...

Don't

Need

Choice

walk down it, or run from it?

Deeply

i'm an emotional cutter.

Truth

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.

Colossians 2:2-4

Truth

Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me. The Lord will work out His plans for my life ~ for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me.

Psalm 138:7-8

Truth

Truth

Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Matthew 16:23 (NIV)

Surrender

Truth

I have given you the authority to trample snakes and scorpions and to destroy the enemy's power. Nothing will hurt you.
Luke 10:19

No weapon that has been made to be used against you will succeed. You will have an answer for anyone who accuses you. This is the inheritance of the LORD's servants. Their victory comes from me," declares the LORD.
Isaiah 54:17

Now You See Me...

Now you...

DON'T mind if I do...

To Me, From Me

Have you ever been listening to a song you've heard several times, but that day you hear it in a fresh way? That happened to me today.

This song is a great one to send to the love of your life, but what would happen if you sent it to yourself? As I listened to the lyrics, I realized that I need to sing this to myself. We must love ourselves before we can ever truly love another.

As you listen to this song, I challenge you to hear with different ears.



Go to the ends of the earth for me? Don't mind if I do...

All This Time

Pick myself up? Don't mind if I do...

Isn't She Lovely?

This is for my East Coast soul sista...and me!

Don't mind if we do...

This Time...

Don't mind if I am...

This, I KNOW!!!

I have been given a challenge. My friend has set a goal for me to wake up every morning, look into the mirror, and sing "Jesus Loves Me", before I do anything else. Seems simple enough. The difficult part is believing and KNOWING that it's true.

Jesus loves me. He created me to be the person that I am. He loves me no matter how many times I mess up. He loves me regardless of the mistakes I make. He loves me when I don't feel lovable (which is often). He loves me when I don't deserve it (which is all the time). HE LOVES ME!

This song is one I learned when I was young and have been singing it ever since. Such a simple song that can have such an impact on our lives.

"We are weak, but He is strong! YES, Jesus loves me..."

The reminder of being loved, always and completely, is an important step to being who God designed us to be. I'm taking that step, every morning, in my mirror.

KNOW that Jesus loves me? Don't mind if I do...

I've Opened The Box

I have discovered the greatness of Pandora Radio. If you have not tried it out, YOU MUST!!! Best of all, it's totally FREE!!

The great thing about Pandora is that you can put in a song or artist, and they create a channel showcasing not only that artist, but similar artists as well. It's such a great way to introduce yourself to new music that you may not have had access to or even known to look for. I'm a huge fan. I have a couple of my Facebook friends to thank for suggesting some wonderful music to get me started. I have found some new favorites. Put in the name of any of these artists and create a channel of your own...you won't be sorry.

Here are a few that I have discovered. Please do enjoy!









and of course...



Now that I've peaked your interest,  go to this link immediately and feast your ears.  ~* open the box for yourself *~

Open Pandora's box of music? Don't mind if I do...

Pure Imagination

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." ~ Albert Einstein

I'm not sure that I completely agree with that statement. Pardon me for challenging a certified genius, however, I believe there are times when knowledge far outweighs imagination.

In looking for pictures for this post, I quickly realized that everyone was referencing imagination in the positive. In that regard, it IS vital. We want our kids to use their imaginations. It is a wonderful thing to watch children make up games and stories to entertain themselves, as opposed to having a video game do it for them. But what about negative imagination?

There are times that your imagination can run away with you. An overactive imagination can tell you things are there, when they aren't...or vice versa. It can make you paranoid. It can cause you to take what little information you may have and fill in the blanks on your own...usually using assumption and past experience. This can be a bad thing!

** CONFESSION TIME **
I have an overactive imagination...always have. I HATE that about myself. It doesn't do anyone any good and simply makes me, and the people around me, miserable. I have never considered myself to be a negative person...someone that looks for the worst in things or people. However, there are certain situations and with some people, that I seem to do that. It's a drag! I want, no NEED, to change that in myself. In the long run, the only one that is really getting hurt is me. I'm the one that sits and thinks and dwells and stews, until I work myself up into a sick to my stomach, head spinning, anger building, hurt causing, victim mentality driven, tizzy. By that time, it's too late to even have a chance of having a rational discussion about the situation. And I know, that me and my overactive imagination are to blame.

A caveat to that, is this...i'm not going to bury my head in the sand and pretend nothing is going on around me. There are times when some of the things you think are spot on! I will continue to be aware, but not over analyze and assume. There is a fine line in there, and I'll find it.


Leave my imagination for unicorns and high heeled shoes that don't hurt my feet? Don't mind if I do...

Who's A...

???????

Reconnect with a lifetime friend? Don't mind if I do...

Love, Or Something Like It

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about love.

There are many different kinds of love. Love for your friends, love for your family, love for your children, love of things you're interested in...the list goes on and on.

Specifically, I've been thinking about pure love. Is it possible to have a pure love for someone? It absolutely is. The catch? It must, and I mean MUST, be grounded in Christ Jesus. Without that foundation, it is impossible to love someone with the I Corinthians 13 kind of love.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. I Cor. 13:4-8

We are human and as such, we could NEVER achieve this kind of love on our own. We must be rooted in the Father of love if we are to give someone a love like this. Without Him in the center, love is conditional and fleeting.

Find true and pure love? Don't mind if I do...

Pick One and Go With It

There is an old adage about having a angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other...both whispering in your ear, trying to persuade you in your decisions. Which do you listen to?

I saw this quote today:

Any relationship you've ever been in, you've chosen to be in. Every action you've taken in every moment of your life was a choice that you made. Mastin Kipp

Life is about choices.

Sometimes we make the right decision. We hold our tongue and keep from saying something snarky or we don't do something that we KNOW we ought not do. Score one for the angel!

Other times, the devil gets the win and we let fly with whatever thought that comes to our minds and fails to go through the filter before it spews out of our mouth.

Past hurts and situations often times dictate the choices we make...angel or devil. I have been guilty of letting the devil win more times than I care to remember or would like to admit.

I take responsibility for the choices I've made with the actions of my life. I will continue to do that. It is my hope that I make the right choices from this point forward.

The wounded devil on my shoulder can have a sharp tongue so I need to kick my angel up a notch!

Make the right choices and be an angel? Don't mind if I do...

Now They See Me...Or Do They?

Ever feel completely alone even when you're surrounded by people? I don't mean physically abandoned or deserted, I mean emotionally. You have lots of people in your life, people that love you, yet you feel like you stand alone.

It's as if you are in the middle of a big party, jumping up and down, waving your arms, screaming, yet no one hears you...like you are wearing an invisibility suit.


Take mine off? Don't mind if I try...

Walk the Line

I find myself in a bit of a balancing act these days. Trying to find the middle ground between one extreme and another. I want to better myself for the sake of my relationships, without losing myself in the process.

There's a fine line in there somewhere...i just have to find it.

Find it and walk it? Don't mind if I do...

The Right Stuff

Ever feel like this??



Take this as a reminder? Don't mind if I do...

Pretty, Pretty Please...

Made a wrong turn
Once or twice
Dug my way out
Blood and fire
Bad decisions
That’s alright
Welcome to my silly life
Mistreated, misplaced, missunderstood
Miss "no way it’s all good"
It didn’t slow me down
Mistaken
Always second guessing
Underestimated
Look, I’m still around…

You’re so mean
When you talk
About yourself
You are wrong
Change the voices
In your head
Make them like you
Instead
So complicated
Look how big you’ll make it
Filled with so much hatred
Such a tired game
It’s enough
I’ve done all i can think of
Chased down all my demons
see you do the same

The whole world stares while i swallow the fear
The only thing i should be drinking is an ice cold beer
So cool in lying and we tried tried tried
But we try too hard, it’s a waste of my time
Done looking for the critics, cuz they’re everywhere
They don’t like my genes, they don’t get my hair
Strange ourselves and we do it all the time
Why do we do that?
Why do I do that?
Why do I do that?

Ooh, pretty pretty pretty,
Pretty pretty please don’t you ever ever feel
Like you’re less than
less than perfect
Pretty pretty please if you ever ever feel
Like you’re nothing
you are perfect to me
You’re perfect
You’re perfect to me
Pretty, pretty please if you ever ever feel
like you’re less than, less than perfect
Pretty, pretty please if you ever ever feel
like you’re nothing
you are perfect to me

Feel less than perfect, but more than nothing? Don't mind if I do...

Butterfly Kisses

I have a confession to make. I am a Daddy's girl. Always have been, always will be...no matter how old I get! Just hearing my dad tell me he loves me is enough to bring me to tears. I love him beyond measure and I will forever be grateful and honored that he is my earthly father.

I love you, Daddy!!!


Have a lifetime of butterfly kisses? Don't mind if I do...

Hurts So Good

When you have trees or bushes in your yard, one of the things you must do to keep them healthy and growing is prune them. You cut the branches down, in order for them to grow bigger and stronger. It seems backwards...cutting them off to help them grow, but the truth is, it's the best thing for them.

God prunes us. He wants to remove the dead, unproductive parts of our lives in order to replace them with healthy ones. There are times that we need to prune things from our own lives in order to allow God to do the rest.

Here's one thing I know: Pruning hurts! It's hard to do and it is painful, however, it is necessary and the best thing for you in the end.

"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15:2

Take the hurt and know it's for my good? Don't mind if I do...

"Domo Arigato"

Domo arigato
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Domo arigato (pronounced [doꜜːmo aɽiꜜɡatoː]) is a Japanese phrase meaning "Thank you very much".

I have a new love...SUSHI!! I had never tried it, and to be honest, I was kind of afraid to. The idea of eating raw fish, did nothing for me. So many people told me how great it was and that not every thing was raw. So last weekend, we went to dinner and I tried sushi for the first time. I LOVED IT!!

Now, for those of you that, like me, have never tried it or are afraid to, I have a couple of pointers. First of all, go with someone that knows what the heck they are doing. The menus are extensive and if you don't know what you are doing, you will more than likely get something you won't like or that burns your face off. Sidebar: Stay away from the green stuff on the edge of your plate. It is NOT guacamole and IT WILL BURN YOUR FACE OFF!! Secondly, start off easy. Don't jump in to something that is four kinds of raw fish fashioned into some sort of a flower. Get something that is cooked and wrapped in rice and seaweed. It is delicious and you may even find yourself venturing out to the non cooked "real" sushi before your meal is through...I did! Thirdly, try to eat with chop sticks if at all possible. I ate my sushi with a fork my first go round, but it just doesn't feel as authentic. At lunch yesterday, I worked with the chopsticks and ate my entire meal sans fork...go me!! Finally, eating sushi is truly an experience. It is very much about taste, but more than that, it is about presentation. It is a feast for your eyes, then a party in your mouth. It can also be quite sexy, if you choose for it to be. Use your new found chopstick skills and feed your date. *smiles*

The bottom line is this...sushi is delicious and a great way to have a meal. Get out of that comfort zone and try something new. If you are a seasoned sushi eater, take a newbie to lunch and show them the ropes...they will be glad you did!


Roll up some yumminess and soak it in soy sauce? Don't mind if I do...