Labels: aquarium, beauty, creativity

I have been reading my friend, Morning Glory's blog almost from the beginning, because I found her through her daughters, Beth and Karen.

She is witty. She is fun. She is a fabulous mom and grandmother. Morning Glory is not old enough to be my mom, yet she's lived enough life ahead of me to lead the way gracefully and with finesse. I like her a bunch, and I am grateful to have her on this path of faith a bit in front of me.

She has generously dubbed me a "Thinker" and has granted me the"Thinking Blogger Award". She got it from An Ordinary Mom, who says this means I know how to think and write in such a way that causes others to think. I'm incredibly humbled and extremely flattered. Anyway, the purpose of this award is to “Pay it Forward” to five other bloggers that inspire me and get me to thinking.

So, following Morning Glory's lead, here are my five picks and why they stir up the "fluff" in my Silly Old Bear's brain (in random order):

• Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer has been one of my favorites from the very first day I ventured outside of my own little, bitty blogging window to the world. She is fun, yet she is organized and helpful in the midst of all the chuckles she sends our way. She is the absolute guru of memes and probably never guessed in a million years what WFMW would do for her blog traffic. Way to go, girlie! I have laughed with this dear woman and cried right along with her, too. She makes me think just about daily: about being a better mommy, better wife, better friend, and most importantly the best lover of Jesus I can be.

• Momrn2 at My Quiet Corner has become one of my dearest friends here in this place we call the blogosphere. We comment. We email. We talk on the phone semi-regularly, yet never long enough. She inspires me and encourages me. She convicts me and points me back to Scripture through her posts. She is someone who I would regularly invite over for coffee if we lived close. She and I share many things in common, yet we are different enough to be interesting to the other. I am so thankful she and I have crossed paths in this forum. My hope is that we'll meet one day face-to-face.

• Kim at Lifesong shares my heart for adoption and finds herself fully in the midst of the waiting period to bring her sweet daughter, Lydia, home from China. Kim's posts regularly inspire me and bring me new perspective in my faith. I thoroughly enjoy her tips on homeschooling, raising four lovely and God-fearing children while patiently awaiting a fifth, being a Godly wife, and keeping an orderly home.

• Shalee keeps her diner hopping while serving up delicious morsels on a regular basis. She is spunky and most of her "entrees" come complete with a side of sassy that doesn't offend me at all. Just when you think you might never stop laughing at one of her tales, she comes up with something that stops you in your tracks and makes you ponder for a day, maybe two. I can only hope that someday God will see fit for me to hug my little firecracker friend around the neck.

• My other blogging buddy, Chilihead, has been making me laugh OUT LOUD for over a year now. She is a bonafide celebrity in our home, and her children's sweet faces grace our refrigerator. She is bawdy and loads of fun. I love hearing about her "Wild Thing" and "Max". She always enlightens me with new topics I've never experienced anywhere else. Many days I walk away scratching my head. Yet, I am thinking, definitely thinking. Most of all, I am devoted to making sure I someday see her without those glasses.
  
  
  So, those are my five Award Winners. Your responsibility, if you choose to accept it is to take the little banner/award and "pay it forward" to the people who cause you to think. Let someone know that what they say day in and day out matters to you.
  
  These lovely women have all said something that mattered to me.

  Labels: awards, blogging, friends, thinking

***Update -- see #10
The day is half over already, but sickness has entered our home. My DP is more than under the weather. Thank goodness it is spring break, which means no work to miss.

This is the first chance I've had to sit down and compose my scattered thoughts.

We had a marvelous visit with my precious MIL. She is always a bright spot, and this time was no exception. I thoroughly enjoy her company. God has used her in a myriad of ways to fill voids in my life that no one else could fill.

My thanks tank today has been filled by her visit of the past few days. Here goes the list:

1. Humor: Laughing truly is like a dose of medicine. We laughed uproariously together over her four days with us.

2. Shopping: Though I balk at dragging around the mall with her and my daughters, the "girl time" is memorable and always good for some silliness as we get slap-happy toward the end of such excursions.

3. Georgia Aquarium: This field trip yielded many reasons for gratitude. Following are just a couple (more in later posts):

4. God's beauty: I was reminded over and over of the creativity of this Creator of our universe. How incredibly His creations are adorned!

5. Color: God could have chosen for our world to be black and white. Yet He gave us colors, boundless colors to enjoy every day. I especially love these!

6. Spring Break: Having my DP home for a whole week without schedules, school, or obligations is pure bliss. I'm sad he is sick now, but I am grateful he has time to rest and recuperate without the responsibilities of work looming over him.

7. Camping: Hopefully DP will feel better tomorrow, and we can go to a nearby state park to enjoy more of God's creation up close and personal.

8. Blogging Friends: I want to give a big "thanks y'all" to all of you who have followed me here to my new home, as well as to those of you new friends who have commented via Shannon's link of love the other day.

9. Truth that makes me smile:

"Know-it-alls don't like being told what to do; ( I hope I never fall into this category)
they avoid the company of wise men and women.

"A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face;
a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day." Proverbs 15:12-13

***10. Freedom: To make choices. To live without fear of condemnation. Yet, to know better than to cause others to stumble. I stand corrected on being thankful for margaritas and wish I knew who to thank in this "breath".

By the way, in the future -- if you'd like to leave constructive criticism in the comments of this site, please use your name. If you'd like to know more of an explanation, please give me a way to respond to you personally as I think that would be a better forum for your questions and my discussion on the topic.

So, what fills your tank today? How has God made Himself present and alive in your day, week, life? Let me know in the comments or take it to your own site. I'd love to read about how God shows up and changes your life!

Labels: aquarium, special visits, thanks tank

"Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:3-4


Have a great weekend! I'll be enjoying the sweet company of my dear MIL. We are headed to the busiest airport in the land to pick her up this afternoon.

Woo Hoo!

Labels: God's Word, photos, truth

I'm a little late on the upstart with opening up a new blog this week, but I am certainly not going to forget about the Spring Reading Thing over at Katrina's. Check out the button in my sidebar if you want to go directly there and join in on the fun!

Here's my list of "I hope to Reads" this spring:

The Excellent Wife, by Martha Peace
Grace in Thine Eyes, by Liz Curtis Higgs
Eragon, by Christopher Paolini (I refuse to see the movie that is about to be available on DVD before I've read the book.)
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, by John Piper (started this last fall and got hidden under some other books on my nightstand)
Get Out of That Pit, by Beth Moore (got for Christmas and got shoved aside in favor of Karen Kingsbury novels -- not bad, but it is time to read this book!)
The Witness, by Dee Henderson (lost in a box in my garage when we moved, hope to find it before summer)
Before I Wake, by Dee Henderson (love everything by this author and know I'll want to read it once I finish the one above)
Fear Not: Thoughts On Courage, by Benjamin Darling
Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller
Made to Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath (at my DP's request)

I've got many more that I'd like to read, but I'll delve into these first and add more as I can. I'm excited to embark on this venture with so many other bibliophiles out there.

Labels: books, reading

Come on in and stay awhile!

I am so thrilled with what Susie has done here that I've just been sitting and contemplating what it would feel like to jump off that cliff and float freely into that water below. I hope that you get that feeling, too.

Yes, it is frightening sometimes to leave what we find comfortable. Yes, it is scary to let go of the safety of the familiar. Yet, with God securely protecting us; we can step out in faith and walk in freedom. Freedom from the fears that bind us and paralyze us at times. Freedom from prejudice. Freedom from all the "shoulds" in our lives.

I am preaching to myself as much as to any of you.

May we all remember today and every day:

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)

So, welcome friends! Pull up a chair, sit down, and relax, knowing this is a safe haven. This is a place with no judgment, no reprimand. This is a place you can comment and relate Without Fear.

Labels: New blog home