On my mind tonight

"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up." -Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10

There is a lot on my heart today. Hopefully I can successfully express into words what I am thinking. What is Church? A building. Christ in you. A body of believers. A home. What is fellowship? Friends. A body of believers. Sharing how God is moving with another person. A family.

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Something I lack in my life is a church to call home and a body of believers to call family.

I work at a Christian Preschool inside a church. I also teach Sunday School at this church. I love my job, my co-workers are wonderful believers and have become like family, the church/school is "home" to me, the Pastors and their families are all amazing and are like family. However, I do not sit in a church building or in a home and listen to a message. I do not go out to lunch after church and talk to friends. I do not hang out with people on a regular basis. I have very few that I share life with.

This fact, for lack of better words, hurts. I love seeing people and kids at my jobs and talking with people briefly about things, but I want my relationships to go further and deeper than that. How does one accomplish this goal?

Now don't get me wrong. I have some amazing friends. I have a wonderful husband who loves God with all his heart that I get to share life with! We have a great big family of believers that we see often and spend time with. We have a best friend couple that live in the same apartment complex as us that we can share almost anything with. I know I have friends and relationships, I am not complaining that I have "no" friends.

Sometimes though, the people listed above are busy, family isn't always the best to talk about certain things with, sometimes friends live far away and can't gather together at the drop of a hat. I want, I need a church body that I (we, really) can be a part of. That we can grow from and share life with. Something needs to change and now it is my (and the hubby's) job to figure out how! It really is an encouraging thought.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you." -John 15:12-15

I hope through this rambling I may have encouraged someone to be a better friend. Or to make a positive change in your life. One thing to cling onto is that Jesus calls us friend and that He is more than enough. If that isn't encouraging, I don't know what is.

Inpiration Workshop and such

Have you heard of this:

Check out the details and be a part of the Secret Sister fun! 

 I am proud to say that I am now a part of Gussy's Inspiration Workshop! I have tried my hand with something like this by doing Inspiration Thursday.  Someday, when I have a little more time to network and perfect it, I would like to do my own Inspiration workshop. Stick with me friends and I am sure together we will go far! Have you heard of Blog Sugar? Someday I would like to be a part of that! I have high hopes for the future, can you tell? Now for the prompt!

This week's prompt was, Family Room. 

My Family Room growing up was always the place we watched tv and maybe had a quick chat. Sometimes, it was the room for sleepovers, movies, and pizza! At some point when my parents were redecorating, they decided to paint and asked me what the living/family room should be painted. I suggested this orange color. To my surprise they painted it that color! They loved it! I loved it! It was kind of like being inside of a wonderful pumpkin, less smelly and gooey though. It brought a lot more chatting, laughing, and happiness! Crazy what a paint color can do, eh? My parents moved to Michigan a few years back and what was one of the first things they did? You guessed it, paint the family room orange! It is wonderful and makes me feel like I am in the "right" place when I am there. 

My goal is to buy a house and paint the family room orange. I want to laugh, share in serious and fun talks, to live and to love in that special room. 

This is what my current family room looked like until yesterday: 

We just bought a new couch, so we are in the process of getting rid of the old and bringing in the new. Slow but a fun and wonderful process! A lot of these items are pass-downs or craigslist finds!

Our Family Wall. (Needs to be added to!) 

Someday I will have a lot more to work with, I am sure. For now, though, I love our family room. It is warm, cozy, and feels like home.

First Feature and First Blog Award!

I was featured for the first time by:

I just saw that I was featured and I am so excited about it! Check it out in this post!

Also, a while ago I got my first blog award by a wonderful blogger (also my sister-in-law, Breeann)! I'm so excited to share!

My requirements for this award are to:
-List 7 random facts about myself
-Link back to Breeann that gave me this award
-Pass it on to 8 other bloggers

7 Random Facts:
1. I love the state, Maryland! I want to visit it again so much!
2. I have a second home in Michigan. My parents live there and going there is like being home. 
3. Yesterday my niece was born and she is beautiful! (Still waiting on one to come in November!)
4. I love to craft and be artistic! I love to make almost anything. 
5. I have my A.A. in Biblical Studies and am almost done getting my A.A. in Child Development
6. My favorite color is turquoise and it was the main color in my wedding. 
7. I love watching SNL (Saturday Night Live) re-runs with my hubby and have a new found "like" for Jimmy Fallon! 
See more random facts in my about me section of my blog! Also, I am a lot like Breeann and can relate in a lot of her random facts, so go read those by clicking here! 

It is your turn my blog-y friends:
1. Maria @ Agape Love Designs & Photography
2. Sharde @ The Style Projects 
3. Christy @ High Heels 2 Flip Flops
4. Rachel @ No. 17
5. Jessica @ Jessica N Designs 
6. Ashley @ LittleMissMomma
7. Stephanie @ Luxe Boulevard
8. Nicole @ Miss Mommy 

Check all 8 of them out, tell them I sent you. They truly are irresistibly sweet and totally deserve this award and many more!

10 years has passed...

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Writing something yesterday was far too emotional for me. So, here I am the day after the 10 year anniversary.

Everyone remembers where they were when they heard the news 10 years ago. I am guessing that most even know what they did and how they felt the week following.
10 years ago yesterday, I woke up for school and it was like any normal day. Until I realized it wasn't. As soon as I started about my routine, I knew something was off this morning. I knew something was different. After getting ready, a friend came to my house for a ride to school and she asked me, "have you seen then news?" I hadn't. We walked outside to my dad, watching tv, as the towers were falling, smoking. My dad said, "you know, your mom is in D.C."
All day at school, we watched the news. We watched as our country was being attacked. We watched in shock, in confusion. For a 15 year old Sophomore it really didn't make much sense.
I remember watching the news for the rest of the week and the weeks to follow at school, no homework was due, it was as if time stopped. Which in a way, for Americans, it did. (My mom was there, but made it home safely.)

There were moms and dads that didn't make it home though. There were husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, daughters, and sons that didn't make it home.

10 years ago a lot of people lost their lives. 10 years ago America stood together a little more broken, but strong and united. 10 years ago many men and women made a commitment to themselves to join the military as soon as they could, so they could fight for our freedom. Within those 10 years, many have lost their lives fighting for freedom. 

Never forget. 

Thank a firefighter, police officer, someone in the military or their families next time you see them. They sacrifice more than we could imagine.

Souce

Jared Hagemann 

November 5, 1985 - June 28, 2011

Joined the military, because of the attacks on September 11, 2001 and took his own life this past June after 8 deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from PTSD.

(Before watching this 9-11 video, make sure you go down and turn off my music I have playing on my page.)

Linking up with Casey:

The Buzz about Me (Week 5)

1. Have you ever quit a bad habit?
Biting my finger nails!

2. What is the most unique or exotic animal you have owned?
We owned parakeets, that is about as exotic we get. :)

3. What kind of computer do you use?
HP laptop

4. What was/will be the color scheme at your wedding?
Turquoise with black and white.

5. What was the last song you heard?
My hubby is listening to some music, but I don't know what it is.

6. What is the city/town you live in most famous for?
Almonds

7. What kind of person were you in high school?
I have no idea! I was an everything type of person. I dressed more punk, however I had total school spirit. I was in leadership, JROTC, FHA, choir, track, cross country, and soccer. I was the girl who did everything and had friends in many social circles.

8. What is your lucky number?
My favorite number is 10.

9. If you had to go 30 days eating only one thing, what would you choose to eat?
tri-tip and potatoes.

10. What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent?
Vanilla

Linking up with:

Check out this post I wrote and also this video to hear more of Jared's story.

Jared Hagemann

This is a pretty good article of what I am going to be talking about. So, please take a few minutes to read and then come back. 

I have been struggling with how to write about this, since I found out about this story. I feel like I have been keeping this from all of my friends in blog world, and that is not something I want to do anymore. I'm sure some of you have heard stories about this before. A man in the military, back from being deployed, suffering from PTSD, taking his own life. I have read a few stories like this, and have even prayed for the families of those people I had read about. This one though... This one was different. This story hit my heart like a ton of bricks. Let me explain why.

Jared went to school with me our senior year. Not only that, but we were good friends that year. We even went on a few dates and hung out at school a lot. We went to the movies with friends and would go 4-wheeling in his jeep. Sometimes my mind will go to thoughts of high school days and fun things I would do or say with my friends. Often times I will think of these friends and wonder where they are and what they are doing. Now I know what happened to Jared and it breaks my heart. Although I hadn't talked to or seen him since graduation 7 years ago, he was still a part of my life. I knew him for 1 year, a year that helped shaped me into the person I am today, a year that I will never forget.

All the talk of him being in the army and having PTSD, and what his wife is doing, it is all so important. I think though, people forget that he was someones son, brother, husband, daddy, friend. So please take a few more seconds to read this article and get to know a small part of the Jared that I will forever remember. The sweet, fun loving, joyful man that I knew and will always miss.

Jared Hagemann 

November 5, 1985 - June 28, 2011

The Buzz about me (Week 4)

1.  If you had to label yourself as to one genre of music you listen to the most, what would it be?
Country

2. What are five items that you always keep in your purse?
Phone, I.D., chap stick, lotion, keys

3. If you could drink only one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Water 

4. What are three tv shows you miss watching that are no longer aired?
Saved by the Bell, Boy Meets World, and Greek

5. What is one cd you own that people would laugh if you told them you actually bought that?
 I don't know. Probably a lot. :)

6. What is one job/career you told yourself you would never do even if it was your last resort?
Probably something that has to do with public adult restrooms. Some can do it, I'm just not one of them.

7. How did you decide on the name{s} of your child{ren}?
No children as of yet.

8.  What is one show you refuse to miss no matter what?
Use to be Greys Anatomy. Now, I don't have one since I can just watch it later online.

9. How many miles would you say you drive in a week?
Depends on the week. Not very many, since I work 10 minutes away from my home and my hubby drives a lot of the time.

10. Who is one celebrity you wish would just go away & disappear off the face of the earth never to return?
I wish I didn't have to hear about a lot of the celebrity drama that seems to follow us no matter what. Charlie Sheen is someone I don't want to hear about anymore!

Linking up with: