St. Patty's Day!

*Sigh*

Warning: The first few paragraphs of this blog will be ranting about my not-so-perfect morning :) Proceed if you wish...

You know those mornings when you would give anything to go back to sleep, wake up again, and start over?

Well that was mine today.

Last night Travis and I (along with Uncle Robert, Cullen, Austin, & Kim-- Thank you all!!) moved into our new apartment, which we absolutely LOVE! I was running around like a crazy woman trying to organize before I would collapse and call it a night. I wouldn't call myself OCD, but I definitely prefer a put together and clean home. So to no surprise I went 90 to nothing and looking around 3 hours later, I think we've made amazing progress! We passed out late last night, woke up at 5:30am, ate breakfast, got ready super fast, grab the keys and... where is my lovely purse? My heart starts racing... All the women out there KNOW how detrimental her purse is. I mean a missing purse is like missing a piece of your life, your purse is vital! It has every little detail to aid our days. It is possible to even have a sucessful day withour your beloved purse? Okay, maybe I'm being a little dramatic... maybe not? So I'm racking my brain trying to figure out where it would be hiding amongst this still not-completley-put-together apartment. Luckily after a few minutes I thought "maybe I left it in my sister-in-laws car"... and I did!! We quickly flew over to her place before having Trav at work by 6:40am.

*Phew* Now here comes my commute to work.

I'm driving to work all frantic because I hate being unorganized and losing things. I set my life, I mean purse down at my desk and see my phone has three missed calls from my mother-in-law. She had given me her keys last night to use her car if I needed it to move. Oh no!! My heart starts racing again... I tell her where I think they are, and they aren't there. I'm downtown, 40 minutes from home, and feel utterly helpless and HORRIBLE that I'm putting her in a bind. It's one thing to lose something and drive myself crazy, but when I have to drag someone else in... then it really bugs me. Luckily, she has a great friend who works close to her and offered to drive her. As for the keys, well they're still playing hide and seek, and quite frankly I'm over this game. But, that doesn't solve the fact that I'm racking my brain here at work trying to figure out where in the world they are! Sorry Valerie :(

I blame it all on St. Patrick... Clearly the luck o' the Irish isn't working for me :)

Speaking of St. Patrick... Here are some fun facts for you, even though I'm not Irish.

-According to the Guinness Book of World records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14!

-Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.

That's all I have for now... maybe once I relax & de-stress I'll write more...

Love ya'll!
me

North Vs. South

So the other day at work, the mailman found out that I was from New York and he asked "Tell me three things that are different between NY and Texas..." Well, I'm blatantly aware of how very different these states are, but I've never specifically noted the differences. So this morning as I'm driving to work, I'm noticing, and I figured I would share!

Here I go...


-New Yorkers only dress Cowboy-ish on two occasions: 1. Halloween 2. When we go to Country Fest in which we pose as if we're country. Here, they wear cowboy attire any chance they get.
-The common car in Texas is as big of a truck as you can find, where as in New York people generally drive cars, occasionally some SUV's but RARELY a jacked up F250 turbo, or whatever they're called :)
-People look at me like I have three heads when I order unsweetened iced tea and sweet n' low, you would have thought not drinking sweet tea was a sin!
-There are TONS of mega churches and most of the people here claim Christianity. Up in New York, it's almost epic when you find out someone is a Christ follower.
-Vacation to Texans means go skiing, vacation to New Yorkers means going somewhere/anywhere warm!
-Now Texans, don't get offended on this one... but quite a few Texans use improper English. For example: "I don't have nothing" or "She don't know I'm coming". It makes me giggle inside because for whatever reason, you never hear people speak like that up north.
-Yes it's true, people in the south ARE nicer than people up north.
-Texan's have this crazy Texan-pride thing going on. There are Texas flags EVERYWHERE, I mean does anyone even know if New York has flag??
-Both states enjoy dancing, however when referring to dancing, both are on entirely different ends of the spectrum. Going dancing in Texas means getting your cowboy get-up on, and going to Two-step, Polka, and occasionally some Hip Hop songs, going dancing in New York means dressing very slinky for girls, and very preppy for boy, and bumping and grinding until the wee hours of the morning. There is no "two-step", unless of course it's Missy Elliott style.
-Texas certainly enjoy their fried food... fried okra, fried tomatoes, chicken fried steak... I have to pass on this one :)
-When going out to eat in Texas the restaurant choices are the following: Gringos, Las Hadas, Border Grill, Taqueria, Casa Ole', On the Border, Bullritos, Chipotle'... I mean do you see a theme? If you don't like tex-mex, you won't survive here. Up in the north, we're a bit more diversified in our eating habits.
-When you drive down the road in Texas it is very common to see signs in Spanish, up in the North we prefer the native language of English.
-Ever heard the quote "The bigger the hair, the closer you are to heaven?". Well women most definitely live by that quote here! But I love it, I love me some volume and hairspray :)
-Where I live in Texas, EVERYONE works for some Oil & Gas company. The first time Travis introduced me to a group of guys it went like this... "This is Bob he works for Shell, this is Frank he works for Chevron, this is Andy he works for Lubrizol, this is Peter he works for BP". I'm thinking, is there any other kind of work here! Up in the North I wouldn't say that one sector of business is dominate, it's much more diversified.
-Texas is flat, and to my utter amazement the first time I visited here I learned they have palm trees! New York has seasons and mountains, and trees, lots of trees!
-Texas has the Rodeo, which is absolutely fabulous, and Texans flock to it every year. Pre-Texas I didn't even know rodeo's were real...
-In Texas people love to hunt and shoot things. They have things called "deer leases" in which they set out every weekend and prowl around on some acreage and look for deer to kill. In New York we might go away into the wilderness for the weekend too, but its generally to watch wildlife and soak in the beauty, not so much to seek and kill it. :) (But yes, I do like shooting guns!)
-Texan's say "ya'll", while New Yorkers say "You guys".
-You can drive all day long in Texas and still be in...well Texas. You can drive a day in New York and be two states away.
-It's very common to walk into a Texas household and see some animal hanging up on the wall, up in New York that is virtually unheard of.
-Texas has AMAZING sunsets.

I think that's a pretty good list for now... I'll add more as I notice more.


And at the end of the day, I love them BOTH! It's wonderful to be able to experience such different styles of life!

Sugar Baggett

Yesterday Travis and I decided we had to give away our little puppy, Sugar. We both love her and she has been quite the traveling little pup, however with us both working full time and moving into a small apartment we felt like it wouldn't be fair to her. Not to mention the pet deposit is $500, yikes!

So the bad news is, we had to give her away. The good news is, Travis' aunt and uncle decided to take her. They live an hour and a half away, have another dog, and have 20 acres in the country. She LOVES playing outside and she is going to be in heaven on earth. We'll miss her, but it's the right thing to do at this stage of our lives. :)

Hold fast to the vision

Does life ever throw drastic curve balls at you that leave you utterly clueless? Or perhaps you busy your schedules with so much that your life doesn't even feel like your own? You thought you had such a grasp on what this season of your life should look like, when all of the sudden your world gets rocked...

For me, that seems to be the theme of my last year. Go here, go there, do this, do that, change plans, now wait, don't change plans... I mean sometimes I really feel like my head is spinning out of control. It's at these moments when I find it hardest to maintain a clear vision of why I'm here, what I'm called to, and who I am really am. My Utmost for His Highest devotional for the day was absolutely amazing, and I wanted to share it with you. It blessed my life and inspired me to hold fast to the vision, I hope it does for you too!

Check it out!

VISION-- March, 11, 2010

"I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision." Acts 26:19

If we lose the vision, we alone are responsible, and the way we lose the vision is by spiritual leakage. If we do not run our belief about God into practical issues, it is all up with the vision God has given. The only way to be obedient to the heavenly vision is to give our utmost for God's highest, and this can only be done by continually and resolutely recalling the vision. The test is the sixty seconds of every minute, and the sixty minutes of every hour, not our times of prayer and devotional meetings.

"Though it tarry, wait for it." We cannot attain to a vision, we must live in the inspiration of it until it accomplishes itself. We get so practical that we forget the vision. At the beginning we saw it but did not wait for it; we rushed off into practical work, and when the vision was fulfilled, we did not see it. Waiting for the vision that tarries is the test of our loyalty to God. It is at the peril of our soul's welfare that we get caught up in practical work and miss the fulfilment of the vision.


Watch God's cyclones. The only way God sows His saints is by His whirlwind. Are you going to prove an empty pod? It will depend on whether or not you are actually living in the light of what you have seen. Let God fling you out, and do not go until He does. If you select your own spot, you will prove an empty pod. If God sows you, you will bring forth fruit.

It is essential to practise the walk of the feet in the light of the vision.

my favorite quote at the rodeo

DOUBLE good news!

First good news: my Poppop is doing EXTREMELY well! He is already sitting up and they have moved him from ICU into a regular room. Please continue to have faith and pray for his healing and recovery process.

And on a side note: I want to add that my Poppop is a very healthy man who is not overweight, and religiously takes long walks. If someone with such discipline can get a blockage in his heart, imagine how your heart looks when you eat french fries and cokes regularly. Not preaching, just saying... :)

Second good news: Travis and I signed a lease for our apartment yesterday! We get to move in on Saturday and I am SOO excited! Pictures to come...

Much love,
me

They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.

I just got word from my daddy that my Poppop is out of surgery and all went well. My mom and grandma can not see him for another two hours, but we are so grateful that there were no complications. His recovery is going to be 6-8 weeks and we have been warned it is a difficult one. However, my Poppop is a very strong man who handles pain with grace. I think he will do beautiful! Thank you Lord for watching over my precious grandfather, and for hearing our prayers!

"The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works." (Psalm 145:8)

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray." (James 5:13)



Lamentations 3:22-23 "Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16)


Much Love,
me