Why I Love Ikea!

I'm not advertising for Ikea...
but I love it!
It's my favorite store...
well, at this moment.
It will probably change in the future.
They always do.

There was the Pier One phase...
The World market phase...
Hobby Lobby phase...

But right now I'm going thru the Ikea phase.

And here's why!











I love all the pretty flags outside!
It's like a parade...

I love the "sayings" all over the walls.

They have arrows all thru the warehouse...
so you cant get lost.
You just follow the arrows and it will take you thru every department
so you won't miss anything.

AND if you do get lost...or have to go to the bathroom...
every turn has maps posted...where you are now...
where you will be going...and shortcuts in case you just want
to get out. It's like a maze...hmmm...wonder what that makes me?

They have little rooms made up all thru the warehouse...
completely decorated to give you ideas.

They have a little playhouse for the kids...
so when Moms are sick of their...I mean, when Moms
are tired...they can rest and let little Tommy wreak havoc
on someone else's house for awhile.

They even have a restaurant!
I've never eaten here...kinda scared to, actually...
but I like that it's there...just in case I'm lost...
can't find a map...and am starving to death.
It could happen!

This doesn't really have anything to do with anything...
but I thought it was cute...I love bugs...
so what could be better than a bug with an Ikea insignia on the side?

I got 2 frames for 99 cents.
I got cute little vases for the church for 79 cents apiece.

You can dig change out of the bottom of your purse for that!

ADD

The sun is out today
and it's WARM...
read that...WARM

We're going to a mission's conference today and tomorrow...
one of our favorite things to do.
Taking Strider with us...he'll have so much fun!
Well, not to the conference...although he would love
all those people petting him...
He'll be staying at my Mom's.

And I get to see all those beautiful little girls
that i love so!
God gave me Karen's girls cause I didn't
get to have any.
Just to tie me over...til I had Elly!
God is so good!
Like, He thinks of everything!

Gotta clean the house before I go...
or I don't deserve to go!

Get to see Elly tomorrow...
my  heart leaps when I think about seeing her!








Getting a new stove tomorrow...
Well, technically not a new one.
But I don't care cause the one I have now
is technically a REALLY old one!
I LOVE YOU, SUSIE!

Going to Seattle on Thursday...
Going to Ikea while I'm there,
(My favorite store in the world!)
Going to Pike's Market while I'm there!
Throwing fish, jewelry, clam chowder AND
the smell of the ocean!
When you grew up by the ocean...
you have to see and smell it once every two or three years...
or you die!

The cord on my phone is going...bummer...

AND...
someone from Korea read my blog!

Sorry for all the random stuff...
but I had to get it all out!
Must be my ADD kickin' in!

Weather

This is the time of year
where we get up every morning
and turn on our computers
so we can see if the mercury is going to climb
over 50!

It's our main goal in life
during the spring.
Wondering when spring
will actually hit here.

At this moment,
there are record highs
in every section of the country
...except here...
we're lower than normal.

We plan wonderful Spring events...
and get rained out.
We take the dog for a walk...
and get snowed on before we can get home.

Today it is supposed to be 65 degrees.
This is how it looks presently:

Thinking it's not gonna happen...
Tomorrow it's supposed to be 73!

AND 76 ON MONDAY!

See you when it warms up...
Until then... I'll be on the weather channel!

Zealously Affected

So, last week us and a number of people from our church
went to a Preachers Meeting in Missoula.

If you've never been to one, here's how it goes:

You wake up unbelievably early
in order to get there on time AND
stop by Starbucks.
(That's your reward for going)

You have to be in the church by 12
or you won't find a place to sit
cause a couple hundred other people
are doing exactly the same!

You basically hear sermons for 4 hours.
One after another - all different preachers
from all over.
With incredible singing in between each preacher!
(Seriously, this is about as close as you can get
to a heavenly chorus here on earth!)

Then at 5 they feed you a super meal.
(Then you go to Starbucks again with some
friend you haven't seen since last year this time,
or at least last week this time!)

Then you go sit down,
and listen to 2 more preachers
for the next couple of hours.
(Yeah, your you know what is pretty dead by now.)

You go back to the hotel
Crash out,
Sleep in,
And get back to the church by 12
to do it all over again.

It's AWESOME!

You sing your guts out,
Visit with friends,
Eat,
Go to Starbucks,
(where you'll probably see lots of people from the church)
And basically have a great time!

But the most important thing -
You hear from God.

He tells you to keep going,
it'll all be worth it -

He tells you He loves you,
It'll all be worth it -

He encourages you,
It'll all be worth it -

and He allows you to cry with others
who are suffering in the ministry,
It'll all be worth it -

So here's my prayer from what I heard:

Help me to see you high and lifted up!
Help me to be zealously affected for you!
I want to be an encourager!
Help me to REST and wait!
Help me to realize you will even work good out of my sin. Rom. 8:28
Help me to remember...when people talk bad about me...it is a very small thing. I Cor. 4:3
Help me to believe...you can do exceeding abundantly above all that I ask or think!
I need to realize that:
     You are stronger
     You are wiser
     You are more graceful
     You are more beautiful
     You are faster
     You are better
     You are more powerful
   YOU hold all the records!
Help me to allow you to:
     interrupt my life,
     arrest my attention,
     sustain me,
     change my plans,
     abide with me.
I'm a zero - but a zero with a one (the One) in front of it is no longer a zero.
Help me to remember - when Jesus was in the house -
     my chains fell off,
     the light came on,
     my life was changed!
Help me to turn the tables in my temple!
Help me to have HOPE!
Help me not to dance too fast! I'll miss the song!
You are worth more than:
     Poor Folks
     Animals
     A nation's suffering
     The value of my own sins
     The world population after AD 70
     The whole world.
Help me to have the attitude "It is Well!"

Everything was just what I needed...

But, you gotta be present to win!

It's About Christ

Today is beautiful and sunny outside.
Fills me full of hope.
(That's pathetic I know, but I can't help it...
light does that to me...especially when we
haven't had it in awhile.)

I went out to feed and water the girls.
I thought how I would love to be able
to stay home today and do some outside things
in the sun.

I had already made plans to give a Bible Study today
to a little lady my husband led to the Lord last summer.
She really can't get out much and looks forward to me coming.

I felt kinda deflated...knowing that I had to
leave the house, and the sun, to go sit
in someone's house.
Mind you, I love God's Word,
and I love helping people...
But still, I thought tomorrow the sun
probably won't be out...
(I'm God, you know, and therefore, know the future)
and my chance to enjoy the sun will be gone.

But then the Lord whispered in my ear...
"Oh, is it all about you then?"
"No, Lord, it's all about you."
"Without you, the sun would never shine in my heart."

If I could just remember this in everything I do...
How much happier I would be.
How much less selfish I would be with my time.

God gives me ample time to pursue my interests
and be me...
yet I want it all to be about me.
And it's not, it's all about Christ.

"For to me, to live is Christ..."

For the Robins!

Cause all the Robins are out this day!

"Said the Robin to the Sparrow, 'I should really like to know,
why these angry human beings rush around and worry so.'

Said the Sparrow to the Robin, 'Friend, I think that it must be,
that they have no heavenly Father such as cares for you and me.'"

Just Call Me Creative!

I read a blog today from a craftster.
She was looking for some great craft she did
to put on her blog.

She couldn't find any earth changing craft to
blog about.

So instead, she decided to watch TV and eat chips
(sounds good to me...especially the chips part)
(I'm dieting...can you tell?)

While sitting on the couch being a bum...
she noticed a piece of paper she had doodled on
in the wastebasket...
and thought "I love those colors together,
how pretty that is."

That's when it hit her...
that is creativity also.
Just because it's not some profound idea
doesn't mean it's not creative.

Of course, this appealed to me,
since I'm not terribly profound
but would love to be considered creative
if only in my own mind.

Then I looked up the definition of creative:
      Having the ability to create
      Having or showing imagination
      Designed to or tending to stimulate the imagination

She said creativity is making something new that did  not exist before.

So then I thought of all the things I love to do.
Many of which I wouldn't mention
cause you'd think I was 5.
Trying a new recipe could be creative...
Changing up the pics on your walls could be creative.
Coloring is creative...whether you're 5 or ...well, whatever age.

Anytime you're making something that didn't exist before
you're being creative.
It doesn't have to be something that everyone will see.
It just has to be something that stimulates your imagination.

Gotta go...gonna go do something creative.

(Thanks Warriorgirl)