Scarf Some Sweets Benefit

Just a few memorable moments from the benefit, hope you enjoy! For more check out my facebook. Thanks again for everyone's time and donations!

Andy + half shaven = half beardcore

Andy is SO weird! I guess that's why he makes a good student pastor.

This is what he decided to do before we get Santa pictures and before he goes to the UGA vs. GT game tomorrow. I guess if you can't make fun of yourself, you're too uptight.

My Thanksgiving Prayer.

Dear Abba,
Tomorrow, I will celebrate Thanksgiving. So right now, I want to thank you for all of the blessing you have given me. I want to thank you for my family. For my wonderful husband who was created for me. I love him and am so blessed and thankful to have him as a partner in this life. I am SO proud of him and the man that he is in you. He is a warrior, and he fights for me and my children. He protects us, encourages us, believes in us and is always giving to us. He brings me joy and comfort. I feel complete in him and most importantly, he makes me laugh. :)

I want to thank you for my children. I have never met angels until they were born. They are only 5 and 3 but I can already see their incredible connection to you. They bring me more happiness than can every be typed or even expressed in words. Their smiles and kisses light up my life and I would be content to watch them grow up forever. Their sweet spirits and unbridled joy are gifts that most people never receive...and you gave me two. Thank you Abba.


Thank you for my Mom and Dad, without them I would have been lost. Thank you for their amazing support and comfort. Thank you for their encouragement and never giving up on me. Thank you for their unconditional love. They have been a great representation of your grace and forgiveness. Thank you for my brothers, Age and Chew. They are amazing boys. And they are growing into incredible Godly men. Age has your joy and sense of humor. He will be a great leader and he will carry your light into dark places. Thank you for our special relationship. And Chew, he is wise beyond his years. You have given him the ability to speak truth into lies and trust into doubt. What a gift. Thank you for our special relationship. Thank you for the closeness that our family shares, it is a rare treasure.
And for Mayhay. Thank you for giving me a sister that is brave, beautiful (inside & out), compassionate, gifted, disciplined, bold, funny, eager, motivated and seeking after your heart. She is becoming everything that you have called her to be. She is rising up and following after you. Thank you for her willingness to go into all the world to share your truth and freedom. I am so proud of her. And I am super lucky (blessed) to have such an amazing sister and best friend. Go with her, be with her, protect and guide her.

And last but not least, I want to thank you for Tara. Many people go through this life without a relationship like mine and hers. Deep, deep colors. :) We may not be related by blood, but we are connected at the heart. God, thank you for Tara and all that she means to me. She is a woman of you. Of your heart and mind. She encourages me, challenges and lifts me up. She is also a part of my family. Forever will be.
Abba, I have a bajillion things to be thankful for. But all my relationships, especially the ones with my family (including T), are the most important things to me. They will never fade. They will be the only thing besides what I do on this earth for you, that will follow me into eternity. So God, thank you. I am a rich, extremely wealthy woman of you.

Amen

(Oh, and other relationships that I cherish deeply are my incredible small group, work peeps, all my students & fellow inside-out leaders! Just can’t blog about everyone or it would be never-ending! But I do pray for you all often I LOVE YOU ALL AND AM SO THANKFUL FOR YOU!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Viva la Clark Salon

So Elvis has taken over my work. He is addicting! You find yourself humming, uncontrollably. Who knew there was a 24 hour channel on XM called "Elvis Radio". Channel 18 if anyone was wondering. I have discovered a lot about Elvis that I never knew. He made over 31 movies. SERIOUSLY!?!?!? That's a lot of movies! Another thing is that Elvis transcends age and gender. Everyone loves Elvis. No matter who walked through our doors, everyone mentioned the King. (Some a little more passionate than others of course!) You can listen to 16 hours of his music and only hear 3 repeats. There are some seriously cool remixes of his stuff...He also had 31 number ones on the charts. People have some weird memories of the man that's for sure. In between songs, people tell stories. Some are cool and some are long winded and awkward. Anywho's, work has been interesting the past couple of days, that's for sure. Nothing like some Jail House Rock to get the party started!

The Shack.

So pretty much everyone that I know and care about has read this book. And EVERYONE has an opinion on it. It reminds me of this past election, everyone has a stance and everyone feels strongly about it. Many people that I have talked to did not like the book at all. Although, most of the people I have talked with has very mixed emotions about it. I for one, will say that I had emotions about it, but the were NOT mixed. I loved it. Everything and every part about it. In my opinion, it was a glorious and wonderfully told story about the heart of God, Papa. :) That was one of the favorite parts of the book for me, the fact that it refers to God as Papa. I have a name for God myself, Abba. (Which is "papa" in aramaic.) So obviously, I liked the book right off!

One of the main things that put people off about the book is that Papa reveals himself to the main character as a bigger black woman. First let me say, that God is capable of showing whatever part of himself to us that he wants. It made perfect sense to me that he did that. The main character had a bad childhood, with a father that beat him and his family growing up. It was a stumbling block for the main character to see God as a father figure, so he revealed himself to him as something that (for him) was easier to relate to. I also loved how God appeared as the trinity. Three separate entities. I believe that that was important as well, to show the different roles that Abba, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit plays in our lives.

Everything that I have learned over the past several years about the heart of God, what he cares about, values, why he created and what he desires were all in this book. He desires relationship, and that relationship is NOT forced, it is based on choices. Not selfish wants or needs, but selfless giving. True friendship.

God is NOT into rituals, institutions, or religion. Not into power or control, that only leads to selfish desire and unhealthy ambition. He doesn't want to simply be the highest priority in your life, he wants to BE your life. The importance of forgiveness, and the danger in holding in bitterness and pride in your heart. Why we shouldn't judge, why we CAN'T judge. Our desire for control in our lives and how we must give up control to be completely free. That we were created to be loved, and denying ourself love would be like clipping the wings to a bird, making it incapable to fly.

That whether or not we want to admit it, HE knows and desires what is best for us. That he can ALWAYS take something ugly and evil and turn it glorious and beautiful. That I am a beautiful MESS! Just because God always knows the path we are going to take, doesn't mean we don't have a choice in the matter. The one thing Abba wants from us is our trust, that we trust him to know and do what is best for us.

One of my favorite moments in the book is when the main character, Mack, is sitting down for breakfast with Papa. His is upset and questioning Papa about him punishing people.

So he asks, "Honestly, don't you enjoy punishing those who disappoint you?" At that, Papa stopped her preparations and turned toward Mack. He could see a deep sadness in her eyes. "I am not who you think I am Mackenzie. I don't need to punish people for their sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It's not my purpose to punish it; it's my joy to cure it."

I love that. People think that God's desire is to punish us when we do wrong. But that is NOT his heart or desire, he wants to free us and cure us from the darkness that sin brings into our lives. Thank you Abba, for wanting me to be free! For wanting to cure all of the sickness and yuck that is inside me.

There are SO many things like this that I love about this book; honestly, there are too many to list. I already want to read it again. One last quote to end this post....

"My purposes are not for my comfort, or yours. My purposes are always and only an expression of love. I purpose to work life out of death, to bring freedom out of brokenness and turn darkness into light."

What's your heart tied to?

So the bible is clear...where your treasure is, your heart will be also. Treasure in this world=money. So, where your money goes there your heart will be as well. If nothing else, this makes me think where my heart is. I mean where does my money go? This is easier for me to gauge now that I make tips. I have a wad of cash in my pocket, what do I spend it on?

It has become increasingly apparent to me that my heart is in my stomach.

I love food. Like, love it. All of it. I spend my very hard earned tips on food. I should just sit on the side of the road and hold a sign that reads: "Will shampoo for a cookie." No kidding. Feel free to laugh at me. I do all the time.

Seriously though, what do you spend your money on? If you have an extra $10, $25, or $100, what would you do with it? It will tell alot about you... and be honest with yourself. How are you ever going to grow or learn if you never fess up to your short-comings? Mine is my stomach. I know that I need to work on self-control and distinguishing what is a need and a desire. I need lunch, I don't need Alley Beans full supply of home made giant cookies. Oh, but they are good....NO! Self-control, wait, I think I still have one left downstairs....STOP! YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? I HAVE PROBLEMS!

So I'll make a deal with you... you help hold me accountable with my tip money, and I'll help you with whatever you are willing to open up with me about. Let's do our best to help hold each other accountable in keeping our hearts tied to something worth having our heart tied to... and I rather it not be indigestion. :)

Beauty School Dropouts and Flobots?

So as a lot of you know, I quit school to work full time. Yes, you can sing the song from Grease next time you see me. Feel free. I just wanted to update you all on how it is going. I LOVE it. It is going SO well. I definitely made the right decision for me and my family. I am learning a ton, and am already cutting some hair. I am working at Clarke Salon, it is off Bells Ferry. So it is super close to home. Just wanted to let you know that I am very excited about the future and looking forward to all that is to come.



Oh, and just in case any of you were wondering...the Flobots are fantastic. Their show was incredible and I can't wait till they come back to the ATL. If you like a compilation of rap/rock/instrumental....you should pick up their album. They certainly have a message they want to convey and are passionate about change. I like that about them. Seriously, their show was amazing. Had a great time...Thanks for being my bodyguard Joe. And for protecting me from the sneezing man in the bushes. So weird. And a bit freaky.

Scarf Some Sweets Benefit

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you all know about a benefit that I am some friends of mine are putting on for Amanda. It will be an amazing night of fashion and desserts. Literally, you will be eating desserts while watching a fashion show! It will be an awesome time had by all so I hope that you buy a ticket or table and come hang out with us on December 6. If you would like to come be a part just contact me. All of the money raised will go to help Amanda's outreach efforts in Cambodia and Thailand. Thanks and hope to see you there!

The benefit will be held in Towne Lake on Saturday December 6, from 7:30 to 9:00pm. The cost is $10 a plate or $40 for a table. (4 seats per table) There is also a VIP table available ($100) that will have special seating and a take home gift per seat (some desserts and a skinny.) Please call me or email me if you are interested. Limited seating available so let me know soon!

My babies

Here's a quick video Andy made (for Amanda) showing the kids playing in our guest room.


Kids from Andy Jone on Vimeo.

IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL!

It should be illegal for the following things to exist or be able to occur:

1. For it to be 45 degrees in the morning and 75 the SAME afternoon. How is one supposed to react to that? Especially when you can't take your clothes off?!?
2. For my kids to be this beautiful.
3. For people to judge other people. You never know what is going on beneath the surface. As far as you know, my kids could be autistic. Wait....
4. Diets. Not healthy eating, I'm all for that. But diets....Nope! Don't deprive yourself, just have good eating habits. It's all about lifestyle baby, no short term fixes!
5. For 2 people that I love dearly to be on different continents!
6. Did I mention the weather thing?
7. Really bad smelling flatulence. Wow, that's a big word. Much more dignified than gas. :)
8. For my babies to be sick.
9. My husband should be illegal. Not because he crossed the border or anything...he's just that awesome!
and finally number 10. It should be illegal that the word illegal is so awkward to spell. Wait, so is the word awkward. Fitting.

Heeps of love to ya!

Heeps of love to ya babe!

So as you all know, my sister Amanda (aka Mayhay) is in Australia. She is currently attending Discipleship school and training in preparation for 2 months of outreach (missions.) She is probably going to be going to Thailand, but will know for sure in a couple of days. I talked to her tonight and can honestly say that I have never been more proud of her.

Her motives are pure, she just wants to do the most for our savior possible. She is beautiful, and happy and seems more content with herself than I have ever seen her. She is bold and passionate.

I say all of this, because of what she will be doing if she does in fact go to Thailand. From the little bit that we talked, I found out that she would be working with an organization in a city that works with pulling prostitutes out of the biz. I'm talking sex trafficking. There is a specific location, a string of bars that they work out of. She would be visiting the bars with 3 other girls and "buying" them. They would then in turn take them to location (I'm guessing a safe house of sorts.) They give them a place to stay and a job, making jewelry, etc.

I'm not going to lie. It sounds dangerous. But what an incredible opportunity and privilege, to be able to see someone's entire future change because of your courage and boldness. (Well, Christ's courage and boldness from the holy spirit, but you know what I'm talking about!) I am SO proud that she is going to be doing something SO mighty and life-changing. What an honor.

Mayhay, I love you so much, it's almost silly! I am so proud of you and all you are doing. You are an inspiration to me and all of us girls you left at home. God is going to use you in ways you have only dreamed of. He is going to use you to change lives...You have already changed mine. I pray safety all over you! You are my sister and best friend, I love you!

My Worldview. Or Godview. How about "My View".

So I just had some dialogue through Facebook with a friend of mine. We feel differently about alot of things and it got me thinking (as it normally does when we talk,) what exactly do I think and why? She mentioned my worldview. "Worldview" a word that we through around alot, but do we ever really verbalize it? Have you ever really pondered and expressed your worldview? Not someone else's words....but your own? I have finally done it, and I wanted to share it with you. Here is an excerpt of my responses to my friend. Just a peek into my brain:

"I love to read peoples views on God and the world. I do not take anything that anyone (author or otherwise) says as gospel. That is reserved for the Bible. I read things and let the Holy Spirit reveal to me if it is truth or not. I also compare it to his word. Secondly, I base my life and my ideas on the life of Jesus. I figure, if Christ was God's spirit on earth, and perfect and righteous, then what better life to follow after. Him alone.

Let me preface this next section, I don't agree with Obama, nor do I want him to be president. But I am not so concerned with my "freedom as a believer" as I am my relationship with people. (We were talking about the definition of marriage and other religious freedoms here.) You may not agree with this, but I don't think that God cares how "America" defines marriage as he is how I treat homosexuals. The bottom line is that HE defines marriage as between a man and woman. I define marriage that way. But if I alienate homosexuals (the people that God is after) because I am worried about losing my freedom as a believer, then I have just lost my witness. Jesus didn't make them feel unworthy, he ate with them. He didn't point a finger in their face and say, you are wrong and I am right, he won them over with love. I have a gay friend at school. And my one and only goal is to demonstrate Christ's joy, and unrequited love. Not based on who you are or what you have done. Now, if he asked me, I will tell him that I do not agree with his lifestyle, but I don't agree with mine either sometimes. I will tell him that I care for him and love him and that God is after him.

My world view is that all that matters is the eternal, everything else will burn and die. Jesus came for souls, for his children. And that is my focus. Governments will fall. Politics will change. These earthly kingdoms are secondary to HIS kingdom. My worldview is that I am NOT of this world. That's why it is not my main concern.

The bottom line is: I care more about people and showing them Christ's light than I do about what America does and doesn't do. It's okay if we don't agree, I kinda like that about us. I just wanted to let you know where I was coming from. I appreciate your prayers and will pray for you too."

Your friend and sister in Christ,
Steen


I hope that this inspires you to think about what you believe and why. And I would love to hear your worldview, in your own words, tell me your worldview (or Godview!)

One point Graduated Bob, Whos ya momma?!?

Yeah, so today at school we learned to do a 1-point graduated bob (like Victoria Beckham) and I nailed it! YAYA, YAYA! Well, after a little help from the instructor. But you know how it goes. I was so proud. I know, it's just one haircut. But a lot of people get some variation of the cut and it gave me so much confidence. Which, you need in this biz. So world, watch out for me and my scissors.....DON'T MAKE ME CUT YOU! Cause now, I wouldn't hesitate!

Oh, by the way, I am officially on the floor at school so I can take clients. Come in and see me, I am there from 9-2 Tuesday through Friday. Cobb Beauty College in Kennesaw. Prices are cheap, (we are still learning after all!) Love you all and thanks for your support!

A tribute to the Three Amigos: Tayhaymaysteenster

Here are just a few pictures from the past few years of me, Amanda, and Tara. We have taken 3 road trips together. We have been close friends for the past 3 years. (Ever since Peypey was born! I think all of us watching her being born bonded us for life!) We are quite a threesome. Triple threat. Three's company. Tri-angels if you will... Man, I crack myself up! Love you both, and miss you both.




>




Forever...

Good day Mate, care to go on a walkabout?

So I just put my sister on a plane to Australia. Poopers. I cried. But I am still in denial about it. I don't feel like she is gone. I don't know when it will hit me. I think right now I am going to turn off all the lights and crawl into bed and call it a day. Of my trio, I am the only one left. Tayhaymaysteenster has just become steenster. It's a good thing I'm a rockstar and will bounce back fast.

P.S. I have Vertical Reality this weekend, and will post more when I get back. But until then, I love you Mayhay my darling. You are my one and only see-ster!

Top Ten (First Edition)

Top Ten Things you may not know about me. (Or maybe you do!)

10. I like to sing opera. Badly.
9. I am NOT disciplined by nature. Quite lazy in fact.
8. I secretly like Miley Cyrus.
7. I listen to the same CD for about a month before I change it.
6. My favorite drink is a Roy Rodgers. Yeah, I know.
5. My eyes water when I yawn.
4. I daydream... constantly.
3. My eyes water when I get my hair done.
2. Family is VERY important to me.
1. (The sad thing is, most of you know this about me!) My eyes water when I poop.

I am a very odd person. Not to mention a weird eye connection with the rest of my body!

Big kids at the Fair...

So the fam went to the North Georgia Fair over the weekend and I must say, we had a BALL! We had fun ourselves and loved watching Eli and Peyton have fun. Eli rode a few rides, which just thrilled us all so much. There is nothing better in this world than my E smiling with joy, as you will see in the following pictures. We made some great memories and you can't beat that. Here are just a few of the candid pics from the fair.

Eli giving daddy a high five every time the carousel went around!


Me and Eli going down the huge slide together...


Eli attempting to jump on the trampoline with the harness, he liked it until it took him too high! He decided to give his turn to his uncle AJ.


Speaking of AJ. Oh heavens...


And my favorite! Of course we should of known that Nemo would have made him smile!

Thank you Amanda for suggesting we go. Thank you Mom and Dad for making us do it. And thank you God for giving me such an incredible family. I love you all.

The better world shopping guide.

So while we were in Asheville, I bought a book about a subject that had been on my mind. I have blogged about it before. Being a better consumer. Supporting people and companies that are trying to make a difference in this world. Well, this book was an answer to alot of questions that I had. It spells out the companies that are making a good impact and the ones that are not. It rates companies A-F according to everything from their impact on the environment, human rights, philanthropy, corporate crime, community involvement and so on. The man who wrote it has been researching this for over 15 years and it is very thorough. If you want more info than I am going to give you, you can check out www.betterworldshopper.org. I will continue to post things along this subject and please let me know if you want more, because I will tell you...this is very interesting and eye opening.

The below list represents the 10 BEST companies on the planet based on their overall social and environmental records.

1. Seventh Generation
2. Patagonia
3. American Apparel
4. Eden Foods
5. Tom's of Maine
6. Ben & Jerry's
7. Working Assets
8. Clif Bar
9. Sonyfield Farms
10. Aveda

The below list represents the 10 WORST companies on the planet based on their overall social and environmental records.
1. Exxon-Mobil
2. Altria (Philip Morris)
3. Wal-mart
4. Chevron-Texaco
5. Pfizer
6. Nestle
7. Tyson Foods
8. General Electric
9. Archer Daniels Midland
10. General Motors

If you are wondering, the book does offer companies in EVERY category that are good companies. Like the one of the best places you can by gas is from BP/Amoco. A couple of the best retail stores is IKEA & REI (both A companies.) Target is alot better than Wal-mart. This a wonderful book that really maps out how to make a difference with our purchases. It has everything from a HUGE range of food companies to airlines, retail, utilities and cosmetics. If any of ya'll are interested in more information please let me know or check out his website. More about this to come, I promise. We can make a difference, every dollar counts!

The Hair torch!

So last night we had a "Passing of the Hair Torch" ceremony. Well, not so much as a ceremony as a night of doing hair. My sister showed me her tricks and we transferred all friends and family clients to me while she is away. I did my first haircut on a real person, and my first foils! YAY! More pics will follow, but for now, here is some of last night!

Resistant to Change?

I like change, it keeps things exciting...Doesn't it? I do like change, in relatively normal size doses. You know, one thing at a time. Like a job change, or relationship change, or buying/ selling a car, you kids starting school, people close to you moving away, you know stuff like that. BUT WHAT IF ALL OF IT CHANGED AT THE EXACT SAME TIME?!?!?!? UUUUHHHHHGGGGG, this is CRAZY! I just started school, I have to start work, I haven't talked to my best friend in weeks, my roomie (Amy) is moving out in 2 weeks, we are selling one of our cars, Peypey starts school in less than 2 weeks, and my only beautiful, wonderful sister is moving across the world! How is a person supposed to deal with all of this?

I know the Sunday School answer is God. Yes, he is here for me and will get me through. But come on, really? This is a load. Yes, Andy, I just said "load." Why does it alway seem to happen this way? Everything at once, this isn't the first time this has happened. It's just alot to deal with, and I am trying. I miss Tara, I miss my kids during the day, and I don't want to even THINK about Mayhay leaving...

She leaves 2 weeks from today.

Wow, I just sat here for like 10 minutes because I don't even know what to type following that. I will write about her alot more over the next 2 weeks. Looking forward to spending the day with her tomorrow! We are going to have alot of fun, a day of pampering (for her!) I guess just focusing on one day at a time is a start...

Asheville, America's Hippie Town

So me and Andy got to go to Asheville a couple of weekends ago to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary! We had a blast, that is until Andy got sick :( But we still had a good time after that just resting and chilling in the motel room. I love Asheville, it's a great town where I feel very at home. Very artsy and relaxed. Definitely a hippie town, people in dreads playing their guitars or sipping on coffee, I really liked it. We had fun, walking around the city, shopping at different shops, painted some pottery, ate some great food, listened to music in the park, good times.

The drive up was so great. We drove the jeep and had the top off, a.m. was pretty cold but as the day worn on it was perfect. We left fairly early in the morning and as we drove up 575 I realized how different everything looked in the morning. Dew was every where, and it made everything sparkle. It looked almost as if there was glitter strewn on all the grass and bushes. Every blade of grass stood out and sparkled, it was quite beautiful! Plus it was foggy. And fog is great because it makes everything feel and look different. Magical or mystical. Sometimes fog makes me feel like I am in another place, like I stepped into Lord of the Rings or some other mystical land.



Anywho, you know how sometimes if you catch it just right, you can see the suns rays breaking through the clouds? Or if a tree is blocking the sun, you can see the rays outlining everywhere the sun can push through? I LOVE seeing the suns rays, it ALWAYS reminds me of God. I am not sure why, I feel like it is him shining down on me, a visible reminder and I love it. I realized as I was riding along that it wasn't until something blocked the sun that I could see the rays shining around it. Clouds or tree lines, it took something to block it for me to see God shine around it...I think that we can see that in our lives. Something gets in our way, blocks our sight of God...and it is then that we see him shine around it. Nothing can block him completely because he is everywhere, infinite. Not only do I love my Abba Daddy, but I love and appreciate when he reveals truths about himself through things that I enjoy and understand.

McCain vs. Obama, Does God Care?

I am not going to lie. I am alittle confused about this election. It's not about Republicans vs. Democrates because I am not either one. It's more about issues, what issues does God care about? Poverty, loving one another, people's lives, etc. I know that Jesus loves babies, and I believe that abortion is wrong. But does God care about them more than the innocent children dying in Iraq? I don't think so. I am not a fan of this war. I believe that their are times for war, especially when we are defending people who can't otherwise defend themselves (WWII). And I don't agree with this one, BUT I don't want it to be handled wrong at the end and had been for nothing. See where I am having issues with the issues?!?

What does GOD care about? Does he even care who should be president? The only thing I know for sure about Jesus' beliefs on politics is that he hated when people did terrible things in God's name, the pharisees for example. They were the Jewish politics of the day, and he despised them. But Rome was the super power of the day, and he didn't really say much about them.... So where does that leave us?

I know that it is my "duty as an American citizen" to vote. And I know that I need to. But my first duty is NOT to America. It is to My Jesus. So what do I do? I would love some feed back from you guys. I did a little research today and here are a few things that I liked that both candidates said at their speeches at their respective conventions.

Obama: talking about the parties uniting...
"We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort."

McCain: He loves this country, I may not agree with how much he loves it, but I would think that it would be a good quality for a president!.....
"I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.
If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you're disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist in our Armed Forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed. Our country will be the better, and you will be the happier. Because nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself. "

At this point and time, I have NO idea who I am going to vote for, if I even do vote. How about ya'll, what do you think?

Welp, Big Gulps...

Sorry, it's been 12 hundred years since I have blogged. And unfortunately, it's been a packed 2 weeks. ALOT has happened, which hopefully I will blog all about. Just to help keep me accountable, I am going to list the things I want to blog about so ya'll can make sure I write about them all. If I start to slack, just smack me back into place!

1. Politics: I am having some confusion about it all.... Does God even care? And if so, what does he care more about? (More to follow...)
2. The drive up to Asheville. Yes, we went to Asheville and had an incredible time, until Andy got sick! (More to follow...)
3. My new favorite band: Flobots. (Again, more to come...)
4. Andy and I have just recovered from strep throat, and God used it to teach me some things! (Yes, more later!)
5. I have discovered that I am in a new phase of life.... you know the drill....
6. My jawbreaker progress....
7. School...
8. Eli is POTTY TRAINED! No more to follow on that but a PRAISE JESUS! Do I hear an amen?
9. Accountability with my spiritual walk...

So as you can see I have alot that I want to catch you up on and questions that I need help answering. I have received alot of revelations and affirmation over the past few weeks but also have some unanswered and lingering questions. Please keep me accountable to blog about all of these things cause I need that to follow through sometimes. Life has been really busy, even more than I thought it would be. I am definitely still trying to adjust. I love you all and thank you for your prayers.

Happy Birthday to Tara!

So, Happy Birthday honey! Just a little something silly to brighten your day...

UUUHHHHHHGGGGG! So I am trying to post a video I made for you, but it WON'T let me! So I will try to post it sometime soon. I love you, and miss you and hope that you are having an awesome birthday. Hope to talk to you soon love!

Well slap me silly and call me Peacock.

Yes, I was the project for my class this week. They all had a hand in creating my fun new colorful hair. And no, I don't normally where make-up, much less this much! My instructor made me over for a little photoshoot fun!

Rooted in sin, but grew into glory.

So I am not sure how all of you will feel about this post. So feel free to be honest about it. Most of you have heard by now about the song "Healer". It is a powerful song about God's healing power. It was written by a man who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Well, so we thought. It turns out that for 2 years, this man had mislead his church, the world, maybe even his family. He was NOT dying. His was all an act.

After hearing this news, I was surprised how UNaffected I felt. I wasn't really upset or sad or angry. Maybe it's because of the whole Todd Bentley issue, I am learning slowly not to put my hope and faith into people, but rather what God is doing through people in spite of our flaws! Anywho, I wondered alittle bit how it would make me feel next time I went to sing it. And sure enough I got my chance to this past Sunday.

I didn't feel anything other than love and passion for my creator. The truth is the truth. And the truth is, that God IS my healer, he is all I need. More than enough for me.

But it did get me to thinking about some stuff. I think that we as Christians need to face something. That the truth doesn't always come from a "christian" box. It's not always neat and clean. The truth can be found in other things like liberals, democrats, secular music, even a lie. Because I believe that somehow, through God's redemption, truth came from a lie in this case. This song was created in deception, lies, and schemes. But it shouts the truth of God's love and grace. Isn't it interesting? What do ya'll think about this?

I personally think that we can find God's truth in "ungodly" places. I seem to be able to stumble across them anywhere!

Recap of my first week...

So my first week of school went great. I have learned some things about my self... How bout I share?

A. It is not as hard as I thought to wake up early.
B. My least favorite thing to do is wrap perms.
C. I treat my mannequin, Nuni, like a person.
D. I like to be good at things and if I'm not, I don't like it!
E. I am a perfectionist.
F. My least favorite thing to do is wrap perms.
G. I really like to meet fun, different types of people.
H. I love and miss my kiddies.
I. I have to recite the alphabet to remember what letter comes next.
J. I need food at least every 3 hours.
K. The thought of wrapping 63 more perms doesn't make me ultra excited.
L. I like facials and skin care way more than I thought.
M. I like bookwork, who knew?
N. I forgot how hard it is to have a 9-5.
O. Jeez, the perms! Lol...
P. No matter how hard I try, I won't eat the sack lunch I bring from home.
Q. I like Mexican and country style food too much!
R. There are alot of funny jokes you can make while rolling perms!
S. I am learning to keep track of EVERYTHING I do, little and big.
T. Reminder: you can't judge a book by it's cover.
U. I do not like hair on me.
V. Nor in my comb.
W. I have am glad to have some one to go through this with, thanks Ames.
X. I have great friends who will let me experiment on them.
Y. Maybe I should specify, I only hate straight back perms...
Z. I AM REALLY GOING TO LOVE THIS!

P.S. Shout out to my amazingly wonderful sister who completed my first week of school perfectly. She surprised me on Saturday afternoon with flowers and candy! How lucky am I? Thank you Mayhay for making my already great first week even better! I love you...Thank you for inspiring me to do this!

Peace and Bubbles.

Okay, sorry guys. This one is for Tara. Every now and then, I have to do this. And gushy alert: Forewarning of the mushy.

Tara, you have been gone for 47 days. In Alias, this is somehow a significant number. I can't help but see the correlation. Today is the day that I officially miss you. I mean, I have missed you up until now trust me. It was a missing but not the "I broke down because I realized that not only am I going to miss you this minute, but I will continue to have to miss you for the next 10 months" miss you. If THAT could possible make any sense! :)

I just talked to you a few minutes ago. I love talking to you, it makes me feel happy. I got off with you to get in the bath, and preceded to cry. I mean, cry. That blubbery, silent "I don't want anyone to hear me" cry. I am crying right now. I miss you. You bring me joy. I miss your excitement and passion and upliftment. Is that even a word? Lol... And for those of you reading this not Tara, I know that everything is as it should be, I know that we are both were we are supposed to be and I know that God has something to teach me in all of this. I am not looking for an answer or solution or anything....I just miss my best friend.

I feel so lucky, most people are not this lucky. I not only have a husband who is my best friend and partner. But I have you, my counter part and kindred spirit. I love you and am so happy that you are living your dream. But.....I am aching. I wish I could call you and tell you about the funny thing that happened to me, the old ladies that asked me to have lunch with them today, school, the kids, things I don't understand. I miss you. I love you and miss you...it sounds so stupid saying it this many times. I wish there were other words to say it. How can 3 short little words mean so much? It's not dramatic enough for me. :) And you know that I love the dramatic. Trust me, I look dramatic right now....sitting at the computer crying.

I love you, and think about you a gazillion times a day. I am praying for you and with I could see you soon. Maybe next time it's raining I'll pretend to walk with you in the rain....well, there go the waterworks again! BLAH!

You are my sunshine.
Peace and Bubbles.

Who do YOU look to?

So I found out some sad information today. For those of you who know me well, know that I have followed, watched, and attended the Lakeland revival. There has been relentless criticism of the revival and of Todd personally. A few days ago Todd announced that his marriage is over. And today, all of the naysayers get to say "I told you so."

Except they shouldn't.

Who do you look to? Did you go the revival to see the crazy tattooed preacher man? Or did you go to experience God? If you went for the latter, then you found it I am sure. If you went or watched for the first, then that's probably all you got. No one, even Todd ever said that he was worthy to carry such a move of God. God uses broken people to carry out his works, and I have heard Todd say that MANY times over. This revival was never about him or his short comings. It was about showing the world a part of God that we tend to shy away from. We don't like to talk or hear about the things we don't understand, and I believe whole-heartedly that God used Todd Bentley to usher in a movement that will not soon stop, if ever.

I am praying for Todd and his family. The pressure and attention that this revival must of put on his family had to have been intolerable. I pray for reconciliation and forgiveness and love.

And for all of the people who are relishing in this man's pain, all of the "christians" that are saying, "SEE! I told you that man wasn't from God!", I truly feel sorry for you. He has his issues and don't we all, but don't criticize a man for his passion and desire to see God move in a tangible way. At least he put himself out there and tried to change the world. If more people got off their bums and did something instead of criticizing those who do, the world would be a better place. Who do we look to? Instead of looking to preachers and authors and people, let's just look to God. Chances are, you will find him somewhere you wouldn't of expected!

"Mandanas"

I was SO pumped to get my new bag in the mail today. This is a bag I ordered from a little shop in Chattanooga called The World Next Door. Ya'll have heard me talk about it before I know. The last couple of times I was up there, this bag caught my eye. I LOVED it. I just never had a reason to get a large shoulder bag, until now! I need one for school, for my notebooks and books, etc. So immediately I decided I wanted to get the tree bag.

A few days later I was in Target, one of my favorite overall stores, and saw a couple of bags I liked. Not as much as the tree bag mind you, but I thought that maybe it would just be easier to get one of those so I wouldn't have to order the other and pay shipping. Then, out of nowhere, I thought about an article about a documentary that I had wanted to watch called What would Jesus buy. Now I know that it sounds really corny, but it talked about big chain stores and sweatshops and the little guys not making it. And it hit me, if I really wanted to make a difference in the world, why not pay attention to where I buy stuff? The WND is a fair trade fed. member. All their products are purchased from the "little guys" in other countries, therefore supporting people who otherwise can't make a living. So, as corny as it sounds....What would Jesus buy? Who would he want to support? Where would he want his money to go? I put the bag down and asked Andy to go ahead with the bag online. Look at the tag that came with the bag:

This is a fair trade product, handmade by artisans of Marwar villages in Rajasthan, India. This applique work is done by women of these villages. The applique designs are inspired by nature & "Mandanas" (traditional patterns made on floor". These are draught prone regions and this art is the main source of income in drought & non agricultural times. Income from this art helps in development of this community by bringing education, electricity, and healthcare.

Now, would I have that same experience had I bought at Target? No way. I am not saying let's all boycott Target, hardly. Let's just think about some of the things that we could get somewhere else, at a place that could make a difference. You want some original jewelry? Go to a fair trade store, their jewelry is beautiful and handcrafted. Gifts? They have a variety of fun and different gifts, from cloths to accessories, to journals made from elephant dung! I think that might be my next purchase! Lol. My point is, let's just hide this in our heart and think before we make our next purchase. I am learning that the little things matter, they make a difference.

Check out worldnextdoormarket.blogspot.com, they have a link to their online store. It's awesome. Shout out to Nathan and his wife! Thanks for all you have done to make a difference!

E all grown up!

So today was Eli's first day of kindergarten! What?!? Am I old enough to have a child in elementary school? I don't feel that old, but then some days I feel 37. Some thing about having children (not babies, but children) makes one feel older than they are. I am SO excited about this year though. We are so blessed to have an amazing teacher for Eli. He is in a self-contained autistic classroom with 2 other little boys, (both autistic) as well as a teacher and para-pro. He is going to be in a perfect environment to learn and grow. He will get to have speech therapy and OT, but get the benefit of being with the regular ed kids at lunch, PE, art, and music throughout the week! The best of both worlds, one on one learning time but social interaction with a lot of other kids.

And his teacher is perfect, she is VERY knowledgeable about autism and strict when it come to teaching and making a difference, but she also LOVES Eli so much. She jokes around that if he comes home one day with his cheeks missing it's because she kissed them all off! But I know that she will be on Andy and I to incorporate as much learning at home as possible, she will be able to help us at home as well as in the classroom, which is just so above and beyond what we could ask for. I can't thank God enough for the amazing teachers he has put in my kids life! His teacher from last year (pre-k) misses him so much, she decided to work in his class in Waumba Land on Sundays so she could be with him! Isn't that amazing! I can't wait to see how much he changes over the next year...it's going to be great to watch! I will keep ya'll updated on how he is doing. FYI: He had a GREAT first day!

I love my adorable E so much, he has so much to offer the world. He has offered me a different perspective, patience and acceptance. He has shown me that the world is not black and white, there are shades of grey and to never judge a book by it's cover. He has brought me extreme joy, as well as tears. But it is in the tears that I learn and stretch. He has taught me gratitude. God has used him to show me his glory manifested. I have never seen a person that holds such Godly favor among man before. People see God's hand on his life and it draws them to him. I am so proud to call Eli my son. How much more is God proud to call us his.