His Heart, My Desire – Page 2 – Loving Llfe while striving for a Heart Like His

Alcohol…No Respecter of Persons

I have been wanting to write on this subject for some time now. I am in the process of actually writing a book on this subject. My book will be an easy to read workbook that will be full of information to educate someone on all that is involved in drinking alcohol. We actually have a choice to drink or not to drink. It seems in our culture, it is a given that when you turn 21, you now get to drink. I often wonder if that 21 year old is ever sat down and discussed in detail all the risks involved in drinking. I know, you are thinking, “Beverly, do you really think young people actually wait until they are 21?” Right, I wasn’t born yesterday. I also was once a teenager as well. I can honestly say that I don’t recall anyone ever sharing with me all the risks in drinking. It was handed to me at the age of 13. Literally put in my hand. I didn’t take a drink, I just passed it back. By the time I was 13, I had seen enough of alcohol and wanted no part of it. I made up my mind in my wee little brain at a young age that it would not be a part of my life. Who would ever think that it would be a battle to…JUST SAY NO. Trust me, when you decide to say no, you will be ridiculed and challenged regularly. Saying no is not for sissies! -wink

In some of my research, I found out that April is the 33rd Annual Alcohol Awareness Month. 33rd! I am now 59 and I have never in my life heard that there was an Alcohol Awareness Month. Where have I been?!

My husband and I support two children from other countries through Compassion. Each month I print out the monthly prayer calendar. One of the prayer requests caught my eye; A prayer request for a young boy in Brazil. The request was to pray for him and his family due to his alcoholic father. It broke my heart. I thought, out of all the hardships that this young boy lives with; bad water, no food, extreme poor living conditions and education and now, this young boy has to live with the ravages of an alcoholic dad. If life isn’t hard enough, right?

When alcohol takes a hold and takes a bite out of your life, it doesn’t matter, how old or young you are, how poor or wealthy you are, how outgoing or shy you are, how likable or unlikable you are and it doesn’t even matter if you are a Believer or an Atheist. Alcohol is no respecter of persons. No one is above the perils of alcoholism.

Here are just a few statistics to get you to thinking:

*These statistics are from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Also, note these are 2015 statistics and in the United States only. Also, they use the term, Alcohol Use Disorder instead of the word, Alcoholism.

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in the United States:

* Adults (ages 18+): According to the 2015 NSDUH, 15.1 million adults ages 18 and older had AUD. This includes 9.8 million men and 5.3 million women.

I have to jump in here and say “Do you think that ANY of those 15 million adults said to themselves, “I think I’m going to be an alcoholic!” I would pretty much be willing to bet 15 million on the fact that “NO! Not one of them did!” Okay, back to the statistics….

» Youth (ages 12–17): According to the 2015 NSDUH, an estimated 623,000 adolescents ages 12–17 had AUD. This number includes 298,000 males and 325,000 females.

» An estimated 88,0008 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

» In 2014, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 9,967 deaths.

I will be sharing more in later posts between now and April in honor of Alcohol Awareness Month.

I do hope you will follow along with an open mind and in no way do I intend to hurt or shame anyone in their choice to drink alcohol or not. My desire is to show another side that just may save a life or prevent some not so good things that could happen to you or your family.

I’ve lived the life of that little boy in Brazil. I know first hand how it feels to have a daddy that is addicted to alcohol. My dad began drinking at the age of 14. He has shared the story of how his parents were having a party and he and a friend sat under the table where it was being served and hid while partaking in the drinks the adults were having. He gained an appetite for more and he loved it. What I would give, if someone had reached him before he took that first drink. My life would have been much different than what I lived through for many years. It wasn’t pretty and it leaves many scars. My dad and many others had no idea they would become a slave to alcohol and it would change the entire course of their life.

One thing to remember is:

“It’s not about us!”

What we do and partake in will effect others, especially, our children and grandchildren.

Until we get together again on this subject, I have a challenge for you.

Get a piece of paper and draw a line down the center of your paper. On one side put a heading that says, “Positives of Alcohol.” On the other side, write, “Negatives of Alcohol.” Begin writing everything you can think of under each column. This is just for you, so you can begin thinking and deciding what stand you will take on the consumption of alcohol.

Heavy subject, I know. It is something that I know way too much about and yes, I have strong opinions on it. But, I am mature enough to only want the best for you and to share another side than what the world is pouring for you. Get it…” pouring.” That just popped in my head as I was typing. Seriously, I hope you will follow along and we can learn some things together.

Until next time,

Iris, A Special Lady

Today is the Iris’ birthday. The only problem is, I can’t call her and wish her a happy 91st birthday. Iris passed away 4 months ago.

I met Iris about 25 years ago. I had just started a local group with Concerned Women For America. Iris was very active in local politics, church life, leadership in Eagle Forum and in her spare time she loved her work as a Landman. She traveled across the country doing land work.

Iris taught me everything I needed to know about politics. I traveled to Washington D.C. with her to Eagle Council as well as St. Louis. I met Phylis Schlafly a couple of times along with Clarence Thomas and numerous other conservative leaders. Iris was active in our local Republican Women’s group and encouraged me to do so as well. I attended three Texas State Republican Conventions as a delegate. I learned more about politics than I cared to know. It is all very exciting and at the same time “politics.” Many times someone that was running for political office would come to town and Iris would be the one to take them to all the “important people” to ask for their support and I had the pleasure of driving several of them to their various appointments.

Iris loved her country and she prayed faithfully for God to continue to bless our country in a great and mighty way. She loved her son and grandson with everything that she had. Iris became a single mom when her son was very young. She did an excellent job in raising him. She also cared for her mother until she passed away.

When Iris was young, she was a Rangerette at Kilgore College. I loved to hear her stories about those days. She went on to graduate from Baylor University.

When I first met Iris, she put together a tour to various small towns around our city and had a team of speakers on different subjects. At the time, I was working with Concerned Women for America and our goal was to rid our community of pornography. That’s a whole story in itself, but, Iris convinced me to give a speech on what pornography does to a community as well as families. It took a lot of convincing and a lot of prayer to get up in front of a room full of strangers and speak on that subject. Iris always encouraged me in my speaking and my writing. Every time I talked to her, she would ask me about my book or where I spoke last. She also loved my family. She prayed for each one of them and always said the kindest things about each one. She loved my Jim and even made sure that he would preach her funeral. She was confident he would share the gospel. She knew everything about both of our kids and their lives and prayed for each one regularly. She loved my mom and always asked about her.

Iris introduced me to a lady named Carol over 25 years ago and we have been dear friends since that day. Together we have traveled on a regular basis to visit Iris when she moved to be closer to her son. What a time we had. Iris could walk, but, we could get places so much faster if we pushed Iris in a wheel chair. When we visited, Iris was ready to go shopping, eating out and going to church. We kept the road hot in The Woodlands for the 3-4 days that we visited each time. Iris lost her eye sight the last few years of her life, but you would have never known it. She insisted on going to movies, especially, the movies that our son worked on. She wanted to know every detail. Iris needed hearing aids and rarely wore them, so, what fun Carol and I would have wheeling Iris around to shopping centers, restaurants, movie theaters and church while talking very loud and describing everything we see.

The last couple of years Iris spoke a lot about Heaven. She told me she couldn’t wait to get there and see Jesus face to face. We talked on the phone about that for hours. She wanted to listen to books on tape about Heaven. Right before she passed away, she had a trip planned to go to The Cove, the home of Billy Graham and the Bible Museum in Washington DC. Not much slowed Iris down. Carol and a I would get home from our trips with Iris and have to take a couple of days to rest. I was the driver of our excursions once we got to The Woodlands. Iris would sit in the front seat with me and even though she couldn’t see a thing, she always knew if I made a wrong turn or not. She could tell me where to go and how to get there. She would describe the location and what the place looked like that we were driving to. She also heard everything Carol and I would say when we were trying to figure out our plans for the day. She was a smart little cookie! Nothing got passed Iris!

One last story to share that makes me smile when I think about it. About 4 years ago, I was having lunch with Iris and she asked if I would take her to Roswell. Roswell is a few hours from our city and I told her that sounded good and I would check my calendar and let her know for sure if and when. I talked to Jim, checked my calendar and called her and asked her when she would like to go to Roswell. She said, “Honey, I didn’t say Roswell, I said Toronto, Canada.” Long story short, her son took her to Toronto.

Here is a link to a post I did years ago of a recipe Iris gave me. Click here to read.

Happy Birthday, Iris! I know you are seeing such beauty and hearing the sweet voice of our Savior!

Dirty Little Words

Is it just me or have you noticed the questionable language that is rampant right now. Yes, I know people have been using foul language for a long time, but, it just seems that now it’s even cool to use words that you don’t expect to hear even on a news cast. It’s a common thing to hear a beep when interviewing people at a scene of an accident or rioters in the street. I can’t help but be curious when the beep goes on for a long time, what they are saying! I always think how can they say that many curse words in one long sentence. Or a famous “movie star” or “rock star” accepts his award and as he is talking, the silence button is on and you see his mouth moving for several seconds and wonder, what in the world is he saying that lasts that long. I’m guessing we probably don’t want to know.

I can hear someone saying, “oh no, poor Beverly, she is so fragile, she can’t stand to hear curse words.” I had someone tell me once, “Beverly, cover your virgin ears!” My virgin ears? What does that mean?

I grew up in a home where I heard plenty of questionable words. Granted, I didn’t know they were questionable words. I thought they were normal words. Words you use when you are happy, excited, mad or sad and especially when you are in trouble. I remember a few times my younger brother trying some out and he got his mouth washed out with soap. Yes, literally with soap. And back then we used a soap called, LAVA. Ouch! Needless to say, I didn’t want to try any words out. I really didn’t think about it. It was just life and that what grownups do.

I was in Jr. High and a group of girls were picking on me. We call it “bullying” now days. I seemed to be a pretty good target for bullies in jr. high. Anyway, one day, I was hurt and I was mad and someone asked me what was wrong. I let out a string of words that I had no idea I even knew how to say. I remember being embarrassed and almost ashamed by what I said. I didn’t like the way I felt. I felt ugly and I felt dirty. I also didn’t like the idea that people would think I talked that way. I made a choice that day…. I would not say ugly words like that ever again.

Today, I am 59 years old and I can still hear in my head the words that were used towards me and around me while growing up. I can still hear the dirty jokes that were told in my ear shot while at school. I’m almost pretty sure that it’s safe to say that, I’ve heard it all.

Anyone that knows me well, knows that I am very picky about the movies I watch and the music I listen to. I can be watching a very good movie with an actor that I really like and when the language starts, I am done. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why Hollywood can’t make a movie without bad language. I just don’t think it’s possible anymore. I recently watched a 30 minute program because someone I knew was starring in it. This show featured kids and of course, bad language is used. I think it’s sad that we now know that it’s a normal thing to hear bad language even in a program that is primarily about young kids. If you say anything, then you are the strange one. Everyone knows that bad language is just a part of life. You can’t protect your children from it and if you try to, you are, well…..let’s just say…..strange…..out of it………miss goody two shoes (that was always my go to name from others)….the list goes on and on.

Now, we have politicians, newscasters, comedians, speakers and writers who just use whatever word they choose for the day, taking no consideration of who it will offend. Because, obviously when you can use bad words you are powerful and tough. You mean business when you can throw in a choice word or two. As one speaker I listened to at a conference said and I quote, “I’m a bad*** for Jesus!” Yea, she got a round of applause! So cool, right? Nah!

If you are like me and you made a choice that bad language would not be part of your world, you may find it a bit difficult sometimes. If you choose to not be around people that use bad words, write bad words, make fun of those that don’t use bad words, watch movies without bad words….well, let’s just say, you may find yourself alone and even thinking….”What is wrong with me?” “Why can’t I tolerate all of this?”

That’s when you go to God’s Word and hear what He has to say. You know, the one who created all of this. He gave man the free will to do whatever he wants to do. The problem is, if you chose to give your life to Christ and make Him Lord of your life, there are a lot of things that you may choose not to do and one of those are the words that we choose to say and think. When the Holy Spirit moves into your heart….thoughts, words and actions change. You have a total life change! And, oh am I so thankful for that!

When I was 13 years old, I made the choice to not use bad words because of the way it made me feel inside and how I thought others would view me. I didn’t want to be the kid with a dirty mouth.

When I was 14, I gave my life to Christ. I knew that He died for me and my sin and I then wanted to live my life for Him. I had a new reason not to talk ugly and dirty. I wanted my life to reflect that of my Heavenly Father. Oh, my, yes, there were a few times I slipped and I can actually remember one and I thought, where in the world did that come from. When your mind is full of junk, it will eventually come out. My mind had listened to it for a long time. 12 years in the public school system plus life outside of school, trust me, you will get more of an education than you bargained for.

When we set our children in the movie house or in the movie room and let them sit and watch whatever is popular and let their minds fill up with dirty words, it will come out. We buy them the latest music hit that is filled with choice words and let it fill their minds…it will come out eventually.

I know I have shared this so many times. There is a site called Plugged In. I challenge you to search the latest movie and read all about it. Then ask yourself if this what you want to put in my children’s minds. Or better yet, is this what you want to fill YOUR mind with. Two hours of 45 s words, 60 F words, the list goes on and on. We are just talking language now, not all the other.

I think it’s comical when we as adults do, say and participate in things that we don’t want our children doing. I haven’t figured out the logic of that one yet.

So, when we watch the news and wonder what has happened to our young people…what has happened to our culture? Take a look at what we fill our minds with. Newsflash…as parents we are responsible for what we let them fill their minds with. WE are responsible for what we fill OUR minds with.

In our Christian culture, I’ve noticed it has become popular to come as close to using bad language as possible. It always gets an easy laugh. I’ve heard preachers use language that I remember my brother getting his mouth washed out for and we laugh and say, “Isn’t he the coolest, he can use risky language all in the name of Jesus!” The one that is the rage right now is a word that is used for someone going to the bathroom, yea, that one. “Now, when they use that, they are seriously upset about something and yet so with it and cool!” What I wonder is, what is the next step for the next cool word that as Christians we can use and not think anything of?

Oh, Beverly, you better stop now. You are really a peculiar one, aren’t you? Yes, I am and thank you. I will take that as a compliment.(-wink)

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;” – I Peter 2:9

Love that verse….I have been called out of the darkness! So very thankful!

Are you wanting help in cleaning up your language? Fill your mind with good things. Make a point to delete things from your life such as movies, music, books, etc. that are filled with bad language. Ask the one who loves you so much that He died for you to give you strength and to renew your mind. I know you can do it!

Thanks so much for following along on my blog and all of my latest thoughts. I sincerely do not intend or want to offend anyone. My goal is to encourage and edify. My other goal is to give you something to think about. I’m always anxious to hear your thoughts and challenges.

I’m linking this post with the blog, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home.

Cruisin’ With The Grandkids

If you want to spend some fun quality time with your grand kiddos, I would suggest a Disney Cruise! We took our two granddaughters last summer on a Disney Cruise and last month we took two of our grandsons. What fun we had! We flew into Orlando, Florida and went straight to the ship and sailed for seven days. We stopped at two islands in the Virgin Islands and then of course, when cruising with Disney, you always stop at their own private island, Castaway Cay. This particular ship, The Disney Fantasy, was celebrating Star Wars. This was right up their ally as their Uncle Nathan introduced them to Star Wars a few years ago and now they love anything Star Wars.

Each day was non-stop activity. The food was absolutely first class and delicious. The staff on Disney cruises are exceptional. They treat you like royalty. My favorite part about the dining is, each evening you dine in a different restaurant. Each restaurant has a theme and it’s hard to describe, but, they are awesome. My favorite was Animator’s Palette. Your wait staff follows you to each restaurant. They are waiting on you when your arrive at the door and they make each meal so much fun for the kids. They remember your name and what you drink with your meals. They even do magic tricks with the kids at the table. Get this…..they cut their meat up on their plate. You don’t have to lift a finger for anything. Sounds crazy, but, you need to go and you will see what I mean.

Sorry about the glare on this picture. I took a picture of a picture and it had a glare on it.

The boys got Papa on the water tube that goes up above and around the ship. Yes, even over the ocean….I’m not doing that! I’ve said it before, every kid needs a Papa like my Jim. He played as hard as those two boys did. I kept up the best I could and got in some shopping and went to the spa one day. Did you know they have a Tiffany’s on board?

It just so happened our 39th wedding anniversary was during the cruise. Jim and the boys made a trip into Tiffany’s and gave me a gift certificate to buy something. I’m not sure if you know this or not, but, $500.00 doesn’t get very much in Tiffany’s. I needed one more zero. -wink. So, instead, I went to another gift shop and found a couple of cute things. Too sweet!

I took this picture in the ice cream shop. It was the cutest little shop!

The ocean is breathtaking. Each evening the sunsets were so beautiful!

On Star Wars Day, most everyone was dressed in Star Wars costumes.

The Storm Troopers were walking the ship and they were very serious.

We ran into Disney Characters on a regular basis. Always fun! I think I got as excited as this little guy did!

Pirate Day was hilarious. I think they got a bit too much into it. They were pretty scary looking.

That’s about as pirate as I got…someone had to keep things straight. I told them I was Mary Poppins. Kept everyone safe and in line….My specialty.

Ahh….dress up night. My favorite! The most handsomest guys on the ship!

Guess who won 400 plus dollars at bingo with their Papa? Where was Mary Poppins?

Mary Poppins and Mickey hope you get to enjoy a Disney Cruise soon! Now, Spit Spot, let’s move along! (my new favorite saying)

If you want to read about the cruise we took with our granddaughters, you can click here and see that post. I’m truly grateful that we were able to enjoy these times with our cutie pies! I can’t wait to take the youngest soon! He will love it!

Spring Fashion for 2019

It’s Fashion Friday! Only one problem….it’s Sunday. Yes, I’m behind, so let’s get started.

Each season, Pantone sets the colors for the season and they recently released the latest for Spring/Summer 2019. They are gorgeous!

The Color of the Year is…Living Coral. This is a color that looks great on everyone.

Notice the Color Codes are labeled on each Pantone Color. If you do not know your color code, click here to find out. I am a soft, so the colors that would look best on me are, Fiesta, Jester Red, Turmeric, Living Coral, Pepper Stem, Aspen Gold and Princess Blue. Yay! I’ll be anxious to hear what you think of the colors in your color code.
The color code graphic was provided by a sister Style Coach, Sally Luebben. Visit her site here.

The styles are really fun this season. To me, it looks a bit like 70’s and 80’s. I’ll list a few things that will be popular and I’ll share more in my next fashion post.

Polo Dress, Shirtdress, Prairie Dresses, Flouncy Long Skirts, Suits, Wide-legged Pants, Trench Coats, Ruffles, Fringe, Bouncy Bows, Animal Print Shoes, Chunky Leather Sandals, Mules, Straw Hats, Headscarves, Headbands, Shell Jewelry, Statement Belts, Macrame Bags, Embellished Sunglasses…

I love trench coats and when I saw this pink trench coat in the Talbot’s catalog, I fell in love with it. Yes, I purchased it! -smile

Last week, I shared with you the skin care that I was trying out. You can read about it here if you missed it.

This week, I am going to share with you the hair care products that I just purchased. I learned of the skin care that I’m using now while on a Disney Cruise last month. The spa also used a hair care brand called Kerastase. I decided to give this a try as well. I didn’t purchase on the ship, but, I ordered it online as I couldn’t find it locally. It took less than a week to be delivered which isn’t too bad. I will begin using it tomorrow and let you know how it does in a few weeks.

I have dry hair and it is also thick and coarse. I wash my hair every morning. I know everyone says that you should only wash your hair every two or three days. I’ve tried, but, I love having fresh clean hair. Maybe it’s a phobia, I’m not sure. I can’t stand the smell of stinky hair. Sometimes when I’m out and about, someone will pass me and I can tell they haven’t washed their hair in a while by the smell. Isn’t that terrible? I don’t judge, I just have such a sensitive nose. Plus……when I wake up each morning, my hair is all over the place and it stays that way. I can try to brush it down and it pops right back up. I’m guessing since it’s so thick and coarse….not sure. I’ve tried the just wetting and drying thing, but, I think I might as well wash it. All, that to say, I try to use a good shampoo for dry hair and lot’s of conditioner and hair masks.

I had to look each product up and write on the back of each bottle with a sharpie the instructions of what it is. Everything is in French. I took French in high school, but, I’m not that good. It’s a bit pricey, so it is going to have to really impress me to keep it up.

Did you see that embellished sunglasses are in style? Last year, we went to Vancouver, B.C. I bought these sunglasses simply because they were so cute! Who knew they would be in. Have to be a bit brave to wear them.

Thanks so much for being a reader of my blog. I love blogging. I’m on the quiet side and I’m always the one that listens and takes everything in. Blogging is my chance to talk (type) away without worrying that I’m intruding on someone else.

I’ll be doing a review of our Disney Cruise on my next blog post.

One more thing, fashion is fun, but, you can be as fashionable and wearing all the correct colors, but, if you don’t have the peace that you were created by an Amazing God that loves you so much, it’s all in vain. If you are wondering what I’m talking about, click here to read more.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full and well.” Psalm 139:14

One of My Favorite Subjects; Fashion!

I wanted to share this news one more time. I didn’t elaborate too much on my plans before as I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it. What are you talking about Beverly?

I am now a certified “Christian Image Consultant.” I received my training and certification with Shari Braendel of Fashion Meets Faith.

Shari began in the fashion industry many years ago and was originally trained in the color coding that was popular in the 80’s. You may remember the spring, summer, fall and winter themes that were used to tell you what colors looked best on you. Shari discovered that that type of color analysis didn’t fit many people. She then developed her own system which has been a huge success. She is a sought after author, speaker and Fashion Stylist who is very knowledgeable in all things fashion! I’m very grateful to have been able to train under Shari.

I’ll share just a tiny bit to see if you are at all intrigued.

You are one of these color codes which is determined by your hair and eye color:

Soft, Light, Cool, Deep, Warm or Clear.

If you click here, you can receive a free analysis through Fashion Meets Faith. I can also assist in determining what your color code is as well. But, if you go to that link, you can find out right away.

I am also trained to help determine the best fashion style for your body type. We use the BODX system. I will share more on this in future writings on some upcoming Fashion Fridays.

According to your height, you are going to be a Glamour Girl, Movie Star or Rock Star. Hmmm…..I wonder which one you are? I’m classified as a Movie Star.

All of this knowledge is just the beginning in helping you look your very best. Lot’s of tips and tricks as well as shopping help and guidance in how to set your closet up so it is easy to get dressed each morning are just some of the things I’m able to offer.

If you are at all interested in more information that is designed just for you, feel free to email me at the link on the right side of this post. Or, just follow along on Friday’s for more tips and tricks. This will be so much fun!

By the way, my color code is the Soft category because of my dark blonde hair and green eye color. The colors that look best on me are “softer and more mellow” colors. Although, this past fall, my hair had some red in it. Wonder how that happened? hmmmm…..Anyway, with the red in my hair, I was then the Warm Color Code. I love the warm colors! After my last hair appointment, I’m back to a Soft Color Code. You just never know what I’m going to do next in the hair area!

A while back when I was teaching a ladies class, I arrived early and was getting ready for the class to begin. I felt good, refreshed and was thinking I had my stuff together. A lady came in and I said “Good Morning!” She looked at me and said, “Are you feeling okay?” I said, “Yes, I am, why?” She then said, “You look tired and you don’t look like you feel well.” After that conversation I all of the sudden thought I needed to go lay (or lie?) down. I lost the little bit of confidence that I had that morning. When I think back on that day, I was wearing a jacket that wasn’t in my color code. I’m pretty sure that might have been the problem. When we wear the colors that don’t work well with our coloring, we will look washed out, tired and even our wrinkles or dark circles pop out! Who wants that? Not me! Life is hard enough, don’t you think? -wink

Next week I will share all the Spring Trends and I’m sure you’ve heard what the color of the season is, right? Living Coral! The fabulous news is…this color looks great on everyone! I can’t wait to share more on all the latest trends for the season.

Shortly after I completed my course, I did a book review and shared more on the course. You can read about it here.

One more thing to share with you before I go.

We took our grandsons on a Disney Cruise a couple of weeks ago. Oh, my! What fun we had. I’ll share details soon, but, for now I wanted to tell you that one day I went to the spa while my Jim and the two boys were out and about sliding down the water tubes. What a beautiful spa is on the Disney Fantasy. If you are ever on that ship, you will want to visit. So, peaceful and beautiful. The staff was so friendly and kind. I’m not a huge spa person, but, I wanted to try a facial. If you have ever been on a cruise before and visited the spa, part of the deal is they will always encourage you to purchase the products that they use. The products that were used on me were the Elemis brand. I really like the way my skin felt and I’ve been wanting to try something different. I’ve used Mary Kay skincare forever and have gone back to Estee Lauder a few times. So, needless to say, I was intrigued by Elemis. Yep…..I bought it and I have loved it. I’ve used it for two weeks now and will see how my skin is when it’s gone and decide if I will want to keep it up. To me, it is a bit pricey, but, what can I say? I have dry skin and it just feels so moisturizing and good on my skin. I actually look forward to cleansing my face at night. I was told that I need to have more hydration and collagen on my skin. Here is a picture of some of the products I’m using. The Cleansing Balm is my very favorite! Love it!

That is all of my fashion news for today! Thank you for following along and be sure to sign up on the subscriber list if you would like to receive my latest post in your inbox.

Let me know what your color code is after you take the color analysis and I’m always interested in skin care. What are you using and what is your favorite?

A Fresh New Year

Happy 2019! We are at the end of the first month of the new year. Are you as shocked as I am? I just now got my “word” for the year figured out. I may be slow on some things, but, I usually get it done eventually.

This is my third year to choose a word and scripture for my theme of the year.

How do I choose my word?

As I’m planning my goals and dreams for the year, there is usually something that keeps popping in my head that I believe the Holy Spirit is nudging me about. This year there were three specific things that were on my mind and I wrote them down and came up with one word that pretty much summed up what I was dealing with. That word was, Renew.

I then went to God’s Word and did some research on this word and found several verses that dealt with this topic. As I read each of the verses, there was one that just popped. I knew without a doubt that was my verse to use as my theme verse for this year.

What does renew mean?

“: to make like new : restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection as we renew our strength in sleep2: to make new spiritually :3a: to restore to existence : b: to make extensive changes in : 4: to do again : 5: to begin again :” -Websters Dictionary

Why did you choose the word renew?

So glad you asked! As some of you know, I will be 60 this year! I can’t believe I just typed those numbers! But, I’m not thinking about it too much. I’m going to enjoy the last 5 months of my 59. I really like the 50’s. I’m trusting I will like the 60’s. But, let’s not talk about being 60 for now.

I have so many wonderful memories of my 59 years. I also have some sad memories. I’ve met some amazing people and have the blessing of having them in my life. I’ve also had some people that I will never understand how they think and how they get away with what they do. With all of that, throw in mistakes that I’ve made in my life over all these years and I would hope that the good choices I have made will outweigh my mistakes; I’m grateful for all of these years!

All that to say, I want to focus on renewing my thoughts, my goals and my life. I know without a doubt that I can’t do it on my own. That is why I chose the verse in Isaiah.

As I move into my 60th year, I’m depending on God to give me the strength to make the changes in my life that need changing and helping to reach my goals for this year. I actually created a vision board. This is the first time that I’ve done that. I won’t bore you with all my goals for the year, but, if I accomplish even half of them, I will be a happy girl! I decided I would share as I reach them. So, we will see what happens!

I encourage you to see if there is something that God wants you to focus on in your life that needs improving this year. Don’t just think about it and make a pretty meme, but, write it down and put it before you each day and make an effort to grow into what God is wanting to do in your life!

I heard a quote a long time ago. “God loves us just as we are, but, he loves us too much to leave us as we are.” I think that’s how it went.

Thanks for being a reader of my blog. I love your comments and look forward to hearing how God has nudged you to grow this year in certain areas of your life.

If you aren’t a subscriber to my blog, I would be honored if you subscribed. The subscription box is on the right side of my blog. You will receive in your inbox inspiration to be stronger in your walk with Christ in all the different areas of life that you and I are in the middle of. Let’s make 2019 the best year ever!

That’s A Wrap! Christmas 2018…

Christmas is over! It’s always bittersweet when the holiday’s are over. Part of me is sad to have to take all the decorations down and get back to normal. The other part of me is a bit excited to put away all the decorations and get ready for a fresh start; A New Year!

I told you that I would do a house tour in my last blog post. Well, a couple days have passed and I have a feeling everyone is tired of seeing Christmas decorations. I’ll just share a few pictures of a few things that I did this year.

Those are just a few things that make me smile.

Each year I decorate my moms house. We did some redecorating at her house this year and added some pink into her decor. I was excited to do a pink Christmas at her house. I had also found some pink fall decorations, too. That was just as fun!

Oh, one of my new favorite things to do during the Christmas season is going to Memphis and attending the Elvis Christmas concerts. We went last year for the first time and what fun it was. Everything is decorated Christmas and they have three concerts; A gospel concert, a Christmas concert and then Elvis in concert. They have a symphony playing his music and Elvis comes down on a huge screen. You would think he was really there. The new hotel is really nice and lot’s of fun. One morning they had a craft workshop where we made a Christmas ornament, which was fun! Made me realize how it’s been a while since I’ve crafted.

The best part of this Memphis trip was….we talked our son and daughter in love to go with us. I think they really enjoyed it. We toured everything possible and went to all the concerts, enjoyed the atmosphere and the yummy foods. Lot’s of memories were made.

We had an early Christmas with our daughter Patti and our son in love and their 5 cutie pies before they went to Colorado for Christmas. Lot’s of skiing, sledding and ice skating. They had so much fun.

Well…..that’s a wrap! Christmas 2018. I’ve always loved the Christmas season and I’m making notes for next year. I have a Christmas notebook were I make notes of things that worked and didn’t work, things I need for the next year and a timeline of when to get certain things done. Each year, I try to be more organized and try to make the season as festive and enjoyable as possible. I like to decorate early in order to be able to sit back and relax and enjoy the entire month of December. Speaking of Elvis…..one of my favorite Christmas songs he does is….”If Everyday Was Like Christmas.” If you get a chance, listen to it. I would post the song myself for you, but, I don’t have a clue how to do that.

Time to start taking down and putting away all the decor. My Jim likes to keep it up until after the first of the year. Me? I really want to take it down the day after Christmas. I sneakily and slowly begin taking things down and putting away right after Christmas. I love to deep clean each room as I get it “undecorated.” Shhhhh…..don’t tell him. Don’t worry, I leave the trees up and only do the rooms that are less noticeable.

With all the fun, decorating, shopping, eating and celebrating, the only thing that really matters is knowing all about the birth of a little baby that came to bring life to you and me. I’m so thankful to know this truth very well. Happy Birthday to the King of Kings!

I’m ready to ring in the New Year! Welcome 2019!

This is our year to sparkle! Are you ready?

Merry Christmas!

I know it’s been a while since you have seen me in your inbox. I didn’t mean to go this long without posting. I won’t make excuses and tell you how busy life has been. I try so hard not to use the word “busy.” You know me, I refuse to sit and tell you how busy life is. The truth is, we are all busy with things that we choose to be busy with. We shouldn’t have to make excuses and try to outdo one another in who is the busiest. Can you tell that is a pet peeve of mine? Instead, I will just say, “Wow! What a full and exciting 2018!” I am truly grateful for the opportunities to be with family and travel to some beautiful places this past year. We went for many years not being able to go anywhere to see anything that was more than a days drive, so, needless to say, I am enjoying every second of life that I can.

Here is my brief highlight of 2018:

March – Branson, MO for Praisefest

April – Disney Cruise to the Bahamas with our granddaughters.

May – Trip to Vancouver, BC

June – Hawaiian Cruise

Houston – Visit with a dear friend

September – Branson, MO

October – Dallas, TX – Bloggers Conference

October – Shreveport, LA – Funeral for my dear friend

October – Myrtle Beach, SC

November – Ft. Worth, TX

December – Memphis, TN

In between the travels were multiple trips to our Texas Hill Country home, concerts, golf tournaments, luncheons and dinner dates with friends and family.

So, here we are now waiting on Christmas which is my favorite time of the year. I’ve enjoyed decorating and preparing gifts for family and friends and most of all just the beauty and the reflecting on the reason for the season. How thankful I am to know that I have a Savior and because of the birth of Christ, my life has meaning and it has a purpose. I so hope that you, my faithful readers, know this for your own life. If you are wondering what I am talking about, I would love for you to click here and read more.

I’m so looking forward to 2019!

One of my favorite verses is, Proverbs 27:1, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”

So…my goal is to live each day to the fullest, as we don’t know what the next day may bring. That is why I also try to keep my house organized and cleaned. In case something strange happens, my kids won’t be too dismayed as they take care of “my things.” That’s a joke, sort of. (wink)

Thank you for following along on this journey of mine as I seek to have a heart like His, while living life to the fullest. The reason I share this part of my life with you is to hopefully inspire and encourage you to be all that God created you to be.

I don’t even want to start thinking about taking down all the decorations, but, I know that’s coming. My goal is to do a tour of our home decorated for Christmas in my next post. I didn’t go crazy this year in decorating, but, I did enough that it makes me smile when I look at it. Until then….

What You Got On? Your Mind?

That’s a funny title to me, “What You Got On? Your Mind?” I knew someone years ago that always said that and I never understood it. I think I get it now.

I just wanted to share a few things that are on my mind today.

I’m a list maker. My mind will play over and over and over something that I need to do or something I’m thinking about or even an article that I want to write. Once I get it all on paper, my mind is suddenly clear. So, first thing in the morning I make my list for the day. I used to do it the night before, but, my mind changes quickly and I may have a whole complete set of plans by morning. So, I make my list and I try to keep it practical. I LOVE crossing off the items I competed. Those things that I didn’t complete I add them to my list the next day. Such as, I have an item to get a birthday card for someone and I’ve added it to the list for the third day now. Maybe I will get it done today.

I LOVE the Fall Season! By the way, I have heard it both ways, do you capitalize Fall when speaking of the season? I’ve heard it both ways and after I finish this post I will look it up. That has been driving me crazy forever. I would think it would be capitalized since it’s the name of a season? But, who knows. I’ll get to the bottom of it today. I’ll put that on my list of to do’s. Speaking of fall….Fall…..we are getting ready to take our annual trip to the Ozarks! I love going there. We are getting to do something on this trip that was a last minute event and I will share next week what it is. I’m a wee bit excited! The temps are going to be in the 70’s. My favorite! Can’t wait!

Our son and daughter in law are coming home soon. They have been in Canada for several months. Our son is an animator and he has actually traveled the world working for major movie companies. Some of the movies he has animated for are: The Book of Life, The Peanuts Movie (my favorite), Ice Age 3, Rock Dog, Small Foot ( which is out this next week, can’t wait), Spider-Man (due out in December and there are more, I just can’t remember. I love the work he has done for a company called Super Simple Learning. Oh my, goodness….they are so cute! Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Little Snowflake, Sweet Dreams and others. Okay, I could go on an on, but….all that to say, I can’t wait til I see them.

My mom turned 80 this month. She is such an amazing lady. I wish you could sit down with her and glean her wisdom. She is not only beautiful and healthy, but she is a joy to be around. I hope I’m as full of life as she is when I’m 80.

I will be going to a blogger’s conference soon and I will be pitching a book that I’m working on. I’m a bit nervous about it as I’m not sure it will go over, but, we will see. I’ll share more on that soon.

Have you ever wept over a homeless person. Well, I’m not really sure they are homeless, but, where I live we have people standing on corners with signs that say something like, “Out of work, need money to pay bills” or “I’m a vet and homeless” etc. I was sitting at a light and a man was walking down the long stretch with his sign. He had a brace on his leg and he looked like he was about 60 or so. I didn’t have any small bills with me, so I hesitated to give him anything. Fortunately the car behind me did and I felt better. But, as he was walking back, all I could think of was, he is someone’s son. He is someones husband, maybe? He is someones father. Grandson…friend….I thought, how did he get to this place with so many people in his world. It’s a very sad thing to think about isn’t it? While in Austin last week, a young man was on the corner and he was obviously tired and just sat down and went to sleep. Cars were passing by and I thought, where are the people that love him? So, if you see me crying at a stop light and there is person begging for money, that is why.

Okay, I better stop for now, I could go on and on. My mind is just so full of so much thinking I could take up too much time and space on this post.

Well, one more thing! Is it just me or is the world getting crazier and crazier! I’m talking about the language that people use. Either I’ve been living in a bubble for years or all of the sudden the language is out of control. First of all, movies…..wow! I might see a movie listing and think, “that looks pretty good!” So, I look it up on my favorite site, Plugged In. They give you the main details of what to expect in different areas. When it gets to language, they give an actual count of how many times they use certain words. Example, one I looked up recently had 60 F words. How does that work? Can people not talk without using bad words? Then they list the other words and it’s just as many. Some I don’t even know what they are referring to. Not just movies, but, television and I’m not talking about tv shows….I only watch Hallmarky type movies. But…the news. My gracious people. Can you not use a sentence without curse words? Is it that hard? Politicians….I would expect better from you. Don’t even get me started with the protestors, rioters, etc. When you watch a clip of them tearing up whatever they can, it’s a constant beep, because they can’t speak without foul language. Years ago, I watched a movie about a NASA astronaut. It was based on a true story. He used bad language and a few weeks later, I saw the real astronaut giving an interview for someone, can’t remember who. Anyway, they asked him about the movie and if it were true to life. He said, “Yes, pretty much, but, the main thing is, we didn’t talk like that. The men I worked with had more character than that!” That has stuck with me for years. Too bad, people don’t value their character enough to not use bad language. I’ll go ahead and say that I think it’s also sad that those that choose not to use bad language, but, yet they use words that are just as crude. I don’t need to share what the words are as you probably know. Okay….that’s my rant for now….next!

I must end this What’s on My Mind with something more positive.

I often think where I could be in my life if it weren’t for Christ! How thankful and grateful I am that I put all of my faith in Him as a young teenager. I never take that for granted. I’ve seen what the other side has to offer and it isn’t pretty. No hope, no peace, no purpose. I now have hope, I have peace and I have a purpose. Most of all, I have a Savior who loves me. For this I am thankful.

Now, back to my list of TO DO’S for the day…..

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.” –Philippians 4:8

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