Just today and my thoughts

Today is Monday and the last week of school. I was shown how to put the link to this on here and haven't done it for so lond that now I have forgotten. Ya all stop laughing at this techy struggling blogger friend.



Ya all amaze me at what you put on here and how you get it on here. I will take any private lesson any of you would like to come over and give me. :)





So I can't cut and paste so I need to retype these every time so it takes a bit so I will only be doing this when I have a bit of time :)


Outside my window.... a bird is chirping a happy song in the sun. Probably calling it's little one for breakfast. Thinking of all it must do today. A gentle reminder to me that God cares for the sparrow I know he cares for me!!!

I'm thinking ... about my mental list for today, where to start in the house and how I should enjoy this last week of school and my "free" time. Ha Ha

I'm going.... to go out at buy the white shirt my daughter Jennifer needed to bring to school today and forgot to tell me about and had to call me from school so she can decorate it at school today. ;) but not till after AJ wakes up.

I'm reading.... tune in Bible study/book and the Psalms, read Psalm 39, 40 and 41 this a.m. They were good, go read them :)

I'm hoping....to accomplish much today. First and foremost to rest in Him. Don't know what that looks like for today but I hope to do it. Then dishes, buy a shirt, bring it to school, maybe a load of laundry, 10 minute pick up and drive to hubby at work and have lunch outside his work in the sunshine.

Around the house....are things that need to be picked up, outside are flowers that I just planted and need to be watered.

I'm pondering....how I am going to be more efficient for the summer and also a bit more independent.

One of my favorite things.....is blooming flowers in the sunshine.

On my mind.....is praying for a friend for our 8 year old Brandon to play with. He is lonely for his friend Cole in Iowa.

A few plans for the rest of the week....get prepared for summer a few activities planned or at least decided so we can get them on the calendar. Paint Brandon's room, hang AJ curtain, finish AJ's border and road. Get AJ's new bed and put it up. Plus the usually should fill it up in a hurry.

A picture to share.. we will see if this comes in here OK so say a prayer I need to shut down my computer and my pics are not in my CM memory manager. Strange. So you need to envision a pic and say a prayer that I can add one later today after finding them!!!!

A goal for today.....not waste all my time trying to find things on the computer /sit and read a book with Aaron

My excercise today....did my new "melt it off" video this a.m. and my arms are telling me Ha Ha

Just today and my thoughts

This is a weekly post I hope we can enjoy together. The Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window... I see sunshine and grass coming up I also think we might have a lilac bush. This morning I say the mountains from the breakfast table.

I'm Thinking... about all that I would love to accomplish today. Will I turn it over to the Lord or try and orchestrate it myself. I wish it was more natural to turn it over.

I'm Thankful for... my husband driving the kids to school this morning. How much quicker I get into my day then. and that AJ is still sleeping

I'm Going.... to scrapbook with friends for the a.m. need to get loaded and going soon :)

I'm reading ... too many books at one time. Get Out of that Pit by Beth Moore

I'm hoping ... to get to unloading Braelynn's room today so I can paint this evening

Around the house... the breakfast dishes still are on the table... the office is a DISASTER... a load of laundry is waiting to go in.

I am pondering... how to make this house OUR HOME!! we just moved in well it was 4 months ago and I pray it can become ours and feel like home soon soon!

One of my favorite things... is a carmel latte from Panera Bread

On my mind... is how to curve our kids from so much screen time, computers, tv, etc.

A few plans for the rest of the week... tackle some paperwork, finish our lockers in the garage, would love to clean the office, paint AJ's new room and Braelynn's new room we are switching them.

A picture for fun... (we'll see if I can import one ):)

Well I tried importing and it will only do it at the befinning how funny and I can't do a better one this is from my nephew's wedding in March. We had a wonderful time and we even took a moment to snap a picture. There was one I liked better but can't get back to it or even open it now or get it on here too funny. Hopefully this will get easier - Carey I may need another tutor lesson here start looking for more cheap tickets :) lol

My added ones:

A goal for today... Get coupons clipped for my husband like he asked and Braelynn's room emptied to start painting it for AJ

My excercise today... I walked/ran around the park 2 times this morning.

Whew What A Week

As I look back over the last week I stop and think about all the places God took me in my heart. Pretty amazing that He would venture that many places with me. First I flew back to Iowa for my wonderful mothers Birthday. Happy Birthday mom and as Braelynn says "she is going to have many more" I am good with that. We will see what the Lord has planned huh :)

I was greeted at the airport by wonderful friends with coffee in hand. It was a true blessing to walk back into the open arms of friendship. I have missed those friendships but I do see God growing us all. We may not like it but yes he is growing us all. Isn't He.

We made our trek back to the valley and even the corn fields look different or maybe I just look at them differently. The wide open spaces and all the fresh air. :) My mom and sister were on the steps ready to greet me with hugs and love. Just as if I had never left. But someone was missing. Dad you would have been the first to greet me with hugs and tears of joy for the opportunity God was giving us to see each other again in health. But you weren't there were you. No you are greeting me and cheering me on from heaven. I hope you had a good seat as you watched us all. I am still waiting as I walk in the house for you to come out of the computer room with another "What's goin' on around here" and one more "Watch out boy..." for AJ. Do you know how much you are missed dad. Did I really appreciate each of our wonderful talks. Yes I did and yes I do think you knew. You were an amazing dad and I love you. I miss you more than words can express and yet I know you would not want another day here on earth for all the glory you are experiencing now. So I am off to enjoy today but with just a slight tear in the eye as yet things are not all as they should be, not yet, not today....
processing and walking one more step on this journey of grief...

Spiritual Confetti

Went to a "Women's Tea" at a community church, was invited by a friend. It was a wonderful treat. A little different walking into a room of 50 women and not knowing one. Lord this is such a different feeling, why Lord have you brought me here? Why Lord have you called our entire family to a journey of firsts, unknowns, and often strange feelings? Yet you have and we have answered the call and moved. This is going to be fun I say to myself. You will meet someone God has intentionally laid out for you to meet. I write my name tag and I am escorted to my table. I look for my name tag and I find it next to my friend Melissa. Guest is says. I think oh nice I don't even have a name and yet Lord you know my name. I am your Guest. Do I treat you as my Guest? I set down my purse and take a step to the side. I look around, I see ladies sharing stories, everyday things going on in their lives. I don't know any of them, they don't know me. Is this what the Lord wants me to see. This is like the world; and I am placed here to share with the people I meet many who don't know Him. Am I that excited to share with others the very things He has placed on my heart. Melissa arrives and whew "I know someone" and they know me. Just as we are about to sit down. I have introduced myself to a couple of the ladies. We share tea and scones. Learned about what a "full tea" and a "high tea" are - couldn't repeat it now though because I can't remember. How funny is that. We eat our treats and little sandwiches, dainty as they are and sip tea from beautiful china tea cups. It is nice. I feel like I am being served a dose of HIS love in nice settings and wonderful fellowship just being women. Discussions of books they have read, trips they have taken, love that has been given, kids, colds, school, soccer games, college, work and marriages. Lots of discussions and yet I think "but Cindy you said you didn't know them" Here God has met you in the voices of and faces of strangers, here He has said I love you with my love, let me give you a treat, a little taste and feel of me.....



Then a wonderful lady from their church gets up to share a moment of her faith 93 she is and she talks about what happens when we listen to God. When He places someone on our heart and asks us to pray for them. Even if we don't know them or know what to pray. He blesses us and them when we do that. She shared how even though that wasn't who she would pick to pray for, God knew, He knew why, and so she did pray, and pray, met with her, had lunch with her, prayed, and prayed. Lost touch with this prayed for friend and just a month ago, got a phone call from this prayed for friend. This friend wanted her to know how much she our 93 year old friend had changed her life. She was tear stained and will forever be awed that God could use her. Just plain old her. Guess what that is what he wants from each of us. To use just plain old us. Yes Lord please use me.



Then the speaker was introduced. "Wendy" can't remember her last name. She was also very wonderful. A breath of fresh air in my often times cloudy life lately. She reminded us all that we are all encourager's. Yes we are women and we need encouragement and yet we each play a role whether big or small as encourager's. She gave a visual for each part of our encouragement as a reminder they were all wonderful and very real. I pray in the days ahead I will have time to journal about each or at least some of those visuals. We shall see my friends.



Now for the title she ended with the "Confetti" Story and I loved it so I would like to share it with all of you. May you too be blessed in this day by this story and may we all be ready to through and share our spiritual confetti. Amen

Confetti

by Nicole Johnson

Who doesn't like throwing confetti up in the air? At weddings or parties or n New Year's Eve, everyone wants something in their hands to throw. It's a way of lavishing our love on people. Whether it's paper, rice, or birdseed, it's a way of cheering others on. Confetti is a tangible expression of our intangible emotions. like happiness you can see and throw someone's way.

Encouragement is to a relationship what confetti is to a party. It's light, refreshing, and fun. It's cheer you can throw someone's way. But even deeper, it is the assurance you are there, that you are standing behind them and supporting them. The time ti takes to gather little pieces of love, grace, strength, and hope is well worth it when you see what happens as you shower those gifts on someone else. It's like spiritual confetti, and it;s the ultimate encouragement.

But how can we encourage someone else when we feel so discouraged? (Wow this one really hit me!!!) Our temptation is to stand in the corner of the encouragement party. Just hang around the edges and observe everyone else having a good time. But that never works. It's not until we start throwing the confetti on others that we realize how much is landing on us!

As we encourage each other, The Father encourages us. The two are interwoven. As we release the confetti on returned prodigals, we weep as we remember the confetti He threw when we came home. When we help a friend carry her broken heart, our own heart feels a lot lighter. We can encourage others from the overflow of God's encouragement to us.

So what are we waiting for? Grab a handful of confetti and jump in! But be careful, you're liable to find little pieces of it stuck on your own clothes for weeks!