Challenged

Have you ever heard a repeated message and you just sort of ignore it or push the thoughts in the back of your mind - maybe because you are not really sure you heard it correctly or if you even heard it at all?  

Me?  GUILTY!

Back when my book club read Crazy Love by Francis Chan the overwhelming message I got from the book was to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk, not to sit and be stagnant, but to go and do and tell others of the Good news!  Not to stay inside my comfort zone, but to go outside of it.  Chan states in his book that God does not call us to be comfortable.  He calls us to get outside of our comfort zones - He calls us to go and do - to treat everyone we encounter as if we are encountering Christ.  

I have heard this message through some other lessons and then in the sermon this morning at church!  I really feel like this is a message that God intends for me to hear!  I am not at all sure exactly what He wants me to do with it, but I am positive He wants me to do something!  This is definitely something to be praying about!  I am both excited and nervous to figure this out!  

God is good - all the time and

All the time - God is good!!!

Book Club

My every other Friday night book club has been reading Beth Moore's So Long Insecurity .


This week we will be discussing chapters 9 and 10.  Some of my friends who have already read the book told me to be ready that the book would dig deep.  It sure did.  I read chapter 9 last night and cried through the who thing!

Chapter 9 is entitled ""A Time and Place to Heal"  Beth wrote a petition of prayer to God asking for restoration of security and dignity.  She asked the reader to go to a quiet place where you could get into a comfortable position before God.  Then she instructed to read the prayer out loud and to change the words to your own if you were lead.  She wanted the prayer to be read as your own and for you to truly mean it!  Throughout the prayer she left blanks for you to fill in on your own.

I don't know if it was the words, the thoughts, being real, reading it out loud, being vulnerable, or being on my knees - bowed in prayer to my God, but whatever it was - it got me.  I cried through the whole thing.  I am working really really hard on letting my insecurities go.  It is hard when you've been hanging on to them as long as I have.  I am a work in progress, but I guess we all are.  The great part is that God knows us - He has been there and He loves us just where we are!

I can't wait to see what the rest of the book has to hold!

Spring

Windows open

Energy

Lovely evenings

Cleaning

Obnoxious allergies

Magnificent colors

Easter

Showers

Picnics

Rainbows

Insects

Nice walks

Gardening

Sunday

I have been crafting today!  I have been working on Amber's hoop art so that I can get it in the mail to her.  I wish I could show you a picture of the finished product, but 1.  it is not quite done and 2.  I don't want her to see it until she gets it in the mail!

I will be sure to post a picture when I know she got it - I will post a picture to facebook first so, if you are my friend on facebook - be watching for the pic!

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I have picked up many habits over the years - some good - some bad.

One of the bad habits I picked up in life is worrying.  I would say that I have my master's in it!  And it is most definitely not by choice!  I can worry about anything - it is really ridiculous!  Right now I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Why you ask?  I have no clue - I almost wonder if it is I will be prepared if something does happen!  So, I have a goal for myself - to stop - to relax - to enjoy life instead of stressing about it!  I bought a new book that I have barely started, but I hope it helps - it is One Thousand Gifts - A Dare to Live Fully Right Where you Are by Ann Voskamp.  So, if you hear me stressing - tell me to stop and to remember how trully blessed I am!

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I am going to go finish Amber's hoop art now!

Hope you have a good weekend!

Margo

Amber's Giveaway

Amber is having a giveaway!!  I don't personally know Amber, but we have recently become connected through the hoop art swap hosted by Heather at Blessed Little Nest.  You can read about that here.

I have started reading Amber's blog to get to know her better so that I could design hoop art that she would love.  Amber is from Canada and she seems like a really cool chic!

Amber is going through a purge or a de-clutter rather since she is moving in 3 weeks.  She is giving away a lot of cool crafty stuff.  I would love to be able to win, but I would be happy if you won too so, that is why I am telling you about it...go enter the giveaway HERE.  If you win, maybe you will share with me!?!  OK - you don't have to!

While you are checking out her blog - make sure to say a prayer for her friend, Mark who is having some serious health issues...prayer is a very powerful thing!

Hope you have a great weekend!!

March 17

I haven't blogged for an entire week!

Last Friday I had my book club.  It is always at my house - which I don't mind at all - all of the other ladies are married - some with kids and some not.  My house is sort of like their oasis away - I think.  They always remark about how quiet it is and they are never really ready to go home.  I don't mind that either.  Our discussions are always good and it is a good time of reconnection.

I don't really remember the weekend - I know I worked because I always do that, but beyond that I don't know that I really did anything.  I do know I took my niece and nephew out to lunch with friends after church on Sunday.  Oh and I do remember trying to take a nap and it started thundering and hailing.  Then it snowed later that night!

I went to work for an entire hour on Monday.  I felt awful so, I came home and slept the entire day!  It is amazing what sleep can do!!  Monday night was the season finale of the Bachelor - I was happy with his choice, but I don't know if their relationship will survive.  I really shouldn't be survived - rarely do relationships made on reality TV make it!!

The weather has been warming up so, that means it is time for short hair again.  I chopped it off Tuesday - well, I didn't my hair dresser did!  I love it!!  I will have to post a picture soon!

I guess that brings us to Wednesday!  Our church youth group had a pork dinner fundraiser.  It was delicious!!  The kiddos had class and then I took them home.  Some friends were in town from Texas so, we had an impromptu card night.  It was fun - always a good time even though I did lose the game to Greg...ugh!  I really hate to lose - especially to him!

So tonight - it is time to relax!!  I plan to not do a whole lot besides sit in front of my TV or on my couch with a book or magazine.

Did you do anything exciting this week?

Margo

March 10, 2011

Can't believe that is the 10th of another month again already!!

So, here is my list of 10 for the month...

ten of my favorite movies

"Days of Thunder"

"How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"

"Six Pack"

"Amelie"

"Twilight movies"

"The Notebook"

"Fireproof"

"Blindside"

"Facing the Giants"

"The Wedding Planner"

These are in no particular order.

What is your favorite movie?

What Love Really Means

I am loving this song right now!

Trying to remember to love people as they are!

Giveaway Winners

Thanks to all who enter the card giveaway I enjoyed hearing about all of the wonderful things you got in your mail.  I was so lucky today to receive my second postcard from Starbucks for a free birthday drink!  Guess they forgot they already sent me one, but I am NOT complaining!!

Okay so on to the winners.....drum roll, please!

Winner # 1 is....

Megan H. said...

A package from one of my friends with PW's new book! I love getting letters and things via snail mail!

I need to purge my house as well...if your free head this way! :)

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Winner # 2 is....Danielle said...

My birthday is next week and I got a $10 coupon to a shoe store in the mail this week to use during March for my birthday. Pretty sweet!

I just started following you this week. I go to church with Courtney and Donata. My husband is the associate pastor and we've been big fans of the Gillens for a long time. I'm enjoying your blog.

Take care! (BTW, it would be a fun birthday surprise to win your giveaway - no pressure :)

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Congrats, Ladies!!!  Send me an e-mail with your address and I will get your cards in the mail to you!!!

Fun Saturday Night

My Sunday School class had a game night Sunday night.  We had so much fun!!

My friend, Stef, started laughing and I started laughing at her and well - it just kept going and going and going after that - we just couldn't stop!!  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!!  Everyone got a good laugh at me because I am a snorter when I laugh and I was trying to hold my nose so that I wouldn't start, but then I couldn't breathe and well, it was crazy!

We played several rounds of Catch Phrase....I on occasion forgot which team I was on and I ended up helping the other team out.  Oh and here is a good one for you .....the clue that was given was "chocolate"  I yelled out peanut butter!!  Makes sense, but was also completely random at the same time!  They go together so perfectly right!?!  

We also played a riddle game - can't remember the name of the game, but Stef and I were partners - we were the giggling pair!!  We kicked butt - it was awesome!!!

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Today is the last day to enter the card giveaway.....go here and comment on the post to enter!

Hope you had a good weekend !!!

I'm DONE!!!

Okay, I am almost done!!  I have spent the last two evenings purging my house.  I am worn out, but my oh my how good it feels!!

I am too embarrassed to show you a picture of my GINORMOUS pile of stuff that I clean out of my cabinets, drawers, and closets!  I will just tell you that I am getting rid of 2 pieces of "furniture," several boxes and lots of bags of stuff!  It filled up the entire back of my SUV and part of the backseat.  I couldn't even get one of the pieces of "furniture" in so, it will have to wait until next week when I go to work.  I also threw out 3 large bags of trash!

It feels so good to open up organized drawers that don't get stuck on all of the stuff in it!  My house isn't quite all put back together - I still have a few things that I need to deal with.  I found 10 + cd's/DVDs that I found in random drawers and boxes and I have NO idea if there is anything even on them!  But, for tonight I am done - I am celebrating with a Sonic Diet Coke with cherry and vanilla!!  I think I deserve it!

You still have time to register for the giveaway - just click here and leave a comment on the post to enter!

I hope you have a relaxing weekend - that's what I plan on doing now that my house is purged!

I am weird & a GIVEAWAY!!

Remember when I was talking about feeling the need to purge my house, but that I didn't know if I could wait until next weekend to do it??  Well, I couldn't wait - my living room is currently the biggest mess that it has been in I don't remember how long!  I know that NO one would ever look in my drawers and closets unless I asked or told them too, but man I am going to feel sooooo much better when they are all cleaned out and organized!!  My only problem is that I forgot to bring some boxes home from work so, my ETC donations will have to go in my laundry basket and in a pile on the floor until another day.

The reason that I say I am weird is because I love to clean!  Okay, not all of the time, but it brings me so much joy to have everything clean and orderly!!  I have been thinking about coming home and purging my house all day long - I have been giddy about it!  Who does that?  Who works 8 hours and then wants to go home and clean??  I know I am weird, but you love me anyway and if you don't then too bad!

So, on to more important things like a GIVEAWAY!!   I love, love, love getting cards in the mail!!   I got the itch to be crafty a couple of weekends ago and I made some cards!  I want to share those with you.   They are just plain white cards that I decorated.

The giveaway is for a set of 4 cards!  I will even send you envelopes for them - I am nice like that!  The picture above is just a sampling of the cards that I made.  You may or may not receive the actual cards in the picture, but they will be similar.

So, here is what you have to do to enter the giveaway - leave me a comment below telling me what the best piece of mail you received lately is.

I will be giving away 2 sets of cards so that means there will be 2 winners!!

The giveaway will close at midnight on Sunday and I will announce the winners on Monday.

To all of my friends that don't blog - you can leave comments here too - just choose the anonymous profile and then sign your name to your post!

Good Luck!!!

Random thoughts...

I need more time in my day!

There is always so much that I want to get done and there never seems to be enough time to do it in!

I really feel like I need to purge my house again, but that is a BIG project and I need lots of time to do that in.  I have the itch to be more organized - if you visited my house you probably wouldn't think I am unorganized, but if you opened my closets or my drawers you would be shocked!  I need an entire weekend just to clean, purge and organize, but I have stuff going on this weekend and I am not sure I have the will power to wait until the following weekend so, this may become an evening project and my house may be a mess for quite a few days and I may just have to be okay with that!  (I think that may be a run-on sentence, but I don't think I really care!)  

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Did I make the right decision?

I was asked to be on the Outreach Commission at my church.  I agreed to finish out someone else's term for the next year.  I prayed about it and I felt like God was leading me to do it, but it is something I do not feel like I am equipped to do.  I absolutely know that it is very important to reach out to people, but I don't feel as passionately about it as others on the team or as much as I think that I should.  That makes me wonder what I am doing and if I really prayed enough before I just jumped in.  I know that God calls us to get out of our comfort zones and to go where he leads.  He calls us to reach out to those who don't know Him and to those who need reminded.  It's just so hard sometimes and something that I am trying to work on - I just feel so in adequately prepared for this.  I just pray that He will use me where He needs me and that I can get past my own fears and just go with it!

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I heart awesome friends!  I got to go to dinner with my friend Carrie last night.  Carrie and I are kindred spirits.  She is the kind of friend that you can be yourself with - your true self - and she loves you and accepts you and all of your craziness!  Thanks for a great dinner, Carrie and yes, we really should do it more often!

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My to do list is really overtaking my brain right at the moment and my stomach is telling me that it is time for dinner.

Hope you had a great start to March!  Can you believe it is March already???  Where on earth did January and February go to??

Oh - I might be doing another giveaway soon so keep watching for it!!