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Monday, May 31, 2010

Numb



Almost on a daily basis we get bombarded with tragedy. It's on the internet, tv...other blogs. To be honest when I hear about an earthquake or school shooting it resonates with me for approximately 1 minute and then I turn the channel.





I've
become numb and desensitized to the pain. It's overwhelming and I don't know about you, but I feel so small and inadequate that I don't really know what to do about any of it anyway.




Not
sure if it's a defense mechanism I've built up or if I've just gotten callous, but I want to change. I want to feel again.





One of my followers Ana has been contacting me about the strange natural disasters going on in Guatemala. She has pleaded with me to share...to pray. Their poor country has been hit so hard. They had a volcano erupt leaving rocks and ashes covering everything. Some places it was up to 3 inches thick. Many of their humble homes have collapsed due to the weight.





To
make matters worse a tropical storm called Agatha has been pouring heaving rainfall over their towns making a bad situation much worse. Most of these people had very little to begin with and have now lost everything. Over one hundred people have died...it's just unbelievable. I haven't heard one thing about it here...until I took a minute and looked it all up.





My plea to you is to just pause and feel. Put yourself in that town with the disruption and chaos. Take a minute to say a prayer for them, and if you feel led to do more here is a link where you can donate to help rebuild the homes lost. Thanks:)




Have a blessed day.





All photos courtesy of the Associated Press
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Friday, May 28, 2010

Canopy of Dreams GIVEAWAY!!




Last
night we were invited to a gala to raise money for a wonderful Christian based organization called TreeHouse in the Minneapolis area. They provide support for troubled teens.








The
function was held at the Depot in downtown Minneapolis. It's a beautiful old building full of character. Whoever decorated this year must have known I was coming;) It was just beautiful... a sea of color with large trees and hanging paper hearts. The walls were saturated with fuchsia and teal lights and shapes of leaves. It was gorgeous.







Each
table was set up with a color theme...we were at the lime green table. My favorite color:) They had candles set up throughout that were just tall hurricanes wrapped in velum paper. So simple and easy. I'm so going to remember that!




Remember
the award winning movie The Blind Side?? We got to see the real life family IN PERSON. How cool is that?? They were the perfect people to have because they walked the walk. They took a trouble teen in and the results were so amazing that Hollywood came a knockin' and a movie was made about their lives. Their adopted son Michael is now starting for the Baltimore Ravens.





Leigh Anne
Tuohy was played by Sandra Bullock in the movie and I have to say Sandra nailed her part. This lady was tough AS nails. She deserved that Academy award!


Everyone in the audience could write down questions that the family would answer and I guess a few were really pretty silly. Like someone asked if having the movie made has changed her life at all. She more or less said they must have come off the short bus because, Yes having Sandra Bullock play you, then win an academy award about you, Sandra's husband falling off the deep end and then she adopts her own black baby boy...yes that's pretty life changing.



Amy Grant was the special music. When I heard she was going to perform I was beyond excited! I grew up listening to her, and even saw her in concert as a teen. She was the pioneer for all of Christian music today. I love her soulful husky voice. I was always able to sing along to her songs. She sang some of my very favorites...Baby Baby, El Shadai, her new Hallelujah song etc... She was really amazing.




She
is 49 years old. Can you believe that? She was so beautiful and I loved her soft sweet presence. She talked a lot between songs and she shared a story of her mother in law that really touched my heart. It was about someone taking the time to take her to church with them and she gave her heart to the Lord.


That
was the theme of the night. Looking around...opening your eyes to someone who needs a helping hand. I left inspired and anxious to touch lives. What if we all went looking for someone to bless...someone to be kind to??? I know I want my life to matter. I want my life to have eternal results. To be a blessing and to show His love...what a great calling.





The
most important part of the evening by far were the teens that walked through the aisles and shared their story. This young man, I think his name was Trey, was only eighteen. He lived his life going from state to state. By the time he was 7 he had lived in 32 states! His parents and family members operated one of the largest prostitution rings. His dad was a pimp and his mom helped him. He was separated from his siblings when his parents ended up in jail.


He was angry and full of hate and actually tried to kill one of his classmates. He was thrown out of school and then he found TreeHouse. His life was transformed because they took the time to support him and guide his life. He is a different person because they CARED. He's been accepted to college and in the Fall he will start a new path. It was sooooo inspirational!



****If you want more information about this wonderful organization here's the
link.






So
that leads me to the giveaway. We got gift bags in our seats...YAY! So guess what? You get to benefit from that:) I have an extra copy of Amy Grant's new CD Somewhere Down the Road and the DVD The Blind Side.



To
enter just leave me a comment about someone giving you a helping hand during a hard time in your life.
Was there a special teacher who took interest in you, a pastor...a friend?? I will pick a winner on Wednesday.



Hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.





Have a blessed day.



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Thursday, May 27, 2010

Saying goodbye



My heart hurts...literally! My parents just pulled out of the drive and I feel like someone is sitting on my chest. I always get this realization as the end of our visit nears...that this could be the last time I hug them...or tell them I love them. It's suffocating.





I hate goodbyes. I hate being separated from the people I love most in the world.




It's painful.
The house feels empty and quiet and I feel a little empty too.
So right now I'll cry and then it will lift. Thankful for that:)





When
I was little my mom would tuck notes in my lunch sack. They were always "roses are red, violets are blue" rhymes. She still does it. Love that:) BTW I have something fun to look forward to tonight. I can't wait to tell you about it...yay!



Oh and thank you sweet friends for all the birthday wishes and kind words. I read several of them to my parents. They think it's just the coolest thing...that I get showered with love from all these "strangers". Of course you're not strangers to me at all;)





Have a blessed day.

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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Blessed




Not
sure if it's because I'm PMSing or what, but I'm feeling very emotional. I keep having the word Blessed bounce around in my mind. I recently had a birthday and I was fortunate enough to have my mom and dad here. We all went out early that morning and got donuts. Which if you follow along you know is a VERY special treat in our house:)





My
family makes me feel important and loved. They make a fuss over me and I know with all my heart they want my dreams to come true. I just feel overwhelmingly blessed. Thank you Lord for giving me parents who dote on me. Thank you for giving me a husband that is sentimental and compassionate...for girls who look up to me and throw their arms around my neck and tell me they love me soooo much.





I need them.
I need you.






So here's to another year. To appreciate all that I've been given and to really embrace my everyday blessings. I don't want to ever take them for granted:)





Have a blessed day.


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Saturday, May 22, 2010

Home sweet home!



Hi girlies:) We made it home and I couldn't wait to get back and share a little of our trip. I always miss you guys so much when I'm gone. I've become really used to the little comments from you throughout my day. You keep me company;)



So glad to be home. Minnesota is about as polar opposite from Miami as I think you can get. It made me really appreciate my mid-western roots. I have never felt so out of place...it wasn't just the language barriers and different races, it was the clothes, the food...everything:) As fun as it is to experience different it really just makes me appreciate the familiar. Does that make sense?






This was our hotel room. Our home away from home for a few days. It was one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in. I didn't realize the room was going to be so big. We even had a full kitchen. The lights didn't work in it, but we had one:)






[The view}



Honey had full days of seminars to attend and then a speech to present later in the week, so I was on my own for most of the time. It was really nice to relax, but it was also kind of lonely.



After just getting back from Hawaii it was hard not to compare the two. Hawaii was definitely more my speed. I'm a country girl and the Island vibe just fit my pace a little more. Miami is very urban, global and diverse. Not exactly my style, but it was still fun to see. I love to people watch and I really don't think you can find better people watching anywhere else.




I got a lot of reading in. Some friends had mentioned how good this book was, so I read almost the whole thing while I was gone. The Help by Kathryn Stockett...a very good read.





I
was so lazy this week. Not sure what came over me, but I completely trashed the hotel room. I was a super slob. When my clothes came off...that's where they stayed;) There were little "Becky piles" all over the place. It was nice to be lazy, but I even got on my own nerves. How does that happen??


Now it's back to reality:) Laundry, meals...responsibility. My folks are here for another week, so we'll be busy running around. Hopefully I can get a salsa garden planted:) I still have plenty of Miami to show you. Wait 'til you see South Beach!




Have a blessed day.


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Saturday, May 15, 2010

Please don't hate me!




Okay this is the post where I tell you that after just getting back from Hawaii I am jet setting off to another warm sunny locale. It's not quite as glamorous as it sounds really...Honey has a business thing and I begged and pleaded to tag along.








Oh yeah and it's in MIAMI!!! I've never been to Florida, unless you count eating at a Red Lobster in Pensacola once.



My folks are here now to take care of the Chicks and we take off early this week. I won't be posting very often the next few weeks because my parents don't like it when I'm on the computer when they are here. What's up with that??







When I travel I have really weird thoughts. Like...I know my kids will be taken care of if something happens to me... if I'm in a plane crash or something, but what about my blogging buddies? How will they know? No one knows my blogger password. Will they notice if I never blog again...will they miss me?? I actually think that way. I'm nutty...what can I say.


Anyway just so we are clear. If you never hear from me again it is because I'm dead or in a coma or something, and I can't remember that I even have a blog. I would never just not post again. Now this is turning into the weirdest post I have ever written. Anyway I love you girlies a lot (and I really mean it)... MISS ME!!!



{Just because...isn't she cute?}


Oh and sidenote. Someone recognized me from my blog at the gym today and sent me an email later asking if it was me. It was the strangest thing ever. I think I had a goofy grin on my face for about half an hour. I felt famous...HA! Has that ever happened to you? It was really cool. If it hasn't I hope it does some day:)





Have a great weekend.

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Thursday, May 13, 2010

Create your own Sunshine!




Lately I've been in a creative funk. I really don't know what's been holding me back, but I've been dragging my feet. There are some insecurity issues and fear of failure I'm sure, but some of it is just pure laziness. I'm kind of embarrassed to even admit that.



We were at a friend's house the other night and he said to me...Do you hear yourself?? You said I wish I would do this or I wish I could be like that. Why don't you just do it?? Well that kind of got me thinking well... why don't I just do it? So the next day I vowed to get some stuff done and finally got all my necklaces photographed and entered into my Etsy store. HUGE accomplishment.






Then I had my friend Kristine over the next day and we sat down and created. Just did it. Didn't really have a plan...just had a quote and then it kind of unfolded from there. And I love the outcome. I'm thinking of doing a whole series of things just like this...smaller canvas size and maybe some jewelry too. It just feels like me!





I think I said to her, "this is so much fun" a dozen times. I normally do my thing alone in the basement and I get lonely. It becomes more like work than fun. Then I dread it. Having a friend there while I painted made it a joy. I need to remember that.







Kristine's got the crafty bug too. She hadn't made anything in ages, so for her to come over and use my Cricut machine and supplies made her day:) Didn't she do an awesome job??







This quote is by Sam Sandquist. And it is exactly what I need to see on a daily basis. I am responsible for this quest of happiness. It has to be a decision and I choose SUNSHINE:)







Okay so I briefly mentioned my store, but if you haven't looked at it yet... go check it out. I can make your necklace say whatever you want. I'm cool like that;)




Have a blessed day.


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