Saturday's List of 5 things that make me happy

1) listening to music

2) waking up next to my husband with nothing to do but spend time with each other

3) waffles with peanut butter

4) manicures and pedicures

5) lazy weekends

5 more things

Here is today's list of 5 things that make me happy...

1) cuddling with James

2) unexpected Christmas bonuses

3) silly cards from my husband

4) Christmas vacation

5) comfy cozy socks that keep my toes warm.

What's your five for today?

Things that make me happy!

Ok, so yesterday after a wonderful dinner with my bffs we strolled over to Barnes & Noble to just browse and maybe have some coffee. While we were there Kathryn P. (last initial added so you won't think I'm talking about myself in the third person :) picked up some calendar titled "3,650 Things to be happy about". As she read through a sample list Lara and I were making faces at some of the items listed... so as we are standing there KP challenged Lara and I to come up with a list of 5 things that make us happy each day for a week. So here is today's list.

1) Thursday and Fridays (because these are James' days off and we get to spend time together)
2) James :)
3) chocolate
4) a restaurant having my favorite beverage (would you believe there are places out there that don't serve diet pepsi!)
5) spending time with my bffs :)

ok so that's today's list... what 5 things are making YOU happy today?

40 days

Yes, that's right The Wedding is only 40 days away. It's hard to believe that in 40 days I will be getting married! So many emotions are going through me right now... I'm nervous, excited, joyful, hopeful, sad and happy and so many other feelings are coursing through me that I can't name them all.
Last night the overwhelming feel was sadness...I'm going to sound like a little girl here but I miss my mom! I never envisioned getting married without her. I really miss her quiet wisdom and leadership. I miss being able to call her up when I'm tied up in knots and having her quiet voice calm me down and tell me it will all work out. And then there are the showers that are being thrown in my honor and she won't be by my side. I miss her so very much right now... dear friends are volunteering to step in and be my substitute mom.. one even offered to loan me her mom (thanks Meagan :)) and as much as I appreciate these offers and the love in which they are offered I wish for something that will not be... I know she is looking down and watching over me.. and I know she'll be at the wedding.. but I wish for one more chance to hear her voice, just one more I love you, or even a "get it together Kathy!
Weddings are such strange creatures and stir up a lot of emotions and memories that have been dragged out in a while. I look forward with eager anticipation to being wed to the wonderful man God has place in my life and at the same time am nervous about how the blending of our lives together will work out.
Please keep James and I in your prayers as we walk this journey together.

Lunch Time Conversations

Today at lunch the following conversation was floating around the table...

JT: Miss Teale is God real?
Me: Yes God is real.
AT: God is inside of us.
JT: Miss Teale is God above us or below us?
Me: What do you think?
KW: God is everywhere He knows everything we do.
AT: God is in our hearts.

It's very interesting to listen to a group of 5 year olds debate the existence of God. But really do we ever quit asking those questions? And I love the answers... God is in us! God is everywhere! and God is in our hearts!

How awesome!!!

SLOW Down

In less than 4 months I'll be walking down the aisle and becoming Mrs. James Rowe! Wow it's hard to believe that James and I have been dating now for 3 1/2 years! And in a few short months we will be husband and wife. One of the things I have struggled with throughout my dating life is how to maintain my individuality and still be part of a couple. How do you balance a relationship and still maintain interests outside of the relationship? How do you keep from being consumed by the relationship? It's something I've struggled with for years and have seen friends struggle with. It's like I have all these different things pulling me in different directions! There's teaching, family, friends, spending time with James, independent Bible studies, group Bible studies... for someone who values her alone time I've become so busy with other stuff that I've neglected to take time to recharge my batteries.. probably so much that an incident today that normally wouldn't have upset me... sent me off the deep end and into tears... I found myself all alone today following worship service... all my friends had rushed off to lunch and there I was standing all alone in the foyer of the worship center... no one asked if I was going to lunch or if I'd like to join them... it was rather a strange feeling, because you see it's been so long since I had felt this way... for the last 3 years except for a few weekends here and there James has always been there to go to lunch with... and even before that there was a group of friends to go out with... and before that it never bothered me to be by myself for lunch... but as I've gotten further and further away from my solitude I've become more and more dependent upon others. And I wonder what happened to my balance... I need that time of solitude that's been sacrificed to doing instead of being.... I have friends who thrive on business, who always have to "check" their calendars before committing to a lunch or dinner date or even a cup of coffee... but that's not me... or at least it hasn't been me...I recently looked back at my calendar and found almost every weekend filled with some sort of activity or event... I've lost my balance.... I've neglected taking a "sabbath" and I wonder how with all that has to be done in the next few months will I find that balance...My morning devotionals have lately been done out of habit rather than desire... I go through the motions of my daily life almost on auto pilot wondering when I'll have just one day to do absolutely nothing! I feel that have become so busy that not only am I neglecting taking care of myself but I'm neglecting my relationship with God... I wonder how do you do it... how do you balance everything... where do you find your alone time... where do you find the time to just be?

Born Again American

A friend of mine sent me a link to this... it is very moving..