I'm Feeling Very Bloggy This Week

I don't know what my deal is but I'm just all bloggity.

I don't really even have anything all that interesting to say.

But I just feel like I need to blog some things.

I need to communicate with my people.

And let me tell you what is happening right now in my ever-so-exciting "newlywed" life. (Again, I submit to you people that I need to make a name change as 3 years and 4 months isn't really a newlywed anymore but for some reason y'all are passionately against it).

Back to the very important issue at hand: what I'm doing right now.

It is 9:31 at night. It is 9:31 on a Friday night, to be specific.

I am laying in bed, listening to my playlist entitled "Relax Jen" and Moxie dog is curled up by my feet. Currently playing is "Choose" by Christy Nockels. Up next is "Oceans Apart" by Jim Brickman. I've got Twitter open. I've got Facebook open. I've got Blogger open. And most importantly, I've got Solitaire open.

I enjoyed the pepperoni rolls from Double Dave's that Grant brought home for dinner. We ate them while we watched COPS. We love to watch COPS. Have they made a new episode of COPS in the last 12 years? I feel like every show we watch had to have been filmed in 1993. The clothes, y'all. The clothes.

I should also admit that when Grant came home with pizza rolls at 7:50 he woke me up from my nap.

Because I am 83 years old.

THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF MY MOST FAVORITE NIGHTS EVER.

And Now for Something Completely Different

I don't like to leave "heavy" stuff as the top blog for very long. It makes me feel like you people think I'm a train wreck and I'm not. I'm just powering through some stuff and writing it makes me feel better.

In reality I'm a very happy girl so this is going to be a very happy post!

There is alot of happy stuff going on in my life right now. For instance, last night was the final rehearsal for my kids' choir musical! The big performance is this Sunday and I am so excited. The name of our little show is "King of the Jungle". Below is the poster for it.

Last night I almost got teary-eyed watching them rehearse. They have worked so hard and seeing everything come together is amazing. I have some mega-talented kids in there. I can't wait to see what they become as they get older. There were a few funny ones. One of the Pre-K girls just sat down in the middle of the show. When I told her to stand up, she said "No thank you". Atleast she was polite!

Also, my little Grace Parker is turning 3 this weekend. Aunt Jenny & Uncle Grant are going to have a wonderful time at her birthday party. Also, Scarlett & Juliet are going to come in from Austin as well. I love when all my babies are in one place at one time!

Work is busy. Busy, busy, busy. I have so much going on here, so much going on at home, so much going on at church. It can be hard to stay on top of everything. However, I feel so very blessed that I am that this busy and that so many good things are going on in my life. Blessed and Stressed.

I'm continuing to do the 30 day Shred. I am totally cheating as I am not doing it every single day. I do it more like every 3 days. I can't listen to Jillian that often. She kinda makes me want to punch something. Or someone. More specifically, her.

Okay, I have one more not- so- happy thing: I would really appreciate prayers for my grandparents, Larry & Paddy. My Grandaddy has had several strokes and it appears he had another one yesterday. For some reason he drove himself to the hospital with my grandmother (who has Alzheimers) and he is undergoing alot of tests. He is very confused and very disoriented. Would you please pray for him? Am I a Debbie Downer or what?

Thank you friends!

It's Decision Time

I woke up this morning feeling a tremendous need to write.

I'm stuck in a rut. A big one. For the last few weeks, I feel like there is an anchor tied around my ankle. I can't get up.

And when I do get up, I get right back down. It's like I climb a mountain and as soon as I get to the top, I immediately run back down as fast as I can. I don't stay up there and look at the view, I don't take a moment and enjoy the accomplishment of climbing a mountain. I get up there and then I go right back down.

Several weeks ago I made a decision to make a change in my life. To be more intentional. To be more purposeful. To stop being so self-focused and to be more God-focused. To live a life worthy of the hope to which I have been called. To do all things in His name and for His glory.

But I feel like ever since I made that decision, it has been like walking into hurricane force winds.

I've been doing the whole "just shut up and do it, Jenny" thing but that doesn't seem to be working.

Curtis Jones once preached that "The amount of time you spend in prayer is directly related to how much you think you need God". Last night, in our small group Bible study, someone said "Your obedience to God is a manifestation of your faith in God".

It is being revealed to me that this is an obedience issue. I've been so self-focused and thinking about how "I can't do this" or "why is this so hard for me" and "I feel stressed" when the fact of the matter is, this isn't about me. I shouldn't even be doing this to satisfy my own needs or desires.

Beth Moore said this weekend that "We are either corrupted by our desires or we are renewed by our decisions".

I am making a decision. A decision to be obedient. A decision to admit how much I need God and how I am useless on my own.

I don't know if anyone else relates to this at all. Maybe I'm on my own here. But I do know that usually when I put something on the blog, I have my very own built-in accountability group. I've put it all out there on the whole world wide web. And while this is very personal, I feel like saying it here is kinda like putting my signature on the bottom of a contract.

I have a new mindset and I am starting TODAY.

Just Be Normal

Y'all I can't even begin to write this post. I just got back from Atlanta and I AM SPENT. But I feel the need to post this now cause I'll never get to it if I don't.

Here's what you need to know:

* I had an awesome time

* I got 7 hours of sleep the whole weekend

* Being around southern women enhances my southern accent.

* People are hilarious

* People are weird

* If a hotel room has 10 women in it, it is absolutely possible for 13 conversations to be going on at once.

* Starbucks was visited no less than 6 times in less than 48 hours.

* The conference was AWESOME

* I met so many wonderful people

* You can get to a delirious, tired state that you're laughing at things that aren't funny at all

* I'm feeling very secure

And now, the pictures.

Linds and I drove Fran's mini van to the conference. The sign outside the conference said "Beth Moore Concert" which got us all excited... we thought she might start singing for us!

This is sweet Lindsey, a fellow blogger. It was so nice to spend the day with her!

Later that night, we went to Rafferty's for dinner. This is me, Fran and Karen. I just met Karen this weekend but I think I might keep her forever.

That restaurant was very cold so my scarf turned into a wrap. I don't wear it like that normally. I kinda felt like I was wearing an evening gown at times.

Okay, now we are starting to get silly.


Beautiful Robyn! She's a hoot.

Sometimes Fran's head just pops in for a visit.

A lovely photo.

And then there was the ranch dressing incident.

This is sooo classic Linds. Her phone and her camera and a smile. Love love love.

PRAISE THE LORD I FINALLY GOT TO MEET MY KIM!! Kim was awesome to pick Lindsee and I up at the airport Friday night and she is AMAZING. I wish we had more time together!

Okay I gotta go take a nap... I love all of you people and can't wait to hug you again soon!