Monday, August 30

Family Pets

Really funny story:

This weekend I made a quick trip home to Georgia to visit family. My mom, her parents, her brother and his family, and her sister and her family all live on 30 acres that my Papa had owned.

My aunt's family has a HUGE yellow lab (Rusty), a sweet mutt (Beau), and a sweet lap dog (Molly). My grandparents own an old black and white collie (Buddy). My mom owns a very protective lap dog (Munsch), a adorable black lab (Bogie) and a sweet kitty (Josie). Most Sundays my grandmother cooks lunch and all the animals descend upon her house. Only the small dogs are allowed into the house, while the big dogs stay outside and play. (The cat stays at my moms obviously.) Everyone gets along well.

In the afternoons when my Papa takes his afternoon walk around the properties, he has a 'train' of dogs following behind him. When he walks by my mom's house, Papa says Josie launches herself at the door wanting to get a piece of Rusty. Also, if he ever has to go inside for anything, Rusty just stands at the door torturing Josie. My mom said one time Josie did the same thing, but this time the screen door wasn't latched and she ended up going through it. It scared poor Rusty so bad he fell down the porch steps. Josie, who has never been outside, freaked out and ran back inside.

So Sunday, my mom's parents along with my mom's sister and her family (husband and two sons) came over to eat lunch with Mom and I. Since they all live 'through the woods' their dogs came with them. Rusty, Beau, Buddy, and Bogie stayed outside while Molly came in to hang out with Munsch. Now, Molly and Josie have had a delicate relationship ever since Josie drew blood on Molly's nose (not sure of the story there). While we were sitting around the table on the screened-in porch, we heard Molly yelp and Josie hiss. Seems like their tenuous relationship had finally came to a head. Molly came rushing onto the porch with her tail tucked between her legs while Josie ran to hide. We all had a good laugh.

After lunch, I was loading my car getting ready to head back to Florida. Poor Rusty wanted to come inside so bad. He had spent the entire lunch standing and watching through the front porch window. I thought it would be fine to let him and Beau come in for a second. (I had forgotten my Papa's comment at the table earlier about Rusty and Josie.) So I opened the door and Rusty walks on in. I was still holding the door for Beau who was cautiously deciding if he wanted to come in or not. I noticed Rusty had headed straight for Josie, who was standing in the hallway. Josie had 'bowed up' and was hissing. Poor Rusty was just curious. At first he took a cautious step back, but then it was as if he wanted to get a closer look. As soon as he stepped toward a hissing Josie, Munsch came FLYING out of the kitchen barking with teeth bared. He attacked Rusty (who is more than 10 times his size) in defense of Josie. Well, Molly wasn't going to let Munsch beat up on her big brother Rusty so she came running in from the other side of the kitchen to attack Munsch. So we had Rusty, who was just curious about the cat, being attacked by a yapping lap dog who was being attacked by another lap dog. The cat just turned around and walked into my mom's bedroom. After we got everyone calmed down, (none of the animals were serious), got Rusty and Beau back outside, and made sure no one was hurt, my family and I couldn't stop laughing! They had acted just like a bunch of siblings who can beat up on each other, but no one else is allowed to! It was so cute that Munsch had come flying to Josie's defense- a cat he normally tortures no less. And then Molly (lil lap dog remember) defending the biggest dog in the family. That's a memory that will be talked about for years to come.

Thursday, August 26

Lord Change My Attitude Week 1

A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind. Proverbs 18:2

He who guards his mouth and tongue, guards his soul from troubles. Proverbs 21:23

A sound (healthy) heart is the life of the flesh, but envy the rottenness of bones. Proverbs 14:30

Let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth but only such a word that is good for the edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29



Wednesday, August 25

Accountability

Recently due to the death of another member of my church (who was also a dear friend) my desire to grow closer to God has been bigger than ever. I know we are never "where we need to be" in our relationship with God, but I have been a lot closer to Him than I am now. In college I was surrounded by great Christian friends and heard awesome sermons often so it was easier to remain 'grounded in the word'. I'm challenging myself to 21 days (somewhere I heard that it takes 21 days to make something a habit) straight of doing a devotional (an act of prayer or private worship according to Merriam-Webster.com).
Today I finally received my new bible study in the mail, "A Woman's Guide to True Contentment" by Rhonda Kelley. Also, tomorrow night is the first night of "Lord Change My Attitude"- a bible study that I am hosting at my house. Between these two, hopefully I can learn what God is trying to teach me.


Thursday, August 19

My Love

"A woman has got to love a bad man once or twice in her life, to be thankful for a good one."



"Bless The Broken Road"

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

[Chorus:]
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms

This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

[Chorus]

Now I'm just rolling home
Into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.


"When God Made You"

Its always been a mystery to me,

How two hearts can come together,
And love can last forever.
But now that I have found you I believe,
That a miracle has come when God sends the perfect one.
So gone are all my questions about why,
And i've never been so sure of anything in my life

~chorus~

Oh I wonder what God was thinking,when he created you.
I wonder if He knew everything I would need,
Because he made all my dreams come true.
When God made you, He must have been thinking about me.

Ooo ooo,I promise that wherever you may go, wherever life may lead you,

With all my heart I'll be there too.
And from this moment on I want you to know,
I'll let nothing come between us, and I will love the ones you love.
So gone are all my questions about why about why

Oh I wonder what God was thinking when he created you,
I wonder if He knew everythin I would need,
Because He made all my dreams come true.
When God made you He must've been thinking about me.

He made the sun He made the moon,

To harmonize a perfect tune,
One can't do without the other they just have to be together.

And that is how I know its true,
Your for me and i'm for you and my world
Just cant be right without you in my life

Chorus

He must have heard every prayer I've been praying
I've been praying He must've knew everything I would need

When God made you, He must've been thinking about me.

Friday, August 13

Body Lotion Research

Today I will be doing some research on lotion and I figured I might as well share my findings with everyone. I will be comparing the ingredients of Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Ultra Moisturizing Hand and Body Cream, Johnson's body care Lavender and Chamomile Lotion, and Aveeno Daily Moisturizing with Sunscreen.

I had also wanted to add Naturally Victoria's Secret hydrating body-lotion Grapefruit Lime and Mint, but it doesn't list the ingredients on the back.

One of the ingredients that I noticed in all three lotions was glycerin. Now, I've heard this word before and knew the general defintion, but I wanted to know how it applied to lotions.

According to wisegeek.com: "Glycerin is popular in beauty products because it is a humectant— it pulls moisture to the skin....Glycerin can be dissolved easily into alcohol and water but not into oils. The pure chemical element is called Glycerol, which indicates that it is an alcohol. The impure commercial product is called glycerin."

Cetyl or CetearylAlcohol: According to cosmeticsinfo.org: "Cetyl Alcohol and Stearyl Alcohol are the two major components of Cetearyl Alcohol. These ingredients are all fatty alcohols and that are widely used in cosmetics and personal care products, especially in skin lotions and creams.Cetearyl Alcohol and the other fatty alcohols keep an emulsion from separating into its oil and liquid components. These ingredients are also used to alter the thickness of liquid products and to increase foaming capacity or to stabilize foams."

Methylparaben: According to Wisegeek.com: Methylparaben is a member of the paraben family, a group of compounds that possess antibacterial and antifungal properties. Due to its antimicrobial properties, methylparaben is used extensively as a water-soluble preservative in many foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products.

Distearyldimonium Chloride According to thebeautybrains.com: "Distearyldimonium Chloride is a positively charged surfactant. It is typically used as a hair conditioning ingredient but it should have some moisturizing effect on the skin. Essentially, the positive charge interacts with negatively charged proteins on your skin, so the ingredient doesn't completely rinse off. This provides a nice feel to your skin's surface."

Disodium EDTA According to eHow.com: "Disodium EDTA has the chemical formula of [CH2N(CH2CO2H)2]2, the molecular formula of C10H16N2O8, and is a major chelating agent from which all of its applications extend from. It has high affinity to free metal ions, a common pollutant and impurity in many chemical environments. As an example, when we clean something with soap or wash our laundry, there is a chemical reaction between the detergent, the organic dirt, and the water that provides an aqueous solution environment for the chemical reaction of "cleaning" to occur. However, many impurities and free metal ions and minerals in tap water makes the performance of detergents less effective and inconsistent across geographies with varying water quality. Disodium EDTA as a chelating agent helps bind the free radicals and impurities, allowing the major ingredients in detergents to work effectively and consistently without excessive chemical disturbance."

Sigh, all in all, I am not smart enough to figure out which lotion is best for my skin and the environment. The Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Body Cream did list more oils and flower extracts than the other two combined, but then it is made to be a 'perfume lotion' whereas the other two are mainly for moisturizing. I may try to do more research on making my own body lotion. It seems like glycerin can be bought and then I could just add whatever flower extracts I wanted such as lavender or lemon.

A helpful article-According to wisegeek.com:
How do I chose the best natural lotion?

Choosing the best natural lotion should be based on the effect you want the lotion to have, the body part to which it will be applied and whether you have an allergy to a specific ingredient in the product. This will require educating yourself on the various ingredients commonly used to make different types of lotions and carefully reading the list of ingredients on the container to know what is in it and whether it truly is a natural lotion.
A good lotion easily can be made in the home using an herbal lotion base to which you add other ingredients according to the purpose for the product. You have to choose the exact ingredients and in what amounts they will be used if you believe that the best natural lotion for you must be personalized. People who have multiple things to consider — such as allergies or sensitive skin that might also be dry, oily, uneven in complexion or prone to breakouts — usually need to opt for making their own natural lotion or purchasing one that specifically mentions treatment for all of their conditions.




Thursday, August 5

First Post

Last night I was frustrated about something, yet when I tried to talk to Jeremy about it, he didn't respond the way I wanted him to. I expect him to know what's in my head and respond in kind. That's what brought me to the idea of FINALLY starting my blog. In a way I want to share thoughts on here, but in a way I don't. I like to write when I have the time, but I also reveal too much. I'm a very open person, and usually people don't understand that.

Let me start by sharing what's going on in my life.

Jeremy and I just celebrated our third anniversary. That means we've lived in Florida for three years as well. My first year and a half down here I hated it. This is NOTHING like living outside of a large city such as Atlanta that has so much to offer. But over time, God changed my focus from what Florida didn't offer, to what it does. Jeremy and I have the best church home. We now both love our jobs (for the most part). We have SO many friends that we LOVE hanging out with. There's not enough time in the week to see all of them. God taught us so much during Jeremy's time of unemployment. It was actually one of the best times in our lives. We both loved Jeremy being at home and realized we would like for him to be able to work part time when we have kids. We love where we live our landlord and our neighbors. Yes we pay too much in rent, esp since Jeremy's change in jobs, but we're happy here so we choose to sacrifice in other areas.

Recently, events in my life have made me realize how much I miss having a daily quiet time with God. I have found the study I want to do; I just have to go buy it. It's called A Woman's Guide to True Contentment". http://www.lifeway.com/product/001119001/ Contentment is something that I am just not starting to enjoy. I have always, for as long as I can remember, been unhappy. Sometimes it would be an overall unhappiness. Sometimes it would focus on a certain thing or person or event. Sometimes I couldn't even explain why I was unhappy. I really had resigned myself to being unhappy the rest of my life, with no peace in my future. It did make me thankful for Jeremy, who loved me through all of this, but I also felt guilty, b/c he deserved so much more than I was giving him. Also, I worried that when I had kids my attitude would be a negative influence on them. I dreaded raising a child.
As many of you know, I have GI/stomach issues. One of the doctors decided to put me on a serotonin reuptake inhibitor to soothe my stomach by increasing its levels of serotonin. This medication is usually used to treat depression, but as my doctor explained, there are more serotonin receptors in your stomach than in your brain. It has helped my health issues, but more importantly, I LOVE the emotional benefits I get from it. I never would have thought how much this would change my outlook and reaction to everyday life. I am nowhere near as uptight as I used to be. I am... content. Thanks to a very small dose of medication to help my health, I am now at peace for the first time in 27 years. Occasionally I wonder if people will judge me for this just because of the negative connotation people on anti-depression medication get, but you know, I like who I am so much more now so I don't really care. I like how I respond to stress, I like how I don't take my stress out on those nearest and dearest to me anymore. I like how I don't have to be perfect. I am a better person and wife because of this. For once I feel like I could actually be a good mom; raise a child right. Many would disagree with that statement saying I would have been an awesome mom even before, but now I believe this is true as well. I think that may be the main reason why I am FINALLY ready to have a baby. I've gone back and forth over the past two years as Jeremy and I would discuss it, but now I truly am ready for this next step in my life.

Whew! that's a lot for a first post. Bottom line- I am so blessed, which I've always known that, but now I can feel it and enjoy it.