My Georgia Life

#1 You can take this seriously... #2 ...or not.  It's only my opinion. What : Women of Faith Conference Where : Duluth, Georgia When : This past Friday and Saturday Who : Sandi Patty, Amy Grant, Anita Renfroe, Brenda Warner, Kelly Minter, Mandisa, a good praise band, and others.  (Plus a big group of great friends from my church, Crossroads Baptist !) How :  How'd I get to go?  I was the grateful, last minute recipient of an unused ticket.  Also, my mom and dad just happen to be coming to town anyway, so they were kind enough to take on kid duty.  It seemed like the Lord wanted me at this conference for some reason.  Pros : We had fun...lots of laughs and good times.  Quality time with friends (of ALL ages!) is never wasted. The praise and worship was great! (But I couldn't help thinking they could use a little Christa Rooks . ;) ) Amy Grant, to my surprise, was probably one of my favorite parts. (I doubt this wo...

#1 Don't take this too seriously #2 But, seriously, I am a big, fat failure. Thankfully the Lord planned ahead. The 2012 Olympic Games reminded me of my failure as an athlete.  I always wanted to be in the Olympics but laziness and a lack of determination took over.  Of course, a lot of kids dream of being an Olympian and never make it so I don't really feel too bad.  Plus, there's always Rio 2016! :) I'm fairly smart...at least I always made good grades, but my contribution to our yearly household income probably averages in the negatives.  I'm a failed business woman.  I'm failing as we speak, but I'm okay with it.  My real full-time job just doesn't pay very well.  Speaking of that...parenting, I mean...according to Ted Tripp I'm pretty much a failure there too.  Also, okay.  My kids are still young, and I AM trying.  I've been a bad friend...selfish and lazy.  For that I am always sorry. It can be very de...

#1 God is good to warn us. #2 God is good to me. "Watch and pray that you may not enter temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41 Try this : Think of what you want in life, what you want for your family, what you want to accomplish, what you believe you can do. Allow yourself to dream, and start to plan beyond next week. But remember..."the flesh is WEAK." Can you go after these dreams and not be swept away by the world? That's what did . I thought : I'm ready for more. I want to make a little money, to look nice, stay in shape, run a marathon, and still run an efficient home and successful home school. I want to do it all and still glorify God, but OH! "the flesh is WEAK." Will I be swept away by "the lust of the flesh" and "the lust of the eyes"? (1 John 2:16) I make mistakes. I get consumed. But God is gracious, and I fight the flesh. You can too . Realize thi...

Contentment #1 It's a long lesson learned. #2 It's actually a long lesson being learned! Try this:  Lie in bed and think about contentment. That's what I was doing.  I was lying in bed, thinking about contentment...thinking about the path we've come down...about how being content has been gently pounded into me...remembering all the times of discontent...and how God has always brought me out.  He's always given me little glimpses of hope to keep me going.  He's a good God.  You can try this, but I don't recommend it:  Go broke. I remember some low times from the past two years...When our bank account was in the negatives, and I worried, but then we received an unexpected check, and I praised God. I felt relieved. I felt happy, and this was good.  I felt content then, but why had I worried?? When I spent our last $50 on medicine for our kid, but I was  able to have a true peace that even...

#1 Pizza is serious business. #2 Yet not so serious at all. If your family loves pizza (like eat it every other day and be completely happy LOVES) then you may enjoy these ideas for stretching your leftovers from an acceptable meal one day into a family pleasing pizza the next. (We sure did!) Day 1: Have grilled chicken and rice.   Be sure and grill enough chicken so that you'll have some leftover. I started with 2 eggs and 2 cups of cooked rice.  I scrambled the eggs then added the rice to the pan.  Then I poured a little soy sauce over it.  I also steamed up a bag of corn and added about a 1/2 cup to the mix.  I sprinkled on some Mrs. Dash Table Blend just for kicks.  I turned it to low and let it simmer, stirring every now and then.  While that was working I grilled up some chicken in my Pampered Chef Grill Pan ...probably one of the most used items in my kitchen....

#1 You can take this seriously. #2 Because it can seriously happen to anyone! Things to do if you ever find yourself in a slump.  (That's where I found myself yesterday.)  And by "slump," I mean spiritually, emotionally, physically TIRED! Preparation: Prevent the slump: Spend time in prayer and in God's Word regularly.  (I slept in yesterday, which is not always bad, but when I sleep in I have to designate the time to stop and pray...I did not.) Eat a good breakfast. (I had a single slice of banana bread, which is also not bad, but I should have had a scrambled egg along with it...think protein!) Keep your workout balanced.  (I'd run a lot last week and had a good race on Saturday, but I had stretched minimally, which equalled a super tight back for me.) Once you find yourself slumped: Stop. Find a quiet spot, even if you just have to imagine it's quiet, and pray.  Read a passage.  Rest your mind for just a moment (or a while)...

If your husband shows any of these signs it may mean that he loves you...or he's just a little crazy (or in my case, both)! He always makes you feel safe: He always tells the truth...even when it embarrasses you.   He writes you love songs like this: He doesn't mind if you disagree and admits it if he knows you're right. He helps you make things like these: {photo by Monica Carter } He always says things like, "I don't know what I'd do without you," and means it, (and you're not real sure what he would do without you either :) ). He always wants to provide for you...even if it comes to this: El Cheapo Lawn Care.    35 bucks gets it cut!!! Keep your wife and your beer money!! Call (423) 285-3307.   This deal is for people that live near me. Includes weed eating but not edging. {yes...he did.} And most of all (above all), if he loves the Lord and loves Truth, and...