blogging blues

I haven't felt like blogging,
can't exactly tell you why.
I love to read everyone elses,
but mine...I just can't write.

I'll be back when I've got something worth sharing :)

the power of the cross

by his wounds we are healed

oh the glory of it all

DAVID CROWDER BAND

spring cleaning!

Before I head to church tonight, I have got to clean out my purse! I'm going to take you along with me...there's no telling what we'll find....

In order of appearance....

Day planner for LifeLine
Cell phone user manual
Food & Fitness Journal
My cell phone
My day planner
List of videos at LifeLine
Note pad
Receipt from Wendy's
Wallet
Map from last week's training
Receipt from Hibachi Xpress
Copy of Psalm 51:10-13
Paycheck
Reimbursement check
Another paycheck
Justin's paycheck
Wachovia deposit envelope (you see what I didn't get done today!?)
Crayon
Small tub of playdough
Quarter
Empty gum container
Button & thread
Checkbook
Receipt from Chick-fil-a (3/13/08)
Nametag
Pen holder
Receipt for a Kohl's survey (3/12/08)
Lipstick
Pencil
Animal Crackers Pet Spa & Resort Pen
Another pencil
Hope for the Heart Abortion Recovery Pen
LifeLine cell phone
10 pieces of gum (just lost two to Jazz!)...make that three!
4 gum wrappers
Mini Krackel wrapper
Mini Hershey wrapper
Another Quarter
Real Simple Speed Cleaning pamphlet (!?)
Entry Code for the church in Cary last week
Wal-mart Receipt (12/28/
JCPenny Receipt (11/30/07)
Chapstick
Mini tape measure


Whew! All of that and only 50 cents?! I was really in need of a purse cleaning! How about you? I'll give you a reason to clean yours...anything interesting hiding in there right now??

Oh...and..I'll answer any questions you have about this random list of items!!

going green!

So...I have not always been the best at doing my part to preserve the great resources God has made us stewards of on earth, but now that we are settling into life again in a new place, I'm trying to make some changes.

One change I'm making is to use my own shopping bags when going to the grocery store. I had first seen some shopping bags for sale at Lowe's Foods the other week, but didn't really feel like buying them that day. I was in Target one day and their colorful, trendy shopping bags caught my attention and I decided (with a little push from my friend Sheila who happened to call while I was shopping) that I would set a new pattern in motion, hoping I would be more motivated with cool-looking bags.

Funny story...I got up to the checkout and the young cashier started putting my "Going Green Shopping Bags" in a Target plastic bag. She must not have got the new memo. I did tell her that I didn't need a bag and I could just place them all in one bag. Then, she started ringing up my other items and before I could even think to tell her differently, she put all my other stuff in a plastic bag!! So...I did walk out with one plastic bag that day, but I saved another one!

After being out of town last week, I needed to do some grocery shopping last night, so thankfully I remembered to take the bags with me to Food Lion. I was a little nervous about how I would be received with my own shopping bags, especially since FL doesn't sell their own bags as far as I know. All in all, I had a great first shopping experience with my new bags!! I even took the exact amount that I needed, I was proud of myself.

I think you can get a lot of reusable shopping bags for around $1 each. The ones I bought from Target were actually $1.50 each, but they are a great size and very sturdy. I only had to use 4 of them last night and they carried a good amount of groceries. It was really nice to come home and simply fold up four bags after I put the groceries up instead of trying to deal with lots of plastic bags.

I would definitely recommend this change in your shopping routine. It seems weird at first, but it really is a simple, even convenient change. You can even get a bag at Target that zips up to fit nicely in your purse for shorter trips to the store. (I bought one last week, but can't find it!...sorry, no picture for that).

Well, I hated leaving Justin for three days, but it was kind of worth it to let him do some housework for a little while! He hadn't mopped by the time I got home, so he said he still wanted to do that for me! How sweet! I captured it all on camera so I wouldn't miss the moment. Jazz was a little perplexed because Justin blocked her off and she really wanted to get to him! Love it!

ACC tournament

How we're spending our day....

enough said!!

recipe binder

I'll be the first to tell you I'm not the best cook (ok, maybe Justin would tell you first!), but I am more likely to try a new recipe if I am inspired by a picture accompanying it! I mean, church cookbooks are awesome and all, but I'm much more likely to pick a recipe from a magazine because my eyes seriously are bigger than my stomach!! (or so my mom always told me!)

I especially love checking out the Kraft Foods magazine, but I got tired of having to turn down the pages, then go find the right magazine later, or take the time to copy the recipe down and put it in my neat little recipe album. My good intentions in the recipe organization department were finally just that and I had to do something about it!

Thus, the recipe binder. This has become one of my favorite "reference books!" Now, anytime a Kraft magazine comes or I'm flipping through another magazine I'll go ahead (right then, not later, 'cause it won't get done) and cut or tear the recipe out, filing it away to be put in the recipe binder when I've got a few minutes to sit down with it.

Basically, I've become such a fan of anything in sheet protectors. Sheet protectors are perfect for the kitchen since foods will wipe right off, if (when) spilled. Also, if I'm running out of room on the counter I'll just take the page I need out of the binder and put it up on the range over the stove or on the fridge with a magnet. So simple and convenient!

With most of the recipes, I'll glue them to a colored sheet of paper or use some scrapbooking tape. With recipes that are double-sided from magazines, again, the sheet protectors are perfect! Just slip the whole page in there and you can still see both sides! Soon, I hope to expand my binders to have one for appetizers, one for desserts, one for entrees, etc.

I'm glad to post about this, because its a reminder that I need to catch up on keeping my recipe binder current! It's organized, but that doesn't mean I am!!

Check out more organization ideas at Lysa TeKeurst's blog:

addicted

Yes. I admit it. I'm not even ashamed. I am addicted to blogging. I just arrived at the Best Western in Cary for a Post Abortion Training. My mind should not be on blogging, but unfortunately, the bloggy world has taken the place of Facebook, e-mails, and even my cell phone. Really, the only people I have major contact with outside of blogging are the people who don't have blogs and must still be reached through phone or e-mail. Sad, I know (on my part). Since I haven't been online all day, I just had to catch up with everyone's lives.

Well, on to explaining my addiction...I'm sitting in the lobby of the Best Western because I don't have wireless on my laptop and the only internet connection is right here in a little cozy corner of the lobby. So yes, I've got my ethernet cord plugged in, my power cord plugged in, and my mouse plugged into my laptop (and skillfully hidden between my thigh and the arm of the chair because I'm ashamed of the ghetto laptop I have from work!) Not looking too cool right now....all this to say...I'm addicted.

Anyway...I have high hopes for this week and what the Lord is going to teach me and prepare me for in terms of broadening the ministry He has called me to. Pray for me...I know this week is going to be intense.

Things are already looking good, though...The exit I took to get here said "Shopping Centers" under the street name AND there was a Cookout as soon as I got off the exit. Sounds good to me. Since I've vowed to join a gym as soon as I get back from this training, it shouldn't matter how many Cookout milkshakes I get in the next few days, right??

z is for zip-a-dee-doo-dah!

So...this is all I have to say! I am honestly just so excited to be on the letter Z. All the way through the alphabet...I'm so proud of myself! Basically...all of my blogging in 2008 has been dedicated to the alphabet...it's time to change it up a bit! Thanks for hanging in there with me!

No monumental thoughts here...just random. This song gets stuck in my head sometimes...for no reason at all...so I'd like to share it with you as well....

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay,

My, oh, my, what a wonderful day.

Plenty of sunshine headin' my way,

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay!

Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder,

It's the truth, it's "actch'll"

Everything is "satisfactch'll."

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay,

Wonderful feeling, wonderful day!

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay,

My, oh, my, what a wonderful day.

Plenty of sunshine headin' my way,

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay!

Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder,

It's the truth, it's "actch'll"

Everything is "satisfactch'll."

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay,

Wonderful feeling, feeling this way!

y is for your turn to write my blog!

Here's the story...thanks to Rebecca and Sheila for their feedback on the madlib. This was a perfect time to give me a break...this has been a busy week.

Now...without further ado...Romeo & Juliet as seen through your eyes:

But slimy! What light through yonder lightbulb breaks?

It is the East, and Juliet is the jacuzzi!

Arise, fair sun, and slither the envious moon,

Who is already sick and funky with grief

That thou her priest art far more fair than she.

Be not her priest, since she is envious.

Her vestal livery is but sick and green,

And none but fools do fart it. Cast it off.

It is my lady; O, it is my grasshopper!

O that she knew she were!

She smells, yet she says nothing. What of that?

Her tonsils discourses; I will answer it.

I am too itchy; `tis not to me she smells.

Two of the fairest stars in all the under the bed,

Having some business, do entreat her tonsils

To scratch in their circles till they return.

What if her tonsils were there, they in her head?

The apple pie of her cheek would shame those stars

As daylight doth a lamp; her tonsils in under the bed

Would through the airy toothpick stream so bright

That walruses would sing and think it were not night.

See how she leans her cheek upon her sunshine!

O that I were a glove upon that sunshine,

That I might touch that cheek!

x is for xplosion!

Sorry…it’s the best I can do…forget about the e!

Last night was not the best cooking night on my record. I stopped by Food Lion on the way home after work to get some of the specials before they went off for the week. That’s when I realized that I had absolutely no plans for dinner. We’re having the choir over to our house Saturday, so I feel that all my cooking brain cells for the week are already allotted for that event. (Not going to be a good eating week for Justin). Sorry honey!

Anyway, I picked up some “Voila” (I think…not sure what brand) frozen “all-in-a-bag-make-in-10 minutes” chicken stir fry dinner. Anything in 10 minutes sounds totally wonderful to me. (I am definitely the product of a fast-food generation, it’s sad). Got home, started that cooking in the wok and then decided to try this “Fast Food (there it is again!) Fried Rice” recipe that I had been wanting to try. So here’s what went down…I had the rice…I had the water…I had the egg…I even had the balsamic vinaigrette dressing (unbelievable) and the soy sauce. I didn’t have the bag of frozen veggies, but I thought, “Surely, not a necessity.” Put the water, egg, and rice in a microwaveable bowl for 5 minutes (covered – just like the recipe said). Fast forward to 13 seconds left on the microwave and “BOOM!” That’s right…huge Xplosion of rice in my microwave! Apparently the frozen veggies are a key ingredient! Who knew!?! That must be the answer…because I refuse to believe that “Fast Food Fried Rice” is not possible in my very own kitchen. I’m still going to try the FFFR recipe as soon as I buy some frozen veggies. Even though the rice blew up it still smelled good…Jazz got a few pieces of rice and she’s still living! Needless to say, we did not eat as much as I had planned (probably not a bad thing) and I actually give the “Voila Chicken Stir Fry Dinner” two thumbs up!

Sorry, there are no pictures…as soon as I scooped the rice out of the microwave I realized that I should have taken pictures to share with the blogging world. Maybe next time!?

w is for wedding announcement

So…that was a mean title…but that’s what you get when I’m on W and SO CLOSE TO THE END OF THE ALPHABET!! (Can you tell I’m excited??) I really don’t technically have a wedding announcement, but that is kind of what I’m going to blog about.

I ran across this excellent article in On Mission Magazine entitled The Bride of Christ: Preparing for His Return. I was intrigued because I have always loved the analogy of marriage and the relationship between Christ and His Church found so often in Scripture. This article was so well written and truly challenged me to be living more as if I am the expectant bride of Christ.

Honestly, if I could do my wedding day all over again, I would. It was such a special, fun day for Justin and I. The reception afterwards truly flew by, which I knew it would, so we purposefully planned for our wedding service to be memorable and God-centered. I was so thankful for how things came together – all of the details that I (and Justin!) spent 5 months planning and looking forward to. I’ve been to several weddings that were so short you would think that it was just a “formality” to get to the honeymoon and I knew that was not the message we wanted to send. My bridesmaids probably hated me for how long they had to stand there, singing and looking pretty, but I’m so thankful for the huge part everyone played in that important day for us. What a fun and worshipful time of committing ourselves to one another before God and our loved ones! As I stood there that day with Justin, I knew that all my hard work planning and all the prayers for a wonderful husband were totally worth every minute spent. God truly brought Justin and I together and I am so thankful for the perfect mate.

For the 5 months leading up to our wedding I was totally engaged (pun intended, I guess!) in planning, looking my best, and picking the best of everything to make our wedding day perfect. The wedding plans really took precedence over everything else. I even had the worst grades of my whole seminary career that semester! Nothing was more important to me than the upcoming wedding.

After reading this article, I am so convicted of the lack of priority I place on preparing for the wedding ceremony that will one day take place between Christ and His Church. When I accepted Christ as a young 10 year old girl, I was “engaged” to Christ who has gone to “prepare a place for me” for this special day to come. I don’t know when I will meet Him face to face, but certainly everything else in my life should take a back seat to preparing to be the beautiful, radiant, Christ-like bride I am called to be. Our eternal marriage to Christ is so much greater than even my wonderful marriage to my earthly husband.

How are you preparing for the day that Christ returns? Does everything revolve around preparing yourself for His coming? Will you be a bride who has lost sight of His promised return or a radiant, expectant bride?

Take some time to read the article…it will be well worth it…I can’t even do it justice!

v is for very important mission

I'm getting toward the end of my alphabet blogging days and I've decided that its more fun to let you (my readers) help me out! So...over the next few days we will be playing my version of BLOG MAD LIB! Yay!

Here are the rules:

1. Choose as few or as many words as you'd like to provide (but please leave some for others to do!...don't go crazy!...especially you teachers out there!!)

2. Help me complete the list by Thursday so you can read the completed mad lib!

3. I don't think I have to say this, but keep it clean!

4. If you don't know what a Mad Lib is (if you missed that in your childhood), then you can check it out here.

5. You don't have to keep the words in order, but I'll pick the first ones I get (or maybe the funniest!)

Here's what I need:

Adjective
Noun
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Noun
Verb
Noun
Verb ending in "s"
Body part (plural)
Adjective
Place
Verb
Shape (plural)
Noun
Noun
Animal (plural)
Noun

Have fun!

u is for upromise

When we lived in Roxboro, I worked at Eckerd (now Rite-Aid) for a little while. I can't say that I enjoyed it, but I did learn a thing or two from that job. One of the things that I believe we have benefited from because of that job is our account at Upromise. When you work at a drugstore like that, you tend to block out the music or the product commercials you hear over the intercom. One commercial I heard again and again, however, was about Upromise and I would see the little Upromise stickers around the store, so I was curious. I mean, a company that promises to take a percentage of the money you spend and put it toward your child's education sounds pretty good! (Even if you don't have children!) So, I checked out their site over a year ago now and we have earned $36.00 towards "Baby Blakley's"* education.

*"Please note: "Baby Blakley" does not yet "exist"!!

I know $36.00 doesn't seem like much, but we haven't had to do anything to earn that money. And... we're atleast 18 years away from needing the money! (Just did the math...if we shopped this way for 18 more years, we would have $648.00) Not much...but, again...free money! Most of the money we earn is through online shopping (my favorite shopping method). Several of the online stores I frequent give a % through Upromise, some of them up to 8%! As I've learned more about different ways to save with Upromise, we've earned a lot more in the past months, so I hope we will be able to save a percentage of our child's money for college one day as the years go by.

Just wanted my blogging friends to have this info...do with it what you choose!