Really, I'm done.

You know how as a woman you often overcommit, over schedule, and completely over do it?

Well that's where I am tonight.

Like the flood gates could open at any point.

This is going to help...

For the record, it's a brownie with a cookie inside it topped with icing and another cookie. Because sometimes you need serious help, you know what I'm saying?

I honestly don't think that there is anything I need to "let go of" exactly. It's more about how I'm not giving myself time off.

I really cannot remember the last day I took off.

Part of the problem is that most of the things I do on a day to day basis, I love doing. I don't see any of it as work.

But I know the Lord is convicting me right now! I listened to a Joyce Meyer podcast this morning about taking care of yourself and making sure you have downtime (which I currently do not have).

This is not a plan that includes even an instant of downtime!

So I guess it's about time that I start planning my downtime. (You know I have to plan it. It won't just happen.)

We are commanded to rest. Scripture is filled with examples that tell us to recharge.

Hebrews 4:9-11 says
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

Mark 6:31 tells the story of Jesus preaching to over 5,000 people. The apostles were with Him, and he said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat

And Psalms 127:2 tells us
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

I'm waving the flag of surrender. I've officially over done it. I'm promising to rest. 

And I'm curious....are you feeling rested? Or are you feeling overwhelmed? Chances are with school starting and kids going from here to there and back again, you too may be feeling like you're done. 

Take a break. Rest. And I promise to do the same. 

And what the heck, have a brownie with a cookie inside it. That'll make you feel good too (but maybe for only about 5 minutes...then you'll just feel guilty).

.....Day 19 of a year of writing.....

Here Comes Doubt

You know how anytime you try to do something that you know God has called you to do, the devil does his very best to get in the way?

Well, he is getting in my way in the form of doubt right about now.

We are in the beginning stages of preparing to be foster parents (with the intent to eventually adopt). But it's sort of scary.

And maybe I'm making a bigger deal out of it than it actually is, but I still hear that voice in my head saying, "Wouldn't it just be easier to have another baby?" And besides the being pregnant for nine months part, YES! It would be easier.

I wouldn't have to explain nearly as much (except with the third child it seems you always have to explain why you're having another baby. So many people don't understand anything past two, but whatever).

I wouldn't have to go to 27 hours of training. I wouldn't have to worry about the child that gets brought into our home and then taken away one day.

It just seems like getting knocked up would be easier. (Excuse my verbage, I'm just frustrated I think.)

Plus, when we told our certification specialist that we wanted children younger than Luke (so less than two years old) she acted like we just ask her to hang the moon.

I feel like I shouldn't feel bad about that!  I mean, we already have a pretty strong birth order in place. I don't want to mess with that.

Plus adding a three year old or a six year old in the mix is completely unnatural.

But what do I know? I guess these are just the ramblings of a scared and nervous mamma.  I want what is best for my kids first. But, I also know that God has called us to care for His children.

I take it as an honor to love babies who need the love and comfort of a home (even if it's just temporary). Maybe I just need one in my arms to affirm all of this for sure.

We've still got a ways to go. Until then, I'll stay in His Word. And keep the devil as far away from me as I can.

Just some evening doubt I thought I'd share.

.....day 18 of a year of writing.....

Back to Routine

As I sit down to write a post about routine, I think the kids and I have been about as far as you can get from routine today.

I just took a shower (at 4:30 in the afternoon), my little man has had his shower for the evening already (with me, no doubt), and Addison is currently napping after having been at school all day, and it's 5:23 p.m. I'm guessing 8:00 p.m. bedtime will not be easy.

So with all that in mind, I am dying for routine!

Addison just went back to school last Thursday, so we are slowly settling back into the routine.

However, slipping back into routine is not exactly as easy as it sounds, but I do have the best of intentions, I can tell you that for sure!

I will say that I have dinner planned (and shopped for!) for the entire week. I have three runs on my schedule for the week (go ahead, ask me when the last time I ran was....it's been light-years).

Oh, and I'm starting a new small group tomorrow. I also plan on dating my husband again and reading my Bible every morning for at least 30 minutes. I'm now the Women's Life Group Coordinator at Life Church in Yukon. I run an organization with thousands of consultants and over a million dollars in wholesale every month. And I can't forget, I decided to challenge myself to write every day for a year, so I think if I want all that to work out, I am definitely going to need some routine.

But how do you get back into it?

I know that the start of school helps, but it isn't getting me to bed earlier. (I am really the worst about that.)

So I guess this post is turning into me thinking on paper. I guess what it really boils down to is that I need a plan.

So here it is:

To Bed: Earlier (11:00 p.m. at the latest)
Wake up: Earlier (6:30 a.m at the latest)
Run: 3 days a week
Read my Bible: Daily
Date my hubby: 2x a month

Look at that. I feel better already.

What about you? What's your "Back to Routine" plan?

.....Day 17 of a year of writing......

Do You Feel Chosen?

I know there are days (too many to count honestly) when not only do I feel not chosen, but I just feel plan unequipped.

Unequipped to be a mom, unequipped to be a spiritual leader, unequipped to be a business owner, heck, many days I even feel unequipped to be a friend.

Yet the Bible tells us that as children of God, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are not only chosen by God, but also well equipped to do His work through the power of the Holy Spirit.

But the question is, do you ever really feel chosen?

I know that the only times I ever actually feel chosen and equipped are when I'm seeking God, praying, and reading His Word. If, for even a few days, I slip away from living in a relationship with God, that's when I feel not only unequipped, but completely ill equipped (like I have nothing at all to offer).

King David was also one who appeared at the surface to be very unequipped to do what God had in mind for him to do. He was a shepherd who had numerous other brothers who seemed much more equipped to be anointed by God.

But God sees things that others don't. He is the one with the plan for us. He is the one who equips us with power of His own.

God appointed, anointed, and empowered David to do great things for the kingdom of God. He chose David and then empowered him to do good works.

So how do we remain in a place where we feel not only chosen, but also empowered to fulfill what God has chosen for us?

By remaining in Him.

It is far too easy to slip away from His guidance, to slip away from His Word, and to slip away from His purpose for our lives.

We have to seek Him; we have to be in His Word, and we have to do it daily.

I know, it's so much easier said then done. With work, kids, and life in general, sometimes the first thing to go is our relationship with Christ. We know He's there. But we all too often don't do enough to stay close to Him so that we can feel the empowerment that He has provided for us, and so that we, like David, can do the things that He has chosen us to do.

May you rest in Him this week.

.....day 16 of a year of writing.....

The 7 Day Card Challenge

There is something about a handwritten note. It's authentic, understood, and appreciated.

For some reason, handwritten notes are always understood in the context they were meant to be understood in, unlike a text or an e-mail, both of which can be misunderstood easily.

One of the things I have always done in my business is write handwritten cards. I wrote them for every person who ordered or came to a party in the beginning.  I still do that, but I now also write cards to team members as they promote or celebrate a new milestone in their business.

Notes take time to write, but the message they send is always clear....

You are appreciated! 

I love it when I have the chance to write a handwritten note for a personal reason. Even as the writer, a note makes me feel better just for writing it, and I know it makes the person pulling it out of the mailbox feel even better than it makes me feel!

My husband and I even write each other notes on our bathroom mirror every once in a while. I know it's silly, but there is nothing that makes my day like a sweet note telling me how appreciated I am. It can literally change any day.

So when's the last time you wrote out a note and sent it in the mail or snuck it in a backpack or a lunchbox, or on the dashboard of someone's car?

Your words are powerful, especially when spoken to others in the form of encouragement and appreciation.

Try it this week. Start tomorrow. Write someone a card.

Send one to your grandma, leave one for your spouse to find, mail a note to your 5 year old, or leave one for a stranger to discover. Write one card for 7 days in a row, and see how good you feel at the end of the week.

Are you in? Can you do it? 7 cards, 7 days, 7 people. 

I dare you. And only because I know that it'll make a great change in you through your written appreciation of others.

Your family and friends may forget the things you say, but they'll never forget the things you write.

Post a comment and let me know if you'll join us for the 7 day card challenge. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

....Day 15 of a year of writing....

The First Day of School

Our school situation is beyond dreamy. Addy goes to a little private school less than a mile from our house.

It's an incredible school. She is in a class of 4 and 5 year olds with only six kids in the entire class! Her teacher is incredible and all the staff seem to absolutely adore Addison.

Yesterday was her first day of Pre-K. She was gone from 8:30-3:45! Don't get me started; I might cry!

She, on the other hand, is crazy about being at school that long. When I asked her how her first day of school went, she said, "I stayed all day, and I didn't even take a nap!"

What a day.

But as a mom, my heart breaks every time I drop her off. I miss her so much during the day. I don't get very much "Addy" time anymore.

I have felt called to homeschool for a few months now. My plan is to start next year. I already know the battle I'll face....she will want to go to school.

The great thing about her school now is that she is learning to truly love learning. That is exactly what I want. I want her to love everything about the pursuit of knowledge. I don't want her to be held back. I want her to want more of everything that is thrown at her.

But as much as I want her to love learning, I want her to love Jesus even more. I want her to know who she is, and I want her to know who she is in Christ.

I also (simply out of selfishness) want to be able to take her to the museum, and the zoo, and the beach when all the other kids are in school. I want to go on adventures with her. I want to fall into a book on a rainy afternoon with her under a fort of blankets hidden away from the rest of the world.

I don't want to have to miss the next 14 years.

My heart is in such turmoil right now. She loves her school, and so do I! She thrives there. She gets the attention she needs and the socialization she craves. I mean come on, the kid has a tree house in her classroom!

But while I wrestle with my heart and my head, I'll spend the next 7 months reading everything I can about homeschooling. I'll keep looking to my homeschooling group for guidance (yes, I'm in a homeschool group and I don't yet homeschool). And I'll keep praying that God will clearly show me the best future for our children. And wherever He leads me, I will follow.

.......Day 14 of a year of writing.....

A Confession

Well, it's confession time I guess.

About a year ago, the youth pastor position opened up at our local church. Brian and I both felt like he should apply for the position. He went in for interviews and was perfect for the job.

We were very regular attendees at our church, LifeChurch.TV Edmond, for about 9 years. We courted while attending there, got married while attending there, served in LifeKids there, and brought our babies to childcare there for the first time. It was our church home. We loved our worship pastor, and it always felt like it was where we were supposed to be.

Brian going on staff seemed like a natural fit. During the interview process, the mention of him being hired at the Yukon campus came up many times. Brian is from Yukon, knows tons of people there, and they (since opening their doors) had never hired a youth pastor.

See, our church is not your typical church. Life Church is one church in multiple locations. Instead of having a mega campus, we have campuses in multiple states and online. All campuses see teaching from our senior pastor, Craig Groeschel, each week. Each individual campus has it's own staff and pastors to help everything run smoothly at each location.

One of Brian and my's most heated debates in the past couple of years was about whether or not he should even consider the job in Yukon. I was 100% hands down, NO! We were not going to Yukon! Our church home is Edmond, and it always has been. Plus, we live in Edmond and Yukon is a nice 30 minute drive down the turnpike.

I was adamant. We belong in Edmond.

But Oh how I love the way our plans are often not at all what we want them to be.

God had greater plans for Brian and me.

Before I knew it, God was all over me. I knew we were supposed to go to Yukon. They were still looking for a youth pastor, and after a few months learning the ropes in Edmond, I knew it was time for us to say goodbye to the place we loved and knew as our church home.

We've been making the drive to Yukon for a while now, and I am so incredibly glad that God knows exactly where He wants us. It took a lot for me to go to Brian and tell him that I thought he should apply in Yukon. The Holy Spirit is pretty relentless at times, though. I knew I would be miserable until I gave in.

I had no idea what He had in store for us in this new place. I was used to things the way I was used to them. But God has stretched both Brian and me in ways that we never expected.

And can I tell you that the people in Yukon are incredible! I have never felt more at home or more loved.

I was honored to stand before an amazing group of women tonight at LifeChurch.TV Yukon at our global Sisters event.

I have the humbling and incredibly wonderful job of helping our Women's Life Groups (small groups) grow and flourish over the next few months, and I can't wait.

It's an opportunity to do what I love (disciple women) that I know I never would have had in Edmond. God knew where He needed us to be, and I am so honored that He chose us to hang out with the amazing people at the Yukon campus.

It's a good thing I'm not in charge, and it's a very good thing that Christ is.

Day 13 of a year of writing

It's Days Like Today

It's days like today when I think we're officially crazy for beginning this whole foster care process. It's not that I don't think I can't handle another kid....well...okay...sometimes I wonder.

But it's more about the logistics of another child. Where and how and when will everything get done?! I have a hard enough time attempting to get both of my kids in and out of the car as it is. How will I add one more to the mix?

I'm worried about how my kids will react to a new child being in our home even if it's only temporary.

I'm worried about how I'll react to a new child being in our home especially if it's only temporary.

I'm worried about how adding another child to our daily schedule will affect Brian and my's relationship. It seems like we just figured all this parenting stuff out to a degree, and now we want to throw a wild card in the deck.

It's days like today that I can't help but think I'm crazy.

Can I even do it? I often doubt that my heart is cut out for involving myself and my family in the foster care process.

But I also know that God calls us to be more than we ever think we can be on our own. He has bigger plans than even we can imagine for our lives. He challenges us to do His will for our lives even if it's not easy, even if it's scary, even if it doesn't make sense. 

So tomorrow we meet with our Certification Specialist and the process begins.

Last night I was thinking about how much easier it would be for us to get pregnant and just have another baby. (Or at least I think it would be).

But I feel like we were called to take this journey; to see who God would bring to our family in a not so traditional way. I know He's challenging us.

One of the reasons I think we finally made the decision to begin the Foster Care process was because I read the Fostering Hope devotional on http://www.youversion.com/.

You can read it too by going to http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/fostering-hope.

For more information about becoming a Foster Parent, go to http://111project.org/ or http://www.okdhs.org/programsandservices/foster/

Day 12 of a year of writing...

Sisters!

I know that I talk a lot about community and how much I love the small group of women in my women's group, so I apologize if I sound like a broken record.

But! There is nothing that I find more fulfilling and more rewarding than sharing life with other women. I look forward to it each week and crave it!

I am so excited that our women's ministry at LifeChurch.TV Yukon is expanding. We have an extremely fun night planned for this Thursday at our global Sisters event. It starts at 6:30 p..m. and childcare is provided. Plus, we'll have worship led by Jami Smith and speciality coffee and cupcakes. It's a Girl's Night Out!



Jami Smith

 You can check out Jami's music on her facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/jamismithmusic

Oh, and did I mention Door Prizes?! We have tons of them! We want you to feel pampered and I know you will! If you live in the OKC area, make plans to join us Thursday night in Yukon.

I would be honored if you would join us. I'll be on stage for the call to Christ and for the fun activities we have planned for afterwards. You won't regret it. I promise.  Check out the details below.

What: Women's Event - Worship, a great message, coffee, cupcakes, childcare, and door prizes
When: Thursday, August 15th 6:30 p.m.
Where: LifeChurch.TV Yukon
1101 E. Main St
Yukon, OK 73099

Day 11 of a year of writing 

My Daddy's Bible

One of my favorite things to do as a kid was peruse through my dad's Bible.  It was very well read and marked all over.

There was hardly a page without a pen mark.

I remember wanting so badly to write in my Bible the same way. To love Jesus the way he did. To find a reason to put exclamation marks after things! I wanted to love God like my daddy did.

As a child I had no reasoning to even begin to understand the things my dad had walked through as an adult. The passing of his father, the divorce between him and my mom, and countless other adult happenings that I'm sure I still don't know many of.

It never occurred to me that we often have to walk through the hard times with Jesus to begin to really love Him.

It's easy to love and praise God when things are going well. It's a lot harder to love and praise Him when things didn't turn out at all the way we planned. But it's through those times when we really fall in love with him. When we begin to understand who He is and the sacrifice He made for us.

I think I thought my pink Precious Moments Bible would easily be filled with all the love of my dad's Bible without any of the pain and questioning. I'm sure He knew as a father that my love for Christ would be one that would grow over time; that it would be a love that would endure endless questions and pain.

As I pray over my children every night, my prayer is not for them to never suffer or for their lives to be easy. All I want is for them to love Jesus Christ. I don't care what they grow up to do. I care that they grow up knowing and loving the God who created them and gave the ultimate sacrifice for them.

I don't know if my daddy ever knew that I would steal away precious time turning the thin pages of his Bible. I doubt he knew the impact it would have on me.

The love and faith I read in his words written right back to Christ through the margins of the New Testament taught me a lot about the grace of Jesus. My dad is nowhere near perfect. We are all sinners attempting to get it right. He knows that the one who made Him loves him unconditionally, no matter what, and I learned so much of that through the pen marks on the thin pages of his Bible.

It's one of my favorite memories. My daddy's Bible. The thought of his, makes me want to read mine until the pages fall right out.

Day 10 of a year of writing...

Prayer Works

We have had a rough few days with our 2-year-old, Luke. It started Thursday with a fever and just kept getting worse.

Friday as his fever continued, I had that gut feeling that something really was wrong. I called to get him in the pediatrician's office, and they couldn't get him in. Plus, they said since his fever was only around 100 with no other symptoms besides a decreased appetite, they weren't too concerned.

Friday night, my suspicions were confirmed. Something was definitely wrong. We were up every hour or so. He was crying uncontrollably and couldn't be comforted. We moved from the recliner to the couch to our bed to his bed and then we'd do it all over again.

Saturday morning, Brian left the house early to drive to Missouri to pick up a car he bought on Ebay. When Luke woke up for good at 6:30 a.m., he spent a good 30 minutes crying while lying on the floor (only because he didn't want to held by me).

I knew that my morning plans were ruined. My team meeting (with 18 confirmed guests) would have to take a different turn. That's when I called my sister-in-law, Jacquelyn, who came to the rescue to take over my meeting.

I made an appointment for Luke at our pediatric emergency clinic. That's where the doctor discovered the 4-5 canker sores at the back of his throat.

She told me that it would not be uncommon for his fever to run up to 104 with this virus. She also informed me that he would be in a lot of pain, and there wasn't much we could do for him besides rotate Tylenol and Motrin every 4 hours.

The doctor then proceeded to tell me that the sores could last as long as 7 days. (Not on my prayer watch!)

The remainder of Saturday was spent with Luke in my arms. Praying over him. Asking for healing of the sores in his throat and attempting to make him comfortable.

We left him on Saturday night with Amy, our amazing babysitter. She loves him like he was her own, and I knew he would be in good hands. Brian's 10-year-high school reunion was held in downtown Oklahoma City, and I knew he wanted to be there.

We had a great time, but ended up leaving about 10:00 p.m. We headed home to another night of sleeplessness with our little guy.

Church was not in my plans this morning either. I was very much looking forward to the drive to church and the opportunity to talk to other adults. But he was not himself this morning at all.

We had a meeting for our women's ministry event (coming up this Thursday, August 15th at 6:30 p.m...look for a post this week with all the details). Brian took his computer to church and skyped me in.

It was not the easiest meeting I've ever been a part of, but it worked. One of the amazing women on our team stopped the meeting (well actually she interrupted Luke crying in the middle of our meeting) to pray for me and the kids. It was timely and perfect. We needed someone to step in and pray for us.

I can't help but think about how the devil tries to get in the way of so much good, and prayer through Christ trumps him every time!

When Brian got home from church, Addy and I headed to the grocery store. When we returned, I found Luke sleeping on the couch nearly sitting up.

I had been praying over Luke for two days as had Brian and Amy, but I knew that the more prayers, the better. So I posted his picture on facebook asking for prayers and posted on my
Bible study page asking for strong prayers of complete healing of the sores in his throat.

I thought tonight we had taken a turn for the worse. Brian and I were scheduled to have dinner with some friends from church. I decided I wasn't at peace leaving him. My sister, Whitney, and her fiance, Kris, came over (originally to watch the kids while we went to dinner). They stayed to help me with Addison even though I decided not to go to dinner.

Addy got to play with Kris (whom she LOVES), Whitney made dinner, and I held Luke on the couch. He was lethargic and almost unresponsive. He woke at one point to take a drink of juice and eat one bite of watermelon to then fall asleep almost immediately.

And then, almost like magic, he was himself. He wanted to take a shower, and then he wanted to "westle" aka wrestle.

I saw a smile that I have not seen for two days.

I know that anyone could say that it was just him getting better. I know that he was bound to get better eventually. But there were a lot of people praying over this little guy today. And it was as though someone flipped a switch.

I believe in the power of prayer. I believe that as a Christian, we have the power of Christ inside us. God doesn't always answer prayers for healing, but He does always have His kingdom in mind. And when you pray through faith, miracles can happen.

John 15:7: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (ASV)

Day 9 of a year of writing 

Asking for Help

I like to think I can do it all. I usually try to do it all, actually. But there are days when we undeniably need other people.

I have been so incredibly blessed by my women's small group. These women have become everything to me. Today I had to call on a couple of them to come to my rescue.

My Scentsy team meeting was scheduled for this morning, and we had a horrible night last night with Luke, our 2-year-old. He was up almost every hour crying uncontrollably.

It was awful for everyone involved, especially Luke. Usually if we have an event interfere with one of our kids, either Brian or I take care of the kiddos while the other one goes to fulfill our obligation.

But this morning that plan wasn't going to work. Brian was on his way to Missouri to pick up a car he bought online. I was by myself with the kids. Luke cried non-stop for most of the morning.

What to do?

I called Jacquelyn, my fabulous sister-in-law, to see if there was anyway she could get dressed and leave her house in less than an hour to come host my team meeting.

And of course she agreed. Amy Marc-Charles also showed up to help and save the day. How grateful I am.

It's more than great to have other women you can call on in a time of need. And although there is nothing I hate more than inconveniencing someone to make my life easier, sometimes we all need help.

When God Gives You Margin...

Today was one of those days that I probably over scheduled myself. Really, my entire week was probably over scheduled. To say the least, I had no "margin." No extra time, no extra leeway, no margin at all.

Months, maybe even years ago, our pastor did a series on Margin. He talked about how over scheduled we are as a society and about how we often don't have time for the things that truly matter like God and our families. We all lack margin in our lives.

Since yesterday, Luke has been running a fever. Nothing severe. Around 100.
We had a rough night last night. He obviously didn't feel well this morning, and I knew he wanted to be around his momma.

So I cancelled a lunch appointment I had with a dear friend (and Scentsy director). I stuck around the house, and when he woke from his nap covered in sweat from head to toe, I was there to snuggle him. It appeared that his fever had broken.

Addison (who is weaning herself off a daily nap) was also awake, and within 20 minutes, Brian was home for the day as well. We had a meeting scheduled for 3:30 with our financial planner. Since Luke was still not 100%, we decided to reschedule that meeting until next week.

The wonderful thing in it all was within an hour, Luke was playing, and we were all home without a single scheduled activity, phone call, or appointment for the day.

And suddenly God gave us margin.

We found ourselves curled up on the couch watching Cinderella, eating popcorn and M&Ms. The afternoon that should have been busy, busy was full of nothing but us, and it felt so good.

Before I knew it, UPS showed up with a box the size of a small child (Brian bought a new bow) and without realizing it, I was encouraging the kids to play with the foam popcorn. (Not my personality at all.)

But I had no other agenda. Nothing else on my mind, except my family. And I found myself remembering that this was something I was supposed to make sure happens. It was so good. And honestly it all happened because my little man wasn't feeling like himself. It was like God needed to remind me that this was all too important. And it is.

His Comfort is Enough

Sometimes I just want to be comforted. Being so many things to so many people gets hard. Being a wife and a mom and a business owner and a leader eventually takes its toll. I usually have it all together, but sometimes I only have pieces of it (my sanity that is...).

I never notice it until it's here. The downward spiral that takes me to the place where I need comfort never shows itself until I'm at the bottom. Things are great, and then before you know it, things are so far from where you thought they were.

Sometimes I just want to be the weak one. Sometimes I get tired of being the strong one. Sometimes I just want to be comforted.

Tonight was one of those nights.

All I wanted was to run into the arms of my Savior. There was nothing else. I just wanted to feel Him. I just wanted to be comforted by Him. I just wanted to be told it was okay.  I do a lot of telling other people that it's okay, and sometimes I just need to hear it for myself and feel it from the true and only Comforter.

I just wanted to be in His arms and nobody else's. To know He was there; to feel Him; to be in His presence.

I believe all day, everyday, over and over and over again. And then I let doubt slip in, and then I let fear slip in, and before I know it I watch myself slip farther from Him than I want to be. Then all I want is to be back into His arms.

That's where I found myself tonight.

Running....as fast as I could from one place to the next so that I could be in a place where I could stand in His presence and worship Him and cry and be comforted.

Nothing else. Nothing big. Just comfort.

I don't need any explanations. No reasons. Just comfort.

I'm not asking to understand it all or to know the answers. Tonight I just wanted to feel Him; to know He was there; to be in His arms and to know that He was enough. And it is. Every time.

His comfort is enough.






Day 6 of a year of writing....

The Organizer in Me

When you have more than one thing on your plate, some form of organization becomes necessary. I was working via about 15 file folders until I recently walked in an Office Depot. Oh, how I forgot how much I love this place!

And suddenly, as I stood in front of hundreds of 3 ring binders, my high school organization style came flooding back to me.

How could I have possibly forgotten about 3 ring binders with tabs?! It was how I survived high school and college. How could I have gone away from it?

I know for a fact that I have a library of 3 ring binders from high school, college, and my English teaching days in the attic just waiting for someone to check them out.

While standing in front of an endless array of options, I decided to purchase 3 notebooks....all 3 ring binders....all with folders with customizable tabs. If the things that get me excited are scaring you, I'm really sorry.

But the more I think about these things, the more I love them! The opportunities are endless!
Here are just a few ideas of what you can do with a 3 ring binder:

• Recipe book! If you don't already have a place you keep recipes, there is no place better than a 3 ring binder! You can add clippings from magazines, index cards, etc. You can categorize recipes with tabs (of course!) and if you upgrade to tabs with folders, you have a place to stick everything until you have time to punch holes in it! 

• Budget Plan: Yep, that's right...no better place than a 3 ring binder. You can keep bills, monthly budget plans, savings plans, etc. 

• Coupons! I know there are some of you who are way into the couponing thing. Are you still trying to keep your coupons in an accordion file? May I suggest a 3 ring binder? 

• Kid's Art and School papers: I used a pink binder for everything Addison brought home last year. Everything goes into a page protector, and it's not all over my counter tops. 

• Life! Yes, basically my life is organized into 3 different binders. I have a household binder, a Scentsy binder, and a Bible Study binder. They each have various sections just waiting to be filled to the brim. 

There you have it. A few ideas of what you can organize with a 3 ring binder. I know there are a million other ideas, but those are my favorites! 

When I found out that Beth Moore also loves notebooks, I couldn't help but post this precious video. I am so glad that I am not the only crazy person with a minor obsession. 

Check out Beth's love of notebooks

Addicted

Yes, I'm 'fessing up. I have an addiction to planning! Remember? The Sunday 7? (The 7 must dos in the 7 most important areas of your life?) It was a weekly feature of "A Post a Day in March, April, and May." A Sunday 7 Post 

I even showed you all the planning things I love.... Planning, Planning, and MORE Planning

BUT....I had no idea about this!

Check it out! I found 2 new amazing sites that I LOVE!...all thanks to a few of my favorite planner loving facebook friends. I have found cute things on both sites that I think I need! Imagine that?!

First up....Much Ado About You. You can find their handmade products on ETSY by clicking here or you can check out their blog at http://www.maay-redo.blogspot.com/

I love their super cute desk and wall calendars. One of these will soon be replacing my lame generic wall calendar. I can't wait! 

She also has really cute personalized journals...I'm a journal nut, so I love these!

And on top of all that, you have to check out the super cute, day planners....

These planners are too cute! 

I love the layout and the simplicity of the design.

Check out Much Ado About You via the Much Ado About You Blog or their ETSY Store. 

I knew you'd love that! 

And another one I have to share....ErinCondren.com  Check it out!

Here you will find the 2011-2012 Life Planner...

There are too many cute patterns to even show you here. Plus the layout is fantastic! 

They have so many other fabulous products too! You have to check it out for yourself. Go see it all at http://www.erincondren.com

As usual, happy planning!