Saturday, November 23, 2013

Five Minute Friday - Fly

It's Five Minute Friday. Get the word prompt from Lisa-Jo Baker's blog, and then just write for five minutes without worrying about it being just right. Today's word is Fly.

GO

Flight. I love it. I understand the desire for it.


The first time I remember being on a plane was when I was five years old, headed to a family reunion in Illinois. I barely remember it. I know we chewed bubblegum and my little brothers chewed on tootsie rolls to keep our ears from popping. I think it happened anyway.


My grandfather introduced me to the show The A-Team when I was ten. It is still my favorite show. Murdock was and is my favorite character. The crazy pilot.


My grandparents volunteered at a Wycliffe Bible Translators office for many years. And every year we went to their annual family weekend at a local airport. I still look forward to it every year. No matter if I get to fly anywhere else, I have a guaranteed chance to fly once every year at the fair. Some years I take a helicopter ride, some years a small plane. The planes vary. Everything from a six seater to an eleven. And I go all day so I can watch them fly.

I love driving past our local airport. I don't often get to see anything taking off or landing. But the planes are lined up on the side of the runway. And at night, the lights of the runway are almost magical. The anticipation of flight.


I hope to be a pilot, someday. Meanwhile, I can take at least one ride a year, and continue to dream.


As Leonardo da Vinci said, "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

Do you like to fly? Do you love it? Besides planes and helicopters, I love roller coasters, and totally want to go skydiving someday.

To read more posts on Fly, click here. To learn more about Five Minute Fridays, click the button below. And have a wonderful weekend!
Five Minute Friday
 

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Rural Wednesdays - Foggy Out There

One morning this week I let our dog outside and realized how foggy it was in the distance! I just had to go grab my camera and take some shots :) 

(Click on photos to make them bigger.)

 





Check out other rural photos by clicking the button below. And then share your own!

Rurality Blog Hop #41

Friday, November 15, 2013

Five Minute Friday - Tree

It's Five Minute Friday! Today's word is Tree.

GO

Trees... So beautiful. Some are tall, some wide, some scraggly and small like Charlie Brown's :) They provide oxygen, a place to live for many animals (and even some people!), their wood can be used for so many things, and when the leaves turn colors and fall it's simply gorgeous.


My favorite are Christmas trees. Decorated, of course. I don't like them to be gaudy. I like it to be simple and pretty. I love white Christmas trees. (Although they're artificial, obviously.)


I would love to see Redwoods someday. I so want to walk or even drive through one.

 
I love climbing trees. I always wanted a tree fort, but the only tree we had in our backyard was really small, barely even big enough to climb.



Dogwoods are another one of my favorites. So pretty when they're flowering, and the way the branches reach out in all directions.



Snow-covered trees are some of the most beautiful things you'll ever see, outside of Heaven.


Well, that's all for today :) Hope you enjoyed my photos. You can check out other posts on Tree here. And for more info on Five Minute Fridays, click the button below. Have a great weekend!
Five Minute Friday

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Rural Wednesdays - The Wheel Barrow

Hey! I'm joining in a great blog link-up I found called Rurality Blog Hop. Every Wednesday you can link up with your photo of rural life. I don't know about you, but I just LOVE photos. I love taking them and I love looking at them. So I was so excited when I found this on Monday and was anxious for Wednesday to get here! Then I went and forgot about it yesterday. Oh well. I am doing it now!



 Click on the button below to check out other bloggers' rural photos from this week!
Rurality Blog Hop #40

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Five Minute Friday - Laundry

(Doing this one a bit late again.) Five Minute Friday is where Lisa-Jo Baker posts a word prompt on her blog, and a few hundred of us now write for five minutes on that topic. Not thought out ahead of time or gone back over with an editor's eye, just written and posted.

This week's word was Laundry.

GO

I started doing my own laundry in my early teens. I got annoyed when what I wanted wasn't clean when I wanted it clean, so my mom said, why don't you do your own? I got my own basket and have been doing laundry ever since.

Since I knew how, occasionally I'd help my mom with the rest of the family's. Or I'd help my grandmother when we stayed over at her house. But I always did mine.

Now I'm married and do laundry for two. He actually does his own a lot now. Mainly because his clothes have oil and metal chips and grass stains and dog hair and things that I don't want to get mixed into my own clothes, so I would do separate loads anyway. But it's funny how much bigger his loads of laundry are and how much quicker a basket fills up when it's his clothes instead of mine.

If you look at our towel pile, you can tell they're ours. Blue and green towels with our initials monogrammed on, a wedding gift. A blue striped towel that's his and a pink striped towel that's mine. Beach towels with dolphins or colorful butterflies, and beach towels with skull and crossbones or swords. Haha.

Our sheets are a patchwork, mismatched mixture of what we had before we were married and what we've gotten since. Two almost identical red blankets, multiple partial sets of sheets because who knows where the rest of the set went. Pretty pillow shams and blue plaid pillow cases and everything in between.

And that's a good analogy for marriage. You start with two separate people, two separate piles of laundry. And then you combine them. Some things stay the same and some things become different. You lose some of who you were, not in a bad way, but in a changing way. And you gain some things, too. You keep parts of yourself but other parts change and adapt for the relationship.

I like it. It's hard work sometimes (with both laundry and marriage), but it's worth it.

Well, that's it for today. You can check out other posts on Laundry here, or click the button below to find out how Five Minute Friday started and how you can join in the writing fun!
Five Minute Friday
 

Friday, October 11, 2013

Five Minute Friday - Ordinary

Today's word is Ordinary. We did this word a lot earlier in the year, and my mind keeps thinking of the same things. You can read that post here.

So instead of writing my own thoughts, I thought I'd share some quotes and sayings that I think speak to NOT being ordinary.

If you're going to be weird, be confident about it.

Don't expect everyone to understand your journey, especially if they've never had to walk your path.

The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.

Sometimes I pretend to be normal. But it gets boring, so I go back to being me.

Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

If you are not willing to look stupid, nothing great is ever going to happen to you.

Never be content with someone else's definition of you.

If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.

Well, that's it. For more posts on Ordinary, click here. To learn more about Five Minute Fridays, click the button below. Have a great weekend!
Five Minute Friday

Monday, October 7, 2013

Five Minute Friday - Write

Okay, okay, late again. But you know what? This time I have a great excuse! I have been writing... just not here. I've been working on my book :) But, although late, here is this week's Five Minute Friday post.

The word is Write.

GO

The word is Write? Perfect! Instead of writing for five minutes here and now, how about I share a sample of the book I'm working on? Sound good to you? Awesome! Here we go:


Jackson dropped her right hand and walked with her back down the aisle, the crowd congratulating them on the way. At the opening to the clearing, Jackson hesitated and looked at her, and she realized he had no clue where they were going next. She pulled him around a corner and kept going until they were well hidden behind some tall shrubs.
               
“What are we doing?”
               
“I’m sorry. I just need a minute.”
               
“Okay.” He let go of her other hand and placed one of his on her back. “Is everything okay?”
               
“I… To be honest, I didn’t expect the kiss.”
               
He smiled. “Haven’t you ever been to a wedding before?”


What do you think? Are you intrigued? Or did it at least make you smile? :) I will share more samples in the future. Meanwhile, you can check out my Pinterest board for this book to meet the characters and "visit" some of the settings.

To read more posts on Write, click here. To find out what Five Minute Friday is all about and how you can join in, click the button below. Thanks for visiting!!
Five Minute Friday

Friday, September 20, 2013

Five Minute Friday - She

Every Friday a big group of bloggers "meets" to write for five minutes on the same word prompt. Today's word is She.

GO

She is my best friend. I don't know exactly how long we've known each other. A year-ish I think. I met her through her mom who I met through an author we both like, and I've never met ANY of them in person.

But she is nevertheless my best friend :) We talk all the time, through Facebook, texting, and Skype. We play Minecraft together. We "know" each other's families and likes and dislikes. We still learn new things about each other often. She is the first person I've ever met who has seen my favorite movie. I seem to remember we both had a purple tooth brush when we met. Lol. How did we even figure that out?!

I live in Pennsylvania and she lives in Idaho. Couldn't be MUCH farther without being in another country. She is five years older than me and has a five year old son, who is so cute! But we can both relate to each other on a lot of things, like marriage and finding a home and our favorite things :)

And I am so glad she's my friend.

If you'd like to read more posts on She, click here. To find out more about Five Minute Friday, how it works, how it started, and how you can join us, click the button below. Thanks for reading!
Five Minute Friday

Monday, September 16, 2013

$2, 2 Kids, 2 Puzzles, 2 Plane Tickets - Gunderson Adoption

You may have seen my post back in February about my friends the Gundersons who were working on adopting two kids from Ethiopia. And if you're friends with me on Facebook, chances are you've seen a LOT of posts about them over the past year.

Well, the great news is, the adoption is final!! Matt Gunderson went to Ethiopia a few weeks ago to appear in the adoption court, and got to meet their kids and spend some time with them. They've received the legal documents verifying the children's new last name. They are so close! But they still need to raise money for the VISAs, passports, and plane tickets.

So right now Jessie and her family are running a contest through her blog. An artist friend of theirs drew and donated two puzzles that look like their two new kids! For $2, you can sponsor a puzzle piece - your name will go on the back and Jessie will add the piece to the puzzle - and the money will help bring their kids home. Jessie will be posting pictures of the puzzles as new pieces are added on her author page on Facebook.

Also, whether you donate or not, if you share her blog post, you can enter to win one of six books! Check out her blog for more details: http://jessiegunderson.com/adoption-fundraising-giveaways

Meanwhile, for every person who shares THIS post, I'll donate 50 cents. Just mention in the comments that you shared.

And PLEASE pray for the Gunderson family - Matt, Jessie, their five kids, and their two new kids. Pray for them to raise the rest of the money they need, to keep them safe while traveling to bring their new kids home, and for the kids to settle in well and know how much they are loved, and for all the other changes and adjustments this family will be going through to give two orphans (no longer!) their forever home.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Five Minute Friday - Mercy

Doing this week's Five Minute Friday a little late, but hey, I'm still doing it. Each week, a bunch of bloggers get together to write for five minutes on the same word prompt, started by Lisa Jo Baker over at her blog The Gypsy Mama. Then we link up, share our posts, and encourage one another. I invite you to join us! It's challenging, fun, and thought-provoking.

This week's word was Mercy.

GO

I had to look up mercy to find out exactly what it means. And even the many definitions and sentence usages didn't make it perfectly clear. I don't think it's a word we use or hear often, and when it is used, it's not necessarily the way it was originally intended.


So I went to the Bible. (I know, I should always go there first!) And I found some verses which really helped me to understand better the true meaning of mercy.

Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. (Deuteronomy 13:17)

And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy; (1 Kings 8:50)

But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. (Nehemiah 9:31)

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. (Psalm 6:2)

The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. (Psalm 6:9)

Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion, and there rejoice in your salvation. (Psalm 9:13-14)

I won't pretend, I still don't know absolutely what all of these mean. I need to read the entire story. Context helps a great deal! But what I do know is that God cares for us, He forgives us when we don't deserve it, He protects us from evil, He heals us, He gives us little blessings to help us through rough times. His mercy endures forever! (Check out Psalm 136 KJV for a whole list of ways God's mercy endures for His people!)

That's all for this week. I hope you learned something new. I know I did! You can read more posts on Mercy here, or click on the link below for more info on Five Minute Friday.
Five Minute Friday

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Remembering What We Have

So many things have been reminding me today how good we have it. Yeah, life is hard. A lot of us are low on money, looking for a better place to live, and suffering from health problems. People want to tell us what to do and judge our decisions and beliefs. Christians in the United States are finally seeing some persecution and we don't like it.

But a lawsuit for refusing to take photos at a same-sex wedding or bad press and boycotts because a company's leader talked about his beliefs is nothing compared to what we're hearing about in other countries right now. Christians are being forced out of their homes, tortured, and even killed.

Today is also September 11th. I know we all remember what happened twelve years ago. So many innocent people lost their lives that day.

A friend and her family have been working for the past year to adopt a brother and sister from Ethiopia. These kids don't have a family, and they don't have the luxuries that we do in America. And the sacrifices that Jessie and her family have made to be able to adopt these kids is so inspiring and humbling.

So I've just been thinking about all of these things and realizing how lucky I am to have a brand new tooth brush, a bed that, while not always comfortable, is mine, nice clothes and books to read and good shoes, a family, a church, and a safe place to live.

This post may not be the most eloquent or well-ordered, or maybe you disagree with something I said, but it doesn't matter. The point is that we need to remember everything that we do have and praise God for it every day. And pray for those we see hurting more than us.

Thank you, Lord!

May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him. (Romans 15:13)

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)

You will surely forget your trouble. (Job 11:16)

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)



It's been a long hard ride
Got a ways to go
But I won't lose hope
This is still the place
That we all call home
- Dierks Bentley

Friday, August 30, 2013

Be Still My Soul

Yesterday I finished reading Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof. Keeping up with my record from Sunday, I read this book in just over 24 hours :) It was so good!! I was actually surprised with how much I liked it.

Gideon walks Lonnie home one night and she lets him kiss her. Big mistake. Her father saw it happen and forces them to get married! What?! Lonnie moves in with Gideon and his entire family. His parents have enough mouths to feed as it is. So Gideon decides they're going to set off on their own. Lonnie is made to leave the only place she's ever known, to live with a ladies' man who doesn't want her around. And that's where it gets interesting. As if that whole beginning part weren't enough!

While not an action, a comedy, or even a "romance" like we'd usually think of, I couldn't put this story down. Filled with heartache and trials of life in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this book tugged at my emotions and made me feel like I knew the characters.

Be Still My Soul was Joanne Bischof's first book, and also the first in the Cadence of Grace series. I am really looking forward to reading book two, Though My Heart is Torn, and book three, My Hope is Found, coming mid-October!

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Seasons


I got this idea from my best friend, Debra Dawn :) She posted some beautiful images of the different seasons and asked what her readers' favorites are. I am curious to know yours! Do you prefer fall, winter, spring, or summer? Or maybe you can't choose just one favorite.
 

 









I told Debra that while I do have some things I like about each one, they also each have a downside. Here they are, in my opinion:




 






Downside to spring: rain, bees.
Downside to summer: hot.
Downside to winter: cold, getting a cold.
Downside to fall: it ends too soon.


 

 





  
As you probably figured out, fall is my favorite :D




Tell me yours and let me know why, and what do you like/not like about the other seasons?
 

Friday, August 23, 2013

Five Minute Friday - Last

On Fridays, a bunch of us take a word prompt from Lisa-Jo Baker and write for five minutes on that topic. We don't worry about whether it's perfect, or what people will think of us for "speaking" what's on our minds. We just write.

This week's word is Last.

GO

"Last time I did this..." "This is the last time I do this for you!" "I don't want to go last!" "Save that for last." "I didn't think it would last this long..."

Last can mean a lot of different things. It can be good or bad. There are things I won't put last, like God, my family, and my friends. There are things best saved for last, like dessert, or good news.

I do know that God wants us to think of last differently than the world does. The world thinks that because we aren't trying to become celebrities or have a bunch of sexual relationships or become super rich that we are coming in last. Often it seems that the world thinks we should put ourselves first and God and others last. That's not how I want to do it, though!

Stellar Kart's song Finish Last sums it up well:

I am running in this race and I am pressing onwards towards the finish line
You have promised me a better life far beyond this world
Far beyond this place and time
I want to finish last, last in the world's eyes
No matter what I do, I will be first in Your eyes

That's it for today. Check out other bloggers' thoughts on Last here. To find out more about Five Minute Friday and how you can join in, click the button below. Won't you join us? :)
Five Minute Friday

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Five Minute Friday - Small

I'm joining Lisa-Jo Baker and her rapidly growing group of fellow bloggers who like to write for five minutes every Friday without worrying about it being just right. No backtracking, no editing.

This week's word is Small.

GO

You've heard tons of people say it - standing beside the ocean makes you feel small. Makes you realize God's power and enormity and the size of the earth and how you are to the world as those little tiny grains of sand you are currently standing on. It may be a bit cliche, but it's totally true.


Other things make me feel this way. Not small as in insignificant, just small as in God is so awesome and big and it makes me even more ecstatic to know that He cares about me even while He's got ALL these other people to care for, too!! 

Looking at a huge field of flowers, standing in a crowd of people, flying over farms and cars that look so tiny from way up there. Great big pine trees, let alone redwoods (which I'd love to see someday!), the northern lights, big ships... So many things can make you feel small.


And yet, God really does care for you. He cares for him and her and you and them and everyone. Don't forget that :)

To read more bloggers' thoughts on Small, click here. To find out what Five Minute Friday is all about, how it got started, and how you can play with us, click the button below!
Five Minute Friday

Thursday, August 15, 2013

It Happened At The Fair

SO excited to tell you about this one :) Deeanne Gist is one of my most favorite authors, and this one was my favorite of hers so far! It Happened at the Fair took me by surprise. Even reading the back of the book, I had no clue what I was in for. I totally fell in love with the two main characters. They're so real and funny and have real-life problems that I could absolutely relate to. Cullen is a farmer whose real talents lie elsewhere. Della is a teacher for deaf children. They meet at the Chicago World's Fair. And I don't want to give away any more than that!! You need to read it! :)

 

I'm really really looking forward to Deeanne's next novel, Fair Play. 



You can find Deeanne on her website and her Facebook page.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Five Minute Friday - Broken

Welcome to Five Minute Friday, where everything is made up and the points don't matter! Well, okay, so that was the intro to Whose Line Is It Anyway. But the idea still works! Just write for five minutes without worrying about if it's just right.

Today's word is Broken.

GO

I feel broken. I really do. I make the same mistakes over again and wonder what's wrong with me.

Why do I ALWAYS spend too much money?
Because I like the idea of things, how they work, what they're for, how pretty they are. Even when I'm trying my very hardest to only get what I absolutely actually need and will use... I get too much. Ask me how many things I've bought and then returned the next day or the next week. I couldn't tell ya. Way too many. Thank God we CAN often return things.

Why do I feel perfectly fine one day, thinking I can climb a mountain or do any job well, and then the next day I have one of the horrible stomach aches and can barely even stand up long enough to take a shower or warm up some food in the microwave?
I've gotten these aches basically my whole life. The earliest one I remember was at seven years old. Docs can't figure it out, just shoving medicine at me and then saying, if that doesn't work, come back in two weeks and we'll try a different one. It's not my fault. But it sure does make me feel broken. And it certainly makes me feel terrible when I can't keep a job, can't bring in income, can't help by even doing the dishes and other things around the house.

Why do I get so overly excited about things that I put so much time, money, and effort into and eventually fall farther back down because of it?
Why can't I take cautious steps, figuring out what I CAN and SHOULD do before trying to do everything and then crashing and burning? I go all out with whatever home business I'm trying, buying business cards and signs and all kinds of products and supplies, without even knowing if I'll be any good at it or if anything will come of it. I sign up for this and that and make appointments here and there, then I get overwhelmed by all the things I have to do and places that I have to be and I end up missing everything or being so exhausted that I make myself sick and despise the things which I was previously so excited about.

Yeah. I feel broken. I have no clue what to do about it, other than take it to God and ask Him to fix me or use me anyway.

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Psalm 51:17 NIV

Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice. Psalm 51:16-17 The Message


To be unbroken, what would that be?
If words that were spoken had not shattered me.
If I was unbroken, I'd never know
the beauty of hope and how far grace will go.
- Unbroken by ZOEgirl lyrics

Thanks for reading. I'm sure you figured out that that took me more than five minutes to write. Today, we're linking up on Lisa-Jo Baker's Facebook page, so click on over and read other posts on Broken. Plus, you can go to her blog to find out more about what Five Minute Friday is and how you can be a part of it! Just click on the button below.
Five Minute Friday

Friday, July 19, 2013

Five Minute Friday - Belong

Sorry I haven't done Five Minute Friday in a while... about a month. But here's one! Today's word is Belong.

GO

I don't have my own words today, because all I can think of is this song by Switchfoot and what it means to not belong to this world.

It was a beautiful letdown when I crashed and burned,
when I found myself alone, unknown, and hurt.
It was a beautiful letdown the day I knew
that all the riches this world had to offer me would never do.
 In a world full of bitter pain and bitter doubts
I was trying so hard to fit in, until I found out
that I don't belong here.
I don't belong here.
I will carry a cross and a song where I don't belong.
I don't belong here.
I'm gonna set sight and set sail for the kingdom come,
Your kingdom come.
We are a beautiful letdown, painfully uncool,
the church of the dropouts and losers and sinners and failures and fools.
Let us sing one true tune -
I don't belong here.


For more posts on Belong, click here. To find out what Five Minute Friday is, how it got started, and how you can join in, click on the button! Hope you have a great weekend!
Five Minute Friday

Monday, June 10, 2013

Fall

This past Friday's word was Fall.

GO

As soon as I read the word I started singing one of my current favorite songs, I Will Fall, from the show Nashville.

Some of the lyrics are:


When we said goodbye it was forever
And I spent the last year piecing my life together
Just when I think I’ve let you go
Your song’s playing on the radio
And just like that it rushes back
Every part of you


I will fall, I will fall if you come around
Just when I think my heart break has settled down
I will fall, I will fall if you come around

It's a song about a broken heart, about past love. But I realized it can also refer to things we've left behind. Bad habits, addictions, "friends" who weren't good for us. You finally get over them, and then something shows up again to tempt you or try to lure you back to the way you lived before.

But with God, we have a way to not fall. He gives us the strength to keep walking, past that temptation, or to look it in the eyes and say "No." And if we DO fall, He is always there to catch us and set us back on the right path.

That's a very comforting thought, don't you think? :)

For more posts on Fall, click here. And for more info on Five Minute Fridays, how they started, and how you can join in, click the button below.
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Friday, May 31, 2013

Five Minute Friday - Imagine

I'm actually doing this Five Minute Friday post ON Friday! How creative of me :D
Today's topic is Imagine.

GO

I imagine lots of things. I imagine what our own home will look like one day. I imagine having enough money for the things we've always dreamed of. I imagine flight school. I imagine flying. I love flying. I don't have to just imagine that, since I can remember as well. I remember riding roller coasters and imagine riding more. I imagine what it would be like to have a successful home business, which urges me on to making that a reality.

I imagine what it's like for those in the military. I imagine how it feels to be a movie star. I imagine dragons and fairies and princesses. I imagine cobblestone streets and horse-drawn carriages. I imagine what life was like during the Revolutionary War. I imagine being there while they built the Panama Canal. I love to imagine what it would be like to be standing on that beach when the Wright brothers successfully flew the first plane. I especially imagine that. I also imagine how exhilarated Charles Lindbergh must have felt when he touched down in Paris. Or when he saw his plane for the first time. The Spirit of St. Louis.

I imagine God hugging me, laughing with me, telling me everything's going to be okay and that I should just trust Him. I do trust Him, but I would love to physically see and hear Him say that.

I imagine all sorts of things. Some realistic, some fantastic, some historical...

I don't have to imagine God, though. He is very real and very here.

That's all. Yes, I wrote for more than five minutes. Click here to read other posts on Imagine and click the button below for more info on Five Minute Fridays. Happy reading and writing! :)
Five Minute Friday

 

Thursday, May 30, 2013

View

GO

Right now, for me, life is:

a new job I like but still hate having to go to some days, and being very happy when I get to leave.

more discipline in the form of waking up and being at work at a certain time, going to sleep earlier, and having a lot less time for fun stuff. This is bad and good.

a place to live but not one I love.

looking forward to buying our own home and finally having that freedom we've waited so long for.

a husband of four years who is loving and being pretty patient for a guy who's had to put some dreams on hold in order to pay bills and buy things for his wife who isn't the best at saving money.

pushing my own dreams farther into the future, but never giving up on them.

a white German Shepherd that knew my husband before I did and still has some trouble giving us alone time.

a bunch of amazing friends, most of whom I've known my whole life, who keep life interesting and are usually there when you need them :)

a group of beautiful women of all ages who, while we've never met in person, support each other, pray for each other, laugh and have fun together, share books and book reviews, and most importantly, worship God together.

a car that I don't love but it works (mostly) and gets me to where I need to go.

a Thirty-One business that has slowed to almost non-existent but still allows me to get together every couple of months with other consultants. Plus, I've got great bags!

23 years of experience, trials, triumphs, and lessons, and a whole future to look forward to.

a wonderful God who created me, loves me, protects me, knows what's best for me, and continually gives me hope.

That's the view from where I am.

You can find more posts on View here. And check out how Five Minute Friday started and how you can get involved by clicking the button below!
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