June 22

"BW,

Does June 22 mean anything to you? In case you didn't know, it's the last time you updated your blog. :) Would be nice to read what's been going on.

Love,

Yo Momma"

There ya have it folks. The e-mail from the mother unit that I need to buy a ticket for the blog train! I am making it a goal this week to blog what's been going on in my life as well as a few events in the future. Hope everyone is well!

I'm back!

Hello no longer devote readers of "...grace like rain..."! :)

It's been a long time...almost 2 months since we last exchanged stories regarding this thing called life. My Mom must be really bored because she keeps mentioning that I haven't updated the old blog...or if I tell her a story about something I did/something that happened she tends to say it would make a great post. So, where have I been you may or may not ask?! Grab a sweet tea and get comfy because it's quite the story!

My last post was April 17, 2011. You can find it here if you haven't already read it Sunday Snapshot

April 17 was an intense day. I went to church that morning to help with an Orientation event, went to work as I was scheduled, had a little break in between and was headed back to church to greet for the evening service. As I was headed to church, I received an e-mail that I no longer had a job. Yep, via e-mail. It was rather devastating and out of the blue and the first thing I did (as I was walking up the sidewalk to the church doors) was start to sob silently. I was so hurt and blindsided. So, you can only imagine how powerful that Sunday sermon was for me. But if your entire world is going to turn upside down, the best place to be is in church, right?!

However, I woke up Monday morning with a sense of freedom and new life! I knew it was going to be an adjustment but I knew that God had a much better plan and that everything would be ok. Though unemployment is never fun, I got to really focus on areas of my life that I neglected because I worked anywhere from 45-75 hours a week and only had 1 day off a week, that day being Sunday. I used Monday as a day to not wake up to an alarm, a bajillion emails/texts/phone calls or run around for others like a chicken with my head cut off. Though I still woke up at 6:00am, it was nice to lay in bed for 5 minutes, eat breakfast and get back in bed just because for the first time ever, I could. While Monday was the first day that I really had nothing to do, it was the start of something great. It was the first day of the rest of my life!

Rather than put you to sleep with all of the details, from April 17-May 17 I did the following:
interview with an awesome company
pray
clean and organize my apartment
pray
be a part of a words will not do it justice 3D Easter Experience @ Elevation (my favorite being the 6:00 Sunday service, but the entire day/weekend was just amazing!)
pray
go out with friends!-this includes lunch, dinner, nightlife, movies...everything I hadn't done!
pray
spend 5 full days with my Mom
pray
volunteer at the church office
pray
listen to podcasts from Pastors Steven Furtick & Andy Stanley
pray
get my life in order
pray
really get to know those in my eGroup and benefit from what a family an eGroup really is
participate in the Race for the Cure again
just enjoy life

It was a long month but it was a great break. I've started a job that I love and I know it's only going to get better! I am blessed to have a fantastic church family, Godly friends and overall blessed to have a supportive family. I concentrated on new and existing relationships with friends and really got to know people because I had the time and my mind wasn't in 1,000 different directions. It was so great to form this friendships and bonds that I know I'll have for quite some time. Most of all, I know how blessed I am to have only been unemployed for an entire month and to have started a new career journey with promise and opportunity!

I thank you for reading this far! Now that I've got somewhat of a hang of things at my new job, I strive to blog more! I did post all of the Sunday Snapshots that I missed during my random blogging hiatus, so be sure to read those!

Happy Monday!

Thanks for reading!

Sunday Snapshot

Our God is so good.

Everything happens for a reason and this weekend was the perfect example of that! Let me give you a little bit of my weekend before I dive into my notes for the final sermon in the

Grapes & Giants series.

Saturday night, I did not attend service, I filled in for a greeter that was out of town and distributed Easter tickets, so I did not get the full sermon experience.

This morning, I assisted with First Experience and had to go to work after that so I missed both the 9:30 & 11:15 services.

Tonight, I was supposed to lead a greeter team, but some things happened and I ended up experiencing one of the worst days of my life, received devastating news and walked through the doors a crying, sobbing, snotty mess. I was quite the site for eyes to see :) After explaining everything to one of the Associate Campus Pastors, I decided I would help where I could and then go into service. BEST DECISION EVER!

Y'all, I LOVE my church but man oh man. Everything happens for a reason! I missed Saturday night and this morning because God knew i needed to her Pastor Steven's sermon at 6:00 Sunday night. He knew i needed to watch those baptisms and cry my eyes out while watching/singing and cry through that sermon. I've said it before that "this sermon is my favorite" or "that sermon hit the nail on the head" but nothing compares to tonight's experience!

So, Grapes & Giants, week 4 of 4!

Deuteronomy 7:12-24 and Ephesians 6:10-20 were the verses the sermon was based off of and they are AWESOME!

The Promise of God's Protection

Get Dressed! Put on the full armor of God!

God made provisions for your protection

You can't defeat your enemy if you don't discern your enemy.

Thieves don't break into empty houses

The enemy wants me because there's something awesome there that he wants. (hello!)

STAND YOUR GROUND. When all else fails, just STAND! (side note, I LOVE the Superchic(k) song about stand your ground)

Guardian angel-can't protect you if you're not entering the fire. Live your life so your guardian angel slaps you and says "Do you have any idea what you put me through?" :)

God can only give you strength for your struggle, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood.

He gives strength for those willing to struggle

I'm not STRUGGLING, I'm getting STRONGER!

The enemy hates me but God will protect me, I'm his investment.

Never underestimate what a father will do to get back to His child.

Soapbox.

You know what REALLY bothers me? Customers that come into a retail establishment and are chatting away on their cellular device and attempt to place an order and ask questions while still talking. It really bugs me when said person continues to talk while paying for their order. I also don't like it when I'm talking to someone about their order or they are at the register and we're discussing the next steps and their phone rings and they answer it. I think it is rude and disrespectful. If your conversation is that important, finish it in the car. If someone is calling you, wait the 30 seconds it's going to take for me to finish and call them back. I'm certain all phones have voicemail and they'll leave one or if someone is calling you, in 30 seconds they are still going to be near the phone to answer when you call them back. I had a customer this morning come in, we were discussing her order and her phone rang. She rudely answered it and proceeded to have a long conversation. So, I helped the next customer who happened to be waiting in line properly and was not carrying on a conversation for the whole world to hear. I was in the middle of helping the nice, no phone customer when cell phone lady shouts "excuse me, I'm ready" I politely looked at her and told her I was with a customer and she'd have to wait. REALLY?!?!?! You're going to say that to me after in the middle of a sentence you answered your phone! People these days! No manners. Emily Post would be sad! What are your thoughts regarding cell phone etiquette?

Sunshine on a cloudy day...

I've been having a rough few days/weeks.

So "rough" to the point that I cry.

Me.

The one without tear ducts (I have them, I just don't use them).

The one that never cries.

Yep.

I've been really sad.

So imagine my surprise when I came to work today and saw these on the counter for ME!

My amazing Mom knows that I've been down in the dumps so decided she would brighten my day with these GORGEOUS flowers!

The ironic thing is they made me cry. :)

I know things will get better.

I know God has a plan.

I know everyone says "If He brings you to it, He'll help you through it."

and everyone also says

"God gives you want you can handle"

Frankly, I'm handling a lot more than I'd like too. :)

Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday.

Brother, TV and Jeep

My brother came home for 30 seconds to drop off his first load of stuff from his college living arrangement.
He happened to acquire a massive TV from the kiddos that I watched at home for a few years (yep, those same 3 adorable kiddos that I miss terribly!)
His roommate helped him put the TV into his Jeep but no one was around to help him take it OUT of his Jeep. Clearly I was unable to help because someone had to take pictures!

He pulled the Jeep up to the kitchen door.....

Grabbed some boards from the shed and made a ramp.....

Mom came home for lunch and had a hard time entering the kitchen....brother's face is priceless in the corner of this picture...

And wa-la, with my Brawny man like strength, I moved the TV into the house but let brother stand behind it like he did it! I'm such an nice sister!


Needless to say, my mother's house went from clean to "destroyed" in a matter of 12 hours between me coming home and brother unloading all of this stuff! It's ok...she loves it!

The Potter's Hands

I received this as an e-mail but wanted to share!

There was a couple who took a trip to England to shop in a beautiful antique store to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked, "May we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful." As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, "You don't understand. I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me, pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, "Don't do that. I don't like it! Leave me alone," but he only smiled and gently said, "Not yet!" Then WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. "Stop it! I'm getting so dizzy! I'm going to be sick!," I screamed. But the master only nodded and said quietly. 'Not yet.' He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. "Help! Get me out of here!" I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, 'Not yet'. When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! "Ah, this is much better," I thought. But after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. "Oh, please, stop it,stop," I cried. He only shook his head and said. 'Not yet!'. Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering "What's he going to do to me next?" An hour later he handed me a mirror and said 'Look at yourself.' And I did. I said, "That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful!!!" Quietly he spoke: 'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you.' The moral of this story is this: God knows what He's doing for each of us. He is the potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us and expose us to just enough pressures of just the right kinds that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing and perfect will.

So when life seems hard and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost beyond endurance; when your world seems to be spinning out of control; when you feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials; when life seems to "stink", try this:

Brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest tea cup, sit down and think on this story and then, have a little talk with the Potter.

THE Flip

I've had shorter hair for quite some time.

When I say short I mean the Katie Holmes bob from Summer 2007.

It worked for me.

I loved it.

I still think about that hair.

But, I'm trying to let my hair grow.

When I see/deal with this:


or this:

I immediately pick up the phone and call the gal that is currently cutting my hair (I realized I have 4 "hair" contacts in my phone.....one for DE and one for each city in NC that I've lived in) I get nervous when I go through these "growing out" phases because I always feel like the person that is currently cutting my hair feels like I've abandoned them!

Anyway, I'm trying REALLY hard to let "THE flip" grow out.

But it's annoying. But I can do it!

At least until September.....crazy friends getting married!