Hearts Transformed

With my new challenge of not buying anything for a full calendar year I have had some really proud moments like, when I walked through Target and only bought disposable razors and draino and some really hard moments like, when I find a great sale on something.  This morning I realized that my smell good soap is almost out and although I am going to buy soap I am only buying the cheapest  I can find with a coupon, of course! And I am having a BAD HAIR week which is really working my resolve to not spend money. SO, I come into work today in a huff over the hair experience. It is like my fun curly hair has decided to go straight? What is up with that?  Here is where the story gets good and God blows me away. A wonderful woman from my church comes into my office to drop off the key to her house (for which I am house-sitting this weekend) and she puts a great big bag on my desk that includes two pair of the killer deal flip flops from Old Navy, a new smell good soap...

I have one hundred things running through my head today and here are a few: *I have been in a rut and I feel as though I am climbing out. YEAH! *I want to host a book club, because I like to read and I like to host parties. *I would like to do a bible study this summer with a few women *I HAVE to get active. I have recently found myself becoming sucked dry by the television. *I must blog more because it feeds my internal creative juices. *I want to make the most out of the next three months! *I want to pick strawberries and make delicious things so i am going to attempt on June 5th They just keep coming! I got to get off the computer and get some things done!

Last night I hosted a coupon class at my church and it was so much fun! I love teaching people. I was so energized. I think there is something to this and while I don't want to develop yet another money savers blog, I do want to share with people what I have learned. Let the games begin! Let's see what can happen.

Ever since I was a young child, I remember loving to shop. My sweet grandmother would take me out to get a "happy" when I was with her. I am so grateful to have a family that loves me and supports me. I am blessed beyond my comprehension. With that being said, I have issues with restraint. Over the last several years I feel God has convicted me more and more about how I spend my time and money. David and I are living comfortable lives and although we aren't able to take lavish trips or go out and purchase things without concern, we are still living as some of the wealthiest people on the planet. So with the pending move to new adventures I have really prayed about what is next for me. Here is my revelation, I believe there is more than enough resources in this world to go around. There are millions of us with abundance just sitting around our homes while there are billions with nothing. There are millions of us who are overwhelmed by the disorganization in our closets...

We, David and I, are waiting on big news. He is up for a wonderful job with a wonderful company and was told he would hear something by last Thursday. A phone call followed on Friday that informed him he would hear the first part of this week. WELL IT IS WEDNESDAY and in my book that is mid week. I am trying today to keep in mind that today is all I have to worry about because tomorrow will have enough worries of it's own. But that is so stinking hard. I want a plan. I want a list. I want an answer to this question. I want to know what is next. But I am trying, probably not as hard as I should, to take a breath . After all, I did say that was my personal theme for 2011. Today I am thankful that I have a husband that loves me. Thankful that we both have jobs in an unsure economy. Thankful that God has a plan for our future. And learning that I don't have to know.

Each week at CCH  we have a devotion lead by one of our staff members. This week happened to be Mark Williams's week. He shared a few great thoughts some of his own, some borrowed. But here are a couple I wanted to share.    Joseph tells his brothers and family of his BIG dreams and it doesn't go so well. And although in the end the dreams in fact come true, do you think Joseph would have agreed to those dreams if he had seen the journey he would have to take to get there? Which naturally leads to the question; Would you pass on some big dreams if you knew the road leading to them was marked by danger, accusations, and suffering? David and I are in the middle of one of those not so fun parts of our journey together. He is currently in Washington, D.C. and I am here in Nashville. Obviously this isn't ideal but we are blessed to both be working and I just couldn't help but think that God was reassuring me that the journey may not always be what we had in mind but he ha...

Note to all reading this post: This is just a little rant. I realize I should be grateful for a job and for shelter and all of that. My office has been incredibly hot and in response our solution was to turn on the ac. This resulted in the sound of twin turbines taking off and then the most wretched smell I have experienced in a long time. Repair man assures us that there is no remains of a unfortunate squirrel or the likes and that he added a fragrance for us. You guessed it WINTERGREEN! Now my options are two: Hades Hot or Wintergreen Whiffs! BOO!