Hot Chocolate

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the Professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said, "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups...and then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money, and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

And enjoy your hot chocolate!"

It's Outta Here!

Just a quick post and a picture. Dave and I got to see Seth for the first time this weekend play college baseball. What a thrill! He played really well and got his first collegiate homerun. YeeHaw!

The field he played on for the road games has seen some mighty awesome players over the years. He got to sit in the dugout, play on the field, and run the bases where some legends have played. I don't know if it meant a lot to him, but his dad and grandpa thought it was pretty cool!

Katie's Card

I can't believe that my daughter is old enough to have a kindergarten friend who is getting married. Katie and Sarah went to school together from beginning to end, graduated from high school together, went to the same college, and ended up sorority sisters. What a blessing! Sarah and one of her roommates and sorority sisters, Jayme, are in town for Katie's bridal shower, and I made this card for them to go with their gift. I used a chipboard heart I bought at Michaels, my heart nesties, a quickutz flourish I absolutely LOVE, and the end of a favorite ribbon. :( The sentiment on the front is an old ProvoCraft clear stamp and the one on the back is a Verve. I like it!

Blog Candy Entry for Moved to the Mountains

This card is a birthday card for a coworker and an entry for Moved to the Mountains blog candy.

Sunday Stamping

I made a couple of these Valentine's Day cards to send to Dallas Baptist University to help out Julie Carlisle who works with international students. It's an entry for some blog candy at i{heart}2stamp. You can click on the entry title to go to her blog.

They are kind of fuzzy pictures, but I like the cards. I used scalloped heart, classic heart, rectangle, and the bird nestabilities, a Martha Stewart edge punch, a Quickutz flourish die, and ribbon.

Men's Brains and Women's Brains

Yeah! So excited! My husband and I are going to a conference this weekend with a really funny guy. Click on the title of this post and watch his explanation of Men's Brains and Women's Brains. Enjoy! See ya Sunday!

Blessed

Totally feeling blessed today! Nothing special has happened. Just feeling blessed! God is good!

Recipe for Life

I received the following list in an email from a friend. She wasn't the author, and I don't know who is. It's a good list of things that can help make life so much more enjoyable.
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
3. Buy a DVR. Tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, "My purpose is to__________ _ today."
5. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.
6. Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did in 2008.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.
18. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
23. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie (not you, guys.) Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give it time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
32. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
33. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
34. The best is yet to come.
35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
36. Do the right thing!
37. Call your family often.
38. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: "I am thankful for __________." Today I accomplished _________.
39. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
40. Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more. And may nothing but happiness come through your door!

The BIG thing I would add to this list is to grow in your relationship with God through His precious son, Jesus Christ!

On the Farm

Dave and I are spending the weekend at the farm. :) But it may be our last as we have it on the market. :( Praying we make some sweet memories. God is good.

Some old, some new

Well, a couple of blasts from the past tonight. The first couple of cards here I made years ago and ran across them today when I was cleaning up a little in my stamping room. The first Christmas card I made about 60 of at the time with a brayered background and the beautiful silhouette stamps.












I guess it would be safe to say that I was in a "brayering" and silhouette stage when I made these.


These are three cards I made yesterday with a sweet stamp that just cries for sepia ink. Card uses square and the smallest mega curved rectangle nesties and the cuttlebug vintage corner.

Happy New Year!

Ok, so I've got to say that I'm not really very upset about seeing 2008 in the rear-view mirror! The year started off great as we went on a cruise to celebrate our son's upcoming May graduation from high school. We had a fantastic time and made some fun memories! I'm very grateful for that time together.

Seth had a great spring baseball season and had several colleges interested in him playing for them. After months of agonizing, he really felt the Lord leading him to go to The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Seth returned to Mongolia this summer on the same mission trip that Sarah, Seth, and I participated in the previous summer. He has had a great fall at UMHB and is looking forward to baseball season in just a few short weeks.

Sarah is finishing up her senior year in college and will graduate in May. She spent the summer in NYC doing her internship with an event planning company called Paint the Town Red. She had a fabulous time and gained a lot of valuable experience. Tara, one of her best friends, sorority sisters, and roommates, also had an internship in NYC, so they roomed together at NYU. Sarah's boyfriend and two of their good friends came up for a long weekend visit. We were so happy for her to have had this opportunity. We are excited to see what lies ahead after her May graduation.

Ok, so in retrospect, maybe 2008 has been a pretty good year. Financially, it has not been too great, as my DH has his own business and the struggling economy hit his business long before it hit Wall Street. It has been interesting to say the least, BUT having taken a few minutes to reflect on the highlights, I am reminded how good God is and know that He has been faithful to bring us through another year inspite of tough economic times.

We have been blessed with sweet family times, lots of fun memories, and the blessings that come with being surrounded by people who love each other and enjoy spending time together! Ok, 2009, bring it on! I am confident that God will continue to be faithful, and even though we live in uncertain times, I'm going to hold on to Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."