~feeling blessed~

I just have been so grateful lately. All my needs are taken care of and then some. I continually get blessed. Some people probably write it off to "luck" but I know God is faithful to me because I am faithful to Him.

• A couple weeks ago I did a taste test for $35. Eating pie for an hour is a great way to make some cash!
• I signed up for a Physicians Formula makeup buy one get one free coupon and in doing so I won a daily drawing for a $50 Target gift card (I got it in the mail yesterday). While in the store looking for something to get with my bogo coupon they had a coupon stuck on some items for $5 off. I got an item that was just shy of $5 so I only paid tax! Plus a free item from the bogo! I love a good deal!! I was able to print off 2 of these coupons so another purchase had a bonus item attached so it was like buy 1 get 2 free!
• I had a $10 off coupon at Fashion Bug so I got a $10 pair of underpants for free. I love free!
• 2 weeks ago I spent Friday night at work and made an extra $120! I really love my job. It's a perfect fit for me.
• April 15-19th I'll be staying at work day and night while the parents go on vacation. I'm not sure how much extra I'll be getting but I'm sure it will be well worth my time.
• I found a coupon for an item I was already planning on getting for $5 off plus Target had a promo and gave an addition $5 gift card for buying the product!
• I got a free 14 page photo book I designed and only paid $2 shipping from Kodak.
• I got 2 8x10 photos from Walgreens completely free.
• I am constantly getting free samples and coupons from the website pocketyourdollars.com . I love love love it!

The list could go on but those are the most recent deals and blessings.

~author~

I started writing a book when I was 12 years old. I used to want to be an author as my career of choice. Over the past 15 years I've worked on it here and there. Obviously I've changed nearly everything yet the plot remains the same.

I even started writing it as a screen play a few years ago. I shelved that idea. Although, I would like to see it "live" at one point.

Over the past month I have really wanted to get the ball rolling and finally write it. I started writing a chronological list of events, character names (that I'll stick with finally), and an opening chapter. On Monday I typed out the first 2 pages. I am realizing this is going to be a huge feat to accomplish. What spare time do I have? I just need to focus if I want this to happen.

I mentioned to Lance I really want to finish my book. He told me I just have to do it then. He also said once I finish I should try to get it published. How in the world does one go about doing that? That's another thing I'll figure out once the time comes.

We had a good laugh over what he said in regards to getting published. I'm paraphrasing but it was something on the lines of...

"You should try to get published when you're done. They publish a lot of crap."

"Oh thanks. You're saying my book is crap?"

"No! That's not what I meant! Just that anyone can get published."

"Sure. You think my book is crap." (Jokingly)

"I haven't even read it. How would I know if it was crap?"

Haha. I'm going to tease him about that for a while.

Hopefully within the next year I'll have a large portion done if not the whole thing.

~People get ready~Jesus is coming~

I've been doing some reading about the "end times" lately. There is just so much going on in the world as of late that makes it seem so close. Things are lining up that must be in place before Jesus can return. I have had the song "People get ready. Jesus is coming. Soon we'll be going home" stuck in my head.

Some people I know are kind of going to extremes about the tribulation in my opinion. But maybe they are right to be?? I keep hearing, "Buy gold. It's the only currency that will stand once the market completely crashes and our money is worth nothing!" and "Hide your guns because the government is going to unarm America!" and "Make sure you have a good stash of canned goods and water on hand."...

I've always felt that the rapture would happen before the tribulation. That we are "not appointed unto God's wrath." But what if we are here for it or part of it? There are pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib views. And the Bible is not completely clear on the issue. Regardless, I know God will protect me. Even if there are hard times ahead (which I believe we'll experience more "darkness' and troubling times) I will be ok.

The date December 21, 2012 is when previous civilizations said the world will end as we know it. I don't buy into this exactly but I do believe something major will occur around this time. I have heard 2012 or 2017 will be the "end". We'll just have to wait and see. The Bible says we can know the "times and seasons" but even Jesus doesn't know the exact moment.

All I know is that I am ready for Jesus to return. I just want to be a light to those that are not saved so they will seek the truth and join me when He does.

~busy~

I feel so busy all the time. Rush rush rush.

I hate that I leave work and it's already dark out. Thanks daylight saving! My weeks are so full. I work a minimum of 46 hours a week. I love my job so that's not a problem it's just I feel like I have no down time at my house. I get home after 6 most nights and Lance goes to bed at about 9 so I don't get to see him much. Last night after I got home I did 3 loads of laundry and made dinner and cleaned some. Luckily I had some time to relax and watch a movie but I had to keep pausing it to do other things.

And weekends tend to fill up unexpectedly as well. Last weekend I worked on Saturday. Praise God for extra money! So there went that day. And Sunday we went to breakfast with Lance's family but that turned into Lance and his dad working on his car and then going to lunch with them too and... So nothing was done that I had planned to do like prime the windows on the outside of the house before it freezes and clean up the yard...

Will life ever slow down? I doubt it. I'm not complaining. I don't mind being busy. I just wish I had no plans and could do nothing on occasion. Maybe this weekend??? Probably not.

~anniversary~

On Monday, Lance and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary. I can't believe how fast time has gone. We've been together over 3 years now. I have been truly blessed to have him as my husband. I look at all the failed relationships and those struggling currently and am grateful that is not the case nor will it ever be. We are perfect for each other yet we are very different. We have a lot of different tastes but it never interferes. And areas I lack he excels and vise versa. God joined us together "for as long as we both shall live".

We went to Red Lobster and had all you can eat shrimp. Very good. We got pretty full. Oh those biscuits are delicious. We've agreed to not get gifts for each other but just stick with cards. However, he surprised me with a beautiful rose plant that come spring I can plant outside. What a sweetie.

~caved~

~i caved in and joined. it's been a while since i've posted anything. i was previously on xanga but will be deleting that shortly. i'll try to update regularly more for a personal record.~