At the Well...Quiet time

Today at Gathering at the Well we are discussing out Jesus time and our quiet time with Jesus. Here are the questions they are asking today:

How do you spend moments with Jesus?

For me I find that I spend moments with Jesus many times through out the day. I am constantly praying as I am at work, and praying when I get up and go to bed. Jesus to me is not someone I have to make time for. I know He is near me at all times and through out my daily activites. My most intimate moments are spent in the evenings when my husband and I are laying in bed each doing our reading.

Do you have set quiet time?

Because I am working all day five days a week quiet time for me is far and few between. I try most days to spend my quiet time on the bus ride to work at lunch and the bus ride home. It is my time that I don't have a boss telling me what to do, a husband asking me questions, or any other distractions. I feel that ever since I started riding the bus my quiet time has grown and I am able to focus on God and the word more.

Have a blessed day!

Check out what others are saying about their time with Jesus At the Well.

Word filled Wednesday!

Have a blessed WFW!

I'm Back!

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Isaiah 41:10 is a verse I came across today as I have been looking for encouragment. Most of you may have noticed that I have not posted for quite some time! I have been busy with live, love, and everything else that distracts us in our world. I am glad to come back and kind of update you on where I have been and where I hope to be going!

Where to start...My husband has been accepted to Grad School!! I am so happy for him and this will definitely help us in our future and the plans we have for ourselves. I have been worried about the fact that our time together will be limited but, as a dear friend of God told me, when we do have time together it will be special! I pray and ask you to pray as well that this will be an easy transition for us!!

Next...work! I have been with the same company for 3 years!! I love what i do and would be happy to continue in what I love but, God has presented me with another opportunity. I have taken the steps to start this new opportunity now I am learning what patience really is by waiting to see what happens and if this new opportunity is right for me! I tell you we should never ask the Lord to teach us patience because he listens!! I pray and ask you to pray as well that I hear some good news soon!

Other then that I have been trying to enjoy the last bit of our summer and spending time with wonderful people not to mention planning more fun and more times with the people I love and care about!

I have learned from this verse to not be in fear or worry in my case. That the Lord is with me and will guide me all the way!!

Have a Blessed Day!!

Thankfull Thursdays

I decided that I want to start thankful Thursdays on my blog. It seems that by the time Thursday rolls around my mood dampens, my negativity comes out, and I being a downward spiral to disaster. I figure if every Thursday I make it a habit to write what I am thankful for it will give me a little boost to make it to the weekend! I would love for anyone to join if you would like write a comment and put your link on their so others can see what you are thankful for as well!

I am thankful today for health insurance. I have been having some pain in my shoulder for the past THREE WEEKS and needless to say it has been everything but enjoyable. I went to the doctor today had great service, paid only my co-pay, and got most of the problem taken care of. I am thankful for health insurance in this instance because without it I may not have had the great care I did, or would have left there with a HUGE bill after x-rays and sling they gave me. So that is why I am thankful for health insurance!

What are you thankful for today?

Have a Blessed Day!

Enjoy and have a blessed day!

Fruit of the Spirit - Gentleness

Last week I posted at the end of my post that we would be finishing up this week with self control obviously I missed Gentleness and maybe that was my self conscience telling me I was going to struggle with gentleness.

What is Gentleness?

"Quality or state of being gentle"

Ok...What is gentle?

"free from harshness, sterness, or violence"

I get that gentle is someone who is calm, happy, and kind. I would describe myself with all three of those words. But what does the Bible teach us about gentleness. Gentleness is described as strength look at Proverbs 25:15:

"Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone."

Gentleness is used to break a bone?! Is that the complete opposite of what the dictionary tell us? All the examples of gentleness in the bible are people who are strong and in control, not weak and out of control. Then this means God is Gentle right? He is strong, He is in control, and He is not weak. Ephesians 4:2:

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

I have seen a common denominator in many of my Fruit of the Spirit studies it is "love one another" Again in gentleness it tells us to be humble, gentle and bearing with one another in love. We need to follow this verse and use gentleness in the same way God does as our strength to love on another.

Have a blessed day.

Make sure you stop by Katie's blog and see what she has to say about gentleness!! Check back next week as we look at the final Fruit of the Spirit Self-Control!

WFW!

I am so glad I came across this today! I have had so many trials lately and I need to remeber God's faithfulness.

Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfullness

II Timothy 3:1-5, the apostle Paul describes the spirit of people at the end of the age:
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: "For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

I start my post this week with a verse from Timothy. I found this verse to be very true when talking about faithfullness. Faithfullness to me means following what you believe in, staying true to yourself, and always being dependable. As I was doing my research for this weeks post I was reading a few articles online about faitfullness and what it means.

We have a tendency to be faithful to what we think is truly important, be it a family name, spouse, friendship, employer, school, athletic team or even certain things like a make of automobile. In my life I find faithfullness to be one of the most important things in a relationship. I expect my husband to stay faithfull to me and our family, I expect my friends to stay faithfull to me by not talking badly or doing things that would hurt me. Faithfullness is a very important part of my life and truly believe it can make or break many areas of our lives.

But Faithfullness also has a different meaning, a meaning I tend to not think about or find important. The Faithfullness to God our Lord, our Creator, our life. Why is it so easy to stay faithfull to our flesh life but not our spiritual life? I think it is easier to find faith in our flesh life because it is here and now. We can physically see, touch, smell, and hear everything right now. There are constant reminders daily to stay faithfull. But, our spiritual life and God are the most important to stay faithfull too. God is faithfull to us NO MATTER WHAT! He loves us no matter what, forgives us, and someday we will be with him.

So, how can we remain faithfull to God and not as faithfull to our everyday life? By praying, reading His word, and showing love and caring to all of the people in our life.

Have a Blessed Day!

Be sure to check out Katie's blog on Faithfullness. And join us next week for the final Fruit of the Spirit Self Control.

Word Filled Wednesday

Enjoy and have a blessed day!

Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness

Goodness sakes, oh my goodness, goodness gracious...these are all phrases I have used in my lifetime. I have heard my Mother, Grandmother, Brother, Father and many others in my life use these phrases. It was not until I started doing my Fruit of Spirit study that I realized what Goodness really means or is. As an online dictionary told me....

Goodness is the quality or state of being good; also is a euphamism for God.

Woah! I had no idea Goodness was used as another word for God. So does that mean every time I use goodness in phrase I am breaking one of the ten commandments. Using God's name in vein?! I would like to think not and here is why. Goodness to me is like it's definition states the quality or state of being good. So if I am using the word goodness in my daily life then I must be in the state of being good! How is that dishonoring our God?! I feel I use most of these phrases when I am shocked by something, or happy about something, or angry about something. I use these phrases like a prayer and in a sense of praise for our Lord. I am asking Him for good in my life when I am down, I am thanking Him for good in my life when things are going well.

Now as I stated before Goodness is also a euphamism for God. So now I need to evaluate how I use these phrases and this word sometimes. If I am truly angry and having a hard time I may shout FOR GOODNESS SAKE...little did I know that I may actually be using the Lord's name in vein!! This was a shocker for me. This week has definitely opened my eyes to 1. the difference between goodness and kindness and 2. the true definition of goodness.

I know from now on I am going to really pay attention about using these phrases and make sure in my life I am not dishonoring our Lord who in the end is the one who brings goodness to all of us.

Have a blessed day!

Remember to check out Katie's blog and see her thoughts on Goodness.

Fruit of the Spirit - Kindness

My great partner in this journey through the Fruit of the Spirit, Katie, and I were discussing last night now kindness was going to be hard. Not that we don't know what kindness is or how to show kindness, but because we are going to have a hard time differentiating between kindness and goodness. So I am going to start the next to posts with definitions.

Kindness: fundamental nature or quality

Hmmm...that does not really answer my question as to what is kindness. Here is my definition of kindness showing caring and love to one another and to the earth. Easy enough for me to understand. But when we talk about kindness in a spiritual stand point what does that mean?
Luke shows us

Luke 6:27-31 - "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."

I have blogged about forgivness and loving our enemies before and I hate to repeat the same things but this is some thing that I struggle with daily. If we look at this verse closely kindness is being described as loving our enemies, not getting even with those who hurt us, sharing what we have, and doing to others as we would like done to us. I know for a fact that I show kindness everyday to many people throughout the day. BUT, am I showing kindness the way our Lord wants me to show kindness or the way he shows us kindness?! Not a chance. I have a very hard time showing love towards my enemies and those who have hurt me. I always feel that I am deservent of many things and if something of mine is taken I always want it back. With that I have decided I am going to try, notice I said "try", to live the way God wants us to live and love my enemies, wow that was harder to say then I thought, and to share my gifts and life with others.

I ask everyone to join me in this. I think if we walk with Christ and show kindness where we really need to show it we will have a better world around us.

Have a blessed day.

Remember please check out Katies blog to read her thoughts on kindness as well.

Word Filled Wednesday!!

"My bretheren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, the trying of your faith worketh patience" James 1:2-3

"But let patience haver her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

James 1:4


Have a blessed and patient day!

Fruit of the Spirit - Patience

Patience by definition is

Bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint

Ha ha very funny so basically you are saying that I need to keep quiet and calm during times of stress, pain, and worry?! Are you kidding?! Patience is a virtue or so I have been told. There are many times a day that I am impatient. How about when my husband says "I will clean the bathroom don't worry about" and I am sitting there following him around until he does, or when my boss says "we need to discuss this immediatly" then she gets a phone call or an email or has to run to make a copy, and I am sitting there waiting for her to come back. These are all impatients in my life right now.

What about impaitence in my spiritual life? Where do I even begin!! I am impatient when praying because I always want an answer right away. I am impatient spiritually because I want to get through the book of Romans in the Bible but keep getting stuck or held back. I am impatient because there is a place I want to be in my spiritual life that, for some reason I am having a hard time getting to. God tells us this:

Psalm 37:7-9 "Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land."

God shows us patience everyday by waiting for us to figure things out. Waiting for us to ask for forgiveness and waiting for us to worship him. Why do we have such a hard time waiting for the Lord or waiting for anything for that matter?

My thoughts this week are to take a step back and realize that maybe right now I am not supposed to have that meeting maybe the time it took my boss to get ready I should have been praying. Maybe my husband has not cleaned the bathroom right away because he is working on something else to better our lives. I am hoping and praying that I find patience in my flesh life and in my spiritual life.

Remember to visit Katies blog and read her thoughts on Patiences. Also join us next week for kindness. If you have missed the previous Fruit of Spirit Posts you can find them here Love, Joy, Peace

Have a blessed and patient day!!

AVON!!

Hello All!! I just wanted to let everyone know that I am now selling AVON! I am trying to start a business where I can control things!! I know most of you who visit my blog are not from Albuquerque nor know me but, there is a new way you can buy AVON from me without even meeting or talking to me!!

I have started selling through erepresentative. I am your online rep! All you need to do is go to www.youravon.com/ckulifay you can search products and order products. Everything you order can be paid by credit card online and will be shipped directly to you!!

I hope you or someone you know can benefit from the the products AVON has to offer. Let me know if you have any questions!!

Have a blessed day!!

Menu Plan Monday

My goodness it has been a few weeks since I have posted my MPM!! I am hoping to get back on routine and make our lives easier!! Here is our plan this week...

Monday - My brother in-laws birthday so we are having dinner at the in-laws house

Tuesday - Spaghetti

Wednesday - Enchilada casserole

Thursday - Chicken on the grill, potatos, and veggies

Friday - Frozen Pizza!!

Saturday - Husband is camping dinner on my own not sure yet

Sunday - Husband still camping dinner at my folks house

For more menu plan monday visit orgjunkie.com

WFW

"Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee"

Job 22:21

Following my Fruit of the Spirit post on Peace I thought this was a great verse to share. Remember to follow the Lord and he will grant you peace.

Have a blessed day and peace be with you!

For more Word Filled Wednesday visit the Extravagant Grace this week HERE.

Fruit of the Spirit - Peace

2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

I am so glad to be back with the Fruit of the Spirit posts! It was a good break for reflection and study I am so excited to share with you Peace. Remember to also visit my great friend Katies page as well for her take on Peace.

Peace to me is quiet time, no fighting, happy thoughts, and a good nights sleep. As the verse above tells us the Lord gives us peace at all times in every way. This is very true but, how come we don't feel peaceful or feel the peace of the Lord at all times? In todays world we rely so much on ourselves and others to find peace that more often then not we never reach a state of peace. We expect peace to come from our boss at work to make our days better, we expect peace from our spouses so we can enjoy our evening, we expect peace from our children so we may think without interruption, and we expect peace from our parents and family so we may live our life on our own accord. We expect peace from EVERYONE in our life but why do we not expect peace from the One who has given us peace at all times and in every way?

This study has really opened my eyes to a new way of finding peace. We need to ask the Lord for peace and have him grant us his peace. We need to rely on his word and his will to make our lives peaceful and peacful for others. The following prayer is one I found that I hope we can all pray together and remember we need to have peace in our lives through our Lord.

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who said to Your Apostles: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you," regard not my sins but the faith of Your Church, and deign to give her peace and unity according to Your Will: Who live and reign, God, world without end. Amen.

Have a blessed day and peace be with you!

Become who you are

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAQ50hrFevg

So it seems that I'm alone 'cuz you said that I would never want for anything again
But my eyes are set low and I'm holding
To the things that I know I can't keep

I keep on chasing the wrong things
And coming up empty
This isn't who I'm s'pposed to beI keep on running the hard way
From every mistakeAnd I'm finding each time that you fall
You're just becoming who you are

So it seems that I'm alone 'cuz I keep on
Searching for the answers that I don't need
I know I don't need

I keep on chasing the wrong things
And coming up empty
This isn't who I'm s'pposed to beI keep on running the hard way
From every mistake
And I'm finding each time that you fall
You're just becoming who you are

This song is one of my favorite songs. It is such a true reminder that sometimes we fall and chase the wrong things away from the lord and away from what we believe. I know I need this reminder every once in a while that I need to Become who I am and follow what is right. My focus starting today is staying positive. Lately I have struggled with negativity and I need to get away from that and be happy with the life I am dealt and follow the Lord and trust in the Lord in every day. I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do!

Have a blessed day!!

The Sopranos...or just Caffeinated Randomness

The Sopranos

I feel like I am in the Soprano Family. Is that a good thing? I don't know yet...give me a couple more episodes and I will let you know. So far there has been fighting, killing, yelling, loving, laughing, and drama. I guess that is like most families minus the killing. Do I long to be apart of a Mob family that has all that drama, calls people Uncle even though they have no blood relation, late nights, and bar fights? Eh sometimes I think it is glamorous but most of the time I don't envy them at all!

The past few months my husband and I have been running to our mailbox to grab the next disk in the Soprano collection that arrives just in time from NetFlix. We watch this show as if our life depended on it, heck after this show we are convinced our life actually may depend on it!! It has taught me alot. I always had this misconception that the Mobster life style was glamorous, full of friends, family, and food. After watching a few episodes I really got the feeling that maybe this lifestyle is not all it is cut out to be. There is always the fear of someone getting angry with you and taking your life because of it, their marriages are filled with lies, and cheating, their kids have to deal with the scrutiny of others about what their "father does". This show is wonderful for the entertainment purposes and also has some fabulous acting, but as far as wanting that lifestyle I am happy with my husband who makes and honest living, and happy that I can walk down the street and not fear for my life.

We have 2 discs left in the entire collection, I definitely will miss the food (we have made a few italian dishes from the show) I will miss the stories, but I will not miss the anger, killing, or fighting. Although, after all these months I do feel I am apart of this family and if anyone is after me I have the Sopranos covering my back...well....not exactly.

Have a blessed day!

WFW!!!

Have a blessed WFW!!

Caffeinated Randomness

Yea!! It is FRIDAY/3 DAY WEEKEND!! I am so happy! Even though this week has been short (I was off Monday and Tuesday celebrating the wonderful birth of my little brother well not sooo little he turned 21!!!) With that what better way to start off a great weekend then with a little caffeinated randomness!!

This weekend is going to be so busy but I am so excited because here in ABQ it is the Annual Memorial Day Wine Festival!! If you are like me Wine has become and obsession. I love to find new wines, try new wines, and learn all about wine!! It has become one of my husband and I's favorite thing to do. Even if we don't go crazy on trying a bunch of different ones doing the search for the perfect wine and enojoying a wonderful glass!!

Many people don't know that New Mexico has some of the best wines around!! There are so many vineyards around New Mexico you are sure to find some that you like. Last year a good friend and I took our men on a Northern New Mexico Wine Tour we started early one morning and drove all over northern NM going to the different vineyards!! We had a BLAST!! With that here are a few of my favorite wines and favorite vineyards to visit! If you are ever in NM make sure you take some time to stop and smell the roses well grape vines...or well drink them!!! ENJOY!!

St. Clair Winery my favorite is there Cab-Zin

Casa Rondena my favorite is their Serenade

San Ysidro Vineyards

Black Mesa

Gruet

and many many more!!!

I hope everyone has a blessed day and wonderful Memorial Holiday!!!

And for more Caffeinated Randomness visit Under Grace and Over Coffee

Fruit of the Spirit June 2nd

As I posted in my last Fruit of the Spirit we were going to switch days this week. Well, since I have been out of town and Katie and her husband are celebrating 1 year of marriage by going out of town today, we are not going to post Peace until June 2nd. We will then be on regular schedule until then.

I hope everyone has a blessed day!!

WFW

Happy WFW!! We are going camping this weekend and I am looking forward to spending time in God's creation!!

Have a blessed day!!

WFW!

I decided to follow my Fruit of the Spirit word again for WFW!!

Have a Joyous Day!!!

Fruit of the Spirit Joy...

Joy
the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: She felt the joy of seeing her son's success.

a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated: Her prose style is a pure joy.

Joy is the next fruit of the spirit I am looking at. I found it kind of challenging because of all the different meanings of Joy. How do we feel joy in our life with Christ?

First of all look at the first meaning of Joy "the emotion." Something has happened that is good so we feel Joy. I know I struggle with this because I don't always accredite the good things in life to works of God. I always get excited, thank someone else, and completely forget to thank our Lord who made this possible. During this study I have really noticed and made a conscience effort to start thanking God for everything and realizing he is the supplier of all my needs and he provides me with all I need.

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever." Philippians 4:19-20

The next states "something or someone greatly valued." This to me is easy I am greatly valued, I greatly value God, my Husband, my Mom, my Dad, my family etc. So they bring me great joy! The Lord our God gave his only son for us!! If that does not prove we are greatly valued I don't know what does!! That is amazing to me! But, with that comes great pressure. Since we are greatly valued by God, does everything we do in our life bring him joy? I struggle with sin like everyone does. It is now that I need to look at what I do not only in church but outside of church as well. I need to make a more conscience effort to bring God joy everyday in everything that I do.

"Nehemiah said, 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'" Nehemiah 8:10

I hope all of us can bring Joy in the lives of others and to our Lord dear God!

Have a Blessed Day!!

Remeber to check out Katie's blog and see how Joy is working in her life!

P.S. Next Tuesday I will be on a plane coming home from a nice vacation!! I will be posting my next Fruit of the Spirit study on Thursday!!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and my new Mom (my Mother In-Law) and to all the wonderful mothers and mothers to-be out there!! Enjoy your day and may God Bless YOU for all that you do for your children and families.

Have a blessed day and weekend!!

Going with my Fruit of the Spirit post on Love I thought this was appropriate. Happy WFW!!

Fruit of the Spirit - Love

As I mentioned last Tuesday I was going to start a study on the Fruits of the Spirit each week focusing one of the fruits. Well, lucky me I have a great friend in my small group Bible study who is going to join me in this journey! You can find Katie here.

Love. As I was going through the Bible and reflecting on Love in my life I found 3 bible verses that really spoke to me. These 3 are referring to 3 different types of Love, the love of God, the love of friendship, and the love of our significant others. Here are my verses and thoughts...

"For God so loved the world he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

This verse if probably one of the most common Bible verses known to us. It shares a love that many of us may never fathom. God loves us so much that he was willing to give his ONLY Son!! Would you be willing to give your only Son to someone? I don't have children but I can't imagine what that would be like, what if my parents gave my brother for someone?! This is a great reminder that God loves us and that we must trust him. He gave his Son for us he gave someone who was his own flesh and blood for us sinners. I know I struggle comprehending how much God loves us on a daily basis, but, everytime I read this verse I am reminded of God's love for us, and his promise of eternal life.

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." John 15:12-15

Friendship for me has been a hard struggle in my life. I have been blessed with many friends over time but, most never seem to make it to my future. I constantly struggled with this and I constantly wondered what is wrong with me? Why can't I have friends? Then I took into account all the friendships I have had over the years and decided they were all in my life and I was in theirs for a reason for one period of time God brought us together to help on another in our time of need. And when that time was over we went our seperate ways remembering the experiences and love that we shared for that period of time. This verse say alot "....love one another as I have loved you" Wow, that is a huge thing to ask for we are supposed to love one another and the Lord loves us?! How on earth can we accomplish that?! Because we are all human we all make mistakes and sin against ourselves and against others. My problem is how can I love someone as the Lord loves me if they have sinned against me or hurt me in one way or another? This is something I struggle with on a daily basis, if I am betrayed and if I am treated unfairly I have the hardest time treating that person with love. If there is one thing I have learned over time is to forgive others like God has forgiven me which then results in love for the other person. We can show love to our friends by forgiving them and by teaching them what God has taught us that is one of the best ways we can show love.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls for he has no one to help him up." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

I love this verse it was actually read at our wedding. This is my perfect verse to describe the love between me and my husband. We did not live with each other before marriage and we always had 2 lives. He had his with his roommates and I had mine with my folks/friends. Our lives were not 1. This verse states "Two are better than one..." We as a married couple are two people coming together to love one another and help one another out. In our life two are definietly better than one. If it were he and I alone he would not be able to pay most of the bills, to enjoy his time at home. We support each other in many ways first of all with two incomes we can afford our apartment, and all the luxuries that come with it. Second we keep each other company at all times he is never lonely. We as a couple support each other is so many ways that shows love to one another. Although this verse does not have "love" in it have someone help you up when you fall and be your support shows love.

As I spent my week reflecting on these verses and on love I realized how much love is in my life whether someone is flat out saying "I love you" or someone is showing their love by what they do for me and my family. I am truly blessed to have so much love and I can thank God for that everyday. This was definietly a reminder of how I am to treat people and a good reminder of Gods love for me.

Have a blessed day!!

Make sure you check out Katies post on love as well.

Caffinated Randomness

OH BOY am I caffinated for what today!! I did some work for one of the managers here at work and he just brought me a VENTI White Chocolate Mocha!! I am going to be going for a long time today!!

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!! Here is what I am looking forward to this weekend........well, once this caffine wears off hee hee

BBQ with my Bible Study group

Spending quality girl time with my best girls baking, and watching chick flicks

Spending some awesome quality time with my handsome husband

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and a blessed weekend!!

30 Day Encouragment Challege

I happend to stumble across this "30 Day Encouragment Challenge" today. A day when I woke up angry at the world and started to take it out on the one person in my life who is my rock, my love, and my strength my Husband. I tell you more and more God has been speaking and I have been listening it is truly an amazing thing. So starting today I am going to do the challenge. Day 1 is the start to an amazing journey.

I am so blessed to have my Husband as MINE!! He chose me over everyone else and I don't know where I would be without him. He is so caring during all my rough times especially during "that time of the month" he is always making sure I am taken care of and have everything I need. He is just the best and I don't know where I would be without him in my life.

Have a blessed day!!

Word Filled Wednesday

Happy WFW!! For more visit The 160 Acre Woods

Fruit of the Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
—Galatians 5:22-23

I am sitting here at my desk thinking about my day and what is to come, and what I can do to make my days/weeks more interesting, more spiritual. I am trying to find my place and to learn from the Lord more and more each day and each week that comes. So I decided I am going to focus the next few weeks on the Fruit of the Spirit. Each week i will focus on one of the fruits and post what I am doing to follow it and to learn what God wants from me with it! Since I have just thought about this today I am not going to post Love until next Tuesday.

Have a blessed day!

Menu Plan Monday

Yea! Another wonderful week with wonderful food!! Here is what we are eating this week...

Monday - On our own, I have Bible study

Tuesday - Chili Cheese Chicken

Wednesday - Tuna Helper

Thursday - Chicken nuggets and tater tots

Friday - We are going out! It is such a treat when we get to enjoy each others company and not cook!

Saturday - Husband cook day!!! (he makes some of the best food!)

Sunday - Leftovers

Cancer Awareness Week 4

This is the last week of Cancer Awareness Month! I have enjoyed sharing all the tips I have recieved and hope you have learned something as well! This last post is for you to list what steps or step you have currently taken to prevent cancer! I would love to hear what you have to say!!

Cancer Awareness Month
Week 4

Take One Step

The last 3 weeks you have received an email each week concerning different ideas and suggestions to be cancer aware and focus on cancer prevention.

Now it is your turn.

Think about all of the suggestions you have received over the last 3 weeks and decide on one – just one – lifestyle change that you are going to make in the interest of cancer prevention.

If you decide to make more than one – that’s great! But 1 is all that is asked for. Just as a reminder, here are some suggestions to help you take that One Step:

· Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat each day
· Reduce your intake of red meat by one meal each week (but if you don’t eat red meat, think of something else!)
· Reduce your alcohol intake by one drink each week
· Clean out your refrigerator and pantry – focusing on stocking up on healthy food choices
· Go to the grocery store with a shopping list and stick to it
· If you have a sweet tooth, direct it to fresh fruit
· Walk or exercise – and if you already do, either increase the number of times each week – or the amount of time each time you walk or exercise
· Enjoy the New Mexico sun but be careful of overexposure
· Pick out two foods from the ‘foods that fight cancer’ list and add them to your shopping list
· This is your choice – come up with your own One Step…..

Good luck and be healthy!

At the Well

Today's at the Well discussion is about mentoring. Here are the discussion questions.

How can we mentor in ways that are pleasing to God?

Mentoring can be a hard task and a hard way to serve God. I for one never feel i am "worthy" enough to mentor another Woman! But with help of the Lord and through prayer I know I am able to do it!!

Here are some ways that I think I can mentor to others that would be pleasing to God...

1. Read scripture to others in time of need and just to share the word of the Lord.

I know I am definietly at fault when it comes to reading the word. I always have the same excuse of "I am too busy" or "I need to finish this book first" If we take time to read alone it will make it easier to share with the ones we are mentoring. Also, if we read with the ones we are mentoring it will be helping them gain knowledge!

2. Share my experiences where God has helped and guided me in the right direction on my Blog.

Although I am not directly talking with someone I can share the word of the Lord and how the Lord has helped me in my blog posts. I know I visit many blogs a day and if only one person visits mine I can at least share what I know with them and hope they share it with others.

3. Pray with and for others

There is no right or wrong way to pray, it is just your discussion with God and asking for guidance or support when needed. If we take time each time we are in mentoring position to pray with the ones we are mentoring that would definitely be pleasing to God.

How can we be sure the word of God is not maligned in the way we mentor and learn?

I think one of the main ways to make sure the word of God is not maligned in the way we mentor and learn is to follow the word and not just read it.

I have known many Christians, and I can admit I have been like this before, who know the word who teach the word or share the word with others, but when it comes down to their own lives they are not following the word. We all need to follow the fruits of the Spirit and follow that in our lives so we can be a great mentor to others.

Proverbs 24:11, 12
Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?

Have a blessed day!!

To read more responses or to add your own visit At the Well

Keeping Albuquerque Beautiful

Many of you may know and some may not but my home town is Albuquerque, New Mexico. I was born and raised here and currently work for the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau. I am proud to call Albuquerque my home!! This afternoon our office has teamed up with the City of Albuquerque to "Keep Albuquerque Beautiful" This entails all of us going out and cleaning up a part of town. Although this task is not the most glamorous I am happy I am able to pitch in and make our city look its best.

There are so many misconceptions about Albuquerque and why it is "beautiful" many don't understand how a city in the middle of the desert is beautiful, and some are not even aware we are in the United States. To help answer some of your questions here are five reasons I find Albuquerque Beautiful

1. Our sunsets will beat any sunset anywhere hands down

2. We have some of the most beautiful mountains called the Sandia Mountains. Sandia in spanish means Watermelon. They are called the "watermelon"mountains because they turn a pretty pink during sunset.

3. The desert may not be the prettiest in some areas but our desert is different. There are cactus that bloom beautiful flowers there are different plants that grow in the area such as the Yuccu.

4. Not only does the scenery make Albuquerque beautiful the food makes Albuquerque Beautiful our locally grown green and red chili makes and authentic New Mexican Food makes Albuquerque what it is.

5. Finally one of my favorite parts of Albuquerque that makes it so beautiful is our Hot Air Balloons. Almost every morning if you look to the west you will see a sky colored by the balloons flying above. Every October we host the largets International Balloon Fiesta it is defnietly a site to see.

These are just some reasons why I find Albuquerque Beautiful!! I would love to hear why everyone thinks there city is beautiful please share!!

Have a blessed day!!

Happy Administrative Professional Day!!!

This is to all me and all my fellow Administrative Assitants out there!! Enjoy the day after all we work hard for it!!!

Have a blessed day!!

WFW

"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease" Genisis 8:22

Since today is Earth Day I thought this was a good Bible verse!!

Have a blessed day!!!

Cancer Awareness Week 3

As I mentioned before this is Cancer Awareness Month. Each Monday I have been posting tips on how to stay healthy and hopefully prevent cancer. This weeks tips are for staying active and in shape. There is no time like the present to change and make our lives healthier.

12 Ways to Live a More Active Lifestyle

Recommendations from the American Cancer Society:

1. Use stairs rather than an elevator.

2. If you can, walk or bike to your destination.

3. Exercise at lunch with your co-workers, family or friends

4. Take an exercise break at work to stretch or take a quick walk.
(Remember to check the employee handbook for rules about breaks)

5. Walk to visit co-workers instead of phoning or sending an email.

6. Go dancing!

7. Plan active vacations rather than sit-down trips.

8. Wear a pedometer every day and increase your daily steps. Try for a goal of 10,000 steps.

9. Join a sports team.

10. Use a stationary bicycle or treadmill while watching TV

11. Plan your exercise routine to gradually increase the days per
week and minutes per session.

12. Spend quality time with those you love.

I hope these tips help you and hopefully help others!!

Have a blessed day!

Menu Plan Monday

The weekend has been so busy I am happy to have a quiet week this week!! Here is the menu for this week enjoy!

Monday - Baked Ziti

Tuesday - Chicken Fajitas

Wednesday - Leftovers (Ziti)

Thursday - Chicken Cordon Bleu

Friday - Pizza

Saturday - Husband cooks day!!

Sunday - Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole

My husband has been out of town camping all week so I premade a pan of baked Ziti so when he gets home all he has to do is put it in the oven and bake it!! We buy the big frozen bags of chicken breast so that is why there are lots of chicken dishes on this weeks menu!! If you would like any of the recipes please let me know!!

Have a blessed day!!

God Talking

This past week my attitude has been terrible, yes, I am admitting to my wrong doing of having a negative attitude. I am not sure what is bringing this on but for some reason every little thing anyone does just gets to me. I have been praying and asking God to guide me to happiness, to get rid of my anger and sadness. Well...just when you think your prayers are not getting answered God shows up and throws things in my face!!

First of all my husband and I are watching the whole collection of The Sopranos. Wow what a show!! In one of the episodes Tony's sister Janice is talking about anger and how she is the only one who can control her emotions. Well go figure in my small group Bible study we were talking about being responsible for our emotions and the only person who can control our emotions are us. Not the guy driving down the road who cut us off, not our husband who didn't do the dishes, and not the boss that wants everything and wants everything NOW! We are in control we are the only one's who can look at a situation and turn it around on our own. Well if that was not good enough lets keep going...

Today again I am moping around the office grumping at everyone when all of a sudden I find out I have more vacation then originally thought and I get to take a vacation day on Friday!! Talk about perfect timing I need a day off for my mental and spritual health sooo bad!! Oh but wait there is more...

As I go through the mundane routine of checking my email on Yahoo I happen to stumble across an article titled "9 ways to get happy in the next 30 minutes" First thing that runs through my head is "Ok come on now God I get the hint, but is this really going to work, and how do you know I am not happy right now I am showing it arn't I?" We should never question the Lord and in times like this where everywhere you look there is something or someone trying to solve your problem we need to take 5 minutes to thank Him for all He has done!! So here is my shout out to you Lord and THANKS!!!

Have a blessed day!!

Yahoo article if interested....
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/9-ways-to-get-happy-in-the-next-30-minutes-444895/

World Filled Wednesday

I am guilty of not trusting the Lord with all my heart. Lately I have been trying to solve all my troubles myself. This is a reminder that we just need to trust in the Lord and he will help us get through and he will show us the way.

Have a Blessed Day!

You can find more Word Filled Wednesday here The 160 Acre Woods.

Cancer Awareness Week 2

As I mentioned in my previous posts it is cancer awareness month, and I will be posting different tips each Monday to help educate all of us!!

This weeks post is again along the lines of nutrition. Here are some foods that fight cancer from the Cancer Cure Foundation:

Avocados

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Carrots

Chili Pepper, including jalapenos

Figs

Flax

Licorice root

Garlic

Grapes (red)

Grapefruit

Kale

lemon

Mushrooms

Nuts

Oranges

Papyas

Rasberries

Rosemary

Seaweed

Soy Products

Sweet Potatos

Teas (green/black)

Tapioca

Tomatoes

Tumeric

Turnips

Wine (Red)

Tips recommended by the Cancer Cure Foundation include:
· East a variety of healthy foods, particularly from plant sources
· Shop the perimeter of the grocery store – avoid processed foods.
· Eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables a day
· Limit consumption of red meat
· The more red meat people eat, the less fruits and vegetables they tend to consume
· Avoid sugar – cancers love sugar. It is even suggested that sugar substitutes also fall under this same category.
· Some say that cancers love carbohydrates, so it is suggested that corn and potatoes should be consumed on a limited basis.

I hope we all can learn something from these posts and share it with others.

Have a blessed day!

Menu Plan Monday!

We made it to another week! I am looking forward to this weeks meals because we will be making some of our favorite recipes!! Enjoy...

Monday - I have Bible Study so we are each on our own.

Tuesday - Spaghetti and Meatballs

Wednesday - Chili Cheese Chicken with rice

Thursday - Tuna Helper

Friday - Pizza

Saturday - I am on my own this weekend because my Husband is going camping. I will probably make something easy or pick something up with a friend.

Sunday - Dinner at my folks house since hubby is out of town.

Have a blessed day!