Thankful November 15-30

Okay so here is my second half of Thankful stuff

16. Snow
17. Coffee
18. Cream Soda
19. Books
20. Audio Books
21. Books on Kindle
22. Office Supply Stores
23. DSL
24.Thankful my kids have outgrown legos (those suckers hurt)
25. Iphone Apps
26. Chinese buffets
27. Local Honey
28. Ideas
29. Old Friends
30. New Friends

So there it is some small thing that I am thankful for each day of the month.


Shell

15 days of Thankful

Year before last I did a blog a day in November of what I was thankful for. Last year I didn't because we had just moved and things were crazy. This year I have been to busy too blog but not too busy to be thankful. I have so many things I am truly truly thankful for that trying to pick one a day seems impossible and I tell you what that is a good problem to have.

Part of the problem is that after reading 1000 Gifts, which I have talked about probably 10 times too many, I view gratitude differently than I did before. Once again like in my journal these aren't the biggies. The biggies are too easy. These are the little things that make me look for things to be grateful for everyday everywhere.

But anyway I decided that I wouldn't do a thing a day. I am doimg half the month today and the second half the end of the month.

So here goes ... 15 things I am thankful for:

  1. Carmel Frappe' from McDonalds
  2. A warm house
  3. Food in the cabinet
  4. Jobs: Mine and Dan's
  5. A school Tim likes
  6. The view on my way to work in the morning when it is all frosty out.
  7. Facebook cause it lets me stay in touch with my family and friends who live far away.
  8. Water that doesn't need a filter to be clear instead of rust color.
  9. Good Report Cards
10. Jigsaw Puzzles
11. Bing Cherries
12. Coffee
13. The Hot Tub
14. The Amish Market
15. Highlighters. Crazy I know, but for a color coding fool like me they are amazing!


Shell

Who I am most upset with this election year

I have definite political leanings. I don't want to even try to start this blog out while claiming to be impartial because I am not. I vote republican because I believe that is the least of the two evils I have to choose from. I am however much more a libertarian than anything else.


Knowing that I will say that I am very discouraged this year politically. I really don't care for either candidate. But the truth is neither President Obama nor Mitt Romney are the people I am most upset with. Mitt Romney does nothing for me and I personally think he is too far removed from the reality of the American people. President Obama has been exactly who he presented himself to be when he was elected 4 years ago. I don't like his politics, didn't like them then but you can't fault the man for being exactly who he is and doing exactly what he said he would do. This is what the American people asked for. Most too uninformed to vote in my opinion but yet still this is  what they asked for.


And that leads me to my real issue:



I  have heard some disturbing ads from both candidates. Reports that 78% of the stimulus money when to over seas companies. Stories about the amount of money Mitt Romney made as his companies went under. Horror stories about what life will be like under the Presidents health care plan. Stories about how Romney's plan either isn't any different or about how it will leave millions uninsured. Stories about birth certificates, failure to support our military, our country and the American people some that seem to have credibility some that seem to come from people who are as crazy as a loon. But those are the ads. That is to be expected.

But here is the problem: where do you go to get the TRUTH? You can't rely on the news media. You can debate and argue the benefits of your chosen place to get your news but let us be honest here... there really aren't sources of non biased information readily available.  No matter how many times they claim they are they just flat out aren't.

I won't even go into listing which media leans which way if you are a person who is interested in politics you already know. No matter how many times you claim CNN isn't an left wing news source or how many times you try to claim that FOX News isn't so right wing it can't even see the middle you know they are.

There isn't a place for the American people to go to learn the TRUTH. If you know the actual truth about who the candidates are, what they believe, and what they direction they want to take this country and you still want to vote for them then you should. What makes me sad is that we don't know. We hear so much crap from each side about the other and no way to tell what is true.

I hate to say it but there is no journalistic integrity at all anymore.

My Faith in Photos: Colossians 1:17

This is one of my favorite verses. One Sunday in church about a year or so ago Pastor Mike Gray read this verse during his sermon. It wasn't the key verse for the sermon. I don't remember what the sermon was even about. All I remember is that when he read the verse the hairs on the back of my neck tingled.

I could hear the Holy Spirit saying "I threw that one in there just for you today".

Some days I truly feel like things are coming undone. I can't explain it. It is part of the anxiety I suffer from on occasion. Sometimes I feel that way because I have over commited myself and I am stressed and it feels like everything is rushing at me.  That is enough to drive you crazy but I can cope with that fairly well. It is the times when there is no reason for it and yet still I can feel everything spiraling out of control.  That is when I come very close to losing it.

And then when I start to feel things spinning out of control that is when this verse comes to my mind. Things aren't going to come apart. The earth isn't going to spin off its axis. If I stop and breath. If I just stop and be still and remember the things I know deep inside I can calm the storm inside my mind and get back on track. If I remember "in Him all things hold together".

There is an old video from the heavy metal band Korn's song called "Coming Undone" It was the best visual representation of the way that feels that I have ever seen. I am going to post a link to the video but I am giving you warning if you aren't into heavy metal Korn is a bit rough.

I actually had just watched that video the day before I heard the sermon. I was in a place at that time where I really felt like things were coming undone. And just when I needed it, that feeling of helplessness and of craziness, that feeling of everything falling apart was replaced by an image instead of a loving God holding everything together.

Shell

God's Word: New for me today!

So we are still trying to find our "Sunday School" fit. We tried a different class today. It is a bit different. It is held in the sanctuary and is pretty much lecture style.

So we come in and sit down and the teacher, instructor, facilitator, leader or what ever he calls himself gets started. First thing he says "We are in the book of Romans." LOL of course you are I thought. ONLY someone who was in the FISH class years ago could understand how funny that is. We did the book of Romans. Boy did we ever do the book of Romans. We went verse by verse chapter by chapter. It took us a year. Yes you read that right a year.  We dissected it. We tore it apart. We read commentaries and different points of view. Yep! I have DONE the book of Romans.

But here is the really cool amazing thing about God's word. Today we went over chapter 4 and guess what ... I learned something new. Something I read and dissected and discussed back then was brand new to me this morning.  This isn't the first time this has happened to me but I tell you it amazes me every time. 

No matter how many times I read a book in the bible I get something different out of it. Something that is for me NOW. Maybe it wasn't for me then. But now it is. I just love it.

Fun time! Sun time! Time to FLY!

So for some people summer means fun in the sun, swimming, or maybe a vacation to some far away place. But for me summer means time for Vacation Bible School.

Every year I say never again LOL.Every year I say it is my last year. I have done my time in the Vacation Bible School arena. And every fall I get on to look and see what themes are available. Then all winter I look at oriental traders catalog to see what cool stuff they have that fits the theme. (but remember I am not going to do it again).

This year we even moved and found ourselves in a place where not a single soul knew I had ever even had a thing to do with VBS. But yet still here I am volunteering to help. Not even reluctantly LOL I am excited! How much fun is it going to be to experience VBS in a new church who does things different than what I am used to? Who has their very own way that they have "always done VBS".

Anyway here we go. I can't wait to see what God has in store for Calvary Baptist Church this year and I am glad I am going to be part of it!

Shell

Exploring Ohio

I know we have lived here since November. You would think we would have already found all the cool places and fun stuff to do. We really haven't though. We have been working and it has been cold. We have finally got things situated, the weather is warmer, and the days are longer. Time to get out and find out what all is out there.

So finally to day we did the main thing I have been wanting to do. We visited one of the Amish communities near by. This week we went to the Wheat Ridge community. We chose that one because it is on my way to work when I go to Adam's county and if I find something cool it is only a hop skip and a jump to go by on my home.

I had to remember that I am only a few miles from there at least once a week and that I have already been to the store for this weeks groceries. It would have been very easy to buy and buy and buy but I was able to show some restraint.

I did find a few things that I was really hoping to find though. I got local honey and local made apple butter and pumpkin butter plus as you can see I got a few other things.

We also drove across an old covered bridge which is really amazing.




Here is the first place we went:

This was my favorite and was really amazing. It is family run and I love the story of how the place came to be. Here is the link to their webpage.

http://www.ohiotraveler.com/ohio_amish_stores.htm


Next we drove (slowly behind and Amish buggy) over to the next store we went to:

Here is the link to their store:

http://www.ohiotraveler.com/keim_family_market.htm

I like both stores and can't wait until we haven't just been to the store and I can stop by and get meats and cheese and dairy.

It was a great day and I can't wait until our next exploring Ohio adventure.

Shell

Blackberry Jam Anyone?

The house we are living in sits on a little over two acres of land. I am not sure how much is fenced but there are woods on the sides and on the back.Now that everything is green and blooming I am really enjoying the woods (Other than the ticks which are HORRIBLE here). Anyway on the perimeter of the woods, up in the woods along the trail and along the fence that runs up the side of the yard there are tons of blackberry bushes. I am not sure what I will do with this many balckberries. They are everywhere. So I guess the point of this post is to let everyone know.... I hope you like blackberry jam cause I bet I know what EVERYONE is getting for Christmas LOL.

Shell

Why Ohio

This morning I was reminded of why I wanted to move to Ohio. This is a picture I took on my way to work today. How pretty is that? I knew that once the leave were on the trees it would be amazing.  I am looking forward to making that drive.

Here is another shot from further down the road. I promise that as soon as I get a chance  I will take some pictures while standing still and you will be able to actually see how pretty it is.



Shell



The Flinch

You would think that after 4 years I would remember.....

or that after 4 years he would forget.


Unfortunately neither has happened.


Four years ago we went to a friends house and picked up a dog. They said they thought he was about a year old but they weren't sure. They had no way of  knowing really. He had been dumped out at their house. Like some one's trash. They raised hunting dogs and as the old saying goes "that dog don't hunt" so they had no reason to keep him.

He had been abused that much I know. It took us a year before he stopped running from us and hiding when we went out in the yard. The abuser was a man. I know that too because he still runs from Dan until he kneels down on his level and stays still. After about two years he didn't hide anymore but kinda kept his distance unless you called him to come. He wanted to be where we were but was so leery.

Eventually, over time he warmed up to us. The kids especially. I guess he feels safe around them. He is a happy dog now. He runs as fast as short little beagle legs will take him. He doesn't stay in the fenced yard. He has learned to wiggle his way out and he spends most of his time on our deck. I try to sit out there with him for a bit each morning. He is pretty good company.

But this morning I forgot. I forgot that when you reach towards him you have to move slow. I forgot that he had ever had a reason to fear people. He didn't forget. He flinched and he ran. Then I had to sweet talk him in to coming back and everything was fine again. Except I have been thinking about it all day. Thinking about how no matter how we treat him now we can't undo the damage. We can give him a good home but we can't make him forget that people can be the real animals sometimes.

Shell

1000 Gifts Again

So I know last year I went on and on about Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts. Well at that time I started my own journal to make a list of things I am thankful for. No writing no explaining just a numbered list each day of the little things you might normally miss if you weren't looking for them. 

I am not sure what number I made it to. I think I was in the 300's somewhere when we moved. I carefully packed away my journal planning on it being one of the first things unpacked. I have yet to find it. I know it is out in the garage in an unpacked box (that happens when you go from over 2000 square feet to about 1200) and I have given up.

The thing is when I was making that list I was looking for things to be thankful for and I started noticing all kinds of crazy little way I was so blessed. It was so great to notice little things like warm eggs and rainbows. It colored my whole attitude and the way I viewed my world.

Buuuuttt.. once I stopped making the list I stopped looking. Once I stopped looking I stopped noticing. Once I stopped noticing I stopped feeling so blessed and started feeling stressed.

I was at the local Christain book store yesterday and I saw a journal that caught my eye. It was basically calling out to me saying "I was made just for you to make your list of things you are thankful for in" so I bought it and now I am back on my 1000 thankful things mission. I am starting over with #1.

So here is the journal

Empty now

But soon to be filled with all the blessings in my daily life!



Shell

GTD and Flying

I don't know if any one is familiar with GTD, David Allen, or 43 things but it all about getting organized. I thought that back when I was selling Real Estate that I needed a system to help organize my day and to help make sure that I got everything done on the required time line. I had no idea!

Now that I am working as a personnel manager and am in charge of 70 people, their schedules, and their issues believe me I need GTD, David Allen and 43 things like I need oxygen. When I took over this job there was already a "system" of a sort in place that the person before me was using. I have spent the last 3 months basically just learning the job and figuring out exactly what was expected of me.


I think I have pretty good grip on that at this point so now I am ready to alter the system in place and make it work more efficiently for me. I am so glad to say that I have the knowledge and the tools to do that because of previous experience. So now it begins. I will be taking every task I have and creating a system to make sure it is done on time and as efficiently as possible.

They say your short term memory can only hold like 3 things at once and let me tell you I have about 20 at any given time so a system to take it out of my mind and capture it somewhere safe is absolutely necessary.



So that will be work. Here is the catch. What happens at work spills over in the house. I am finding that working in a job that requires as much time as this one does (not complaining I actually really enjoy it) is going to require a much better system at home in order for us to function.

That is where Flylady comes in. I used to have a great system in place to manage my house. I haven't used it in a very long time. But I know where to to find the resources to put it back together. I need a new control journal and so do my kids.





Anyway hopefully I can start putting things together in both places and things will start to run a little smoother around here.

Shell

Where Ever You Go There You Are.

Well here it is January 1st. The day most people make plans to change... well... just about everything.

It is a new year. A new start. Time to eat healthier, lose weight, keep the house clean, say all the things you wish you had said last year, and on and on and on.

I do it every year pretty much like everyone else does. But not this year. I made my "new years resolutions" as "New Start Resolutions" when we moved.

We had so many changes last year. With Dan and I both changing jobs only to move to Ohio and change jobs again it was a crazy year. I decided when we moved that it would be a fresh start. I made every resolution then that I normally make in the new year and how is that working for me? Pretty much just like New Years resolutions work for everyone else.

Because as one of my favorite quotes says "Where ever you go there you are."


Shell