Let's clear this up!

Loner left a comment,

Oh yea - for a second, I thought you had gotten a nose ring!

Well, guess what, I DID.

I have wanted to get my nose pierced for a few years and because of jobs and husband, I never did. Now I have a job that allows them, and no husband's opinion to tell me otherwise. The boys are hilarious about it, and their friends are even funnier.
It amazes me how people truly judge you differently because of a piercing.
My question being~ does my nose ring separate me from God?
Thoughts and comments please, oh and I will try to take a better photo of the new piercing. The birthday photo is OK, but no makeup, yuck!

My Birthday

So, let recap, last Friday was my birthday. Every year I get all excited about my birthday and get my feelings hurt when no one (husband) does anything special for me on MY day. I always say that it is no big deal, but when I get nothing, well quite frankly, it turns to heart ache.
Well guess what, this year, with hubby in jail, I expected nothing for my birthday, nothing. I had the best birthday that I have had in years. The top picture is a dreadful birthday girl, pre-makeup of course.

The next two pictures are of two of the four (that is right, I got FOUR cakes on my birthday) cakes that I got on my day. The white one is a marble cake from Holly and was yummy. Holly is so cool, she made me feel so special on my day, I can not thank her enough.

And the chocolate one is from Bob at work and it is called "Death by Chocolate", and was awesome. Bob is the head designer at my work and he is a super cool and sweet man, who's gesture of a cake warmed my heart.

And this is a picture of Blake wearing my new hat and watch that I got with a gift certificate from Mike and Jen. Isn't he just too cute and such a show off like his mommy.

I was taken out to lunch by Tom, Patti, and Alan to a great Italian (my fav) restaurant, and they bought me another cake, that was white and had strawberry filling in it, again, very yummy.

I got cards, balloons, and precious Holly got me a gift card to Meijer. I got home to find another cake, homeade, from my niece Betsy.

I learned this year, I do get a special day, I think everyone should, I know I needed that pat on the back!

The Narrow Way

Matthew 7: 15 - 23

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Our Pastor spoke on these verses yesterday, and he said something that really hit home.
I know who the Lord is, but I want to make sure that He knows who I am.

Amen

This one bears repeating~

What do you call your God today?

King of Kings, Prince of Peace, Comforter, Wonderful,Counselor, The Way The Truth and The Life, I AM, Advocate, Living Water, Bread of Life, Savior, Redeemer, The Cornerstone, High Priest, Good Shepherd, Immanual (God with us), Lion of the tribe of Judah, The Light of the World, Healer and Father.

We want Him to be all of these things at the drop of a hat, and He is. He fulfills His promise. I think we forget that for Him to be all these things, there HAS to be trials and tribulation. He is a Savior because we are sinners, He is a healer because we are ill or wounded, He is the Good Shepherd because we are lost, He is a Father because He loves and creates, and He is Comforter because we are out of our comfort zone. And I thank Him for it. How else would I grow and become close to Him by being content with the things of this world. I would have never come to know Him without trials and tribulations. Thank Him today for what He is to you, and thank Him for being Faithful to every promise given.

God's Beauty again

Below are two pictures to serve as a reminder of God's beauty. The top photo is from Monday night as Dalton, Travis and I took a drive through the country, looking for deer. The bottom picture was the sunrise on Tuesday morning as I drove into work. It was like God was saying GOOD MORNING!

Long exhausting weekend!

Played in a softball tournament this weekend, one game on Friday night and five games on Saturday. I have come to one conclusion.

I am to fat and old to play softball from 9-6 with only 30-45 minute breaks in between. I am sore and moving verrrry slowly. I also think I over worked that torn achilles tendon, but all in all I needed the exercise. I have now lost about 8 lbs in the last three weeks. YEAH

Then yesterday the boys and I went to the North American Signs summer picnic at Hacker's in Niles. Hacker's has minature golf, batting cages, go-carts, driving range, and an arcade. They catered in chicken, sausage, corn on the cob, coleslaw, chips, and watermelon and pie. YUMMY. I have uploaded some of the fun photos.















Above are Tyler and Blake chowing down!
And below is Dalton playing minature golf (he is the white Tiger Woods) Holly, one of the sweetest people I have ever met, and Dalton driving the go carts.

They had so much fun, I think Dalton was doing more of the driving (control freak, like his mom).

Blake and Tyler rode the go-carts several times. They all had a blast!

Our Trip to Wisconsin!!!

I went to Green Bay on a business trip Monday, we had a blast. Alan who works on the GameStop account with me and Tom who is our salesman went to. We had a blast, I haven't laughed that much in a long time. Here are some pictures of our activities.



















These are from Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, and the Packer Hall of Fame.
The corn cob car was in the small town of Bonduel, WI (population 1210). The have a corn roast coming up and the Lions Club made this car years ago. It was great.




Tom and Alan were trying on all different kinds of cheese hats... too funny!!!!! I missed the boys greatly but all in all I had a good 2 day trip.