Another Post Already? How Odd!

Hi again, folks. I'm back with a couple of prayer reminders and a new request. I've been remiss in keeping you up-to-date with Heather and Kelli, so I just want to take a moment to remind you to continue praying. Please make it a point to visit their blogs if you aren't already following their stories. Amazing women. Amazing grace. Amazing God.

Also, one of my fellow shopkeepers is needing our prayers. Her husband rushed her to the emergency room this morning, and it was discovered that she had suffered a heart attack. She is now in ICU and resting, but surgery is not an option because she is diabetic. Her name is Debbie, and her husband Bill has informed me that they are Christians, but they aren't active. Prayers on their behalf are much appreciated.

That's all I have for now. May you all have a blessed week!

Playing Catch-Up

Hi, y'all! It's been crazy around here lately, and I'm having a heck of a time keeping up with the blog. Last weekend, after my wonderful visit with Dawn, I came straight to my computer to tell you all about it, and the blasted thing froze up on me - right in the middle of my post! After hubby got it running again, he sorta took it over. His laptop is also on the fritz, and we're having to take turns using mine.

I can't believe it's already been a week since Dawn and I MIRLed. I picked her up from her sister-in-law's house and got to meet some of her family. Dawn greeted me with a hug, then we headed out to find a nice spot to take pictures. We decided on the Botanical Garden, thinking it would be in full bloom, but the cold snap had taken it's toll. We had a great time anyway, talking non-stop for the next two and a half hours and taking a few pictures before we had to part ways. She is as lovely in person as she seems on her blog, and I'm thrilled to the bone that I got to meet her. I still haven't had a chance to get my film developed, but I will be posting pics as soon as I can.

In other news, at hubby's insistence, I opened an online gift store, and have been trying to get that going. I've got a lot to learn, and I'm grateful for his guidance and expertise. Dear Melanie of This Ain't New York has already linked to my shop and sent me lots of visitors. Thank you Melanie!

I will eventually open another store geared more toward humor. Here's one of the designs I have in mind for the geek section. I'd like to know what you think!


(Should I spell out "protractor"? Hubster thought it would be too obscure if I did, but I'm not sure.)

The Blog that Time Forgot

April 22, 2007 for many was known as Earth Day, but for one unsuspecting blogger, it was just another date on the calendar. Until today, when I remembered that I have an anniversary coming up. Woot!! Happy Bloggiversary to me!

Except that it already came and went, and I missed it. Darn! And I was gonna throw a party or something.



Oh well, we can still eat cake.

Showers of Blessings

Today is the day! Once again, we've been afforded the unique opportunity to reach out through the blogoshpere and touch someone in need. By making a contribution of as little as $1 or as much as a commitment of faithful, fervent prayers on behalf of our beloved Heather and her family, we can make a difference! For more information about this love offering, click here.

As many of you are aware, Heather is facing some incredible challenges, medically and financially, which you can read about here. If you aren't familiar with her story, you can read about it here and here. Her complete dependence on the Lord is her greatest strength, and I am amazed and inspired by her faith. She is certainly no stranger to overwhelming obstacles, having faced many challenges in the last few years with her daughter, Emma, whom you can read about here.

I encourage you to take part in this effort to bless Heather's socks off, whether you are able to give financially or simply by committing to pray for her and her loved ones. Let us storm the gates of Heaven with our prayers and flood the coffers at PayPal with our gifts. Head on over to BooMama's now. You will be blessed by the outpouring of love, guaranteed!

Bring on the rain!

Thinking Out Loud

Welcome back, y'all! I trust you've had ample time to think since my last post. I know I have.

Here are a few of my thoughts:

You really don't know how much you have to be thankful for until you have to pay taxes on it.

If nobody likes Sanjaya, why are so many people voting for him? (I like him, but I don't vote.) I think he's more popular than folks like to admit.

It's foolishness to expect my children to honor and obey me willingly. Look at how many of God's children rebel against Him, and He's perfect.

Jesus didn't come to give us a better life. He came to give us eternal life.

Being a teenager is hard. Parenting a teenager is harder.

While it is true that you learn from your own mistakes, you can also learn from the mistakes of others.

It never ceases to amaze me when people who claim to know Jesus turn from Him the instant another believer disappoints them. Isn't that when we need Him most?

Speaking of need, I am praying for Heather and the fundraising effort that BooMama has organized. It is so exciting to see God working through the blogosphere to meet the needs of His people.

I'm also praying for Kelli and her family. May God grant each of them rest, peace, and strength. He's already given Kelli an amazing sense of humor. She is seriously contagious.

Yellow Mama at OneStepUpFromStupid has asked us to add her brother and her dad to our prayer lists. She also has a word of encouragement "for everyone facing physical challenges...and for everyone who is family or friends grieved by bad news or difficult news."

I'm sure there are others I haven't mentioned, and it occurs to me that if we were to pray for every single person we know, whether we know their needs or not, whether they request it or not, we'd come pretty close to praying without ceasing.

Those are my thoughts for now. Well, not all of them, but some things are best kept to ourselves.

One last thing before you go, if you're still reading. I have opened a gift shop at CafePress, which you can visit by clicking the link in my sidebar. I've still got a lot of work to do on it before I launch a big promotion, but I've already made a sale, and I can barely contain my excitement!

Be blessed!!