Friends, coffee and pottery

I love random outings. They make life so much fun.

Saturday was one of those outings. Met my best friend and her sister to celebrate her sister's birthday. First met at Serda's coffee (YUM!!!) then surprised Hannah by going to paint some pottery at "Paint that Pottery" in Mobile.

We are waiting for our creations to be finished, but I have pictures to show you. I'll put up the final projects when I pick them up in about a week.

The beginning stages of my cup. Before it was painted. I'm loving more and more drinking out of these types of cups rather than regular glasses.

Hannah and Jana working hard on their projects.

The last of my cup. Once it gets fired and glazed the colors will be much brighter. I'll be sure to put the final products pictures on here when I get them. I'm excited about my design. I wasn't sure about it as I drew it, but I think it turned out well. The inside of the cup is teal, but i didn't get a picture of it.

More to come later!!!!!

3 Blind Mice

This is going to be a short post...
I'll have a more meaningful post tomorrow...
it's been a long day though.

My day started when I left the house at 6:15 this morning because I had to be at work early to work a special event. The Lord provided a beautiful sunrise for me to drive to work to.

I get back to my office after the event and had some unwanted guests I had to ask a man I work with to help me escort them out. Let's just say those mice on Cinderella gave me a false impression...the guests I had today do not sing, dance and wear cute little t-shirts and hats like hers do. I was very disappointed.

After that, chaos pretty much broke loose. Won't go into details... just a hard day.

Came home, tried to go walking.... interrupted by lighting and rain.

I'm hoping tomorrow is much better and smoother. Here's hoping!!!!

Memories....

Ok, many of you know I sing. I was standing in our congregation yesterday and had these crazy flashbacks of growing up that I felt I wanted to share.

My Dad's side of the family is all gifted in some sort of music or just enjoys sitting around singing. I have memories of gathering for holidays and my aunt playing the piano and all the his sisters and brother and the adults singing hymns or old gospel songs. Most of the songs I learned didn't come from the Baptist hymnbook or worship hymnal. They are songs that are just gospel songs... nothing special about them, except that they worship Jesus. I have vivid memories of going to a barn on a friday evening as a child with my dad, aunt and grandmother and singing songs out of a book while they had a full band on this "stage" complete with hay barrels and animals in the back. There would be a piano, banjo, drums, cymbal, different horns, guitar... you name it, it was probably there at one time or another. I grew up believing that singing was worshipping Jesus, not if you hit the note or not. I still don't quite understand the whole "singing a special in church" deal.

To this day my dad still sings around the house no matter what he's doing. I do believe his most famous is singing like Louis Armstrong as he cleans the kitchen. Ask my mom or brother, they can testify to this. Well my dad doesn't sing "specials" in church but believe me when I tell you that he can be heard across the church. We have little old ladies who will fight to sit in front of him just so they can hear him sing during the service.

Well I was sitting by him yesterday and of course I can hear him loud and clear. As I was singing I suddenly realized how easily i fall into harmony sitting next to him. It made me think how I fit in my family...though many times I wonder if my parents really listen I know that I am in that family for God's glory. Then it made me think about how I fit in God's family. I have a place and a purpose in His family, in His body for His glory.

Even when we aren't sure why or for what God may have us somewhere, we fit into a specific slot that was carved out just for us so that He may receive glory. Fit into the piece in which He leads you to...

Advice from a good friend....

What you talking about, Willis?

So many times in life we let our jobs, family, money issues, whatever just bog us down. The Lord has everything worked out in His timing and will supply for our every need.

"And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 4:19

He provides the clothes on our backs, a shelter over our head, even the very food we need to sustain us from day to day...

My friend, Max, enjoys his food and would offer to share with anyone he met. I visited with him on Friday evening, well technically with his mom but who's keeping a record. We all enjoyed a meal together and he wanted me to make sure I had bread. His mom can testify that many times he offered me a piece of his bread, though I politely declined seeing as he had already enjoyed it as the picture above shows.

We need to hold onto the things in this life as loosely as we can. Scripture tells us that our treasures are bound in Heaven. Things we hold on to here will fade away. They are meaningless! We need to trust that the Lord will provide for us. Children often teach us how to enjoy the life the Lord has given to us.

Thanks Max for reminding me of the story of David and Goliath and reminding me how many stones it took David to kill Goliath. Also for reminding me that God supplies what you need, right when you need it just like He did with David.

Many times the Lord surprises us with blessings we didn't expect from Him.

At times, things may not go just as we had planned, but we are to remember He has our best in mind. Be slow to anger, slow to speak and quick to listen.

The Lord smiles on His children and desires to give us good things. Sometimes even a candy house with our sister. Right Max? :)

Good start to a Friday morning!

I really need to start adding pictures to this blog. No, but I want to share with others my interesting morning. My dad and I stopped to get gas this morning and I always go in to pay. I walked through the door. The man behind the counter screamed something as he then ran to the back of the store.

I stand there not quite sure what to do. I wait about a minute and a half and this other man emerges from the back room carrying a display to put on the counter. He slowly puts the display on the counter, changes the placement, adjusts the display...all the while I'm thinking "dude, come on I'm going to be late to work!". Well i finally pay for the gas so my dad can start filling the car. I walk away from the counter to get something to drink and a snack for the day. I come back up to the counter with a bottle of mountain dew, a pack of crackers (for breakfast) and a mid-morning sweet snack. He rings everything up and says "$1.09". I thought he said $21.09, so I asked him to repeat it. I looked at the price on the register and he said "$1.09". I thought... do I argue with him?

I don't, pay the man $1.09 and gather my items to leave. I'm sure he simply made a mistake because he definitely got jipped! But hey, I got a discount. Yeah for great happenings on a Friday morning!! :)

Questions, Complaints, Comments....

I’ve been eating lunch at work more frequently trying to save money and honestly just because I’m tired of eating out. Plus it’s healthier than buying burgers or fried food. Friday I was eating with our program men and our chaplains and I sat with some of our newer men in the program. We were having a good conversation and I had swatted at a fly once or twice. With the heat outside and our kitchen doors always being opened we have developed a fly/nat problem. I made the comment “man, these flies are getting on my nerves”. To which the man across from me replied “you know, I didn’t even notice the fly until you said something. Before I got into the program, flies used to live with me, so I didn’t even notice the flies.” That statement stayed with me the rest of the afternoon.

I left work and went to the Christian bookstore looking for some new tracks. I went into the restroom and the toilet paper dispenser was one of those that you really have to work at getting the toilet paper off. It doesn’t just roll like it should; you have to manually roll it with your hands because it only flips so far. I got frustrated and thought “man, these people make enough in the bookstore…you’d think they would buy a decent toilet paper roll dispenser.” Then the Lord spoke! I felt Him calm my spirit and softly remind me of the conversation I had had with the man earlier that day. I felt as though He whispered to my heart “Jessica, there are people who are living with flies whom I love.. why are you complaining about a toilet paper dispenser?”
Needless to say, I shut up real fast. I walked out of that restroom having to ask forgiveness for the fact that I was selfish and impatient to the point of complaining to the Lord about having to work to get toilet paper when there are some who are sick because they don’t have the proper hygiene supplies to be clean.

We are a blessed people. Are these blessings things that make our lives comfortable or are these blessings things that we truly need? If the Lord called us to be uncomfortable for a while…. Do we love Him enough to say “Yes Lord.”?

Isaiah 43:4 says
“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.”

Walk by the Spirit…not by the flesh. Scripture says nothing about being comfortable, but everything about freedom. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” ~ 2 Corinthians 3:17

hmmmm

Wonder if people actually read this blog or if I'm simply talking to no one.....