We Met at TJ MAX

Yesterday, my mom watched the kids for awhile so my sister and I could go shopping...with NO KIDS!!

We went to TJ MAX because I had a lovely gift card burning a whole in my pocket. That's where I met this lovely- shiny- perfect- shade of green- had my name all over it- purse!

I have to share it with you...so that you to may bask in its cuteness. I'm all about sharing the love. Here it is, my friends....Here. It. IS...

Hmmm...glad I could share something so spiritual with you on this Lord's Day. Maybe I should've saved this for tomorrow... *smiles!*

Happy Sunday!

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Is There Another Word For Random?

So far this Saturday morning I have managed to consume (inhale) two pieces of cake and 1/2 a pot of coffee for breakfast. All while trying to figure out the wonderful world of Webkinz. Oh you heard me right. We got Noah one for his birthday...he's been wanting one...and I had no idea how in-depth caring for a stuffed animal could be! Two hours of my life is now gone...thanks to our new friend, "Bucky", the "B&W Cheeky Dog." (really, I'm not making this stuff up, that's really the description this dog came with!)



This was the first of the three birthday parties Noah will have. Our families are both large, so we have to split up the parties...mine, Ben's, and my dad. Last night we had my dad and siblings over for supper. It went really well. I am praying that the Holy Spirit would help me know how to lavish love on my dad in a way that he can feel it or receive it, because it may look much different that what I think. I was reading in Philippians this morning, and came across this verse that really spoke to me...

Philippians 1:19 "I am going to keep on being glad, for I know that as you pray for me, and as the Holy Spirit helps me, this is all going to turn out for my good."

I keep reading and re-reading your comments from this. They bless me over and over. Now, if I could just figure out how to over-come my computer idiotness and learn how to print them off...baby steps....baby steps.

Enjoy your Saturday!

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Before and After...Again

I have to say a HUGE thanks to my friend, Shell, who made the amazing header! Doesn't it look fabulous!?! Getting it loaded was a big pain in the butt (for her...I gave up after 2 seconds.) She's super talented...and preggo right now and so stinking cute! I love her. You should probably go tell her thank you for saving you from looking at my generic header for ONE MORE DAY!

Ya'll know I LOVE a good before & after theme. It probably explains why I feel the need to watch any sort of make-over show, or buy any magazine that has before & after shots...there's just something about it...the transformation inspires me.


So, I've been talking about my first born here and here, oh yeah, and here. Today he turns 7. I will (of course) spend the day reminiscing about the day of his birth. I've already looked through the photo album, twice. I will spare you the details, except to say (again) that he was 9lbs 13 oz, I was induced, pushed for a hour and a half and had a 4th degree tear (for those of you who've had this, I can feel your empathy...for those who haven't, don't worry, I won't describe it for you.) He was perfect. He was my first. He made me a mom...and my love for him cannot be put into words.




So, my friends, you deserve before & after shots.

Before:

After:

Time really does go so, so fast. I want to remember every little detail of him...like his cute little smile with teeth missing all over the place. In seven more years he will be 14...excuse me while I go bawl....ok, really I'm fine :) I know, in my head, that Noah was not given to me so that I could keep him...he was given to me by the Lord for me to love, and train. To help him become a man of God, so that he could grow....UP...but my heart wants to keep him small....just for awhile longer...Happy Birthday precious boy.

This is totally off the subject, BUT, this morning, I actually contemplated moving the coffee-maker to the desk in the office. I mean, really, who says the coffee-maker HAS to go in the kitchen?!? There's room on the desk...and it would save me about 17 steps each way...we're talking 34 steps each time I need a refill! (and yes, I actually had to write 17+17 on paper to add it.) I think this is genius. Pure genius.

Happy Friday, friends!!!

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Random "Boringness"

Can I get an Amen?!? You all blessed the red-patent (p)leather shoes right off of me yesterday!! Your SUPER thoughtful comments were such a huge encouragement to me...God spoke to me through you. I'm actually now looking forward to this particular journey...

OK, on to today...

• I wish I could record an hour of my morning sitting at the computer...because it actually involves very little sitting. If you watched it in fast forward...it would show me (in my green fleece robe & bed head) sitting at the computer, trying to come up with a post, while my 5 & 2 year olds come in and out CONSTANTLY needing something...get up, sit down, get up, sit down....and accomplished: NOTHING!!! The little rascals, need nothing until I sit down at the computer. Why? WHY!?!?


• My super-wonderful-lovely friend made me a new non-generic header for my blog...it is fantastic...but I (in my computer "idiotness") can't figure out how to load it...I'm waiting for her step-by-step instructions, and then I will share it with you in all its "fabulousness!"


• My first-born turns 7 tomorrow. I am normally a very non-sentimental type person, but something about my children's birthdays makes me weepy. Yesterday, when I watched him walk into school, he turned around and waved and I started bawling. Nice. This from the mom who didn't cry AT ALL when he went to kindergarten...now cries at the end of the school year. Go figure.


• He picked donuts for his treat to take to school. Perfection. I went in to the local gas station, ordered 2 dozen donuts and...DONE! I love "making" treats to take to school. HA! As I just re-read this sentence I laughed...in tiny town the gas station is also the local bakery and grocery store too :)


• I have got a lot of junk to do today...junk I've put off all week...sorting paper work, actually putting the laundry away...you get the idea. Plus, I should get dressed...who wants to visit the parsonage and find the pastor's wife all scuzzy in her green bathrobe?
  

Oh My. This may be the most boring post EVER! Sorry...come back again, it will be better...hopefully :)

UPDATE: while I was linking to everything, a man from church DID stop by, he needed me to unlock the church!! Lovely. *smiles*

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The Tough Stuff...

The past couple of weeks I have been in the Repentance chapter of Seeking Him. *Sigh* Good, good stuff...too overwhelming (for my writing capabilities) to put into words. Through it though, God has been nudging my heart to do something it DOES NOT want to do...and I've decided to share it with you. I know I've got some praying ladies out there...and I'm SO gonna need them.


I mentioned here that my parents divorced when I was 21. It was traumatic for everyone involved. The most painful aspect of it all was that it was revealed that there had been years of adultery, lies, and deception involved, on my father's part. When given the choice to reconcile and choose his family, or this other woman and his "freedom" ....he chose her...he chose himself. It absolutely rocked me to to the core. I could not understand it...and it hurt me in ways that I cannot describe.


How did I respond? At first, pleading and begging were involved. I was SURE that if I could just make him see what he was doing that he would change. It did not work. That's when I decided to fight fire with fire. It was ultimatum time. I was sure this would work. I sat him down, and very logically said to him, "You choose her and I will have no part of it. I won't hang around and be a part of that life." Again, he chose her. I was sure he was calling my bluff. So I set out to prove that I meant it, and I did. For close to 5 years I had no contact with him. I had my first 2 babies...celebrated many mile stones, all without him. If we saw each other in town, we acted as though we were strangers...which we were.



My dad and I have had contact now for the past few years. His life has not changed. None of the circumstances have changed. Along the way, though, I have felt God's nudging...it's always met with resistance from me. At first, the nudging was to reach out to him...and I did. I did the minimum of what God required (which is basically not really obeying, by the way.)


Here's what God has revealed to me the past couple of weeks: At the time, I really thought that by withholding a relationship with him, that I was showing him love. That he would see that I was dead serious about how wrong his choices were. God has now shown me that in part that was true, but the other part was just me withholding my love from him in order to punish him. Oh...it get's worse....He has also shown me that the love I am showing to my dad is not enough. He is asking me to lavish my love upon my dad. WHAT!?! My flesh HATES this. My flesh tells me my dad doesn't deserve it. But God's still small voice is so powerfully saying..."Sarah, you do not deserve it either....but I lavish it upon you ALL the time, show him love..."


So....I'm going to do it. It will be a supernatural work...it will involve all of Jesus, and none of me. It will be a battle, for me....and now you're in on it. Please pray for me...for all of the above stuff...and pray for my dad...that he would stop running from Jesus, and experience true joy and freedom.

Below is a pic from Christmas...me, my little bro, dad, and sister Lindsey.

(I like visuals...so you get one :)

I'll keep ya updated...

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Oh Yeah...Again.

It happened....I didn't think it would...but it did...I got ANOTHER one! WOO HOO! Now, before ya'll stop reading because I sound (all) conceited...you should know...that I just blab on and on about it because...I'm not an "awards getter" type person (all the English/grammar people just stopped reading after that new word I made up...which I do a lot, by the way) the shock of it just compels me to keep talking about it...incessently...you should feel bad for my husband.

My lovely new friend, mama belle, gave it to me. We met in blog-land and are now "BFF's separated at birth" (there, I made up another one) I love keeping up on her life...go check her out and see for yourself.


Gotta pass the blog-love on. To one "real life"friend, Heth @ From Under the Laundry Pile. Her blog is my favorite. Before I started blogging, I sat down one night and read her entire archives...back to 2005...it's THAT good. Check it out (if you haven't already) at your own risk...I'm just sayin...it'll suck you right in and then hours of your life will be gone....GONE.


And to the newest blog that I ADORE! Amy Beth @ Ministry So Fabulous...this girl is amazing...and so, SO FUNNY! Literally, I laugh out loud every time...sometimes I *snort* because it's so funny! Plus, she's doing a fabulous ministry to girls...go on...you'll enjoy yourself, I promise!

On another note...(see the randomness) I had someone (again) ask me what in the world I "blog" about. Do people ask you this? Every time someone asks that I have to force myself from laughing out loud. It's hard to give an answer to that...I'd rather they read and find out themselves *cough*. Truthfully, it's a hodge-podge of stuff. Because that is what my life is! That's who I am! I'm never ONE way, all the time. Sometimes God is teaching and showing me deep stuff...other days, it's just about enjoying life...and trying (desperately) to put into practice what I've learned.

I wish I could write inspiring stuff ALL the time...but seriously...I want this to be "real" and the real Life in the Parsonage is a whole huge mish-mash of stuff. You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have... go on...keep singing the song...you know you want to ;)

There...that's what I blog about...awards and blogging....oh my.

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Race Day

Saturday, was finally THIS! Oh Yeah. I thought I should give you the report in pictures...because really, it makes it so much more interesting, right?!? (I have no idea why some of the pics are so small, except that sometimes blogger hates me...)

Pre-Race

This is my friend Jenni, me, and Billie (who I run with in tiny town...also my stunt double...people in tiny town get us confused)

Here's Heth using her classy photography skills to get a pic of all of us pre-race...she's good.

I'm sure you're dying to know what I learned from my first race...

• Knowing what size race T to order is of utmost importance...because it's really all about the free t-shirt and not the running...well, maybe a little about the running. (I ordered the wrong size...it goes to my knees...YAY for new jammies though *wink*)
• My friend Jenni said she was a slacker runner...she is a liar. She is super speedy...but I still love her.
• Having a group of friends to hang out with before and after makes it SO MUCH fun.
• I accomplished my goal. I finished without dying. Go me. Also, I finished the 4 mile race in 38 minutes and some seconds (I didn't pay attention to the seconds because I was so amazed at the 38 part) while being able to carry on a conversation while running...that there is true talent. They should make it an Olympic event...running and conversing at the same time. Maybe next year I'll put my MP3 on and NOT talk...ok...probably not...
  

  Me & Billie near the finish

And this ladies....this is what its truly all about...

Panera Bagels and coffee!

Oh...and this too...
Thanks for all the fun, girls!! We're on for next year!

PS - Heth and Jenni, thanks for the pics!

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