A lamp unto my feet...

I believe in the word of God.
I believe it to be living, truthful, and useful.

For the past 6 weeks, I have been studying the book of Colossians along with some 10,000 other women through an online Bible Study hosted by Good Morning Girls.

I became a Christian in middle school. Since then,  I can remember many different periods in my life that I relied deeply on the word of God and as a result "felt" close to God. Mostly those times revolved around struggles or hardships (when I searched the Scriptures for reasons, answers or comfort.)...or  times of community with other believers (when I studied the Scriptures with friends in Bible Studies who kept me accountable.)  There have also been times in my life, that for whatever reason, I have chosen to go it alone, in my own strength (while my Bible remained tucked away in my night stand drawer.) During those times, God was always gracious to wait for me, walk with me and call to me.

Today, I am not consumed or overwhelmed by a great struggle...and I am not in a formal Bible Study...but I am eager and excited to open my Bible each morning to see what is there for me find....to learn...to hear...and to share.
By spending time in His word daily, he is showing me that he longs to have a conversation with me. He wants to meet me where I am and speak to my heart about things that only He and I know I need to hear.  And I have learned that to hear from him, I must remain in his word. As I look back through my journal, since just the beginning of this study, I see that God has so much that he wants to tell me....daily. So much that I need to be reminded of.  He is reminding me of who I am, what I was made for, and what He has done for me...and for all of that, I have been filled with thankfulness.  I have also been filled with need....a great need...to continue in his word. 

To learn more about the Bible study I have been doing, you can check out Good Morning Girls here.
I have been doing this study on my own, but hopefully next go round, Ill join a group. If you are interested in being in a an online group with me, leave a comment or send me an email and let's chat.

Enjoy your day!
 
Linking up here with GMG,  Living Well Wednesdays, A Holy Experience, WIP Wednesday and God bumps and God incidences.

Emailing teachers?

I believe in emailing my child's teachers.

Last night, Jonathan and I spent quite a bit of time going over his homework assignment to prepare for a math test. During that time, it became apparent that there were a few things he did not understand. He has not had much homework lately...so he said. I looked up his grades online. Our school system has a wonderful website with a special log in that will allow you to see up to the minute grades entered in the teachers grade book. It is very helpful to see recent  grades, late or missing assignments and current averages.
After looking at the website and talking to Jonathan, I felt it was necessary to email his teacher with a few of my concerns. At that mention, Jonathan said "no, please don't email her." When I questioned him about it, he said "the teacher always talks about the parents who send her emails. She says "and I don't want any parents emailing me about this ??? either."
So at that...I prepared my email of course. I read it to Jonathan just to ease his mind. I did not demand anything from the teacher or inform her of how to do her job. I simply requested to see a copy of the test that he did poorly on so that I could help him to understand the concepts. I also asked about some missing work that he had not completed since an absence earlier in the school year. I was very friendly, humble and thankful in my email....but what I really wanted to say was....and I do not want to hear about anymore comments from you about parents who email the teacher.
Does she not understand that 1. It means I care enough to communicate with her about my child's progress and struggles. 2.  I need to discuss something with her, but do not feel that it warrants a conference or phone call. 3. It teaches my child that it is okay to ask for clarification or more information and if speaking directly to the teacher is not an option at the time, an email can at least get things moving along.
I know some of you are or have been teachers. I'm sure it is bothersome to get emails over and over again from the same meddling parents....but to announce to the class that parents should not be emailing. Really? I am amazed.
Jonathan is in middle school. I do not plan to sit across from his teacher and discuss his work...ever...unless things get really bad. He is learning with my help to take responsibility for his own work, actions and mistakes. I request for him to discuss things with the teacher and he usually does. I get involved when I need to hear from her / him directly. I will continue to do so. I also email my high school juniors teachers when I feel it is necessary....and believe me when I say...my high school junior does not like it, but she knows it is necessary at times. And she would much rather me email than call. Oh yes!

I believe in email...not in excess...but when needed.
What do you say...email, call,  meet with?
Any teachers want to say what they prefer?

Enjoy your weekend! We have the first round of the volleyball state tournament and then a quick little get away to check out the changing leaves! The weather is gorgeous! We are ready!

Teenagers and part-time jobs!

I believe....

teenagers should have jobs.

Our daughter, Emily, has had a job at Chick-fil-a since she was 15 years old. She wanted a job and applied as soon as she was able to be considered for hire. She went through an extensive interview process which consisted of a phone interview, a group interview and an interview with a member of management one on one. She was selected to attend a training class, knowing that not every one in the class would be hired. She has worked for Chick-fil-a now for almost 2 years. She has learned so much through her experiences there. She has learned to look ahead and manage her schedule. She has learned to communicate with other staff members and management when situations arise that conflict with her schedule. She has learned how to deal with people of all types from pleasant and forgiving to snooty and demanding.  She has learned to work quickly and efficiently, while keeping her cool during really busy drive-thru shifts. She has had to set her alarm clock and get herself up early and she has had to work really late cleaning bathrooms and mopping floors. She has made money, given money, saved money, spent money and run out of money. She is learning valuable lessons.

Like with most things in parenting our oldest child, we are still learning as we go. We did not know what to expect when Emily joined the workplace. We should have set some boundaries. You see, as she became familiar with the duties and obligations, she also gained new friendships and enjoyed the social aspect of working with other teens. She enjoyed the freedom of having her own money. She started picking up shifts without asking us. She would work several days during the week and all day long on Saturday. We wondered how she was getting it all done. Her grades were holding steady but she was staying up too late to get assignments done. She was grumpy. We had to take back the freedom that we had unknowingly given her in regards to this new wonderful job opportunity. We learned valuable lessons. There must be a balance. A part time job is good....but it must be part time. Not all consuming. And as far as the money, there must be discipline. A savings account, with a goal in mind....a laptop or an iPhone or a trip to camp with Young Life. Her bank statement was an eye opener when she saw how much of her hard earned money was spent on none other than fast food. Yikes! 

With boundaries, valuable lessons are found in the work place.I remember my first job and all that I learned. I wrote a little bit about it here. What do you remember about your first job?

Happy Wednesday!

I'm linking up here for alphabe-Thursday! V is for Valuable! Come on over to join the fun!

Store bought...or hand picked.

I believe in flowers!
A bunch of store bought fresh flowers or a few hand picked Gardenias from outside my dining room window. Just enough color to spread around the house in a vase or a jar. Especially when the house is clean. It gives that final touch!
I do not splurge on store bought flowers often, but when I do, it makes the anticipation of unloading lots and lots of groceries even more bearable....well, the flowers and a new magazine too, that is!
Happy Monday! Enjoy your week!

Friendships!

I say it in my sidebar, I say it in person, and I do believe it. Easy friendships are a blessing.
When I say easy friendships, I mean the kind of friendships that remain in place when life gets busy. The friendship, that after months of not speaking, you can grab lunch and catch up. No one complains or pouts because someone forgot their birthday or didn't call when their youngest started kindergarten. You share the latest news, your upcoming plans, and make it a point to get together more often. Those are the friends that if I needed them....they would be here fully, but because I do not interact with them daily....I would be responsible to make my needs known. In the same way...I would be devastated if they needed me and I was unaware. Easy friendships are valuable and real and fulfill a need for us to share our lives with other women and know that we are cared for.

Now to speak of tough friendships!
The ones that take time every day. The ones that cause me to ask tough questions....or speak true answers. The ones that make me write notes to myself to remember to pray. The friendships that cause me to rearrange my daily plans in order to meet for lunch when I have so much I really need to do. The same friendships that come along when you are not really looking...when you think you have enough friends.  The ones that you expect more from. You know the busyness of life can take over at times, but only for a day or two....then someone checks back in. Tough friendships are just that, tough...but so worth it. They give us the security that we need to be real and messy and still accepted.

It is not about proximity. Do not get me wrong. I have been known to be a proximal friend. I am friendly with the people I am around more often, yes, like women I work with or neighbors on my street. Most people will agree that it is easy to be friends with those we see more often....but both of these types of friendships ....easy and tough....speak to how we would befriend the same people if we no longer saw them as often.

Ecclesiastes 4 :9-10 states, "Two people are better off than one, because they can help each other succeed.  If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble."

Take inventory of your friendships, both easy and hard. Cultivate each, giving them the rightful place they deserve. Check in with those that need to know you are here for them even though you do not see them as much as you used to or wish you could. In the same way,  be worthy of the high calling of being a tough friend to those who need you. Ask the hard questions, be vulnerable. If you have easy friendships that need to move to a "tougher" place, be open and ask for the accountability you need. Someone else may be needing the same thing from you.

I believe in friendships.

Vlogging ...31 days of I believe! {Southern accent included!}

Just to change things up a bit, I thought I would do a video blog today to talk about what I believe.

I have to say...this does not sound like me at all. My children say it does...but I say "No way!"

So there you have it. Unedited and only the 5th take....southern accent and all.
I hope you will still want to be my friend!
Happy Wednesday!

I'm really enjoying this "31 Days" series hosted by the Nester. To find out more and to see what hundreds of others are blogging about for the month of October, go here!

 I'm also linking up with Jenny Matlock for alphabe-Thursday! 

The letter is "U" for unedited vlogging. Join the fun here!

Regular Coffee with flavored creamer! {Day 9 of 31 Days}

I believe in regular (unflavored) coffee with fancy creamers!
I think it might be a little too early to be drinking Peppermint Mocha, but since I'm early, I thought I'd at least drink it in a Christmas mug!
I'm not rushing this holiday season! No!
Happy Tuesday!

One dollar and 25 cents...

I believe...
one dollar and 25 cents can make the world a better place.
At least my family...and the entire volleyball team....think so.
Brownies....who doesn't love them.

Sundays!

I believe...
Sundays are meant for resting, worshiping and spending time with friends and family!

And for watching "Once Upon A Time!"

Do you watch it too?
 

Reading more than 1 book at a time!

I believe that ones night stand should hold a pile of books....and reading more than one book at a time is perfectly acceptable.
I have just recently come to believe this. I remember for years, my Mom, an avid reader, would go to bed at night about 2 hours prior to falling asleep. She would have a Newsweek, a biography, and a classic...and a local newspaper too. She would enjoy them all.  I would, for the most part, read one book at a time....at night, by the pool, in the car line etc... I would finish that one book and head to the library for another.
Now I have a pile of books too. When I go to bed at night, if I am in the mood to read, I grab one to start and finish up with another. It's kind of like channel surfing... paperback style. "Stink", the book on the top of my pile, is the book that Zac and I are reading together.  Another girly romance, Nicholas Sparks, type novel is in my tote bag for taking to work and reading in the car line.
Lots of books...lots of choices.
You're reading more than one book right now too, right?

How do you like your eggs?

I believe...
Eggs taste best when they are fried so that the yolk "pops" when you cut into them!
The only thing that would make eggs taste better is if they came from the chicken coop in my own back yard.  Except...remember, I have a Beagle, therefore, I will not be building a chicken coop anytime soon.
Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend!

Cats rule and dogs drool! {Day 4 of I believe!}

I believe... cats are superior!

First of all, let me say~ I do not believe that cats are smarter than dogs...or cleaner...or better.  I have one of each and I love them both! What I do believe, however,  is that Cats rule... as in "over dogs." They are superior and have a much higher rank...at least in my house anyway!

We have a 4 year old Beagle, named Gabby. She is a dog in every sense of the word. She looks, acts, scratches, smells and barks (or howls, rather) like a dog!  We also have an 8 year old Yellow Tabby, named Snuffy. He is the cat that rules the dog....and the house...and the dog house to be even more precise.

Gabby (dog) sleeps in her crate. Snuffy (cat) sleeps on my bed. ~  Gabby (dog) eats her food when Snuffy (cat) isn't standing in front of the bowl daring her to try and get to it. ~  Gabby (dog) goes outside in the fenced backyard and then stands patiently at the door when she wants to come in. Snuffy (cat) rarely goes outside and when he is ready to come in, he meows so loudly that we all hurry to the door to let him in.. And as if that weren't enough, when Gabby (dog) is in a room in the house that she is not allowed to go in, Snuffy (cat) will meow to get our attention as to tattle on the dog! If we do not come, Snuffy (cat) will hiss and chase the dog until she is no longer in that forbidden space.

It is really funny to me. I so clearly see the ranking. The kids get mad at the cat for being a meanie....and speak sweetly to the dog.  I have tried to explain to them that what they see is respect. The cat demands it and the dog gives it!  The dog and cat co-exist nicely....because they both know who the real ruler is!

What do you think?  

In a word....Cats or Dogs? 

Enjoy your day!

I am participating in a fun 31 Day series hosted by the Nester.  It is a challenge to post something on a particular subject every single day for 31 days! My Series is called "31 Days of I believe!" To see what more than 1000 others are posting about, go here!

Healthy snacks... and Skinny Cow!

I believe in healthy snacks...and I'm in loooove with Skinny Cow!

Earlier this year, I wrote about my desire to lose a little weight. I have been working night shift for several years and had noticed an increase in my weight each and every year since switching to the new schedule. I only work 2 nights per week, so you wouldn't think it would make a huge difference, but lack of sleep and interrupted sleep both play a part in metabolism. I am a bit of a rule follower at times...and thought if I could have a set a rules to follow, the weight just might come off. I decided I wanted to lose 10 pounds and I had heard great things about Weight Watchers. I felt a little lot strange about walking into Weight Watchers with a starting weight of 131 pounds, but since that was exactly what I weighed when I gave birth to my second born, I knew for me...it was the right thing to do.

After looking at my habits and counting lots of points, I found that the area that of my "diet life" that needed the most attention was in the area of snacking! The cookies, granola bars, cheese bread, chips and dip, m&ms, and of course, the drink to go with all of that...sweet tea. They were my new enemies and they had to be replaced.

And so...that is what I did.
I ate lots and lots of cucumber slices, apples, blueberries and water melon!
I ate boiled eggs and cheese slices, yogurt and fat free pudding.
And just recently...I have found my love for Skinny Cow! Just enough chocolate to make me happy and well worth the 3 points it costs me! Well worth it!
The sweet tea had to go. Unsweet please...with a Splenda or 2!
And I could not have done it without my Diet Pepsi!

I know, I know...water you say! I drink it! I do...but wasn't something I needed to change!

After about 6 weeks, I had reached my goal! 10 .2 pounds to be exact!  I bought a scale and I monitor my weight semi~weekly!
Healthy snacks! I believe they made a difference!
Happy Wednesday!

Answered Prayers!

Sometimes, my prayers are spoken with determination. ..thought out and with passion. Sometimes, my prayers are just tossed up to God as if He may think it silly of me to even ask. 

I believe he really cares.

I have seen Him answer prayers.

Just a couple of weeks ago, right before her Junior Year, my daughter,  Emily had to end a relationship with one of her very good friends. They both knew it was for the best, but it was still a very difficult thing to have to watch her go through. Because they had been such good friends the previous year, they had arranged to have many of the same classes together this year.  Her school schedule arrived in the mail and it was just as the two of them had planned. The night before the first day of school, Emily began to panic. She realized that the only friend she knew in her lunch period was this particular friend.  Immediately, I jumped into "fix it" mode. I asked if there was someone I could email. Was there another class that she could take this semester that would enable her entire class schedule to be changed?  Was there anyone or anything else she could think of to keep from having to eat lunch in the bathroom...or worse...with this friend?

She began texting, tweeting and facebooking to find out if there was anyone else in her lunch period. I was trying to keep from becoming undone. My husband, after realizing what was going on, simply said....Just watch! Pray... and watch! And that is what I did. I prayed that God would provide another friend. Someone that maybe Emily had forgotten about...someone that maybe needed her friendship. I cried out prayers...and I tossed up prayers...all night long.

The next morning when I arrived home from working night shift, the house was quiet. I thought about Emily eating her lunch in the bathroom....alone. I prayed some more. When I woke up from my long nap., I had a text from my husband. He had forwarded the message that he had gotten from Emily earlier that morning. This is what it said....

"God is soooooooo good and crazy. My schedule was changed!"

I was amazed. When Emily got home from volleyball practice later that night, she told us the story of how she sat down in her homeroom class. The teacher passed out a copy of everyone's schedule. She looked at her schedule and noticed that it was different from the one she had gotten in the mail. Some of the classes were switched from one semester to another. She quickly looked up her lunch period and saw that it had changed too. She then asked everyone else if their schedule had changed. She found no one! She said that is when she felt it...she knew it....she got the biggest, silliest smile on her face, then she started crying! 

We talked about how the God of the Universe, the same God that spins the Earth on it's axis....came into her classroom and changed her schedule. She had honored Him with her relationships and He did not want her eating lunch alone.  He wants to amaze us and show us His wonder. He wants us to tell other  people because that shows how mighty He is!

I am convinced......We have not,  because we ask not.

God is sooooo good and crazy!

I believe in answered prayers!

Believe with me!

31 Days!

I believe....

in challenging myself!

It is true. I have always enjoyed a little challenge. I get excited at the thought of accomplishing a goal, even though I know that finishing is not nearly as easy as starting any challenge...big or small.

This month, I have decided to challenge myself to participate in the 31 Days series hosted by the Nester ...and I want to finish strong!

The gist of the 31 Day Series is that you choose a topic...any topic...and blog about it every day for the month of October.  The topic should be specific enough to be called a series, but broad enough that you have something new to say each day! There are already over 900 people linked up to join the fun. Topics include everything from "31 Days to an organized life" and "31 Days of Pinterest Projects" to "31 Days of Slow Cooker Meals" and "31 days of fun and FIT"......and almost everything in between...really everything. To check out these and all other series, go here!

My topic will be I believe.... 

I will post each day in October about something I believe or someone that I believe in. Things that matter to me and those who make me happy! Things that speak of my character, my quirks,  my dreams, my short comings, and my over comings! I hope to write honestly, and learn a little about myself in the process.

I am excited to begin....and hopeful for the end!
Happy October...and all that it brings!
Jen