our house. One of the games we enjoyed playing was Earthworm Jim. It was awesome! I miss that game! Throughout the game, Earthworm Jim would yell, "HAM!" We thought that was great! So we would yell "HAM!" from time to time. It was awesome! Then one day, we realized he wasn't saying "HAM!"

Spring Feels Different

2009-03-24T14:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that spring FEELS different? Of course, there is the obvious atmospheric difference because the temperature is warmer, but there’s more to it. Spring feels different to me on a lot of different levels.

My pants feel different. What? That’s right, my pants feel different. The way the material feels on my skin is different. This isn’t the first year I’ve noticed that. It could be because I’m wearing sandals rather than boots, but the difference is there nonetheless.

The air around me feels different. I notice this particularly in the evenings, but also on spring afternoons. Maybe it’s because it gets dark later, but the air feels different, lighter maybe, when I’m sitting in my apartment on spring evenings. It feels less oppressive, more hopeful, like I could actually accomplish something if I chose to.

My bed feels different. Perhaps this can be contributed to the temperature difference. I haven’t started wearing different pajamas, so I don’t think this is the same as my pants feeling different. My sheets actually feel different to me.

Perhaps I’m just different in the spring. Maybe I’m coming to life. I feel cooped up, oppressed, even depressed in the winter. I thrive in the spring. It is a time filled with new life, hope, and possibilities. It is an ever present reminder that I once was dead in sin, but Christ gave me new life. Maybe that’s why I feel different. :O)

Still Chillin' in Conway

2009-03-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun with Amy this evening! It was really refreshing to be with a friend and spend the evening laughing. One of the things I love about being friends with Amy is that I laugh almost nonstop when we're together. She's going to post some pictures that we took while we were in Walmart (we spent 2 hours in Walmart!). I'll swipe one and share it with you.

I mentioned that Shana and I are taking pictures in the morning. I also mentioned that I suggested that we go watch the sunrise over the river. Shana was totally up for it! Then she had a great idea ... watching the sunrise over the ocean! So, I'm planning on picking her up between 6:15-6:30 so we can watch the sunrise over the ocean! If I get some good pictures, I'll share them with you.

Chillin' in Conway

2009-03-20T15:10:00.001-07:00

I'm in Conway for a couple of days hangin' out with my grandma. I surprised her last night. She had no clue I was coming for a visit. She keeps asking me why I'm here. I'm trying not to take that personally ... :O)

Before I got here, I was really upset about some things. After chatting with my aunt, I'm a bit more at peace about those things. I thank God for that peace. I know He is in control of all things. I just have a tendency to lose sight of that.

I'm having dinner with my friend Amy this evening. I'm really excited about that, because I haven't seen her in a long time. I've known her since I was in high school, and God has seen fit to maintain our friendship, so it will be really good to see her.

Tomorrow morning, my sister Shana and I are going to practice our photography. I'm not certain yet where we are going. I would like to go to Brookgreen Gardens, but I don't want to pay the admission to get in! So, we'll find somewhere equally as exciting and likely a little more creative. She asked me to text her and tell her what time I want her to come over in the morning. I told her 6:45 so we could catch the sunrise over the river. She hasn't texted me back ... haha. :O)

Just a side note: my sister Shana is one of the most awesome people in the whole wide world. I'm so grateful for her. She is praying for guidance about where God would have her go to school in the fall. If you think about it, please lift her up. I know she would appreciate it. Thanks!

The Desert Song by Hillsong

2009-03-18T17:53:00.001-07:00

I really love this song, so I thought I would share it with you. :O)

Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

Verse 2:
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 3:
And this is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've recieved I will sow

Bittersweet Moments

2009-03-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

About 9-10 months ago, I made the difficult decision to leave my last church. That church had been my home for almost 4 years, so it certainly wasn't easy leaving. While I have a total peace about my decision, and I'm very grateful that God has led me to a new church home, I have experienced several bittersweet moments of remembrance lately.

Valentine's Day brought about the first wave of bittersweet moments. Every year, the kids of the church and I would make Valentine's Day cards to give to children in the hospital. I loved doing that with them. I really missed doing that this year.

The onslaught of Easter propaganda brought about the next wave of bittersweet moments. Every year, the kids of the church and I put together Easter baskets to donate to the United Way. I loved doing that with them. I really missed doing that this year.

Yes, I miss a lot of things - a lot of people. But that doesn't change anything. All of the reasons I left still stand. So, during the bittersweet moments, I smile a little and keep going. God has a lot in store for me. I know it. He is sovereign, wise, loving, and kind. He has a plan for my life, and He will use all of the experiences of my past to enhance my future. My future rocks, because it's in the hands of Almighty God. So I'm thankful for the bittersweet moments. They remind me Who I serve.

Whose Story? Mine or God's?

2009-02-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

Pastor Charlie's message in church this morning was very powerful. He taught on Mark 6:7-30 (Southside Fellowship is going verse by verse through the book of Mark). One of the comparisons he made was between the life of Herod and the life of John the Baptist. While John the Baptist remained faithful to the Lord, even unto death, Herod ignored multiple opportunities to lay down his own life and follow God. Pastor Charlie challenged us this morning. He asked us if God had been calling us to do something that we were passing up continually. He also cautioned us that the window of opportunity won't stay open forever.

I began to reflect on my own life. Many of you have known me for the bulk of my life. For those of you who were in my life during my teen years, you likely will recall that the Lord called me into ministry one summer while I was with my Acteens group at Camp LaVida. You were there with me and encouraged me in my walk over the next several years.

I followed God's call and spent my first summer after high school working at Camp LaVida. I then started college at Charleston Southern. I spent the following summer at Camp LaVida and then transferred to North Greenville. The following summer, I travelled to Canada to do summer missions. The summer after graduating from North Greenville, I followed the Lord's call and spent the summer in Ireland doing summer missions. Those four or so years were incredible. While there were definitely some vallies, I remained fairly consistent in my walk. God provided me with countless opportunities to serve Him.

My life gets a little fuzzy after college. I travelled to Kentucky for a school year to begin seminary. At the end of the school year, I think I let some of my own personal hangups get the best of me, and I returned to SC. I had pretty good intentions of continuing my education through online courses and taking classes at the extension center in Greenville. That lasted for two semesters, and then I decided I was burnt out from school, so I "took a break." It's been a LONG break, because I'm still taking it.

God gave me the opportunity to serve in a small church plant. I worked with the women and children, and I told myself I was fulfilling God's call in my life, because I was in fact involved in ministry. But there was always something nagging in the back of my mind, something in my heart telling me I was compromising.

Through several different events, I chose to leave that church. Rather than plugging in immediately to a new church, I found myself spiralling downhill quickly. I visited churches here and there, but I became rather skilled at creating excuses not to go.

By God's grace, I realized I was in a very bad place. It scared me how easily I had pushed aside the faith I had always held so dear. Rather than dying to myself daily, I was growing more and more self-centered. I became a recluse of sorts and rarely even wanted to be around people. In fact, I would well up with anxiety at the mere thought of being around new people. For those of you who know me very well, that was a big change in my personality!

Around October, I began attending Southside Fellowship on a regular basis. My heart still wasn't really into it, but I knew I at least had to get back into the motions, trusting that God would work on my heart. The teaching has been really good, and I've been challenged by the Word.
That brings me to today's message, to Pastor Charlie's questions. Has God been calling me to something that I've essentially been ignoring? Am I focused on being a part of God's story so that His name will be magnified, or am I focused on writing my own story?

Yes, I've been ignoring God's call in my life ... so that I could write my own story.

It's time for me to put down the pen/pencil/laptop and stop writing. It's time for me to surrender and be a part of the greatest story ever written.

I don't know what that might entail. I have a few ideas - ideas that are both scary and thrilling. I would really appreciate your prayers. First, please pray that God would make clear to me what He would have me do with my life. Second, please pray that God would help me in the areas of my life that I know would be stumbling blocks in the ministry.

I love you all, and I thank you for the role you've played in my life.

Genesis 2:7 and Genesis 7:22 - An Interesting Parallel

2009-02-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

As I was reading in Genesis this evening, I noticed a parallel in these verses that I don't recall paying attention to before. I don't know if it's because the ESV uses such similar wording that it jumped out to me, or if maybe it was a truth I needed to see. Probably both.

2:7 ~ "then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature."

7:22 ~ "Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died."

These weren't just random people who died in the flood when God brought His judgment on them. They were His creation, people whom He knit together in their mothers' wombs. They contained the breath of life. Oh, how that must have grieved the Lord so much to have to discipline His creation.

A mere 5 chapters in Genesis between when God breathed life into Adam and when His creation underwent His judgment. I know it was a relatively long span of time, but how did it get so bad? Five chapters separate life and death, creation and judgment, a beginning and an end.

I look at my own life. I am no different from the people who died in the flood. I grieve God on a daily basis (really probably more like an hourly or minute by minute basis). He is so merciful to me, so loving and patient.

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness." ~ Lamentations 3:22-23

Love and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

2009-02-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

We had a contest today in Toastmasters, and I participated. I came in second place. I was a little disappointed, but Kathy did an amazing job, so I both understand and agree with the judges' decision.

I thought I would share my speech with you, because I really enjoyed it. Just a note: words that are bracketted off like [this] are little notes to myself.

Love and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I love grilled cheese sandwiches. My Pop Pop makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the whole wide world. He slices the cheddar cheese to just the right thickness. He spreads just the right amount of butter on the bread. He heats up the frying pan to just the right temperature and flips the sandwich just the right number of times so that each side reaches a glorious golden brown. Then he slides it onto a plate and cuts it in half, the melted cheese oozing from each piece, ready for me to dig in.

I love my Pop Pop. In addition to being the maker of the world’s best grilled cheese sandwiches, he’s one of the most incredible men I have ever known. I love the relationship he and my grandmother have, and I hope to someday share that kind of love with someone. But I think I’ve had the wrong perspective on how to obtain that love for quite a while now. You see, I think I was looking at finding a husband kind of like making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. I thought I simply needed just the right ingredients, just the right amount of heat, and just the right amount of time to create the perfect relationship. Then my grandmother told me a little story that brought me back to the right perspective.

The year was 1947. Clyde, a young woman who hated having a “man’s” name, was a student at Winthrop, and Mark was finishing up at Clemson after returning home from war. As with most college students during those days, Friday night was date night. They put on their Friday night best, spruced themselves up, and headed to the local hangout, a jazzy little place perfect for dinner and dancing. But they weren’t headed there with each other. Mark was meeting up with another young Winthrop co-ed, and Clyde was meeting another Clemson man.

They all ended up at the same table together, Clyde and her date on one side, and Mark and his date on the other. Mark’s date was terribly upset and all out of sorts. The Winthrop girls had received their grades that day. Typically a very good student, her grades were simply terrible. She was very concerned about the trouble she was going to be in with her parents, and Mark’s charms couldn’t seem to lift her spirits. So she decided to go home, leaving Mark behind. A little while later, for reasons no one can recall, Clyde’s date decided to leave as well, leaving her alone with Mark.

They sat and talked for a while, and then they heard the voice of Ella Fitzgerald … [actually singing] “Say, it’s only a paper moon; sailin’ over a cardboard sea; but it wouldn’t be make believe if you believed in me …” Mark stood up and walked over to Clyde. He bowed a little and held out his hand to her. “May I have this dance?” Clyde felt her cheeks flush as she placed her hand in his. He led her to the dance floor, and their eyes locked as they began to dance. [begin dancing] With each word that Ella sang, Mark and Clyde glided across the floor. Song after song, they danced the night away.

Mark gave Clyde a lift back to Winthrop, and he walked her to the door of her dormitory. “I’d like to see you again,” he said. “I’d really like that as well.” That evening began a two year courtship, and Mark and Clyde joined in marriage in 1949. They have three wonderful sons and six rather remarkable grandchildren, and they will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in April.

You may be asking yourself what this story has to do with the strange grilled cheese sandwich philosophy I had on love. To me, the most wonderful detail of how my grandparents began courting is the fact that the young woman who was my grandfather’s date that night actually received the wrong grades. She really made straight A’s. If she had received the correct set of grades, she likely would have stayed there with my grandfather that evening, and my grandparents quite possibly would have never started courting.

I don’t believe it was fate. I don’t believe it was a coincidence. I don’t believe it was written in the stars. I believe a very loving God planned out the tiniest of details to put the right people together. So now I’m not focusing on a grocery list of the qualities I want in a husband. I’m not worried about making sure I’m in the right place at the right time so I’ll bump into Mr. Right. I’m trusting that the same loving God who placed my grandparents together will someday do the same for me, and that will be better than any grilled cheese sandwich even my Pop Pop could make.

Random Things I Love ...

2009-01-31T19:56:00.001-08:00

I love it when my Mii on Wii Fit starts checking herself out. She's so proud of her progress (-11 pounds).

clogged blogger

2009-01-12T20:24:00.000-08:00

I really want to blog, but I'm feeling a little clogged in the head ... so sad.

Sigh ... I Miss Looking Like This

2009-01-10T10:45:00.001-08:00

This is me many, many pounds ago. I was still overweight, but that's the best I think I've ever looked. My hair even looked better when I weighed less. Maybe I'll look even better some day! :O)

Random Things I Love ...

2009-01-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

I love the new spot I chose for my free-standing full-length mirror! I'll take a picture soon ... bedroom still needs A LOT of work!

2009-01-09T20:54:00.000-08:00

Today has been a fairly interesting day, so I'll share it with you.

It was finally Friday, so that made me happy. I was quite pleased to see Monday #5 arrive so this week could come to an end. I've just had a rough time getting back into the full swing of things. I was on vacation the whole week of Christmas, and I only worked Monday, Wednesday, and Friday last week. So, needless to say, my mind and body just weren't into working 5 days in a row! Here's hoping I do better next week. :O)

I won't mention work in my blog often, because I understand there can be unpleasant ramifications to that, but this is good, so I'm going to blog about it. The area in which I work is attempting a Biggest Loser competition again. We tried it this past summer, but it didn't really go that great on the whole. Personally, I quit just a few weeks in. We were competing in an "each man on his own" fashion. We're going about it differently this time. We're competing as teams. The two key benefits of this will be improving our health and building team unity. I can already tell that it's going over well. People are excited about getting physically fit, and we're excited about doing it together. My team had a meeting today to select a team name. We decided on Lardbusters, and our motto is "RAO TUM DA," (there's a really good chance I spelled that wrong, but it's pronounced "Low Tum Da" like ouch not low) which is Thai for "We can do it!" We laughed a lot during our meeting, which was good (except that toward the end of our 10:00 meeting I finished off my second bottle of water, so I was struggling ... sorry, TMI). I'm a fan of us walking down the hall in a Ghostbuster -like-fashion to our weigh-ins singing Ghostbuster music ... "Who ya gonna call? LARDBUSTERS! Dun un dun uh dun uh ..." haha

I took the afternoon off today because I was supposed to have Direct TV installed. The installers showed up, and they assessed the situation pretty quickly: my apartment is on the wrong side of the building to have Direct TV installed. The satellite would be pointing in the wrong direction, which apparently wouldn't work. I was really disappointed, because I was really looking forward to having Direct TV. I was only going to be paying about $35 a month, and I would have had DVR capability!! I was really excited! I called Charter to inquire about regular cable, and it was going to be over $70, which I declined politely. I just can't justify paying that much so I can watch TV all the time. So, after some contemplation, I went to Best Buy and purchased two digital converter boxes. I spent a total of about $130 (I needed to buy an antenna for one of my TV's as well, and I didn't have the government coupons which are no longer available "on demand"), which is less than I would have paid for two months of cable with Charter or 4 months of Direct TV. No, I don't have 150 channels or DVR capability, but I do have more channels (that aren't fuzzy!) than I had before, including something like 4 ETV's, because I needed that many.

As many of you know, I'm working toward improving my phsyical wellbeing. I've been exercising, and I'm working bit by bit on improving my eating habits. One of the ways I'm improving my eating habits is by eliminating fast food from my diet, which is difficult for me. I enjoy fast food (most of the time), and cooking just isn't always appealing to me. Tonight, for whatever reason, I was particularly tempted. I was even going to compromise with myself and just get a soda from Sonic. Instead of any form of fast food, I stopped by Publix. I purchased some healthy, organic food items, and I came home. Along with the salsa pizza I had already planned on making (pizza crust, salsa for sauce, chunks of grilled chicken, and fiesta blend cheese), I prepared a side salad that consisted of spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, strawberries, and a few mixed nuts. It was a pretty yummy salad, an excellent source of veggies for me.

Before I sat down to eat, I decided I should weigh in on Wii Fit before I filled my tummy. Drum roll please ... I've lost 5 pounds since Monday night! That's 5 pounds in essentially 4 days! My eyes teared up a bit when it told me that. I reached my 2 week goal in 4 days, so I had to set a new goal! So, I hope to lose 5 more pounds within the next two weeks. I can do it!!

Alrighty, I'll let you go now. If you read all this, you're awesome. Have a great weekend!

Random Things I Love ...

2009-01-08T19:01:00.001-08:00

I really love the way my Mii looks in a penquin suit on Wii Fit ... I mean, seriously, SO CUTE!

2009-01-08T18:22:00.000-08:00

Last night, I was in my bathroom, and I heard my neighbor singing. I found it quite amusing, and I tried to figure out what she was singing. Could you imagine if I had started singing along so she could hear me? haha, that thought has amused me all day. :O)

I'm still making progress on my goals I've set for this year. I have not fallen into the temptation to eat fast food, and I have now exercised 7 days in a row! That's pretty good for me!

OK, I guess I should be more accurate and say I'm making progress on that goal ... I still need to work on my other ones. :O)

I think I may go to this http://www.philandamyfitness.com/90_Day_Challenge.html on Saturday. If you're in the area and would like to go with me, let me know!

I had a thought earlier ... good grief ... what was it? ....

Oh, well ... I sat here and thought for a while, and I couldn't remember it. Maybe I'll think of it later ...

Random Things I Love ...

2009-01-06T20:10:00.001-08:00

Dryer Sheets! If I could, I think I would sew them together and make clothes out of them ... or at least blankets so I could cover myself with their wonderfulness.

YUM-E!

2009-01-06T18:12:00.000-08:00

As I'm typing, I'm enjoying the dinner I just made. I suppose this counts as a new recipe for me, because my sister and I gave it a go over Christmas.

As I was driving from Charleston to Conway, I began pondering the chicken my stepmom made for us one night. From those thoughts sprang forth an idea to try to make my own chicken tenders, and not just to make chicken tenders but to experiment with the breading.

So, we tried 3 things: Reduced Fat Ritz Crackers, Special K with Red Berries, and a generic brand of Honey Bunches of Oats.

The probably pretty obvious 3rd place winner was the Special K with Red Berries.

In 2nd place was the Honey Bunches of Oats (redeemed by the dipping sauce I whipped up).

And 1st place went to the Ritz Crackers! They're really good!

When I made them tonight, I used a rolling pin to crush the crackers, and that worked a lot better. I made my dipping sauce again as well - a tangy ranch that is a mixture of fat free ranch dressing and hickory bbq sauce - NOT BAD AT ALL!! :O)

Oh, one important note is that I baked the chicken tenders. I did not deep fry them!

Tonight, I accompanied the tenders with some mixed veggies to round off my dinner. I'm trying!!

Random Things I Love ...

2009-01-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

I love the warmth of my laptop when I'm a little chilly. :O)

YAY for a New Year!

2009-01-05T18:05:00.000-08:00

I'm totally excited to have internet access at home, and I thought I would just start blogging away, but I'm actually not really in the mood ... so sad. I promise to get back into the mood, though.

I have made lots of goals for the year, a couple of them being improving myself physically and taking pride in my home. I bought a Wii and Wii Fit, and I've been exercising with it. One of the ways I am going to take pride in my home is by trying at least one new recipe a month. The latest new recipe I tried was a BBQ Chicken Pizza. TA DA!

YUM! It was really good! I was proud of myself. :O) I also purchased the ingredients necessary to make a "Mexican" pizza and "Aloha Chicken." I'll let you know how they turn out.

Alrighty ... I'm going to let you go now. Happy New Year! (even if it is the 5th already ...)

The First Real Sign of Winter Approaching

2008-11-22T07:57:00.001-08:00

This is the fountain in front of the office at my apartment complex. When I walked from the gym to the mailboxes at 7:00 this morning, there was more ice on it than this. I decided to take a picture of it when I walked back up this way. There was no water movement early this morning, and now there is, so that's a good sign! :O)

Mini Makeover

2008-09-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

I moved into my apartment back in May. I consolidated from a two-bedroom down to a one-bedroom. In order to make things fit and work best for me, I opted to sell my dining table and chairs so I could use the dining room more like an office (I have bar stools and a couch ... so I'm good for a place to eat). Since I moved in, the office area has been extremely cluttered and extremely annoying to me. So, I did a mini makeover on it. I thought I'd share the before and after pictures with you. I still need to take care of the window treatment. It's certainly not staying the way it is in the after picture!

Before (This picture was actually taken on a super neat and clean day; imagine things MUCH worse):

After:

OK, so I know it doesn't look THAT different in the pictures, but it really looks a lot better, and it doesn't frustrate me when I walk in the room anymore. Woo hoo! :O)

Kinda Gross ... Kinda Cool

2008-09-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

OK. I'll be the first to admit that, at times, my apartment looks a lot like a bachelor pad (a pretty one, though). What I'm about to show you, however, is more the result of an experiment, not grossness.

I had some Oreos and skim milk a few days ago. I left the glass of milk out for maybe a day. Within a day, I started to notice the milk changing. It was thickening a bit. Within probably two days, the top had bubbled up. Within three days, it looked like this:

Notice that it looks kind of like the inside of a Moon Pie sitting on top of a glass of water. I actually poured off the liquid, and it was clear like water. It left this behind:

I'm beyond amazed. I mean, I never would have thought that a glass of skim milk would have turned into that in three days. Now I know. Oh, and please know that I have disposed of the blob. The grossness has been removed from my apartment. The experiment is over. :O)

Juliette is Here!

2008-09-06T20:26:00.001-07:00

My cousin Johnnie Ann had her baby Thursday. Her name is Juliette Ruth, and she is beautiful! Mommy and baby are both doing great. They went home from the hospital today. Here are a few pictures from the last couple of days. Enjoy!

Sweetgrass Bouquets

2008-08-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

HAHA ... I just remembered a dream I had last night, and I needed to share it with someone. Seeing as how it's a little late to call anyone (12:50 AM), I decided I would tell you!

The dream started out with me being at my friend Crystal's wedding (Crystal from camp ... we've been friends for almost 10 years now! CRAZY!). She had these super weird (but pretty cool) flowers. The bridesmaids only carried one, because they were HUGE! It's hard to describe if you're not in my dream, but try to picture a normal, say, tulip. Now picture the bloom the size of a paint can, maybe even bigger than that. They were sort of cartoonish looking. If anyone could pull off flowers like that, it would be Crystal!

So, in my dream, I proceded to tell Crystal that I liked her flowers a lot, and then I told her what kind of bouquets my bridesmaids would be carrying (keep in mind that neither one of us is actually getting married right now in real life, haha). My wedding was going to be on a Charleston plantation, so my bridesmaids were going to carry bouquets of sweetgrass flowers. Some of you may be thinking, "What the heck is a sweetgrass flower?" If you've ever been to the market in downtown Charleston, you've likely seen the women weaving baskets of sweetgrass. Well, as you walk around town, you're also likely to encounter men (typically, but sometimes women as well) selling roses made out of sweetgrass. I think they're really cool. I have two of them that I've purchased on trips to Charleston (a short-lived "tradition" of purchasing one each time I went to Charleston, haha).

So now I find myself actually contemplating what it would be like to have bouquets of sweetgrass roses in my wedding. On some level, I must admit that I think it could be kind of cool! On another level, it could easily look really tacky!! Your thoughts? :O)

A Little Yearbook Fun

2008-08-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

Several people on Facebook were going to the website http://www.yearbookyourself.com/, and one of them recommended that I try it out. So I did! Fun times indeed!

Dreams Part Dos

2008-08-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

So, after I went back to bed last night, my dreams got WAY worse!! I had a dream that my brother Joel died, and I was preparing to give his eulogy. It was TERRIBLE! You know how sometimes you have an awesome dream, and then you try really hard to fall asleep again and get back to the awesome dream? Typically it doesn't work, right? Well, last night, every time I woke up sad because Joel died, I fell asleep and was right back in that same dream!!! I woke up SO sad!! So, since my dream life wasn't exactly pleasant last night (with a few minor exceptions), I decided I would blog about some real life dreams I have. They will be in no particular order, and some of them WILL seem silly to you. But that's OK, because they're MY dreams!

be in a Sonic commercial
be in a shampoo commercial
be on Broadway
be a really good photographer

marry Mr. Special Someone :O)
go to Mexico
go to Africa
go to Scotland
go back to Ireland
stay in an English cottage
travel to all 50 states ... in a Winnebago (sp?!)
write a novel
be in a movie
drive from the top of South America to the bottom of South America ... with Mr. Special Someone
maybe live in Canada for a while
have a job where I get to travel, which might aid in the accomplishment of some of the aforementioned dreams
marry Mr. Someone Special under some oak trees on a plantation while people are playing guitar
have an ice cream flavor named after me
own enough chapstick (that I like) so that I have one in every purse, every travel bag, in my car (because someone will have invented chapstick that doesn't melt), in my desk, and in every room of my apartment (or maybe house by the time this dream can be realized)
compile a book of knock knock jokes
be in the same room as Kevin James ... that's all that can happen, because he's married
write a children's book
look good in a bikini (a modest one of course)
write beautiful poetry
not only to marry Mr. Special Someone but to have the kind of marriage my grandparents have
have a wrap around porch with rocking chairs and swings ... hmmm, which country would I like to be living in when I get the wrap around porch?
be a talk show hostess
be a talk show co-hostess with my cousin Johnnie Ann
live closer to all of my family

OK, that's probably enough for now. Thanks for enduring all this dreaming! :O)

Dreams

2008-08-28T00:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's almost 3:30 in the morning. My dreams woke me up. They often do. I was having a wide variety of dreams. One left me a little sad, as that "genre" of dreams always does. The dream ended with me hugging my sister Shana (only it wasn't really Shana, but that's not the point). We were in our old house. I have a lot of dreams where we're in our old house, which means I have a lot of dreams that we're one big happy family again. I really miss the days when we all lived together, the days before the divorce. Aside from me being a REALLY mouthy teenager with an out-of-control temper, we had a good thing going. I love my family, and it's still hard for me sometimes that we aren't together anymore.

One of my other dreams was just a little weird. This guy and I seemed to like each other. He kissed me along my jawline, which I thought was him just being sweet. Then he told me I needed to lose weight in my lips. Unless my lips grow to the size of Lafawnda's from Napoleon Dynamite, I don't foresee a guy ever telling me in real life that I need to lose weight in my lips. Haha, dreams can be so funny. :O)

Bi-Lo and Bad Weather

2008-08-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

These two things have nothing to do with each other, but I find I can be "title-challenged."

Friday evening, I went to Bi-Lo to purchase an assortment of Friday-evening-watching-movies-alone snacks. I wasn't sure what I wanted when I entered the store, so I sort of meandered around until "the snack" became obvious to me. I made a few observations while I was meandering. The first thing I noticed was the seemingly disproportionate amount of space dedicated to pork rinds. I've been to stores before in search of pork rinds for someone (definitely not myself) and could barely find them. Not in this Bi-Lo! There was a span of probably 10-15 feet 3 or 4 shelves high of pork rinds over by the frozen pizza (not near the chips, which was also bizarre). My second observation was the amount of space dedicated to Gold Fish. Granted, there are numerous varieties of Gold Fish crackers available these days, but over 1/6 of the entire cookie/cracker section was nothing but Gold Fish. They even got an end cap! My third observation was the strange layout of the store. Most Bi-Lo stores have a section devoted to things you might find at a child's birthday party: sodas, chips, cookies/crackers, and a bizarre assortment of small toys and party favors. So, if I want to buy a Friday evening snack, I usually head that way (or toward the freezer for some ice cream). In this store, all of those items are spread out, and the location of those items isn't exactly intuitive. To get to the cookies/crackers, I could take one of three routes (unless I took a strange maze-like route that some of you may want to suggest!):
1) walk through the freezer section that is in the middle of the store, hang a left at the pork rinds, and take a right a couple of aisles later
2) hang a left from the front of the store into the bakery section, walk straight back through the dairy section, hang a right at the back of the store, and hang another right a couple of aisles later
3) walk through the beer and wine section
All pretty obvious, typical ways to get to the cookies, right?

So, today we had bad weather - tornado warning kind of weather (there were a couple of actual tornados). I was at work during said bad weather, which I pretty much ALWAYS find amusing. A few of the ladies jump and squeal if there is thunder, and I'm almost always told to get away from the windows if there is any lightning. Updates are spouted out every few minutes, and cell phones are out all over the place. One thing I noticed today was that all of the "grown-ups" get very "parental" during severe weather. They're really concerned if someone leaves. They repeatedly tell everyone to be VERY careful and drive safe. One of my co-workers, a very fun and jovial kind of guy, even sent out a recommended evacuation plan today. Though I find it amusing, I also find it really sweet. I work for a great company with great people, and I'm very fortunate. :O)

Losing Brain Chelles

2008-08-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

I enjoy going to Blockbuster and purchasing previously viewed DVD's when they're 4 for $20. I did this last night, and I purchased season 1 of Laguna Beach for $5, which is a pretty sweet deal. So, what am I doing now? Watching season 1 of Laguna Beach. These people are so silly! That's the nicest thing I can say! DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA!! I'm losing brain chelles (hehe) watching them!

So why am watching them? I think it's because I'm so intrigued by them and the lives they lead. Their lives are SO different from how I've ever lived. I can't even fathom living in a mansion on the beach, driving a car that costs as much as a house, and throwing formal parties in hotel rooms. And they're high school students!!

In the episode I'm watching currently, two of the girls opted to spend their spring break in New York in lieu of Cabo (you know, the "what happens in Cabo stays in Cabo" kind of spring break). One of the girls has a broadway audition. I would be SO OK with that! Maybe someday ... :O)

A New Bloginning

2008-08-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

You may be asking, "Where (or what) is Rachelleville?" I had friends in high school who would give me a hard time either when I seemed to be lost in thought or when I started spouting off randomness. They would say I was in Rachelleville. Because, for me, blogging is typically a result of being lost in thought or is simply a time for me to spout off my randomness, Rachelleville seemed to be an appropriate location for my blogging. There is an official population of 1, but visitors are always welcome. Just be respectful of the customs of Rachelleville, and we'll get along just fine. :O)