Feeling a little hmmmm...

First off let me just say HAPPY SABBATH to all my friends and family. I truly hope it is a blessed day for all of you. I'm looking forward to a peaceful day (well, as peaceful as it gets with the kids!), and a beautiful Sabbath. We are having Communion at church in the morning, my first since I've been baptized.

I'm now sitting at being three days behind in the Bible in 90 Days readings again. Today is day 15 and I've begun reading day 13. I will not even make an attempt to finish it today before going to bed as I am already quite tired and I want to be refreshed and recharged for church. I will catch up tomorrow though. During the girls sabbath school class I will read some and then after church I will do some and then if I have time before the game tomorrow I will do a third. Then on Sunday I'll either do 2 or 3 depending on what I accomplished yesterday. But no matter what I will catch up. :)

Speaking of tomorrow, I am looking forward to the Saints game in the evening. :) :) :) Got my black and gold shirt ready and my voice is ready and my "WHO DAT??" is ready. :)

Lately I've been really taking stock of my life, who I am and what I want to do. Making some choices about the what I want to do in particular. Nothing Earth shattering on the surface necessarily, and I'm not sure I'm quite ready to share all of it with everyone out there. But some of the process has left me feeling more tired, more off than normal. I know I haven't been such a joy to be around lately, but BFF has been pretty good to me anyway. :) I just pray that I am listening to God's will in and that the choices I make are the ones that put me on HIS path.

Happy Sabbath everyone

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What's on tap for the coming week:

As usual we have a busy week ahead of us.

We are in the midst of preparing for the blessed Christmas season and all that it entails. This is such a joyous time for us. I have worked hard to approach it with an open heart and mind. We will be having both my parents and my former husband staying with us. My parents asked this morning for some changes to their dates. It is no problem for us to work with their changes. It will give them a week alone with us before my ex arrives, and then a week with all three of them here, and then they will leave and my ex will be here for a week without them. This is actually a good thing.

We must finish preparing our home for extended company however. And the children are eagerly awaiting putting up the Christmas tree this evening, as am I! :) This is always one of my favorite things to do :)

I am working tomorrow, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. A fairly typical schedule for me.

We are hoping to go do repeat Christmas pictures tomorrow morning as our pictures need to be re-done.

Monday we are going to do the Enchanted Village out near Ikea. I am looking forward to this. :)

BFF and I are re-committing ourselves to our morning workouts. We have slipped a little lately. We've allowed ourselves to get drawn into staying out too late with friends and then been unable to get up at 4:30 am to go to the gym. It does require a certain level of commitment to tell our friends no, because we KNOW we have to get to bed on time. And once her DH transfers (all too soon unfortunately) it's just going to get worse. Instead of getting UP at 4:30 am, we'll need to be LEAVING at 4:30 am and be AT the gym working out at 4:30 am. WOW. We will have to be home for her DH to be leaving for work by 5:45 and the gym is about 20 minutes away. We'll only get 30 minutes in the gym. But it's enough time. IF we are committed to getting out the door RIGHT AWAY. IF we get RIGHT on our equipment once we are there. IF we keep an eye on the clock.

I will try to post a few of my baptism pictures from last week in a little while. BFF is busy working on her new blog background for Christmas so I don't want to bother her too much with it! :P She does SO much for me. :) I really am thankful to have her in my life and to call my Best Friend Forever!! :)

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Baptism

Yesterday was an awesome day for me!!!! I was baptized yesterday!

It was an absolutely beautiful service. In some ways it was a total blur, and there are some bits that are crystal clear!! :)

I was so nervous before we left for church. I mean shaking. I don't really know why. LOL But I was a total bundle of nerves. We got to church and it took 2 trips to get all the kids, and our stuff into church. It was a potluck day, as it always is when there is a baptism, and we had brought PLENTY of food!!! LOL.

Then I had to sit and wait. BFF and I ALWAYS sit in the mother's room with the girls. We've tried sitting in the sanctuary with them, but they just don't quite seem ready. So we were in there and all of a sudden I have three people busting down the door "The pastor wants you up front!!" I was stunned. I go tearing out of the mother's room and up to the front. It was right before opening prayer. The pastor wanted to do a special blessing on the other baptismal candidate and myself. :) I was standing there waiting, and suddenly I feel BFF standing by my side. I was happy to have her there. :)

Then it came time to go up and agree to the baptismal vows. And then it was time to get ready. Our church practice full immersion baptism, so we had to go change. BFF came with me, and again, I was glad. I was no longer nervous, but it was just nice to have her there to talk to. And then it was back upstairs and into the tank. The other woman, the pastor, and I stood there and had a few pictures taken. They then invited our families to come forward for the baptisms. One of the other mothers had kept our four girls in the mothers room for us until then and then she let them come out to be there for my baptism. This I remember so clearly. The looks of my daughter's faces as they walked up to the front of the sanctuary grinning and saying "Hi Mommy." And Peanut tried to climb the wall to look in. One of wonderful ladies of the church lifted up each of the four girls up so they could see what was going on.

Then BFF's DH read my testimony for me. I had asked him to read it because BFF had felt that she would start crying if she read it. I will post my testimony later, when I post pictures. Oh, and BFF did NOT cry. :) After our testimonies were read, the other woman was baptized, then it was my turn. :) I was not at all nervous. I was totally ready. I was excited. I took a deep breath and boom, in I went. And I was baptized, it felt so wonderful. A journey that has taken years to get to that point.

It's not an end to the journey though, it's really just the beginning for me, and my girls. In some ways I was so overwhelmed by it that I just couldn't really put it into words. I still can't really. BFF asked me if I felt different. I told her at the time no. But I do. I just can't explain it. It's just a kind of peace.

There's so much more I really want to say, but it's now actually quite late on Sunday NIGHT (not the 9:55 AM that the post CLAIMS to be, that's when I first STARTED typing this). So come back for more of my thoughts on it tomorrow!!! :)

Nique

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Getting healthy takes work

Yeah, that's right folks, getting healthy takes work. :)

It takes rest, it takes eating right, and lots of good stuff like that. But at LONG last I FEEL HEALTHY finally.

I still have a bit of a nagging cough a times. Mostly in cold outdoor air.

We finally managed to make it to church this past sabbath, and I am SO VERY GLAD. I found out that next sabbath we are having a baptism and I spoke to our bible worker about being baptized. I was supposed to be baptized at the end of the summer before our previous pastor left, but I got sick and it didn't happen. Turns out the bible worker had been thinking about me and planning to talk to me and see if I wanted to. So I am VERY excited that I will be baptized on Sabbath. :) BFF will be taking the camera and promises to take TONS of pictures in between her tears.

Speaking of BFF, she and I have embarked on a new adventure. We are now getting up dark and early to go to the gym. I have had some recent weight loss and it's really energized me. As vain as it sounds (and I know vanity is not really a good thing), it feels really nice when friends and family are telling me how good I look, how they really see the difference. I had joined the YMCA a few months back with all the good intentions but have quite literally found myself too busy to go. I have long followed a website called the "No Excuses Workout System" and one of the comments the gentlemen who sends out daily emails makes is that the earlier you do your daily workouts, the less excuses you can make. He's right. So BFF said she was going to start going to the Y at 5 am, before her DH was up and leaving for work. I said I'd join her. This way we motivate each other to get out of the house. It works. :) It's a little tough at times, when you are tired and wanna sleep in, but it works.

Yesterday we took pictures for our Christmas cards. I am super excited. The previews BFF is showing me look incredible. I did some of the pictures for BFF of their entire family. I don't consider myself to be some GREAT photographer, but put the right camera in my hands (and I own the right camera) and I can take a decent picture. LOL Especially when BFF basically composes the shot and all I really have to do is TAKE the picture. I happened to also snap a couple totally candid shots of all four girls while I was hanging from a tree (don't ask. Seriously, this is one of those things where I obviously learned my photography skills from my dad. Because only one of HIS DAUGHTERS would be in a NICE SKIRT AND SWEATER and dress shoes, hanging by one hand from a tree over an ice cold creek with her several hundred dollar camera... mom, is this ringing ANY bells???? Seriously??? Water, cameras, nice clothes.... at least it wasn't RAINING!!!!!! Sorry to all my other readers, only my mom and dad will understand THIS little rant!!! Oh, and as I was just reminded by BFF... AND the couple hundred dollar BRAND NEW cell phone tucked into my bra that NEARLY fell out into the creek.... Yes, only my father's daughter would do this. Yes Dad, I am your daughter, because only I would resort to such antics in the name of "getting the shot." The only difference is I prefer to photograph people not flowers in pouring down rain.)

ANYWAY....Well, it's about 8 am here and eventually I gotta shower and get the workout sweat off of me so I won't sink at work this afternoon. LOL And I have some ADORABLE little girls who are probably hungry for cereal. :)

Hopefully I can get my blogging back on track now that I am feeling good again!!

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I'm going to be baptized!!

If you read my mobile post earlier you already knew. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I have been wanting to be baptized. For the last two weeks it has really been on my heart because of the baptisms at church. Seeing so many people dedicate their lives, or re-dedicate their lives has been inspiring. Both of the previous two Sabbaths I have found myself frozen and unable to walk to the front of the church during the altar call. Both times I felt nauseous, shaking, and just unable to move. Last week after service, BFF and I had a lengthy discussion about why I'd passed up a second opportunity to make the walk and ask to be baptized. I didn't think I'd get another chance so soon (although I COULD have called the pastor any day during the week.) I didn't know we'd have another baptism today! But third times the charm. I wasn't nauseous, though I was shaking. I stood up, walked out of the mother's room, into the sanctuary, and just walked. I knew I couldn't stop or look at ANYONE or I'd probably not finish the walk.

But by the time I got to the front, I felt strangely calm.

It was as if once I made those steps, God wouldn't let Satan walk the rest of the way with me. And I know it's been Satan stopping me. He's been doing it for YEARS. I thank God today for helping me to feel that calm. :)

I got a big surprise though. After standing at the front for a couple minutes, I hear the pastor say "We have two now" and I was a little surprised. I walked up there alone. I turned a little because NO ONE was beside me, and to my surprise, BFF's DS2 is there. PRAISE THE LORD! I know I had a shocked look on my face, fortunately only the pastor and elder in front of me could see it as I was facing away from the congregation. But when I returned to the mother's room a bit later, BFF was in tears, fortunately tears of joy!! He is young, but I know his heart is there. He had asked BFF about being baptized after the first baptism's 2 weeks ago. She had said at the time that he needed to learn about what it means. I know she and her DH with the pastor's help, will guide him very well in this process.

I spoke briefly with the pastor a little later and it looks like my baptism (along with others) will be in mid August. BFF told me her DS2's will probably take longer. A part of me wishes we could both be baptized together, but I know due to his age, he does need more time to prepare. The pastor will be coming over this week to talk to us.

This has been a process MANY years in the making. When I was 2 years old my parents found a church to call home, and that was the church we attended, very regularly. Until I was about 11 1/2 years old. MANY people had begun to drift away from that church, many going to a differently church in town, over some internal issues within the church. I didn't understand, I was too young. In retrospect, it appears (from what I CAN recall and what my mother tells me) that there was some DEFINITE difference of opinions between LONG time members of the congregation and the pastor who'd only been there a few years. People left over it.

Well, the church had a policy of no baptisms before the age of 16, and even then a baptized minor still couldn't vote or be a member of the church board, etc. In many ways this was a BAD policy. It is telling a young person that they are incapable of dedicating themselves to God until they reach a certain age. And that even after they are "worthy" enough to dedicate themselves, they STILL aren't good enough to vote on church issues.

So when my mother made the decision to stop attending church when I was 11 1/2 years old, I hadn't had a CHANCE to be baptized. Did I want to, I don't know. When you grow up being told "not til you are 16" you don't really look inside your heart and decide. But unlike the other members of our church, my mother just stopped going. She allowed a secular organization come to rule our calendar and therefore our lives. I know for months after my sister asked if we could go, but mom would say no. And later when I asked her to drive me to church she'd be too tired. So it wasn't until high school when a friend with a car invited me that I began to attend again. For close to a year I attended regularly. But then she graduated and left for college and I had no way to get there again.

Once I got my license I started taking myself. And for the next several years I tried many different churches. But I never seemed to fit with them. And I couldn't always say why. Some I had issues with their doctrines, some because it seemed the pastor was giving political opinions from the pulpit. But some I couldn't tell you.

It took a while but I have finally found the church that fits most closely to my own beliefs. I am excited to become a member of the church, and most importantly to have God in my life and my heart. :)

Today is a BEAUTIFUL glorious day!

I have ALWAYS loved the following verse, and I think it is very fitting for me today:

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27 NKJV

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from mobile

I took the leap!! Today was a 3rd baptism, and I wasn't nauseous or shaking too bad. So I took the walk down the aisle and will be baptized. :)

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So much to update on

And so little time to type LOL. Well, not really, I have several hours, but I will not be able to convey all of it without making a 20 page post LOL.

Okay, so we had a good weekend. We went to church Sabbath morning. It was a baptism. A young adult who was very excited to be baptized, and then the pastor did an altar call for others who'd like to be baptized. Several people went to the front, including one gentleman who is considered a leader in our church. He was re-baptized immediately. It was inspiring. I have been wanting to be baptized, but every time the opportunity has presented itself to either speak to the pastor or bible worker, or an altar call has occurred, I have found myself either unable or not ready to take that last step. And this Sabbath was no different. I know the right time will present itself. When the time is right I will be calm and able to stand up and take the steps needed.

Later BFF's DH fired up the grill and we had delicious chicken, corn on the cob (cut off the cob for me), grilled squash with garlic, and watermelon. It was DELICIOUS. I enjoyed it very much.

We then packed up and headed out to a nearby school for a fireworks display. We were very lucky to get about 10 feet from the barrier. I was excited to be so close, but had concerns about the girls being afraid. Especially Bug, she is like her momma and is afraid of thunder. But we told the girls before it started that it would be like their favorite book "Chicka Chicka BOOM BOOM" And she handled it pretty well at that point! LOL

SO that was our 4th of July, it was an overall great day.

On the work front...

Oh me Oh my... I have had some "interesting" customers the past week.

At some point this past week I was informed that I was now a "Customer Service Champion" and I am responsible for making sure that the customers are receiving appropriate service. Among other things we are implementing the process of asking the customer if they found everything okay or something similar to that. In many ways this question is a formality. We have associates all over the store that would be happy to help if the customer asks. But still, it's a nice touch to double check. In my first shift of asking this I had three separate customers who all stated they had NOT found everything, and with mine and my fellow associates assistance we were able to help them. So I'd personally say it was an effective policy. Furthermore, several of the customers have THANKED me for asking, saying how nice it is that I asked. All except this ONE customer. I asked the question and she says "Did you come from Trader Joes???" And of course I respond no, since I've never worked for TJ's. She launches into this huge speech/lecture about how useless it is to ask that question, that if she'd gotten to the checkout obviously she HAD found everything, cuz how could you NOT know where to look etc. She just went ON AND ON about it. At first I was ready to just brush it off. She might have been having a bad day. But when she kept going and was beginning to say that I was an idiot for asking, well, I got angry. I behaved, and in a restrained, and fairly calm manner, informed her that in fact this question was not a waste of time, useless, or make me an idiot. That in one days time, and my shift was only 5 hours, I had assisted 3 separate customers to find something they couldn't. She backed down at that point but OH was I mad.

The next day, I was FINALLY given the paperwork to do that will get me a 50 cent raise for being a cashier. YAY for raises. This will put my hourly rate at $8.75/hour.

The same day as my paperwork arrived, our general manager came through my checkout line. I totally didn't recognize him though. I'm used to seeing him from a distance. So I gave him the same exact customer service that I give everyone. I truly pride myself on giving everyone good service, because I believe it will come back to me, and I should treat others as I wish to be treated. Well, it was EXACTLY the right thing to do to my general manager!!!!! He got so elated that I was giving him the "customer" treatment and DOING what they want us to. He looked for a green card, kinda a recognition card that you can save up and trade in for $$, but he had none. He said he'd get me one though. Within 5 minutes the manager between my department manager and the GM came over and complimented me on pleasing our GM that way! :)

But best of all, yesterday, my dept. manager brought me 2 green cards. One she said was from our GM, the other was from her for earning one from the GM and therefore making the whole dept look good LOL. A little later she came over and told me that next week I'm going to start training on Service Desk!!!!!! :D :D :D :D This is a TOTAL promotion, and a total shock!!! I guess the GM told her to make it happen. I've worked there roughly 2 1/2 months! I will get another raise!!! I don't know how much, probably 25-50 cents, but still, that's a nice raise!!! :) :) And I'll be able to work more hours now too cuz I'll have another area I can work in.

Yes, I'm excited! LOL We celebrated last night with a chocolate molten and some Starbucks Caramel Macchiato ice cream. I almost celebrated after my Job A shift this morning by treating myself to some new jeans. BUT... BFF convinced me this weekend not to spend the money since I'll probably "undergrow" them (lose weight) in a month or so, and I am really trying to watch my money to be able to spend it on nicer purchases.

I read a blog this morning at Organizing Your Way on being more minimalist. The guest writer said one of the biggest things was being the type of minimalist THEY wanted to be, not an ideal that someone else set down for them. They don't want to give away all their possessions and live on a commune or only own 100 items. It really spoke to me. I think that in the months to come I need to really pare down my "possessions" and keep the stuff the truly matters to me. And stop buying STUFF just to have more STUFF. I do NOT need to keep up with the Joneses. In a small way I've already done some of this. I have given away or thrown away when appropriate quite a bit when I moved from Tennessee to Massachusetts. Now I need to do it again.

I am using the library more (SO much more economically and environmentally friendly anyway) and I only buy books I truly feel a need to own. I have had to buy quite a bit of clothing in the last couple months for 2 reasons, first off, for work. My previous wardrobe worked great for staying in the house most of the time. But not for work. And what I did have that was appropriate for work was winter clothing, and I started working in April. I should be good to go come fall and winter, and will just pick up a few key pieces here and there and as clothes wear out or I "undergrow" them. Which is the 2nd key reason I have bought clothing. I NEEDED smaller pants. My size 16's were falling off me. In that same cut of pants I needed a 14, in a different cut I was able to move into a 12. The 12's are already getting to that point where just a little while after I put them on I am pulling them up constantly. BUT... I do not yet fit the next size down. So I have to lose more weight before they'll fit. That's okay though. I am blessed to be able to give the clothes I undergrow to BFF who is undergrowing her way into my clothes!! I'm so happy for her!!!! :)

I notice that some of my shirts from before are really wearing out, and some that I just do NOT wear. I have some I will NEVER get rid of for sentimental value. Shirts from my time in the Army for example. But I have a tough time with shirts. I have to find shirts long enough to cover my midriff, or use a tank under them to do the job, and I need some sort of sleeve for Job A. I am also that pain in the a$$ who refuses to pay full price. With a couple exceptions: jeans (I watch for sales, but, I will not WAIT for sales!!! LOL), socks (yeah, find a sale for that!!), undergarments (like jeans), tank tops (from a certain big box store, they are the ones that fit me best, are long enough, and only cost me $4 to begin with!), and shoes (again, like jeans). I am blessed to get a GENEROUS discount at Job A, meaning I am NOT paying full price, and yet I STILL frequently wait for a sale.

ANYWAY... my point to this is that I want to get to a point where I can spend the money on NICER things that I truly need and want. Like buying a new bed for myself when we move. I don't have one right now, and even if I did there'd be no room for it here. I sleep on BFF's comfy couch most of the time. But, when we get ready to move, I want to go to IKEA and buy my bed frame (cuz they have an IKEA here and I don't know if they will wherever we end up). And then the mattress for my frame. The mattress will be pricey, but if I stop buying just to have the newest things, just because I can, then the money will be there. It's going to be a change for me, but I know I can handle it!!!

I'm still pushing to eat better and be more environmentally friendly.

I am starting my Wilton Cake Decorating classes tomorrow, I'm very eager for that!! And I paid for my sister to fly up here in 2 weeks to visit. She's been sounding really down lately, and I know she'd like to see the girls. Plus, she's been wanting to meet BFF. So, BFF and I went on a hunt for a good ticket. We hit the jackpot with a flight for under $180!!

Well, I'm going to go rest for a bit before work tonight! That's my "short" update. LOL

See ya all soon!!

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