My Greatest Accomplishment

I must admit that if I could somehow find a way to justify it, I would spend the entire day watching HGTV. I LOVE to watch home decorating shows! After watching a few episodes of one particular DIY show, I am confident that I could replace the tile in our bathroom all by myself it is ever needed! Recently I was watching a home design show where an inexperienced person gets to try their hand at being an interior designer. At the end of the show, they always do a big reveal and the homeowners get to see what the designer ended up doing with their living space. In this particular episode, the homeowners were delighted with the changes that took place. As the show drew to a close, the designer said through tearful eyes, "This is my greatest accomplishment! I have never been happier."
The whole day that phrase stuck in my head. I couldn't help but feel a little bit of pity for that poor woman.... that was her greatest accomplishment: choosing a nice paint color and couch. How sad!

Sometimes I like to watch the Biggest Loser. (I think it is because I feel skinny when I watch it!) In one episode a contestants said something that caught my attention: "This is my greatest accomplishment! I have lost so much weight!"

"Wow," I thought. "That man's greatest accomplishment in life is being able to fit into a smaller size."

Now I understand firsthand how difficult it is to lose weight. It is a huge battle that I am still fighting. However, I would be a little depressed if my greatest accomplishment was simply dropping those pesky pounds. I have bigger goals for myself. I have BIG dreams. I want to accomplish BIG things.

I thought I would just take a few minutes and list the things that I want to accomplish with my life. Here ya go, guys!

*I want to hear my Lord and Savior say, "Well done."
*I want to be the wife that God created me to be for my husband.
*I want to "train up my children in the way they should go..."
*I want to make a difference in the lives of the teens that God has called us to work with.
*I want to make my parents proud.
*I want to be a true friend to my friends. "If I have ever loved you, I will always love you." Dr. Jack Hyles
*I want to serve God until I die. I hope that I never go through a period in my life where I get seriously backslidden.
*I want to give my children and their children a "goodly heritage".
*I want to be loyal to my preacher and my church.
*I want somebody to be in the ministry because of my husband's and my influence.
*I want my children to see what a wonderful life serving God brings.
*I want to learn something new daily. I always want to grow.
*I want to REALLY know the Bible and what God thinks.
*I want to have a real life of prayer.
*I want to be somebody that can say, "Follow me as I follow Christ."

Wow! After making this list, I am thinking it might just be easier to lose 100 lbs and paint a room! I guess it is true that nothing worthwhile comes easy!

A Very Merry Christmas!

Well, I have to say that we (Josh and I) really dropped the ball this year. We bought hundreds of lights to decorate the exterior of our house - they are all still in the box! Even though we celebrated Christmas THREE TIMES by the time we opened presents with all of our different family, we probably only have 3 pics of Kyndra this Christmas. This year Christmas seemed to come and go more quickly than ever before. It is probably due to the fact that I feel like I am ready to pop (only about a month till my due date!!) I would rather sleep than bake, and the thought of all the holiday crafting and decorating just didn't really appeal too much to me this year. We did manage to get a tree up, but half of the lights went out and we never got around to fixing them. Our house is the farthest thing from a winter wonderland that your could imagine.

And yet....

We had a WONDERFUL time with my whole family together this year. It has been so long since we have been able to all get together for a holiday, so this was a very memorable Christmas.

We had a ton of fun watching Kyndra play with the styrofoam peanuts just as much as she played with the elmo doll that Aunt Bev and Uncle Les sent.

We had a great visit with Josh's family. Uncle Jonny bribed Kyndra with Barbie tents and Oreos the whole time, and I am sure that he is her favorite person now.

We had a safe drive home from Schererville, IN, in the midst of a blizzard.... even though the 4 hr. trip took over 7 hours!!!

This year, I felt like I really didn't prepare for the holiday like I should have. However, maybe my lack of Christmas fever allowed us to slow down and really remember the whole reason that we celebrate this holiday in the first place. Being pregnant, I find myself thinking about Mary a lot this year. That poor girl had to travel so far while being great with child... makes my 7 hour trip in my parents' AMAZING Kia seem kinda trivial. She didn't get to deliver her child in a birthing suite, but instead, a dirty animal dwelling. She didn't even have a cute outfit to put on her sweet little child. She had to wrap him in rags just to keep him warm. As amazing as it was that Mary was willing to go through all of this, it is even more amazing that Jesus was willing to humble himself in this way. He knew exactly what he was getting into when he left Heaven to be born in the manger. So maybe my neighbors didn't get a Christmas card... but at least we took time to reflect on the whole reason that we send our cards at all.

Thank you, Jesus, for being born!!!

What is your Motto this Holiday Season?

At our Christmas Tea, my amazing preacher's wife, Robin Ogle, said something that really caught my attention. She said that she always picks a Bible verse for the holiday season. As I mulled this over in my mind, I thought of several verses that could be my motto for this year. Finally, I decided that a statement my preacher made in a sermon recently would be my theme. He said,

"Everything you get is so that you can give."

At Christmas time, we get so much. It is so much fun to try to figure out how to give with each get that comes our way. I am not suggesting that you should give away every gift you receive... that would be insulting to the person who gave it to you! I am saying that we should try to use everything God allows into our lives to enrich somebody's life.

Here is an example. I was given a Starbucks gift card. (my FAVORITE, by the way!) Normally, I would hang onto that little card and look forward to whatever coffee drink I decide to get. Trying to implement my holiday theme, I decided that I am going to use the card to take a teen girl who is going through a hard time out for coffee. It is much more fun to share a cup of chai with someone else anyway!

This Christmas, why not make a game of it? How many things can you use for others? It really makes the holidays fun and keeps you unstressed. Best of all, it keeps your heart from becoming greedy. I don't know about you, but I tend to really have to fight greediness this time of year. It is human nature to want everything. By always trying to figure out a way to give to somebody, you are fighting selfishness.

"It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Acts 20:35b

The wisdom of a Mother

This was my second Mother’s Day that I have been able to enjoy as a mommy. It has quickly become one of my favorite days of the year…. A whole day devoted to spoiling MOMS! Being a mom is so much more than I ever expected it to be… more work, more responsibility, and more rewarding. Every day I find myself thinking, “It is so fun to have a new level of friendship with my mom.” There are ways that I could not relate to her until I had a child myself. I also find myself constantly thanking God for a mom who had a wonderful way of teaching me everything I needed to know before I was grown, such as keeping house, grocery shopping, gardening, being frugal… the list goes on and on. I find myself looking forward to teaching Kyndra everything my mom taught me. As a Mother’s Day tribute (a few days late) I thought I would take a minute and share some important traits my mom exemplifies.

My mother is one of the hardest workers I have ever met. She recognizes the value of rest and relaxation, but they always come after the labor. As a child, I remember her spending HOURS keeping our two acres looking beautiful. Now that I have a yard of my own, I am realizing what a feat that was! She reminds me so much of the woman in Proverbs 31 whose “candle goeth not out by night”… I don’t think my mom’s candle EVER goes out!

My mom is a great teacher. I believe that God gave her the talent of being an incredible educator. She has no formal training in this profession, and yet she can teach better than some folks I have met who have a Master’s degree in teaching! She is creative and witty, a marvelous combination. I can remember mom using this talent to teach me the value of money. She would give us all of the coupons from the Sunday paper and tell us that the amount of money she saved with the coupons would go to us. You have never seen two kids try harder to convince their mom that she needed an obscure item like denture cleaner—we had coupons! Now that I am grown, I am thankful for her creativity. I get some great deals with coupons!

My mother has a heart for others. She is always looking for a way to brighten the day of a person going through a hard time. Nearly every time I have been shopping with her there is something in the cart for somebody else. She writes cards, sends emails, and even sent HUGE care packages while I was in college. She wanted to make sure that my roomies had good food too!

I think that the greatest lesson my mom taught me was how to choose my priorities. When my sister and I were small, she quit her well-paying job to stay home with us. As young children, we had no idea what a sacrifice that was for her. It meant that she rarely got “new” things, and Goodwill became her favorite department store. My mother is a smart, capable woman. I am sure that at times she felt like the career of being a homemaker was a step down from what she could have been doing. She never made us feel like we were keeping her from greater things; instead, she made us feel like we were the most important “things” in her life. Trying to juggle all of your responsibilities can be daunting and difficult. I had the most wonderful example to teach me how to establish my priorities. As a matter of fact, the title of my blog is really a testimony of my mom’s teaching: Faith, Family, and Friends… in that order.

Thanks, mom, for the millions of lessons I didn’t have time to write about. I love you!

AND NOW…. The Mother-in-Law!
I want to take just a moment and mention what an incredible mother-in-law I have….

Karen Graham has taught me more through her perseverance than anyone else on earth. When her husband was taken from her, her whole family suffered. The children lost their father, the church lost their pastor, but she lost her husband. The children grew up and got married, and the church got a new pastor. Karen still has to daily deal with the absence of a husband. She is real and transparent. It is difficult. And yet, even through her difficulty, she continues to love God. She finds humor in everything and makes everyone laugh with her quick jokes. Even when the rug was pulled out from underneath her, she found the strength to raise three AMAZING children. (Of course, her oldest is my favorite!) Through her life, I have learned to walk with God now and have a good, strong relationship with Him so that I can make it through whatever trials I might face.

Thanks, Mama G, for the greatest gift you could give a person—your son, Joshua. You did such a great job raising a man!

Love,
Jessica

"She Said Yes"

"...no adolescent, however rebellious, is doomed by fate. With warmth, self-sacrifice, and honesty-- with the love that ultimately comes from God-- every child can be guided and saved."

excerpt from the book She Said Yes.

I have been sick for the last two days, so I haven't really done a whole lot. With all of the resting and doing nothing, I have had the opportunity to read the book She Said Yes. This is the story of Cassie Bernall, the girl who was killed at Columbine High School because she said that she was a Christian. What surprised me about Cassie's story was that her testimony was NOTHING like I had expected. I assumed that this girl, who had been martyred for her faith, had a sparkling past and a clean record. Right from the beginning of the book, I came to find out that Cassie had a very troubled history. When Cassie was 15 years old, her mom came across some letters in her room that a friend had written. They were horrific letters that talked about killing Cassie's parents, drugs, alcohol, and the occult. The parents quickly realized that there was a whole other side of their daughter that they had never seen. Of course, Cassie's parents were scared, heartbroken, and not sure what to do. In order to try to save Cassie from the path that she was following, her parents moved, cut off all relations with friends from her "old life", and forced Cassie to go to a private Christian school. Cassie hated her new school and hated her parents for making her go there. She was hard, hateful, and not the least bit interested in the things of God. In fact, she had even tried to give her soul to the Devil at one point. She cut herself regularly. Suicide was a common threat. She was the teen girl that you would be afraid of if you saw her around town.

Cassie convinced her parents to allow her to go on a teen retreat with her church. She didn't want to go for the preaching, but because her friend was going. The parents finally gave in, and let Cassie go on the two-day trip. It was on that trip that Cassie Bernall got saved. The Holy Spirit finally was able to soften her heart, and she surrendered to Him. Later, she begged her parents to allow her to go to public school in order to be a witness. They reluctantly allowed her to go. It was at this public school, Columbine High School, that she stood for Christ and was murdered.

Tomorrow is our big day in the teen department at church. We have been working and praying for weeks in preparation. Meals have been skipped in fasting, tears have been shed in prayers, money has been spent in materials. I can't help but wonder if another "Cassie" will be in our midst tomorrow. Perhaps a hardened, depressed, angry girl will show up with her friends tomorrow. She might intimidate some people... not me. Maybe a Gothic guy will come with black eyeliner, black nail polish, and a spiky dog-collar necklace. I won't write him off. Usually the kids that cause the most problems are the ones who are hurting the most.

The book I read about Cassie today reminded me that if the Holy Spirit is present, great things -- amazing things-- can happen. I am praying and expecting great, AMAZING things tomorrow. Who knows what teenager's life will be forever changed! This book reminded me teens today face obstacles that seem insurmountable. They need our prayers, our love, our understanding. I am determined to pray like I never have before, because this is the only way we can help teens today. No promotion given away at church is going to win over one of these desperate kids... only love and the Holy Spirit.

I am sure that the people who volunteered to work at the youth retreat saw little hope in Cassie before she was saved. Her own youth director said, "We'll give it our best, but this girl's going to be a hard one. She's gone, unreachable. There is no way that she'll ever recover from what she's doing." Cassie's tarnished past inspired me to never give up on a difficult teen. In my eyes, there is no person that is "unreachable."

I am so excited to see what God has in store for us tomorrow! I can't wait to see the lives that are changed and the souls that are saved!

Just call me Martha!

Do you ever have a "Martha Moment"?

Anybody who is doing anything for God will go through times where life is UNBELIEVABLY busy! Sometimes I feel like my whole life is unbelievably busy! Yesterday I woke up tired. I mean bone tired. As I drove to church, I was telling the Lord how tired I was. As I went to Sunday school, I reminded Him that I was exhausted. I wanted to be sure He knew that I was tired because I was serving Him. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of the story of Mary and Martha. I mulled the story over in my head and came to a few conclusions. Allow me to share them with you.

Luke 10:40

"But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me."

The word cumbered in this verse means distracted. Martha was busy trying to get everything in order because Jesus was coming to her house. There was nothing wrong with Martha wanting to provide a good experience for her Saviour. The problem was that the she was distracted. Instead of realizing that Jesus, King of Kings, was there to fellowship, Martha was focusing on other things.

What distractions keep you from spending time with the Lord? At the end of the day, does your Lord know that He is important to you? Don't allow distractions to ruin your walk with Him.

"And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

What was the "one thing" that was needful? It was Spending time with Jesus. Mary stopped everything and sat at Jesus' feet. This is a reminder that everyday we need to have a time where the ONLY thing we do is worship God. Sometimes I think that this is not the only moral of the story. If Martha had been fellowshipping with Jesus while she served, would the story have ended differently? I believe it would have had a VERY different ending. Perhaps the moral of the story is to fellowship while you serve. The Bible does say, "Pray without ceasing." We know that we are to talk to God all day. That means that while you are cooking for your family, you should be spending time with God. While you work a bus route, write your husband love notes, drive to work, take a shower, and do everything else, you are to walk with God.

What makes it obvious that you are serving without walking with God? Let's look at this story some more....

"But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me."

Do you feel like you are working all alone and nobody is helping you? When you decide that you are doing more than everyone else and it isn't fair, just change your name to Martha. I have been guilty of this so many times. When I am working really hard, I start to wonder why everyone else isn't working as hard as I am. Humble yourself so that God doesn't have to. Realize that you are not better than everyone else just because you are serving God. If you use your time of service to spend time with Him, you won't care who is or isn't working.

I had a "Martha Moment" this week and had to change my mindset. Have you been guilty of behaving like Martha too? Let's agree to not allow our minds and hearts to be distracted from our one purpose.... fellowshipping with Jesus.

When You Wonder if God Can Provide.....

My life truly is a testament of God's grace and blessings. In the last month, I have seen the Lord bless us time and time again. Let me share a few.....

We moved into our house. The house that GOD gave us. The story is so long, I will have to save it for another post. But just let me assure you, this home is a miracle from God in countless ways! What a joy to know that God cares so much about the Graham family!

Josh wanted a riding mower, now that we have a HUGE yard. He passed one for sale in somebody's yard and called to inquire. He didnt really have any extra money, but he called anyway. The guy was asking $300 dollars. Without any hassel he said he would take $200. (Which was a great deal, considering the shape it was in!) Josh still wasn't sure where we would get the money, so he asked for a few days to think it over. The guy called Josh back a day later and got his voicemail. On my husband's voicemail Josh says, "You have reached Josh Graham, youth pastor at Calvary Baptist Church." When Josh called him back, the man said that he had noticed that Josh was a youth pastor. The man was also Christian. He had gotten saved as a child and then went away from the Lord. Just recently he had rededicated his life to Christ. He wanted to know if we could affor $150. He would allow us to make payments. He would deliver it that day. Now we could definitely afford it! When the man came to drop it off, Josh wasnt home yet. I went out to thank him and to make a payment. He wouldnt take any money yet... he wanted to make sure that Josh liked it before we payed anything. Some people would view this as a good deal. I see it as so much more. The Lord knew that Josh is busy in the ministry and has little time to push a mower through a big yard. Before He even created the universe, God had already figured out how to get my husband the lawnmower he needed. It makes me feel so foolish for EVER wondering if God is going to take care of us. Not only does the Lord provide us with the things we need, like shelter and food, but He also orchestrates events to provide our wants. After the guy delivered our lawnmower, I fell on my knees. I thanked God for His goodness, and promised to always give Him the glory for the good things that come into my life. What a mighty God we serve!!!

I am STILL God's Favorite!

This is a continuation of my previous post. Just in the last week or so I have been overwhelmed with God's blessings!!!

*My little baby is almost too big for her car seat! Can you believe that she will be a year old next month? Anyway, we priced car seats and found that they were $56.00 at the cheapest. Within a few days of pricing them, we were given one that a friend's child had outgrown! PRAISE THE LORD! HE just saved us $56.00!!!!

*A friend of mine had me over one day and made me a frappaccino. I marveled at the way her blender was able to blend the ice.... mine just kind of pushed the ice around in circles!!!! A few days later she stopped me and told me that she was SOOOO excited because she had a surprise for me. She had asked her husband if she could buy me a blender like hers, and he said yes! They didn't have the same one that she had in stock, so she bought me an even nicer model. I had a blast making frappaccinos and smoothies and everything else you can make in a blender!!!

*It looks like we are probably going to be able to get the house we have been praying for. It is not for sure, but very probable. This is VERY exciting to us!

*A friend called today and asked if my husband needed any shoes. They had found a great sale where the shoes were practically BOGO. They wanted to see if Josh needed dress shoes because it cost almost nothing for a NICE pair of shoes! Thank God! (His shoes were a little on the ratty side!!)

*Our teen department is going to a youth conference next month. We had little time to raise a lot of money. In the first week of fundraising, we have really seen God bless. The teens have already been able to raise much of the money needed!

These are just a few of the amazing things that God has done for us this week. Again I ask the question, do you feel like you are God's favorite?

Stay in your Cage!

A month ago a sweet yellow lab puppy adopted us. Usually a family chooses which animal they will take home.... this animal decided which family he wanted! He showed up at our house and wouldn't leave. We called Animal Control and the Humane Society to see if anyone had reported a missing puppy... needless to say, he joined our family!

Because we can't trust him when we leave our house, we always put him in a dog crate (or kennel... Josh and I still can't decide which name we like better!). He HATES the "crennel" (This is a compromise between crate and kennel!) The puppy always freaks out and jostles the cage so much that he scoots it around the room. He also discovered that if he moved it enough, he could wiggle the locks on the door open. Once or twice he has been able to get one of the two locks open, and squeeze out. Last night was a little different.

We got home late from a teen activity (Which, by the way was AWESOME!!!). We heard the puppy, which we ended up naming Stinky Pete - 'cause he stinks! - crying and barking. When we walked around the corner, immediately we realized that Pete was hurt. There was blood everywhere, and his whimper was different from his usual, "I want out so I can play," whimper. He had gotten one of the locks to open and had managed to squeeze most of him through the door. His right leg was now wedged tightly in the door, and no matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't get out. As a matter of fact, the harder he pulled , the worse the cut on his leg got! Luckily, the cut was wide, but not too deep. Josh held the dog while I cleaned the wound. We cleaned up the blood and wearily crawled into bed.

I thought today of how much this story reminds me of people. Because my husband and I work with teens every day, they came to my mind first. God gives us rules, or a "cage", to protect us. He sets up laws and boundaries in order to keep us safe. We never seem to see it that way. We see it as confinement from the good life. No drinking, no smoking, keep yourself pure until marriage, no inappropriate TV shows.... there are so many ways we see God's rules as a big cage, or crate, or kennel, or whatever name you have for it. Growing up, I can remember countless times where my friends were doing things that I knew went against the rules that God and my parents had for me. I chose to do right. Was I jealous of them? Honestly, yes. Sometimes I wished that I could live like they were living. It seemed so fun. Now, I see what a wonderful "cage" I had. I have the life I always wanted. I have a husband that loves me. My brain isn't fried on drugs. I haven't been divorced twice. I don't have a hangover every Sunday and wonder what happened Saturday night. I have such a great life, and it isn't on accident. The choices I made as a high school and college student are reflected in my life today. Boy, am I ever glad that I stayed in my cage!

What Would I Do?

My dear friend, Veronica, was supposed to come and see me tomorrow. However, her sweet little twins that she will have in March have prevented the trip. I told V (I call her "V") that I would make a list of all the things we would have done if she had come out to Canton, IL this week. So here goes.....

*I would have stayed up until the wee hours of the night playing catch phrase with you. We would sip our chai while we laughed and enjoyed each other.

*We would have driven to Peoria and gotten makeovers. Just got one at Christmas, but i am always up for another one! We then would either marvel at the talent of the makeup artist or make fun of her once we got in the car!

* We would get some "California Pizza Kitchen" pizza from the freezer section of the grocery store. We would eat it while we watched some chic flick that we only half paid attention to.

* We would go thrift store shopping and look for shoes, purses, and anything else that we might need. Can't ever have too many pairs of shoes.

*We would make a trip to the pet store so Dillon and Mr. Josh could look at all the animals.

* I would take you to house hunt with me. It would be so fun to get your opinion on the houses we look at.

* I would take you house hunting for YOUR house. (Hopefully it is close to mine!)

* I would make you one of my AMAZING cups of coffee.

* I would spend hours catching up on everything I have missed in the last 5 1/2 months.

* I would play with your make up!

* I would steal your coach purse while you are sleeping!!!

* I would wish that you were already living here.

So there you have it, Veronica. Miss you!

My Bittersweet Collection

I was never really the collecting type growing up. I tried stamps… too boring. I had a few porcelain dolls, but didn’t really enjoy having a toy that you just put on a shelf. I suppose you could say that I collected books, if you were ever to look at my bookshelf. The truth is, there are just a handful of books that I have read more than once. What is the point of having a bunch of books that you are never going to read again?

My first and only real collection started while I lived in China. I bought a mug from the Starbucks in Beijing. When I came home for my sister’s wedding, a friend begged me to sell it to him. Figuring I could get another one when we returned to China, I sold it to him for the price that I had paid. We returned to China, and I never got around to buying another one. The time for us to return to the States for good came, and sadly my husband and I said our tearful goodbyes and loaded up our taxi. Just before we left, my dear friend, Paula, handed me 100 Yuan, which was roughly $12.00 in Chinese currency. She told me to buy another Starbucks mug and think of her whenever I used it. We got to the Beijing airport and I rushed to the Starbucks and purchased my cup. As the stewardess came down the aisle on the plane offering soda and green tea, I carefully poured my beverage into my mug. As I drank, I thought of my friendship that God had given me with Paula Connor. What a blessing to have her in my life!

Then I thought of another mug that a friend in China had given me. I have always liked Mary Engelbreit stuff. While shopping one day, Cheryl Watkins found a coffee mug that was black with a bright red cherry. It was very “Mary Engelbreit”, so she bought if for me. I realized that I had two very special mugs that I was bringing home from China. So, for the next few months I alternated between those two mugs as I drank my coffee each morning. While I sipped, I would thank God for these friends who are really more like family.

Since I started collecting mugs, my collection has really grown! I have the pink Hello Kitty mug from Veronica, the one my husband bought me at Disney World, and numerous others. Each time I choose a cup in the morning, it is a great reminder of how good God has been to me.

In my kitchen cupboard there sits a mug that I will probably never use again, but I wont throw it out. Somebody who hurt me deeply gave it to me. I have never had a person hurt me like this particular person did. My first thought was to get rid of the mug so that I wouldn’t be reminded of the person who mistreated me… but honestly, this mug has really been a good tool to help me grow as a Christian. Each time I see it, I pray for the person who gave it to me, I thank God for everything that I learned from him, and I ask the Lord to help me to treat others better than this person treated me.
Who knows…. Maybe someday my relationship with this person will be restored and I can dust off that mug and use it again. I will be glad that for all that time I prayed for him instead of hating him. It is amazing how the Lord can use a mug!

Friends from Afar!

This Christmas I was so excited to see my friends, the Watkins family, from China! We had not seen them since we left China a year and a half ago. The Watkins family are my kind of people.... they love the Lord, live for others, and have a great time wherever they are. The 4 Watkins children were in our youth group when we worked in China. Seeing them was like a family reunion! Another thing that made this reunion so sweet was that they brought Josh his guitar! The teens in China had given it to him as a gift and we weren't able bring it home with us. He was sooooo happy to play it again!

Faith ~ Family ~ Friends

Why did I choose this name for my blog? To me, these are the three most important things in life.... in that order. From the moment I wake up each day, I am trying to improve my relationships in these areas. Usually, our priorities are out of order. This little saying helps me refocus.

A Mini Vacation

I am a firm believer in the concept of a mini vacation. It seems that we are so bogged down each day that we hardly can function. A trip to Hawaii is not going to fix the stress that we face daily! When I feel the stress building up, I love one of these easy, inexpensive "vacations". Here is my favorite way to unwind.... A good cup of coffee and a magazine. This is my favorite way to "chill out". My mother-in-law said that when she thinks of me she always pictures me with a cup of coffee in one hand and a magazine in the other. If you are broke and can't afford a $5 Starbucks latte and the latest Martha Stewart magazine, here is a poor man's alternative. Gas stations have amazingly good coffee. Bring your own mug (refill prices are cheaper than if you use one of their disposable cups). Then, head the the library. Most have a comfy area where you can sit and read. Grab a magazine or book and read away. Cost for this vacation: about a dollar! I know, the kids are screaming and you gotta get dinner on. There is no way you can work this out! Here's another idea.... Choose a meal that needs to bake about an hour. Get everything ready (salad, drinks, set the table....) and throw the dinner in the oven. Throw the kids in the mini-van and head for McDonalds. While they crawl through the playland, get yourself one of their mochas and read a magazine that you brought from home. You need a break, the kids need some exercise, and Daddy would rather have a happy wife than a gourmet meal. Whenever I get overloaded Josh says, "You aren't yourself." He deserves to have a happy, sane, wife! Make time to take care of yourself!

I am God's Favorite!

I know that God doesn't really have favorites, but my mom has often told me that I am God's favorite. Why? Because if I even mention something that I want or need, the Lord practically dumps it in my lap! I love all of the blessings that He sends my way, but even more, I love the fact that I have a God who cares about the smallest things. If I need something, He is already working on it. I want to keep a running list throughout the year so that I can look back over everything that He has done for me!

*Recently, my husband mentioned that he would like to someday get a bigger TV for our room so that he can play his xbox on it. At the time, we had a tiny little tv that was fine, but I asked God to give us a bigger one for my husband. A few days later, a friend gave us one! A BIG one! I have a God who cares about me!

* I was at Goodwill (my 2nd home since I shop there so much!) and was looking for a nice outfit to wear to church. I told the Lord that my husband was on staff at the church and our appearance was very important. The way we dress reflects the Lord. Immediately I saw a Kasper suit in my size. Still had the tags.... $290.00! I got it for $12.00! I guess that God cares how I look! :)

* When my daughter was born, we really didn't have to buy her anything. We got the nicest hand-me-downs you could imagine! I was just running out of clothes that fit her when a friend loaned me all of her daughter's clothes. They were the size that I needed! I guess the Lord cares how my daughter dresses too, huh?*Since my husband is a youth pastor, I do ALOT of secreterial work for him. I had to go to the church everytime I had work to do because we didn't have internet or a computer at home. When my mom came to visit, she sold me her laptop for a GREAT price (Thanks mom!) and we just recently got the internet at home. What a blessing that God gave us a laptop! Now I can help my hubby from home!!!!

*We have not been able to buy a home since we have gotten married. Recently we found out that we are going to be able to buy a home at 1% interest! Can you believe that! It is a special program that we qualify for. We don't even need a down payment! We have had so much fun house hunting lately!I have a thousand stories like this just from the last few months!

When was the last time God dropped this many blessings in your lap? I think the reason that the Lord does so much for us is because of 3 things.

1) We don't love God because of what He gives us. That is an added bonus. TV or no TV, we still love the Lord.

2) We praise Him and thank Him continually for His blessings. Everytime I do a load of wash, I thank Him for the amazing deal he gave us on our washer and dryer. I think God loves to give us stuff becaue he is thanked and praised for it!

3) We take every opportunity to tell others what He has done for us. He always gets the credit.

You should start a list of all of the things that God has done for you lately. Everytime I look at my list, I feel like I am God's favorite!