It's All Good

I've been thinking...

2012-02-19T23:02:00.000-06:00

...about something I read last week...Joshua 10:1-43 ~ the victory over the Amorites. I suppose, specifically verses 13 and 14 which read:

"And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel."

The sun stood still. The moon stayed. The sun stood still for about a whole day. 24 hours -- give or take. I mean, God's word says, "hasted not to go down ABOUT a whole day." About a whole day...I take that to me close to 24 hours...maybe it was just for 23 hours. :)

God is still God and He is in control....if He wants me to be married -- DUH! -- He has the ability to cause our paths to cross. It's nothing I can do. Well, technically I can try...but sheesh -- I make a mess of things when I try. (Don't ask.)

The Lord healed Naaman of his leprosy...

He spared Rahab's household even when the WALLS OF THE CITY came tumbling down...

He brought Lazarus back from the dead...

He caused a great fish to swallow Jonah whole in order to teach him about obedience...

Jesus healed a great multitude during his ministry here on earth...

And the list goes on and on.

The account of Joshua + spending an encouraging evening with friends + Nancy Leigh DeMoss's book = a wonderful revelation that has been working through my heart all week... When God is ready to allow our paths to cross, He will work out all the details. And who knows? Maybe I will be wandering in the produce section at Woodman's...maybe I will be at a bookstore drinking a hot tea and perusing the Classics...maybe I will be at the gym...maybe I will be at the red bull's eye...maybe I will be just being a blessing...

Knitting conundrum

2012-02-19T22:43:00.000-06:00

Note to self:
The next time you decide to take on a knitting project (you know, the whole sure-I-can-knit-you-12-dish-cloths-in-3-weeks kind-of project)...make sure while you knit, you randomly check out the pattern to make sure you are continuing to knit on the correct side. Or else - plan on mailing your brother a package of jacked-up dish cloths. Honestly, he won't mind at all. They work just fine...it's the just the pattern is knitted correctly on half of the dish cloth...and then, like magic, you can flip it over and see the other half of the pattern.

(Sigh.)

2012-02-18T19:11:00.000-06:00

I'm the kinda gal that reads one book at a time. I normally don't read multiple books simultaneously...however (sigh)...I am not adhering to the "One book at time" rule.

I am currently reading:

Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst (this is a re-read)

A Jane Austen Devotional by Steffany Woolsey

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Judges - King James Bible :)

Lies Woman Believe is for our current Wednesday night Bible study and will be wrapping up shortly. This book has exposed the lies that Satan plants in our hearts. I appreciate how Nancy (Leigh DeMoss) exposes the Truth...because the Truth will set us free.

Made to Crave is a re-read. This second time through is a good reminder on why I am choosing this healthier lifestyle.

A Jane Austen Devotional -- this was a Christmas present and is absolutely delightful! I love how the author pulls spiritual truths out of the sometimes fickle characters in Austen's writing.

Persuasion...I'm on the second chapter and CONFESSION: I've not picked up this novel in probably 3 weeks. I do love Jane's style of writing...I just haven't been motivated to pick up the 2,000 page anthology. (Yes, I own The Complete Works of Jane Austen and it seriously is 2,000 pages. It reminds me of my American Lit text from college. Oh the memories...)

Lastly, Judges...I'm just beginning Judges on my journey from Genesis to Revelation.

2012-02-18T18:56:00.000-06:00

Today I have been working on a top secret birthday present for my bestie. Inside the box -- enough fun to help her celebrate her entire birth-month!

Brownies...

2012-02-17T20:25:00.000-06:00

I totally forgot that I snapped this picture...

These are the gluten-free brownies that I made for Valentine's Day. I put this pan of brownies in the oven and whispered a prayer, "Lord, you have done many miracles...please, please let these turn out delightful! My dinner guests will be here soon and I don't have time for Plan B, so I am asking for You to help these turn out. Amen."

Twenty minutes later, I removed the pan and the brownies had fluffed-up & filled the pan. My thankful heart rejoiced several times and unfortunately with all the rejoicing, I didn't snap a picture of the "after" brownies. One of my dinner guests, who arrived early, can attest to the rejoicing. I'm fairly certain that Barb thought I was completely insane...but when you put a pan of brownies in the oven that looks like that pictured above and you pull out a pan of pretty looking brownies, your heart can only overflow with praise for a wonderful miracle!

Knitting without a picture...

2012-02-17T20:17:00.000-06:00

Two things happened today -- I found a new dish cloth pattern on the inside of the wrapper of my lavender cotton yarn. It's called "Feather and Fan." It's a three row repeated pattern. I was on row #18 before I realized it's scallopy...and delightful!!!

The second thing that today (and it involves this project :)) -- I discovered my cotton yarn is scented. Lavender-scented. I thought the scent came from the inside of my new knitting tote...but alas, the wrapped said, "Scented!"

I had just discovered the lavender scent after saying (outloud), "This dish cloth is going to be sooo girlie!" My co-worker concurred..."Lavender and scallops, Angela -- this IS going to be girlie and delightful like you." Awwww...shucks.

Clean desk, Yoda's godmother, and babies

2012-02-15T21:42:00.001-06:00

At 7:55 this morning, I entered my cubicle and sighed a huge sigh of relief. You see -- the mounds (and I literally mean MOUNDS) of papers and things to do have been recently completed. Yesterday I, even went so far as to remove all the objects from my desk, wiped clean my tabletop and the counter top where my office equipment resides.

It was absolutely delightful walking into an uncluttered and clean workspace this morning. I stood in the doorway of my cubicle and sighed a huge sigh of relief. That whole clutter-business / sea of sticky notes was enough to send me to the moon and back. Well, maybe not the moon...I would settle for the craziness to send me to Seattle and back. Or even Ireland and back. Wouldn't that be grand? I could call in to work, "Yeah, I won't be in today. The crazy pace I've been working has rocketed me to Dublin, Ireland for a couple days...so I will see you guys on Monday." Hey -- it's worth a try, right? I mean -- can't a girl dream. (Sigh)

Speaking of Seattle...after working on some random projects, I received the following text at 2:20...

"Aftr my convincing Seth not to name his son Anikin...he now claims Yoda for the name of his first born and you will be the little tykes godmother."

I am going to be honest -- I think naming your son Yoda would be fabulous. First kid ever with that name -- how cool would that be? And who doesn't love writing a cursive "Y"? That's one of my most favorite penmanship lessons. Cursive "Y" is all over the place...upstairs, downstairs, and the basement. (If you've ever taught Abeka penmanship, you are totally getting this post!!!! And I love it that you get me!!!!) Plus the name Yoda only contains 4 letters. Sim-ple! :)

So there you have it...my Wednesday.

I will conclude this post by informing you that my spider plant is having babies! She's having about a dozen. Can you imagine giving birth to a dozen babies? I'm thinking that all the talking to myself and releasing carbon dioxide has made her very happy. I say "her" because she's planted in a super-cute IKEA red pot. Who doesn't love RED? I mean...seriously...who doesn't love red? I'd actually like to know so I can convince them of red's awesomeness. Sooo do tell. I will go to them and share all the benefits of embracing red.

Tootles. :)

Pondering...

2012-02-15T21:24:00.002-06:00

Something I read (technically re-read) tonight while sipping a cup of hot tea...

"The fruit of the Spirit (the evidence of God's Spirit being in you) is a list of Godly characteristics: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). In the end, pursuing self-control does help my heart feel closer to Jesus and more pure to receive what He wants for me each day...instead of clogged with guilty feelings for my poor choices.

But self-control is hard. We don't like to deny ourselves. We don't think it's necessary. We make excuses and declare, 'That's nice for you, but I could never give that up.' And if we're relying on ourselves, that's true. But there's another level to self-control that too few of us find. Before the apostle Paul lists the fruits of the Spirit in his letter to the churches in Galatia, he describes a power available to us that goes way beyond self-control: 'So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.' (Galatians 5:16). In other words, live with the willingness to walk away when the Holy Spirit nudges you and says, 'That food choice is permissible but not beneficial -- so don't eat it.' Not sinful -- please hear me on this. Food isn't sinful. But when food is what Satan holds up in front of us and says, 'You'll never be free from this battle. You will always bounce from feeling deprived when you're dieting to feeling guilty when you're splurging. Victory isn't possible. You aren't capable of self-control with food,' we must see that it's inappropriate consummation [Angie note - Per Dictionary.com -- "fulfillment"] can be his lure to draw our heart into a place of defeat." ~ Lysa Terkeurst, Made to Crave, p. 61

Feral Fish

2012-02-15T06:33:00.001-06:00

Yesterday at work, a lady approached our Engineering window with the most unusual request. Now for those of you who have never been inside my place of employment, here are a couple of things you should know...

A. In the lobby, we have two ponds. One pond is the home to various wild fish native to the Rock River. Carp, catfish, etc.

B. My cubicle is the closest cubicle to the Engineering window thus affording me a front row seat to all the action -- but at the same time, I can remain hidden from the public. (Although I found out that my laughter can be heard at the window...oops!)

C. My co-worker hates sitting at the window and talking to the public.

Picture it -- 3:00 p.m. yesterday.
A lady approaches the window. (Oh -- D. The speaker that is out in the lobby cannot be heard because of the waterfall, so you have to do hand-gestures and meet the people at the door to talk.) My co-worker points to the door. She gets up out of her chair and walks to the door. Upon arrival at the door, this lady begins a 3 to 4 minute speech about her overweight goldfish and how the poor dear is too fat for his bowl...and could she (I cannot make this up!!!) bring the fat fish and release him into our pond.

Need I remind you of point "A"??? When I say that the fish are wild...I mean they are WILD. I get kinda creeped out walking by the pond when the catfish are lingering near the glass. Ick!

My co-worker explains that the fish in the pond are native to this area and her goldfish is not.

After the conclusion of the conversation, said co-worker comes to my cubicle and says, "I know you heard all of that, Angela. I heard you laughing."

Ummmm RIGHT!

Too which I replied, "I cannot believe that whole conversation just happened. It was totally like an out-of-body experience. I'm soo glad it happened to you and I just had to listen. I don't think I could've stood there and NOT laughed outloud."

Co-worker, "Does she seriously think her goldfish would survive in the pond?"

Second co-worker: "Ummmmm...those fish out there are feral...you know, wild...like feral cats. We have FERAL FISH! I crack myself up!"

Angie: "Feral fish....ha. ha. ha. ha. ha. ha. ha. ha. ha. ha. ha. I say we tell her to bring her fish in and release it and then we can sit back and watch" (makes a circular motion with hands) "the circle of life."

First co-worker: "Oh look, she's out there snapping pictures with her cellphone."

Angie: "She's probably going to take the pictures home and introduce her goldfish to his new friends and..."

First co-worker: "And if the goldfish responds positively, she will smuggle him in and release him to his new found freedom."

Second co-worker: "And then he will get eaten. Circle of life."

As I drifted off to sleep last night, I thought again about this conversation and I laughed and laughed and laughed... A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.

Fabulous VD

2012-02-14T22:18:00.000-06:00

Today I am thankful for...

...the ability to arise early from my slumber and enjoy a non-stressful morning.

...my job. I do love my co-workers.

...my friends that sent me emails and text messages bidding me a happy VD.

...the opportunity to host a couple of great friends -- supper, dessert, and conversating!

...candles! They add sooo much warmth to a chilly night.

...the mail in my mailbox! Two delightful cards and a crayon-colored picture!

...dark chocolate brownies topped with a smackeral of coffee ice cream.

...laughter.

...winter because it makes me more thankful for spring.

...two wonderful VD surprises -- note cards, Dove (not the soap, honey!), and nail polish & a cute journal and a purple pencil.

...a bunch of pink carnations!

...hymns being played throughout the cottage.

...my fat and yet FABULOUS feline! (On a side note -- she was very hospitable this evening!)

...another day to consider that every little thing I do should bring glory to God!

* February 13, 2012 * Quote of the Day *

2012-02-14T22:10:00.000-06:00

(My favorite co-worker enters my cubicle. He is holding a stack of paper.)

Co-worker: "Look at this!" (Points to letter on-top of stack.) "I put this on letterhead. AND I made three copies." (Inserts dramatic pause.) "I guess you could say that I did your job."

Angie: "Why, thank you." (Slightly sarcastic.) "I'm not worried about making your three copies."

Co-worker: "That's why I did it. I knew you wouldn't be worried at all. I didn't want you to have to worry your pretty little head."

Awwwwwwwwww....shucks. I think I might have blushed. :)

My Eureka Moment

2012-02-14T22:05:00.000-06:00

Sooo I don't have these Eureka-type moments very often...imagine my surprise when it happened this morning while getting ready for work. Let me rewind... On Saturday, I had a discussion with my hair stylist about blow dryers. What spurned this discussion? Well, a weekly discussion that I partake in with a co-worker. You see...whenever I am between projects and I am feeling a mini-mental break, I bring up the topic of blow dryers. It's beautiful and it works like a charm. She will expound on the cost of blow dryers, the types available, the wattage, etc.

Ok --- so my very own Eureka moment happened this morning. I pulled out my blow dryer and plugged it in. When I went to turn it on, it happened...

...my blow dryer has been set on the wrong temperature setting. I need it to be set on HOT AIR...not this mambie-pambie "warm" setting. Sheesh!

One quick nudge to the HOT setting and my hair straightened fabulously. :) It was wonderful.

I do believe that my current blow dryer is about to go off to that happy appliance store in the sky and rest in peace. But know this -- I am informed and will make a wise blow dryer purchase decision based on the facts that were presented...and the next blow dryer I get, I will keep the air setting on "HOT"!!! And for reasons I cannot fully remember, I want to make sure it's ionic. :)

Eureka!

Spreading the love...

2012-02-14T06:23:00.000-06:00

...one fun, heartish rectangular basket at a time.

Two knitted dishcloths ~ knitted with love

Red nailpolish ~ Sassy

Lipgloss (color "Gorgeous") ~ sometimes a single gal needs to be reminded of this!

Dove milk chocolates ~ (sigh) "Forget love, I'd rather fall into chocolate." ~ Author Unknown

Valentine's Eve...

2012-02-13T22:27:00.000-06:00

Chocolate raspberry coffee has been ground and placed in the filter inside the programmable coffeemaker. The "Brew Later" button has been pressed. 5:30 a.m. coffee will waft through the cottage which will aid me in arising from my slumber. [True story -- a couple weeks ago, I did not press "Brew Later" and when I woke-up, I seriously thought that it was Saturday and not infact Friday. I almost did not go in to work.]

Talked to my bestie tonight. Isn't technology absolutely wonderful!!! :) Before phones, we would've had to use a telegraph...or smoke signals.

Valentine's outfit is hung-up and ready. See picture below.

Yes -- I, Angie Good, found a VD sweater at the thrift. I cannot wait to hear what my co-workers will have to say regarding this sweater. Oh -- and I do plan to wear a red, sparkly headband with it. You know, to complete the outfit. I mean REALLY if you are going to wear the whole heartsy sweater, you really shouldn't stop there...go for the glittery, red headband. I don't have heart-covered tights. I did when I was like 5 years old...maybe 6. :) I totally just had epiphany while proofreading this post -- I may not have heart tights but I do have...drumroll, please...FABULOUS RED SHOES WITH A CHUNKY HEEL!!!! Ooooh stink - I wanted to wear my faux fur boots. Hmmmm... I'm going to let my VD footwear be a game-time-decision.

My big VD plans...oh, they are fabulous. You should prepare yourself to be completely envious. I'm going to work from 8 to 4:30...and then skip the gym (GASP!), pick up Ruthie, and enjoy a delicious dinner with my very dear friend. Oh - and we will be enjoying dessert....dark chocolate brownies (gluten-free) with coffee ice cream. Just an FYI Rockfordites (this is what happens when I read through the book of Joshua and the Amorites, the Canaanites, etc.) -- Woodman's has their single-servings of ice cream (most brands) for a dollar. For real -- $1! I know it seems "wasteful" to buy only a single serving...but having a quart of coffee ice cream in my freezer is just too much temptation. Just sayin'...

Who knows what kind of wild and crazy thing we will do after consuming the fabulous dessert and meal...do you like how I put dessert first!!! My friend Rhonda has been known to say while seated across from me at Mary's Market, "Life is short. We should probably eat this triple layer chocolate dessert right now before a gunman enters the cafe and we are with the Lord." AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! Dessert first!!! Let's start a revolution -----> eat dessert first. Someone should inform the Presidential candidates -- to earn my vote, declare the consumption of dessert before the meal. I know that eating dessert first might ruin our appetite and might make us too full to eat the healthier foods... All I'm sayin' is -- it's VD. Let's embrace dessert and eat it first!!!! Let's show dessert how much it really means to us...embrace it. Let it feel the love.

Tootles!

My weekend in a nutshell...

2012-02-12T22:19:00.000-06:00

Friday ----> after work, I had the opportunity to help decorate for the Valentine's banquet. It was nice spending some time with Stephanie and Tabitha. Flowers, white lights, tulle, red plates, cutlery, chocolates, roses in water...it was a beautiful display of love and such!

After the tulle and lights were wrapped around the pillars, I was off to the gym for a much, MUCH needed work-out. :)

Work-out complete. Endorphins swimming happily around...I headed to the cottage and enjoyed some leisure reading. (When I use the word leisure, I sometimes say it "LEZZ-URE" in my head. I blame Sara for this. I blame her often for phonetically over-stimulating my brain.)

Saturday began with a haircut/therapy session. Truly, I have found the World's Best Stylists. She blocked off a large chunk of time for me. Me! Angie Good! We laughed. We came close to crying. We laughed some more. I love my stylist!!!! She trimmed my crazy hair and gave me highlights that are kind of crazy...but at the same time...THEY ARE VERY, VERY FUN ANGIE-ISH!!!!!!!!!! :) Too quote Alisa, "Your hair is kinda pinkish. It looks nice for Valentine's Day."

After the hair appointment, I had two hours free before heading to Riverview Ice House to watch Dane play hockey. #24. He's positively adorable! He did a fabulous job! I don't know all the hockey rules which is one of the reasons I love sitting by his sister, Elizabeth! The second reason I like sitting her -- she's a rockstar. Not literally a rockstar...but she's very witty and absolutely charming.

After congratulating the brown-haired boy, I headed home to get dolled-up for the symphony and my dinner date at Trudy's! Fajitas and strawberry pie. What a yummy treat. The fellowship was soooo wonderful and relaxing. Truly --- Trudy's was the best part of the entire evening.

Upon arriving at the Coronado, our chauffeur Bryan dropped us gals off at the door -- what a guy! He then promptly parked the motor carriage while we went inside to warm up.

Ruthie and I were handed scanning devices and assigned to the door nearest the ticket office. We had a wonderful time being charming to the overly-dressed-up symphony-goers.

Going to the Coronado always makes me feel like I am a part of the Muppet Show. I'm talking about old-school Muppets...from my childhood. Infact, when we were seated after the first number, I glanced up at the box seats (off to the side of the theater) and I half-expected to see those grumpy old men. Do you know which two crabby guys I am referring too? If you have no idea, watch the old Muppets from circa 1983, 1984-ish.

I have heard good things about the new Muppets movie...which I have yet to watch. I do not believe it is out on DVD yet. I'm hoping to see it sometime this spring. :)

The symphony concert was just snippets of particular works. Nothing lengthy. I believe the comment that piqued my curiosity about attending this concert was, "These pieces are short. They are good for people with ADD like me," said Trudy.

The solo violinist -- and I am too lazy to get up and search for my concert program -- was amazing! She played a short selection of works from the musical, Carmen. I've not seen it -- but if I am not mistaken, it is set in Italy. Is that right or am I misleading everyone who happens to stumble onto my blog? The music sounded Italian-ish.

After the concert, we nearly froze to death while hiking out to our motor carriage. It was bitterly cold. Actually -- according to the Weatherbug website, the temperature that we experienced last night was our winter average temperature. All this above-average weather has made me, the girl with curly hair, kind of a wimp when it comes to winter. There -- I said it outloud. Maybe I would've been warmer if I would've dressed more appropriately -- parka, snow boots, thick hat, scarf to my knees, gloves, etc. I did have on the gloves and thick scarf...but not the heavy-duty-Illinois-winter-weather-approved gear. Too bad, so sad.

Eventually we got warmed-up and with all the laughter inside the motor carriage, our hearts were overflowing. It was a delightful commute back to Trudy's.

After Rosalita warmed-up (and believe me -- I let her really get warmed-up...I'm not the kind of girl that likes getting into a cold car!), I delivered Ruthie to Emerald House before calling it a night and making my way across the river to the cottage. Doesn't "making my way across the river" sound like something truly fabulous? Truth - be - told, Riverside Blvd is not all the glamorous...especially on a Saturday evening in February. (Insert laughing!)

Thus ended Saturday.

Sunday morning began leisurely (again -- LEZZURE-LY). I love, love, LOVE mornings when I arise from my slumber with adequate time to enjoy a mug o'coffee and some time reading my Bible. This morning, I spent some extra time re-reading my Sunday school lesson. What intrigued me the most about this lesson -- Elisha raising the Shunnamite woman's son -- was that when her son had died and she went to fetch Elisha, Elisha's servant asked her mid-way to Elisha if everything was well with her, her husband and her son. Each reply, this woman said "yes, it is well." She had faith in God and so everything -- even though to an outsider's eyes seemed to be falling apart -- was well with her. The words to that wonderful hymn, "It is well with my soul" came filtering through my brain time and time again this morning... WOW! I'm soo thankful for that extra bit o'time the Lord granted me to spend with Him and read His Word.

After church, my afternoon was relaxing. It was filled with listening to the snores of my sluggard cat and knitting. What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon -- relaxing and just being. It was de-light-ful!

I hope your weekend was wonderful too. Now tell me ----- what did you do?

A nice boy...

2012-02-12T14:27:00.000-06:00

A nice boy from church gave me a little note wishing me a "Happy Valentine's Day." He, also, gave me some dark chocolates. I am smitten.

Joshua 3

2012-02-12T07:50:00.000-06:00

Verse 1 -- "And Joshua rose early in the morning..."
Verse 4 -- "...that ye may know the way which ye must go..."
Verse 10 -- "And Joshua said, 'Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you..."

God brought Joshua to the Jordan. And God helped them (Joshua and the Children of Israel) go across it.

God is the author and Creator of our impossibilities!

Clues

2012-02-11T15:36:00.000-06:00

Clue #1 -- Berry sparkle lip gloss
Clue #2 -- Black heels
Clue #3 -- Black-n-gray sparkly scarf

Where, oh where, is Fun Angie going on this fabulous Saturday evening?

Chicken & Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah")

2012-02-11T12:36:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:
2 baked chicken breasts, cubed
1 avocado, chopped
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup quinoa, cooked
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt (since it tastes like sour cream...I'm going to venture to say that you can substitute this with sour cream)
Romaine lettuce

Directions:
1. Chopped romaine lettuce and place on plate.
2. Top with a smackeral of all ingredients listed.
3. Enjoy!

This recipe can also be altered to make burritos. I haven't found gluten-free burritos so I've not been adventuresome. The salad version is my favorite. :)

A little crazy = alot of fun :)

2012-02-11T12:32:00.000-06:00

Missy: "What are you thinking?"

Me: "Something fun and crazy. I trust you."

Brown, blond, and a purply-red...

I heart breakfast...

2012-02-11T08:45:00.000-06:00

I love eggs. Scrambled...omelets...hard boiled...poached...

Poached eggs remind me of my childhood. My Mom had this amazing talent to poach eggs to perfection. It's taken me...well, awhile :)...to master the art of poaching eggs. And truth-be-told, I always get a little nervous so I pull out Polly Clingerman's cookbook, The Kitchen Companion.

In her book, Polly explains just about everything that would ever (ever-ever-ever) need to know about cooking, baking, etc.

Polly's cookbook has changed my life! I can now poach eggs! Look out world, the girl with curly hair just might take over the universe!!!

Ephesians 3:20

2012-02-10T15:55:00.000-06:00

After sharing an answer to prayer, my fabulous friend sent me this verse... :)

Ephesians 3:20

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us..."

Fun Angie Fact #1,873

2012-02-08T21:43:00.000-06:00

Yes, this is the one thousand eight hundred seventy third Fun Fact about Angie. How did I come up with that absurd number? Well, my blog counts the number of posts I've made...and this post -- this actual post you are currently reading -- it is the 1,873 post. My blog also tracks how many page views I have each day...it doesn't give me specifics...just the number of posts viewed and how many views are from each country. I have some faithful blog-stalkers in Russia -- shouts out to you guys or gals!!! :)

I like to check my blog stats each week...just to see which countries are stopping by to read the thoughts of the girl with curly hair. Which by the way -- it was seriously curly today. I'm liking the whole every-other-day curly thing. My hair stylist was right -- if I straighten it every-other-day, it kind of messes with my curls on the "off" days and they aren't soo crazy and curly-curly.

I totally just forgot where I was going with this post and then I glanced down and saw that my camera is plugged in...

The 1,873 Fun Fact about Angie is...

Pink headbands with huge faux flowers that are clearanced sooo cheap that I couldn't make it if I tried really do make me smile and dig for loose change in the bottom of my purse. And if you are wondering, YES -- there was enough loose change to purchase the above pictured headband. Perhaps now would be a good time to go and clean out said purse...(sigh)...

Today I actually wore the headband that started my accessory (well, atleast my HEADBAND) revolution. A wide black headband from the Dollar Spot at Target. Seriously. I think I purchased that headband 3 years ago...wow...3 years of headband wearing. I remember purchasing it with Rhonda. We were both hesitant. Are you shocked? Have I rendered you speechless with my declaration that I (we) hesitated over a headband purchase especially when said headband was a dollar? I remember asking her, "Should we buy these? I mean, they are only a dollar. If we don't like them, some lucky gal can snag it from the Goodwill when we donate it." Since those words left my lips, many a-headband has found its way into my life... This brings me to an interesting question...and I need your help, Blog Stalkers...

Soooo let's say I have quite a few headbands, you know -- hypothetically...or realistically. :) What is a good way to store them? I know at the stores they have pillars and they line them up vertically. Currently, mine are in a basket...or two :)...and the headbands with flowers are perched precariously on the top of my shelf with a lip...

Any suggestions for my headband storage conundrum?

Sooo thankful...

2012-02-08T21:22:00.000-06:00

I have the most wonderful church family. After Bible study tonight, when we took a few minutes to pray for the different needs represented in our church family, I couldn't help but thank the Lord for this wonderful group of believers that He has placed in my life. It is exactly that...a church FAM-I-LY (I said it "FAM-UH-LEE" enunciating each syl-a-ble!).

I'm soo thankful for the children that our in our little family...for the tweens, the teens, and the adults. Everyone is unique.

When I walk in the doors on a Wednesday night after having been in the world all week, I feel warmth and love from the individuals within.

I'm so blessed.

One of those days...

2012-02-07T21:04:00.000-06:00

Two weeks ago, I was handed a large document to re-format, make some misc. corrections, reprint and "make pretty." Under normal circumstances, this is no biggee. HOW-EVER....this document was thrice the size of our normal documents and I had 4 working days to complete everything.

Three minutes.....3 minutes before the absolute final deadline, the document was printed and handed over to the proper authorities. Rejoicing and full of thankfulness, I skipped out the door.

Unfortunately, the next day -- I woke up with a terrible "after-the-stress" migraine and stayed home in my jammies.

Day after the headache, I was handed another humdinger of a project from the same engineer. This time, I was informed I had a week. Delusionally for like 4 minutes, I forgot that I don't work on the weekends so a simple math combination 7 minus 2 told me I had 5 days to compile, correct, and perfect a 300+ page document. Because I was... A) still in my right mind; B) upset about having a migraine over a project that was passed off to me with not adequate time...I managed to talk to the proper authority figure and it was determined that the statement, "Your lack of preparation is NOT my emergency" could be typed-up, printed-out, and framed and placed on the corner of my desk...a nice reminder for the engineer in charge of these two projects. It was brought to my attention that an absurd amount of time was not LONG enough to get one's act in gear and work on things in a timely manner thus creating havoc in my (the secretary's) life. I believe my reply at the close of our conversation was, "I will gladly give 100% to this endeavor. I will work my best...but I will not have a repeat of last week this week. Where I formerly worked was MY choice to allow that stress to transfer over from work to home and I will not be doing that ever again."

Yesterday -- do you ever have days when you feel like....well, you feel like the picture below???

This picture was me yesterday. For some reason unbeknownst to me at the time, the Word document was not allowing me to "CLEAR ALL FORMATTING" and reformat. The numbers transformed into letters. Obnoxious letters... In one section, the "3" turned into "RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"! No joke. I mean, I like to roll my r's...don't get me wrong. But in this document that was just not cool...not cool at all. Ironically the "4" in that same section turned into "SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS." Guess what the "5" turned into? Did you guess "TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT"? If you did - congrats! Kudos to you!

Sooo I left yesterday with about 87% of the document ready to go. Actually, you know what -- it was more like 93% done and not a thread of sanity in-tact. Infact somewhere around 3, I had a lousy attitude...so I stopped what I was doing...I moved my chair away from my computer (lest I damage the company property!) and I opened my Bible to the Gospel of John and I began reading...and I read and I read and I read...and then I prayed. I believe it began, "Father, I have an absolute lousy attitude about a document that in the whole scheme of my life is not going to matter a hill of beans. Please help me!!!!" I knitted for a bit and then just turned off my computer and waited for the last 2 minutes of the day to come to a close so I could leave. As I walked out to Rosie, I knew that the only cure for this dull-drum, bad attitude was to be a blessing to someone else. A quick text to my partner in crime :) and we developed our plan.

Ten pink tulips (5 of each shade) were purchased. A mason jar was found. Ribbon was cut and tied securely around the lip of said jar. And we were off to the hospital to be a blessing...the true cure for the pity parties of life.

Our half hour visit was absolutely wonderful. Partner in crime and I left encouraged and laughing about our delightful chat with the patient. We are blessed!!!!!!

After being a blessing, I went and walked through the Hallmark store searching for a perfect VD card to send all the way to Seattle. I read several cards...and then I found THE ONE. I must confess, the card I selected is sooo not right -- which is what makes it absolutely perfect for this dear friend. Picture this...two dogs on the front. I believe they were those cute wiener dogs (my partner in crime knows about this one time that I was searching the RRStar and mispronounced their breed). One of the two dogs on the card has a cone on his head. (Are you already laughing because I am?) The front said, "If we were two dogs and I had to wear one of those cones on my head, I know you would tell me that I look good." Open up the card: "That's the kind of friends that we are."

Another card that I thought about getting was a women in a full body cast and on the inside, it read, "I'm so glad that you are good at picking our scarves!" I was cracking up...I mean, LAUGHING OUTLOUD in the Hallmark store. Those cards are hysterical!!!! Also -- being in the Hallmark store helped me waste 15 minutes waiting for Rhonda to get to the gym. 2 birds ----> 1 stone.

This morning I went in to work armed with my Bible, prayer, and a much better attitude. :) The three go together, by the way!!!! Somewhere around 10 a.m. I figured out the Microsoft conundrum that had been vexing my soul....the documents that I was given to edit were not just plain Jane ".DOC" documents...their file name was ".DOCX" --- that one little letter made all the difference and was the reason I could not format and UN-format the issues. Praise the Lord! Glory be! I'm not losing my mind. It wasn't me after all...

And that my friends was all that I needed to know. I'm not going crazy. :) How absolutely delightful.

Tootles!

Requested blog post :)

2012-02-06T21:57:00.002-06:00

I received a request tonight to post this incident...so before I forget all the details. Here goes...

Rhonda and I were working-out at the gym tonight later than usual. If I am remembering correctly, we were halfway through with our 60-minute cardio. Are you thinking, Sixty minutes? Are those girls nuts? The answer is a resounding "YES, YES WE ARE NUTS!" Normally, I only do 30 minutes of cardio...well, 45 tops. I've stopped with the IGWO (Insane Girl Work-Out). I have a life. I'm not saying my friend doesn't. It's just that when we are working-out together, we both select the 60 minute manual work-out and then begin chatting. It's habit. It's what we used to do back in the day...you know, like two years ago... :)

Any-who...tonight we were talking about our weeks...what we've got cookin' at work & outside of work. I was sharing that I have plans for Saturday night. The symphony. Pre-symphony: Coffee date on Cardamon Drive. The symphony concert is a Valentine's Day bon-bon theme. (I'm seriously hoping there is chocolate at this event...and if not, hopefully there won't be a purse-search because I'm tempted to bring along Dove dark chocolate. I'm sure my date for the evening won't mind a sweet treat...not that I am not sweet enough!) Well, the VD concert got us talking about VD...which then started my rant...

All I am saying is, if one more well-meaning individual who is either happily married or in a serious relationship tries to tell me that VD is not exclusively for couples, I am going to tell them...

Fine, then...(insert dramatic pause)...

May 11th is not all about me and my birthday;

February 2nd wasn't really about a rodent predicting the arrival of Spring!

July 4th isn't about celebrating our Independence.

If VD wasn't for couples or relationships, then my mailbox would be full of "Happy VD, Beautiful, Fabulous, Single Girl!" cards and gifts. Not just any gifts, but my favorites -- Starbucks, Dove dark chocolate, Philosophy lotion, etc.

I'm not saying VD is a bad holiday.

I'm just saying -- don't try to fool me that isn't about being a couple. And please don't feel sorry for me that I would rather be home alone watching Pride and Prejudice and eating a bowl of popcorn while waiting for my fabulous turquoise toenail polish to dry. I am content being single. I'm, also, done giving my heart away to guys who store my heart in their garage like an old fishing pole that only needs to be brought out in the summer months...but don't think twice about it at any other time of the year. And let's address the statement, "You should just get out and have some fun!" Many a girl has gone out looking for "fun" only to end up heart-broken and full of regret. I'd rather guard my heart than take a chance by placing it in this world's blender only to rip it to shreds with regret and remorse.

Mark this down...when the Lord sends along some nice guy who is bright enough to realize that I am wonderful and the girl he has been praying his whole life for...when this happens, I promise you, I won't try telling all the other nice, fabulous, Jesus-loving girls that VD isn't really about being in a relationship. It is about that and to tell me (and any other nice, single girl) differently is lying.

Brownies, raspberries, chocolate pudding, and Cool Whip

2012-02-04T17:58:00.000-06:00

You know the whole "A picture is worth a thousand words"...well, here are four pictures that are worth 4,000 words...if not, 4,000 calories!!!! YUMMMMMO!

Step 1 * Bake a pan of brownies!

Step 2 * Whisk for 3 minutes: 3 cups of milk & 2 small packages of instant chocolate pudding

Step 3 * Check to see if the frozen raspberries are thawed! Yum!

Step 4 * Layer brownies, raspberries, pudding mixture, Cool Whip. Repeat layers!

:o)

2012-02-04T17:12:00.000-06:00

I changed my playlist music today. No more cold/winter-ish songs. That's right -- they've been removed. Sorry, "Waltz of the Snowflake" -- you were delightful, but it's February now...which means that were approximately six weeks away from spring. CONFESSION: It was soo nice and sunny today that I turned the furnace off and opened two windows and aired-out the cottage. It was divine! Maggie seemed to enjoy the fresh air wafting in. I know I sure did.

My weekend plans got all changed-around...thrifting and coffee last night got cancelled due to illness. And today's thrifting/coffee in Freeport with Sara cancelled too. Worked out in the end as I woke - up with another dreadful headache. It was my second headache of the week. First one happened Wednesday morning which got me out of a day at work and allowed me to remain in my jammies most of the day. Today's headache was much worse...bordered on a migraine. Not fun, not fun at all.

I suppose I should address the fact that the groundhog saw his shadow so we will be seeing another six weeks of winter. Fine by me. Honest. SIX WEEKS 'TIL SPRING!!!! WAHOOOO!!! That means that most of winter is over. Correction: OVA! Most of winter is OVA! Bring on these next six weeks. Let it snow. Let it be a blinding snowstorm. It doesn't matter...spring is next!!!!

My wishing-for-spring-to-get-her-attitude caused me to purchase a really cute, springy skirt today at the thrift. I stopped to peruse the books in hopes of finding one of the books on my "in-case-you-happen-to-be-out-and-see-these-books" list...friends know about this list and they have given me specific titles to look for... :) After perusing the books and coming up empty-handed, I meandered to the skirts...I know, I know. I need another springy/summer skirt like I need a perm! (I didn't want to say "hole in the head" because that sounds painful.) What I did decide to do is - when I bring in my spring/summer clothes to switch out, I solemnly promise to go through each item and make sure... A) they still fit properly; B) I still love them. If they fit weird or I am just not loving the look, I will make a donation back to the thrift! It's give and take. :)

After my quick stop at the thrift, I went to Target to purchase the necessary baking supplies to make my dessert of the potluck tomorrow. (See post below!) While at the red bull's eye, I found the perfect V.D. (Valentine's Day...lest you are aware of something else "V.D." might mean!) basket fillers...I would blog about these items but my potential V.D. gals are blog-stalkers and I don't want to give away the surprise. I am looking forward to spending V.D. with the girls. I've been contemplating what I want to make for supper that night...I'm thinking chicken Caesar salads with something scrumptious for dessert. I saw gluten-free dark chocolate brownie mix....maybe brownies with raspberries and homemade whipped cream. Hmmmm...decisions, decisions!!!

I managed to e-file my income taxes this weekend and clean my bathroom! Wahoooooo! Talk about being overly-motivated. Oh - and let's not forget, I blogged.

The End. :)

It's called "Chocolate Passion Bowl."

2012-02-04T16:51:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow is our church potluck. After careful perusal for my recipe box, I have decided to make a scrumptious dessert called "Chocolate Passion Bowl." I have yet to figure out where all the passion comes from...I mean, SERIOUSLY...the recipe contains...

1 - fresh-baked brownies cubed (I used a dark chocolate mix!)
2 - raspberries (I bought frozen -- they were way cheaper & look deeeelish!)
3 - container of Cool Whip
4 - Instant chocolate pudding

I mean, it is alot of chocolate...with a smackeral of raspberries.

This recipe came from a Cool Whip advertisement (I believe in my Midwest Living magazine... I recall clipping the recipe because it sounded heavenly!). How misleading... What they are really saying is, "Make this dessert and you will find love!" And the girl with curly hair says rather sarcastically, "Yeah right!"

It arrived!!!!

2012-02-03T06:58:00.000-06:00

As I stood at the kiosk at the post office last Sunday night after church, I prayed, "Lord, please let this arrive in Seattle on a day when the recipient needs some encouragement! Help her know that this is sent with love!"

Yesterday I received a phone call...IT ARRIVED on a much needed day when the state of frazzle was high and the crazy juices were flowing. I'm so thankful the Lord answered that prayer...

I'm rather smitten...

2012-02-03T06:54:00.000-06:00

...with Casual Fridays. You know how Superman has that cool cape that he wears...and Batman has the Bat-Mobile. I don't have a cape and Rosie is not the Bat-Mobile...so I have the next best thing...SUPER CUTE, PINK PLAID SHOES!!!

Numbers 33:55-56 & Deuteronomy 1:44

2012-02-01T17:24:00.001-06:00

Beginning in verse 50 (of Numbers 33), God is giving instructions to Moses for the conquering of Canaan. In verse 55 - the second half -- God said, "...those that which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them."

God clearly explains the consequences of not obeying. We can choose to obey or not obey...we cannot, however, choose our consequences.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In Deuteronomy 1:44, Moses is telling the Children of Israel -- "And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah."

I love the mental picture that this paints. Clearly, you can picture the angry Amorites swarming like bees...

Happy End of January and Almost Groundhog's Day!

2012-01-31T19:20:00.001-06:00

In two days, we are going to once again put our faith in a rodent. A RODENT! A groundhog. A lazy groundhog, at that. He's been happily slumbering the winter away...actually -- the poor little critter has been missing out on some fabulous spring-ish weather. 'Tis a shame...perhaps the little guy should go to the ant and consider HER ways. :)

In two days, people across this great big United States of America will watch as a groundhog from Pennsylvania will get prodded and poked with stick until he arises from his sleep and exits his place of residency. He will then look to the left...look to the right...probably laugh inside his groundhog head where he's thinking, This crazies think I can predict when spring will arrive. 'Tis a shame that they feed me soo well and I only have to work 1 day a year. What shadow? At which point, he will either don a face that declares (said in a Southern Belle-ish sort-of way), "Oh me! Oh my! I do declare -- Spring is just around that pretty little corn-ah!" Or maybe he will don a mournful look and say (in a slightly gangster-ish way), "It's too bad for you! Six more weeks of winter! Now who woke-me-up because they are going to be swimmin' with the fish?!"

So there you have it...are we going to have any early spring? PEOPLE -- IT WAS 54 DEGREES TODAY!!! IT IS JANUARY 31ST!!!! Ummmmmm...HELLO! TODAY WAS KIND OF AN EARLY SPRING DAY! :)

All you have to do is ask the girl with curly hair...she knows!

Low Tire Pressure Light....Part 4

2012-01-31T06:53:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning I decided to take different approach with the service department.

Service dude: "Hi. What can we do for you?"

Me (in my best second grade teacher tone): "Well, you see last Tuesday, my low tire pressure light came on. I figured it was because the drastic drop in temperature. I stopped and filled up my tire. Thirty-six hours later, the light came back on and the tire only had twenty pounds of air. It lost 15 pounds in 36 hours. I brought my car in here on Friday. You kindly refilled the air in my tire and claimed it was the spare tire's sensor. Funny (sarcastically said), but on Saturday evening, the low tire pressure light came back on. No worries though -- I had a lovely chat with your service manager Mark on Friday afternoon who promised me that this will get properly taken care of today. Here's the keys. Ooooh and I need a ride to work. Thank you."

It's funny...not in a ha-ha sort-of way...I received this phone call at 12 'noon.

Mark, service manager: "Angie, your car is ready."

Angie: "What was really the problem?"

Mark: "You had driven over a nail and punctured your tire."

Angie: "So it wasn't my spare afterall. Thanks. I'll be there around 5 to get my car."

Wow -- I wonder if they noted on my file that...
A. I know how to use a tire pressure gauge.
B. I read the manual so don't be trying to pull the wool over my pretty green eyes.
C. I don't appreciate being lied too.

Psalm 73:28

2012-01-29T20:58:00.000-06:00

"But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all Thy works."

2012-01-29T14:01:00.001-06:00

Girls are like
apples on trees. The best
ones are at the top of the tree.
The boys don't want to reach for
the good ones because they are afraid
of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they
just get the rotten apples from the ground
that aren't as good, but easy. So the apples
at the top think something is wrong with
them, when in reality, they're amazing.
They just have to wait for the right
boy to come along, the one
who's brave enough
to climb
all the way
to the top
of the tree.

God can be trusted :)

2012-01-29T13:36:00.000-06:00

Elinor was prevented from making any reply to this civil triumph, by the door's being thrown open, the servant's announcing Mr. Ferrars, and Edward's immediately walking in.

It was a very awkward moment; and the countenance of each shewed that it was so. They all looked exceedingly foolish; and Edward seemed to have as great an inclination to walk out of the room again, as to advance farther into it. They very circumstance, in its unpleasantest form, which they would each have been most anxious to avoid, had fallen on them. -- They were not only all three together, but were together without the relief of any other person. The ladies recovered themselves first. It was not Lucy's business to put herself forward, and the appearance of secrecy must still be kept up. She could therefore only look her tenderness, and after slightly addressing him, said no more.

But Elinor had more to do; and so anxious was she, for his sake and her own, to do it well, that she forced herself, after a moment's recollection, to welcome him, with a look and manner that were almost easy, and almost open; and another struggle another effort still improved them. She would not allow the presence of Lucy, nor the consciousness of some injustice towards herself, to deter her from saying that she was happy to see him, and that she had very much regretted being from home, when he called before in Berkeley Street. She would not be frightened from paying him those attentions which, as a friend and almost a relation, were his due.

~ Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen

In A Jane Austen Devotional, author Steffany Woolsey's devotional "Behaving with Dignity" writes,

          "The behavior of the Proverbs 31 woman aligns closely with Elinor's conduct:
           'She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come'
           (v. 25 NIV, emphasis added). A woman who trusts the Lord for the
           outcome can laugh freely because she knows that the future is in His
           hands. No matter what happens, God can be trusted."

"I've been missing you ALOT." ~ Elaina Kunz, first grader

2012-01-28T13:30:00.000-06:00

When a child says, "I love you" or even "I miss you," they mean it wholeheartedly. They don't use word games or other adult-ish tactics. They just say it outloud and they mean it.

Today Ginger called to chat. I was on my way in to Target to buy a (drumroll, please) new toilet bowl cleaning brush. Exciting times, I know! Actually it was fun....Target had a whole slew of brushes. Did I want/need a big toilet brush? Brushes with blue handles? Brushes with a short handle? Did I want a brush with a container to store it? Ummmm...YES! After picking up each one and contemplating the length of the wand and the texture of bristles, I picked a nice scrubbing device that will do wonders on the cleaning of my toilet. I, then, perused there assortment of kitchen dish towels. Not enraptures over the selection, I meandered through the store in no particular course...just meandering and chatting with Ging. After we discussed a plethora of ideas, the phone was passed off to Elaina, first grader extraordinaire! She began the conversation with "I've been missing you ALOT..." to which I replied, "I know sweetie and I have been missing you alot also! Now tell me, how do you love Seattle?" and from there she told me about their adventure to the aquarium where they saw an octopus and got to touch a starfish. She was very adamant that they only touched the starfish and not the octopus. She, also, talked about a 2 week old sea otter. Later when the phone was handed back to Ging, I was informed that sea otters aren't like those cute river otters that we picture in our heads. No -- sea otters can weigh 100 pounds!!! Wow! I'm picturing a new Sci-Fi movie, Attack of The Killer Otter! Somehow the Jaws theme is playing in my brain...hmmmmm...if we do work on this new movie, we will need to come with an otter theme so as not to give all the glory to Jaws.

Perusing the dollar spot at Target can always be tricky and requires the utmost attention. I'm looking for cute VD (Valentine's day) bags or baskets. I found felt bags which were cute...but I wasn't sure if the gift will fit in the bag. Then I saw a cute ribbon-handled cardboard "basket" which might've worked...but again, not really sold on that idea either. And lastly, rectangular-ish baskets...those might be the winners. Since none of them were the ONES...I left VD container-less. (sigh) Perhaps there will be something fabulous at Michael's... Do you ever have a particular idea in your head but you just can't seem to find it? It's kind of like a hunt. I don't hunt. I didn't even know that I liked shooting guns until the laser tag outing two weeks ago.

Well, I think that's it for today. I'm going to work on some cards for the new ministry at church and then meet up with two of my Sunday school kids & their delightful mom at Barnes & Nobles. I am praying that I will be a blessing to their sad, missing-their-friends hearts.

Happy Saturday!

Look what came in the mail today...

2012-01-28T13:11:00.001-06:00

My wristband and information regarding my April outing to hear one of my favorite authors, Lysa TerKeurst. I would have to say that out of all the books I've read this past year (and let me tell you -- I've read quite a few!), Lysa's two books, Made to Crave and Becoming More than A Good Bible Study Girl, have changed my life the most! Disclaimer: I hope you do know that by far -- reading my Bible has changed my life the MOST this past year. :) Her uncanny ability to make me crave more of Jesus and too spend quality time reading His Word and not just quantity time are the two gifts that she (and her writing) have bestowed upon me this year. I'm looking forward to hearing her speak. I've extended the invitation to several friends. I'm not sure if anyone else signed-up and received their purple bracelets today, but I know this -- I am looking forward to how the Lord is going to speak to me through Lysa.

Low Air Pressure Light.....part 3

2012-01-27T22:13:00.000-06:00

I don't "cold oil" Rosie. Ok, technically - I have done it a time or two. Perhaps a more accurate opening statement would be...I don't like to "cold oil" Rosie. (For those of you not raised in the Good-household, "cold oil" is when in the winter, you start up your car and take right off -- not allowing the vehicle a chance to warm up!) To instill this in my 16-year old brain, my father very wisely said, "How would you like it if I yanked you out from under your warm blankets, threw you out in the snow with nothing on but your pajamas, and made you run 4 miles to school?" Ummmm...NO thanks!

A - I'm not much of a morning person until after a warm cup of coffee and a warm shower.
B - Landing in a snowdrift in my jammies...brrrrrrrr...
C - Running? Are you kidding me? I'm not a fan of running although, I suppose, in order to get warm, I might be tempted to run.

So this morning, I started Rosie allowing her sufficient time to warm- up and WOULDN'T YOU KNOW -- the low tire pressure light came on AGAIN. Funny (sarcasm noted) how she was just at the dealer yesterday and if you remember correctly, the light was coming on because the spare tire sensor was bad.

I found it interesting that front passenger-side tire was kind of squishy. Now - CONFESSION - I did not check the spare time IN THE TRUNK to see if it was squishy feeling also. :)

After beginning my commute to work, I had a lovely chat with the Service Manager, Mark. I informed him of the initial phone call and Kyle's suggestion of adding air and also using a tire gauge. Both of which, Mark now knows, I am well aware of their uses...and also, I did not appreciate the you-are-a-woman-and-don't-have-a-clue-about-cars. I will stop right here and interject that one time I did refer to the hood as a "lid" -- which probably displayed my true girlie-girl spirit.

The story ends -- Monday morning Rosie is to report to the dealer at 7 a.m. and I was assured that she will be taken care of. Let's hope and pray that this is the case. :)

Lies We Believe about God

2012-01-27T15:29:00.003-06:00

January 25, 2012

Lesson #1 ~ Lies We Believe about God

Book study: Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Speaker: Roxanne Bodwell

Lie #1 - God is not really good. If He were good, He would ___________________.

Truth: God is good whether or not His choices seem like it. God never makes a mistake.

Psalm 34:8 - "O taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man (woman) that trusteth in Him."

Also read Psalm 107:1; 100:5; 106:1; 119:68

Lie #2 - God doesn't love me.

Truth: God does love me. God is love. God's love is infinite and unconditional. We don't have to earn His love. God always (ALWAYS) has my best interests at heart. His love is not performance-based.

I John 4:7-10 - "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation (payment) for our sins."

Low Air Pressure Light....part 2

2012-01-26T20:18:00.000-06:00

After nine days of filling and refilling my tire, I took Rosie to the dealership for a proper inspection of the passenger-side tire. I carefully explained to the guy behind the counter, "For the past week, I have had to put air in my tire every-other-day. I check it, refill it, and then two days later it's low. Also, when I was refilling it the other day, I dropped the black cap inside the hubcap and it's missing. May I buy another one of those?"

While I was explaining the issue, the man behind the counter appeared to be listening AND comprehending. He replied, "Go have a seat in the waiting area and we will check this out."

Angie: "I have to be to work at 8. Will you be done with plenty of time for me to leave?"

Guy: "Sure. Give us 10 minutes."

Wow -- 10 minutes! I thought.

True to his word -- ten minutes later, he walks out to the waiting area and informed me, "Your tire pressure was low." IN MY HEAD, "DUUUUUH!" I just smiled and nodded.

He continues, "Your pressure was not 35 and your spare had low tire pressure."

Angie: "My spare isn't on the car."

Guy: "Oh, I know. It's in the trunk. It has a senser inside of it."

For real? Are you serious that the problem is my spare which is inside my trunk????

Angie: "Okay. If you say it's fixed, then it's fixed. Thank you."

Guy: "Yep! Have a great Friday!"

When I got to work, I was sharing with the guys about what happened...I don't really appreciate being treated like a space cadet because I am girl. Could it really be that my spare was low????? It seems hokie....and let's focus on the fact that the passenger-side tire had 10 pounds of air last week....it was refilled...and then two days later, it was low again.

I have a very bad feeling that this saga is going to continue...and here's the truth -- if my low pressure light comes on again, I will asking the men in my life to come with me to the dealership. Men don't understand how un-nerving it is to be treated like you don't have a clue because you are a girl. It's awful!!!

2012-01-26T12:26:00.000-06:00

"We were made to live upward and outward, but we tend to live inward." ~ Bob Lepine, Family Life Today

"Singin' along with the radio..." :)

2012-01-25T16:22:00.001-06:00

"Prayer is opening ourselves to God so that we can open ourselves to others." ~ FM 88.3, The Lighthouse

Sooo I have the opportunity to listen to the radio while I work. I love this aspect about my job. I am not forced to work in silence. Can you imagine? I would probably end-up talking to myself and thus driving my co-workers (or atleast those with cubicles next to mine) crazy!!! I like listening to The Lighthouse. In the morning, there are various preachers on. Most of them teach in a style similar to a Sunday school lesson -- so it's nice...as I am the Sunday school teacher, I don't get the opportunity to sit in on a Sunday lesson...well, that's not true...because every-other-week I get to hear Lauren teach. I guess what I mean is -- grown-up Sunday school. Age-appropriate. And not that Lauren's lessons don't ever speak to my heart...but...well, I hope you know what I mean. (And Lauren, if you read this, know that I am not saying that I don't appreciate your lessons. I do! :))

I sing along with the radio. I'll admit it. :) ...which probably explains why I love the Steven Curtis Chapman song, "Everything You Do." I'll put the lyrics below...

Everything You Do

Steven Curtis Chapman

CD ~ RE:Creation

You’re picking up toys on the living room floor
for the 15th time today
Matching up socks and sweeping up lost
Cheerios that got away
You put a baby on your hip and color on your lips
and head out the door
And while I may not know you I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes does it matter at all
Well let me remind you it all matters just as long as you

Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
Cause He made you to do

Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace
With every move that you make
And every little thing you do

Ooh ooooh oooooh

Maybe you’re that guy with the suit and tie
Maybe your shirt says your name
You may be hooking up mergers, cooking up burgers
But at the end of the day

Little stuff big stuff in between stuff
God sees it all the same
And while I may not know you I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes does it matter at all
We’ll let me remind you it all matters just as long as you do

Everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
Cause He made you
To do every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace with every move that you make
And every little thing that you do

Well maybe you’re sitting in math class
Maybe on a mission in the Congo
Maybe you’re working at the office
Singing along with the radio
Maybe you’re dining at a five star
Or feeding orphans in Myanmar
Anywhere and everywhere you are
Whatever you do it all matters
So do what you do and don’t ever forget to do

Everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
Cause He made you to do
Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace as you do
Everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
Cause He made you to do
Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace with every move that you make
And every little thing that you do

Ooh oooooh
Every little thing you do

An open window...with a springish breeze mingled with the smell of lilacs and dirt...

2012-01-25T06:14:00.002-06:00

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." ~ Helen Keller

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This morning while getting ready for work, I was thinking about the quote above while pondering some verses that correlate...was thinking about how painful it is to walk away from the closed doors in our lives. It hurts. We feel as though we are leaving a piece of a our hearts...and then there's the fear of the unknown... What we forget is that God is the one who closes the door and He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. (And that "never" there is never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever...so on and so forth...)

So I guess what I am saying outloud is -- it's okay if there's fear and trepidation in your heart...acknowledge it but then let God help you walk away from the closed door...because as Helen said, "we do not see the one which has been opened for us." I like to think of it this way -- we stare at a closed door...when God has opened a window for us. Not just any window...but a window with a light spring breeze wafting through...and the breeze is mingled with lilacs and the smell of dirt.

P.S. I'm not in any means saying that this walking-away is
easy (infact it took me 10 years to walk away from a closed
door) but I know this for sure -- after the first steps -- you find that
God is waiting right there to meet you and He will walk
with you -- hand-in-hand.

4:07 a.m.

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000-06:00

Yes -- that was the time I arose from my slumber this morning. Why? Who knows??? I just know that I thought it was later in the morning...you know, 6-ish. But it's not...it's 4-ish. It's early!!!

Instead of being a sluggard, I turned on the dryer, clicked "Brew" on my coffeemaker, located my Bible, plopped down in the over-stuffed chair and snuggled under my blanket for some wonderful time with my Heavenly Father. I need this time. NEED - NEED - NEED! And apparently, I need more of it than most days....maybe it's because today is the day after one of the monthly meetings at my place of employment and I know before even considering what I am going to wear to work today -- I know today is going to be busy! Yesterday was busy too. I didn't really realize just how busy it was until my co-worker said, "They've been throwing stuff at you left and right today!!!" I got to thinking...you know what...he is right! I'm thankful the Lord did not reveal to me earlier in the day just how busy I was...does that make sense? Maybe I should say that I am thankful that He kept my focus on Him -- ever calming -- than on my circumstances, surroundings, and environment.

Before opening my Bible, I was praying for someone specifically and I was asking the Lord to show me a verse to send to this someone. Now - for those of you who faithfully stalk my blog, you are aware that I am reading through my Bible, Genesis to Revelation. I'm up to Numbers 10. Since I am currently reading in the Old Testament, I was "surprised" when the Lord had me open my Bible to page 1085 to Matthew 21. I should not have been "surprised" for you see, in my Bible, verse 22 is underlined. It reads:

And all things,

whatsoever ye

shall ask in

prayer, believing,

ye shall receive.

Not only did this verse get sent along to be a merry little encouragement, but it completely encouraged me to continue praying...but also to believe!!!

Old rubberbands...

2012-01-23T21:15:00.001-06:00

I have a co-worker who is notorious for using old rubberbands. You know the kind that are about the crack and break...that are stretched beyond any normal rubberband capacity and if you try removing them from what they are wrapped-around, they will snap. I hate getting snapped by rubberbands. Infact, I will use a long-handled pair of scissors to remove a decrepit rubberband before taking a chance on getting snapped.

Low Tire Pressure Light

2012-01-23T21:06:00.004-06:00

True story....called Toyota at 4:35 p.m.

Angie: "Service please." (Good manners. HELLO! My mom did not raise a fool...a nutcase but not a fool.)

Angie: "Ummmm...OOOOOH-KAY....did that and then 2 days later, same little light came on."

Kyle: "Did you use a gauge?"

Angie: "Yes, thanks to my dad showing me many years ago. I, also, discovered the sticker on the driver's side door panel. It states the required pressure is 35 pounds. Is this correct?"

Kyle: "Yes - 35 pounds. Well, since you added air and used a gauge....maybe you drove over something. You should bring your car in."

Angie: "Thursday, okay?"

Kyle: "Yes."

As Angie ended the call, she remained calm and said outloud, "The problem is Kyle has dealt with ditzy girls who don't know any better. He can't help it if he thinks all women are space cadets." And then Angie replayed the conversation in her brain -- only the second time around, she gave herself a sarcastic tone. It was much funnier. :)

I'm fairly certain that I drove over something and that something punctured my tire. Ugh! Car troubles!!!! Thankfully it's not engine - mechanical - related...it's just a tire. And it can be repaired. For now, I just plan to stop on Wednesday and add some more air. Oooooh and for Kyle's sake, I will be using a gauge to check the pressure.

Up until last week, I did not know the little trick about the tire poundage on the inside driver's side door panel. I read Rosie's manual and saw that notation to check the door panel. YEAH! I learned something new.

2012-01-23T11:04:00.000-06:00

"My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me, I cannot choose the colors. He worketh steadily. Oftentimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride forget He sees the upper, and I the under side. Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why. The dark threads are as needful in the Weaver's skillful hand as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned." ~ Author Unknown

A Perfect Storm ~ January 22, 2012

2012-01-22T20:43:00.003-06:00

Human Wisdom vs. Godly Wisdom

Pastor Bodwell's Sunday Evening Message ~ January 22, 2012

* * * Acts 27 * * *

1. Godly wisdom trumps human wisdom. (verses 10 - 12)

"And said unto them, 'Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only with the lading and ship, but also of our lives.' Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter, which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west."

* Patience vs. convenience

The people on the ship thought Paul's way was not accommodating and "fun."

* Patience vs. fear

Fear is an element of a trial.

* Others vs. self

They tried to save themselves. They turned inward and became selfish instead of looking for the needs of others.

2. Godly wisdom considers conventional wisdom.

Don't forget: God has allowed this nor'easter in your life!!!

3. When all hope is gone, trust God. (verses 20 and 22)

"And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away...[Paul speaking] 'And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.'"

Desperate times call for us trust God!!!

4. There is a time for fasting and a time for thanksgiving; don't wait until the storm is over to be thankful...be thankful during the storm! (verses 33-36)

"And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meal, saying, 'This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I pray you to take some meat; for this is for your health, for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.' And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all, and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat."

Pastor pointed out something that I had never considered. They had been 14 days without food -- they were probably really weak. If they were going to have to swim ashore, they would need strength for the duration of the storm.

God doesn't always answer

our prayer in the way we think He will.

I Thessalonians 5:18, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

5. Trials are a time to be of good cheer. (verses 22, 25, and 36)

"And now I exhort you to be of good cheer..." (v. 22)

"Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer..." (v. 25)

"Then were they all of good cheer..." (v. 36)

When all hope is gone, be of good cheer! John 16:33, "These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

James 1:2-6, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."

And lastly, Pastor warned us about taking counsel from individuals who can't handle nor'easters in their own life, just "survive" during trials & don't thrive, and from self-centered people.

2012-01-22T16:13:00.000-06:00

"Anything I've ever done that ultimately was worthwhile... initially scared me to death." ~Betty Bender

Some verses to consider...

2012-01-22T15:17:00.000-06:00

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. ~ Philippians 4:6-11

Picture for mi madre :)

2012-01-21T14:01:00.000-06:00

Using size 13 circular knitting needles and an entire skein of Loops & Threads Country Loom Nobility yarn, I knitted this fabulous cowl for my friend Ginger. I love how the yarn is a trifecta of colors - old fashioned Eyeore-ish (I suppose I could've used the word vintage before Eyeore's name!) purple, dark magenta, and almost a gray-ish color.

I have to admit that using circular knitting needles scared me...frightened me...for the longest time. But once I realized just how absurd this fear was -- I mean REALLY...afraid of knitting needles? What was the worst that would happen? Ooooh (sarcastic and mocking my fear), I would mess up and have to what? Remove the knitting from the needles and start over? Good grief, I am crazy. They are knitting needles.

I waited until they were on sale and picked up the proper size...found the perfect Ginger-ish yarn...and began to create a cowl which, like her friendship, would be warm and cozy and remind her of her bestie in Rockford.

The pattern I choose was a ribbed cowl. You have to look close to see the ribbing. Too establish the ribbing (for you wonderful non-knitters who are reading my blog), you knit four rows the same and then knit the following four rows the opposite. Basically you want it to be a row of knitting, a row of purling, a row of knitting, a row of purling, and so on and so forth. :)

So there you have it!

Confessions of a Saturday Slacker...

2012-01-21T13:46:00.000-06:00

Ok...so the title might be a slight exaggeration...I mean, afterall, I have not been a complete slacker. Since arising from my slumber, I washed, dried, folded & put away two loads of laundry; made a crockpot of soup; completed my homework assignment for Wednesday night Bible study; swept the kitchen; finished the book of Leviticus; washed my dishes; finished a fabulous knitting project; watched (with a heart brimming full of thankfulness) my neighbor shovel the driveway...

What a fabulous way to spend a snowy, cold Saturday.

Skip the mushrooms, respect the raisins, and bring me some guacamole!!!

2012-01-20T22:53:00.001-06:00

I'm not...
...a girl who orders mushrooms on her pizza.

...a snob.

...a big fan of football.

...for certain that I can ice skate backwards, but I'd really like to try.

...able to resist cute flip-flops.

...a girl who turns down a coffee date.

...able to walk past the Crayola display at Target without smelling the crayons.

...ever (as in never ever, ever) going to say that leggings are pants. They aren't.

...impressed with raisins IN things (i.e. cookies, oatmeal, etc). Respect the raisins. Keep them separate! Earlier this week, I actually said, "I had a dream that all raisins were respected and able to live a separate life..." It was after a cup of strong coffee. It was the most not-right-Angie moment of the week. Funny but seriously (SERIOUSLY) not right. :)

I am, however...
...fond of Mental Health Vacation Days in which I find myself at Lake Geneva.

...able to laugh today about something that happened yesterday.

...a thrifty chick!

...absolutely crazy about guacamole and dark chocolate. (Not together!)

...a typist of 100 words per minute.

...addicted to reading Jane Austen's fabulous works!

...a girl that wants to try snow shoe-ing.

...completely capable of falling head-over-heels which would hurt if I was wearing those Nine West heels that Sara forced me to buy last summer. I say "forced" like she really had to twist my arm or something. I am completely capable of this...falling...for now I am waiting and listening to the still, small voice of my Heavenly Father. And I am learning to fall more in love with Jesus because He never disappoints, fails, or runs the other direction.

...contemplating (seriously contemplating) the sewing class at RVC.

...a fire hazard to the cottage. "Fire hazard" as in she-leaves-candles-burning kind of fire hazard.

...content!

Sooo very true...

2012-01-20T15:22:00.002-06:00

"There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you.... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself." ~Ruth Stout

Something to ponder...

2012-01-20T10:33:00.002-06:00

"Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world." ~ Goethe

3 little words that mean soooo much...

2012-01-19T21:52:00.000-06:00

Today, it came in the form of two text messages from two different friends... The first text read, "How art thou?" I would expect nothing less from this literature-loving friend who has long since surpassed my literary genius and put to shame my remembrance of marvelous quotations.

The second text, "How are you?" came a smidge bit later in the day. The second text from a dear friend who knows exactly what it's like to say goodbye to your best friend...

While I cleaned-up the cottage tonight, I got to thinking about 3-word phrases that I know and love. It was sort of a game I played while I folded and put away the random piles of clothes that have managed to grow as the week progressed. (Basically they "grew" because I was busy spending time with my wonderful, marvelous, fabulous, amazing friends!)

Here are some powerful 3-word phrases...

Jesus loves me.

I am sorry.

I love you.

Decaf or regular?

What is that?

Paper or plastic?

Happily ever after

Are you okay?

This is grrrrrrreat! (Tony the Tiger)

2012-01-19T21:42:00.000-06:00

Loyalty:
- the state or quality of being loyal; faithfulness to commitments or obligations

Tonight while sitting in overstuffed chairs next to a fireplace, Sara and I discussed loyalty and friendship. And how there are some friends that you just know will be there for you -- no matter what. Unfortunately, there are some that will not. We did not dwell on the not-so-loyal ones but we rejoiced in the loyalty that we have with one another. I mean, REALLY, it was the coldest night of the year and here we were...relaxing after thrifting, sitting at Higher Grounds, drinking coffee, laughing, celebrating our friendship, being there for one another... Friendship, a loyal friend, is the greatest gift ever.

High temperature tomorrow: 9 degrees

2012-01-18T18:20:00.000-06:00

Look - I am going to be honest. I have no shame when it comes to staying warm in the winter. I will wear a hat (who cares about hat hair when it's sooo cold that your eyes freeze open?), a scarf, mittens, a heavy coat, and snow boots.

I had an epiphany regarding staying warm -- Tonight, for example, it's going to be cold when I go out to Wednesday night Bible study -- I am going to wear a long denim skirt with leggings underneath which will remain hidden by my tall, brown faux fur boots!!!! I'm totally blogging about this sooo that next winter, when I go back through and re-read my winter posts, I will be reminded of this wonderful idea!

Stay warm this evening!!!

Heard this while sitting at my desk singing along with the radio... :)

2012-01-18T18:13:00.000-06:00

"Prayer doesn't change God.

Prayer changes you."

~ the afternoon guy on FM 88.3 -- The Lighthouse

from www.proverbs31.org

2012-01-18T06:50:00.010-06:00

From Renee Swope's devotional dated January 18, 2012...

"I want to be a woman who listens to God. But, sometimes I’m not sure if it’s God talking or just me thinking...And if I’m really honest, when I do sense Him whispering to my heart, I’m not always crazy about what I sense He’s telling me to do...Oftentimes, I would seek God for the larger plans in life, convinced that if I figured out what He wanted me to do then I could become the person He created me to be, and fulfill the calling He had for me...Have you ever thought: “If only God would show me what job to take; what man to marry; what church to attend; what ministry to serve in — then my life would be complete and I could trust Him with my whole heart?” The problem is, sometimes we get a glimpse of where God wants us to go and then assume we know how to get there...Or we get a peek at what He wants us to do and think we know how He wants us to do it. How many times have I made that mistake and then wondered why I wasn’t getting anywhere? Over time, God has taught me that He wants my spiritual ears more than my spiritual efforts...He wants daily dependence, interaction and intimacy with me. And He is more concerned with my character than what I schedule for Him on my calendar...Like Jesus, we will discover God’s purpose for our lives through dependent hearts that seek to listen to His — day by day, moment by moment. Let’s position our hearts, minds and souls to hear Him speak to us today."

I thought to myself, This girl is CRAZY! We are going to be great friends!

2012-01-17T22:52:00.001-06:00

Ten years ago, a funny girl approached me at church one Wednesday evening and said, "Wouldn't it be great if we were frogs..." I didn't know where she was going with this so I remember remaining silent. She continued, "...we could eat what's bugging us!"

I thought to myself, This girl is CRAZY! We are going to be great friends!

Was I ever right!!! :) Talk about making goodbye soo painful...and yet I know that I can hop-aboard an airplane and see her in a few hours...or even better yet, compose an email and click SEND and have it there instantly! ...I suppose we could rig up some way to fax one another...and let's not forget SMOKE SIGNALS! Although, regarding the smoke signals, it's going to take a lot of smoke for it to be seen from Rockford to Seattle.

I just cannot believe it's been 10 years!!!!

In 10 years time, Ginger, you have gone from a stranger...to one of my bestest friends. I love ya! I love your family! Thank you for letting me be a part of your life and for sharing your children with me. They each have a special place in my heart.

I hope the fine folks of Seattle realize what a wonderful gem they are getting!!! If they don't, let me know...I will start a petition and get it notarized! I know this a notary...she works at the local Terracon office. She's kind of crazy like her friend that talked her into working at said office. :)

I've known for 3-1/2 months...

2012-01-16T21:35:00.000-06:00

Some people call their therapist...not the girl with curly hair. She logs in to her blog and clicks "Create New Post"...

I've known for 3-1/2 months that it would all come down to one word, "Goodbye." (I suppose since I put the whole "Some people call their therapist," I should confess that I am not laying prostrate on a black leather couch while typing this. I'm wearing my jammies and sitting upright.)

I stood in Parable (the Christian bookstore) tonight reading card after card and thinking about our friendship...thinking about what you mean to me. At one point, I had three cards in my hand, but I wasn't set on any of them...and then I saw it. THE ONE! The cards says...

Two women met for coffee

they talked about life --

things they were working through

and things they were learning.

They showed each other grace

and gave each other courage.

Even though neither of them

had all the answers,

they knew that God sure did.

So they laughed and cried

and shared their lives.

And in the end,

when their mugs were empty,

their hearts were full.

The inside contains the verse I Corinthians 1:4 (NLT), "I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gift He has given you."

A dear friend encouraged my sad heart last night when she reminded me that there are no goodbyes in Heaven. Having considered this, I now have our choir special playing in my head..."Just over in the Gloryland..." And just for Ginger, in my brain, I am totally clapping along with the song. :)

Ice Skating

2012-01-15T22:02:00.000-06:00

My two favorite quotes of the evening were...

Rayven, age 3, "MISS ANGIE! GUESS WHAT????"
Me: "WHAT?"
Rayven: "I'M ICE SKATING!!!!!!!"

Alexie, fabulous 3rd grader: "Miss Angie, we can be skating partners."
Me: "Great! I think that's wonderful! Who do you usually skate with?"
Alexie: "Meghan and Samantha but they aren't here."
Me: "I know. I skated with Ginger last year."
Alexie: "It's okay though. We can be partners now. I like it because you go my speed."

Shooting my former boss, goofy bug-eyed photos, and Ice Skating...

2012-01-15T20:00:00.001-06:00

A couple weeks ago, I received an invite to Seth's 9th birthday party...a laser tag party! Confession: I've never played laser tag. Infact, aside from a squirt gun, I, Angie Good, have never shot a gun. This whole laser tagging sounded fabulous....especially when I considered the notion that I would be able to shot my former boss. Muhahahahahaha (evil laughter)!!! Those of you who know me, know that...
A. I am not prone to violence.
B. I am not competitive -- which makes being around overly-competitive people unnerving.
C. I've never shot a gun (as previously stated).

Soooooo 1:00 p.m. Saturday came...and I found myself promising to not run, not use offensive language, not lay on the ground, not cover my tagging sensors... I strapped on a black harness, removed my gun from the holster, and proceeded in to the maze with some fear and trepidation.

No worries, the fear and trepidation subsided as soon as I shot someone. Nice, right? The girl who teaches Sunday school loves shooting people. That's great.

I was able to shoot my former boss...and no worries, I got shot by him. He laughed and laughed as he shot me...several times, I might add. I'm wondering why we didn't finagle a laser tag outing when we worked together. Just think of the all of the hostility that could've been unleashed just by the shooting of one's co-workers. Hmmmm....
After laser tag, said former boss was trying to say his "goodbyes" to me. I interjected, "Oh, you don't have to say 'goodbye' here. Ginger invited me over to your house."

He replied, "You are not easy to get rid of. I have a feeling that when we (the roadies) arrive in Seattle that you will be standing there with the girls (the flying trio)." GENIUS IDEA! Too bad I didn't think of it sooner.

After laser tagging, laughing, and playing air hockey with Elaina...we headed over to the Kunz household where I enjoyed an afternoon of laughter and family interaction. It was wonderful spending some quality time sitting with each of my favorite Kunz family members.

Ginger and I played with an app on her new laptop. It was similar to a photobooth...except we didn't choose the normal pictures...No, not us. :) We created a picture of us with chipmunk cheeks, cat googly eyes, and I cannot remember the third. Each of these pictures is blackmail worthy. I made her promise (verbally...and now I am wondering if we should've pinky swore) to not put these pictures on the internet...sigh. Now that I think about it -- I think I would be fine if she wanted to blog about the moment...because it was truly fabulous!
As with all good things, the day had to come to an end. I bid farewell to Seth, Meghan, and Eric -- as I won't be seeing them until I go visit them in Seattle. Oh -- my favorite Meghan-ism from Saturday was when she said, "If you miss us, just get on 90 heading west...that road begins here and deadends in Seattle." I later shared with Ginger -- that's exactly what I will do. When I am missing you, I will gas-up Rosie and head West!!!

This morning after church, since I am fearful that I might be coming down with a cold (I have a sore throat -- not a sore-sore throat...it feels like it's beginning to be sore...if that even makes sense!), I took a nap. I haven't taken a Sunday afternoon in...well, I don't know how long. The trouble with taking a nap is that it usually interrupts my sleep schedule...and then I lay awake, wide awake...(sigh). Today it didn't matter. I knew my body needed the sleep...so I took some extra vitamin C and ate a bowl of soup...and then it was off to slumberland for the crazy girl with curly hair (today it's straight).

Arise and Shine -- time for choir!!!! We are working on this song "Over in The Glory Land" -- and it makes me think of my coffee-outing with Ginger. I was telling her about the song and how much I am enjoying learning it. It's peppy and fun and reminds us of the fabulous-ness that awaits us in Heaven...and Ginger said we (the choir) should clap and wear bright colored choir robes. A) We don't clap. We are Baptist and conservative. Although in my heart, I am clapping while we sing it...because won't Heaven be great!!! B) We don't wear choir robes. Just thinking about wearing some bright (and I mean fuchsia or purple) robes made me smile throughout choir practice.

And now...it's 8:00...I am preparing to head to Riverview Ice House to go ice skating. I will do my best to heed Eric's warning from this afternoon when he dropped off my kitchen table, "Please don't get hurt!!!" - And when he left this afternoon, I said, "I'll see you later!" because really it isn't GOODBYE... I do hope and pray that I get many-a-opportunity to go and visit his wonderful family that I know and love...

Tootles!

It's not the same as sitting down and enjoy each other's presence...

2012-01-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

It's been for-ev-er since I have the pleasure of having coffee with Trudy. For-ev-er as in since....hmmmm...June/July. Wow -- that would be half a year ago....that's just not right. It's not right at all. Granted - Trudy and I have chatted on the phone...but let's be honest, it's not the same as sitting down and enjoying each other's presence.

Imagine my joy when I saw that I had a missed call AND a voicemail from Trudy...I promptly returned her call after I happily punched-out from work yesterday. The question was posed, "Do you want to meet for coffee tonight?" Ummmmmmmm....is my hair curly? "YES!!!!"

A time and location was agreed upon. 6:00 p.m. - meeting at Meg's Daily Grind. I'm fairly certain Meg's was our coffeehouse of choice because...

A. They have a fireplace. :)
B. The small tables are cozy and intimate.
C. They have FABULOUS coffee that's not "burnt" like Starbucks.

I like to think of Starbucks as my morning cup o'coffee....but Meg's is where I want to be when I want to conversate and just enjoy being. :)

We met promptly at 6:00 p.m. and stayed until they kicked-us-out. It was such a delightful 2-1/2 hours. We caught up...we laughed...we encouraged one another... Oh, how I love spending time with Trudy. She's good for my soul. She draws me closer to the Lord. She was such an encouragement about a particular issue. Her sincerity and her honesty...I thanked the Lord the entire way back to the cottage.

Before we left, we scheduled another coffee date. You see, we realize the importance of spending this quality time together. We need this! I am thankful that the Lord made us relational...and He gave me the most wonderful Godly friends a girl could ever ask for. :)

:)

2012-01-13T06:56:00.001-06:00

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found? ~J.B. Priestley

Thoughts from A Very Full Moon-ish Sort of Tuesday Evening...

2012-01-12T21:51:00.000-06:00

Meghan and I stood side-by-side in the red kitchen which is tucked inside the house on Dawson Avenue where I have spent many an hour...birthday parties, youth group girls-only sleepovers, babysitting, girl time with Ging, Gidget-sitting, etc....and so many more wonderful times...We gazed at the fullness of the moon and contemplated life and how God sometimes directs us down different paths...I, Angie Good, finally got it!!! Yes - they are moving 2,000+ miles away (which might as well be half-way around the world)...but at the same time...they will all be tucked inside of my heart and I will carry them wherever I go. For those you who have been praying for me -- I am thankful beyond words!!! Thank you for caring enough about the girl with curly hair. Thank you for letting me be sad about this and thank you most of all for taking the time to remember me and bring me before our Heavenly Father.

Isn't it amazing that the Lord would use a full moon and a sweet conversation with a delightful 6th grader to impress this on my heart... He's amazing and if we look for His blessings -- if we really open our eyes to His blessings -- we will see that they are all around us.

I will remember the World's Best Boss when I hear someone say, "You've got to be kidding me!"

My thoughts will turn to my best friend Ginger when I venture to Ladies Retreat at Camp Joy and when I paint my nails Meet Me on The Star Ferry.

I will remember Samantha when I see something sweet, girly and fru-fru!

Meghan's sweet kind face will cross my mind when I see a full moon or a butterfly dancing along on the breeze.

I will think of Seth when I watch Star Wars or when I think about aliens invading Rockford.

Elaina will flit through my thoughts when I see a horse prancing happily in the pasture.

They are moving...but they will always be a part of my life. I'm soo thankful that the Lord impressed this on my heart... I know I will cry when we say our "goodbyes" -- but it will be a little less painful knowing that I will carry them in my heart.

2012-01-12T21:37:00.000-06:00

"When we choose to take the hand of Jesus even though we may not know where He's leading, He has a certain destination in mind, and it will be a delightful surprise to our souls." ~ Kathy Troccoli, Falling in Love with Jesus, p. 175

There are 3...

2012-01-12T18:15:00.000-06:00

After an hour-long commute home this evening - due to heavy, wet snow - I've come to the conclusion that there are three types of winter drivers.

Type 1:
* Drives a large pick-up truck or an SUV
* Believes they own the entire road
* Drives 10-15 mph above a safe-for-conditions speed
* When the stoplight turns green, driver will mash on the gas and "fishtail" causing fear to rise up in other drivers
* Weaves in and out of traffic as if playing Frogger -- the 1980's version
* Running late for something so must endanger the lives of others
* Believes their vehicle could over-power a snowplow

Type 2:
* Drives 10-15 below the safe-for-conditions speed limit
* Randomly slams on brakes putting other drivers on edge
* Must slam on brakes at the red light thus putting them near the middle of the intersection; will think nothing of staying in the "middle" of the intersection when the cross-traffic can go.
* When light turns green, this driver will remove foot from brake peddle and hope that the letting off of the brake pedal will engage the throttle to propel the vehicle through the intersection.

Type 3:
* Knows the road condition and adheres to a safe speed
* Does not tailgate
* Puts moderate pressure on brake peddle
* Is not in a big rush to get home...would rather get home safe & sound rather than cause an accident

2012-01-12T12:39:00.001-06:00

Excerpt taken from Falling in Love with Jesus by Dee Brestin & Kathy Troccoli:

"God is refining me, because He loves me. He pulls the ugly splinters of sin out of my flesh, even though it hurts, because He knows it is for the best. And then He kisses me, puts salve on my wound, and reaffirms His love for me. It amazes me, but just as He was on a quest for Jacob's love, He is on a quest for my love. Even when I resist Him, even when I break His heart, He keeps loving me. Because this kind of unfailing love is so rare in the world, we have trouble believing it. When we know we have done wrong, we expect Him to walk away, and instead, He continues to pursue us." (pages 134, 135)

Your Daily Cup O'Angie...

2012-01-12T06:28:00.000-06:00

After reading the weather report on WeatherBug yesterday, I was anticipating waking-up to a blanket of freshly fallen snow...sooo much snow that I would teeter on the line with the decision -- to work or not to work? I love days like that... Snow Days. Are there 2 better words paired-up? Well...I can think of two other words that I would like paired-up...but alas, I shalln't digress.

Soooo I woke-up this morning, donned my fuzzy, pink robe & slippers, meandered out to the kitchen and poured myself a mug o'coffee (Berrers Brother's Chocolate Raspberry....if you haven't tried it, BUY IT! DRINK IT! IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!)....where was I? Oh yes, after a sip of the heavenly brew, I pulled open the blinds to discover....NO SNOW!!!!! What in the world?

I distinctly remember WeatherBug stating that we were under some Winter Storm/Weather-ish Advisory. Snow, blowing snow, accumulation...all words used to describe the wrath of winter that was going to embark on the northern-most part of Illinois.

And this...NO SNOW!

I just don't understand. It's January 12th. No snow. Not a flurry...not a smidge-bit-o'-fluff. That's it -- if it doesn't snow by the end of this month, I am going to buy flocking (is that what it's called...the faux snow?) and I am going to spray all around the outside of the cottage.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Snow,
Your lack of concern for my mental well-being has just confirmed that our relationship is ova. O-V-A.
Sincerely,
The Girl with Curly Hair
P.S. Spring is, and will still remain, my favorite. Just sayin'...

2

2012-01-11T19:11:00.000-06:00

My first blessing of the week...our church bulletin
The song referenced on the front of this week's bulletin has been playing in my Corolla on my commutes to and from work... It's song #4. It's usually on repeat. The other morning, I was singing along with the Northland ensemble and I was so consumed with the words - singing them prayerfully - that when I exited off of Bypass 20, I didn't really even realize that I had exited. Rosie has auto-pilot...and on that particular morning, it worked fabulously! No worries - the next morning, I was more aware of my driving.

The second form of encouragement came to me through the hands of the US Postal Service -- a handmade card. Normally I am on the sending end of these delightful notes...I'm thankful the Lord allowed me to be a receiver. It was such a thoughtful, caring little note. And it reminded me that there are people praying for me. Thank you, Robin, for brightening my day!!!

Love

2012-01-11T00:14:00.000-06:00

"Love. L - O - V - E. It should be pronounced, 'L - oooooh - ve.' Love...it doesn't follow the rules." ~ Elaina Kunz, 1st grader extraordinaire

Although she was speaking of the phonetic rules, Miss Elaina pretty much said it all. :) Thanks Elaina for reminding me about "L-oooooooooh-ve." I will miss your wonderful, witty Elaina-isms.

My hope is built on nothing less...

2012-01-10T06:48:00.000-06:00

Music is powerful...it has the capability to encourage, uplift, and soothe our hearts. On the flipside, it can do the opposite if we aren't careful about what we listen too.

This morning I have been serenading the evil feline while getting ready for work...I'm sure Maggie enjoyed the free concert. She will probably put up flyers in the area..."Free Concert @ 6:00 a.m. Come to the cottage to hear the girl with curly hair. Her voice carries over the sound of the blow dryer! It's an amazing feat!"

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

When Darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil. On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, his covenant, his blood
supports me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found!
Dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne!
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

I used the bold feature to highlight the particular parts of the hymn that spoke VOLUMES to my heart. The opening line..."My hope is built on nothing less..." WOW! It's built on nothing less... :)

As I venture off to work this morning, I pray that the words to this hymn will float through my brain as I type, file, and answer the phones today.

I hope your Tuesday is filled with thoughts of Him too. :)

Awwwwwwwww....this warmed my heart.

2012-01-10T06:09:00.000-06:00

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you."

~A.A. Milne

Happy Monday!!!

2012-01-09T19:27:00.000-06:00

Today is a full moon. Now before you think I have fallen off the deep-end, I haven't. Strange things happen on full moons. I know this for a fact...

A. I taught second grade. Children act squirrelly-er (not sure if I should change the "y" to an "i"?)
B. I worked at the Secretary of State (DMV) in Michigan. The full moon brought out the crrrazies!
C. Currently at my place of employment, I interact (on a small scale) with the public.

At the gym tonight, Lauren asked me if my co-workers acted weirder today because of the full moon. This question made me pause and then reply, "No, actually everyone was fine except me. I laughed and laughed about a run in my hoseries. It wasn't even funny... And then after the hoseries, I laughed about an email that I sent to someone that read, 'What you want is attached.' I'm nice. I don't send emails like that..." Today I did. And just to clarify, the company that harasses me for this information has graciously employed individuals that English is not even a second language...but perhaps a third or fourth language. Imagine that! They recite reference numbers (usually 15-20 digits) in a way that makes me ask them to repeat said number twice...on occasion, THRICE! I figured...the information really was attached... Normally I end the email with, "Have a great day! Thanks!" and then add my signature line which includes my direct number. Well, ol' Angie wised up...she doesn't give them her direct line. They can call the switchboard and maneuver through the voice prompts.

Between laughing episodes, I was able to finish my top secret knitting project. Drat - I cannot post the cute picture I took of said project because a certain blog-stalker will be receiving said knitted item. No worries, I will save the picture and post it next week.

Let me go back to the full moon issue for a second....I am blaming the full moon for all the Resolutioners at the gym. The place was packed!!! Thankfully Lauren and I were able to use our favorite machines...and well, our not so favorite Electric Chair. :)

Lauren has this dream of starting an Olympic rowing team (which has the potential to be EPIC!). Every time (and I do mean EVERY TIME) we get to do this rowing-type machine at the gym, we discuss the team. Tonight we planned out our local business sponsorship and clarified that we should probably plan on wearing red, white, and blue uniforms. I would totally be inclined to do this rowing thing...HELLO -- rowing is done outside on a peaceful river (if it was a dangerous river, it would be called whitewater rafting and we would have to wear helmets & life-jackets), toned arms, and think of all the vitamin D my body would create.

Honestly, Lauren and I discuss a plethora of topics while working-out...everything from the rowing team to running for President! With enough endorphins swimming around, I think we could conquer the world!!! And if not the world than maybe just the 2012 Presidential race and the 2016 Olympics!!!

Looking out my kitchen window...

2012-01-09T07:22:00.000-06:00

I am reminded of my Creator...the very One who loves me and knows me and is capable of filling that gaping hole in my heart. God loves me!!!! Me, Angie Good...sinner extraordinaire! He loves me!!!

He cares enough to mix together the pinks and purples and display His wonders across the sky...and He caused me to pause in my getting-ready-for-work routine to see His handiwork and to ponder Him...

Our eyes met...

2012-01-08T21:57:00.000-06:00

I first noticed him on Saturday afternoon.
I'm not sure how long he has been waiting for me. He claims "all of my life"...

Where did he come from? I like to think that maybe he was going about his normal day-to-day dealings and a ray of sunlight burst through the clouds (you know, like in the movies!!!) and he realized Oh my goodness, I do love the girl with curly hair! She's the one!!!

He immediately got in his motor vehicle (I could do without the red viper on the hood -- just an FYI!), put on his sunglasses, stopped at the flower shop & purchased a bouquet of tulips (pink tulips because he has sense enough to remember that those are her favorite) and drove straight (somewhat Dukes of Hazard-ish) to the cottage. He maneuvered up the driveway like a man on a mission. Navigating the steps wasn't a challenge at all. He was on his way to win the affection of the girl with curly hair. He parked his vehicle and waited...and waited...and waited...

This guy has patience and endurance. He is thoughtful, too (the pink daisies).

When the girl with curly hair exited the cottage, their eyes met. The music slowed to a crawl. The girl with curly hair smiled. He smiled. She took a step closer...he took a step closer...when they were merely inches apart, he turned into a toy. A tear glistened on her cheek as she smiled and bent down and picked up the vehicle. She made eye contact with the plastic man and with a slight smile, she remarked, "You're just too late!"

The curly haired girl, our fair damsel, does however live happily ever after just not married to the viper dude.

Viper dude...he will spend his days wishing he would've gotten to the fair damsel's cottage sooner...oh, and maybe, he will wish that he wasn't plastic and fake.

The End!

Seth, Elaina, Miss Lauren, & Miss Angie

2012-01-08T21:00:00.001-06:00

Miss Lauren: "Your mom has a blog and I will be reading it to see what you guys are up too."

Miss Angie: "So make sure you do some crazy stuff.."

Elaina grew pensive and then replied quite formally: "Okay, I will."

Grab the Kleenex...and make sure they are the ones with lotion!!!

2012-01-08T20:54:00.001-06:00

No Matter What,

We'll Always Be Friends

~ Collin McCarty

We've been through a lot together, you and I, and beyond the happiness and the tears that have been shared comes something else...

It's a connection that will always be there between us. No matter where we go or how much time passes, you and I will always in a very special way, remain together in spirit.

And that knowledge is cherished by me as the one thing that must never change. In a world of constant transition, I pray that what we feel towards one another will always stay the same.

Confessions of a girlie-girl...

2012-01-08T15:40:00.000-06:00

Cute purple flower: Check

Freshly applied eye make-up: Check

Favorite perfume applied: Check

I love being a girlie-girl!

I'm fairly certain that my eye make-up is applied in vain and by the end of the evening, my tears will have washed away all remnants of Mary Kay's Ultimate Waterproof Mascara. "Waterproof" does not mean Angie Good Tearproof...I know. I've worn, well attempted to wear, the waterproof stuff all week...and each time that my thoughts turn to an extremely painful goodbye that is inevitable, my mascara is washed off with salt water tears.

I know this...I would rather be terribly sad from saying "Goodbye" than never having met this delightful family. My life has forever been changed by Kunz clan!

Where's the snow?

2012-01-08T07:34:00.000-06:00

Upon removal of the Christmas decorations, I set out snowmen. I actually heart snowmen.

I have three cute snowmen (from my dear mom) on the bathroom windowsill. Maggie likes to sit in said windowsill and stare at the birds, squirrels, occassional raccoons, etc. I believe when she maneuvers around the snowmen that the first of the trifecta gets spun-around because...

It seems that every night when I get home from work, the snowman on the left is looking outside. I wonder if he's thinking, Where's the snow?

I mean REALLY...without the snow, these cute snowmen would just be a pile of cute accessories.

Too keep me accountable...

2012-01-08T07:16:00.000-06:00

I am thinking that I want to re-read Lysa TerKeurst's book, Made to Crave. I'm putting that out there so that you, my fabulous blog-stalkers, will keep me, the girl with curly hair, accountable. :) Thanks in advance! And happy - happy 2012!

Genesis 10:23b

2012-01-08T07:14:00.000-06:00

"...but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings."

My Hailey's Bible Handbook had an interesting thought regarding the darkness, "Darkness. This was a direct blow at Ra, Egypt's sun-god. There was midnight darkness over Egypt for 3 days; but light where Israelites dwelt. Pharaoh yielded; but again changed his mind." p. 123

Can you imagine midnight-darkness for three whole days? Wow! And yet, Pharaoh still choose to harden his heart. Each plague seemed to be "bigger" than the plague before...although the first plague, I think, would've been enough for me (had I been Pharaoh) to let God's-chosen people go. The water turning to blood -- GROSS! And it says that it stank! Think of the dead fish!!!! Ick!

My FABULOUS Saturday Night Last-Minute Coffee-ish Date

2012-01-07T19:52:00.000-06:00

Tonight I had the most fabulous coffee-ish date with my bestie, Ginger. We met Starbucks on State Street at 5 p.m. We were mildly entertained (oh stink - you can't see him in the picture!) by a gentleman wearing a light green shirt, wearing headphones and laughing heartily at his computer monitor. His facial expressions were priceless...his voice equally so.

After discussing a plethora of topics and pondering our most recent Bible reading...we asked three girls (probably in their 20's) to take our picture. The girl that took my camera asked, "Oh, is this your first time here?" We told the group that "no, indeed it's not our first time here..." Upon removing ourselves from the 20's-ish group, Ginger said, "Honey, we've been coming for coffee since..." (I wish I could remember what followed her "since"...(sigh)...

After Starbucks, we made our way to Ulta. Our mission was the find bottles of Can't-A-Berry Have Some Fun -- our fun nail color from last night. But alas, that particular OPI color was not to be found...sooo in its place, we tried something new, Sparrow Me The Drama! It's pinkish...and pictured below.

Because sometimes we let those 7th grade matchy-matchy girls out to play, we bought matching purple, sparkly hair accessories too. They were clearanced out and ab-so-lute-ly FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a great way to spend a Saturday evening...out on a coffee date with my bestie!!!!

As we left Ulta, Ginger said, "Oh my goodness, who am I going to go to Ulta with when I get to Seattle?" I suggested that we go "together" -- we can plan our outing and then confirm a date/time...we can be THOSE girls that talk on their cellphone the entire time while shopping. I used to get upset when people would be walking around a store talking loudly on their cellphone...but what if, they were missing their best friend and they were shopping with them like we are going to do???? Wow!!! Have some more compassion, Angie Good. Con-victed!

I hope your Saturday evening was exactly how you wanted it to be -- whether it is surrounded by family & friends, quietly reading a book, talking on the phone with your bestie... I hope your Saturday evening was filled with doing the very thing that warmed your heart, because MINE WAS!!!!

2012-01-07T14:25:00.000-06:00

This is going to keep me from going completely CRAZY! :)

The Closet: Saturday project

2012-01-07T14:21:00.000-06:00

Today I pulled everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) out of my closet and tried on every single article of clothing. I divided up my clothes into three piles..."Maybe"..."Keep"...and "Donate." There were a couple items that caused serious contemplation...particularly two Anne Taylor wool skirts. They are a size too big...but they are my favorites!!!!!!! If you want to stop over, I will show you them -- as they are hanging up in my closet. I promised myself that next fall, I will consider taking them to Larissa to have them taken-in. They are lined and I think it would cause me to have a serious headache.

My "Maybe" stack pretty much went 50/50...after re-evaluating, half went to the "Keep" pile and the other half will be donated to the State Street Goodwill.

This summer I going to earnestly hunt for a dresser. My current clothing organizational situation works...and I use that term loosely... But I'd really like a dresser.

Hope your Saturday was delightful!!!

P.S. I did manage to snag a last-minute date for this evening. Details to follow!

It's just nailpolish....

2012-01-07T08:33:00.001-06:00

My Favorite OPI Colors:
Meet Me at The Star Ferry
Can't-A-Berry Have Some Fun?
No, I'm Not Really A Waitress
Chapel of Love (sadly discontinued...)
All Greek to Me
I Don't Know...Beets Me!

FAB-U-LOUS quotes I discovered on break...

2012-01-06T15:53:00.000-06:00

“I’m the kind of girl who will burst out laughing because of something that happened the day before.” ~ Unknown

It is time for some FUN!!!!!

2012-01-05T21:38:00.000-06:00

This week started off with the ringing in of a new year -- 2012 -- and the recovery from a teen overnighter...followed by a fun day of thrifting, lunch, & laughter with Ruthie on Monday. It's lovely that the New Year's holiday fell on a Sunday and that I had the blessing of having Monday off as we observed the new year.

Tuesday...nothing exciting -- work and then the gym. It was nice being back in a routine.

Wednesday -- work and then nursery duty. Thankfully the little guy that I spent an hour with has learned to love me. Who would've thunk? I said to the other nursery worker, "Remember when he would just cry and cry and I told you, 'He will never like me!'" She replied that yes, she did recall my speech lamenting the dislike of one little blue-eyed boy. We both rejoiced in our new-found friendship. Personally, I think for the little fellow, the turning-point in our "relationship" was the night I gave him Goldfish crackers until he could eat no more. Food...works like a charm. :)

Today -- Thursday -- work all day and then a meeting of the minds at our local coffee establishment where we discussed a plethora of topics. The girls at the table were reminded, "What's said at the table -- stays at the table!" And then I proceeded to ramble on and on.... They (the girls) already knew what has taken me awhile to figure out. They are bright, those Starbuck's stars in my life. :) I like that Ruthie referred to us as her "Starbuck's stars" -- I love that our friendship is like that...give and take...but we always, always, always put our perspective in the proper place -- the Lord. I'm blessed by their friendship.

Tomorrow -- Friday -- (drumroll, please)...I, Angie Good, was invited out to supper at Panera and then pedicures with Ginger...where we shall make another memory...and you know what? Even if we have a moment (or two or three) where we cannot fight the tears of sadness, I know it's going to be okay. She has imprinted something so wonderful on my heart -- a bit of herself...and I will treasure her friendship for forever. (On a side note -- I cannot wait to share with you what fun little bag o'Gingerness that I have put together.)

Happy almost-pedicure Friday to me! And Happy - Happy Friday to You!!!!

Some quotes that I have highlighted today...

2012-01-05T15:50:00.000-06:00

I am reading a new book...besides my Bible, which I must admit, I am thoroughly intrigued by the life of Joseph.

My new book is titled Falling in Love with Jesus and it's written by Dee Brestin & Kathy Troccoli. I picked up a copy at McKay's (the used bookstore) in Chattanooga. The cover is a peaceful green with a beautiful pink rose.

I have highlighted so many wonderful quotes in chapter 2...that while I am sitting here on break, I thought I would post what has spoken to my heart today.

* "Sometimes our Lord comes with a miracle, as He did for Mary of Bethany when He raised her brother, Lazarus, from the dead. Sometimes He simply gives us the grace to face the difficulties of life." ~ Kathy

* "One of the characteristics of someone who 'practices the presence of God' is that he or she draws near, in dialogue with Him, no matter the circumstances." ~ Kathy

* "We often assume, though this is absolutely wrong theologically, that if someone is living wholeheartedly for God, her life will be free of trouble." ~ Kathy

* "God doesn't always give us the husbands or the babies for which we pray. But He will give us access to all we need to live an abundant life...But we've learned that when God says 'No,' He will always provide a greater 'Yes'." ~ Kathy

I heard this song this morning...

2012-01-05T10:19:00.000-06:00

...and it spoke VOLUMES to my heart.

It's called "Fall Apart" by Josh Wilson.

Why in the world did I think I could
Only get to know you when my life was good
When everything just falls in place
The easiest thing is to give You praise

Now it all seems upside down

‘Cause my whole world is caving in
But I feel You now more than I did then
How can I come to the end of me
And somehow still have all I need
God, I want to know You more
Maybe this is how it starts
I find You when I fall apart

Blessed are the ones who understand
We’ve got nothing to bring but empty hands
Nothing to hide and nothing to prove
Our heartbreak brings us back to You

And it all seems upside down

‘Cause my whole world is caving in
But I feel You now more than I did then
How can I come to the end of me
And somehow still have all I need
God, I want to know You more
Maybe this is how it starts
I find You when I fall apart

I don’t know how long this will last
I’m praying for the pain to pass
But maybe this is the best thing that
Has ever happened to me

My whole world is caving in
But I feel You now more than I did then
How can I come to the end of me
And somehow still have all I need
God, I want to know You more
Maybe this is how it starts
I find You when
You will find me when I fall apart

It's sad to me...

2012-01-05T06:52:00.003-06:00

...when we, Christians, don't take our testimony seriously. When we willy-nilly go about our day and not realize that the world (the unsaved) is watching, listening, and pondering what how we act, what we say, and our motives, how this must break the heart of our Heavenly Father!

Yesterday I had a conversation with someone I work with. This person made the comment (and I am going to Angie-paraphrase), "Why would I want to be a Christian? They are hypocrites! Act one way and then say you love Jesus in the next breath."

This statement broke my heart.

Why aren't we more aware?

Sanford and Sons

2012-01-04T21:25:00.001-06:00

Several months (wait - maybe a year ago), my friend introduced me to a website with free ringtones. I've added Hoops & Yoyo, The Office theme, and various other ringtones. Last month, I had Christmas-y ring- / text- tones.

On Sunday, I packed up my Christmas stuff, so I thought it only appropriate to find new ringtones for my cellphone.

After some deliberation, I chose the theme from Sanford & Sons for my text messages. Now when I receive a delightful little text, I hear that theme song. Do you want to know something...if you have S & S for a ringtone, after 20-30 text messages, you will start humming S & S...and people (particularly your co-workers) will look at you like you are crazy...Crazy with a alot of "Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..." And I do not mean the roll-your-r's-because-she's-cute.... I mean CRAZY-CRAZY! It's all fun-n-grames and then people think you are crazy!!!

Speaking of crazy...today one of my co-workers came in to my area and asked (in all sincerity) if I was feeling okay and if everything has been alright. She noticed for the past 2 weeks (or so) that I have not been myself. When I inquired about the "You've not been yourself" comment, she replied, "You know...talking to yourself and being cheerful." Yes, I know I have not been talking to myself...but I've not been cheerful? WHAT? Ooooh dear...perhaps I need a Mental Health Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Jesus, I love Thee...

2012-01-04T21:12:00.000-06:00

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

Danger! Danger!

2012-01-04T17:32:00.000-06:00

This is why I should never ever, ever, ever begin emailing with dinner cooking on the stovetop...

Isn't it lovely how the charred top compliments the red of the cherries? (Sigh...)

Caterpillar

2012-01-03T19:28:00.000-06:00

"Just when the caterpillar

thought its world was over...

it became a butterfly." ~ Proverb

Sooo tonight at the gym, Lauren and I discussed this quote. Here's a snippet...

Angie: "Karen Kingsbury is coming out with a new children's book about a caterpillar."

Lauren: "She writes children's books?"
I confirmed that YES, Karen writes books for children and that she may have three or four children's books.

Angie: "Yesterday, I saw this journal that had the quote, 'Just when the caterpillar thought its world was over...it became a butterfly.' Isn't that nice? A caterpillar creeping along, he was bummed about life...he decides to create a cocoon and take a nap. After a long nap, he wakes - up, breaks out of the cocoon, spreads his wings...and now he has OTHER problems to contend with!"

Lauren: "Yeah -- like birds! BAM! Watch out for birds!"

Angie: "Right!!! I like it that you said, 'BAM!'"

I love it that Lauren and I can have these totally random discussions while working-out. We both decided that we enjoy working-out together because we talk and laugh and the time just flies by. Plus -- BONUS -- if you laugh while working-out, you burn more calories. It's win-win. Plus it's just more fun to laugh OUTLOUD...

Genesis through Revelation... :)

2012-01-02T21:58:00.001-06:00

I'm not the kind of girl that makes resolutions. In the past, when I've taken the time to think about a resolution and then put forth the energy to complete said resolution, it usually dies around January 5th. Seriously. This explains why I did not want to wait to join the gym until January, so Rhonda and I joined in September -- wow, it's already been 2+ years!

I do better with spring, summer, or fall resolutions...and avoiding New Year's resolutions is what I do. Well, this year, I have made an exception. For 2012 -- I would like to read through my Bible...and not just using one of those schedule-y things. I want to start in Genesis and read through Revelations. I'm super excited about this 2012 resolution.

As of late, I have been avoiding watching television and spending more time reading & enjoying the peace-n-quiet. I do ask your help, blog-stalkers...if for some reason, our country becomes attacked...or if there's an impending blizzard....or aliens invade New Jersey, please comment on my blog (which will be sent directly to my email address)!!!! Please help keep the girl with curly hair informed.

I think that's all for now. I do wish you a most fantastic 2012!!!!