5 reasons to pray & pollen

April 3, 2019April 3, 2019 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Good evening y’all! It’s Wednesday. That means I get to go have fun with a bunch of 1st and 2nd graders at church! I just cherish the little class I have on Wednesday nights. They help me make it through the week.

By now, everybody probably knows how I love prayer. Someone may ask the question- Why Pray?

Well, wonder no more! I will give you 5 good reasons to pray.

It works. Moses was the leader of a bunch of the biggest complaining complainers ever was. God was not amused with them a lot of the time. He set fire to their camp to try to put a stop to it. But Moses prayed & the Lord heard.

Numbers 11:1-2 Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. ²Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was ^[a]quenched. (NKJV)

It builds your faith. Nothing builds your faith more than praying & then watching things play out for our good.

Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”(NKJV)

It makes a difference. If prayer didn’t make a difference, what good would it be?

Mark 11: 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.(NKJV)

For healing & forgiveness. I wonder if people ran to the Lord for spiritual healing, as quick as we bust up in the urgent care, every time we have an inconvenience, we would be much better off? My mama used to tell me, “You better get down on your knees and pray.” So thankful I had a praying mama.

James 5:15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.(NKJV)

Because the Lord says to. If God is not in the business of taking our troubles and making them blessings, why pray? If we are going to worry about everything why pray? Because prayer changes things, y’all. I have seen many times, situations changing, because praying people were involved.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 ¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (NKJV)

So, give it a try. Make it a practice. Why, even make an event of it.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. It looks like Spring brought her pollen with her. Oh well. Something new to look at for awhile. And in case you were wondering, my grands are doing awesome. Mr. Sweetie Pants has shown quite the enthusiasm for song leading at church. He is so excited that a 7 year old boy can get up and belt out songs, at the front of the church building, & not get in trouble for it. Because perhaps sometimes there are rules at worship service. Like being quiet. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week. As for me, I will be going, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credit: www.marshallramsey.com, www.pinterest.com

And just like that, summer was gone & love your people

September 12, 2017September 12, 2017 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

We are right in the middle of being in the swing of things for school this year. Miss Neenee has plenty to keep her busy. She is cheering this year. We are so excited! Except that she has to miss band for the 1st semester. However, 2nd semester, trumpet section, watch out.

She has had some spirit days at school where they dress up, appropriately, nonetheless, for the theme. This was crazy hair day.

She had a bird’s nest made of hair (aka a bun).

They had a dance. And guess what? Mr. Sweetie Pants attended, too. He was just as cute, as the day is long, to watch dancing with all the “big girls”.

It was a black light dance, thus the freshly made glow in the dark t-shirts & face paint.

We went to the circus with the grands. They were so excited. I asked what their favorite part was & hands down, it was the dog that did tricks! Nevermind the blurry picture. There was LOTS of energy & not being able to be still in this photo. Oh & a Grand that can’t take good pictures.

We came across Batman, Spiderman, a tiger, & a puppy dog at the circus.

On Labor Day we had a fish fry. This young man had a really good time. He told lots of tales and entertained the dickens out of everyone, per his usual.

This man is full of entertainment. Lots and lots of entertainment.

I Thessalonians 3:12

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,

I thank God daily for the full life I have. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by people we love. There is really no greater joy in life. I pray the Lord will also make your love BIG for your people, too. Until next time, I should be washing clothes.

September Scripture Writing Plan

September 6, 2017September 6, 2017 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Wanted to come by & present the September Scripture Writing Plan to you all. No doubt, six days into the lovely month of September. However, I have never prided myself in being a fountain of promptness and follow through. Sadly.

Shannon from Sweet Blessings lets me share this with you each month. Go on over & see her & see what she’s up to. It’s always something fun!

It has been a wild time around our house lately. The kids started back to school. Or should I say the kid and some grandsons started back. Just look at these cuties! I could eat them with a spoon! Hope you are having a wonderful week. Until next time, I will be going, because I should be washing clothes.

Every. Time.

And just like that, November was over & December scripture writing plan

December 1, 2016December 1, 2016 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Hey y’all! I hope everyone had a wonderful & blessed Thanksgiving. Ours was so good. We had family over & ate & ate & ate. But hey, it’s ok. We won’t have to do that again for another few weeks. Since I have made myself pretty scarce here lately, I will try to catch you up a bit on what’s been a happening.

Miss Neenee had a birthday. It has become more like a birthday week. It takes over & it’s hard to get rid of it.

Miss Neenee & Daddy

First we started out with Sunday lunch, for her birthday. When we said, “Eat”, of course Daddy was there!

Miss Neenee & Mr. Sweetie Pants

Mr. Sweetie Pants was so excited to give Miss Neenee her present.

He can be so sweet! No wonder I call him Mr. Sweetie Pants!

Then, on Friday night, some of her friends came for a little Escape Room fun.

Miss Neenee got one of those cute candy bar posters. Thus, this ended her birthday week. Along with Orange Danishes for breakfast on her birthday, cupcakes, presents, calls, texts, instagram messages, visits, & a sleepover.

My girls

Then, there was Thanksgiving. I just don’t know what I would do without these 2 girls in my life. As her custom, Livie spent the night with us on Thanksgiving Eve. We all had breakfast together the next morning. Which was a BLESSING. Because I love all these people to pieces, y’all.

I sure do love these faces BIG!

My nephew is in his 1st semester at Ole Miss. He’s got straight A’s, is in a fraternity, is living in the dorm, ~~is chasing girls,~~ making new friends, & did I say has straight A’s?? He’s a smarty pants alright. My sweet niece, Livie, is playing basketball, is sophomore class president, she’s active in her church, & is going to be 16 years old this month. She’s precious as the day is long. I was so glad they haven’t gotten too big to come hang out with their aunt.

My eldest daughter always makes something festive for occasions that arise throughout the year. This Thanksgiving, she made a turkey cheeseball. It was so good, too. She also made some chocolate covered pumpkin & cream cheese candy. I told her on Friday she needed to come get them, I was eating too many of them.

She said, “Eat them all, I don’t want to bring them home.”

Well, I must have taken that for some sort of commandment or something because I just about did. My middle daughter made chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter pies, & mashed potatoes. Which was also really good. Miss Neenee helped me cook everything else. She’s quite handy that way. We ate a lot & laughed a lot.

My people- JW, Livie, Bud, & Miss Neenee

Oh, I do have to tell you one more thing. You know we have these grandkids that are entertaining as the dickens. Well, not to be shown up, Daddy was in rare form at dinner. He went to a whole new level of hilarious. I promised him I wouldn’t share any pictures. But just think about this,

my 72 year old Daddy & Snapchat filters.

Could. Hardly. Contain. Myself. We laughed until we couldn’t laugh anymore. He looked like a deer in one, a panda bear in another, and I believe he had a rainbow spewing out of his mouth on the one we had to quit on. When my E.A. & him get together, there’s always trouble. And she was the one that provided the Snapchat filters for the entertainment.

Lastly, I didn’t want to forget the December scripture writing plan. Shannon at Sweet Blessings does such a wonderful job on these each month. So blessed that she lets me share these with y’all.

I hope y’all have had a great couple of weeks. We are looking forward to the next holiday, which is THIS MONTH. Miss Neenee & me put up the Christmas tree. I think it’s the earliest I have ever put it up. These grandbabies just make it so exciting! Yay Christmas!

While we were putting up the tree, Miss Neenee decided a cup of hot chocolate would be really nice. Doesn’t this look good? She fixed it all up herself & gave it to me. It was really rich & creamy & probably had no calories at all, since we were on a holiday & putting up the tree & having a good time. I hear calories don’t count at times like that.

Until next time, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credit: http://www.swtblessings.com

I’m praying for you & astounding & unknown facts about tigers

October 21, 2016October 21, 2016 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Doesn’t it feel wonderful when someone tells you they are praying for you? I know personally, it just makes me feel all happy inside. Kinda like I just ate a big plate of chocolate gravy & biscuits. Other folks caring about us is essential in life. Going to the Lord, on our behalf, is a terrific way to show us how much we are thought of. When someone prays for another, it’s like a whole other avenue is opened up. Not only are our own prayers being laid at the Lord’s feet, He is hearing from others about us, too. What a blessing to have others to pray for us.

But what if you have a struggle no one else knows about? Do you know we have Someone else praying for us, too?

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us^[^a^] with groanings which cannot be uttered. (NKJV)

Romans 8:34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. (NKJV)

Dictonary.com defines interceding as an interposing or pleading on behalf of another person.

Jesus is pleading to God for us, also. He knows what it’s like to feel alone. But we don’t ever have to feel like we are alone in this ol’ world. As long as you are willing to pray, the Lord hears the prayer of Jesus & the prayer of the Holy Spirit. Ain’t that some good news in a world full of heartache, suffering, & pain? So let’s pray for each other, for our families, for our friends, & for the people who don’t want to be our friends. Everyone can benefit in some prayer, ya know? I would believe a good moral to this story is God’s looking out for us, always. We just have to reach out to Him.

Tiger facts to wow & amaze you:

Tigers are rambunctious creatures. However, there are times tigers are still & quiet. Especially for other people.

Tigers have big muscles. Which they need because they are very busy creatures.

Tigers eat ice cream. Really. A lot of homemade vanilla ice cream. Surprising, huh?

Amazingly, tigers do very well at picking pumpkins. At festivals no less. No one was injured or anything with a tiger running around loose. Imagine that.

And last but not least, some tigers even wear glasses. Did you know there was a way to check a tiger's vision. Astonishing, I tell you.

And last but not least, some tigers even wear glasses. Did you know there was even a way to check a tiger’s vision? Astonishing, I tell you.

May I also say that transforming Mr. Sweetie Pants into a tiger was the best $12 I have EVER spent. E.V.E.R. He was so excited that the lady painting his face said kids like him were the reason she painted faces. He was so excited. SO. EXCITED.

Happy fall y’all! Well, so they say it’s fall. Here in northeast Mississippi, the only time you can really feel the difference is in the mornings & later at night. We have had a little break in the weather today. It’s nice, cool, & crisp out. So thankful for the changing seasons!! Hope you have had a blessed week. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: Pinterest, & http://www.iampoopsie.com

The end is nearer than you think & buffalo

September 22, 2016September 22, 2016 / kstrick7 / 3 Comments

I read some disturbing news today, y’all. We have 100 days left in this year. Lord have mercy, where in the world did 2016 go? If you had anything you wanted to do in 2016, you’d better hurry. Time is not waiting for anyone.

That got me to thinking. What do I need to accomplish in the rest of my time in 2016? My thoughts went from DIY projects at home that I need to do, to family get togethers I need to plan, to work goals I need to get together. But when I think more seriously about this, I think, What does God want me to accomplish in the remaining time of 2016? Here is a list of things I believe are noteworthy-

Surrender to Jesus. What I mean by this is if we humble ourselves to do more listening & obeying, then so much of our lives will just fall into place. It’s so hard sometimes to take a step back & just give it all to the Lord -all the worries, uncertainties, stress, & problems in life, that we face. I truly believe, we just need to lay it all at the feet of Jesus. Then & only then will we be at peace. (Phil. 4:7)and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.(NKJV)
Forgive. Forgive others. Forgive ourselves. Just forgive. Instant load lightened right there. (Matt. 6:15) But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (NKJV)
Love so much it hurts. If you have never totally put yourself completely out there, to love others, boy you are missing out. From someone who has been divorced, lost a parent, lost close family members, & have had some strained relationships- I can say I am still glad that I love people. (John 15:13) Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. (NKJV)
Walk in the Spirit. How’s your prayer life? How’s your daily Bible study time, going? If you can’t answer “Amazing!” or “Remarkable!” to either of these, then before 2016 is out, make a change. How can we expect to walk in the Spirit, if we don’t give the Spirit any of our time? If we are walking in the Spirit, then we have less opportunity to let matters of the flesh in. I know when I have my mind on Jesus, I have less time to give other things any part of my time. (Acts 9:31) Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. (NKJV)
Be faithful. You can tell so much about a person by what they are faithful in. Let’s make sure we are faithful in the Word. God has so much to offer us. Faithfulness is going all in for the long haul. Look at everything the Lord has done for us. We can show our love and appreciation by our obedience & faithfulness to Him. (Rev. 2:10) …Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (NKJV)

I’m so glad you stopped by to visit with me today. I heard on the radio, this morning, that today is the 1st day of fall. I’m ready for the weather to be showing out. We need some cooler temps, that’s for sure! Hope you are having a blessed week. Until next time, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

We went to see Mr. Sweetie Pants in his Grandparent’s Day program at his school. Cutest thing ever!

Tacky Tourist Spirit Day at school this week. It was homecoming & we were ready in costume.

Mr. Sweetie Pants feeding the goats at the Buffalo Park. From the time he woke up, until the time we arrived at the Buffalo Park, I had heard the word, “Buffalo” 9,873,185 times. Not that I was counting.

And this is pretty much how the rest of my week was last week.

Next was an Oreo Sonic Blast with double stuffed flavor funnel. My jeans were not happy with me.

The struggle is real, y’all.

photo creds: strawberries.ces.ncsu.edu, Britney @ The Princess & Her Cowboys, Jane.com

Hey- remember me? True love, grandkids, & what have you

March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Y’all. If I said the past couple of weeks had not been a true test of my faith, I would be lying & my pants would be on fire. With me, I may go awhile without anything earth shattering happening. Then, BOOM! Everything happens all at once.

It’s like nuts falling from the sky.

(Which is an expression, my then 4 year old Miss Neenee would say, when things were awful or terrible. It’s the worst thing her little mind could image to explain something really crazy.)

I told my hairstylist if anyone feels bad about what’s going on in their lives, just have them come talk to me. I can make them feel a lot better about their own personal tragedies.

She said, “You do seem to have a lot of crazy things happen to you.”

Umm, yeah. So, not to go all negative Nancy on everyone. I just wanted you to know, even though my blog life has been a little ho-hum & sporatic, here of late. I am alive & as well as a person like me can be.

I did have an interesting conversation with a lady the other day. I was at the dentist office, waiting my turn in the chair of torture, when a nice older lady & I struck up a conversation. She started telling me how she had just lost her husband in January. I could tell it was still a fresh wound, because she had tears in her eyes as she talked about his passing. She talked so fondly of him I had to ask her how they met. She said they met at Fraley’s Drive In. He was home from the service & she was 17 years old. She said when she first laid eyes on him, she thought he was so handsome. She said some of her friends & his friends commence to playing cupid & before long, y’all, they were married. She said they were married almost 60 years. They had raised a family together & went through some hard times.

“But you know,” she said, “there’s not a single person in the world I would have wanted to have gone through hard times with. He was so good to me.”

Now. Don’t you guess those two did have some hard times? 60 years is a long time to go without an argument, any illnesses, heartaches, or anything of the like. And to still be able to have such a love for a person through all of that. That’s the remarkable love Paul talks about in

Ephesians 4:2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, (NKJV)

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,(NKJV)

Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.(NKJV)

Peter writes about love we should have for one another in

I Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”(NKJV)

It goes without saying, this sweet couple took their marriage vows seriously & loved each other the way the Lord commanded. What a true blessing! It is so heartwarming to hear the love, we are told to have, still exists. Having that talk with that lady just made my day, y’all. I guess I’m just a bit sappy over stuff like that. And since we are talking about love, let me talk about these grandkids!

We had such a good time this weekend. Our new baby grandboy is growing & so sweet. I could just eat him with a spoon. My granddaughter is so cute & sassy. She is so funny. Here are some things the older kids did over the weekend:

We made bubble snakes. It was pretty fun.

I gave a little tutorial on how to use the bubble makers before we started. “Blow into the bottle. Make sure you are blowing like you are blowing bubbles with a wand. Don’t suck in, because you will get a mouth full of bubbles.” And wouldn’t you know it, somebody got their mouth full of bubbles. There was a fair amount of spitting & wiping their mouth on their shirt. But thank the Lord, no permanent damage!

Miss Neenee entertained with the trumpet.

And they could play pretty good. Ever tried to play a trumpet? Not. Easy.

a trumpet Even though, the trumpet was fun, you know what the biggest hit was?

You guessed it. Something that wasn’t even a toy. A plastic tote was a boat, a hide out, a car, & anything else they could think of.

At the end of the day, all of them are still sweet & precious.

And this is when they are most precious of all!

I am so glad you came by to visit me today. For those of you keeping up with my Daddy, he came home from rehab & is being visited by home health. He’s doing well & opinionated as ever. With that, we know he’s doing alright. Thank you for all your prayers for him. They really have been working. Keep’em coming! Until next time, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

**On a side note- I can’t leave without showing my discontent for Daylight Savings Time.

Thank you, Mr. Indian, for your wonderful interpretation of insanity.

Seriously though.

photo credits: Pinterest

Thanksgiving surprise & who I love

November 10, 2015November 10, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Well, apparently it’s 2 weeks until Thanksgiving & nobody bothered to tell me. Even though I have been reminding everyone how it’s so many weeks until Christmas, Thanksgiving just left me this year. And by the way, I have been getting some terrible deer in the head light looks when the mere mention of Christmas is made. I suggested to my sweetie maybe this year we should start Christmas shopping & have all our gifts bought by Thanksgiving, (which obviously I thought was at another time). He laughed & explained to me I would never be able to do that, since it is my custom to lose my hair & run around like a crazy woman the weeks & days leading up to Christmas. Well, shut the front door, he was right. However, I have had some happy things going on here of late. Mainly in the name of kids, of course. Here are some highlights of my weekend.

This is what you look like when you have “Super Speed”.

And on a very related note, as you can see, this was at a local cell phone store where I was attempting to do some business. However, was having to constantly remind Mr. Sweetie Pants that the cell phone store was NOT specifically the place to be exhibiting this said “Super Speed”. WHEW! I was one tired Grand by the time I left. Thankfully, I had a helpful Miss Neenee with me.

It was Miss Neenee’s birthday & we were going to see Disney on Ice. Mr. Sweetie Pants was being sassy, so I asked him did he not want to go see Mickey Mouse? He promptly, let me know, he did not want to see anything. Please refer to the above photo.

So, this is why we go to see Disney on Ice each year. Mesmerized & happy faces. That’s what we have here.

Next, you have this one who obviously loves Disney just as well. I mean, crown him king Mickey, hello. Or maybe EA’s Prince Charming? Awww…..

Then, you have these faces, squished up against my face. Love.These.Faces.

I’m not sure if my son has some new leg warmers & back pack or if he was attacked by munchkins. Either way, they are all cute as can be.

And it was all because of this girl. Happy birthday Miss Neenee! More to come this weekend!

I am so very thankful for all these sweet people in my life. Since this month is Thanksgiving, (who would forget that?) I ran across this 30 day scripture reading plan. I know I’m a little late, but it’s still a wonderful exercise to commit to spend your time in God’s word.

I hope you all are having a good week. Now that I’ve realized it’s time for Thanksgiving, I will be making my menu for Thanksgiving dinner. What will you be making? Until next time, I have to go, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: Facebook

6 things to help you get rid of worry for good

April 16, 2015April 16, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

I hope this finds everyone doing well. We have been having some rain. And too, I have found a new way to waste my time. I have been watching too many tornado videos online. Have you seen the one of the guy on the interstate that is like right there at a tornado? I mean he could have probably reached out & touched the thing?? It was the one in Rochelle, IL last week.

TOO MUCH for me. I am confident when I say, if my Mama Boyce were here today, in the times of youtube tornado videos, well, let’s just say she probably would not let me watch them. She was terrified of tornadoes. She & my family were in a tornado one time & to say they lost everything is an understatement. We stayed with my grandparents, during the day while Mama & Daddy were at work. Also, we were there after we got off the school bus. And every moment in between, if we wished. We lived right beside them. Since that awful event, every time it thundered, we were at the storm house. Peanut butter & crackers & a water jar in hand, we would make the walk to the edge of the yard to the storm house. My Papa Clyde would go in ahead of us & scare out any mice, rats, snakes, lizards, or whatever had set up shop since our last visit. Spiders & cobwebs were expected. However, since we were not a bunch of barbarians, my Papa Clyde would run out all of the before mentioned like it was his job. If for some reason we were not at their house, she was on the phone calling. Wanting to know when we were going to be at the storm house. This was a serious deal with her & everybody had just better go along with it. She was a worrier. She loved all of us & worried we would not make it to safety in time. However, we don’t have to live in a land of fear & what if’s.

Here are some ways to take worries out of our lives:

Give them to the Lord. Straight out of the shoot, let the Lord handle everything. I Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Pray. We should not do anything without talking to the Lord about it. All day long. All night long. The Lord never gets tired of hearing from you. I Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing,
Forget about it. Time thinking about the negative, robs us of time to enjoy the good things in life. I can’t help but sing the Frozen song in my head when I think of this one. Just “Let It Go”. Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Remember we cannot control all situations. The devil is on his game looking for whoever he can to cause trouble with. Don’t play the blame game & think you could have done something differently to deter a situation. Sometimes you just can’t. I Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Be thankful. Who has time to worry if you are using that time wisely? We should be thanking the Lord for the good things in our lives, on a regular basis. There is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS something to be thankful for.Psalms 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
Trust the Lord. Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;In all your ways acknowledge Him,And He shall direct^[a] your paths.

The sun is finally poking it’s head out, this afternoon. I am very glad to see it. Speaking of someone poking their head out, last weekend Mr. Sweetie Pants came to spend the night. His dad picked him up on Saturday. He went non-stop the whole time he was at the house. When asked by his grandfather to please quit pulling the cords on the blinds on the living room window, he reassuredly replied,

“It’s ok Pap. I know what I’m doing.” Well, he is 3 years old you know.

Much of the time he was there was spent with him reassuring us he knew how to do things, him actually going ahead with what he was doing, & then blaming Miss Neenee with it all. And ya’ll after he left I was one worn out Grand! The next day, just in time for lunch, here he comes back. He runs back to the bedroom where I am. He pokes his head around the corner of the door & says,

“Grand, I’m back.”

I would not trade these days for nothing. But for now I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

George Strait on my Pandora. It’s the little things.

photo credits: http://www.gitacoaching.blogspot.com, http://www.lovethispic.com

What I didn’t do this year & what I did

December 30, 2014December 30, 2014 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

How was everybody’s Christmas?? I can’t believe it’s the end of 2014. This time of the year we all begin to reflect. We reflect about the year that has past. We think about the things we did well & the things we could have done better. Here are a few things that may or may not be a complete list of how I did not accomplish everything I set out to do in 2014.

1. We did not go on vacation. Vacations take money. Having food, clothing, shelter & transportation takes money. Can I hear an amen?? Sometimes you have to think about it,

“Shall I eat crumpets on the terrace in a Parisian like setting, sipping tea from a bone china cup, with my pinky up in the air, speaking in a British accent or keep my power on at home?”

Decisions, decisions.

2. I did not get a publishing deal for writing the most empowering & inspirational blog articles. Doesn’t everyone, who has a blog, feel like one day- a major publisher is going to be scanning the blog world for awesome content & stumble upon their blog? The said publishing company will automatically want to strike a deal & sign the blogger on. From that point on, all their writing dreams will come true. You will get paid enough for your writings that you can quit your day job & sit at home in your pajamas all day long, hammering out intriguing content, & eating bonbons. What?? Am I the only one that thinks about this??

3. I did not physically assault anyone. Even though, I have been tempted to flog a few folks. Not saying that 5^th grade is hard on me, this year. My Miss Neenee takes it all in stride. However, I have had thoughts of telling off a few folks for being rude to her, embarrassing her, & humiliating her. I have exercised my ability to keep my mouth shut & control my emotions. Mainly because my husband says this is all a part of her growing up & establishing character. I however do not always see it as such. People are just hateful sometimes. And when it’s to one of my kids, I take it SUPER personal. However, I have done my level best to not become a hater, as well. And too, I don’t want to be remembered as the crazy mama. That can have a reflection on your kids, as well. Also, I am quite convinced, at this point in my life, if I give someone a piece of my mind, before long, I may actually need it back. I’m not as young as I used to be. I don’t need to be giving away pieces of my mind. Especially the parts that remember stuff. I have become quite the good forgetter. Just a thought. ***On a side note, I did not have pounding someone on my to- do list for 2014. It’s just a mention.

4. I did not do as many 5k races as I normally do. Something was always happening when the races were scheduled. I did register for a 10k & got mono that same week. So, I didn’t get to go with my race companion Jen, to it. As my daddy says,

”Those who want to find an excuse, can find all kinds.” And he’s right.

5. I did not make any major exercise equipment purchases. I really had planned to. I really had wanted to exercise more. I want to be healthier & make my family healthier. That is something I will put into action this coming year. Right now, I am all about seeing how quickly I can get my pajamas on, when I get home from work. That is all. No excuses. Refer to Daddy’s comment on #4.

Now, for the things I did accomplish this year:

1. I began couponing. Not extreme couponing, but paying attention to what I buy + finding coupons = saving money. And who doesn’t want to save money? I put the Kroger app on my phone. I can use my Kroger card & you know what? Kroger gives you free stuff. You should know every Friday, Kroger has this thing, my favorite Kroger Crazy blog lady calls Kroger Friday Freebie. You go on the Kroger website, go to coupons, & type free in the search box. Then, just download the digital coupon. Freebie Friday is a life changer. Realizing that, my old grocery store never wanted to give me anything free. Or $.10 off per gallon of gas. Oh & sometimes Kmart does double couponing. That can get pretty ridiculous. But, free stuff from Kroger? That’s the cat’s pajamas or totally cray cray. Whichever you prefer.

2. I read the New Testament in the Bible. I have done this a couple of times. Every time, I am proud I took the time to do it. I find something different, I had never considered before, with each reading. You can actually read the whole New Testament in a month with reading only 9 chapters a day. Or here is a schedule to read it in 90 days. I usually opt to do this between Memorial Day & Labor Day. Probably gonna do it again, soon. It’s so worth it.

3. I prayed. A lot. And you know what? That’s a bigger life changer than the Kroger Friday Freebie. I started judging less. Paying attention to what others were going through more. Forgave quicker. And realized more & more that being thankful is where it’s at. Everything else just kinda falls into place after that. My One Word for 2014 was Pray. That was a wonderful focus to have for this year. I sure did reap the benefits from it.

4. I became a Grand, again. My sweet granddaughter was born in March. She is such a blessing. I have loved being a part of her 1^st year of life. As chance would have it, Mr. Sweetie Pants, who is now 3, is pretty much o.k. with her being around. The only time he gets a tad disgruntled is when I keep them at the same time. He will firmly suggest I put her down. Other than that, it’s all good. He just don’t like sharing. But, that’s ok. We work it out. He gets lots of chocolate when she’s around. Unless his dad is reading this, then, I mean he gets lots of milk & vegetables.

5. I have been able to serve my family & Lord. I have been blessed with my earthly family & church family. My family is just getting bigger & bigger. I love it. I have always wanted a big family. We all get along & take care of each other. I just can’t imagine it being much better!! I am so thankful for my church family, too. I have a Bible Class that I totally adore. I cannot tell you how much I look forward to being with those kids each week. They are precious. I never take these things for granted. When my mama got sick, one of the things she missed the most was being able to serve others. For once, she was the one being served. That was hard for her. So, I try my best to realize being a servant is a privilege. I don’t have to do it. I get to do it.

So, there’s my lists. I will be working on my goals for 2015. If you know of anything I need to be doing or need to stop doing, let me know. I’m always up for suggestions. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

…Forgetting those things which are behind & reaching forward to those things which are ahead. Phil 3:13

photo credits: mymcbooks, myfrenchcountryhome,BlogSpot.com,keepcalm-o-matic, humblepiety.BlogSpot.com,aletheiaagape.BlogSpot.com