In a Funk

Okay, I'm finally willing to admit it, I am in a funk of what seems like gigantic proportions. At least to me anyway. I feel like I can't get handle on what my life's purpose and passion are supposed to be right now. My prayers seem to be more like whispers of "What now?" and "What am I supposed to do with the way I'm feeling?" I can't even put my finger on any one thing. Life used to be so clear cut. Encouraging others in marriage and parenting were what drove me. Now I seem to just be going through the motions. I'm not sure where I'm supposed to be or what I'm supposed to be doing. Anybody have any advice?

What A Baseball Game Taught Me About God

Okay, I must start this post with a disclaimer: I really need to work on the very thing I'm about to write about. That being said, I feel as if I'm going to burst if I don't get this out.

This past Sunday Rick and I were able to attend the Indians game thanks to the generosity of some family members. We had a blast! At one point the bases were loaded with two outs. This was the stuff great stories are made of. The crowd rose to its feet in an attempt to encourage the batter to knock it out of the park. The mood was electric. There was total focus on the battle that was being fought to score at least one run, if not four. Unfortunately, the batter struck out and the inning ended. It got me thinking about how many times the bases are loaded in our spiritual lives. Are we aware of what is going on around us? Look at what the Bible tells us to do as believers in Christ:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6: 10-18 NIV (emphasis added)

Are you providing encouragement? Are you praying? Are you alert? Now is the time. Let me know what your thinking.

Women of Faith Worship: A Review

I recently had the privilege of listening to "Women of Faith Worship" from the Women of Faith Worship Team. Wow! From the first note this recording grabbed my attention. Instead of paying attention to the things in my life that aren't set in stone right now to focusing on the One who created and loves me. I don't know about you, but sometimes I can get caught up in how I feel, instead of what I know God says is truth. I love how the lyrics of these songs are filled with truth.

The song selections are awesome! From "God of This City" to "Amazed" this recording is like a soundtrack of the journey we all take to our home with Jesus. From proclaiming that God is in control and over all things, to songs about who each of us are in Christ, and asking Him to meet us right where we are, this c.d. is wonderful. I have listened to it almost daily since I received it about a week ago. "Just Wanna Say" and "Glorious" took some getting used to, since they aren't the normal style of music I listen to. They are growing on me though.

If there was one thing I could change, I wouldn't include "Indescribable". I love the song, but I can't seem to get past the fact that it's not Chris Tomlin singing. I highly recommend purchasing this c.d.; you won't be disappointed. God inhabits the praises of His people and "Women of Faith Worship" is an invitation to stay and praise a while.

One Month Later...

I can't believe it's been a month since I've blogged. I'm still working out and trying to eat better. I feel better and my clothes are fitting better, and I have more energy. However, the scale isn't moving at all. My husband found a healthy solution for my chocolate cravings. Luna Bars are nutrition bars designed especially for women. With flavors like caramel nut brownie and smores, I am one happy girl.

The Spring and Summer schedules have hit full force. The kids have Junior Soccer Academy once a week. Rick is coaching our church's softball team, and will coach the kids summer soccer team. Summer soccer starts the week after soccer academy is finished. Soccer and softball both go until the end of July. Rick has spent this weekend in Columbus attending a Upwards soccer clinic. Upwards soccer will begin at our church in the Fall. Rick has said he will not be a coach, but a coordinator. Busy, busy, busy!

While I cannot go into detail just yet, I have a possible job opportunity coming up this Fall. You won't be wasting a prayer on me right now, as the testing process will be starting soon. My family are very excited about this possibility. I promise I will blog when I can say more. Have a great week!

Can Chocolate and Healthy Choices Coexist?

What a week it's been! I know it's been more than a week since I blogged, but I have an excellent reason. Rick and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary last weekend. We agreed that Rick was in charge of planning our getaway; and I had no idea where we were heading until we were actually on the way. Exciting, but the 'need to know what's going on' part of me was going a little crazy. Anyways, Rick made reservations at the hotel where we spent our wedding weekend. I loved that he thought of something so sentimental. The area where we were has developed quite a bit since we got married, and we had a blast. Rick made reservations at a fancy restaurant. The food was great. I know our waitress was doing her job, but it was strange to be served in such an elaborate manner. I kept wanting to say, "Thanks, but you really don't have to do that for me." May I say, the dessert was worth the price of admission and then some. I wish I had had my camera with me because the presentation alone was stunning. A singe tart filled with the most amazing chocolate mousse, covered in whipped cream (the house recipe), drizzled in raspberry sauce and garnished with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Amazing!

I love me some chocolate. My over 30 waistline, not so much. I headed back to the gym after a lengthy absence on Monday. I am sore! I'm trying to figure out how to satisfy my sweet tooth without sabatoging my workouts. Anyone have any suggestions? Oh chocolate, must we say goodbye?

The Angels Are Having A Party

Matt was so excited that he ran up to recieve his award.

God has been showing off at our house lately. I just had to share. First and foremost, Matt prayed the Sinner's Prayer with his Sunday school teacher this past Sunday. We had prayed that prayer before at home, but Matt told his teacher he wanted to be sure. Well, I can't argue with that. Matt's teacher told my husband, but Matt was a little nervous to tell us at first. I found out later that he was concerned that I would be upset since we had prayed for Matt to accept Christ as his Savior before. I reassured him that I was quite thrilled and let him know that if he had any doubts whatsoever that his decision was the right one. Luke 15:10 says:" I tell you, it is the same in heaven. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who turns away from sin." I told Matt that the angels in heaven were having a party because of the decision he made. His answer was "Sweet!"

The good news for Matt just keeps on coming this week. On Monday morning I got a call from his teacher. He has been selected as the "Above and Beyond" student in his class for the third grading period. This award is given to the student who goes the extra mile to achieve success. His teacher went on to tell me, that what we thought were the symptoms of dsygraphia at the beginning of the year, have all been corrected. It's not effecting Matt academically at all. In addition, everything has been documented so if the symptoms present themselves again next school year, we know what direction to take. A weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Go God! If you would have told me at the beginning of the school year that Matt would have this big of a turn-around I would have been shocked; now I'm humbled.

On a different note, we are so thankful that Rick was able to repair our car. We were actually contemplating a car payment :( However, we have committed to becoming debt free so we agreed to do our best to repair our vehicle. Rick did the repair and we thought not much had changed. In some ways it seemed worse! Rick was about halfway to work when he thought the car was going to die. He came to a stop sign, and when it was his turn to go the car began running better that it has in a long time. Go God! Thank you for providing for our family.

Let the Sunshine In

Hello everybody! (I always feel like Grover from Sesame Street when I type that.) It's been a while since I've blogged, but I hoping to return to my once a week posts. I miss Company Girl Fridays. Last week brought warmer temperatures and sunshine to my neck of the woods. It was a welcome sight. The kids have playing outside a lot and I have begun cleaning like a crazy woman!

I have never been one to "Spring Clean" until now. The aforementioned sunshine streaming through my windows made a winter's worth of dust overwhelmingly noticeable on my walls. So what started with deep cleaning the dining room has now led to the living room and enclosed front porch. I confess that I'm waiting to tackle the front porch windows, though. Consistently warmer temps will need to be in the forecast before I deal with those. The awesome part of it all is that I'm actually enjoying it. I can't believe I just typed that! Hopefully, I'll have the downstairs finished by this weekend, and will start the upstairs next week. Welcome Spring!