7.30.2011

A little Happy for Your Saturday

Saw these wreaths today while reading this blog.


I want to make one so bad and I can't wait until it's the holiday season!!!! Happy Saturday!

7.29.2011

Five Things that Make me Happy Friday!

Yesterday was my last day at the summer program for Arkansas Counseling. It was bittersweet! I can't believe 7 weeks went by so fast! We ended the summer by taking all of the kiddos to Playtime Pizza! It was a little crazy but I had a great time!

Here are some things from my week:

{I made this book mark to keep in my Bible...it has all the scripture I want to memorize to help me change my thoughts!}
{A prayer that I wrote on my chalkboard...I definitely need this kind of wisdom}
{My favorite decorations at the women's conference...they were a pain to put up but they looked real cute in the end!}
{Cute soap dispenser in my bathroom}
{Beautiful sunset while we were in Destin}

7.25.2011

What are you thinking?

Wow has it really been over two weeks since I last posted?!? Tonight I have nothing going on so I figured I would give an update. I am home with Hershey and our new friend!


Some of our friends found this dog and we decided to bring it here and take care of it until we find its owner. If we don't find its owner, I am pretty sure we will keep him! He is such a sweet lab!! You can tell someone has worked with him because he knows what "sit" means and he knows how to fetch "Jonathan Burgin style!" {Which is Jonathan telling him to sit and then waiting until told to retrieve it} Dogs don't just know these things, someone has to teach them. Hershey loves him too!

So anyways, I am just sitting here drinking some coffee in my new coffee mug enjoying my night!


This past weekend we had our summer women's conference at church. It was amazing!!!!! I cannot express to you just how amazing it was! I am on the women's ministry team so I helped decorate and organize the event but I didn't even think about how it would impact me! I was so caught up in the decorations and food that I was not prepared to be that moved. The speakers and praise team were wonderful! There is nothing better than spending an entire day with a bunch of women worshipping God!

Like I said, all of the speakers were amazing, but there was one that I felt like God used to speak directly to me. Her topic was: What Are You Thinking: Change Your Life by Changing Your Thoughts! It was almost like God poked me on the forehead and said "pay attention to this one." I know I have mentioned before that I think negatively sometimes and believe some of the lies Satan tells me. Well, don't we all? That's what I used to think. "It's ok, I am a woman we are all like that. We all have insecurities." Yada yada yada. Recently I have realized that I not only listen to Satan's lies but I have come to believe them. So much that they affect who I am. I realized that I am not bringing God glory with all the negativity and insecurity in my life. I used to think I wasn't that insecure, but now I know I am and I must learn to change my thoughts! I am no longer afraid to admit it. I feel like Satan walks so closely behind me and waits for the second that God is not my focus. I promise if there is a day that I don't spend with God or a day that I worry about something, Satan steps in and tries to take over.

Sometimes I truly believe that I am not a good wife so I should quit. Sometimes I get so upset if I upset Jonathan. Satan tells me I am not a good friend. I am not a good teacher, or else you would already have a job. I am not pretty and Jonathan could find a much more beautiful wife. You aren't worthy enough to lead college students or be on the women's ministry. You are a terrible leader. My list could go on and on and on. But I will spare you all of my negativity and share with you what I learned from this wonderful lady at our women's conference!

Her handout said, "What we think on and believe in our heart determines our peace, joy, inner happiness and over-all life satisfaction. When we exchange our life-defeating thoughts and beliefs with God's Truths we will experience a positive difference in our relationships and outlook on life." She then gave us 5 life-changing truths and scripture to pray through. Ever since the conference, I have been praying through these truths so that I have a more positive outlook.

Life-Changing Truth #1: My mindset determines the quality of my life.
I learned that life doesn't always go as I planned it, but it does go as God planned it. I need to have a mind controlled by the spirit, not the flesh. "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace." Romans 8:6

Life-Changing Truth #2: I should view my circumstances from God's perspective.
Do I allow the mind of Christ to control my thoughts? No. Most of the time, I am looking at my life through my own eyes, not through my heart. When I look at my life through my own eyes I start to doubt. I must give God complete control of my thoughts and my life. "Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3.

Life-Changing Truth #3: Follow the directions.
I learned that my negative thoughts and Satan's lies have kept me from receiving God's peace and joy. I say I trust God, but I don't always show it. Or, I may say, "God I trust you, but not with this...." I must destroy these life-defeating thoughts. "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5

Life-Changing Truth #4: I must train my mind.
This was the big one for me!! This is sooooo hard!! God's word says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Philippians 4:6-8 Sometimes I am so caught up in what I don't have or I am stressing over certain things that I don't stop to think about all that God has blessed me with. I need to surrender my anxious thoughts to God. I need an attitude of gratitude.

Life-Changing Truth #5: Trust God.
There are many parts of my life that I say I am trusting God, but honestly I don't. I can't hide that from God so there is no point in trying to hide it from you. I can't pretend with God. I must change these thoughts and surrender it all to the Lord. One question she listed here was "If I trusted God with everyone and every life situation how would my life change?" Oh I know my life would change dramatically!! "Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in Thee." Isaiah 26:3.

At the end she gave an application:
- Recognize, confess and surrender my life-defeating thoughts to God.
- Spend time meditating and memorize life-changing scriptures to replace my life-defeating thoughts.
- Check my thoughts and beliefs often

I was so thankful that God used her to speak to me. She gave a step by step process on how to change your thoughts. This is something I am going to work on daily. I am going to pray though these scriptures and memorize them!!

Thank you so much for letting me share that with you. Sometimes I get so excited about what God is teaching me that I can't wait to share it with someone!

By the way, our nest has eggs now!!

7.08.2011

Five Things That Make Me Happy Friday!

Today is a better Friday than most!! Wanna know why? Because I am leaving for the beach!!! I am sooooo excited! I hope you have all had an awesome week and I hope you have an even better weekend!

{Can't wait to be in Destin!}
{A nest some birds built in my wreath! I can't bring myself to tear it down.}
{Beautiful 4th of July sunset}
{These guys put on the best firework show ever!}
{Pretty flowers growing on a tree at our house}

7.03.2011

Tasty Tuesday!

Here is a real simple and yummy cake recipe! It is called Better Than Sex cake, also known as Better Than Everything Cake.

Ingredients:
-1 box chocolate cake mix
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Jar Chocolate syrup {I used Hershey's}
- Cool whip
- Chocolate chips, heath chips, or whatever toppings you choose

Steps:
- Cook cake according to directions on box
- As soon as you take the cake out of the oven, poke holes in it using a knife. Pour sweetened condensed milk into holes. Next, pour jar of Hershey's chocolate syrup over cake.
- Let the cake cool completely
- Spread cool whip on top then add chocolate chips and heath chips
- Refrigerate until time to serve

I love this cake because you can bake it many ways! You can also use yellow cake mix and carmel syrup!


Enjoy!

7.02.2011

So Long Insecurity


Yesterday was very relaxing. I love Fridays! I slept in, cleaned, went to the pool, and then curled up in a blanket, enjoyed a good cup of coffee, and read. I am reading So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore. It is my second time to read it. It's just that good!

Yesterday, I mentioned that we are training for the St. Jude marathon. I've never ran a full marathon, just a half. After I ran my last half, I hated running. Absolutely hated it. I put too much pressure on myself. As silly as it sounds, I got race anxiety. I remember I almost threw up when the race began because I was nervous. I thought I would be a failure if I didn't finish the race in the amount of time I wanted to. Who is a failure after running a half marathon? No one. After that, I said that's it. No more for me. And I didn't run for about a year. I guess I needed a break from running. I love it now!!

I want to finish my marathon in under a certain time, but I am not going to consider myself a failure if I don't. I will be happy to cross the finish line! I have a long journey ahead of me. There will be times when I get discouraged and will want to quit. Thankfully Jonathan will be right there with me. He is always so encouraging.

Satan likes to convince me that I am a failure. Whether that's at running, being a friend, a wife, teacher, etc. Sometimes I ask myself "who should you really look to for hope and confidence?" Not myself. Not Jonathan. Not my friends and family. But God.

As I was reading So Long Insecurity, Beth had me read Jeremiah 17:5-8

"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

Then I looked at the next page and this is what I saw:


I started thinking, "which am I? A bush or a tree?" Sometimes I put so much pressure on myself to look a certain way, have a certain personality, run a race in a certain time, have a nice home, etc. But, like God's word says, those who put hope in themselves will be like a dried up bush that produces no fruit. I must put my confidence in the Lord. He is my rock.

That is my prayer today, that I would wake up every morning and know that God is my hope and confidence. To not put unnecessary pressure on myself or Jonathan to feel secure. God is my security.

7.01.2011

Five Things That Make Me Happy Friday!

Today I am going to the pool and I am very excited!! The only thing I want to do in this heat is be in water!

Have I mentioned that Jonathan and I are training for the St. Jude's marathon?!?! I am soooo excited! I have been in a running slump for the past year, but I am ready to train again! We just completed our first week of training. Only 23 more to go!

I hope all of you have had a great week! Happy Friday!

{Kona Ice of Conway...everyone should try it!}
{I made some yummy blueberry muffins...not homemade, but they are fat free!}
{A day at the lake always makes me happy!}
{My wonderful hubby grilled me some chicken wings! He definitely makes the best!}
{Cute little dog we are watching this week. His tongue always hangs out!}

I hope you enjoy your 3 day weekend!