We're as different as they come. Night and day really.

She's a mess; I'm a neat freak. She loves math; I not only dislike it, I despise it. She was the level-headed one in high school; I was the the one making all the bad decisions. She played basketball; I was a cheerleader. She remembers everything; I remember nothing. (Thank goodness she remembers it all otherwise I'd have no recollection of high school at all.)

How we ended up as best friends is hard to say.

Our friendship started long before we fell for the same guy or played hooky during 5th hour only to get caught. She is the first friend I ever remember having.

One of my earliest memories is a painful one. Because she lived out in the country, she was going to have to switch schools. We were in first grade and my world fell apart. What would I do without her?

Turns out we wouldn't be in the same school again until high school, but our friendship would magically endure through those childhood and pre-adolescent years.

Then we would spend most of our high school English classes together passing notes, making up secret languages, driving to lunch, and living for Friday night football games.

She knows me better than anyone. She knows the good and the bad. The triumphs and the shattering mistakes. And she loves me anyway. She knows my past, and she knows all of it.

And still we remain.

Far apart in distance. We never talk on the phone. The words I write here are more often than not, simply for her. A note written to a friend who knows and understands me the way that I am.

Nothing has ever been able to change our relationship. Not time, not money, not distance, not even broken trust.

And still we remain.

This weekend I got a piece of her for a couple of days when she and her hubby and their handsome 2-year-old came to stay.

It still amazes me that nothing ever changes with us. There is no catch up necessary. It's like everything is simply understood.

And I love it.

What a blessing to know someone who knows you better than you know yourself.

.....day 26 of a year of writing.....

Don't forget you have until tomorrow to have a chance to win our Labor Day Giveaway! For all the juicy details, click here: Labor Day Giveaway.

Another Place at the Table

This past week I flew through the pages of the book Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison. It's a book that has stared at me from my bookshelf for a couple years now basically because I knew I didn't want to know the truth behind it's cover.

It's a true story about Kathy and her husband Bruce who have fostered close to 100 children over the past 20 years. It is brutally honest. There are no attempts to sugarcoat foster care, but the stories you'll hear will change you.

The heart of this woman beats for children who need love, and she has given her all to countless children (a few of which she now calls her own).

Regardless of whether or not you have any desire to be a foster parent, this is really a must read! I don't say that about many books. I could not put it down. The stories of these children who made their way through the Harrison's home will make you want to kiss your momma in gratefulness.

You will cry, you will hurt, and you will wonder how people can ever treat children the way they do. But you will also close the cover of this book knowing that it was written by an angel who was given a desire to love the children that no one else would love.

May you be blessed by its pages. It's beautifully life changing.

If you're interested in purchasing a copy, click here

.....day 25 of a year of writing.....

And don't forget about the Labor Day Giveaway! You have until Thursday to get your name in the drawing to win. For more information, click here.

A Labor Day Giveaway!

Yep! I'm doing it finally! It's a Giveaway!

I only give away things that I am personally in LOVE with, and today's giveaway is rocking my socks off I love it so much!

My personalized Erin Condren On-the-Go Life Planner arrived just in time for me to spend the weekend filling it up!

I do have to admit that the first time I saw this planner (at Bible study by the way), I was not sold. I didn't think I'd like the layout, but when I got on the website, I just couldn't resist! They are too cute!

So without further ado, here it is.....

There are tons of great designs to choose from. You can check them all out at http://www.erincondren.com. This is the front of mine, and below you see the back.

The inside is full of beautiful colors and inspiring words like these...

Preach it sister!

One of my planner requirements is that my planner must have both a monthly view and a weekly view with tabs! Because without tabs, you'll never find the month you're looking for. Of course this beauty fits both bills.

The monthly view (sorry it's sideways)

The weekly view...broken down by morning, day, and night with places for goals and to dos

Yeah for tabs! 

Of course there is a place for notes (another must have!)

And there are two great folders nestled right in the back to "keep it all together"

And the deal sealer for me.....the envelope in the back....perfect for keeping receipts, loose notes, business cards and just about anything you can squeeze in there. 

Lastly, there is a place for future planning...just to keep you dreaming.

So are you jealous yet!? 

Do you want one?! 

Here's how you win:

1. You have to Join this Site. 

See over there to the left where it says Followers? If you want to win, you want to be one. Click on the blue button that says "Join this Site" and you'll be following before you know it. If you're already a follower, then you're good! 

2. Leave a comment and tell me how you would use your Erin Condren On-The-Go Life Planner.

 No fibbing. I want to know the truth. Will you record your baby's poops in it? Keep track of your Scentsy parties? Plan out your weekly family meals (or all of the above)? Click on the comments link below to leave your comment. 

If you do both 1 and 2 above, you'll be in the drawing to win your very own (you get to pick it all out!) On-The-Go Life Planner. 

I'm so excited! Can you believe it?! Me neither. So get busy, start following, tell your friends, and leave a comment, and you just might win. You have until Thursday, September 8th, to become a follower and leave your comment.

Happy dreaming! And happy Labor Day! 

And in case you'd like to see really good pictures of this amazing planner, CHECK THIS OUT!

.....day 24 of a year of writing.....

Return of the Sunday 7!

That's right! It's the return of the Sunday 7!

A lot of the return of my favorite planning strategy has to do with my week of chaos last week. I simply didn't make times for the things that mattered, and then I hit a wall (Remember I'm Done?)

So here is how it works if you're new to the Sunday 7:

Every Sunday, we list out the 7 most important areas in our lives and the 7 most important To-Dos in each of those areas for the week.

Most people can categorize their 7 as:

1. Faith

2. Family

3. Relationships

4. Work

5. Health and Fitness

6. Finaces

7. Downtime

Ultimately your top 7 areas are up to you. Below are mine along with my To-Dos for each category this week:

1. Faith: Read Bible 30 minutes a day every day this week and complete 5 days of homework for my small group study of Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed.

2. Family and Relationships: Date night with the hubby! 20 minutes of reading with each kiddo every night this week....love it. 

3. Relationships: Get new women's life group leaders at our church ready to lead small groups.

4. Work: Get new recruits rolling! (yeah for new recruits!)

5. Health and Fitness: Run 3x this week @ 6:00 a.m.; plan and cook 4 meals this week

6. Finances: Weekly budget (balance the accounts)

7. Downtime: At least one bubble bath (with no interruptions, even if a kid pukes kind of bath) and reading every night before bed

Remember, spending a little time to plan out your week can make a huge difference in your efficiency for the week! You'll get more done and be more intentional with a plan in place! Oh, and you won't go crazy! 

.....day 23 of a year of writing.....

So This Blogging Thing....

Alright, so this blogging thing-I'm still trying to figure it out.

I really don't want this blog to be self-centered, but I only know my life. It's currently the only one I'm living, so it often seems self-centered to me.

I am also dealing with the follower thing.

Apparently the more followers you have, the better you are at this?

I have been really trying to not be competitive about this whole blogging thing, but I'm finding that I'M COMPETITIVE!

I can't help it.

If you're just getting to know me, you should know that I only like to do things that I know I can do well.

I am positive that without God's constant gentle nudge for me to write here everyday, that I would NOT be doing this at all.

I also know I have a lot of growing to do, a lot of adventures to uncover, and a lot of learning to wrap my mind around, not just in the blogging world, but life in general.

I guess until I get where I'm going it's important to have inspirations to lead me there.

This following blog link is one of my inspirations right now....not just because this woman is incredible, but because I crave to have a day like the one she wrote about yesterday. We should all crave to have days when we don't know where we're going.

Check it out. http://www.kellehampton.com/

.....day 22 of a year of writing.....

Taco Soup!

Yep, it's football season, so that means all my fall recipes come out (even if it is 100 degrees outside).

This recipe is a family favorite and it's super easy! You and your family are sure to fall for it.

You can make this recipe with either 1-2 pounds of ground beef or 1-2 pounds of ground turkey. Tonight I used turkey.

Here's a list of everything else that you'll need:

1-2 lbs of ground turkey or beef
1 chopped yellow onion
1 small package taco seasoning
1 small package ranch dressing mix
3 cans stewed or diced tomatoes (I prefer diced)
2 small cans of green chilies
1 can baby butter beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can white hominy
1 can kidney beans
(or just 4 total cans of any type of beans you like)
2 cups water

You can also add potatoes and corn to the mix as well.
The soup will be served with the following:
tortilla chips
grated cheese
sour cream

Step 1:
Chop the onion and saute over medium heat in extra virgin olive oil.

Step 2:
Add the ground beef or turkey and cook over medium heat until cooked through.

Step 3:
Add the ranch dressing mix and taco seasoning mix. Stir well.

Step 4:
Add the tomatoes and green chilies (undrained).

Step 5:
Drain and rinse the cans of veggies and beans. Add to the pot.

Step 6:
Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Step 7:
Get out the sour cream, cheese, and chips, and eat generously! Enjoy~

......Day 21 of a year of writing.....

Unshakably Moved

Today shook me.

I had the wonderful opportunity to hear Dr. John Maxwell preach over miracles. And it was a miracle that I had the opportunity to even hear him.

So here's the story: Yesterday afternoon there was a taping of two sermons at our church. One which was taught by the incredible Dr. Maxwell. Having read many of his books and having heard him speak less than a month ago at Scentsy's national convention, I was itching to go. But with youth on Wednesday night in Yukon, it just wasn't a possibility.

Late last night, Brian received an email with another invite to the same taping. The first one hadn't worked. So they re-taped today, and Brian and I rearranged some things so we could go.

After a few worship songs, our head pastor Craig Groeschel welcomed all of us and told us how mad he was (at first) when he found out that there was a mistake with the taping that caused us to have to re-record it. Then he said that he knew it was in God's hands and that he was certain that someone in the audience today needed to hear this message in this moment.

After the first message, John Maxwell took the stage. He proceeded to tells us the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. It's the only miracle that is recorded in all four Gospels, and it was the focus of his teaching.

Here is what Dr. Maxwell had to say about how a Biblical miracle works: "When there is a need sensed by a few and each individual understands his or her responsibility and gives his all regardless of the odds, then Jesus works a miracle."

He also said, "Sometimes God wants us to be a miracle for someone else."

He went on to talk about need and the few and then the individual, but then he started to talk about the little boy who had the only food to eat amongst 5,000 people.

I honestly had never given this boy much thought. You can read the story and skim right over him.

Jesus has been preaching for many hours. The disciples notice that it's getting late and that everyone will soon be hungry, so they interrupt Jesus to suggest that He stop His teaching and send everyone into town for dinner. Jesus looks at the disciples and says, "Why don't you feed them?" So the disciples seek out food. And there is one boy in the crowd with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, and the one person in the crowd who didn't need a miracle (because he had food) was who Jesus used to create one.

I had never considered that He used that boy and his lunch to create a miracle for thousands of people. The other interesting thing is that the boy must have thought the disciples were crazy when they told him their plan, "Well, Jesus asked us to bring him all the food we had, and he plans to feed everyone with your lunch."

Huh?

Sometimes God needs us to be the channel for someone else's miracle (even if His request of us makes no sense at all).

About this time in the message, I'm getting ancy.

See, I have a dear friend, whom I have written about here before. She has a beautiful little girl with an extremely rare disease called NKH. She also has two beautiful and healthy boys, and she is now expecting another sweet girl, Lucy Belle.

Lucy Belle was DNA tested for NKH in the womb, and the tests came back positive. Since the results of the DNA test, I have desperately wanted to pray over Ryan. I've had a hard time believing that sweet baby has NKH (as have many people). There are many many people who believe that Lucy Belle will be born as healthy as a horse.

But, I've had this desire to pray over her. I even had the opportunity a few weeks ago at her baby shower, and I left early to go to worship night at our church, where I was so mad at myself for leaving.

But, as John Maxwell talked about how the requests of God don't always make sense, I knew that not only did I need to pray over that baby, but I needed to pray over her soon.

I almost couldn't sit through the rest of the message. I was unshakably moved. I knew that this time I would not be able to run from this request from God. And then, as if he were reading my mind, John Maxwell said, "We never learn to trust God unless we learn to obey him."

I knew that that was all I needed to hear. We had to go see her. I knew I would have no peace until I prayed with my hands on her belly.

I don't think it was necessarily about the prayers itself, but more about obedience to God. I know God works miracles. I know He has His hand in all. I know His name is above all names, even NKH.

Yes, today I was unshakably moved by God's Word through an amazing man.

Today I learned more about being obedient to God. Because sometimes He just wants us to give Him what we have.

.....Day 20 of a year of writing....