Seize the Day!

Our church has been doing a series on the all-time favorite services. Today was my favorite for sure! The main focus of the message was...Life is short. We were each given a marble as we entered the service. Our pastor told us that each marble is equivalent to one week of our lives. Our whole life could fit in one vase! The weeks go by so quickly. We were reminded to live our life on purpose!

Ephesians 5:15-16
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

They showed a great clip from the movie, Dead Poet's Society, where Robin Williams teaches his students the meaning of "Carpe Diem"...Seize the Day!

It really reminded me to live my life (marbles) loving God and loving others! I don't want to take anything for granted! I want to cherish every moment and realize they are precious. I want to live my life for God and not myself! I want to love God and love His children... TODAY!

I pray you dance!
Love,
Angie xoxo

Beauty

Psalm 17:8
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings



Do you know today that you are the APPLE of His eye?
You are a beauty!

Have a great day, Siestas!
Love you-
Angie xoxo

My kids' Grandma & Papa

I LOVE this picture of my mom and dad!
My parents loved to travel. This is just one of the many memories they made!

Today is Thankful Thursday and I am thankful for my parents! They taught me what the words family and commitment mean. As I look back at their relationship somehow it just plain worked! That's the only way to explain it! They took us to church on Sundays and planted a seed in me that I will forever be grateful for! They were married as kids and stayed together for 51 years before my father went home to be with Jesus! Whenever I hear this song, I think of my mom and a gift I gave her years ago...and I can't help but remember my father in Heaven!

I love my parents and miss my Daddio!
Thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings!
Love,
Annie xoxo

Focus...

I'm not gonna lie. I need an accountability partner or team! I went into a dressing room this afternoon and wondered... How did that happen? I know, really. I shouldn't have been surprised! I haven't been treating my body like it is a temple of the Holy Spirit! I have used desserts for the wrong reason. It's time to get focused! I have never had a real problem with my weight, but I've noticed my jeans appear to have shrunk...(not!)... and are a bit uncomfortable!

One of my favorite authors said this recently, "All excess is rooted in emptiness." I need to be satisfied by God, not desserts! I need to get up early in the morning to get my workout and my quiet time in before I leave at 7:00am! That is going to be difficult especially as it is dark and our weather is about to get nasty! So... I thought if I get this in writing I will be motivated to stick to it! I need to get downstairs in the morning and get on my Elliptical machine for 30 minutes!

Do you see the song on the top of my entry? It is a song that motivates me and I probably shouldn't admit this, but I'd have it playing when my kids were in high school on their way to swim meets and other sporting events! We love that song! I also thought it would be a great one to be played at my funeral! I know, I'm weird!

Thanks so much for being my accountability partner! Feel free to ask me anytime how I am doing with it! :)

New Beginnings

It's a beautiful day in Michigan! My husband is obsessed with going to a certain apple orchard every year and I think today's the day! I pray the bees aren't as bad as they usually are. I pray the donuts are as fresh as always and the cider is the same as it's always been. I will buy some apples to make something to make the house smell nice and cozy!

I love fall because when the leaves change, they are beautiful! I love the smell of burning leaves. The air is crisp. We had a great summer and I love the change of seasons. But... I especially love fall because it's a time for new beginnings!

This morning I started my new devotional book, 90 Days With Jesus the One and Only! I finished my David: 90 Days with a Heart Like His. I cannot think of a better way to start my day than with Jesus! I love the way Beth Moore makes His Word easy for me to understand! I am going to send Whispers of Hope to my daughter in New York! She has never done one of these and I'm sure she will be blessed by it!

I hope these will draw us close to Him!

I hope you make a good memory today!
Love,
Angie xoxo

It's Time!

Okay... it's time! I am getting out of my beach chair and am going to facilitate Beth Moore's Daniel study! I have wrestled with God for long enough. I signed my group up at our church. I got on Beth's website to register our group there. The date is set... it begings Oct. 2nd... I ordered the Leadership kit.. I took the small group leader training class at our church... I had a dear friend loan me some i-worship dvd's (one of my new blog siestas!)... and I've already had several people sign up! Now all I need are a few snacks!


Most importantly, I need to keep remembering what I learned in another one of Beth's studies:

1). God is who He says He Is.
2). God can do what He says He can do.
3). I am who God says I am.
4). I can do All things through Christ.
5). God's Word is alive and active in me!

I'm Believing God to do huge things in our time together!

Thank you in advance, siestas for your prayers and support!
Love,
Angie

My Little Sister

This is my little sister, Mary (and her daughter Katie). For some reason (my pride) I haven't shared this blog with her until last night. She shared with me in an e-mail this morning that she didn't know me. It saddened me that she doesn't! I have tried through the years to balance having God be my center and being gentle about how I share it with my family. I have failed too many times and am a hypocrite in their eyes too many times! Thank you God for forgiving me!

This question has come up lately ... What have I done with Jesus? Am I pointing the people I love to Him? I am ashamed to admit that I have disappointed God! My own sister doesn't know me! I am not doing a good job with sharing my faith. I hear God telling me this... "Angie, you better start being authentic in the real world, not just in this blog world!"

So... I want to dedicate today's post to my sister, Mary/Goose (I don't know how she got that nickname). She needs our prayers today for some personal issues. This song on the bottom always reminds me of her. She sang it years ago! I was proud of her then, and I'm proud of her today! You are an excellent mother, daughter and sister! YOU are an amazing woman!


May I lift your eyes toward Heaven!


I love you, "Goose"!
Annie xoxo

He Loved Me First!

1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Love

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

We went to a friend's daughter's Wedding yesterday! It was a beautiful day, beautiful ceremony and beautiful reception.

As this very familiar passage was read out of 1 Corinthians... I was reminded of a pastor who once said that wherever the word "Love" is written, we should put our own name in it. For example: Angie is patient, Angie is kind, Angie does not envy, Angie does not boast, Angie is not proud, Angie is not rude...

I am unable to love that way without the Holy Spirit dwelling in me! I so want to be that kind of wife and see my husband the way God sees him.

I always enjoy the mother-son and father-daughter dance. This was the song that my friend danced with his daughter to. I know I promised I would not add another song, but I just had to! I wish I could have danced with my father to this song! As I watched with tears in my eyes I couldn't help but remember... My father in Heaven is waiting for His bride and He loved me first!

I am so full of joy and so very grateful!

P.S. I cannot wait for the day my daugher dances this song with her father! ...and if it wasn't weird, I would want to dance it with my son!

How Great Is Our God

I promise this is the last song for awhile! It's definitely one of my favorites! I am adding this in honor of a few special people in my life! It''s Wednesday night and I'm on my way to hopefully sing this one live! The one I added is by Chris Tomlin! Did I tell you all how music is my favorite way to worship? It feeds my soul!


So much Love,
Angie xoxo

Smile :)

I was so surprised to have received this from Tonja!
THANK YOU!

She is such a sweet friend here in blogland! This is so much fun!

I'd like to give this to all of the friends I've met! Everyone deserves a smile today! Everyone who visits my blog is welcome to add it to yours as you are all deserving of it, especially today on September 11, 2007!
I TOTALLY MEAN THIS...ALL OF YOU!

But...if I must choose one person, it would have to be Kim!

I can't wait to see all of your smiling faces one day soon!
I'm honored to have you as friends and Siestas!

Smiles,
Angie xoxo

How To Say Goodbye

Well, it's official. My son, John got his acceptance letter to The University of South Carolina yesterday! He will be transferring next semester. He has always wanted to move there and knows this is the time to leave.

You all know my daughter moved to New York in May. I miss her but am so glad she is happy!

God is in total control and I have to keep reminding myself of that!

Here's to letting them go... :)
Angie xoxo

I Surrender All

Again... What a beautiful song!
I need Him more than ever!
By faith...Angie
xoxo

As if I could ever forget...

I need to remind all of us that God really does perform miracles in our time! This morning I cannot help but remember where my husband and I were just one year ago today.

It was just a normal day when I got home from work and noticed an envelope on our front porch. It was a priority envelope addressed to me. When I opened it I read the letter from American Express congratulating me for winning an all-expense paid trip for two to Ulusaba's Private Game Reserve in South Africa. Also included were two Upper class tickets on Virgin Atlantic Airlines. The trip was estimated at $$,$$$. I immediately called the contact number since I was sure it was a scam and that someone was trying to steal my identity. Everyone I told agreed with me that... Okay, what's the catch? But... after SEVERAL calls to a lot of different people it was true! I guess because I pay my bill online I was in a drawing (of which I had no idea I had entered) and I was one of five people to win.

We started out with a week in London, before we flew to Johannesburg where we took a small plane to a very small airport where we changed planes to yet a smaller plane that took us to Ulusaba's private airstrip, where a Land Rover picked us up.


Why me? Well there is just no other way to explain it except the fact that God must really love me!
Thank you, Lord!

Isn't this the most unbelievable story you've ever heard? I still cannot believe it happened to me and it has already come and gone!


I pray for blessings for you today!!!
Much love,
Angie xoxo

Amazing Grace...

I am so Thankful this Thursday!

Hey Friends~

I have to tell you about this amazing girl God brought to our church last night! Her name is Immaculee Ilibagiza and she is a Rwandan Holocaust Survivor. She wrote a book called, "Left to Tell". She spoke to us about what happened to her in 1994. She had to hide in a Pastor's tiny bathroom with 7 other women for 3 months so she wouldn't get killed! She spoke about that time and how God changed her heart and allowed her to forgive the people who brutally murdered her parents, grandparents and her two brothers. She has no family left! She has God and that's enough!

Her story would give hope to anyone and show them how to forgive the unforgivable! Growing up (Catholic) she always prayed with her family, but she had to learn to really pray and the Pastor gave her a bible that she finally really read like it was the first time she opened it! She learned to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! She learned to trust God and surrender her life to Him! She knows for sure that if it weren't for God, she wouldn't be here today to tell about this! If she can do it anyone can!

At the end of the evening I was both excited and drained! She is beautiful! Please... if you need a good book to inspire you... read her story!

I am so thankful that I live in this country and that God is with me (and you) everyday!

Before she finished she asked our worship leader to sing her favorite song...
Amazing Grace
Angie xoxo

Warning: Very Cheezy Entry

Meghan was home and we did it all...We went to check out her brother's new house in East Lansing and it was very cool! We took him to dinner... Meghan got a little sad that she is no longer a student at MSU!

Check out the shoes! I was thinking... "You are kidding, right?"

We pampered ourselves... Can you believe I posted this one?
She had to get her hair done... the highlights were getting too expensive to keep up!
We had the best weekend! My husband was out of town so we spent the weekend "bonding"! We talked... and talked... and had coffee together, we cleaned her teeth, took a walk, watched a movie... had lunch at one of her favorite spots for... hummus and tabouli, then shopped in Birmingham! She had dinner with her college friends! On Saturday she went up to Harbor Springs to visit her dad.

We had SO much fun together and I already miss her! I didn't cry this time because I am going to visit her in October! I am doing SO much better!