It's in the bag

1 Samuel 17: 40
" Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with the sling in his hand approached the Philistine. "


I have never carried 5 smooth stones in my bag. But, in my bag/purse, I can easily carry several bottles of water, my wallet, makeup bag, change purse, my daughters epi-pen, a stack of napkins from Chick-fil-A, some straws, and enough snacks for my entire family of 6. It feels like I'm carrying around 5 smooth boulders sometimes! Whew, what a week we've been having. I have experienced highs and lows like nobody's business. Thank you, Lord, that the election is now over!! I pray that as a nation we can move on together in peace and in unity: one nation, under God. I know that some of us felt like we were approaching Goliath with only stones in our bag. To some, victory; to others, the agony of defeat. Thankfully in the Bible story above, David was victorious, and his faith in God got him through many other "giant" situations. Not only did David trust in God, he praised and worshipped him. The Bible has a book full of David's ups and downs, highs and lows in the Psalms. Through it all, David trusted in God and worshipped Him. I encourage you to come to God on bended knee in prayer, and with hands raised in worship. He will reign forever, and ever. Allelujah!

Now back to my bag...my purse. As you may or may not know, I have a very limited budget for my clothing and accessories, which is why having a blog in which I comment on fashion is pretty laughable at times. But, we all like to look good and find a good deal, so I'm your girl. I had been keeping an eye on a bag at Nordstrom that I just love. It's a reversible, faux leather tote from Street level. The price isn't bad, either, you can pick one up for under $50. I was going to try to get one until...this bag!!!

This bag!!!  I bought this faux leather reversible tote at...Walmart!
And, was under $50, well under $50. It only cost me $9.97!!!

Here I am actually using the bag in black.

and here in brown.

Cute, right??

Now don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be sad if someone wanted to invest some money and get me a great new handbag... but for me, right now, I'm perfectly content. Thank you, Lord, for all you provide for me and my family. We work hard and want to enjoy the fruits of our labor, but not at the cost of what is important or necessary for our family, church or community.

I pray you enjoy your weekend!

"Ask her Grandma..."

Proverbs 17: 6
"Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. "


So yesterday, I was watching my friend's little girl (we'll call her "Madeline") who is 18 months old, while my daughter and her friend were in gymnastics. A little boy, who was there with his grandmother, had gotten some cookies from the snack machine while he was waiting for his big sister. Very sweetly, he asked his grandmother if he could share a cookie with Madeline (so sweet!), until she said...and I quote, " Ask her grandma if she can have one. " Yes, in this little story, I am referred to as the "GRANDMA"!!!! Someday, I want to be a grandmother, but right now, as none of my children are married, not so much. I realize that I am old enough to be a grandmother, too. My own parents were only 46 when they became grandparents for the first time. I also know that there are many other people who are grandparents way before they are 49 (I'm almost 50, but not quite there yet!). I suppose it was an honest mistake (humph!), but I don't have to like it! Moral of the story: Don't ask a woman if she's pregnant; she might not be, AND, don't assume a woman is a grandmother, it's way more flattering to ask if she's the mother and she'll love it that you thought she was young enough to be one!

My 50th birthday is now less than a month away. As you may have read in, Fine with 50?, the closer I get, the less thrilled I am about it (especially after the whole grandma thing!). Last night at the dinner table with my adorable family, I tried to tell them what I wanted for my birthday. I never finished my thought. Nobody was listening. I was interrupted and the subject was changed before you could say "Jack Robinson" (I'm not sure why that phrase came into my head, I guess I'm just getting old!). Help!! I'm not ready to be an old grandma yet! I wouldn't mind being the "hot", beautiful grandmother...but I digress. I'd love to know what your tried and true anti-aging tips are. Be honest, be clear, be specific.  Is it essential oils? Which ones? Is it a lotion, a potion, a regimen??? Is it exercise, diet?? Which ones? What are you wearing? (let's be honest, just because you can still fit in clothes from the Juniors Dept doesn't mean you should still be wearing them!).  Please comment below and tell me all of your secrets. I wanna know! I'll give them a try and write about them. Sounds like a plan.

I pray today, that if you are a grandmother, that you embrace it: grandchildren are a "crown". I know how I felt when my brother had children, so much joy and love, and I don't really like him all that much (joke, Mom!).  I can't begin to imagine the love, and the joy I'll feel when my own children begin their families. Lord, children are such a blessing, each one of them. I have had the joy and felt the pain and the overwhelming pride at being called a mother, thank you, Lord, for each of my beautiful children. One day, I hope to be called grandmother (I'd prefer mother and have to correct someone), and wear that crown with pride!

Here's a recent pic of me that I took before I went out to dinner with my 13yr old and her bff.
I didn't feel grandmotherly! I took it because my daughter told me I looked cute ( she's always been my favorite!).

**Don't forget to leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you,  and tell me about those anti-aging tips. I feel like I'm fading fast...**

Easy Treats!

Matthew 11: 30
" For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. "


Being a Christian is easy! Right??? Let me put that into perspective for you. Being a Christian in this fallen world has definite challenges. But becoming a Christian and living a Christian life can be so simple.
Here you go...

Being a Christian in 3 easy steps: By Michelle Genovese.

1. Pray - Do it now and do it often. Ask the Lord to come into your life and confess your sins and try not to repeat the same sins over again. Do this often every day!

2.  Love-  Love the Lord your God with all your heart. Praise and worship comes in handy here. And, go back and do some more of #1- pray.

3.  Love some more- Love your neighbor as you love yourself. (This might be the toughest of the 3...). Yes, even the rotten neighbors, even the Democrat/Republican neighbors!!! Definitely hit some more #1 here, too.

Simple and easy. Right???

Thank you, Lord, that it's so easy to come to you and be with you and tell you anything and everything. Thank you for making becoming a Christian and living a Christian life such a simple and easy concept. I pray, Lord, that you would remind me daily of just how easy it is, and that I would follow these 3 easy steps every moment of everyday. Lord, even when I forget and live my own way, you won't leave me or condemn me. You love me, and welcome me back into your arms just as easily. It truly is that simple.

Today is Halloween!! And I do have to keep it simple around here. I have a crazy, hectic life, and right now it's even crazier and hectic"er" (I know hecticer is not a word, but perhaps it should be). So this year we didn't go all out, we kept it super easy. All of my decor was either from the dollar store, grocery store, or a local discount store. Easy (and cheap!), but so fun!

I picked up the tableware all over town. I went with a stripes and witch theme.
I love a good theme.

These cupcakes/muffins were so easy to make.
3 ingredient muffins (spice cake mix, 1 can of pumpkin puree and 1 cup of chocolate chips, bake 350* for 20 minutes),
 and I topped them with a super simple cream cheese frosting.
The decorations were from the dollar store. 

Cider punch rimmed with maple syrup and brown sugar. Easy!
The punch is equal parts ginger ale and apple cider.

See how easy that was? And to keep it even easier, pizza and a bag of salad for dinner before trick-or-treating and viola, Halloween is done! (insert mike drop here). 

Happy Halloween, Everyone! 

Randomly Fall

Proverbs 26: 10
" Like an archer who wounds at random is one who hires a fool or any passer-by."


Sheesh, go to your Bible and read verse 11!! Yuck! Talk about random. I actually randomly choose my Bible verses, I try to let the Spirit lead me to the topic of my writing and look for a Bible verse that goes along with it...or vice versa (Bible verse first...). Random. I pray, Lord,  that in my randomness, I seek you. Your love for me is not random, it is intentional. Your plan for my life is not random, it is intentional. Help me to intentionally seek, believe, hope and worship You in all I do.

I have been taking pictures and doing random things around the house to get ready for fall. I wasn't sure how to put down in words what was going on, or getting a clear idea of what to write about. So, I have a lot of fun random pics to share of fall around my house. So here it is...Randomly Fall.

In and around my home...

                                                                                                                      

                                                                                     

A little fall fashion...

I can't get enough of graphic tees, and this one is perfect

                           for any coffee lover this fall!

(Pumpkin Spice Latte tee- The Pink Silhouette)

                                                                                                                                       

Love my vest and my booties.
Olive drab is a terrific neutral.
(Boots and vest- Stitch Fix)

I hope you've enjoyed my randomness. In honor of this random post, try to practice a random act of kindness today. Not only will you bless someone else, you truly will be blessed as well. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Apple Picking

Genesis 3: 6
" When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. "


I always picture an apple tree in the Garden of Eden, it probably wasn't, but the "forbidden fruit" was never actually identified in the Bible so I guess we don't know for sure. Apples are definitely my favorite fall fruit. I love apple cider, apple butter, apple pie, apple cider donuts (oh yes!), apple cobbler, apple dumplings, candied apples, caramel apples. I put them in salads, dip them in caramel sauce, I make applesauce, and my mom just made a Jewish Apple Cake last weekend that was de-lish! Sorry God, if apples were the "forbidden fruit", you should have made that abundantly clear because I didn't get that memo!!

Last week my daughter, her bff, and my mom and I went apple picking at our local orchard. We had a blast. A cool crisp morning, turned into a beautiful,warm, sunny afternoon. Here are some fun pics of our fun day.

But, oh so rewarding!!

Picking apples is tough work!

My adorable mother!

The adorable children!!

The apples were so delicious!

  

Mom and Me!

My baby is getting so big. I love spending these special times with her, before you know it she'll be all grown up!!

Try to spend some extra time with someone you love today, before you know it, time will pass you right by!

 I pray you have a wonderful day!

Fine with 50???

Isaiah 46: 4
" Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who sustains you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. "


Um, where were you yesterday, Lord, when I had the brilliant idea to stop off and get a quick trim at the $10 hair salon??? There was no rescuing going on there! Lord, you've known me longer than my nearly 50 years, don't you know to save me from myself, yet?! However, Lord, in the light of this new morning, and as your words direct me, thank you for my gray hairs (that hopefully no one but my hairdresser will see). Because I have these gray hairs, I have lived half of a long lifetime. I have gotten to grow up with bare feet in the summertime and played with the friends in my neighborhood and my cousins in the creek at my grandparents house. I have had my first kiss, and loved and lost my first beau.  I have seen 7 beautiful babies take their first breaths here on earth, and watched them grow, and laugh, and dance, and cry... I have lived to see and love all of my grandparents, and mourn with my family as you called each one of them home. I have grown with my very young (that's for you, Mom) parents and have enjoyed watching them love my children and my brother's children. I married the man God placed in my life to care for me, protect me, love me and who finds me beautiful even when my gray hairs grow back in. And, Lord, most importantly, I have grown in the knowledge and love of You, something, that I didn't always understand. Thank you, Lord for sustaining me, carrying me, and for rescuing me.

So, yeah, the hair. What was I thinking? I went in for a trim, and I'm not quite sure what happened. After I washed and styled it last night, I literally sobbed.  Should I go back and see if someone could fix it??  I went from chic to sh_ _ in less than 1/2 hour! Of course, my husband doesn't seem to notice a thing... or maybe he's just being polite. I don't even think it's so much the hair that's bothering me because I usually have the attitude that it's just hair, it'll grow back. Last Friday, I realized that there was only 2 more months of being 49. And even though I've written in the past that I was ok with my age, turning 50 really makes you stop and think. I'm past middle age. I probably won't live to be 100. Have I done all the things God wants me to do? Will there be reconciliation where there is currently hurt? Where do you want me to be Lord? ....Will my hair grow back in time to look chic again before my birthday? I'm just going to have to trust and let God be in control, I don't have the answers, so I have to believe that He does. Thank you, Lord, that your words sustain me and give me hope. No matter how many more years you have for me, thank you, Lord for the gift of the first nearly 50.

Here's a pic of my cute chic hair (sob!)...

Here I was, so happy with my hair,  about 7 weeks ago.

Sorry, there will be no pic of my current haircut...ever!

Are any of you currently struggling with getting a year older? Have you ever gotten a bad haircut? Please comment below, I'd love to hear from you. Misery loves company!! (just kidding).

I pray you have a great day today!

New Year

Genesis 22: 12
" ' Do not lay a hand on the boy ', he said. ' Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. '  "


This is the moment in Genesis when Abraham is relieved of the burden of sacrificing Isaac, his only son from his wife Sarah. Isaac wasn't just any son, he was the covenant child, he fulfilled God's promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would be the father and mother of nations. Quite a promise to an 100 year old man and his 90 year old wife (and I thought I was old when I had my last baby!!). Today in synagogues all around the world, the story of Abraham will be read as they celebrate the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Today marks the day that you can begin to have a good year, or a bad year. Thank heaven, I really need a fresh start today, and I'm going to start today as the beginning to my new "good year". Gone is yesterday, today I begin again, new, and fresh. Lord, make this new year a good one!

When the actual calendar new year comes along in January, I am now set. On Friday, my husband surprised me with this great new planner from Anchored Press, that I have wanted. I talked about it in this post -
 I want.... This blogging thing comes in handy, I'm telling you! I can't wait to use it. Not only can I just keep track of day to day "stuff", it also covers meal planning, goal setting, daily devotions, and helps you to keep track of your prayer list. So cool!!!

Here are a few pics of my new planner.

The packaging was even great,
it came with the scripture card and the box said,
"Packaged with Prayer", too cute!

I got exactly the color I wanted!!
(click here to see other styles and colors)

Here's the month at a glance page...

and here's the daily scripture page and daily planning page.

Happy New Year to you! I pray today, that you plan to do good things to help make today,

 and your year, a good one!!