HAPPY THURSDAY 4.14.11

I don't think this needs an introduction!



HAPPY THURSDAY 4.7.11

I promise at some point, I'll start actually blogging again but until that day .... Hope you enjoy!!

Courtesty of Pioneer Woman!

LOVE

Happy Thursday 3.24.11

In honor of my recent accomplishments (see post below) and my now growing obsession to get out of town, here is what is making me happy at this very minute!

Gourdes, France

The Fountains of Aix-en-Provence 

Pretty Colors!

Lavender

Hooray

As I discussed at the start of this year, one of my 2011 goals was to follow and complete Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover through his Financial Peace University. Well, I am proud and excited to announce that I have completed Baby Step #1!!! I am beyond excited!! For many reasons.

A:  Before I started this program, this goal, while small in hindsight, seemed so far away! If you've ever taken Dave's class you've heard that it's the easiest yet hardest step to achieve! As we get older and our paychecks continue to increase it's harder to part with 10-20% of our income.

#2:  I just got back my tax return amount and all of that money which the government is returning to me, will all be going towards paying off my debt, at least the majority of it! Which means, I will have completed Baby Step #2 a lot sooner than I thought!

And finally,

D: I'm quickly on my way to living like no one else, so that later, I can live like no one else!

Hello home in Provence!!

Happy Thursday 3.17.11

 

So there I was, driving home yesterday, sitting in traffic and the sun was beaming down onto my face. I'm not the kind of person who dreads driving home and getting stuck in traffic. Living in Atlanta, that's just part of your daily routine. Some days are worse than others but for the most part I handle it pretty well, at least I think so. Anyways...ok, focus! So like I was saying, I was sitting in my car at a red light and realized that it is definitely spring! I realized this when I noticed that the sun was actually warming my face! Yes, I realize that the sun is out everyday all the time, but it actually occured to me yesterday that the sun was actually warming everything -- and it felt amazing! I could have put my car in park and doozed off for a few minutes had I not been at a very busy intersection. So, in honor of Happy Thursday AND the recent arrival of spring. Here are a few pics that are making me happy right now!

ENJOY!

 

Happy Thursday

I have a friend, LPE, who has inspired me (she's inspired me in more ways than one but that will have to come later)! My friend loooooves Thursdays!! I have asked her several times why she loves it so but I have never been able to get an exact answer from her. Her answers normally go along the lines of  "I don't know why, I just do!" I personally think it's the fact that the weekend is just one more day away! But that's just me!

I have also realized that I end up browsing different blogs not reading what they have to say but mainly because the pictures are so purdy! Whenever I'm swamped and I get a little downtime or am just needing a pick me up, I'll go through my list of favorite sites and see what they have to offer! In honor of my dear friend, I've decided to post something (most) every Thursday that makes ME happy and hopefully, you'll like it too!! So here is a picture from The Cinderella Project that I keep going back to and finding delight in:

When the Sand Runs Out

Yesterday, the neighborhood and community where I grew up and the entire Metro Atlanta area were shocked and dismayed with the sudden and bizarre death of a local 19 year old. That 19 year old happened to be my neighbor; I’ve known him since he was born, I’ve babysat him, and he later attended high school with my brother.  By now, most of you may have read the story and some of you may have even been stuck in the traffic that immobilized the city for hours after the fact. There are still a lot of questions lingering around events that lead to the horrible traffic accident that took his young life.

As the story unraveled yesterday and word spread, I found myself savoring everything. The orange I had for a snack; the beautiful sunrise; the fact that no matter how horrible my day is, I’ve still been blessed with another day on this earth and an opportunity to make the next one better!

What is it about death, especially the death of a young person, that makes you stop and reflect on your own personal life and the things you have accomplished or the impact you may have left on someone else’s life or the simple blessings you may have overlooked? Shouldn’t we be conscious of those things every single day of our lives? Because, after all, no one knows when the day will come that God will call you up? 

At what point, do people become so consumed with everything else in life that they don’t enjoy beautiful sunrises or take two extra seconds to place a call to someone instead of sending them a text because it’s quicker? It’s always been said that God let’s everything happen for a reason. Some of the reasons may take years to be revealed but in the end, situations like this could affect hundreds of people. For me, it’s reminded me how precious and fragile life is and how in the blink of an eye, everything can change!

Matthew 6:34 says, Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

And that is exactly what I’m going to do! I will try harder to relish in each day as if there were no tomorrow and be thankful to God that He has blessed me with one more day on earth with my family and friends and trust in Him that when my day does come, that my family and friends will be able to say that I lived my life to the fullest while on earth and that they will have comfort in knowing that we will all be reunited again one day!

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder 

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. 

I see the stars; I hear the rolling thunder, 

Thy power throughout the universe displayed. 

When Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation 

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart! 

Then I shall bow in humble adoration, 

And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art! 

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee; 

How great Thou art, how great Thou art! 

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee: 

How great Thou art, how great Thou art!