Happy Halloween!!

Ever since I can remember, Halloween has been one of my favorite holidays.  I know to many this might rise some alarm, (I am aware that some believe Halloween is wrong to celebrate), but for me I have always enjoyed dressing up, pumpkins & their seeds (YUM!), and CANDY!  It might shock you to realize that Halloween was originally a Christian-based holiday.  Unfortunately, it has been twisted into something it was never originally supposed to be...However, I believe it's the motive of the heart that counts as to why one celebrates this holiday:)

This year, Jeff and I will be helping out at our church's Fall Festival that's open to the community.  Sadly, I will not be dressing up (lack of $ and creativity), but I'm still excited to participate!  I am very happy though, because this is the FIRST Halloween Jeff and I carved a pumpkin together!! We had our youth carve pumpkins in Sunday school, and because of the short amount of time, we decided to stick with something simple.  All of the pumpkins will be used for decorations tonight at the Fall Festival, but we are taking ours home afterwards to use on our little porch!

I also roasted the pumpkin seeds last night! 

Super easy:

preheat oven to 350 degrees

douse in olive oil and seasoning salt

bake for 25 minutes

delish!

I hope everyone enjoys this holiday and is safe!  Enjoy dressing up, eating tons of candy, and maybe watching a scary movie (but not TOO scary!).

Happy as a Clam!

So...in less than one week I get to see the most wonderful girls in the world!  I will be visiting my besties in Tulsa, Joplin & Fayetteville!  I fly into Tulsa on Wednesday, being picked up by Mo and blessed to enjoy lunch with Ash.  The on Thursday I will embark to my beloved Northwest Arkansas (you have NO IDEA how much I miss this place!), and get to spend the next few days with the rest of besties: Dina, Amber, and Kristin!  

So in honor of how excited I am, and how much I am looking forward to this beloved trip, I will be posting a picture of me with each of these fabulous women of God:)  I think everyone should have the honor of knowing them, because they have blessed my life beyond measure!

 Left: Kristin, Right: Amber

Left to Right: Morgan, Dina, Ash

I can't wait to spend some great quality time with them. It's going to be a blast!  I can't wait to meet Amber's son, Emerson, for the first time, cuddle with Kristin, watch loads of Gilmore girls with Mo, laugh super hard with Dina, and be SO sarcastic with Ash;)  I could not have asked God for better best friends in my life.  My kids one day will call them aunts, the Hubs KNOWS the priority they are in my life, and I hope we will all be friends until the days we die!

Get ready for updates from the wonderful vacay! There will be much to blog about:)

lyrics, lyrics, lyrics

So, for the past few days I've been wracking my brain over what I should blog about.  I feel so silly having a blog, and rarely posting.  I read all of these entertaining blogs, and it's become part of my daily routine!  Then, I got to thinking..."I've heard some amazing songs lately...why not share them!" And, eureka, my blog entry is born...

The first song I would like share with you is the following introduced to me by my bff, Morgan. It's called "What Joy (Psalm 146)" and I'm kind of obsessed....

The lyrics are as follows:

You made the heavens and the earth,

the sea and all that is in them

Your promises remain

You give justice to the weak,

You care for the widow and orphan

Forever Lord, You reign

What joy, what joy for those whose hope
is in the name of the Lord

What peace, what peace

for those whose confidence is Him alone

You make the blinded eye to see,

and cherish those who seek Your face

Your faithful love endures

You came to let the slave go free,

You cause the sinner to sing praise

In You we are secure

Secondly, I am in love with this song I heard when I attended "World Mandate 2011" in Waco back in September.  The group that led worship was the praise band from Antioch Community Church.  They wrote the majority of the songs we sang, but what I didn't realize was that they didn't write this one.  I found it on a friend's tweet the other day, and got very excited!  It's titled "God I Look To You".  I even got so excited that I texted one of my dear friends, Kristin, about it!

These lyrics are:

God I look to You
I won't be overwhelmed
Give me vision to see things like You do
God I look to You
You're where my help comes from
Give me wisdom, You know just what to do

I will love You Lord my strength
And I will love you Lord my shield
And I will love You Lord my rock
Forever all my days I will love you God

Hallelujah our God reigns
Hallelujah our God reigns
Hallelujah our God reigns
Forever all my days Hallelujah

I hope you have thoroughly enjoyed these songs as much as I do.  I CANNOT wait for World Mandate's 2011 CD to come out...more incredible songs from God = a happy soul and content heart.

What type of faith?

Today is the last week of homework in my current Bible study, "Fingerprints of God" by Jennifer Rothschild.  I didn't know what to expect from this study, because I had never heard of this author/speaker, but God has rattled, shaken, spoken to, and taught me so much through it.  The topic I read about today being particularly inspiring to me, so I decided to share.  

When I am in the midst of trial, what type of faith am I exhibiting?

For those of you who know me, I've always said that faith was not my spiritual gift, nor was I very good at having it.  However, when I look back over the past year (a very difficult one), I see not only how God has strengthened my faith, but how He has manifested Himself by allowing me to go through what I have.  I have struggled with contentment, pride, selfishness, control, and so much more.  Yet, God allowed me to go through these struggles in order to recognize Who brings contentment...Who squashes pride...Who rids selfishness...Who really is in control...Some days I am encouraged, and other days discouraged, yet I still see how God is growing me.  It's like a growing pain...it hurts, it's uncomfortable, and I just want it to be over with.  However, those pains are a sign of my body becoming and acting like it's supposed to.  So is growth with the Almighty God.  It hurts, I don't necessarily desire to experience it at the time, but when I look back we see where I was, and where I am now...that brings--satisfaction.

In today's study it had me read Job 23.  I guess I had read this before, because it was marked in my Bible, but God took the scales off of my eyes and it was as if I was reading it for the first time.  In closing, please take time to read this passage and remember the unchangeable God Who is always present. 

Job 23

Job Replies: Where Is God?

 ¹Then Job answered and said:
 ²"Today also my complaint is bitter;
   my hand is heavy on account of my groaning.
³Oh, that I knew where I might find him,
   that I might come even to his seat!
⁴I would lay my case before him
   and fill my mouth with arguments.
⁵I would know what he would answer me
   and understand what he would say to me.
⁶Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power?
   No; he would pay attention to me.
⁷There an upright man could argue with him,
   and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.

 ⁸"Behold, I go forward, but he is not there,
   and backward, but I do not perceive him;
⁹on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him;
   he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.
¹⁰But he knows the way that I take;
   when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.
¹¹My foot has held fast to his steps;
   I have kept his way and have not turned aside.
¹²I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
   I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.
¹³But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back?
   What he desires, that he does.
¹⁴For he will complete what he appoints for me,
   and many such things are in his mind.
¹⁵Therefore I am terrified at his presence;
   when I consider, I am in dread of him.
¹⁶God has made my heart faint;
   the Almighty has terrified me;
¹⁷yet I am not silenced because of the darkness,
   nor because thick darkness covers my face.

it's the start of something new....

Yes, I know that this title is the name of a song from the ORIGINAL "High School Musical"...but I'm desperate!  Although I speak highly and am solely dedicated to Apple products and software, my husband informed me that they are going to be getting rid of iWeb...meaning, I need to begin my blog on another server.  

For those of you who know me, I pride myself on being computer savy.  However,  I am having difficulty getting accustomed to Google blogger!  God has certainly humbled me to the point that I am asking for any tips, hints, and tools to make my blog be as original as possible. 

Two questions so far:

1. How do I make the backgrounds of my tabs a neat texture/color without being just a box?

2. How do I display pictures in my posts so that they might have some sort of frame? (think instagram)

Thank you for your help, friends!