What a week! Lows, highs, disappointments, encouragement...............and the list goes on and on. Can't reveal too much, you never know who's looking, hahaha. Sneaky people, shame on you!!! This is my blog and I should be able to put on it what I want to, right? Well you never know when it's gonna come back to bite you in the buttock.

Enough said about that. You get the point, don't you?

I want to share with you a reading that I found while doing my devotions this week. It really spoke to me. It comes from Daily Guideposts 2009.

Scripture first: .....A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.
Ecclesiastes 3.2

You sow seeds every day whether you know it or not.
Some plantings grow to be food for the soul:
the songs you sing aloud or hum in silence;
the kind words you speak to those with aching hearts;
the prayers that live within you.

Some plantings can crowd out the lettuce and the lilies:
weeds that plant themselves and settle in, like hurtful words carelessly spoken.
These must be plucked up.

The planting and the plucking up are two parts of one thing--
you are the sower; God is the grower.
The harvest is one whole and holy soul.

Dear God, I confess that I sow and reap both joy and pain as I walk through life. I trust that You can make a thriving garden of my plantings.

I so needed that reading this week and it has meant so much to me. I hope you will benefit from it also.

With Love,
Donna

What a weekend!!! Lets start with Friday.......it was a day of shock, a day of confusion, a day of sadness, a day of joy, a day of rejoicing.

Friday, one of my very best friends lost her job : ( I was sad for her, hurt for her, how much more could she take? Another blow that she didn't need. You see, she had lost a child to Trisomy 18 in October and returned to work in late December and Friday, as I said, lost her job. WOW! I ached so much for her and wondered what's next?

Friday evening I attended a Women's Conference at this same friend's church. What a great time. The Lord was surely present. My friend spoke at the conference about her loss of "Johanna" to Trisomy 18. She praised God for her blessing, yes her blessing of "Johanna." She spoke of how this had changed her life and of how a ministry called "Johanna's Gift" had been started in remembrance of her little girl. This ministry will reach out to other mothers who are expecting a child and are in need of guidance and baby supplies.

I knew after she spoke that my friend was indeed going to be just fine. God is working in her life in a huge way. God has bigger plans for her. I could not entirely see that earlier Friday, but clearly I do see it now. Praise God!!

The keynote speaker at the Women's Conference was Carol Kent. She was awesome. She was a christian lady who had/has trials and tribulations in her life, she was someone that you could relate to. As she told her story it touched my heart as a mother. I am not sure that I could have made it through what she had faced as a mother, but she has!!! and she praises God for that. You see God has a plan for each of us and though there are times that things get in the way or things happen that we don't understand why, if we will relinquish all to God, he will show us his plan in a marvelous unexpecting way.

I have been through many trials in my life, don't we all have these? One particular trial ripped me apart. I ALLOWED this trial to rip me apart. I was sinking quickly. I was hurting by an action that someone had done to me. I believe that God sent me a special friend to help me through this trial. She listened and encouraged me. She shared her faith. She taught me to forgive. She helped me to relinquish all to God. I could never have made it through this trial without her, my family and most of all God.

When others hurt us we must forgive them as God forgives us of our sins, our mistakes. If we don't forgive them, how can we expect God to forgive us? There are times that I find it hard to forgive. I carry the hurts with me for days, sometimes weeks and sometimes even longer. But
once I relinquish all to God, things get better.

Romans 12: 20-21 "If you enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Praising God for special friends, family, forgiveness and his unconditional love.

Donna

Busy!!!

This is the busiest week I have had in a long time, I'm tired. Thank goodness it's Thursday. For the first week in I can't remember when, we do not have an afternoon off from work. Of course this comes at a bad time for me because I have so much going on at church. (I suppose that's a good problem to have.) Month end reports, year end reports, W2's, 1099's, contribution reports, Finance Meeting tonight, Admin Council meeting on Sunday, shhhuuueeee weeeee!!!! I wills survive, I hope : )

I am looking forward to Friday and Saturday - I am attending a Women's Conference at my friends church. Carole Kent will be the main speaker. However, my BFF, will be speaking first on Friday night - she will share her story / blessing about her daughter "Johanna Raye." Johanna Raye was born with Trisomy 18 and lived 63 glorious minutes. Johanna Raye has touched so many lives and continues to do so. Praise God!

I look forward to this meeting and I am in much need of this time - to share, to laugh, to hug, to praise our God and so much more.

Live, Laugh, Love
Donna

Haiti.....

I am quite sure that most of you have heard about the earthquake in Haiti. It is so sad and I hope that you will keep Haiti in your prayers. I was reading "Kelly's Korner" blog this evening and she gave directions for donations to the Red Cross and Compassion Disaster Relief. So simple that I wanted to share with you, in hopes that you might be interested.

"There are many ways you can donate - an easy way is to text "Haiti" to 90999 to give $10 to the Red Cross. It will be on your next phone bill. OR you can text "disaster" to 90999 to give $10 to Compassion's disaster relief program."

Yup, it's that simple. I did it in a matter of moments.

Praying for Haiti.......................

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I have a nephew who is 11 years old. He is a little small for his age and always has been. When my nephew was younger, my boys would ask him "What do you want to be when you grow up?" They taught him to say "bigger." That has been an ongoing thing between them over the years. During Christmas when we were all together, they once again ask him "What do you want to be when you grow up?" And as usual he said "bigger."

That question got me to thinking about myself. Here I am an adult with grown children and am I who I want to be when I grow up? My answer is "No." Most people make resolutions at the New Year and yes I have before - with failure.

This year I do not want to fail, I want to become a better me! A better me in different ways. I have goals that I intend on reaching.

I want to become closer to God; by reading the Bible more, by studying the Bible more, increasing my prayers, and although I go to church 99% of the time, I want to get more out of church, which requires me to be a better listener. I need to have an open mind and open heart.

I want to of course lose weight, exercise at least 3-4 times a week. I have done this before and I know that exercise makes you feel better, physically and mentally.

I want to do more for others. Support our local Burke United Christian Ministries, support the Back Pack Friday program at a local school for children who don't have food other the weekends. And in any way that God leads me.

I want to start saving money and stop wasting money. I want to buy out of need and not out of desire. (Although I really want a new TV so I can get my exercise program under way at work)
I am learning to use coupons and shop wisely. Today I used coupons at the grocery store and saved $26 dollars. I was so proud. I did it and it felt good. That leaves me more money to use in ways to help others.

I want to be a better wife and mother. Be more understanding and patient. Our family is very close and I do want to keep it that way.

And a biggy ...... I want to stop being a procrastinator. This is gonna be a tough one. (hehehe)

I WANT TO BE A BETTER ME!!! So, I am on my way.........

Live, Laugh, Love
Donna

It's time : (

Well friends, I am gonna do it today. I am finally and hesitantly taking down my Christmas tree. I do not like taking down my tree because I love looking at it, I love the memories that are hung on my tree and I love the lights. I never take my tree down this early, but I am going back to work Monday after being off for 1 1/2 wks and I hate the thoughts of spending next weekend taking the tree down. Ugh!!! It's like saying goodbye to an old friend (see you in a year). Well maybe I will wait until later......NO! there is no time like the present. Yes I will and can do this today.

I had an awesome Christmas and so far the new year as started off with no drama, no action, no sadness (who am I kidding, yes there has been sadness, but not much) no stress (lol). Just maybe this year is going to be calm, fulfilling, smooth (again LOL) and one of the best that I have had in a while. It could always be worse, right? RIGHT!

Ok, I have put it off long enough. I must and get the tree down.............

Happy New Year my friends and God Bless!
Live, Laugh, Love
Donna