Well, Well, Well...

yes, it's been awhile. i know. i'm slipping. this week has been a difficult one with a real estate faux pas around every corner but that is over now. our funding window has run out and as of tonight we only have to sign some papers and our house will be officially off the market. so, the good side of that coin? you don't have to listen to me whine about selling my house anymore. the bad side of it? we still live here. but really, i was just looking back through my stored pictures from the past few weeks and i realized that i have so much to be thankful for anyway and that well...i should just blog about a few reasons why.

numero uno: i have great friends. it's as simple as that. just to mention one, my good friend amy. when you go to her blog (and you will won't you...that's what i thought...thank you) you are greeted by a lovely bouquet of flowers grown by her and her incredible husband. well, guess what? she gave me one. ok, actually two but i only have a picture of the first one. isn't it absolutely lovely?

the second thing to be thankful for...a garage sale find. we found this...
at a garage sale for a quarter.

and who knew that something purchased for a quarter could make a four year old this happy?
and, who knew that star wars guys could have such a humdinger of a suare in a lincoln logs cabin?

third thankfulness...this beautiful icon given to me by a beautiful friend who just returned from fatima, portugal....and she also went to fetch my husband tonight when his car broke down...again. the car...definitely not something to be thankful for. the friend who would drop everything, go pick up my husband and then even stay for dinner...definitely.

And Now For Something Lighter...

...a really cute picture of my kids! (i definitely think the cardboard cowboy hat makes the whole thing, don't you?)

In Preparation...

tonight i began my novena for the feast of the assumption. i found it here and i particularly love this one. i don't know why but i am enamored with this phrase from it, "Teach me how small earth becomes when viewed from heaven." i get so hung up on this, on the stuff, on the here and now...and totally miss the big, the biggest picture. what is that you say? that this all doesn't matter. that it's passing, it's fleeting, it's just that, the here and now. but it is not the forever, the eternal, the unchanging. i get mired in the stuff.

and now that we are on it, why is it that once we have accepted that we may be disappointed...God goes and changes the ballgame? i don't know. it's late and i need to sleep. maybe i'll have the answer tomorrow. if you already have it...could you let me in on the secret? thanks.

Sing It Sister!

thank you Mandisa for putting my past few months to music. it's always great to have a soundtrack you know. :)

It's Only the World - Mandisa

Been a hard one, Been a bad one
Been a tough one, Been a sad one
It's been one of those days that keeps chipping away at my heart
Nothing new here, It's what I do here
its a stereotypical day, in the life
I'm surrounded by all of the pain and the strife
but I know it's alright

Cause it's only the world i'm living in
It's only today i've been given
There ain't no way i'm giving in
Cause it's only the world (oh cause it's only the world)
I know the best is still yet to come
Cause even when my days in the world are done
There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me
do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world

Anybody can you hear me?
Do you feel me? I mean, do you feel me?
I know I'm not the only one wearing the weight of this world
We got problems (said it's alright)
Just remember (yeah, it's alright)
Take a good look around we're just stuck on the ground for a little while
Don't it make you smile

Cause it's only the world i'm living in
It's only today i've been given
There ain't no way i'm giving in
Oh Cause it's only the world (only the world)
I know the best is still yet to come
Cause even when my days in the world are done
There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me
do do do do do do do do do, yeah its only the world

Heaven is a place where the tears on every face will be wiped away
Oh And I can't wait to go, but for now it's enough to know
This is only temporary this is only, Yeah, Alright!

Cause it's only the world i'm living in
It's only the day i've been given
There ain't no way i'm giving in
Cause it's only the world (only the world)
I know the best is still yet to come
Cause even when my days in the world are done
There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me

check out her first album. it just cam out on 7/31.

In All Things I Will Praise Him

from the book of Job:
Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house; and there came a messenger to Job, and said, "The oxen were plowing and the asses feeding beside them; and the Sabe'ans fell upon them and took them, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, "The Chalde'ans formed three companies, and made a raid upon the camels and took them, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house; and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you."
Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshiped. And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."
In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

let us follow his example, thank God for all things and be faithful, hopeful servants.

Check This Out For Your Listening Pleasure

a week or so ago i was blessed with a free copy of the Monk & Neagle cd which will be released on september 18th. i have put off blogging about the cd for a bit because i wanted to blog about more than my first impression. but ok, the impression is still the same...it flat out rocks. this is straight out of your radio, stand up and say amen kind of music. i dare anybody to stay in a bad mood while listening to it. be sure to head over here and check out #1 in the listening booth. it's a track called "beautiful you" which is my favorite. so head on over and order yourself a copy!