JustaChick

Brand new nest!

I've moved to a great new place where all things are self-hosted and lovely...Please come visit me! Just click on the link below and you'll be re-directed.. see you shortly!  Oh.. and I'll be shutting down this blog in a couple of weeks.. so make sure you subscribe to the new feed!

 

4Tunate $4 Friends - amazing story of friendship

Honestly... I don't know Jen.  I did not receive the blessing of  meeting her at Blissdom 2010.  I do know Jessie and Mandi and Manda and Jill through the bloggy world.  And this form of love and under-girding and fellowship took me to my face this morning.  

But, many of you probably know Jen Murray, "Quatro Mama," from her wonderful blog 4Tunate or Twitter. She is the mama of 4 3-year-old boys .  Jessie commented on her blog today that Jen parents with grace.  Amen. We need grace to be able to parent the way He requires us to parent.

Recently, she and her family have experienced some trying times.  Her family has been struck by illness and struggles.  Her sweet friends have rallied around her and are asking for our help.  Honestly, their devotion to each other made me want to pitch in, but their dedication and hands and feet action for Jen made me want to blog about it and spread the word.  Friendships like this are rare. 

Their goal with this #4tunatefriends campaign is to fill Jen's freezer, refrigerator, and cupboards with food. ALL proceeds gathered will go to do just that!

They are asking that you just donate $4! It is easy to do so through PayPal here. Please help them lift Jen up and celebrate her as a fellow mother and blogger.

If you'd like to write a celebrate Jen post, you can link it up here to the BlogHop and it will be shown on all the blogs with the BlogHop link!

and join me in praying for Jen and her family...

just radiant... completely

UPDATE:  Congrats to Becky Jo for winning the Kate Carlson prize pack!  Congrats to Joanne & Pat for winning Kate's Radiant EP!

It's been a month people!! How did that happen?  Well... life happened and I seriously didn't think that you wanted to hear all my dribble about my son graduating and our visit to Auburn and work and life and ... ENOUGH!  I have much more exciting news to share with you.. life will come after this post. :-)

I have this really great friend named Melissa Carlson that I met on the the Twitter and the FB and through the blogging world.  Really great friend, like drove in just to have lunch with me so we could meet face to face, really great friend.  See...

This is Melissa (cute one on the left), her son Cole (handsome dude in the middle) and me.. back in October of 2009.  (What was I thinking with that hair people?.. enough already)

So.. Melissa and I have made a point of talking to each other and trying to see each other (she lives near Nashville..) and praying for one another and laughing.. So it was no surprise that soon after this meeting, I got another chance to meet Melissa's daughter, Kate.  I call her my snug-let.  She fit perfectly in the crook of my arm.  (I am tall.. she is not) and we were walking outside in the fall...

I've made a visit or two to see them and we've texted and chatted and emailed and etc... and I knew that her passion was leading worship.  Not performing.  Not making music for the sake of making music.  BUT.. worshiping God.  Period.  But get this.

I HAVE NEVER HEARD HER SING... OR WORSHIP GOD WITH HER VOICE. NEVER.

Not until last week. 

And she has ripped my heart to shreds. 

I kinda knew that she had been approached by an awesome woman to lead worship for her conferences... cause Pat rocks.  I kinda knew that she had been approached by some really cool and talented guys about putting together an EP.  I was praying for her during the process.  I was praying for her sweet mom, Melissa (you have to go read her Momma story as well) as she worked and prayed over the art and graphics for the EP.  The first time I put the EP in to listen to her I was driving to work. 

Ready for a great day. 

I was in tears and a mess when I got to work.  Sweet Kate had just spent the last 21 and 1/2 minutes speaking straight to my heart and she had no clue. 

She had ushered me straight to the Throne Room. 

Kate sings three of my favorites.. How Marvelous, Desert Song and Revelation Song.  She doesn't just sing.  She worships Him and invites you in. 

There is a huge difference.

I have listened to A LOT of Christian music.  I used to work for a Christian radio station.  I have listened to A LOT of Christian music. 

My ears and my heart are conditioned to recognize a performer vs. a worshiper of God.  Kate worships Him.  She invites you in.  Through these songs I can see her singing to Him and not caring who is listening or watching.  It's an intimate and Holy thing.  Truly radiant.

My HANDS DOWN FAVORITE song is You are Able.  Hands down.  I can't stop listening to it.  I can't stop singing it.  I can't stop running to it.  Well.. that last sentence was a lie.  I can stop running to it, cause the running is a thorn at the moment.  But I can't stop listening to it.  Can not.

He's all I need and all I have right now.  This season of my life is taking me to the end of myself.  The only One that can lift me up right now is God.  He is the only faithful, constant, firm and able loving God that can lift me up and remind me that I am not enough.  I am never enough.  He is.  This song makes we want to dance around in circles and skip and jump up and down and rock out for Him.  It makes me surrender my heart to Him. 

Isn't that the point?  And she co-wrote the stinkin' song.  ummmhmmmm.  Wrote it.  She's adorable and cute and sweet and kind and TALENTED with all capitals.  (No, I am not sorry I just said that)

I love the woman singing these songs.  First, cause she is my heart friend.  Second, because even at her young age, she gets it.  She is tender and kind and funny and points me straight to His throne.  Where He never leaves.  Ever.  That, my sweet bloggy friend is indeed the Truth.

I have a surprise for you..  Besides asking you to go listen for yourself right here: Kate Carlson

I have a surprise for you.  Don't you just love surprises?

Leave me a comment and tell me what takes you to your knees when you are worshiping God and I'll select some blessed peeps. 

One winner will get a PACK.. a shirt and a CD. 

Two winners will win a CD.

Look how precious this shirt is:

Kate drew the flower.. Melissa designed the shirt.  SHUT THE DOOR.  These girls slay me. (and yes I already bought mine... :) )

And this one... just radiant.. completely:

 

Watch what happens with this sweet girl's life.  God is doing some amazing things through her.  I can't wait to see what happens next!  I wanna get in the car and meet my girlfriends for Mexican food in Nashvegas just so I can tell them how grateful I am. 

Go ahead.. tell me what takes you to your knees as you worship God...

I'll pick winners on the Sabbath! :)

Ready, set, WORSHIP!

PS.  Here is your standard disclaimer... except one of the two CD's I bought me self. :)  And I have a ton more to give to random people that I see smiling. The pack and one of the CD's have been provided by Kate Carlson Music.  I'm not making any money off of this blog post and in fact wouldn't dream of taking any glory away from Him.  And, quite frankly, Kate and Melissa wouldn't either. 

humor me....

Griffin completed his last day of high school yesterday.  Our weekend is full of graduation celebrations and the arrival of family members. Some members we haven't seen in a very long time. More awards ceremonies this week leading into graduation on Thursday. 

To say that I am proud of him, is an understatement.  I'm not very vocal publicly about all the obstacles and trials that he's overcome.  But there have been many and some have been gut wrenching and difficult to maneuver. 

In spite of everything that life has thrown him, he's kept his humor, his compassion, his love of life, family and friends and finished this season of his life strong.  He is graduating with an advanced diploma this week and next week? 

We head to Auburn for Camp War Eagle. 

Griffin,

Your family is so proud of you!  Dad and I love you so much and couldn't be more excited about your future.  Thank you for the holy privilege of being your mom.

It's time to celebrate!

Here are just a few of my favorite memories... (you might need a tissue)

“But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.” – Isaiah 32:8

War Eagle!

(aka Mom)

Plan B by Pete Wilson

I have to admit.. I don't know Pete. I haven't ever met him face to face but I feel like I do know him in an online kinda way.  He's on my Pastor list on Twitter, I read his blog Without Wax .  I have lots of friends (okay, probably five) that go to Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN where he is the lead Pastor.  So when I found out that his book was being published by Thomas Nelson, I could not wait.

I couldn't wait because my spirit has been changed by Pete's teaching of God's Word.  His blog posts have made me think and called me to action.

Plan B is a wonderful book.  Pete's writing style has a very personal tone.  A "as if he is sitting across the table from you" style.  I tend to gravitate to those type of authors and leaders.  I want to know that for the few moments I have your attention, that you truly care about me and want to show me what He says.  Pete does exactly that in Plan B.

Everyone has a story.  We all have dreams that have been shattered, plans don't turn out the way we want them, we have suffered death, loss of a job, financial crisis or our families don't turn out the way we thought they would.  We all have a story.  We all have lived through some sort of Plan B.

Plan B is frank, Biblical, honest and offers hope.  As Pete walked alongside a very young girl in his congregation as she suffered through an unplanned pregnancy and subsequent death of her newborn, one question would haunt him for months: "What do you do when God doesn't show up for you in the way you thought God was going to show up?"

Pete sets out in Plan B to offer us hope and encouragement.  He offers the amazing fact that we are not alone.  We are never alone.

One of my favorite chapters was Chapter Three: The Illusion of Control.  How about this line: "The greatest of all illusions is the illusion of control".  There went a wallop right upside my head.  Did you see it?  Well hang on, how about this one? " You know why these things frustrate and anger us?  They're reminders that control is an illusion - and we don't like being reminded of that.  we want to control the outcomes in our lives.  We want to win if at all possible.  We want to be right.  We want it done our way.  This powerful desire leaks into our marriages, our jobs, our parenting.  And the danger for most of us is that not only are we tempted to think we hold the strings to our life; we really think we get to write the script.  We buy into the illusion of control.  We keep a death grip on those marionette strings.  Letting go of control like David did is a HUMBLING and even PAINFUL act."  (My emphasis)  Holy Toledo.  That one will stay with me for a long, long time.  That's a good word right there.

He walks you through your options of surrender and living in the moment with God.  It's refreshing and sound.

Another favorite chapter was Chapter Six: Whiplash.  Story of my life. Up until I re-dedicated my life to Him.  Became sold out for His glory.  This whole stinkin' chapter is underlined and high lighted.. but here are some of my favorite statements:

• "When you respond in your current circumstances as if you were confident that God is there, you will see God in the circumstances."
• "Because the simple truth is that God is there.  God is always there.  The problem comes when we allow our circumstances to distort our perspective and we miss God."
• "In other words, our view of what God wants and what he is doing in our lives is way too limited."
• "In this life, many of your questions will simply not have answers.  But through it all, God himself will never change.  This is why our faith must rest on his identity and not necessarily on his activity.
• "Even in the midst of a Plan B, you really have only one task, one calling.  And that is to do what you would do if you were confident God was with you."

Heavens to Betsy... that chapter rendered me speechless.  No joke. 

I won't continue to quote every favorite word from Pete's book.  I promise.. other favorite chapters?  Eleven: Power and Hope and Thirteen: Transformation through Tragedy.

I will close with this last word.. and I promise it will be the last quote:  "My greatest fear for my life and for yours is that we'll just get busy and distracted and settle for a mediocre, unexamined life.  It's that we'll just settle into life as usual and never become the persons God intended for us to be."

I loved the book, loved the message more and am grateful for the author. 

Rating:

I have a copy of Plan B to give away randomly on Saturday, May 8th at Noon, CST.  Just leave me a comment answering this question:

What would you be doing RIGHT NOW if you were living confidently that God was with you?

Lobs ya,

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger (BookSneeze) program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

briefly... the milestone..and most importantly remember Good Friday!

 

 

It's Holy Week and I'm staying close to Him and fasting from social media.. even my blog.. but I had to jump on here to keep my commitment to you sweet girls and Losing It.. and to scream.  In a good way.

Here's a snap shot...

Check in on the goals:

• Work out at least 4 times a week (elliptical, bike, treadmill) - Just completed Week 4 of Couch to 5k, 2 miles on the elliptical and walked the dogs yesterday on the green way.
• Weight Watchers online.  I'm keeping track really well.  It is really working.. I can tell when I over eat now.  I am so stinking grateful!!!!
• No more soda. I LOVE CRYSTAL LITE! :)
• Slowly start cutting back on sweets/carbs. Yep...another week day of a pasta serving sent me over board with 7 turkey meatballs... I was HUNGRY and they were good... :) I had 4 of them while cooking them.. :(
• Drink 1 gallon of water a day. :)

I've just completed week 6, I have lost a total of 14.5 pounds.. it equals 6.14% of my weight and I hit the milestone!!!!!!!  I discovered this week when I took a day off running that the 2 miles on the elliptical felt like I hadn't worked out at all.  I imagine my body is beginning to need me to kick it up a notch.  This week will be key.  The 5k trainer has me running 5 and walking 3 alternatively.  I just might die. 

What is on your Easter menu this weekend?  I have successfully stayed away from all chocolate.. but I think there might be something sweet in my future! :)

Share your menu!!

Lobs ya,

for the fifty leventh time.. Lord help me.

 

 

I should have posted this yesterday.  I didn't.  I am so sorry.  From this moment on.. my LosingIt10 posts will be up on Fridays.  Promise.  possibly.  I'll do my best.

I am joining my new friends, Ashleigh at Heart-and-Home, Jessie at Vanderbiltwife and Mary at GivingUpPerfect on their weight loss journey.  Sweet Becky Jo at Sweet Abundance is my homegirl.  She's waking my bottom, tooshy, what ever.. lazy buttocks every morning.  We've got a pact.  Texting in the morning.  I know she is counting on me and I am counting on her.  It's important.  I haven't done really great this week, but Jesus and I decided that slow and steady will be how we needed to proceed.  

I'm serious.  I can NOT do this without Him.  I have no will power when it comes to getting up early and heading to the gym.  None.  I would rather stay snuggled in the bed and hang with the teens as they get ready for school and enjoy the peace and quiet before my work day started.

I would.

But I am not going to.  Do you remember last year?  I was on a roll and lost so much weight.  I could just spit. But, I am a southern woman.  

We don't spit.  

I'm a tad frustrated though.  By summer time I had lost a load of weight and plenty of inches. Heckidoodle... I even ran/walked my first 5k..  I've gained it all back and have recovered from a back injury.. 

BUT!  Enough of the whining and lamenting..  Let's do this.

Here are my early goals:

• Work out at least 4 times a week (elliptical, bike, treadmill)
• I'm back on Weight Watchers online.  It's works for me. usually. :)
• No more soda.  Except for my token Fresca.
• Slowly start cutting back on sweets/carbs. (I know my limits)
• Ease my way into the iPhone app Couch to 5K.
• Drink 1 gallon of water a day. :) wooty woot.

This week I have lost 3.5 pounds.. it equals 0.014% of my weight, so I thought the 3.5 pounds looked much better in print than the percentage.  Boo hiss.  

I did not NOR do I plan on giving up a periodic chocolate or sweet indulgence.  Unless Jesus comes back. We will be feasting at that point anyway!

How are you loosing the weight you want to get rid of?  OR, how do you maintain a healthy weight?

Mom is serving King Ranch Chicken for lunch tomorrow so I am headed off to count my points.. better to be prepared than try to recover after..right?

 

reflecting, Lent and those darn accountability partners..

I truly thought that as we entered this Lenten season that I would be called to do something drastic.

I thought that God was asking me to step away from facebook and the twitter-verse.. life has been wide open lately.

I truly believe that there are some seasons of your life that God calls you to not necessarily give any thing up sacrificially, but calls you to focus intentionally in the midst of the chaos.

Life is busy right now.  I have three great teenagers.  One is graduating from high school in 3 months. Two will graduate next year.  Are you picturing this with me?  My pouring into their lives daily (in this way) is slowly (and quickly) coming to a close.

My hubs has a high stress job and tends to travel alot..

My mom lives close by and needs me more and more..

I have a full time, wide-open job that I love.

So... I struggled when I shared with my hubs that I thought God was calling me to step back from FB and Twitter and he responded negatively.  He wasn't mean and he didn't shrug off the conversation.  Please don't misunderstand me.  He checked me on my motives.  The conversation turned to his encouragement not to step away completely.  Encouraging others and relationships are a big part of who I am.  If I stepped back from those two formats completely I wouldn't be myself.  True.

Conflicted.  Isn't that part of the point of Lent?  To sacrificially give up something that prevents you from digging deeper into your relationship with God?

Confused.  Aren't you supposed to spend the season of Lent in reflection and intimate examination of your heart and your relationship with God?

I think the answers are yes and yes.  

Here is how God is using this season, and quite frankly it's freaking me out a bit.  IT's SOO personal. So stinking personal. ( I KNOW!!!)

A Thomas Nelson sponsored devotional taken from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb.

An email in my inbox every morning for crying out loud.  I am on day seven.  ONLY day seven.  I've been on my face every time.  Every time.

Outside of some amazing Bible Studies and reading the WORD for myself, I dare say there has been any time more personal.  I am almost afraid to say any more about it.

So, consider this.  

Could He possibly ask you to intently focus during Lent while not giving anything up?

Could He possibly ask you to get to a place of victory as you begin to surrender to His will?  

Could He possibly ask you to sacrificially give of your time?

Let me know...

Me.. He's got me on my face.  It's okay, there is a great view down here.

 

..the hair wizard brings me such joy..

The most frivolous post of the week.. but I just had to share her with you.

Anna Hand at Millidine's in Madison, AL rocks.  I'm just sayin'.  She knows hair, color and is brutally honest in a very kind and loving way.  Truly.  

So.. my hair has been longish for about 4 years now and I was getting so blah and hum drum about the whole styling thing.  Really, you understand don't you?  I was feeling my ageish.. we won't talk about it right now, mkay?  So.. I mulled over  Anita Renfroe's new hair cut.  I LOVE it.. don't you?  She looks wonderbar.

I have thought about it for weeks.  I drummed up all the support I could muster.. thanks to my sweet Tweeps and my work buds.. and printed out some pictures.. not of the picture Anita posted on her FB page.  She had a hat on and said it would confuse the wizard.  Good point.   (I just want to add a disclaimer that Ms. Renfroe has been nothing but kind in allowing me a brief albeit intense hair style stalking phase.  I am hoping that I don't make it in her next book, skit, act, radio pilot..)

So I headed over to Millidine's Salon & Day Spa to see sweet Anna...isn't she cute?

I was blown away..she said yes to the hair cut!  She's great.. but she's also wonderful about gently coaching you back to her home base when the cut you think you want will make you look like Bozo the Clown.  

It's why I love her so much.  

You sit in the chair and POOF!  She does her magic.  

Lord knows I need me some good hair magic.  

I couldn't be happier..

so.. if you live in Huntsville, Madison, Athens, Decatur.. heck.. anywhere close by, get your hind end to the hair wizard's chair.  Tell her I sent you.. 

Thanks for putting up with the hair dilema.  You can carry on now...

  

senselessness and a great responsibility...

I live in Madison, AL. 

I'm proud to live here.

Right now, it's hard to live here.  Within a ten day span, my community has suffered great loss and senseless violence. 

I was at Blissdom 2010 on Friday, February 5th when I received word that there had been a shooting at Discovery Middle school.  I was in the midst of wonderful women, lots of knowledge and fun. 

My heart just broke.

My kiddos are older and have moved to high school, but my friends have children that attend school there.  I have friends that are teachers there.  I have friends that are administrators in the school system.  I have friends in this community.  Regardless of whether we are directly affected or have been hit by the ripple affect, we are hurting.

Our hearts break, we begin to ask questions and desire answers.  We want to make a difference, to encourage and motivate.  We want to make it all better.

And we can't.

What we can do, is pray.  And I have been.  What we can do is encourage our friends and I have been.  What we can do is be part of the solution or prevention not stir up more dissent and anger.  I am trying to be part of the solution.

I have struggled with sharing the joy and blessing of Blissdom in the midst of my community hurting and, to be quite honest, trying to recover from a couple of crazy work weeks.  

I was headed home on Friday, excited to compile, focus, organize my thoughts and share them with you when another senseless tragedy hit on Friday.

This time.. I was more directly affected.  Somewhat. And it's been a hard weekend.

I work as an Executive Assistant to the Director of Educational Outreach for HudsonAlpha.  We are a biotech institute focused on research, education and economic development. 

The colleagues that were killed and injured on Friday night were/are good friends of the institute.

Many of the people I work with on a daily basis are faculty at UA Huntsville in the Biology department. 

Many of the people I work with on a daily basis are hurting because of this senseless act.

I know I have spoken with many of the people involved a handful of times over the last few years.  I didn't have personal relationships with them, but then again, I did. 

The team that I support and work with on a daily basis, have close ties to the victims and UA Huntsville. 

Their hearts are broken. 
They are angry and confused. 
They are numb. 
They are speechless.

So am I. 

They are hurting, so I hurt.  They are grieving, so I grieve. 

I don't understand a single thing.  I can't make any sense out of what has happened to our community.

What I do know....  is this.. I can help in whatever way is needed.  What I do know... is that I can pray.

My friends need comfort, peace and mercy.  My friends need hope and love and grace.

 ^49-56 Remember what you said to me, your servant—
      I hang on to these words for dear life!
   These words hold me up in bad times;
      yes, your promises rejuvenate me.
   The insolent ridicule me without mercy,
      but I don't budge from your revelation.
   I watch for your ancient landmark words,
      and know I'm on the right track.
   But when I see the wicked ignore your directions,
      I'm beside myself with anger.
   I set your instructions to music
      and sing them as I walk this pilgrim way.
   I meditate on your name all night, God,
      treasuring your revelation, O God.
   Still, I walk through a rain of derision

Psalm 119:50, The Message)

One of my Pastors and my friend, Jimmy Aycock said this morning, " We have a great responsibility as the church to pray so that something else won't happen."  He wasn't making a statement that there was not personal responsibility in either case.  He was urging all of us to pray, with great responsibility against the forces of the enemy and to pray for protection for our community.

Will you join me?  We sure could use your prayers.

I love you,