three of the reasons

my life is so full.

i am blessed to have an awesome husband, a terrific older daughter and an amazing younger daughter. i am surrounded by extended family and friends. most of all God is woven throughout our lives in ways i cannot comprehend and His blessings are better than i've ever dreamed.

i pray for each and everyone to know His love, feel His mercy, receive His gift.

peace.

from sherry and roz

i know it's a day late, and i'm probably a dollar short, but it's all good!! hope you get a giggle!

peace.





'Twas the night before Christmas, I'm glued to the tree.
I'm wondering what Santa brought just for me.
Could it be cardstock or chipboard or lace?
Or a Cricut, I said, with a smile on my face.


And that's when I heard him, "Hi Santa, " I said
"You know... good little girls should be in their beds."
"I know I should Santa and now I've got caught.
But I was just so excited to see what you brought."


"Well, let's take a look in this room where you work.
He shook his head quickly, And left with a jerk.
I heard him exclaim as he put it in gear.
"You've got enough crap, I'll see you next year!

It's gonna be a HUGE Christmas!!

i've heard lots of people talking about how they won't be able to "do" Christmas this year. or they won't be able to "do much" for Christmas this year. WELL, I am planning a huge Christmas this year and this is why.

Jim is still unemployed, my dad's alzheimers has taken a turn for the worse, we have friends who are struggling with jobs-kids-life-etc, my great uncle has cancer and we have dear friends oversees in the heart of the war.

But that's just stuff.

"For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son and those who will believe in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16-17

"Thanks be to God for his gift that is too wonderful for words." 2 Corinthians 9:15

"Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows." James 1:17

You have the love of your heavenly Father and the gift of His son Jesus Christ. If you haven't accepted this gift yet, now is the time. All you have to do is accept it, admit you need it, admit you want it and open your heart for it. It's that simple. It's the ultimate Christmas present!! Have a humongously huge Christmas this year with the gift that lasts for eternity!

peace on earth and good will to all men.

Merry Christmas!

exercising my trust muscles...

i have to admit that i have no problem believing God answers prayers. i pray for others all the time, full of faith that God hears and answers. He provides, protects, loves, supports, etc....

today, i'm struggling with the thoughts that God also does this for me. He sees me, loves me, hears me, wants good things for me. having an earthly father that failed miserably, it is sometimes difficult to trust my heavenly father. and yet i know He loves me.

so i'm exercising my trust muscles today, allowing my faith to grow, knowing that the God who created heaven and earth sees me.

peace.

life is like the weather in Oklahoma....

the forecast right now is 60's today, climbing to the 70's this weekend and then plummeting to below freezing with sleet/freezing rain (what's the difference?) on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Highs in the 20's.

don't you sometimes feel life is like this? beautiful and sunny for days and then without notice, freezing cold or stormy or unbearably hot! one phone call can swing the "temperature" of life. one unkind word. one life change.

i'm sure this is why God tells us in Hebrews 13:8 He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

i'm holding on to that today while the weather is sunny so i don't forget when the weather changes...

peace.

God is for You

This was in my little desk devotional one day this week...Total credit to God and Max Lucado.

"He will rejoice over you. You will rest in his love; he will sing and be joyful about you." Zephaniah 3:17

God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that's God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that's God applauding your steps. Listen for him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He'll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He's picking you up. God is for you.

God is for you. Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there's a tree in heaven, he's carved your name in the bark...

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?" God asks in Isaiah 49:15. What a bizarre question. Can you mothers imagine feeding your infant and then later asking, "What was that baby's name?" No. I've seen you care for your young. You stroke the hair, you touch the face, you sing the name over and over. Can a mother forget? No way. But "even is she could forget,...I will not forget you," God pledges. Isaiah 49:15.

from his book In the Grip of Grace.

beautiful sunset

interesting weather patterns seem to bring out the best and the worst in the elements around us. i think this one qualifies as part of the best. taken with my iphone over Lake Hefner. not edited at all, those were just the colors of sunset. Great job God!!

peace.

thankful days

in these days of thanksgiving and abundance we are still faced with the lack of a job. it is interesting to be thankful and seeking. thankful and unsure. thankful and peaceful in the midst of the unknown. so i've decided to focus on the things i am sure of.

i am sure God loves me. John 3:16 "for God so loved the world He gave his only son for those who would believe in Him would not die but live forever with Him."

i am sure that God has a plan. Jeremiah 29:11-13 "for I know the plans I have for you says the Lord. plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. when you call on me and seek me with your whole heart, I will be found by you."

i am sure that i am of great value to God. Matthew 6:25-31 "why do you worry about the stuff of your life? the birds do nothing and yet God feeds them. why do you worry about clothes? the lilly of the field is just beautiful, God made them that way. How by worrying can you change anything? o you of little faith, don't be anxious. seek God and He will provide."

like the old hymn says..."for i know whom i have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which i've committed unto Him against that day." i have trusted Him with my soul, my life, my all...our livelihood is a small thing in comparison.

God knows our needs and He is faithful. of this I am sure.

peace.

btw...the scripture above is my language not an exact translation.

i'm discovering something....

no matter how old i get, i am still surprised by people. sometimes good, sometimes, not so much.

i need to learn to watch my words more carefully, to not be quite as trusting. a flippant comment, made in fun, not to be taken seriously--can be reported back with great intent to harm. too bad really....especially when you think you are on the same page...with people you trust.

oh well....my pollyanna self is just sad about it. don't worry my friends, it was none of you. no real harm done except to my rose colored glasses...i think the lense is definitely broken. ;-)

peace.

sneak preview

so for those ephemerites that read my blog, this will be a sneak peek. for everyone else, this was a challenge issued by my art group and due this wednesday. i kind of like how it turned out. it's a shadow box. hope it makes you smile.

peace.

Life is good

so it's been over a week since the news about jim's job. in that time, we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. i've noticed a couple of things during this time.

people are amazed we are still happily married after 25 years. we've never seperated, never cheated, we've enjoyed our life together so far and feel very blessed. our lives are not perfect, but perfect was never our standard.

people also seem amazed that we are not stressed out about the job. we are truly at peace. yes, i'm sure. yes, i'm being honest. no, i'm not just being strong. God really is in control. we rest in that knowledge. we know he'll provide.

if you see my twitter, you'll see the thought for the day today. i really think it's a great cornerstone to build on. Perfectionism doesn't make you perfect, it just makes you feel inadequate.

i am only able because God makes me so. i am only strong because God is strong in me. i am only joyful because the joy of the Lord is my strength. if you are struggling, read His Word, hear his voice, let Him love you. and then rest in Him.

peace.

a new journey

the news came friday, jim's job no longer exists. in some ways it is good news, and in others ways quite a challenge.

he worked for great people, but the vision for what was to happen did not always seem to coexist. seemed to cause much frustration on both sides. i know i'm being generic, but i don't want to say anything that could be construed as negative. they really are terrific people and we enjoyed knowing them during jim's time with them.

so the journey to a new employment place begins. we trust God has a place and a plan for jim. we know that jeremiah 29:11-14 is truth. we'll rest there for now.

please pray and thanks for praying.

peace.

blue sky

at last year's Downtown Arts Festival I took this pic with my phone. It's a art piece, not a real tree and I love that they put a bird's nest in the tree. The sky was beautiful that day and a perfect backdrop to the colors of the tree.

enjoy!

the canvas is complete!

so it all started with a big white canvas. i painted the base colors and then released it to the ephemerites (www.ephemerites.com)and told them to create. No boundaries, no suggestions, no rules. i wanted it to represent this amazingly talented group of women and it does.

the picture doesn't do it justice but i hope you enjoy!

peace.

altered book

this project is part of the ephemerites round robin projects. first book like this i have altered. it had to be something personal. hope you enjoy!

peace.

one week down, one to go...

the really good news is, i have accomplished everything i wanted to before i left. the bad news is, i still have a week to go! oh well....

there are huge parts of the job i will miss:
...meeting people i would never meet otherwise...Renee Fleming, Art Garfunkel, Bebe Neuwirth, Pink Martini....at least most of them have been really nice and excellent to work with.
...the great people i work with at the phil. small team of dedicated, power-house people who are never going to be paid what they are worth, never going to be appreciated like they should be, and do it anyway to keep the music alive.
...and the special people i've met along the way. you know who you are.

i am excited about the new challenges to come and the growth opportunities they will provide. when i think that the average life span in africa is 43 and the median age is 16, how can i not have a driving force within me to fulfill God's purpose and go into all the world and introduce them to Jesus. they may never have another chance. today may be their last. or mine. or yours. Do you know my Jesus? He loves you and wants most of all for you to know Him too. that's all. just say yes Jesus.

peace.

change is good....

but that doesn't make it easy. i resigned my position with the Phil on friday, amidst tears, not just my own. it is good to be loved. now comes two weeks of intense, make sure all the bases are covered, try to prepare the way for the new person, work.

then on to my new position as director of communications for reaching souls international. i'm very excited about what they do and being able to spread the word about it.

so here goes.

peace.

Reaching Souls International

?????? got a hoopty!!

ok, so you know those moments you wish you had captured on film, phone, whatever....well yesterday i had one.

picture this in your mind. loud music playing (ok that was in my car, but still), and to my right this GHETTO red lincoln, low in the back and bouncing on every bump, silver detailing around all wheel wells, down the doors, across the trunk, decent wheels (no spinners though), windows rolled down....got it?

now look at the driver....young, male, maybe ethnic.....

WRONG!!!!

Granny got a hoopty!!! I almost died laughing! I went from stereotypical to you gotta be kiddin me in 2.5 seconds. Little white granny, dressed in her Sunday best, looking between the steering wheel and the dash, bouncing on every bump.

don't you just love surprises!! and a good, long giggle?

peace.

wow, time really does fly!

well, almost 2 months. end of season has come and gone, if you have never heard Time for Three, you must! They are fabulously talented and will be around for a long time. check them out time for three

anyway, we had a little vacation, the Oklahoma Aquarium is amazing! Had a little down time and now we're back in the swing. I'm heading to Denver next week for conference, so i'll try to post some pics this weekend and chat a little more.

peace.

dream house

ok, well not exactly...really, not ever BUT i drive past this old barn every saturday on my trek to dad land. it intrigues me. this old barn is not in use anymore but with every season there is something beautiful about the simplicity. right now it is surrounded by little purple weeds. i've seen it surrounded by water, snow, green wheat and just dirt. the challenge in taking the pic is that it's off the turnpike and there's no good place to pull over. so forgive the slight blur, this is a slow-down drive by.

sometimes, that just seems to be the way i see life. glimpses, quickly caught, enjoyed, catalogued and foundly remembered.

peace.

Happy St. Paddy's Day

peace!

so i'm not biting the apple....

because i decided a buyer in the hand was better than an entry fee out of the pocket! but if i were submitting, here's my piece. it's called alice's paradigm. click on it to read the texts.

peace.

I love getting birthday cards

and when you have artsy friends, they take a card to a whole new level. Here are some of the cards I received this year.



if you have never had a birthday card made especially for you, send me your birthday and address and you'll have one this year!!

peace.

automatic carwashes

i think that the drive through automatic car wash is a treasure. you go in one end with a filthy car and come out the other end with a shiny clean car. in between you are sprayed and spun and brushed and washed and even waxed(if you upgrade!).

so after all our recent weather, my black car was looking pretty grungy. this morning, i decided to take it through the carwash on my way to dad's house. so i did. jumped on the turnpike in my spiffy clean car and headed to el reno.

before i got 4 miles into the journey, it started sprinkling. then stopped. the sun came out. then it rained. my nice clean car stills looks better than it did, but the wet roads will soon change that.

so anyway, i've told you that to let you know what God showed me. do you know, when i run through the auto wash, it's only the outside of my car that gets clean? the inside still carries the dirt, trash, dog hair, uneaten french fries, etc. that was there when the car was dirty.

but with God, He goes for the full detail. He wants me clean through and through. He doesn't just wash my outside and send me on my merry way to get rained on so i have to come back. He starts on the inside and works His way out. He scrubs the carpet of my heart that has collected the dirt of sin and pain and whatever else. He cleans the dashboard of my mind that has had to much stuff set on it, spilled on it and not been dusted. He cleans around the buttons of my will, my emotion, my thoughts, my desires.... By the time He is done, i am water repellent and smelling fresh like Him. and He houses me in the garage of his love, grace, mercy, sacrifice and protection. AND His clean lasts forever...

may seem strange to you, but it spoke to me today. God spoke to me today.

peace.

ola senorita...

was all he said as he stood on the side of the road and allowed me to take his picture. digital camera-$200, day off- $NC, getting this pic-PRICELESS!!

by the way, the street i was on, WESTERN!! of course! ask ellen, my witness and photographer.

enjoy!

forgot to take a pic....

before i started, but the canvas came to me painted with the words on the bottom. my addition is the bottom left corner...she just looked like she was enjoying the good life....

ephemerites project one movin' on....

peace.

Que sera, sera

whatever will be, will be. seems kind of fatalistic but if you really think about it, if i truly believe God is in control and i truly believe that he has a plan for me, to prosper and not to harm me, to give me hope and a future, then que sera, sera should be my theme song.

don't get me wrong. i don't think i'm a bystander in my life with a whatever sign on my forehead. i know that God wants my full participation in this plan he has for me. i just want to be willing, ready and able to fully participate.

i want to be open to change, ready for assignments and willing to go the extra mile or two. i want to live my life with a capital L! no looking back, no compromise.

God is good all the time and que sera sera, i can't wait to see what will be!!

peace.

Learn something new.....

so i've learned how to add html code to my blog to include some permanent links. this is very exciting to me because i'm basically a hunt and peck method learner and it's good to know the brain still works.

so, check out some of my favorite sites...now that i know how to add them, you can bet i will!

peace.

get LOST!!

I have! If you are not a fan of the ABC show LOST, stop reading...but if you are, I love this show!

It is one of the smartest, most intriguing shows I've seen in years. Never a dull moment, always a twist or 40, and the characters become like family.

My friend, Kristy, and I are addicted. But it goes beyond....she surfs the web and chatboards sending me easter eggs of info. I supply them to the other Lostians in my office, we all surmise, deduce, anticipate and watch.

It is office chatter at it's finest!!

Take a gander and you'll get LOST too!

peace.

frozen in time....

or at least in the stuff that is falling today. some white, some wet, some icy, welcome to Oklahoma! the land of the weather smorgasbord!

peace.

who knew a treasure lay up in guthrie....

i've been to this small town many times...great antiquing, barbecue and Christmas festival. but i had never been to the Banjo Museum until yesterday. you may ask, "why the banjo museum?", it's not my regular gig, but in april Buddy Wachter, Hall of Famer in the banjo world is coming to the Philharmonic AND the banjo museum is moving to Bricktown. so off to banjo world we go and although unsure of the enjoyment factor ahead of time, I was slightly amazed.

These instruments are works of art and define what was truly America's first music form. Here are a few pics i took, enjoy, check out their website and make the trip, you won't be disappointed. Plus, there's a Shakey's tribute room!

Hey, call me and we'll go spend a day in Guthrie.

www.banjomuseum.org

peace.

all things red today

i don't know why, but i'm sharing another red moment with you. hubbie and i went to an amazing restaurant called red prime steakhouse. it is pricey but it is wonderful. the food is good, the service is amazing (thank you joel) and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. try it out...it is special occasion worthy! ask for the round booths.

www.redprimesteak.com

peace.

bowling for fun!!!

If you've never been to Red Pin Bowling Lounge in Bricktown, you should go!!! It is just north of Harkins on the lower level by the river. It's a very deco looking cool place. Prices are reasonable, service is great and the video commentaries on your play is so cute!! If you want to see more, watch Discover Oklahoma on channel 9 on Feb 2 and see the Philharmonic staff having a blast!! We didn't know they'd be there, but what a nice surprise.

check it out www.bowlredpin.com

peace.

round robin starts now

my art group, the Ephemerites, is starting this year's round robin. last year it was canvases and they turned out beautiful. since i joined the group later in the year, i didn't have the opportunity to do one. SOOOO, this year's round robin is a pick what you want, so each project is different. the only complaint i heard about last year's canvases was that they were too small, i fixed that problem, mine is 30 x 40!!

here is the beginning of my project. i'll update each month and show the work that's been done. i may even show you what i'm working on. enjoy.

peace!!

I'm dreaming of a white elephant Christmas???

my dear mother, who's known by all around to be on the quirky side, out-did herself this year. amidst the unwrapping of lovely gifts, we came across these.



in case you can't read them clearly, the dress says "you're still hot, it just comes in flashes now." and the stud cowboy says "this ain't no beer belly it's a gas tank for a sex machine." feel free to click on the picture and see them close up!

charming. i wondering if she would like some of those manure animals for her birthday?

peace.

self portrait

so the ephemarites are going to published in a magazine called Haute Handbags. it's a somerset publication and we're all excited! we submitted a purse that we all altered and they accepted it and wanted an article about our group. all that to say....i needed a self portrait and bio to put on www.pashnada.com/artists.htm so the world could see all of us.



it's a little strange cutting out your own head, but i like the finished product.

peace.