I know I’ve already posted today – my 8th consecutive daily post out of a planned 40! So, why am I here again…twice on the same day you may ask? Well, simply put…I’m here because of CHARLIE and APRIL. Sure enough…Charlie and April caused me to come back again tonight and write some more. Well, those girls AND the fantastic giveaway they’re offering. This one is for a blog makeover! And…you know what? I need one! Allow me to elaborate…

I’m 38-years-old (for a few more weeks, that is), and I’m a passionate Jesus girl! I’m the wife of the most precious man in the world and the mother of a dahling teenage girl – both have captured my heart for life! I work full-time, speak part-time, “play makeup” with some fun pink ladies part-time, write in my spare time, think about Africa all the time, and hang out with girlfriends, and we have a BIG time! On top of that, I’m passionate about God and His Word and “doing life” with the people whose paths are crossed with mine! This blog is simply an expression of ALL of that! It’s a place to share, to vent (a little), to confess, to encourage, to love, to laugh, and prayerfully…TO BLESS! I want this to be a place a refreshment…you know the kind, where you can hopefully stop in a get a refreshing drink and then can move on with the rest of your day. Above all…I want to be real with you, to be authentic about this journey called life that we’re all on together. And…I want it to be a place where we can CONNECT! I love that about the blogging community most of all.

Hence, that’s why I need a blog makeover. I want you to keep coming back. I don’t want you to tire of looking at the same background over and over and over and over…you get the idea. I want it to look refreshing, fun, aesthetically pleasing to the eye! But, you know what? I have no knowledge of how to do my own redesign, no time to do it even if I did, no spare dough to pay somebody to do it at the moment, and it would be the best birthday present EVAH for my final year in the thankful thirties! 🙂

Honestly, I blog because I love to write. I blog because I love people and the connections I’ve made here. And…I’ll keep blogging to share the love of Christ and the amazing way he’s taken my messed up life and redeemed it for His glory! And…I’ll keep on doing it with my same old background. But, wouldn’t it just be the SWEETEST to win this contest? Yep…I tend to agree!

I love Saturdays…especially when they’re spent from the comforts of my own home. Today has begun perfectly! Here’s a glimpse…

God awakened me. Not the alarm clock.

I did a few of my normal morning routines…potty. scale. drink. TMI? Ha!

Then…I opened one of the blinds in the bedroom, and God’s glorious morning light shown through. The sun’s rays exploded on my face as I climbed back into bed and soaked in the warmth from the light He produces.

I put in the earbuds to my ipod and loaded up my favorite praise and worship tunes and simply sat back with a huge smile upon my face as I drank in thoughts of my great God. My truly magnificient, wonderful, amazingly good, merciful, compassionate, loving God.

With my spirit now in check, I opened His Word and read, studied, chewed on, and swallowed the stories of old that give me hope for today. I never tire of reading God’s glory revealed through the miraculous pregnancy he gave Abraham and Sarah in their old ages of 100 and 90, respectively. I read that story every year, and each year…I’m reminded that NOTHING…NOTHING…NOTHING is impossible with the God of the universe.

I continue studying His Word a little longer, allowing the words to penetrate my heart, mind, and soul. Then, I return to the music on my ipod. God speaks to people in different ways, and there are certain avenues that create an atmosphere that allow His children to hear from Him greater than in other settings. That’s how I am with my praise music. He often speaks to me through song. Today is no exception.

As He speaks to me this morning, I start whispering back to Him. Sometimes, my whispers get a little louder, but often…it’s just a whisper this morning. It’s not always like this, but there are days that the sheer presence of God surrounding me can cause nothing more than a whisper to come from my lips. He overwhelms me…in a good way!

I continue speaking to Him. He speaks back. Not audibly…just in the deep recesses of my spirit in a silent language that belongs only to Him and me. This will continue throughout the day, but nothing as sweetly as our early morning “talks”.

I am so full…spiritually speaking. This is simply a little piece of paradise to me. My Saturday morning paradise.