Sunday, June 17, 2012

Even Before I Knew I Needed It

Hey there sweet friend! I needed to share something with you today.

Do you know that God loves us so much that sometimes He gives us what we need even before we know we need it?

Yep, He does. I know because it just happened to me. 

On Friday, right before noon, I received an email from sweet Melanie, at Only A Breath, telling me that she was gonna use my post about giving over at her place.

To say I was excited is an understatement. Wow!
I was chosen to be a guest poster! {I know, "poster" kinda sounds strange}

During lunch I quickly made sure my place here in blog land was all nice and pretty and ready for any company that might stop by. In fact, I hadn't yet posted my "One Bag Full" here at FH&J.  That's almost like inviting friends over and than not being home when they show up. Bad. Very bad.

After posting it, I did the next logical thing and shared my news on Facebook.
And than I called my mom.

I was so excited all afternoon. Someone (other than mom), someone I'd never met, liked what I wrote.

Before leaving work I checked in at "Only A Breath" and saw there was a comment left by Tereasa.

Of course, I had to visit her place in bloggy land -   His Pen on My Heart.
Oh my! What a beautiful place she has. She sounds like a wonderful, precious lady. And she can really write.

I soon found myself thinking things like ....
.... "Who am I kidding?"
.... "I can't write like that!"
.... "I'm just "me" who shares regular stuff in my life. She's wonderful and a good writer with really good things to say."

Do you believe that the devil was already trying to ruin my joy?

But God stepped in! Oh how He loves us!

He knew what was coming and had already given me what I'd need.
Before I knew what excitement the day would bring.
Before I had even started to become discouraged.

~ I've been reading "A Confident Heart" by Renee Swope. So many things I'd been reading could apply right then and there - discouragement, comparisons, inferiority, etc.  The Lord brought it to mind and I quickly saw what was happening with my negative thinking.

~ That morning I wished a dear friend Happy Birthday via FB. She wrote back to thank me and added how much she enjoyed reading my blog.

~ My Aunt Karen commented on FB after seeing the news about me being a guest poster. She likes that I share from my heart and is sure that's what others respond to.

~ In her email to me, Melanie, said that the Lord used my story to encourage her.

Do you see it?!
Each bit of help and encouragement - the book, FB comments, the email - was given before my joy was almost stolen.

Even before I knew I needed it.

So there devil! {sticking tongue out}

God loves me! I will not compare myself to others! I like my cute place here in bloggy land. And I'll continue to share what God is doing in my life.

I really enjoy writing sharing with you friend.
Hopefully, you're blessed, encouraged or I've brightened your day in some way whenever you stop by.

Please friend always remember:
God truly loves YOU! One way He shows us this is when He gives us what we need before we even know we need it. I just think it's so cool that He does that for us. How many times do we not recognize what He's done?

And here's a bit of a challenge for you:
Be on the lookout for this to happen to you, too.

And when it does I'd love for you to leave me a comment and let me know. 

BTW ~The hardest thing about writing the guest post was keeping it to under 500 words. I definitely have more than that to say at any one time. *giggle*  One friend used to say "OK Debbie, give me the Reader's Digest version".  lol

Friday, June 15, 2012

One Bag Full

Hi friend!  I'm so very excited to be guest posting today over at "Only A Breath". Melanie recently asked her readers if anyone had a story about giving to let her know and she'd possibly share it. I'm crazy amazed that she picked my story to share!  In fact, hubby just took me out for ice cream to celebrate. {he's so very sweet like that} So, friend, I was wondering.....

Have you ever been given something....
right out of the blue....
by someone you barely know....
and it's an answer to prayer?

On a Saturday in July 2011 that happened to me.

I know {hanging head} - that's quite a while ago and I'm just sharing now?!

Would you believe there is more to this story? and umm..... I was planning on sharing it one part at a time?

Anyways, I'd recently learned how to make raggedy quilts. Being that I totally enjoyed making them I thought it would be wonderful to make quilts to sell. I'd use some of my profit to donate to families who are adopting orphans.

Since the cost of fabric for each quilt would run about $30.00 I'd begun praying....... "Lord, if you want  me to do this please show me how I'm gonna pay for fabric. I don't want to go out and get a lot of fabric and than no one buy my quilts. Please lead me and guide me. Is it just silly me or is this dream that I feel in my heart from you Lord?"

On that Saturday in July, a customer came in to where I work, greeted me and asked to see my wrist. She's a regular customer so this request didn't concern me, although it did seem a little odd.  A short while latter she brought me a pretty bracelet she had just created from yarn and gave it to me.

She called it "j-bily". Which means - "just because I like you". Isn't that cute?!

We got talking about knitting, quilting and such. I told her I'd just learned how to make raggedy quilts. She mentioned that her aunt had recently passed away and loved to quilt. In fact, her aunt had some quilting fabrics that she wasn't sure what to do with. Would I like them? She'd bring them next time she came by.

Actually, I wasn't sure she'd  remember. I work as the cashier at a car dealership. Would she remember after three months (or 3000 miles, which ever comes first)?

Her hubby picked her up and I figured they were going out for breakfast while her car was being worked on.

I was shocked when she came back with a big, 30 gallon sized plastic bag that was stuffed full of fabrics. She'd had her husband drive her back home to get it for me.

I blabbered something to her about orphans and quilts. And with tears in my eyes blabbered some more about answered prayer and a dream. And I gave her a big 30 gallon size hug.

Hey friend, I'm thinking this was more than j-bily.

This was a God thing!

Her gift, her giving to me, has helped me begin my dream of giving to others.
As I give to families who are adopting, they're giving homes and love to these sweet orphan babies.

Wow! Who knew "one bag full" would keep giving and giving?!




Saturday, June 2, 2012

A Lazy Saturday's Thoughts & Some Randomness

Hello friend!

No deep thoughts today. It's Saturday and I'm making it a "lazy me" kinda day. Maybe I'll go get my hair cut and colored after lunch. Maybe not. If I do, there's a McD right in front of where the salon is.... so I'm thinking a caramel frappe will do nicely afterwards. I even have a $1.00 off coupon.

Because I'm chillin' today I thought I'd go ahead and just share a few thoughts {actually ideas I had for posts, but never developed them} and some randomness.

~ Something to think about: Instead of  it always being about what I can do for God -  it's sometimes about what He wants to be for me.  {hint: my hope, my joy, my help.....} Now that's something good to ponder on a lazy day. :)

~ If I ever owned two dogs I'd name one "Marco" and the other "Polo". Think about it.  What fun calling them.... get it?  Marco! Polo!

~ Did you know fried gator tail does NOT taste like chicken. At least the chicken I cook is not chewy. Ewww! Yes, I really did  try it. But, don't worry, this Jersey girl is not  becoming a southern redneck {don't know if any of my friends here in bloggy land are southern rednecks. - please know that no offense was intended}

~ On the subject of my bucket list:  I can now check off - eating fried gator tail. Check! Well, ok, it was never on my list. But, it should have been and maybe the sick feeling I had for the rest of the day would have been worth it.

~ A second bucket list mention: I have checked off  learning to quilt from my bucket list! I've made a few quilts now and LOVE to quilt. The desire to quilt started with the idea of  using Kyle's shirts to make a memory quilt. And I've completed that, too. It's an extra special feeling curling up in "Kyle's quilt".

~ Questions: Does the boat hold on to the anchor or does the anchor hold on to the boat??
  And when "waves" hit your life what do you hold on to? What holds you from slipping under for the third  time?

~ I am loving the distressed look of furniture that I'm seeing on other blogs, on pinterest and in stores. Hubby is a bit worried I'm gonna distress every piece of furniture in our home. Ha!

~ May try my hand at decoupage and stenciling. {see not everything is gonna be distressed}

~ I love commas. Do I use too many? I write like I'd be talking, so when I take a breath I add a comma. *giggle*

~  I'm in the process of writing a post and submitting it to one of my favorite bloggers to possibly have it used as a guest post on her blog. BIG step for me! But, I figure that it's about something I've been meaning to share anyways and now it's getting done. So even if mine isn't chosen it's all good.

~  I think I put off writing it (see above) because it's gonna end up being a three part story. Part one, that I'm submitting for the guest post, is titled "One Bag Full".  Parts two and three are gonna be titled "Dumpster Diving" and "A Gift From TN".

~ Having to write a bio for the possible guest post is work. What to say about me? Oh, what to say? I want to sound interesting. But, also like just ordinary me. I don't want to sound silly- even though I can be silly - some people can only appreciate my silliness once they get to know me. Hmmm, what to say.

So friend that's gonna be it for today. I'm gonna go be lazy now. Happy Saturday to you!