Blessing Day 3

I didn't get post earlier on Thanksgiving Day but I wanted to keep my blesings going so I could make the 25 days. Today my blessing is my dear children. It is hard being a mom. I make a lot more mistakes right now that I should and I am struggling to let "my little girls" really be the young ladies they have become. Things are hard right now but I will continue to be the mom God wants me to be.

I am blessed with two very diffrent yet equally special young ladies. God is good and I have two Christ loving daughters that love him, each other, and so many others. They are truly a very special blessing.

Thanks and Blessings Day 2

Well this is another beautiful day and the start of my Thanksgiving break. In just a few short hours we are off for one of my favorite family traditions. We always visit my husband's family for Thanksgiving holidays. It is always so awesome see his relatives and watch the kid's interact with their cousins that they don't see very often. As they have gotten older they have had less in common with their cousins, as to be expected, but it is still fun to see how they have all changed.

Which leads me to my blessing. I am so thankful for my husband. Now no one would say we are the picture of domestic bliss but we do love each other and thankfully over 18 years ago God gave me a husband that really was committed to better or worse, richer or poorer. I am so blessed by him.

So the next time he is about to drive me crazy for the 100th time I will read this post and be so grateful for my MARK.

What am I Thankful for

I am thinking alot about the holidays. Only two days till Thanksgiving and one month...yes, you read right..one month from Christmas. So I have decided to post daily about a blessing in my life. That means one month from today I should have a list of twenty-five things that I truly am blessed to have in my life.

Today, I am so thankful that I am a child of God. He took this wretched and unworthy me and gave me a new life in him. I want to live my life as his child and be a light for him. Boy do I fail miserable at that. But with each failure I can start over and know that he loves me and forgives. How awesome.

The Caddy

My husband WON A CAR!!! Not just any car but a cadilliac.......wait it gets better....it is a 1995 Green Cadilliac Sedan DE Ville. So the Hartley's now have what we refer to as the Hoop-ti-mobile. I am loving riding around in my car that makes me at time feel like I am driving my pimp's car and other times feel like a little old lady driving the last car she will ever own. But whatever I feel like it was nice to be blessed with a unexpected surprise.

Mark won the car in a drawing that our local veteran's group was having. He bought one ticket. I had jokingly told the girls for months that "momma's gonna win that car". Little did I really think we would. When they drew my husband's name I was shocked. Our youngest daughter was so upset she promptly asked to walk home. Nice thought...she would rather walk than ride in a car. Now I know what she will be driving at 16. However now we are all getting used to the caddy and it will truly be one of fond family memories when the kids have kids of their own.

Just another reminder that God loves a good joke.

Fleas

You would think as someone whose family has a pest control business we would not have a problem with any kind of bug/pests. Well WE DO!!! My beloved dogs, Chico and Lucy, have bought us the pesky little bug....FLEAS. The fleas seem to love driving them crazy, and in the process, everyone in the house also. So like the cobbler whose family has no shoes..we are the bugman whose house has bugs. So why it is the owners of a business with the Bug-B-Gone Gurantee can't get their own bugs gone?

Stay tuned for our flea fighting adventures......

It's Me Again

This has been a crazy week. A week full of surprises and blessings that I plan to share with you soon. I have had a full "platter" as I often laughingly say and the last three days have been more full than others. In three days I have...had meetings of two clubs I am President of (I know most people aren't President of one club and I take on two in the same year), served as hostess for a Membership Luncheon for the Symphony League, chaired a girl's pageant, and served as concession coordinator for the Womanless Beauty Review for my daughter's 8th grade trip fund. So now has I sit here typing this I am both exhausted and relieved. I can now focus on my last "big" project of the year and start my decorating for the holidays. I plan on hosting no less than six parties this Christmas season and have lots to do to get ready.

Some people may question my sanity in doing this but I love it. I love being busy. A good nap and I am refreshed. It is one of my greatest strengths and biggest weaknesses. But God made us to serve. While I am far more blessed by what I do...it is my honor to do for others in serving. So with my full platter I become a little more "fruity". I receive the fruits of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, and gentleness when I do. So my platter maybe full but so is my life and my heart.

My Challenge Update

Ok I am one week into my 75 day challenge and thought I would give you a weekly update on my goals:

1. How many books will I read? Five books and daily Bible reads

I have been doing alot of Bible reading and I am right now reading a wonderful book called "Created to be his HELP MEET"

2. How many CD/MP3's wil I listen to?Five a week...so that would be 50 CD/MP3's

I have faithfully listened to, at least, 5 cds (sometimes in one day)


3. How many days will I work out?Ok this is the hard one for me. I will walk on four days a week.

Ok I have NOT done this but I will not give up.

4. How many major ideas will I share?At least ONE every week

I am full ideas and always share them...LOL

5. How many days will I eat right?SIX (6) days a week...ok I need one day of fun right?

Ok I still have some work to do but I am doing better on what I eat.

6. How many meetings will I have with others?At least one meeting of importance every week

Seems like I spend more time in meetings than I care to so I am definately meeting this goal.

7. How much money will you save in the next 75 days?FiftyDollars a week

I have 50 hidden so I have started an emergency fund.

So over all the first week has gone ok. Still work to do but I will keep you posted.

What is my motive

I heard this comment today and it reall struck me. What is my motive? Why I am doing the things I do. I love listening to Constant Encouragment CD's and lately have found such a joy and peace (two of those fruits I try to have) in really studying God's word. Therefore, I think my motive is to live a life....ALL ABOUT HIM. So while I lament the state of American politics and the ways of the world I know that is not my motive. My motive is ALL ABOUT HIM and that will lead me to the "fruits" this mama desires.