Taking A Trip Down Mom's Memory Lane

Perhaps your childhood has been a lot like mine. You have grown up hearing stories about your Mom and Dad's homes, their schools, their churches, etc. Well, being in Pittsburgh, I have had the opportunity to explore my mom's old haunts, as she grew up here for fifteen years.

Sadly, we were not able to make the trip together (one day!) But Mom made me a list of places that I must go to and I thought I would post them on the blog. If no one but Mom enjoys them, I am fine with that.

It so happened that the day I was scheduled to go to Pleasant Hills, it was pouring down rain! =( So a lot of my pictures were spent being like a jack in the box.

See.....I took a few pictures through the sun roof.

Here is the church where some of my grandparents went....well, the sign of it =)

Here is the church. (Sorry that Mrs. Goecki's head is in the way, Mom =)


McClellan Drive....my Mom's Elementary school was on this street.

Has this sign changed at all Mom since you went there?

Because I am sure the school itself has

I am disappointed that I couldn't get a picture of this sign better. If I had been paying attention on the way into Pleasant Hills, I would have gotten a much better picture of "Jefferson Memorial Cemetery" (since I was on the right side of the street earlier =) Anyway, a lot of my relatives are buried there. Some day, I hope Mom will show me where they are buried.

129 Green Drive. My Mom's paternal grandparents lived in this house.

142 Marshall Circle. My Mom's maternal grandparents lived there. I did have the time to meet and know them; they lived in Florida in their last few years....when we did.

Temona Drive.....my Mom's house was on this street!


The house number where Mom lived

The house where my precious Mother spent many years of her life.

Visiting my Mom's "homestead"


I also got to visit the place where Mom spent many happy times sledding.

The hillside. Pennsylvania has a lot of them =) It's been culture shock in a way

One of the paths

Higher up....or was the camera on zoom?

That's what it was. There was no way I was going to go "hiking" in sandals....in the rain....

But I think it would be fun someday....when I am dressed more practically.

And last but not least, the Pleasant Hills library. I remember Mom telling me about an old librarian named Mrs. Hubbs. Has it changed at all?

I hoped you enjoyed the picture tour, Mom. I want to one day take it slower....and with you.

I'm Not Here to Buy

While I am not one of those girls that has to go shopping every day of the week and increase their wardrobe with every trip, I do enjoy browsing through stores. Sure, it is great when you can buy things, but more often than not, either your frugality or your common sense convinces you to just look and "have fun."

I have gone on two such trips here in Pittsburgh. The first was back on Friday and I went to my first antique shop. Meghan is majorly into antiquing and even though she didn't know I was coming this year, it was on her agenda to go with me. So we did.

I thought antique shops were just a place to keep junk....and sell it for some times ridiculously high prices. But actually, I had fun looking around. Being a 1940's and 50's fan of classic movies, I loved the hats and wardrobe pieces. =)

You can't really see the hat in this picture. It was a green featherish contraption that I had a problem figuring out how it worked. =) Honestly, how women like Audrey, Grace Kelly, and Jackie O wore hats all the time is beyond me. The coat was "vintage" too (I wanted to take it home with me and replace mine with its blasted hood =)

The three of us girls with hats on. First off, I can't believe that I left the price tag hanging down. Second of all, I am not a fan of hats with the netting over them. This one had green dots on the netting to boot, so it looks like I had a case of green chicken pox.

This time, Sara left the price tag in plain site. Sadly, I don't have a picture of Meghan in an outfit. I can't even remember if she tried something on...besides a hat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then on Sunday after church, the three of us girls went to the Galleria Mall. I have determined that that mall is for the upper crust of Pittsburgh's citizens, because I certainly couldn't afford one single blessed thing. (Well, that is not true. I did buy Mom something =)

After a positively wondeful lunch at Panera Bread (my second trip, as I am making up for not having it for six years), we browsed in shops. Meghan and Sara took me into a store called Anthropologie, saying that I would be able to fit into the clothes.

While I have determined that to be so, I have also determined that spending over $130 dollars on a dress isn't something I can do.....unless I might have a very good reason....and I didn't. But that didn't stop me from trying on two dresses....and wishing I could take one of them home with me.

I do not really care for this picture, but at least you can see the color. However, it was a bit on the short side.

I loved this green dress, and I am sorry that the picture is fuzzy. Meghan was shooting into the mirror, that's why. I wanted to take this one home, although it was a tad too low and just a tad too short. I loved the color =)

We girls probably annoyed the sales associates to no end with our "I'm not here to buy, just to try" mentality. But we made memories....and that is the important thing.

Power of Prayer

Twenty-four hours before I left home, I felt like chickening out of visiting my friend. I didn't think Meghan was worth being brave about. I wanted to stay in my own little world, in relative safety and familiarity... forget about adventuring in the Great Unknown. Deep down, I knew I would have to "suck it up" but I didn't want to.

Wednesday morning dawned after a rough night of sleep, a night spent with a lot of crying and, of course, a vivid imagination. I got up and did everything I needed to do and we departed for the airport. I made Mom promise not to cry until after I left and couldn't see her anymore. I am so happy to say that she did that!

Starting from the beginning, God was right there as I departed and "tested my wings." I had had this dream of meeting one of our local network personalities. And golly, that happened. He was right in front of me as I went through securtity (acting much more sure of myself than I really was) and we talked a bit as we waited for our flight. That helped me get my mind on other subjects and not on that airplane.

But I could only talk with him for so long. I had to get on my flight and with a deep breath, I did. I closed my eyes and prayed and prayed and prayed. I got through takeoff and landing; I even got to Chicago even a bit earlier than anticipated. God knew that I didn't want my flight to be on the opposite side of the airport....and it wasn't. I even made the decision to walk a ways by myself to find something eat (which, incidently, I have learned that I don't really need to eat after I fly. My tummy doesn't feel good =)

What was more amazing to me was the flight from Chicago to Pittsburgh. I don't know why that flight so much, since both of them were fine and with very little turbulence. But during that flight, I really felt you all praying for me. I totally felt like my plane really was hemmed in all sides that, that I was surrounded by the Lord and his angels. I know that might sound weird, but it is SO true.

God knows infintely more than I do. He knew that I would be alright and that ALL would be alright. Once again, I was left in awe of the power of prayer....and the extra grace He bestows when I doubt it all over again.

Safely in Pittsburgh

Well, it's hard to believe, but I am now safely arrived in Pittsburgh. In fact, I have been with Meghan and her family for twenty-four hours, but I have been unable to post until now.

Details about my trip will be in a forthcoming post. I especially need to tell you about how awesome prayer really is. But I thought you would want to see pictures of Meghan's reaction before that =)


She was positively flabbergasted.....to say the least. I think her expression says it all!


By this point, she is still stunned, surprised, in shock, everything. It was definitely worth flying....I think =)

The three girls: Sara, myself, and Meghan. We're going to be roommates for the next thirteen days. I highly doubt we will get at each other's throats.

Me and Meghan. Friends that have gotten to meet at last. I hope that one day, there will be more pictures like this, but for now, this is good enough. YOu can read Mrs. Gorecki's post about it here.

Oh, and if you are curious as to why the glasses are absent--I had left my purse in the car and my glasses case was in there. I doubted people wanted pictures with me in big sunglasses....so I just took them off.

I hope you look forward to many more posts from Pittsburgh!

Past Stars Online

Maybe your family is like mine.....or actually like we used to be. You like to watch movies; you aren't anti TV. The only problem is that you can find only so much to watch. After all, it is hard to find anything current that doesn't have raw sex or language in it. In fact, new movies that are good are few and far between. And you can only watch 1970'd Disney movies so many times, right?

Well, introducing Past Stars Online, a movie review site dedicated to classic movies from the 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's. Though it is only just beginning, you will discover reviews to many films you have undoubtedly heard of. Made apart are the "flaws" that can be found so you know what to expect.

I have gotten the wonderful opportunity to be a reviewer for Past Stars. For those who know me well, you know that I watch old movies as often as I can, and now I can have a chance to make them apparent to families. Maybe yours will find a classic gem (My family has, I don't know, dozens of them now =)

Probably Not Until Eternity

In your life, there is probably contained within a "special someone." They aren't family, but in many ways, you view them as family. They are usually seasonal relationships which serve to bless you richly and abundantly for the time they are intended. And while eventually life goes on, and you go in different directions, nothing has been wasted; you are better for having known them. One of these such people for me is my piano teacher, Mrs. Joan Wierenga.

For three years, she was my teacher--and the best one I have ever had in my musical journey. She was an amazing example in many ways. She is a twenty three year survivor of something blastoma (which is malignant brain cancer, in case you were curious) so her faith and trust in the Lord is a definite testimony. She was the one who helped me get rid of some, but not all, of the perfectionism that is in me. Mrs. Wierenga taught me what it means to love to play.

We parted ways in September, but I continued to e-mail her. Yet her latest e-mail caused me to stop by her house.....to say good-bye. She is moving away from my hometown; the chances that I will ever see her again are slim (but I won't say they are none.)

Getting to see her brought so many memories and with those memories, there came a thankfulness from my heart to God. I truly am better for having known Mrs. Wierenga, for however short a time.

If you have someone like that in your life, enjoy every moment--and you will be better for it as well.

June in My Hometown

I am not in the habit of cramming so many different photos into one post. However, June has proved lovely in some respects. Slightly cooler and wetter than usual, the days that have been clear have been gorgeous. Like today--it is 70 degrees outside! And it's the end of June!!

All, pay attention, all of the photos were taken downtown. Even the doe and her fawns were captured (by Garrett) in one of our parks. I truly love our city. I would say I am countrish big city girl =)

Cleaning Up Accidents

Below is an article that I wrote several months ago. I was surprised, looking on my blog, that I hadn't posted it before. I haven't changed anything, so it isn't current--but EVERYTHING still applies. Hope you enjoy it!


Our family has a new addition. No, not a baby—though we are praying about that. This past December, we decided to add to our brood a little beagle puppy named Ginger. She is the sweetest thing ever. I love to hold her close to me, rub behind her ears, and have her little pink tongue give my hand kisses. I have missed the days of having a puppy around the house, so I am treasuring these moments. But I am discovering that I had forgotten some of the bad times, like having to keep one eye on her and one eye on what you are doing. However, that is nothing in comparison to potty and obedience training.

Ginger has a stubborn side in her like we all do. No matter how many times you gently smack her muzzle and harshly say, “NO,” you can guarantee she will go right back and do it. This routine goes on forty, fifty, sixty times. As to potty training, while we have a few times where she lets us know she has to go out, Ginger more often than not doesn’t make her needs aware. “Piddle” accidents are more than a daily occurrence in our house and you can bet every morning, there will be one in her crate.

One particular day, Ginger was really ornery, stubborn, and bad. She kept going back again—and again—and again to the couch and chewing on it. There were three piddle accidents in the span of fifteen minutes. We were nearly out of paper towels and cleaner. Mom and I cried in exasperation, “It’s a good thing you are cute. That’s the thing that is saving you.” Once I made that statement, my mind began to whirl and I remembered the good grace of my Savior and Master.

What if the Lord took the same attitude that I did? Every single day, and multiple times a day, I have “piddle” (or better called sin) accidents. I keep up the same wrong behavior, no matter times my Master has rebuked me with a tap on the conscience, pointing me to His Word. Just as Ginger’s perpetual disobedience annoys us, my perpetual acting up annoys my Father. And I don’t have “cuteness” that saves me.

I love the quote in the film Amazing Grace that goes “I am aware of two things—that I am a great sinner and Christ is a Great Savior.” Since the beginning of time, the God of Heaven and earth knew that I would barely pass obedience school. (I can do okay at some “commands” and stink at others.) Yet even from Calvary, Christ made it possible that only my successes are remembered hereafter. In His sight I have passed obedience class with flying colors.

The past few weeks, I have begun to imagine this scene: There is a huge black stain left on the carpet; it’s the sign that I have had an accident. My Master is standing right beside it with a towel in one hand and cleaning spray in the other. He stoops down on his knees and sprays the stain…only the spray resembles blood. The towel is no ordinary towel either; it is wool from a spotless Lamb. As He cleans up my mess, the Master says, “It is alright, my child. What you have done is no longer important. See, look at the towel and your stain; there is no trace of your sin. No go and sin no more.”

The concept of grace overwhelms me. It doesn’t make much sense at times. But if the God of the universe can easily wash away my sin, I think I could show Ginger some slack, don’t you? After all, my sins are a bit more of significance than her piddles.

Different Friends, Wonderful Friends

Each and every morning, as I take my shower and prepare for my day, I spend time praying to the Lord. Okay, praying in the shower might seem weird--but it works for me. There are things I pray for each and every day: my family, my health, my future husband, my country--and my friends. Today, however, I found myself thanking Him that I have such different friendships with each of them.

If everyone had the exact same personality, life would be very boring. The same logic applies to friendships. If each of my friends had the same characteristics, the same interests, there would be nothing to set them apart. Just look at how God has made my friends:

Anna, Miriam, and Jen are my "Sisters of the Heart" For over a year (officially) we have been prayer warriors. They are some of the few who know the inner workings of my life. I can share my heart with them.....yet in this relationship, my individual friendships with each of them are vastly different.
*Anna is my "heart to heart" buddy. Though the others and I are like this as well, it is this characteristic that dominates Anna's and my relationship.
*Miriam is my "music" buddy. She and I both play the piano, so we are constantly talking about our favorite genres of music, what piece we are currently playing, which composer gives us a headache
*Jen is my "political" buddy....I don't know where I would have been during the election season if I didn't have someone to commiserate with =) Every conversation finds politics being brought up and a goal this year (or most definitely next year) is to go on a campaign trip with one another.

Alice is a friendship much like Anna. The Lord brought Alice into my life when I needed it the most; she has been one that I have shared a lot of my struggles with, and she has done the same with me. Now I am getting to watch her get married (well, not exactly, as I can't go to NY)

Erin is an example of what God does when he mends something that was broken--He restores it to something even better. Y'all might remember that Erin and I did ModesTeen together. Well, things happened, and our friendship hit a rough patch--but God worked mightily--and it is wonderful. If I had to define it by one word, Erin is my "life" buddy. We talk about daily life (and how we both can struggle finding clothes that are our size =)

Meghan is my movie buddy--and the one who I talk to one the phone. When she and I get on, we spend over an hour talking, with old classic movies being the main topic. I can mention a movie like, say, West Point Story, and she knows what I am talking about.

Then there are the friendships that God is beginning and aren't as strong yet--ones like Sara, Neesie, and Jasmine. These ones, and yet so are the others, are dictated by His control. They will come and go as He sees fit and only then.

I have been in a place of having no friends....and I hope I will never be there again. But that experience reminds me of how thankful I should be to Him for His wonderful gifts. My wonderfully different friendships are just one of those things that He has given me all because of His Grace. I do not deserve it in the least.

Remembering His Gifts

When God blesses us with a gift or a talent, we're supposed to use it right? We're not supposed to hide it under a bushel, or cast it aside, or neglect it because we have other things to do. Well, I have to be honest--for a period of time, I did not use something that He gave me--my love for the piano.

At the beginning of the fall, I knew I had to stop lessons. Though finances were the deciding factor, several other things played into my decision as well. It was a painful and agonizing one; lessons weren't a hardship for me, they were loved and looked forward to. Yet with the decision to stop, I made another decision, albeit unknowingly--I stopped playing period.

When you don't have someone urging you along, or a deadline to have something memorized by, or someone picking new pieces for you, a person is not inclined to practice. I mean, let's face it--practice is boring when you have to come up with things by yourself..... So, I used that as an excuse to let the cover of the piano collect dust.

But as time went on, I realized just how much I missed the piano. I LOVE to play. Gershwin, Beethoven, movie soundtracks--I can get transported into whole new worlds. I began the task of playing again, getting my wrists stronger again. It has been wonderful to do these things.

All I want to say to you in the post (which isn't as well written as I wanted it to be) is that don't forget to use the talents God has given you. They are there for a purpose. They make you into who God wants you to be, they can be instruments for His glory....and all the difficulties are worth the end result. I discovered that anew....maybe you will too.

The Reading List for April....and May

I recognize that May isn't quite over yet, but since I haven't updated here in a while, I thought I would do my reading lists for the previous two months today. Besides, I am in no danger of completing a book in two days anyway.

Byt the end of this list, you are going to think I have done something amazing with all these titles. Keep in mind that I didn't do this last month =)


Cranford, by Elizabeth Gaskell--I watched the movie first, as you all know, and then I decided to read the book. Since the movie combined three of Ms. Gaskell's novels into one, Cranford (the book) didn't cover everything in the movie...but it was still very good. What was nice was that it was a pleasant read--and not some morose novel.

Winning the Future, by Newt Gingrich--So it is no surprise to you all that I read political books. I make it a habit to check out the new book section at the library--and I tend to pick up any one that is from a Republican/Conservative point of view. I enjoy them....but not everybody does.

Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brone--Charlotte Bronte penned one of my most favorite novels, Jane Eyre. So I decided to give her sister a try. Let's just say that I like Charlotte better. Though maybe it was the storyline of Wuthing Heights that I didn't like. It was very confusing at first; it was morose as well. (It is about a love "affair" that was never to be..and how the young people, then, wanted to make the other one's life miserable) I didn't hate it by any means though. However, I did hate the 1939 version of the film I watched of it =)...afterwards

Reason and Romance, by Debra White Smith--I saw this book as I was walking around the Chrisitan book story. It is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. But believe it or not, everything was decent (so it wasn't made raunchy in any way) Of course, Jane Austen's work is far better, but it was a very pleasant read after Wuthering Heights.

In Praise of Stay-At Home Moms, by Dr. Laura Schlessinger--Fabulous! That is really all I need to say. Any girl who wants to be a stay at home mom, or knows of a mom who needs encouragement about what she is doing, needs to read this book. I plan on owning it. It is that good.

And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie--I first watched an old movie of this with the family and then I had to read the book. I came away with liking the movie better (because I preferred the Hollywood ending =) but the book is really good. It is the story of ten people who are invited to a deserted island.......and one by one are murdered. The murderer is in their midst....but who? Don't let the murder plot deter you. Nothing is graphic.

Mr. Darcy's Daughter, by Rebecca Ann Collins--Yes, I just read number 5 in the series I am growing to love. This time, we follow Darcy and Elizabeth's daughter, Cassandra, as her family goes through some changes. Once again, so many of your favorite Jane Austen characters are still around, so you don't need to fret about anyone major dying yet. Honestly, you need to find this series, y'all.

Like Dandelion Dust, by Karen Kingsbury--I read this book several years ago, but considering where our family is in live, I wanted to read it again. It is the story about a family who have adopted, and yet, circumstances result where the birth family wants him back. It is a beautiful story about a mother's sacrifical love. It really made me thankful to the mother of our hoped for child for doing the right thing and giving her baby up.

A Slobbering Love Affair, by Bernard Goldberg--Okay. You want to know the byline to this one....it is called The torrid (and pathetic) romance between Barack Obama and the Mainstream Media =) Because of that, I knew I had to get it. After all, that was what I was saying; the media got President Obama elected, there is no question about that! There is a teeny bit of language, but I do think it is an eye opener.

Okay, so there is my list? What have you read lately?

In Fond Remembrance

Arlington--sung by Trace Adkins

I never thought that this is where I'd settle down,
I thought I'd die an old man back in my hometown,
They gave me this plot of land, me and some other men,
for a job well done.

There's a big white house sits on a hill just up the road,
The man inside he cried the day they brought me home,
They folded up a flag, and told my mom and dad, 'We're proud of your son'.

And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property,
I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company,
I'm thankful for those thankful for the things I've done,
I can rest in peace, I'm one of the chosen ones,
I made it to Arlington.

I remember daddy brought me here when I was eight,
We searched all day to find out where my granddad lay,
And when we finally found that cross,
He said, 'Son this is what it cost, to keep us free'.
Now here I am a thousand stones away from him,
He recognized me on the first day I came in,
And it gave me a chill, when he clicked his heels, and saluted me.

And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property,
I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company,
And I'm thankful for those thankful for the things I've done,
I can rest in peace, I'm one of the chosen ones,
I made it to Arlington.

And every time I hear, twenty-one guns,
I know they brought another hero home, to us.

We're thankful for those thankful for the things we've done,
We can rest in peace, 'cause we were the chosen ones,
We made it to Arlington, yea, dust to dust
Don't cry for us, we made it to Arlington.

To the brave men and women who served--and paid the ultimate price--to ensure our freedom, we say "thank you." We owe a lot to their sacrifice.

Listed below are some old classic movies that would get you in a "Memorial Day" mood. They really put things in different perspectives.

* The Purple Heart

* The Fighting Sullivans

* Thirty Seconds Over Toyko

May you all have a blessed weekend with family and friends.

Something Silly

While in the midst of major writer's block, and yet wanting to post something on here, I came across a "tag" that a friend of mine had given me long ago. I didn't do it then, but it seems to be the perfect time right now.

So, here is what the deal is. It is a questionnaire....but you have to use song titles from a playlist (in my case, my MP3 player) for your answers. Sadly, most of my songs aren't on here yet.....

However, I want to state something for the start. Everyone has different standards when it comes to music. I will confess that I listen to many various genres (yet I always make sure the lyrics are not offensive or sinful) That said, there might be some of you who don't do anything but classical or anything but Christian. That is totally fine--the Lord leads people in different ways when it comes to things not made obvious in scripture (a dear friend did a wonderful post on that)

With that out of the way, here we go!


If someone says, "Is this okay? "Indescribable" by Chris Tomlin (doesn't work...but this question doesn't make sense =)

How would you describe yourself? "All-American Girl" by Carrie Underwood

What do you like in a guy/girl? "Forever By My Side" by Eric and Leslie Ludy (a beautiful love song about purity)

How do you feel today? "Bring the Rain" by Mercy Me

What is your life's purpose? "Your Grace is Enough" by Chris Tomlin (because no matter what, I want to send the message that God's grace is ALL you need to make it)

What is your motto? "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins (If we don't pay attention, we are bound to miss moments that are so vitally important--because life inevitably changes) OR "Whatever Will Be, Will Be" by Doris Day

What do your friends think of you? I don't have anything for this one........

What do you think of your parents? "When Mama Prayed" by Randy Travis

What do you think about very often? "When You Say You Love Me" by Josh Groban (okay, so I dream and pray about my love story =)

What do you think of your best friend? "Thankful" by Josh Groban (I am so thankful for my friends!)

What do you think of the person you like? "Brothers" by Dean Brody (an amazing song about the love of siblings)

What is your life story? "How Great is Our God" by Chris Tomlin

What do you want to be when you grow up? "Then" by Brad Paisley (You have to know the song =)


What will you dance to at your wedding? "When God Made You" by Newsong (I love this song)

What will they play at your funeral? "Just a Dream" by Carrie Underwood (No, that's the song they would play at my husband's funeral)

What is your hobby/interest? "Dreams" by Eric and Leslie Ludy (it is an instrumental piece...and I love to play the piano)

What is your biggest fear? "Forgiveness" by Jim Witter (I am always afraid that I would have a fight with someone near and dear...and not have the time to ask for forgiveness)


Alright, so that was A LOT harder than it thought. The majority of my music isn't on my MP3 (which accounts for there being no Steven Curtis Chapman on this list)

Anyway, if any of you find this even remotely interesting, which I doubt, you do it yourself.

A Mother's Love

Thank you, Lord for a Mother's love

Love that was born with a child

Her eyes can see with wisdom

There's hope behind her smile

God has created a mother's heart

With strength to guide our way

And teach us of our God above

Thank you, Lord, for a mother's love

Even as Jesus walked the earth

He was placed in a mother's care

To hold Him close to clam His fears

His deepest thoughts to share

And as Mary's heart knew the greatest joy

And felt the deepest pain

God gave His strength from above

Thank you, Lord, for a mother's love

Thank you, Lord, for a Mother's love

Her children call her blessed

Grace and glory will be the crown

Of a heart that You possess

The greatest gift of a mother's love

Is found upon her knees

Trusting in our God above

Thank you, Lord, for a mother's love

A very happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there; say hello to them for me. To mine, I love you, Mom, so very much. I appreciate all that you do for me. Lord willing, someday, I will have a child say these things to me.

And no--I didn't write those lyrics =) But I mean them!

I Saw God Today

Some days, it takes a conscious effort to find God. Circumstances around us point more to the Enemy of our souls than to the One who loves us more than life. Or there are the times when you are just bored--you want some positive excitement and adventure--and all you get is the same routine day....after day.....after day.

I am not by nature a negative person. I always try to find something positive in a situation. But it doesn't always happen. When I can't find something positive in life itself, I look to nature--and in the spring, I am always sure to find it.

Spring often comes quick as a flash. I have been waiting for my lilacs to really be in bloom for quite some time now. And today, I felt they were beginning to reach their prime. There is a spiritual lesson in there somewhere.....God's timing is always the best. Waiting is essential in order for true beauty to be revealed.

As you scroll those these photos, read the words to one of my favorite country songs by George Strait.

I've been to church

I've read the book

I know He's here but I don't look

Near as often as I should

His fingerprints are everywhere

Just slowed down to look

Opened my eyes

And man I swear

I saw God today

I encourage you to seek the Lord where He can be found. He is ALWAYS somewhere--even in the places we least expect. We are never abandoned. See Him today.

And the Winner Is.......

I want to thank all of you for entering my latest giveaway. It was a lot different this go around....but that is probably due to the fact that most people have Sense and Sensibility.

Sadly, I am not able to give everybody a copy of this delightful film. Only one of you is taking this DVD home. It is one of my favorites ever (though I will admit, if you skip the first two minutes of the new S&S, it is just as good as the one I am giving away)

So, who is taking it home?..........................................

Drumroll please....................................................


Jenna!!!

Your comment won't be published my dear, but I need an e-mail address where I can reach you.

Thanks to all who entered and congratulations Jenna!