Returning from Influence... changed

As I sit here this morning watching the sun rise and the mist evaporate off the fields I can't help but be filled with lingering thoughts.  This weekend was powerful, to say the least!  I've had to take a few days to gather my thoughts and my wits about me.... you see this past weekend I went to the Influence Conference.  It was a weekend of discovery for me.  An emotional weekend.   A time where I met incredible women.  women who influenced me more than they can every know. women who i would dearly like to get to know better.  speakers who provoked deep, soul searching moments (which still continue.) A time where I walked away wrecked yet renewed.  It was a time filled with regret. loss. vulnerability. anticipation. longing. passion. discovery.   Regret.... that i allowed overwhelming fear and anxiety to reduce me to someone i'm not.  Loss... of opportunity to be real, to connect, to reach out to others.  Vulnerable... in discovering that "old demons" had crept back in.  Anticipation... of the days ahead growing closer to the Lord and "returning daily to the cross!" longing... for something that i can't quite put my finger on yet but knowing that God is doing a mighty, mighty work right now!!! Passion... deep and abiding for the man I love and for family (sometimes it takes being away to realize how much you miss them and love them..) Discovering... and knowing... that God has a plan! that it would scare the bejeebas out of me to know it all, but finally, FINALLY being content with that. not a complacent contentment but an all abiding, secure in HIS arms contentment! 

So in the days ahead you will be seeing some changes... what?  I'm not sure.... i just know that the Lord is working on me right now and HE has mighty plans for us.  Yes, I do say us... because I know He is working in our family... on our family.  I can tell you this... its not an easy process. and Satan is working hard as well... he doesn't want to see us submit to the Lord's will.  Will I share all that is going on?  No.... some things are too close to my heart.  Will you still find crafts? and projects? painted furniture? food? the occasional recipe? Most definitely YES!  But that is not all... because there are other things in the works.  ideas ruminating. projects & plans forming. lessons being taught. Exciting days!!  yes the days ahead can be (and will be) frightening but that fear will NO longer control me!!! 

So my hope is that you will embrace the changes with me... because changes there will be most definitely be.   and that you will pray for me... to be true to the changes ahead...  to be open to whatever and where ever the LORD leads... to be fearless in the approaching days.

Thank you...

Influence Conference.... ABC's

Wow, can you believe it is Monday already?  Okay so now its Monday night...(hmm how did that happen?!) Thursday is just around the corner... literally!  

Here is another one of the get to know you questions.... 
A- Accent you wish you had
B- Baking or Cooking?
C- Can't Get Enough.....
D- Drink you can't go without
E-Emotion you get when those Hallmark commercials come on
F-Fictional Character you relate to
G-Guilty Pleasure
H- Hometown
I- Ice Cream Flavor
J- Jumpstart Go To (aka how you get your day started)
K- Keepsake Item
L- Life Verse(s)
M-Memory that makes you smile
N- Non-fiction writer you want to have dinner with
O- Opulent Item You Want (something that is way out of your price range)
P-Pattern You Love
Q- Quirk You Have
R- Relaxing Spot
S- Snow or Sun?
T- TV show you miss
U- Unique Fact About You
V- Valentine's Day ...big deal or not?
W- What's Your Love Language?
X- X-Factor Song You Would Sing (sidenote: I don't watch the show...)
Y- Yoga or Not?
Z- Zealous Dream You Have


A- accent??? I would say Australian but then again maybe an Irish brogue would be interesting... growing up we moved a bit so I had an interesting accent which no one could quite place.  As an adult, my southern accent comes out when I'm tired.
B- Baking or Cooking? both but baking is my passion or preserving... as in making delicious jams & jellies!
C- Can't Get Enough.....family vacations/travel especially since our eldest leaves for college next fall & then the middlest graduates.
D- Drink you can't go without...can't come up with anything here.  love coffee, Constant Comment tea, and Italian sodas though!
E-Emotion you get when those Hallmark commercials come on... all warm & fuzzy inside
F-Fictional Character you relate to... 
G-Guilty Pleasure... sleeping in. (gelato)
H- Hometown... I have no hometown as I'm an Army brat, was in the AF for 6 years, and am married to a military man.
I- Ice Cream Flavor... vanilla because you can add so much to it to customize the flavor each & every time.. think nutella or pumpkin pie spice.  (better yet would be gelato!)
J- Jumpstart Go To (aka how you get your day started) ideally... listening to the birds chirp while watching the sunrise with my fingers wrapped around a hot cup of coffee at my husband's side.
K- Keepsake Item... my grandma's quilt she made my parents & all her hankies, our hutch (hubby's family since civil war)
L- Life Verse(s) Isaiah 40:31
M-Memory that makes you smile.... playing in the "irrigation ditch" at my grandparents.
N- Non-fiction writer you want to have dinner with.... ???? 
O- Opulent Item You Want (something that is way out of your price range) the opportunity to live in Europe (Italy, Ireland, France, and Scotland) or Australia/NZ for a year with my family.
P-Pattern You Love....circles, abstract mushrooms, and solids
Q- Quirk You Have... talking with my hands.
R- Relaxing Spot.... curled up in the corner of the sofa w/ a book on a fall day
S- Snow or Sun? having lived in Florida & Alaska this is hard... so I would have to say its 50/50!
T- TV show you miss  The Walton's & JAG
U- Unique Fact About You... 
V- Valentine's Day ...big deal or not? NOT... why show love only one day a year.
W- What's Your Love Language? physical touch, affirmation, & quality time
X- X-Factor Song You Would Sing (sidenote: I don't watch the show...) never seen the show
Y- Yoga or Not? definitely NOT
Z- Zealous Dream You Have.... to own a coffee/tea shop that served sandwiches (think chicken salad w/ dried cranberries, roasted pecans, and bits of granny smith or crispin apple served on hearty whole grain or croissant) tasty pastries and shelves lined with good books for sale & reading, crafts, and all things paper.

Have a great day!

Get to Know You Part 2... the Influence Conference

Get to Know You Part 2

I have to say I am really enjoying this "series" as there are some vibrant ladies out there that I am getting to know a little better or just meeting in the first place.  I have to admit I am a little nervous!  I mean yes my children are older and I HAVE been away from them before but this coming weekend has a lot going on.  I mean it will be the first time I won't be there for the ISSMA regional marching band competition.  This is big for me.... you see this might be our last year as Sean is undecided about band in his senior year.  I love watching him perform, the smile it brings to his face, and add to it that I won't be there for this weekend's competition (hubby is on crutches due to foot injury) well it makes it hard for me.  But I know in my heart this is what I need to do.... (so pray for me because this is really big.)  Add in the fact that I may actually end up staying down at the conference instead of driving home each night is something even bigger.  Crazy!  but I really am a homebody who truly enjoys being surrounded by her family, even if they are in a different room.  I know that this time next year our eldest will be away at Liberty University studying to be an aviation missionary (yes there have been some great changes since graduation!), our middle will be a senior contemplating his future (possibly helicopters in the Army),  our youngest will just be starting high school and my sweet hubby will be either starring retirement from active duty in the face (or within 3 years of it.)  So change is here for me... and I'm not too sure how I'm doing with it.  But the Lord is truly my strength and I am learning more and more how to lean on Him daily.

So enough of the heavy stuff... lets take a look at today's questions.

What was your favorite food when you were a child?

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?

Have you ever had something happen to you that you thought was bad but it turned out to be for the best?

What is your favorite body part?

If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?

1. My favorite food as child??? Wow, that is really hard because I have always liked pretty much everything... and to be honest, childhood was a few years ago and honestly my Mom is a great cook and I LOVED all of her food.  Maybe it would have to be spaghetti with my Mom's homemade sauce because it is the one thing that I can remember asking to eat for my birthday... otherwise it would have to be my Mom's pizza.  Mom always made our pizza from scratch and as far as I was concerned there was nothing better than homemade pizza and a night of playing board games.  (they always seemed to go hand in hand!)

2. 30 minutes of free time?  Yes, I have to admit our boys of an age now that 30 minutes of free time is pretty common place.  and what do I do?  read! whether it be a blog post or one of the many books I always have checked out of the library, you will find me reading. (once the family room is complete you will find me crafting once again!!)

3. Have I ever had anything bad happen that turned out for the best?  Yes, meeting my husband and getting married.  Okay that sounds weird but you see I was in a really bad time in my life.  I was angry with God but wouldn't admit it or couldn't admit it... so I was living life my way.... and was miserable.  When I met Chris I was not following the Lord in any way, shape, or fashion.  But the Lord was working on me, bringing people into my life... one of which was Chris whom He was working on as well.  You see Chris accepted the Lord as his personal Lord and Savior within 6 months of our getting married.  It was during that time that I realized how wrong I had been and turned back to the Lord.  Do I regret the life I lived for a number of years... yes because I wasn't serving my Lord but I am so thankful for the husband I have and the man Chris has become in the Lord!

4. Favorite body part?  Eyes.. hands down!  Mine are hazel but they change from brown with a ring of dark grey with gold flecks to green depending on what I am wearing or my mood or how tired I am.  Its kinda funny looking at our family though... my husband has dark brown eyes but our boys' eyes are dark brown, blue, and green. but then if you saw the guys together you would think that they were cousins at the most or maybe friends as they have different color eyes, hair, and complexions!  I have to admit even though the nose isn't my favorite body part on others it is something that I always notice... please don't ask me why because I seriously can't tell you! :)  I just notice noses....

5.  a certain age forever?  Sorry but I just couldn't pick... I think every age has had its good and bad.  I loved being a child, a teenager, a young adult, and now middle aged (ugh, did i actually admit to being middle aged?  did you feel the earth move?  i sure did, ha ha!)  So picking just one certain age is almost impossible... but maybe when I was really young and my parents were still together and we got to spend time on my grandparents farm or on the beaches in southern california.  

So what are your answers?  Let me know... I would love to read your responses in the comments section and have the opportunity to get to know you just a little better!

Getting to know you... Influence Conference

In less than a week I'll be heading down to the "big city" for the Influence Conference!  So in an effort to help all the ladies get to know each other a little better prior to the actual "event" a "Get to Know You" party of sorts is being thrown... 5 questions were asked.  I would love to hear what you have to say so please feel free to respond in the comments.

1.  What is the most played song on your ipod?  

ipod?? Ha ha.. I own I think but it is probably being used by someone else.  However when no one is home I sing to myself.. old hymns, the wrong words to songs such as “I second that Emotion” by Smokie Robinson… for my entire life I thought it was “Secondhand Emotion” it was only when I found an anniversary card this year which contained it that I discovered the “real” words! so needless to say my husband got quite the chuckle out of it and i have to admit the folks in the store gave me some odd looks because i kept giggling to myself while wandering through the store. Ha ha!

2. If you could only work on one project for a year what would it be?

Only one project? Thats easy!! Our house! Yes… the entire thing because well it truly is one HUGE project!! 

3.  What story does you family always tell about you?

My husband is the only one who tells stories about me… his favorite???  Laughing while he tells folks (only friends, never strangers) how “forward” I was when we first met because I introduced myself to him!  What he loves to neglect pointing out is that we had already been talking for several hours and he already knew who I was.  stinker!

4.  The best part of waking up is ____________

having another day with my family and knowing that God is gracious and mighty and that whatever may unfold will not be more than I can endure with His might. knowing that each day is a new slate… 


5.  What is your favorite time of day, week, month, or year?

Because of my inability to make a decision each season of the year is my favorite time… well except for the hottest part of the summer. I love planting, growing, harvesting, making stuff for others, and the lazy days of spending time with family! being outdoors enjoying God in his creation, starry nights when it is so cold that you can throw boiling water into the air and it evaporates into an icy cloud before it hits the ground, blazing fires in a wood stove, fireflies on a warm summer night surrounded by the ones i love!

Have a wonderful weekend!  

3 Random thoughts...

I know I've not mentioned anything here but in a week I will be attending the Influence Conference just down the road... to say I am excited is a bit of an understatement!  I mean how often is it that you can come together with such a diverse group of ladies with one thing in common... a desire to truly be an influence for the Lord.

My sweet "lil" Lily and me... umm no she isn't sitting.  That's my sweet moose of puppy! The only other girl in the house!  

So in an effort to get to know each other just a little better a "meet and greet" of sorts is being hosted...   

3 random facts of sorts.

Random fact #1:
While dating Chris I made a statement that I would never date a guy that was 19 again as they were too immature and it just wasn't worth the hassle.. he just nodded his head and didn't really comment.  Little did I know that he WAS 19, that's what I got for asking his roommate how old he was.  It was another couple of months later when I discovered how young he was... mmm yeah it was too late by then!  (for the record I'm 5 years older than my husband... he never did act like the "typical" 19 year old!)

Random fact #2:
I am not known for having much fashion sense... in fact I usually have to ask one of the boys what they think.  My favorite outfits nowadays usually includes slightly flared jeans, a beige or black t-shirt, pukka shell necklace or a leather thong necklace plus a scarf and birkenstocks.  If I thought I could get away with a cute skirt and long boots I would so do it!  In all honesty I love skirts but haven't found any recently that were flattering... in fact up until 3 years ago I had not worn jeans or pants of any sorts in 15 years.  My husband bought me a pair of jeans because he said my skirts were frumpy.... all time favorite outfit would be tall boots w/ socks peeking over the top, a skirt just below my knees, a t-shirt and scarf but I can't find boots to fit my chunky calves.  yep i'm curvy... and short! (and maybe just a few years too old for this look.. haha!)

Random fact #3:
I love chocolate but not Hershey's.  it tastes like chocolate flavored paraffin to me... i was spoiled by have good chocolate as a child when we lived in Germany however we now live near an aldi which sells imported chocolate for cheap.  delicious!

As a kid I secretly hoped to have braces, break my leg so I could use crutches, and wear glasses... I had braces, used crutches for an injured knee (what was i thinking on that one) and may get my wish for glasses soon (umm yeah.. what was i thinking??? i'll find out tomorrow....

Have a wonderful day and I so look forward to meeting all those who will be in attendance!