Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Just wanted to wish you all a very blessed thanksgiving. I think this might be my favorite holiday. There's not as much pressure as the rest....just a time to reflect, and be thankful. Here's my list for which I am grateful....

1. Forgiveness - if it weren't for God's grace and mercy, I'd be in a heap of trouble!
2. God's Word - God has been speaking to me through His word and I love it!
3. Family - I am blessed to have such a great family.
4. Church Family - How wonderful to have such a loving group of friends that are really family.
5. Salvation - Thank You, Jesus!
6. Food, Shelter, Clothing - Don't want to forget these things that a lot of the world doesn't have.
7. Freedom - Thanks to our military. Don't ever want to take them for granted.
8. Hard Times - Yes, I'm even thankful for them because they help me grow.
9. Friends - How rich I am to have such great friends. (Including all of you!)
10. Music - Someone once said: "God gave us music so we could pray without words." I believe it was Martin Luther who once said something like this: "When I can't figure out what to pray....I sing!"

To God be the glory - great things He has done!

This is where I'll be next week....

The church is giving us a trip to an island for Pastor Appreciation Month (which was in Oct. but this was the first availability). Anyway, it is a ministry called "Beside Still Waters" and it is on an island called "Anna Maria." (I've never heard of it, but I cannot wait to go!). Here are a few excerpts from their website:

"Beside Still Waters at Playa Del Sol is a program that recognizes the pressures of being in ministry in this day and age. Our goal is to provide a place of rest and refocus for those in need who are in the service of the Lord. This program is open to experienced pastors, ministers, missionaries, bishops, priests, or rabbis, etc. The Island of Anna Maria, Manatee County, Florida, is located 40 miles south of Tampa and seven miles west of Bradenton. Anna Maria's charm lies in its congenial air of unhurried tropical living. The sunset on Anna Maria Island has a colorful afterglow along the Gulf horizon. The annual average temperature is 74.8 degrees Fahrenheit."

I could put more but I'll stop there. Don't hate me!!!!!!!!! The service is free to full-time ministers and missionaries, however, there was a process we had to go through to be chosen.

I just thank the Lord for blessing us with this and with a church that is such a blessing!!

♪♫I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it!♫♪

There is a free trolly that travels around the island, taking you from place to place....and get this - our condo is only one block from the water!! I don't think I have ever stayed that close to the ocean.

Like I said, I CAN HARDLY WAIT!! Can you tell I'm excited?

In addition to regular church/ministry duties, Mark and I have ministered in something like 12 funerals in the past four months, so we are really looking forward to this R & R. We will be gone Monday through Friday. I'll try to take a few pix and show you when I get back.

Well, I've got to go pack. I'm thinking a few pairs of shorts/shirts & swimsuit and I'm good to go.

Adios, amigos!! Leave me a comment about whether you have ever heard of or been to Holmes Beach, Florida because I think that's the closest town. I've never heard of it. Do you think it's warm there this time of year? There isn't the possibility of a hurricane, is there??????????

It was an incredible time!

Here I am showing everyone how my shoes match my shirt.....didn't know I could bend my leg that far! (I guess all that stretching is paying off! :)

Here we are (with our matching "Women's Ministry" shirts) right before we headed out to Springfield, Illinois on Friday afternoon, Nov. 6, 2009!

Our "Siesta Mama" as she was giving us THE WORD!

Travis - trying a few dance moves? :) He sure can belt out a song...what great pipes!

Here I am with Karla.

Here I am with another sweet sister in Christ, Joyce. (Thanks, Joyce, for the pix.) You can see how full the Convention Center is. It was sold out!! We were on the very top tier. This venue hadn't sold out since an Elton John concert back in the late 90's. (I think we probably had a few more people than Elton John because there were seats all the way up to the stage. It was so crowded. Praise God!

The group pic again. What a blessing each and every woman is to the body of Christ! We had such a great time with God, with each other, and in the Word! Thank you, Jesus, for giving Beth Moore the gifts to know how to dig such deep treasures out of Your word. We learned so much more than I even thought was possible.....had a great date with God! The music/worship was fantastic - as usual! Travis and the worship team are amazing. We got our praise on - that's for sure! We also learned all about John the Baptizer and how he prepared the way for the Lord. I'm preparing my heart for a fresh word from the Lord during this holiday season and in the new year. Are you anticipating a fresh word from the Lord this Advent season? If so, what are you doing to prepare yourself? What word are you hoping to hear?

Can Hardly Wait....

....for this:
This weekend (Nov. 6 & 7), twelve of us ladies from the Women's Ministry at our church will be attending the LPL event in Springfield, Illinois. We can hardly wait. We've been planning this for a long time. It's going to be a great time in the Word, with our wonderful Savior!

I am looking at it like a date with God. I borrowed that concept from a friend and fellow blogger who recently wrote about her date with God at the Deeper Still Event in Orlando. I can hardly wait to see what the Lord has to say to me this weekend. I'm going to be intently listening, hanging on His every word, as if it was a very special date night - because it is - a date with the King of kings and Lord of lords. Whew - that's an incredible concept.

I'm so pumped. I'll be sure to log back on after we get back and tell you all about it. In the meantime, look for ways that you can spend time alone with God on your special "dates" and tell me all about it! :)

It's just not the same!

Is it just me....or have they changed the taste of this all-time favorite classic?????????? It just doesn't taste the same to me as it did when I was a kid. Come to think of it, there are several other nastalgic things from childhood that just don't seem the same in adulthood...and it's a cryin' shame :) Here's my list of things that are just not the same. Add your list in the comments section!

The house I grew up in. (Drove past it a while back & it looks much smaller than I remember) The hill behind my house seemed a lot bigger as a child than it looks like now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Licorice - used to taste better when I was a kid. (As a matter of fact, all the Halloween candy tasted better when I was a kid!)

Thank goodness they haven't changed the taste of Snickers Candy Bars! Hallelujah!! lol

Okay, now it's your turn.....go!

Twenty Questions

I saw this questionnaire on http://www.babybangs.blogspot.com/ the other day and thought it would be fun.

1. What is your favorite thing to snack on while blogging?
What else? Chocolate is ALWAYS my favorite thing to snack on!

2. What is one thing you wouldn't want to live without?
My unspiritual answer would be COFFEE! (Of course, these days I'm drinking decaf. I love the taste of coffee!)

3. Beach, Mountains, or Farm?
Definitely BEACH!

4. What's your least favorite chore/household duty?
I HATE them all! But I guess I would have to say bathroom toilets!

5. Who do people say you remind them of?
A couple of people have said Sandra Bullock, but most people say my sisters/mom.

6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying home with the fam?
What can I say? I'm a party girl, although lately, I've been liking staying at home!

7. What's your all time favorite movie?
Probably either Anne of Greene Gables or Elf.

8. Do you sleep in your make-up or remove it like a good little girl every night?
I am way too tired at night to remove any makeup.

9. Do you have a hidden talent or a deep desire to learn something that you've never had a chance to learn? What is it?
Deep Desire: Ballroom Dancing or even Disco Dancing or Hip-Hop

10. What's one strange thing you're really good at?
Playing the nose flute!

11. What first attracted you to your spouse?
His good looks and sense of humor!

12. What is something you love to smell?
COFFEE & CHOCOLATE - what else is there? (Actually, I also like the smell of baking bread and cinammon. Come to think of it, I also like roses - who knew?)

13. Tell something about you that you know irritates people.
I talk a lot and I'm quite dramatic. Also, I can be passive/aggressive and sometimes OCD.

14. When you have extra money, what's the first thing you think to do with it?
Do something that I usually feel guilty spending money on - like eyebrow waxing, or hair coloring or nail polishing.

15. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher?
Nothing I do is silent, so I'll let you guess the answer to that.

16. Where is your favorite place to shop?
Goodwill or some kind of re-sell it shop or consignment shop.

17. What's one thing you'd do more often if you had more time?
Read more. I love books!

18. Are you a big spender or frugal?
My family would say I'm frugal. Can I help it I just don't like going to the grocery store or places like that?

19. Who is your favorite character of all time?
"The Little Mermaid." (What a great voce!)

20. Would you want to be famous?
I would not want to be famous because it seems like you would be hounded by other people and not be able to go out in public and be yourself.

Okay, now that I've taken the challenge, leave me a comment with your answers to some of these questions!

Just checkin' in

Don't you just LOVE this cooler, fall weather!! What kinds of things/events do you have coming up? Do you have any "outdoor" plans? We roasted marshmallows the other night outside with some of our neighbors. It was such great fun! What about you? What kinds of things do you like to do outdoors in the fall?

Our family likes sports! It's so much fun to sit outside on a cool evening, huddled together under a blanket, to watch a football game.

Have a blessed weekend and a blessed autumn season!