tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57886002909854296412024-03-14T03:19:51.793-05:00A Life Planned Is Never As Expected.Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.comBlogger170125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-85054994192414839532013-02-24T13:05:00.004-06:002013-02-24T13:05:53.715-06:00Moving - My Blog and My Residence (but this is about the blog)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Several months ago I decided to create my own website with a built in blog. You will find all my new posts at <a href="http://www.alifeplannedisneverasexpected.com/">www.alifeplannedisneverasexpected.com</a>. Since starting the website I haven't really had time to do much with it or time to figure out how to change the rss feeder thing, so I'm not sure if people are being directed to the old blog or the new when they click on their rrs feeder or receive rrs emails. So, until I have time to figure all that out you will have to manually type alifeplannedisneverasexpected.com. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. A lot is happening with us right now. I'll update you as soon as I make the time. =)<br />
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Happy February,<br />
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<a href="http://s744.photobucket.com/albums/xx84/belizbeth/?action=view&current=Signature2.png" target="_blank"><img logger="" signature="" src="http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx84/belizbeth/Signature2.png" /></a></div>
Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-64967105061792720692012-11-14T20:55:00.001-06:002012-11-14T20:55:58.949-06:00OU vs. TX<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qsTOdmPqKlg/UKRZTOI8peI/AAAAAAAADpM/HjFHHTmmfjc/s1600-h/1%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="1" border="0" alt="1" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-R7fB4R9yINk/UKRZT-z3EqI/AAAAAAAADpU/OxdGBdTJtOY/1_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="695" height="259"></a></p> <p>This is a HUGE weekend for University of Oklahoma and University of Texas fans. The game was officially called the “Red River Shootout” until 2005 when it was renamed “Red River Rivalry”. The first game played between the two schools was October 10, 1900. The rivalry is over 100 years old and is going strong. The game has been played on neutral territory (Dallas) since 1912. An equal number of tickets are sold to OU and Texas fans. It makes for a very unique experience and the energy in the stadium is at a max on both sides of the 50 yard line. </p> <p>I have only had the opportunity to attend one game, as tickets are almost impossible to get. Even students with student tickets are entered into a raffle to determine who gets to go. None-the-less, almost every year for the past 11 years I have been in Dallas for the game. Students, and people younger than me, gather in lower Greenville (an area where the streets are lined with bars and restaurants) every Friday night before the game. The streets are blocked off and there are police on horseback everywhere. There are hundreds of 20 somethings shoulder to shoulder yelling and chanting and making either the horns down or the horns up sign. Below is a picture I found of exactly this. (You can click on pic for original website.)</p> <p><a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/photos/20111007-texas-and-ou-fans-storm-downtown-dallas.ece"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" src="http://www.dallasnews.com/incoming/20111007-texasou001.jpg.ece/BINARY/w700x467/texasou001.JPG" width="527" height="351"></a></p> <p>Last year Jason and I had to miss OU/TX weekend because we were living in Ohio and we just couldn’t justify going. So, this year since we LIVE in Dallas there was no way we were going to miss it again. On game you have to get to wherever you are going by 9:30 AM or so if you want to get a seat. So, yes, the beer and pizza were breakfast this year. (In an attempt to protect my reputation, I only had 3 beers the six hours we were there.) It was a really fun day, as you will see below. FYI: The last picture is everyone who stayed with us checking out our 3D TV. </p> <p> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IE49LTEWcrI/UKRZUiCckNI/AAAAAAAADpc/9hWpPsNVWJ0/s1600-h/2%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="2" border="0" alt="2" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-TprUIxKlKOA/UKRZVRr-fjI/AAAAAAAADpk/eoQAM7Xzw4Y/2_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="377" height="409"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hFuq3H8KHZ0/UKRZV_Oj6wI/AAAAAAAADps/lJG-iIjKmtM/s1600-h/5%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="5" border="0" alt="5" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rOQi1otinhs/UKRZWepc44I/AAAAAAAADp0/dui-GHzx9X0/5_thumb%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="343" height="384"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-gFkxWdCAdzg/UKRZXCy0KnI/AAAAAAAADp8/CophOS1-TK8/s1600-h/10%25255B17%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="10" border="0" alt="10" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-F6XA3kMKFLI/UKRZXU25CtI/AAAAAAAADqE/IX_wM4aDtrw/10_thumb%25255B13%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="347" height="388"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9HASL-fk01Y/UKRZYU1BF5I/AAAAAAAADqM/YGDya39CAqU/s1600-h/4%25255B16%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="4" border="0" alt="4" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xy85eahaqSs/UKRZY6KirNI/AAAAAAAADqU/IYRiMc5XHcU/4_thumb%25255B12%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="352" height="391"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-n06IaytW87U/UKRZZre7Y7I/AAAAAAAADqc/t_jGZ9TZZIA/s1600-h/7%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="7" border="0" alt="7" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Sg1W8tm89oQ/UKRZaVWwrEI/AAAAAAAADqk/BSFHpOpUoAw/7_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="377" height="409"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-h4eHDRJzxns/UKRZbesvrdI/AAAAAAAADqs/QjcHtOGpaCY/s1600-h/16%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="16" border="0" alt="16" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-poCENvi6jAI/UKRZb8ExcKI/AAAAAAAADq0/PoMO6YRnuW4/16_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="343" height="384"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-sYA6W2iYx84/UKRZclfFUuI/AAAAAAAADq8/Wo06KIS0MxY/s1600-h/11%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="11" border="0" alt="11" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RET2qKR3BmI/UKRZdbk1rPI/AAAAAAAADrE/JxUYqCILkqs/11_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="377" height="409"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Z-o7sfO1-bQ/UKRZeQ7of3I/AAAAAAAADrM/e75122dRL6I/s1600-h/8%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="8" border="0" alt="8" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-vNaXfCMKsJg/UKRZexL5NoI/AAAAAAAADrU/JvzLqOElj-E/8_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="313" height="361"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zlgGQDv6RXU/UKRZf6tjy9I/AAAAAAAADrc/EBegnSTg9fg/s1600-h/12%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="12" border="0" alt="12" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rR8eqW2_7us/UKRZgdcgTFI/AAAAAAAADrg/cD6ROtA6HEo/12_thumb%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="377" height="409"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-suLzDefqojs/UKRZhIie1bI/AAAAAAAADro/g-hGr2eHqBs/s1600-h/17%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="17" border="0" alt="17" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-fcPRrAgNP4Y/UKRZh4gtHSI/AAAAAAAADr0/pOhSMrROh2g/17_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="313" height="361"></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-agBYeld3LJo/UKRZiqt0a9I/AAAAAAAADr8/w3yVWLuh4lo/s1600-h/13%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="13" border="0" alt="13" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-0WluX5wf_C4/UKRZjZXm_4I/AAAAAAAADsE/nApup5Pp4mA/13_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="369" height="403"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qTlKXKQ_E7Y/UKRZjx0RyQI/AAAAAAAADsM/DU7wr7cemU0/s1600-h/15%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="15" border="0" alt="15" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bRNV9tn4EZ4/UKRZkbhL5MI/AAAAAAAADsU/0cbde12Z53o/15_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="302" height="352"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-9ohXKCWzuLU/UKRZlQpgqUI/AAAAAAAADsc/01_vU9gzb9k/s1600-h/14%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="14" border="0" alt="14" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-i6hXkZzaT_s/UKRZmFlbx-I/AAAAAAAADsk/F2x_XZKgz6Y/14_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="377" height="409"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-5L9qx-N5euI/UKRZm-IGnTI/AAAAAAAADss/AJbDHnDHu6w/s1600-h/18%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="18" border="0" alt="18" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XLqYrboNuGg/UKRZn5EDPBI/AAAAAAAADs0/cjMoIecZ_d4/18_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="307" height="357"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_7zYN6Sw8ro/UKRZodGWl5I/AAAAAAAADs8/avg47Dy5IQE/s1600-h/19%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="19" border="0" alt="19" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-AydKP0_cUWQ/UKRZpD6LT-I/AAAAAAAADtE/Og4ZkVa_fLQ/19_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="377" height="409"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0UO7GJXp7yI/UKRZp9b1RVI/AAAAAAAADtM/1K7-X-lIlTg/s1600-h/20%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="20" border="0" alt="20" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-NYx53cVSsXk/UKRZq6-nJrI/AAAAAAAADtU/zLpvxA3NH5U/20_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="313" height="361"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-go7xCV7hvM0/UKRZrvuFsuI/AAAAAAAADtc/ar9qcgO8yec/s1600-h/21%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="21" border="0" alt="21" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-w8EhG7QERvM/UKRZssYc1AI/AAAAAAAADtk/rMJqI2nXMkw/21_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="377" height="409"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bhVHeWgkvKE/UKRZth7dW4I/AAAAAAAADts/2vb0myvzU2M/s1600-h/22%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="22" border="0" alt="22" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PYa-G59tkrg/UKRZuKy8KEI/AAAAAAAADt0/OLXcLsqkLGc/22_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="328" height="373"></a> </p> <p> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>BOOMER!!!!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-mX2KmF2tzGw/UKRZvLW_OAI/AAAAAAAADt8/9G30Q_qaiXE/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9O_9fPVkIck/UKRZvZBNd2I/AAAAAAAADuE/Sxs3rDD1Kik/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-1386311186546407392012-11-14T16:22:00.001-06:002012-11-14T17:15:24.721-06:00Halloween At Our House<p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Kc_WriKqir0/UKQZdqGGb1I/AAAAAAAADpE/jIW2rHJ5iZY/s1600-h/Halloween%2525204.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Halloween 4" border="0" alt="Halloween 4" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-b5TBb01CtHE/UKQZeGbKn1I/AAAAAAAADpI/9WeZTOz6YDs/Halloween%2525204_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="485" height="321"></a> </p> <p>Halloween is one of Jason’s favorite holidays. It was just another day for me, but spending the past 6 Halloweens with Jason has definitely helped me to enjoy the day and the festivities involved. </p> <p>I will start by saying that Jason did a fantastic job decorating our front yard. I am totally sad that I didn’t get any pictures. </p> <p>However, what I did record was the outcome of our pumpkin carving. </p> <p>That night, we went to dinner, then to the store to pick our pumpkins, then back home where the carving commenced. After our photo op we drank decaf coffee and hot apple cider and watched The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. </p> <p>We had a GREAT night.</p> <p>The pictures are as follows…</p> <p align="center">Lighting for the first time: (Notice the all the help in the background?)</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5ZaumZ2rrAY/UKQZfTK3vVI/AAAAAAAADl8/GbNI3I_UEHk/s1600-h/Halloween%2525201%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="Halloween 1" border="0" alt="Halloween 1" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ywpqPmlBJK4/UKQZgBzaCCI/AAAAAAAADmE/y_JLNs49HJ8/Halloween%2525201_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="344" height="411"></a> </p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-B0-SqSOVOYk/UKQZg1tKdLI/AAAAAAAADmM/MWT8ixWCgcA/s1600-h/Halloween%2525202%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="Halloween 2" border="0" alt="Halloween 2" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FhGv7A4anKU/UKQZhn2pxLI/AAAAAAAADmU/aMR-HffzRBA/Halloween%2525202_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="347" height="415"></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-YcTcFIHXtrQ/UKQZiPRXVCI/AAAAAAAADmc/8uL6JNJ38wQ/s1600-h/Halloween%2525203%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="Halloween 3" border="0" alt="Halloween 3" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-y4JeCDXav1I/UKQZjPB3AwI/AAAAAAAADmk/uDpt5lPVdA8/Halloween%2525203_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="376" height="376"></a> </p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center">Getting ready for our photo op:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-1zjpbB4lNOQ/UKQZj6x0UzI/AAAAAAAADms/qbawIeB1NOM/s1600-h/Halloween%2525206%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="Halloween 6" border="0" alt="Halloween 6" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4oOFIohEq60/UKQZlLXxOVI/AAAAAAAADm0/a3NPvlIwQp0/Halloween%2525206_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="322" height="384"></a> </p> <p></p> <p align="center">Try #1:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-UOfFluMTqFQ/UKQZlh2QcZI/AAAAAAAADm8/pYX1_NMnMSo/s1600-h/Halloween%2525207%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="Halloween 7" border="0" alt="Halloween 7" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Tvv2fOd1n0U/UKQZozOcdeI/AAAAAAAADnE/BGCVzNBbaOM/Halloween%2525207_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="334" height="398"></a> </p> <p align="center">Try #2</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-FMXx7PGi8Og/UKQZpqVY4uI/AAAAAAAADnM/hK4rb7xpWI0/s1600-h/Halloween%2525208%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="Halloween 8" border="0" alt="Halloween 8" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_Q8yhWUEySA/UKQZqD3GwmI/AAAAAAAADnU/NqozpXYaPqM/Halloween%2525208_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="342" height="408"></a> </p> <p align="center">Try #3 – Nailed it!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rxThzxM_mFg/UKQZrrvoymI/AAAAAAAADnc/o4XEXY6h8c0/s1600-h/Halloween%25252010%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="Halloween 10" border="0" alt="Halloween 10" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-X0B-6L4K394/UKQZsTmvXYI/AAAAAAAADnk/3AcfU_Ftts4/Halloween%25252010_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="383" height="383"></a> </p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p align="center">Getting ready for photo op 2: (Notice my pumpkin looking up to him just like I do? That was totally unplanned.)</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-voivhciIqYU/UKQZtua_byI/AAAAAAAADns/U_nBjKAUNjw/s1600-h/Halloween%2525209%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="Halloween 9" border="0" alt="Halloween 9" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-eBq-O0JqeGA/UKQZuWM-ncI/AAAAAAAADn0/qybmfAdpu20/Halloween%2525209_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="416"></a> </p> <p align="center">First try – Love It!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-K1ZaR1AH1WE/UKQZu-Qxd5I/AAAAAAAADn8/mThZR4nPJuc/s1600-h/Halloween%25252011%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="Halloween 11" border="0" alt="Halloween 11" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-YfriTUSL20U/UKQZvy16TqI/AAAAAAAADoE/8dsB8yeBPoA/Halloween%25252011_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="388" height="388"></a> </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rDi8iHaDCo4/UKQc2htEzEI/AAAAAAAADog/Ekv09x5zx4A/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-g0JaxylMVvg/UKQc3JypgKI/AAAAAAAADoo/KFyRH2sYdZE/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-47398097050676157682012-10-28T03:26:00.001-05:002012-10-28T04:55:37.234-05:00Judy Brought the Cold to Dallas<p>One of my dearest friends came to visit earlier this month – Judy. She lives in Denver, where we met at Frontier Airlines Flight Attendant Orientation. During one of our sessions she volunteered to drive me around to the different appointments we had. We became fast friends and she and her family invited me to live with them during the five week flight attendant training. She has remained one of my best friends ever since. Every year for the past five years she has either visited me or I have gone to see her, except for the year we met at a resort in Mexico for her wedding. </p> <p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-e3ygszL0anY/UI0A8GRS6NI/AAAAAAAADjA/B-X1UaMZS2Q/s1600-h/4%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="4" border="0" alt="4" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-5l8sKeMn5cg/UI0A9Vj5XmI/AAAAAAAADjI/HAnTTozu07E/4_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="274" height="411"></a> </p> <p>It’s a tradition I love and look forward to every year. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wibUXsrmsDg/UI0A-vOhNNI/AAAAAAAADjQ/ThESfizua-s/s1600-h/5%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="5" border="0" alt="5" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-H1DisBBsVQc/UI0A_9ublMI/AAAAAAAADjY/tZLkNnf8_S0/5_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="313" height="235"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-s6ZHsTWoycI/UI0BA75PhQI/AAAAAAAADjg/YazLUyv4BFU/s1600-h/Judy%2525202%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Judy 2" border="0" alt="Judy 2" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iVmEaJCWAoc/UI0BCC9F0wI/AAAAAAAADjo/x-WU4Jzf_oE/Judy%2525202_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="312" height="233"></a></p> <p> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bEWMgzGo_NQ/UI0BCrtn1xI/AAAAAAAADjw/af6W_IDfCnE/s1600-h/6%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="6" border="0" alt="6" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rXLfkA3c7Ng/UI0BDmR-97I/AAAAAAAADj4/mGYipfrk5zk/6_thumb%25255B18%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="347" height="205"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-VwpIG350Tbs/UI0BEjoD3NI/AAAAAAAADkA/pxbdwznA_Ho/s1600-h/Denver%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Denver" border="0" alt="Denver" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-qxpPPARTWgs/UI0BFr2g8ZI/AAAAAAAADkI/b9rY9CWPuec/Denver_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="223" height="306"></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>When Judy was getting ready to come she asked me what she should pack. I said, bring layers. It’s really hot outside and really cold inside. And, bring a swimsuit so we can lay out by the pool. She looked up the weather and informed me that she didn’t really think she wanted to lay out since the high was only going to be in the 60’s. WHAT? I was shocked, but sure enough, on the day she arrived it was cold outside. Since it had snowed the day before in Denver I totally blamed her for the cold. As soon as I got her back to my house we spent four hours unpacking boxes looking for mine and Jason’s coats and winter clothes. </p> <p>It was awesome having her. We watched the Sooners and the Broncos. We saw Pitch Perfect and we went on a Dallas Cowboys Stadium tour. It was definitely a weekend for the books.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-T57rd5l7FRU/UIzr1iu_YgI/AAAAAAAADfA/gE2kkX_osQk/s1600-h/_DSC0282%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0282" border="0" alt="_DSC0282" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-EnzIGaGFiWE/UIzr3FaS0KI/AAAAAAAADfI/hgnOICHuZC4/_DSC0282_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="485" height="321"></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5OJwDpkHpYc/UIzr4TCzqgI/AAAAAAAADfQ/epoIYW8W_0c/s1600-h/_DSC0339%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0339" border="0" alt="_DSC0339" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-40qbtFCNeYc/UIzr5l_WvzI/AAAAAAAADfY/i1QtIzDaYmM/_DSC0339_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="358" height="237"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-OMlga0W79aA/UIzr7FtGV-I/AAAAAAAADfg/f9zStQ2pHfQ/s1600-h/_DSC0261%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0261" border="0" alt="_DSC0261" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-QGzqBqmmYPo/UIzr73TTmkI/AAAAAAAADfo/84aVm_h0kLs/_DSC0261_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="356" height="236"></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-05apxQKv06w/UIzr9cboB2I/AAAAAAAADfw/3sJ7lHXh3LY/s1600-h/_DSC0317%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0317" border="0" alt="_DSC0317" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-aS_YKsvPSzU/UIzr-rxBztI/AAAAAAAADf4/dk68RP56IMw/_DSC0317_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="321"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-b6e1JSYFZIc/UIzr_z5VnMI/AAAAAAAADgA/N6P6jjmcOao/s1600-h/_DSC0289%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0289" border="0" alt="_DSC0289" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-nDuye9FgByE/UIzsAWr1GdI/AAAAAAAADgI/wMAgwPIKvOA/_DSC0289_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="236" height="356"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6C4qGRNLOiE/UIzsA26xMVI/AAAAAAAADgQ/cxPaoNTkc3U/s1600-h/_DSC0284%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0284" border="0" alt="_DSC0284" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-GNxZc8aO9hE/UIzsBZk3MMI/AAAAAAAADgY/enp9j4Tu5sE/_DSC0284_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="237" height="357"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FvcQwhWem6E/UIzsCoHZRDI/AAAAAAAADgg/gFZERYi8bRo/s1600-h/_DSC0291%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0291" border="0" alt="_DSC0291" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UOUwDVCbMFQ/UIzsD5huHJI/AAAAAAAADgo/S0Q8naT1Ifo/_DSC0291_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="237" height="358"></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-COnJPwrRoI0/UIzsFRTebtI/AAAAAAAADgw/uk-0G7Ru5xk/s1600-h/_DSC0305%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0305" border="0" alt="_DSC0305" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Q4gmtKuTsAk/UIzsHERE7ZI/AAAAAAAADg4/FOvl-BNL16U/_DSC0305_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="500" height="332"></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>The following actually happened. I am always so impressed at how Judy has fun no matter where she is or what she is doing.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-E2TKBglCMzk/UIzsIR0WokI/AAAAAAAADhA/Iq5jkqSJyhk/s1600-h/_DSC0322%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0322" border="0" alt="_DSC0322" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rQ97_gqF89A/UIzsJL-vewI/AAAAAAAADhI/rJqVwTYnpeY/_DSC0322_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="370" height="245"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-HkX6IU7xNGI/UIzsKLdCNII/AAAAAAAADhQ/o4lhmkNJdKw/s1600-h/_DSC0323%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0323" border="0" alt="_DSC0323" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zd-QctNSze0/UIzsKrNVmiI/AAAAAAAADhY/03aE2TWYm-k/_DSC0323_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="370" height="245"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6SDfJkRTfrI/UIzsLhMcRWI/AAAAAAAADhg/syNVxiG8gXI/s1600-h/_DSC0326%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0326" border="0" alt="_DSC0326" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-vQS5vUQ7Q28/UIzsM1tnlsI/AAAAAAAADho/Qr9_yLRCMfw/_DSC0326_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="372" height="246"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EbDaIk_T7-E/UIzsN6lhfDI/AAAAAAAADhw/VLi1l0xNIKk/s1600-h/_DSC0324%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0324" border="0" alt="_DSC0324" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-F4pH1RrEetQ/UIzsPQYdAwI/AAAAAAAADh4/t--EWMRKmVk/_DSC0324_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="372" height="246"></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Can’t wait ‘til next year.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-KNJM_FMBvgQ/UIzsPzeycrI/AAAAAAAADiA/hpTUkEh1Wj4/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-gfHvpzkdwZg/UIzsQcL5K4I/AAAAAAAADiI/_C3L0Qd68JI/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-53030501056770713342012-10-28T01:34:00.001-05:002012-10-28T01:39:00.015-05:00Oh Boy, did my last post say we were moving to Houston?<p>Because that’s not what happened. </p> <p>At the twelfth hour (or is it thirteenth? IDK) Jason got his acceptance letter to SMU’s Dedmon School of Law , a prestigious law school in Dallas, TX. So, I broke our lease in Houston, along with the landlord’s heart, and we employed the best realtor in Dallas, my dad, to help us find a place there. After an afternoon looking at rental properties we decided it would definitely be better for our money if we bought a house. So, we bought yet another house. However, it’s our fist house, out of four, that we just moved into without any work needing to be done. If I am ever home long enough to get the boxed unpacked it will be AWESOME!</p> <p>Jason is enjoying school, and we both LOVE living in Richardson, just north of Dallas city limits. Our neighborhood is amazing. Here’s a glimpse of the house and our neighborhood. </p> <p> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MgGchhDTr3I/UIzR3bLksvI/AAAAAAAADdE/UCXk1tMYEhY/s1600-h/_DSC0347%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0347" border="0" alt="_DSC0347" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4p2vt9rkdok/UIzR4Yn5XeI/AAAAAAAADdM/79YyYQQd9hs/_DSC0347_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="301" height="452"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-hf10ILUvwYQ/UIzR5MVZ44I/AAAAAAAADdU/iEcxDNZOlfc/s1600-h/_DSC0353%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0353" border="0" alt="_DSC0353" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7qXkdB725K4/UIzR6inQNmI/AAAAAAAADdc/vyf-Wdpc9aw/_DSC0353_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="443" height="295"></a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6S-k423CS88/UIzR7XIKVoI/AAAAAAAADdk/9xZM-VNx7p0/s1600-h/_DSC0426%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0426" border="0" alt="_DSC0426" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-m4DYbfNzgCc/UIzR8FIbooI/AAAAAAAADds/Rp4RzH7ID68/_DSC0426_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="370" height="245"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-902rjUIs5gY/UIzR9KUkO8I/AAAAAAAADd0/2MHCrMPBa1w/s1600-h/_DSC0423%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0423" border="0" alt="_DSC0423" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-PPC9pduJ_xg/UIzR98FeCxI/AAAAAAAADd8/_JKoyR8uSRg/_DSC0423_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="365" height="242"></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-9-RhZsK7sfc/UIzR-3meAaI/AAAAAAAADeE/iKScgetHf2U/s1600-h/_DSC0429%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0429" border="0" alt="_DSC0429" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-CiwYlAh2iu8/UIzR_oCew6I/AAAAAAAADeM/uMAax5O03gw/_DSC0429_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="375" height="248"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-o_-BZFZUCRQ/UIzSA-oFmAI/AAAAAAAADeU/7pH6XPcGhOo/s1600-h/_DSC0430%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0430" border="0" alt="_DSC0430" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GuKwilJetoQ/UIzSB6tITLI/AAAAAAAADec/ayfMujLrzDY/_DSC0430_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="372" height="247"></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>We are only about 5 houses away from the creek as our street dead ends into it. It’s beautiful!</p> <p> </p> <p>More to come once boxes are unpacked. </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1Mrd3Wa_JHM/UIzSCXX81JI/AAAAAAAADek/t8-V5fefQKU/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--c7ZFasMAn0/UIzSDGwJYhI/AAAAAAAADes/2H-275Nr91U/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-10349298545362822832012-07-25T18:35:00.001-05:002012-07-25T19:17:12.469-05:00Summer Update<p>Hello Friends. It’s been a while…</p> <p>I recently gave my blog address to a couple of people I met on one of my journeys. Since I haven’t written all summer I thought it would be a good idea to see what exactly they will find when they visit my blog. In doing this I realized that I left you hanging on a couple of things. </p> <p>First of all, my job. In the post about <a href="http://alifeplannedisneverasexpected.blogspot.no/2012/05/nature-of-god.html">The Nature of God</a> I talked about being worried about my future. I want you to know that my life changed that night. I got up the next day with a new outlook on life. Things got worse before they got better, but I wasn’t worried. I knew that God had put me where I was and that He would sustain me there. God was in control, therefore I had nothing to do but trust Him and love others. I also prayed for favor, as it was all I could do, and the favor eventually came. (I have spent my life praying for favor. I think it’s powerful what God can do when He gives you favor with those around you.) </p> <p>In other news, Jason and I are moving to Houston! God gave Jason favor with the application department at South Texas College of Law. =) We will be renting a house in Kingwood from a really neat, God-fearing woman. I love the house and I am ecstatic to live where I work. I have not lived in the same town where I worked since before Jason and I got married. Over the past 4 years we have probably spent about 3/4 of our time apart. This summer, I lived in Houston while Jason lived in Oklahoma. Two years ago I lived in Bartlesville while Jason lived in Norman, and when I wasn’t living somewhere else I was commuting to work. We are both really excited that we will actually get to have a life together. Jason starts school on August 13, so we are packing up and moving again. (We are renting the house in Ohio to one of Jason’s classmates.)</p> <p>We picked Kingwood because I have been going to church there all summer (Kingwood Bible Church). I’ve even joined a small group that meets on Wednesday nights. The people are amazing. One couple has already had me over for dinner and they are keeping Brinkley while I’m on a 6 day work trip. (B lives with me in the hotel.) Everyone in the group asks about Jason every time I see any of them, which is awesome, and they are genuinely excited that we are moving to Kingwood. </p> <p>I don’t think I mentioned it, but we bought another house in Durant, OK this past May. Jason has spent the summer doing an internship in Durant, getting the house ready to rent and finishing up his thesis for his master’s degree. Today, he defended his thesis and passed! It was a great summer for him and he was able to drive to Houston a few times to see me. The fun part though is that now we are moving out of two houses in two different states in the next two weeks! I say we, Jason is doing it all while I’m working. His summer turned into a full-time job and a half. It’s what we love about life though, there is never a dull moment. </p> <p>You can see why I chose the name A Life Planned Is Never As Expected. Since shortly after we got engaged, our life has been ever changing and not once has it been what we expected. But, it’s fun. Like I said, there is never a dull moment, and by God’s grace our relationship stays rock solid through it all. There’s no one else I’d rather move with 5 times in 4 years. I know it seems crazy, and many people shake their heads at us, but while we have both been working toward our own goals and seemingly doing our own things, it’s because we have one common goal that makes it all worth it. I believe with all my heart that anyone can do anything for a little while. We have a plan – a destination, if you will – but so far all the fun has been in the journey. </p> <p>I guess that’s all for now. Just so there is a picture in the post, this is a Two-Stepping lesson we took one weekend when Jason, Brandon and Mindy came to Houston for a visit.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Ud4Gse5TPOQ/UBCKCJ4rOYI/AAAAAAAADcY/aCqHpfNzm2U/s1600-h/Two%252520stepping%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="Two stepping" border="0" alt="Two stepping" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-afAaw15wgRY/UBCKDMI-xqI/AAAAAAAADcg/q-e-IpROQdU/Two%252520stepping_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="233" height="349"></a> </p> <p>Here’s to Summer 2012 and to a life that’s never as expected…</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hpFU_iTA0BU/UBCCsiqw1NI/AAAAAAAADbI/duHlkOaJQxk/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-j-0V_jz5Lj8/UBCCtRikqzI/AAAAAAAADbQ/2cbpIYVLCoY/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-30678059918153384632012-07-03T19:08:00.001-05:002012-07-03T19:13:06.581-05:00Hobby Lobby – A Company Worth Supporting<p>I know I haven’t blogged in a long time and that I owe you one, but I think it’s really important that I take the time I have to tell you about what Hobby Lobby is doing this July 4th. </p> <p>Hobby Lobby is a company founded on Christian principles, as was our country. The difference is that Hobby Lobby is not confused about its identity. Hobby Lobby continues to stand on the same principles it had when it was established. Please read the following letter, which is posted on their website:</p> <blockquote> <p>“Beginning Easter Sunday, 1997, Hobby Lobby placed a full page message ad in all of the newspapers in which we advertise. Since then, we have placed a full page message ad each Christmas day and each Easter Sunday in our newspapers in which we advertise. For Easter 2007, this was 290 newspapers in 30 states with a readership in excess of 47 million. For July 4, 2007, Hobby Lobby placed its Independence Day message in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times with a combined readership of over 4 million. <p>For Thanksgiving 1998, one of our affiliate companies, <a href="http://www.mardel.com">Mardel Christian and Educational Supply</a>, through its media agency, <a href="http://www.egm.tv">EthnoGraphic Media</a>, also placed a message ad in the worldwide edition of USA Today. <p>The impact and relevancy of these messages is ongoing, and so we continue to make them available for your enjoyment. <p>We invite you to <a href="http://hobbylobby.com/customer_service/contact_us_form.cfm?company=1&addr=19&dept=19">send us your comments</a> on our message ads. We appreciate your input and thank you in advance for taking time to send us your thoughts about these messages.”</p></blockquote> <p>Their July 4th 2012 message is below: <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ck00gxSiA1w/T_OJcPQazYI/AAAAAAAADa4/3pKPdYEzlg0/s1600-h/image%25255B10%25255D.png"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-i2ARNcdwBn8/T_OJkfceIkI/AAAAAAAADa8/18CEy2-ugq8/image_thumb%25255B8%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="651" height="823"></a> <p></p> <p>Our country is in a civil war regarding morality and the principles on which we were founded. So many of us have written email after email to businesses that are participating in the moral decay of our society. Please take time to write a message of gratitude to Hobby Lobby for their continued stand for what is right. <p> You can read all of their past campaigns <a href="http://hobbylobby.com/holiday_messages/holiday_messages.cfm">here.</a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-CoEH9ccXBNg/T_OJlEcZffI/AAAAAAAADag/Q_TqJTRe7Uk/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HdhiURNyNdo/T_OJl1WbAlI/AAAAAAAADao/nc1Pv9S5QYY/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-73651966711538967232012-06-17T23:14:00.001-05:002012-06-17T23:14:16.423-05:00My Dad<p align="center">My dad is amazing. If I had hand picked a father I could not have picked better than the one I got. I still remember a framed quote that hung on his wall. It said, “Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a daddy.” My father was a daddy. He did the most important thing a dad can do, he spent time playing with us. For as long as I can remember my dad came home around 5:30 every day. He played with us, he ate dinner with us, he tucked us into bed and then he went back to work for several hours. He gave us the most precious gift a dad can give, he gave us his time and his energy, and he never complained. My dad led by example. He never yelled, he laughed at himself and taught me to never take myself too seriously. My dad has never met a stranger. He taught me to be kind to everyone. He is humble. I learned from his example that humility can take you farther than anything else because humility is what gives you favor with everyone around you. He taught me that hard work always pays off in the end. My dad is the most positive person I have ever met. He has taught me that life is fun and always worth living when you see the glass half-full. My dad treats everyone with kindness and does his best to help everyone any way that he can. He is the most respectable, honest and trustworthy man I know. My dad would go to the end of the world and back for me. He and my mom led me to Jesus. Because of my relationship with God and the attention of my father, I am confident, emotionally stable and comfortable with or without the attention of guys around me. When the toilet broke dad talked me though fixing it. When my tire was flat he talked me through changing it. When I succeeded he cheered with me, and when I failed he loved me and made me feel comfortable enough to try again. </p> <p align="center">I can’t think of my dad without seeing a smile on his face and a laugh coming from his mouth, neither can anyone else. </p> <p align="center"><strong>My dad is the most amazing father I could ever ask for.</strong> </p> <p align="center">Happy Father’s Day Dad. I love you!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-DUuIv07-vVA/T96rFJX8TNI/AAAAAAAADZ4/YxIn8EkU-6Y/s1600-h/Pictures%252520from%252520Jason%252527s%252520Hard%252520Drive%252520067%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Pictures from Jason's Hard Drive 067" border="0" alt="Pictures from Jason's Hard Drive 067" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-3scWrCV3Sz0/T96rFrEMrVI/AAAAAAAADaA/Trc63tU_tKE/Pictures%252520from%252520Jason%252527s%252520Hard%252520Drive%252520067_thumb%25255B21%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="584" height="440"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-6054354435140511902012-05-12T22:51:00.001-05:002012-05-12T22:54:09.898-05:00My Mom<p align="center">My mom is the greatest woman I have ever met. She is the one woman I look to for guidance about how to be strong and independent, how to be reasonable and use logic, how to be serious and how to be taken seriously. However, she is also the woman who taught me how to love and how to be loved. She taught me how to laugh with others, but never at them. She taught me how to be gentle, tender and compassionate. She taught me to always be honest, integrous, and humble. She has taught me that whatever is worth doing is worth doing right. She has always said what needed to be said, but in a way that it would be gently received. She has stood behind me and cheered me on in everything I have ever done. She gives countless amounts of wise council, but never without first asking if I want it. She has always worked very hard so that I could have opportunities that a lot of kids never had. </p> <p align="center">One of the things I appreciate most about my mom is that she never held on too tight. I always felt loved, but I also felt free. She was the kind of mom that was willing to push you out of the nest so that you could see the world from up high. She gave me wings, and I will never be able to express the depth of my gratitude. </p> <p align="center">Happy Mother’s Day Mom. I love you! </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-sHR0LCMHa1A/T68voZPw3bI/AAAAAAAADY4/QyKRpLGCQxw/s1600-h/092_dsc9868%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="092_dsc9868" border="0" alt="092_dsc9868" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-xLb7B3-Uwk8/T68vrYNAipI/AAAAAAAADZA/KA6lFW-8UX0/092_dsc9868_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="431" height="649"></a> </p> <p align="center">Picture taken by my cousin, <a href="http://dcampbellphotography.com">dcampbellphotography.com</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ulHTLgSAACc/T68vtvhhK6I/AAAAAAAADZI/Ex_XMNKhFx8/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-cNul3GWw21M/T68vvPz9YkI/AAAAAAAADZQ/SkmHnwe7M7M/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-31079074131547196382012-05-12T21:58:00.001-05:002012-05-13T01:33:07.092-05:00Where I Belong<p>You know how baseball players have theme songs that are played as they are going to bat? Well, I’ve always thought about what my song would be. </p> <p>There was a time when “Born to Fly” by Sarah Evans was my theme song. The song was released in October of 2000. I was a senior in high school. I was ready to fly. For five years I loved life, but I was still always waiting to fly.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 425px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:9883da44-417e-47d8-9950-7c627107c114" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="7da143ed-9dab-4961-9c8d-16ad27836316" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xvhutWc67k" target="_new"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bb_Kpocejtw/T68jQiXmXAI/AAAAAAAADZc/svVnXmeToBw/video15279de1b826%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('7da143ed-9dab-4961-9c8d-16ad27836316'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/8xvhutWc67k&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/8xvhutWc67k&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p>That song played over and over in my car until after I graduated from college and another took its place. </p> <p>2005 is what I call “the dark year”. When I think back to 2005 all I see is darkness. I can’t remember much of that year, but in January 2006 I started coming out of the darkness. I was bruised, but not broken. I didn’t have much self-esteem left, but I did have enough to land a dream job for a 24 year old. However, the boss had it in for me. I was hired to do one thing, but expected to do another. I never met expectations. Every single day I arrived at work with a pit in my stomach and everyday I left that way. At the time I owned a Rascal Flatts CD (Me and My Gang, released in April 2006). All day long I would play this song over and over quietly on the computer in my office. I also played it in my car on the way to and from work everyday. It was my theme song for the short 4 months that I worked there, but it was more than that. I was singing for the year of darkness I was coming out of, as well as the office of darkness I was facing everyday. </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 425px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:d04cbebf-0438-439e-9cea-e2aa26605da6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="5793fad9-c36b-414c-ad40-da0f518b1b0b" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N0yB24M7VM" target="_new"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-NTMeBuQr0Ug/T68jSmqgdVI/AAAAAAAADZg/Tn4WgoyaZLk/video8132439edc7a%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('5793fad9-c36b-414c-ad40-da0f518b1b0b'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/-N0yB24M7VM&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/-N0yB24M7VM&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p>When I finally quit that job I was free. I soon started dating Jason seriously. Although life is still hard sometimes, there has been nothing but light since the Fall of 2006. I haven’t really had a theme song since then. I’ve had several that have spoken to me, and that I have loved (they are under the <a href="http://alifeplannedisneverasexpected.blogspot.com/search/label/Songs%20That%20Speak%20To%20Me" target="_blank">“Songs That Speak to Me”</a> tab), but none that have truly spoken to the core of who I am. That was until this song came out. I’m sure many people feel the same way I do, but this song resonates with who I have always been. In fact, in high school my best friend, Mindy, would always get really mad at me because I constantly talked about how I couldn’t wait to die. I wasn’t suicidal. I was a happy, care-free teenager who loved life, but I knew that Heaven was my real home, and I couldn’t wait to get there. This song by Building 429 sums up my entire life. It is the one true theme song that envelopes all the other theme songs I’ve ever clung to. This song speaks to who I am now, who I have always been, and who I will always be.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 425px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:577cfac6-d9d0-4476-9e00-b3aa985fed4d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="614b4590-8a2c-49d8-9c9d-45cf979c6798" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2vYhZs2DOU" target="_new"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-NlvU8A_6yT0/T69VnY3OULI/AAAAAAAADZk/u9vAlXTO2aM/videoe98074545c3e%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('614b4590-8a2c-49d8-9c9d-45cf979c6798'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/w2vYhZs2DOU&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/w2vYhZs2DOU&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p align="center">Sometimes it feels like I'm watching from the outside <br>Sometimes it feels like I'm breathing but am I alive <br>I will keep searching for answers that aren't here to find<br></p> <p align="center">All I know is I'm not home yet <br>This is not where I belong <br>Take this world and give me Jesus <br>This is not where I belong<br></p> <p align="center">So when the walls come falling down on me <br>And when I'm lost in the current of a raging sea <br>I have this blessed assurance holding me.<br></p> <p align="center">All I know is I'm not home yet <br>This is not where I belong </p> <p align="center">Take this world and give me Jesus <br>This is not where I belong<br></p> <p align="center">When the earth shakes I wanna be found in You <br>When the lights fade I wanna be found in You<br></p> <p align="center">All I know is I'm not home yet <br>This is not where I belong <br>Take this world and give me Jesus <br>This is not where I belong<br></p> <p align="center">All I know is I'm not home yet <br>This is not where I belong <br>Take this world and give me Jesus <br>This is not where I belong<br></p> <p align="center">Where I belong, where I belong<br>Where I belong, where I belong</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://www.sweetslyrics.com/Building 429.html">Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com </a><br></p> <p align="left">A funny thing, I just went through my list of “Songs That Speak to Me” and I found this post - “<a href="http://alifeplannedisneverasexpected.blogspot.com/2011/06/blessings.html" target="_blank">Blessings</a>”. In the post I talk about how I rolled out of bed thanking God that this is not my home. It’s always fun to find proof to the truth you speak about yourself. =)</p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SQRkvsHrOO4/T68jVZ3ObWI/AAAAAAAADYM/vfYQDF2MzHM/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ux_Jnrvh6wA/T68jXBMd0lI/AAAAAAAADYU/nK5RTUuTrm4/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-84338225047549728492012-05-01T04:09:00.001-05:002012-05-01T04:41:19.484-05:00The Nature of God<p>It’s 2:30AM. My alarm is going to go off in 5 hours, and I have a really long day tomorrow. To work by 9:30AM for meetings all day, then fly home at 7:30PM (central time). Arrive at the Ohio airport at 11PM and then make the 2 hour drive home. (I just wish I had put gas in my car before I got to the airport last week.) So, the question remains, if my day is so crazy tomorrow why am I still up writing to you tonight? </p> <p>The answer: Because I can’t sleep. This is the 5th or 6th day in a row that I haven’t been able to sleep. I was up until 5:30AM this morning, took a nap before going the hangar to work on some things and here I am again, still not sleeping. </p> <p>For a little while now I haven’t been feeling myself. I’ve been wrought with insecurity, which isn’t like me. I’ve been unable to sleep, which isn’t like me. I cry at the drop of a hat, which isn’t like me. (I know what you are thinking right about now, and no I’m not pregnant.) I’ve been eaten up with turmoil and insecurity about the future. (The future part has to do with my job, and only my job. Sorry, I can’t go into details.)</p> <p>There have been very few times in my life when I have been truly unsure about things and when I can’t seem to find my footing. However, I have had them and I am experiencing it again right now. I went through some really hard times in college, but I clung to God with everything in me and He never let me down. At the time there was a CD track that was being passed around. It was given to me one day. It was a blank CD, with nothing written on it, and it only had one twenty minute track on it of a guy talking. I listened to that CD over and over and over and over and over and over again every single day for two years or so. I burned it onto more CDs and gave it to every person who would take it. It got me through some the darkest days of my life.</p> <p>One day, I was talking to someone about it and I asked if he had any idea who the speaker was. I don’t remember who I asked, but I do remember the person saying, “I’m not for sure, but I think the guy’s name is Graham Cooke.” (This was around 2002.) I searched the Internet high and low and couldn’t find anything. (It might have been because I was spelling it “Cook”, but that’s neither here nor there.")</p> <p>After a couple of years of gaining power from this word I stopped listening to it so often. Soon, I stopped listening to it at all, and I didn’t listen to it again until tonight. </p> <p>Today was a really “bad day”. I cried a few times, when no one was looking, and I even went and saw <u>The Lucky One</u> at the theater so that I would have a real excuse to cry. (It did help.) Then, I spent hours face-timing with Jason. We watched the entire Thunder game together. I had fun with him and the Thunder won, so that helped too. But, the darkness started creeping back in as I was getting into bed. It was 1:30AM and I wasn’t even a little bit tired. The last thing I wanted to do was lay there with my eyes open while my mind reeled. I started praying and the verse that was going over and over in my head was “For I know the plans I have for you…” (I couldn’t remember the reference so I looked it up. It’s Jeremiah 29:11.) As I read the verses in Jeremiah that surround that verse the words from that CD that I had memorized so long ago started running through my head. I grabbed my phone and check YouTube. Praise God, there it was, just waiting for me to listen to it once again. I listened to it 3 times before deciding that I needed to share it with you. Since I’m still not even the least bit tired, here I am at 2:55AM sharing with you something that changed my life and sustained my relationship with God during so many dark days.</p> <p>Because of the words spoken here I never used the words “bad” and “day” together until very recently. You read about a bad day at the mall a couple of weeks ago and then this afternoon I heard myself telling Jason that I was having a really bad day. It felt wrong coming out of my mouth, but I wasn’t sure why. After that I think God decided it was time to remind me why, which is why He led me back to this place. </p> <p>This should all be on one track, so when you listen I hope you will give yourself 20 minutes and play the tracks back to back. Please, please, please, please take the time to listen to this message, even if you have to mark you calendar and come back to it. You won’t regret it. </p> <p> </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 425px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:3aa4d307-08db-4e8c-b7d5-1521789263aa" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="45c13157-1b2a-4cc1-9202-934d239459bd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJr_P4U1RTM" target="_new"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-pDFpZWLWw3w/T5-vur60TPI/AAAAAAAADXg/QfW3iMEvDz4/videoae8bd6ea31e4%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('45c13157-1b2a-4cc1-9202-934d239459bd'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/gJr_P4U1RTM&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/gJr_P4U1RTM&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 425px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:a108ad26-07dc-4f0e-80ac-a1b8805beb6e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="413b06bd-dbe7-45d2-ace1-176607883435" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAx42twXbVI&feature=relmfu" target="_new"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-U0Snfz2qG_o/T5-vvK3MNUI/AAAAAAAADXo/l28TZ9g7Dk8/video71fc7bad1fec%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('413b06bd-dbe7-45d2-ace1-176607883435'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/TAx42twXbVI&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/TAx42twXbVI&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p>Now you can see why for almost 10 years I have kept from uttering the words, “bad day”. “From this day on, for you there is no such thing as a good day or a bad day. There is only a day of grace. And some days the grace of God allows you to enjoy what is happening. And some days the grace of God allows you to endure what is happening.” <p>“He is consistent, but He is also unpredictable. You never what God is going to do next. You always know what He is going to be like, but you never know what He is going to do next.” <p>“He will never change His heart toward you no matter what you do. He cannot be anything other than what He is. He is a covenant-maker, and a covenant-keeper, and He is good!” <p>“God has not called you to do the things that you can do. He has called you to do the things you will never be able to do in a million years.” <p>“This great God that we serve will throw us into situations beyond us with no other thought than that His great heart will sustain us.” <p>“And that is what the desert is about. It is about discovering the majesty of God. Hosea 2:14-15 says, “I will captivate her heart and draw her into the wilderness to speak kindly to her.”” <p>This word is part of why I am who I am today and why I see God the way that I do. It is the reason I spent the summer of 2003 in Georgia, utterly alone, studying Hosea and what it meant to be in the wilderness and yet have God speak kindly to you. <p>It was amazing tonight, as I was listening I started to say the words along with him and then before long I was saying all of the words before him. I haven’t listened to this in 7 years or so, but the words are still burned on my heart. They are the reason I left a fiancé in Oklahoma and moved to Denver to become a flight attendant. They are the reason I cried everyday because I hated being away from Jason, but they are also the reason I trusted where I was. I knew God had led me there and I knew He would sustain me there. Everyday was a day of grace. And now, once again, I am wrought with insecurity about my abilities and my place in the world, but I know that God has brought me here. I understand that He is unpredictable, but that He is also consistent. He never changed. I choose to embrace where I am in life because I TRUST IN THE NATURE OF GOD. <p>God is so amazing. As my my eyes fill with tears once more, my eyelids are growing heavy. Just as God has revealed His kindness to Graham Cooke. He has revealed His presence to me. He never leaves me, and I praise Him with everything in me. <p>“Beloved, do not be distracted from your journey into the nature of God. Don’t be distracted, because that is the source. It is the wellspring of all your joy, your peace, your rest, your revelation, your anointing, your power. It is the nature of God.” <p>Goodnight, <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-hjrqOU9dYCQ/T5-oW7F2KnI/AAAAAAAADXI/8Mt9LKE-14k/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-oGV5G29fWb8/T5-oXVOJYeI/AAAAAAAADXM/PSPFFkBuvS4/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a> <p align="center"> <p align="center">(I know it seems like overkill to include the text version, but it’s for the people who are using the translate gadget.) <p align="center">THE NATURE OF GOD <p align="center">By Graham Cooke <p align="center">How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. When you know, when you really know the sovereignty of God and His Lordship over all things – seen and unseen; when you’re able to confess Him as the Supreme Ruler over all things, and to confess that He is your Lord and you are His possession, then at that point, you are the happiest of people. You could not get any happier. Nothing could happen that could be so wonderful, that it could possibly be better than the happiness you have in the Lordship and Supremacy of Jesus Christ. When you know that you are situated, that you are located in the heart of the happiest, most powerful Person ever to live, then you cannot be more happy than at that point. When you are able to step back into His rest and live in the High Tower of His name, so that when the enemy come raging against you, he cannot find you – that’s joy! That’s happiness! <p align="center">How blessed is he whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord His God, the One who made Heaven and Earth; who made the sea and all that is in them; the One who keeps faith forever. When all your confidence is in the One who made Heaven and Earth, when everything you need in life is utterly dependent on the goodness, the mercy, the kindness, the love, the grace, the power, of the One Person who is Supreme God above all gods. When your present, and your future, and your health, and your destiny, and your life, depend totally on the God who works for weak, twisted and deceitful people, then you simply have to be the happiest people on the face of the Earth, because your happiness is built totally on the knowledge that the God who gives favor to weak, selfish people, He has given you an unshakable conviction and confidence in His ability to bring change and power to bear on your life. Therefore, the most wonderful thing you will ever do with your life is to trust it to the nature of God - to put it into the hands of a God who totally loves you, and is deeply committed to you, and delights in helping you. It is the most happiest feeling to totally trust the best, the most honorable, the most powerful, the most integrous, committed, and faithful covenant-maker who is also the most decent Person who ever lived – Jesus. Being completely reliant on His character and integrity is the source of your great happiness! <p align="center">We rest in Your nature – for me, Father, You are the kindest Person I have ever known. You are the happiest Person I know. You are the most consistent Person we have ever dealt with. You never change. Everything comes down to us from this Father of Lights, in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. You say with absolute confidence, “I AM THE LORD. I change not. I AM the same yesterday, today, and forever.” <p align="center">And Beloved, we are learning to live in the paradox of God – to know that He is consistent, but He is also unpredictable. He is consistent in His nature – you always know where you are with God, but you seldom know what He is going to do next. But you always know where you are with God because He never changes. When Moses said, “God, please show me Your glory,” maybe he was expecting some great light and display of power, but God just looked at him and smiled at him and said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass before you” because the glory of God is the nature of God – that God is good! He is good! He is unfailingly good! He is good! He is good! God is good! He’s good! He is good! And He is never changes – He will always be good! Yesterday He was good, today is good, tomorrow He will be good. And it is your destiny to have the goodness of God pass before you. He’ll never change. You always know where you are with Him. He never changes. He is consistent – the most consistent Person ever. He will never change His heart toward you no matter what you do. He cannot be anything other than what He is. He is a covenant-maker, and a covenant-keeper, and He is good! <p align="center">Our God is consistent, but He is also unpredictable. You never know what God is going to do next. You always know what He is going to be like, but you never know what He is going to do next. God has called you to see the invisible, and do the impossible. God has not called you to do the things that you can do. He has called you to do the things you will never be able to do in a million years. You are not able to do what God has called you to do. Only He can do it. But He has called you to live in His faithfulness. He has called you to live in His consistency. And He will come and do all the things that need to be done. So, Beloved, you cannot find security in what God is doing, because God commits you to the impossible. He asks you to see the invisible. He calls you to do the outrageous. There is no security in that place. There is no security in what God is doing. There is only security in who God is. This great God that we serve will throw us into situations beyond us with no other thought than that His great heart will sustain us. And the answer of God to everything, to every excuse you want to make why you can’t do something – the answer is always the same. When you look into His face and see the twinkle in His eye and the grin on His face, and He looks at you and He says, “Nevertheless, I will be with you.” That’s all, that’s His only answer to human weakness. “It’s okay. I will be there.” He is the great God who sends us out as lambs among wolves. Why? Because the Lion is padding by our side. <p align="center">See, what God has called us to is outrageous, impossible, and totally unpredictable. And the only way that we will do it is because we are secure in the nature of God. He is consistent, but He is unpredictable. But the church, you know, is the opposite – we are inconsistent in relationships but oh so boringly predictable in everything that we do. That’s the nature of the change that is coming, Beloved. And the only way that we will come into that high place of anointing and power, to seize the moment, to advance the Kingdom, to swim against the tide, to go against the odds, to sail against the wind that is in the world, is if you and I are resting in the consistent nature of God. That you and I have a testimony of what God is really like living in our hearts in such a powerful way that it drives everything. It is that testimony that is the very essence of prophecy, the testimony of what Jesus is really, really like. “I AM the Lord. I never, ever change. I will always be exactly like this.” And we are discovering what the “exactly like this” is really all about. Beloved, do not be distracted from your journey into the nature of God. Don’t be distracted, because that is the source. It is the wellspring of all your joy, your peace, your rest, your revelation, your anointing, your power. It is the nature of God. And when you learn how to rest in the nature of God, when He comes walking within the impossible, you will be the one that gets out of the boat to join Him. You won’t be one of those who were standing there wondering, or thinking about joining Him. There will be this instinctive, intuitive NEED to put your leg over the side of the boat and start walking on a substance you have no business being on except that He is drawing you there. <p align="center">It is your destiny, Beloved, to walk in the nature of God and do greater things than He did. It is your destiny. But you’ll never get out there unless you learn how to live in here. You’re perfect. Beloved, you are perfect for God. You’re perfect. And He is going to make you perfect in His nature, stamping the image of Jesus on you. It is going to be great. And that is what the desert is about. It is about discovering the majesty of God. Hosea 2:14-15 says, “I will captivate her heart and draw her into the wilderness to speak kindly to her.” And out of that place of coming into a revelation of the nature of God for me - out of that place, God will give your vineyard of fruitfulness. Guaranteed, hey! See, He knows the plan He has for you, the things He wants you to accomplish. But first, first I want you to see Me as I really, really am for you, as I am for you, as I am for you. I want you to know Me as I am for you. <p align="center">Everyone of us needs a revelation of an aspect of the nature of God. For me, it has always been the kindness of God. God has been relentlessly kind to me over many, many, many years. Kinder than I deserve. Relentlessly kind. He has pursued me with kindness, to a point where every living day I expect to have an experience of the kindness of God. I have an expectation when I wake up in the morning. Even in my dreams, I expect the kindness of God to come. I can’t remember a day when I was disappointed in the last, I don’t know, 10 years at least. The thing is, I look for the kindness of God every day, because that is my joy – to see the hand of kindness coming toward me, the kind word, the blessing. Even on the difficult days, there is always an act of kindness for me, because that is my revelation. He is the kindest Person I have ever met in my entire life. Beloved, He will not rest Himself until you have a revelation of what He is really, really like. Then He has to back that revelation up with experience. These are the things He so loves to do. <p align="center">He is faithful. From this day on, for you there is no such thing as a good day or a bad day. There is only a day of grace. And some days the grace of God allows you to enjoy what is happening. And some days the grace of God allows you to endure what is happening. But don’t think about good and bad anymore – just enjoy the grace that is present. And out of that grace will come an expectancy. I know You are going to do something today. I just want to be alive to You so that I can see it; wait for it; speak it out; live in it; experience it; worship You in it; glorify Your name in it. There are no good days anymore; there are no bad days; just days of grace, hey. It’s agreed, just days of grace. And the grace of God is going to come and bring with it the nature of God, that you might know Him. That you might know Him. That you might know Him and rest in Him, move in Him, worship Him, represent Him. Hey, God. <p align="center"><i>Transcribed by Elaine Mifflin</i> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-49364797704988212382012-04-30T13:12:00.000-05:002012-05-01T23:21:59.819-05:00Memory Verse Monday–Week 25<p>“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”  James 1:19-20 (KJV)</p> <p>“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”  James 1:19-20 (NIV)</p> <p> </p> <p><u>Review</u></p> <p>1 Corinthians 3:16</p> <p>Psalm 121:1-2</p> <p>Hebrews 11:6</p> <p>Romans 8:28</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2unmQ7LFSVk/T3CxsqvCXHI/AAAAAAAADCQ/XZGCNN4oPhE/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-znf5SNAgkY0/T3CxswhxIfI/AAAAAAAADCY/wjZAHMxyCPE/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75" /></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-79106743498430081052012-04-28T20:10:00.001-05:002012-04-29T21:41:34.314-05:00Food Safety<p>Below is an article I wrote for a corporate flight attendant website, but it is an article that can benefit everyone, so I thought I’d share it. Although it is written for flight attendants it is important to use the basics at home, especially if you live with small children or elderly folks. They are the most susceptible to getting foodborne illnesses and the most at risk of dying from them. </p> <p align="center">~</p> <p>One of the most important things to understand about food safety is that YOU are part of the chain that will lead to either the health or the harm of your passengers, crewmembers and yourself. You never want to be in a situation where your passenger is taken from his/her business or vacation because of food that you served while they were on the airplane. Not only that, but foodborne illness is a serious issue; not only will it make your passengers, crew members and yourself very sick, but it can be fatal. </p> <p>Since you are directly involved in the safety of your passengers’ food there are several things you can do to help protect your passengers, your crew members and yourself from foodborne illnesses. </p> <p>#1. Always wear gloves, even if your company or passengers don’t require it. </p> <p>#2. Never use food that smells or looks funny, even if it’s from a reputable caterer.</p> <p>#3. Always make sure food is heated to its proper temperature. (The temperature is determined by how much heat is required to kill the pathogens that grow on that specific food.) Most airline caterers cook food to 70% and then send the food to us to complete the cooking process on the airplane so that the food is not over cooked. That is why this rule is crucial to the safety of those on board your aircraft. Since caterers don’t cook the food to the required temperature it is imperative that you do.</p> <blockquote> <p><strong><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/is_it_done_yet/brochure_text/index.asp#SMIT"><em>USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures</em></a></strong></p></blockquote> <ul> <li><em>Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook meat to higher temperatures. </em> <li><em>Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 160 °F as measured with a food thermometer. </em> <li><em>Cook all poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. </em></li></ul> <blockquote> <p>It’s important to remember that when you are heating/cooking food that has different types of meat in it you must heat all the meat to the highest temperature required. Also, if you are heating vegetables or sauces that have come into contact with uncooked meat (or meat that has not cooked to the proper temperature) you must heat the vegetable or sauce to the temp required for the meat it touched. </p></blockquote> <blockquote> <p>It’s recommended that you use a good quality digital thermometer for your food. This is because the cheap thermometers with a dial have to be recalibrated often and for this reason they often misread temperatures. <a href="http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/MeatTemperatureChart.htm"><u>This article</u></a> explains which thermometers to purchase and how to use them. It also has an in-depth chart of all the meats and seafood and their necessary internal temps. </p></blockquote> <p>#4. When storing uncooked food always store the food by putting the highest required temperature foods at the bottom. For example, if I have raw vegetables, chicken and steak I would put the vegetables highest, then the beef, and then the chicken so that if one of the dishes drips onto another dish that dish will reach the required minimum temperature to kill any pathogens. If I were to stack the chicken on top of the beef and chicken juice got into the beef dish, I would be serving unsafe food if I only heated the beef to the required one hundred forty-five degrees because the chicken juice needs to be heated to one hundred sixty-five degrees.</p> <p>#5. All food has what is called a “safe zone”. Once heated to its proper temperature to kill any pathogens hot food must remain above one hundred forty degrees. In the same way, any food served cold must remain below forty degrees. However, the foods are only safe at this temperature for up to four hours. After four hours anything not refrigerated must be thrown out. This is why on an aircraft the food is generally only safe for a little while unless you put it on ice or use dry ice to keep your refrigerator cold. I order three 3x5 pieces of dry ice with every catering order that I keep at the bottom of my refrigerator so that the air stays cool enough to keep the food safe. If your flight is longer than four hours I would recommend adopting this practice. Let’s say you have a 10 hour red-eye and you plan to serve breakfast when your passengers wake up; if you have stored yogurt, eggs, bacon, etc. in your refrigerator, which only blows cool air, your food will have been unsafe for 6 to 7 hours before you serve it, depending on when you loaded the airplane. </p> <p>#6. Know where your food is coming from. If you are in a foreign country, make sure that you use safety precautions when ordering your food. A good rule of thumb is if you are nervous about the water then you should also be nervous about the food. If you can’t drink the water don’t order any fresh water fish. Also, don’t eat any skin off fruits and vegetables and don’t eat peeled fruits and vegetables unless they have thick skins that don’t absorb water. If you are unsure about the safety of the food, one option is to have your caterer from home freeze food and store it with dry ice to use while you are in other countries. Just remember it will take time to thaw, so plan ahead for that. Brochettes freeze well, as do most Italian dishes. Talk to your caterer about foods they recommend for freezing and reheating. Another thing to do is ask the caterers in foreign countries where they get their foods. I was in a third world country one time and found out that the caterer imported his vegetables from reputable countries because he served so many aircraft from those countries. As long as he was being honest, my passengers were safe to eat a salad from him. </p> <p>You can find more information for the countries you visit listed below.</p> <blockquote> <p><a title="http://safefoodinternational.org/regions.html" href="http://safefoodinternational.org/regions.html"><u>http://safefoodinternational.org/regions.html</u></a></p> <p><a title="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/global.pdf" href="http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/global.pdf"><u>http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/global.pdf</u></a> (This I just found, but I am printing it out so that I can refer to it from now on.)</p></blockquote> <p>#7. Make sure your food is properly refrigerated while it is being delivered. Find out each caterers method for keeping your food cool during the delivery process. If they don’t have a method, ask them to fill zip-top bags with ice and put it in the bottom of the delivery boxes. Also, make sure you instruct the caterer, hotel or restaurant to chill the food to below forty degrees before delivery. </p> <p> </p> <p>I want to summarize by encouraging you to educate yourself in the area of food safety, but to not let yourself become scared to order and serve food. If you are ever in doubt of a country’s produce then just order all hot food and cook it to one hundred sixty-five degrees. If a food item scares you then throw it out and serve the boxed soup and the packaged rice that you carry on board for this very reason. You can also carry powdered milk as a stand-by for a really bad day. Your passenger will thank you for looking out for their safety and well-being.</p> <p> </p> <p>Safe flying and safe food handling,</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-v5ZV9Lh6EK0/T5yU7KQEAqI/AAAAAAAADWg/YzvkxEo0Tfg/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-gnjDac3V7sA/T5yU71319uI/AAAAAAAADWo/1jz9A0ZvOkI/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-5656573492715929962012-04-23T13:08:00.000-05:002012-05-01T23:21:59.391-05:00Memory Verse Monday–Week 24<p>“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28 (KJV)</p> <p>“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  (NIV)</p> <p> </p> <p><u>Review</u></p> <p>1 Corinthians 1:18</p> <p>John 1:1-2</p> <p>Proverbs 3:5-6</p> <p>1 Corinthians 3:16</p> <p>Psalm 121:1-2</p> <p>Hebrews 11:6</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-gU1FIyvAUxk/T3CwlHpnAGI/AAAAAAAADCA/88JJqCN2Twg/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-7mTxQGpsvGQ/T3CwlYs38EI/AAAAAAAADCI/WNO-NF5WLzk/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75" /></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-10009967078629312412012-04-20T17:40:00.001-05:002012-04-20T17:40:27.569-05:00Feature Friday–Mindy Worley<p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/269105_10100290871343387_9609678_49116357_5575249_n.jpg" width="362" height="483" /></p> <p>This is fun Feature Friday for me because this is my best friend.  We have a LONG history that comes with a good story.  </p> <p>Mindy and I have been together since 3 year old pre-school, but we were arch enemies until 10th grade.  I’m pretty sure I was the bigger brat, but there was definite mutual dislike.  We were in school together all but one year because I went to public school in 2nd grade and she came in 3rd grade.  We were also involved in all the same activities.  We were in the same youth group and we were both football and wrestling managers, so we were together ALL the time.  In 7th grade we had to share a hotel room for a youth group event and I can’t remember who spilled whose fingernail polish, but there was SCREAMING about it.  The other girls in the room had to get involved to get us to stop.  Finally, in 10th grade we were fighting after one of the football games, typical for us, and one of the coaches pulled us aside and told us that we needed to get over whatever was the problem because we were a lot alike and all we had was each other, which was true, as all of our friends were starting to party.  Somehow, whatever he said worked because we became fast friends and we were connected at the hip from that moment on.  We were still more like sisters than friends, but we loved each other.  Anytime we were roommates for more than a 3 days we got into HUGE fights, and we were roommates a lot.  But, we always got over it and moved on.  </p> <p>We were part of a very special youth group.  We all hung out every weekend, all weekend; from 7th – 12th grade, from Friday night to Sunday night, we were always together.  Mindy and I both went to Oklahoma Baptist University our freshman year.  And again, I went to public school first.  I transferred to the University of Oklahoma our sophomore year and she came our junior year.  We were roommates again, this time for an entire year.  I’ll let your imagination decide how well we did with that…  Today, we are just as different as we have always been, but what we have in common runs deep. There is NO ONE who knows me like Mindy does.  Even times when we haven’t been as close she is still the only one who knows what a brat I was in 2nd grade, who were my first crushes and why, and all my success and failures since I was 3yrs old.  It’s fun to share that kind of history with someone.  It’s a lot of years of notes and secrets.  </p> <p>         </p> <p align="center">This is our Kindergarten graduation.  I’m the girl on the right and Mindy is with her brother on the left.</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/181724_938325770567_9609678_47403357_4853351_n.jpg" width="485" height="324" /> </p> <p align="center">This is a picture of some of the core people in our youth group.  Mindy is on the couch and I’m with my brother on the floor.</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/168344_938325191727_9609678_47403348_7660680_n.jpg" width="504" height="332" /></p> <p align="center">This is us, um, being us (9th grade)… (I’m at the bottom and Mindy is to the right.)</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180936_938320815497_9609678_47403295_3134746_n.jpg" width="509" height="341" /></p> <p align="center">And, more present day…</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/82_526096775777_9609678_34432579_1999_n.jpg" width="293" height="220" /></p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/167962_917527575317_9607906_46970649_5847617_n.jpg" width="483" height="322" /></p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/163295_918205092567_9609678_46990970_8211184_n.jpg" width="490" height="338" /></p> <p>Now that you know our history, I want to share more about Mindy and why I’m featuring her today.  She is an amazing person who loves ALL people unconditionally.  It’s a gift she has always had, but that I didn’t appreciate about her until I was older.  She is a total free-spirit, but is also extremely smart.  </p> <p>Two years ago, she became mom to one of the cutest kids I’ve ever seen.  Being a mom has allowed her to blossom even more.  She is an INCREADIBLE mom, and I love watching her with her son.  </p> <p>Recently she started a website.  One of her posts is about creating a digital home organization system.  I LOVED reading it.  I immediately went through and downloaded all of the apps she uses and I wanted to share it with you, but as goes with Feature Friday I wanted to interview her so that you can get to know her better.  (This was especially fun for me because Mindy let me pick all the pics to go with her answers.)  </p> <p>I’m please to introduce Mindy!</p> <p><img alt="" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/424106_10100636757489777_9609678_51246911_1212595766_n.jpg" width="197" height="197" /><img alt="" src="http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/185889_943907784167_9609678_47485995_1353476_a.jpg" width="180" height="197" /><img alt="" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/2055_619540144517_9609678_38874599_5419_n.jpg" width="158" height="196" /></p> <p>1.  What is your full name and age?</p> <p><font color="#9b00d3"><em>Mindy Worley *newly* 30 </em></font></p> <p> <br />2. Where did you grow up?</p> <p><em><font color="#9b00d3">I grew up in Ponca City, OK. It's a medium sized town in Northern Oklahoma that kindof bores you and grows on you all at once. They don't have anywhere to buy sushi though, which is just heartbreaking and wrong. </font></em></p> <p> <br />3. What are a couple of your favorite childhood memories?</p> <p><em><font color="#9b00d3">Some of my favorite childhood memories revolve around the skits my brother, and later my younger cousins and I would always cook up around the holidays. When I got older, we converted our skits to video and made mini movies with intricate characters, scripts, plot lines, and props. I have been re-watching some of them recently to put up on my website and even though I've seen them 1000 times they never fail to make me cry from laughing. I love that my brother, cousins and I have those memories together. </font></em></p> <p> <br />4. What is your son's name and age?</p> <p><font color="#9b00d3"><em>My son is Cash Beckett and he is two. He will tell you every time that he is three (with a mischievous look on his face) but don't buy it. I once picked him up from Sunday school and they tried to tell me I put him in the wrong class because they totally believed him. </em></font></p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/426404_10100648878444287_9609678_51285965_843408737_n.jpg" width="324" height="324" /></p> <p> <br />5. What is your favorite thing about being a mom?</p> <p><em><font color="#9b00d3">There are so many things I really love. I think one of my favorites is watching how he interprets the world with such a fresh perspective, and the excitement he generates over the smallest things. I washed his blankies the other night and when they were ready to pull out of the dryer I swear he almost wept for joy. Over a blanket. Its so fantastic. I also love how polite he is. It warms my heart every single time I'll do something simple like fix him a glass of milk and he tells me "Thanks mama" without any prompting. </font></em></p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" alt="" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/294097_10100312140130567_9609678_49473059_7158296_n.jpg" width="391" height="220" /></p> <p> <br />6. What is fun about having a boy?</p> <p><font color="#9b00d3"><em>Cash is such a great combination of baby and rough & tough little boy right now. He's becoming so independent and wants to open the door for me and "fix" things with his little hammer, but he still comes running to me and puts his little head on my shoulder when he hurts himself. I won't mind a bit if he's always a little bit of a mama's boy. </em></font></p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/303510_10100329668069437_9609678_49714936_1760180444_n.jpg" width="306" height="203" /><img alt="" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/294590_10100329657620377_9609678_49714865_244237498_n.jpg" width="239" height="360" /></p> <p align="left"> <br />7. What is the hardest part of being a mom?</p> <p><font color="#9b00d3"><em>When he was a baby, it was cutting his fingernails. No one tells you this, but it is the most traumatic thing you will have to do as a mother to a newborn. I cut him once and wouldn't touch them again. I only recently found out that my mom has been cutting them for him once a week ever since. Grandmothers are awesome!</em></font></p> <p><font color="#9b00d3"><em>The hardest thing now that he's a little sturdier is when I have to do something that I know is the best in the long run but really really stinks right now. I hated taking away his nighttime bottle, but I didn't want him to get cavities. Or putting him to bed when we are having a good time because I know he'll be miserable the next day. I feel like such a traitor because I can't explain to him that I'm actually doing what is best for him. </em></font></p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/311200_10100340044245497_9609678_49800679_794945388_n.jpg" width="370" height="246" /></p> <p> <br />8. What advice do you have for new moms?</p> <p><font color="#9b00d3"><em>Don't stress out. Honestly, you can do a really great job using instinct (and google) alone. I was so nervous because I was all of a sudden going to be solely responsible for a very very tiny human being's every need. But in the end, everything comes to you. You know your kid, you know what he/she needs. I try and stay approximately one step ahead but that's it. Right now, I'm focusing on potty training, not how I'm going to discipline him as a teenager. And you're never going to be a perfect parent, but I think if you are in tune with your kid, you'll figure it out.</em></font></p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/22767_781260595437_9609678_43219870_8261242_n.jpg" width="289" height="385" /></p> <p> <br />9. Do you have any advice for single mom's or mom's to be?</p> <p><em><font color="#9b00d3">Being a single parent is tough, I'm not going to say it isn't. But focus on the positives. My son and I are very close because no one else is competing for my attention. I also love that if I want advice or help, I know where to go for it, but in the end I get to decide what I think is best for him. </font></em></p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/206551_10100167320280707_9609678_47985132_5239732_n.jpg" width="586" height="391" /></p> <p> <br />10. You love to read. How many books do you read per year, including repeats?</p> <p><em><font color="#9b00d3">I have actually wondered this for awhile, so this year, starting January 1st I decided to keep track for the first time. In four and half months I have read 20 books. So maybe between 50-60? And I'm a single mom with a full time job and somewhat of a social life....so don't anybody tell me you don't have time to read!</font></em></p> <p> <br />11. What is your favorite book and why?</p> <p><em><font color="#9b00d3">This is absolutely impossible to answer. I read depending on mood. I have read some books so many times that they have become like old friends. There are several books that I read around once a year, and its a varied list. Off the top of my head, they include: Animal Dreams (Barbara Kingsolver), Where the Red Fern Grows (Wilson Rawls), The entire Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood series (Rebecca Wells), Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy), Straight Up and Dirty (Stephanie Klein), the Harry Potter series, Pretense (Lori Wick), Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand) and more recently I'm a huge fan of anything by Pat Conroy, the Hunger Games series and the Girl With a Dragon Tattoo series. Sorry I couldn't narrow it down any, and I'm sure I'm missing a few.</font></em></p> <p> <br />12. You are also a videographer. Do you have any advice for novices with a video camera?</p> <p><em><font color="#9b00d3">When you are filming, don't be afraid to get close and get a good shot. Nothing is more boring than a really grainy wide shot with 6 people in the way of the action. Also, keep rolling. You never know when something exciting is going to happen. And the more you keep the camera on, the more people relax around it. That's when you get the good footage. </font></em></p> <p> <br />13. Who is your hero, fictitious or not, and why?</p> <p><em><font color="#9b00d3">Nearly everyone I read about or meet has some quality that I admire. In the fictitious world, two women stand out in my mind. The first is Dagney Taggert, the main character in Atlas Shrugged. I realize this is a very controversial book, but I am always inspired by her incredible work ethic and how she is not willing to settle for anything but the best. The second is Lorelai Gilmore of the Gilmore Girls television show. I really admire her attitude and her parenting style. I love how she approaches life with creativity and doesn't apologize for not blending in to the norm.</font></em></p> <p align="center"><img src="http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Lorelai-gilmore-girls-34733_1366_768.jpg" width="283" height="159" /><img src="http://girltalkthursday.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Lorelai.jpg" width="156" height="160" /><img src="http://cdn.pimpmyspace.org/media/pms/c/of/hs/xq/3.png" width="216" height="160" /></p> <p align="center">(I personally think Mindy is Lorelai in the flesh.)</p> <p> </p> <p>Here is the link to Mindy’s article about creating a digital home organization system.  I think you find it just as helpful as I did.  It really is a brilliant idea!</p> <p align="center"><a title="http://www.constantlytalking.com/2012/04/19/home-management-binder-gone-digital/" href="http://www.constantlytalking.com/2012/04/19/home-management-binder-gone-digital/">http://www.constantlytalking.com/2012/04/19/home-management-binder-gone-digital/</a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7pqgPGydeik/T5Hl2aufBEI/AAAAAAAADWM/RN042e0cIjM/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-cuMN3EogdVI/T5Hl2lVBCAI/AAAAAAAADWU/Eh2sQd0QXj8/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75" /></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-64317288063663015462012-04-17T00:53:00.001-05:002012-04-17T01:01:22.052-05:009/11 Memorial - NYC<p>Last year I had an opportunity to go see the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. These pictures were taken in and around the memorial. The last picture is a picture of the pilots and I looking at a glass building, which encases part of the original building that is still standing. </p> <p>(I also just want to say as a side note that I am really sorry about my watermark in all of the pictures, but with the Internet the way that it is if I don’t protect my pictures anyone is able to take them and use them for their own purposes, and I really don’t any of my photos used or sold outside of my permission. I hope you can see past it.)</p> <p> </p> <p align="center"> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Gh_k0R_Cfzo/T40FBV_RaQI/AAAAAAAADUk/C_rrvlOKW2o/s1600-h/_DSC1059%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC1059" border="0" alt="_DSC1059" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yJ60PUJuM6s/T40FCFl1FPI/AAAAAAAADUo/uqvHSYOIkU0/_DSC1059_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="320" height="483"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kobnXM9CtYU/T40FC2i7SgI/AAAAAAAADUs/_9Oq1Vk1eU4/s1600-h/_DSC1259%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC1259" border="0" alt="_DSC1259" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rgGCIyQxYVw/T40FDZuDqiI/AAAAAAAADUw/Uo2s92Nyrjs/_DSC1259_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="529" height="351"></a></p> <p align="center"> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ERlnhsjYigc/T40FD97OGPI/AAAAAAAADU0/dYmLs2g0KZs/s1600-h/_DSC1156%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; 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border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC1188" border="0" alt="_DSC1188" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-CsansNsHSko/T40FIS6JXxI/AAAAAAAADVQ/aB85ouR6Rso/_DSC1188_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="520" height="344"></a></p> <p align="center"> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-N7IdMlNfzks/T40FI0klI8I/AAAAAAAADVU/B5bCNbAc9Gs/s1600-h/_DSC1210%25255B15%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC1210" border="0" alt="_DSC1210" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JdrsDqXyIbo/T40FJCPV9aI/AAAAAAAADVY/yVOXotCAtpI/_DSC1210_thumb%25255B13%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="331" height="500"></a></p> <p align="center"> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EfGYYYy8C9A/T40FJ7GHaxI/AAAAAAAADVc/UL8a2fBd0Jo/s1600-h/_DSC1226%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC1226" border="0" alt="_DSC1226" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MRLM_x2ERs8/T40FKmqzYWI/AAAAAAAADVg/uNS1qZnlEOs/_DSC1226_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="523" height="347"></a></p> <p align="center"> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-330HMBDHFyM/T40FLIojozI/AAAAAAAADVk/4wr8AtQGdLs/s1600-h/_DSC1232%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC1232" border="0" alt="_DSC1232" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-G0Y0wPzYcJQ/T40FL7RVDXI/AAAAAAAADVo/7S6Epa76PWs/_DSC1232_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="518" height="344"></a></p> <p align="center"> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EgKoZYreImc/T40FMuQAujI/AAAAAAAADTk/c9iccz3JO_Q/s1600-h/_DSC1233%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC1233" border="0" alt="_DSC1233" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-J9hvZqtT_y4/T40FNLvgG9I/AAAAAAAADTs/1dGtLKSQtVE/_DSC1233_thumb%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="517" height="343"></a></p> <p align="center"> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LHZdTU5y7Ks/T40FNoGSmDI/AAAAAAAADT0/jYFKfrEilvE/s1600-h/_DSC1237%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC1237" border="0" alt="_DSC1237" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-4TdwmZbR85Q/T40FOOWnkgI/AAAAAAAADT8/lXHfctXp_Ck/_DSC1237_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="310" height="468"></a></p> <p align="center"> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MzEHiPVCsRk/T40FPHgQzJI/AAAAAAAADVs/OqNctsRH6Tc/s1600-h/_DSC1255%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC1255" border="0" alt="_DSC1255" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_epvL6f8kDY/T40FPpYsHLI/AAAAAAAADVw/DW_QRKqfx9I/_DSC1255_thumb%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="542" height="359"></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-KlFxPNu3HVo/T40FQHY44qI/AAAAAAAADV0/d1e3PTMFPw4/s1600-h/Mirror%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="Mirror" border="0" alt="Mirror" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-MWTO3hzuTBQ/T40FQ2QgANI/AAAAAAAADV4/9ASi9h-4LO8/Mirror_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="547" height="365"></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LmBpnmfgli8/T40HLtpy4SI/AAAAAAAADV8/xJqWc7n6G8k/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-7e4nbQfpO_Q/T40HMK3mAdI/AAAAAAAADWE/KFXqQWaawgc/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-30707098421760218342012-04-16T20:05:00.001-05:002012-04-16T20:05:43.890-05:00Cute Hair Idea<p>I have always been plain Jane about my hair. Not to brag, but my hair is pretty easy. It’s thick, it’s shiny and while it’s stick straight it holds curl really well. So, I’ve never done much with it. However, for the past 10 years I’ve had jobs that require me to wear it in a pony tail. I went from being a restaurant server to a flight attendant. Both require hair up, and I am finally sick of boring old pony tails. </p> <p>So, I’ve been experimenting. This is one that I came up with, and I LOVE it. So, I thought I’d share it with you. I started at the side and then French braided it to the side and then around my head. I pulled the hair from the other side of my head into the braid so that all of my hair is in the braid. When I ran out of hair to add to the braid I twisted it into a loose bun. The key to this style is that I curl my hair first so that the hair coming out of the bun is curled. (Just a tip: anytime you are going to just “throw your hair into a bun” it will always look better if you curl your hair first. I know that defeats the purpose, but it will make your messy hair look cute instead of just messy.)</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-o1894iOBDcw/T4zBz58HUgI/AAAAAAAADP0/2OEJAcP4wpE/s1600-h/Braid%2525201%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Braid 1" border="0" alt="Braid 1" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-RYU8m1EKQjc/T4zB0be8HSI/AAAAAAAADP8/dcnX4xM7S4M/Braid%2525201_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="244"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mt8E5JDcvVQ/T4zB1EENxDI/AAAAAAAADQE/UK5OdGxiYgA/s1600-h/Braid%2525204%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Braid 4" border="0" alt="Braid 4" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FlCeOScd2Gc/T4zB1WZow6I/AAAAAAAADQM/B0f5Z3ze7f4/Braid%2525204_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="244"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JC6e0OF8eTw/T4zB2BWK7XI/AAAAAAAADQU/IIwLKWj5yyk/s1600-h/Back%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Back" border="0" alt="Back" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nxlu3BgN2aQ/T4zB2oTxoII/AAAAAAAADQc/elDBqemQwJI/Back_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="244"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RN6EvG_Cc04/T4zB3P9-QOI/AAAAAAAADQk/h8ebm14fO4o/s1600-h/Bun%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Bun" border="0" alt="Bun" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-aMc9ZOo6m3U/T4zB3mmEp-I/AAAAAAAADQs/7w9j_As3Kgo/Bun_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="244"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_J-tbpY0h_s/T4zB4SruuVI/AAAAAAAADQ0/U5qG2_4fIE8/s1600-h/Top%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Top" border="0" alt="Top" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zloBYG7Q-70/T4zB47MLBSI/AAAAAAAADQ8/IFqF30AmyrI/Top_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="244"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ncZwhHoYuH0/T4zB5BodCDI/AAAAAAAADRE/nobVyobil6Q/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-vf_9FOtWX6M/T4zB5l2cUjI/AAAAAAAADRM/6eNiZg_1b-w/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-59841431970148440752012-04-16T13:00:00.000-05:002012-04-16T13:00:03.785-05:00Memory Verse Monday–Week 23<p>“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)</p> <p>“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)</p> <p> </p> <p><u>Review</u></p> <p>John 1:1-2</p> <p>Proverbs 3:5-6</p> <p>1 Corinthians 3:16</p> <p>Psalm 121:1-2</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zkIvbDhqtD0/T3CvAYqO-wI/AAAAAAAADBw/Ubm2vODL1Cs/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pYwOirtwtBY/T3CvA8v19OI/AAAAAAAADB4/BM2aEpv5ffM/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75" /></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-41226652445462726772012-04-13T03:53:00.000-05:002012-04-14T03:52:32.588-05:00Feature Friday – Human Trafficking<p>I am beside myself right now. I just finished driving four and a half hours from Dallas to Houston. I spent the entire drive listening to podcasts about Passion 2012. Their focus was on freedom. They raised $3.3 million from college students that is going to fund organizations that are trying to stop human trafficking. So, I just spent four and half hours listening about, singing about and praying for people who are trapped in slavery, and what does God do? At the end of it all He gives me a face. A real human who I can specifically pray for and be a voice for. </p> <p>Once parked at the hotel I walked from my car to the lobby and then straight for the elevator. A man and a woman were also walking toward the elevator. I dropped something and bent over to pick it up. When I stood back up they were already on the elevator but on different sides. I looked in the man’s eyes and he held the door for me. I thanked him. On my way into the elevator I looked into the woman’s eyes and she smiled at me. My phone was ringing so I gave her a half smile, turned to face the elevator doors and then reached into my purse for my phone. I announced into the phone, and to the elevator, that I had just arrived at the hotel. The doors opened and I realized we were all getting off on the same floor. The man and woman waited for me to get off first. As I walked out of the elevator and to the right I saw them out of the corner of my eye. That’s when I noticed they were getting off together. I walked for a minute and then glanced behind me. They were walking the opposite way down the hall, and when I saw them from behind my eyes were opened. I saw a beautiful , young, dark body (over 6 feet tall) wearing a tight black sleeveless vest with nothing underneath, super short black shorts and 5” high heals walking with a middle aged light skinned man, not much taller than me, who was wearing loose fitting, light colored jeans, an old polo shirt and tennis shoes. They did not belong together. That’s when it hit me that she is a prostitute. </p> <p>I had just spent the past 45 minutes singing the same song over and over and praying for sex slaves around the world, and God opened my eyes to one who is just a few doors down the hall. </p> <p>I slowly walked into my hotel room, finished my phone conversation and then immediately dropped to my knees. I cried out for her, for all who are like her. I don’t know her story, I don’t know if it’s of her own free will, but what I do know is that she is a slave to the industry that is responsible for 85% of the 27 million slaves in our world today. I didn’t even have words. All I could get out were groanings that only the Holy Spirit could decipher and pray for me. Then I asked, “Lord, what can I do? What should I do? Should I go into the hall and wait for her? Should I prayer walk in the hall? What can I do?” Clear as day He answered, “She is not yours to save.” Then came the me questions, “Was my smile warm enough? Did I show her Jesus in that second that I had with her? Did I do all I should have done?” Then the answer, “She is not yours to save.”</p> <p>I got up from the floor, sat in a chair and reflected on what had just transpired… I have been a flight attendant for four and a half years now. I have stayed in hotels almost as many nights as I’ve stayed at home in those years. Tonight, the night that I spent four and a half hours listening to podcasts about this freedom movement, the night that I had the radio volume and my ipod volume on full blast, singing a song about human trafficking over and over again is the first night, in four and a half years and hundreds of nights in hotels, that I have laid eyes on a prostitute. After a moment’s reflection I said the only thing I could say. I said, “Okay, God.” </p> <p> </p> <p>Below is the post that I had pictured in my head while I was driving: </p> <blockquote> <p align="center"><u><strong>“Human trafficking is on the rise.”</strong></u></p></blockquote> <blockquote> <p align="center">“…not only does human trafficking exist on the earth today, but <u><strong>there are actually more slaves than there have ever been in the history of humanity...”</strong></u></p> <p align="center">See what the world’s done? Came to London, she's a nothing a no one, she's undone, broken dreams, <u><strong>stolen freedom</strong></u>, trapped in the night, trafficked and beaten. <u><strong>All a part of an evil economy</strong></u>, nothing more than someone’s commodity, <u><strong>a precious being like you and me</strong></u>, a daughter a sister a somebody!</p> <p align="center"><br>She was drawn by the bright lights, she was tied up in their lights, she worked right through the daylight, <u><strong>no voice</strong></u>, she’s a slave to the night.<br>27 million, like me.<br>That's 27 million people on this cruel journey<br><u><strong>We've got to rise up, open our eyes up. Be her voice, be her freedom, come on stand up!</strong></u></p> <p align="center"><br>After the man left, she's nothing left, no one, <u><strong>no love, no one to call her friend</strong></u>. She's stuck in the pit of hell, she's almost sick of the smell. <u><strong>She's numb</strong></u>, she's dead from the inside out, <u><strong>her heart is screaming but you don't hear the shout</strong></u>. Who's the voice? <u><strong>Who's going to break the door down?</strong></u> Who wakes her up from this nightmare now?</p> <p align="center"><br>She was drawn by the bright lights, she was tied up in their lights, she worked right through the daylight, no voice, she’s a slave to the night.<br>27 million, like me.<br><u><strong>27 million who need Heaven’s mercy!<br></strong></u>We've got to rise up, open our eyes up. Be her voice, be her freedom, come on stand up!</p> <p align="center"><br>27 million, are you joking? <u><strong>How do we let evil get so tight a grip, watching while the world falls apart?</strong></u> How do we let this stuff begin? We're not bothered if this offends because you got people that can defend. But they ain't got that, they got nothing. Sometimes you gotta stand for something. <u><strong>Let this be the stand that gets your blood running.<br></strong></u></p> <p align="center"><strong><u>Little girl don't cry</u></strong>, let me dry your eyes in the darkest night (<u><strong>you're not alone</strong></u>). Hold on through the storm, you're not on your own, hold on, <u><strong>love will come</strong></u>.<br><strong><u>We've got to rise up, open our eyes up, be her voice, be her freedom, come on, stand up!</u> </strong></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 425px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:1899cd57-d493-4e89-acf0-3d1b41588e69" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="cf348e99-abbe-4f64-8f6f-b27bac59f064" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K69NdzPvwj0" target="_new"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-D8Xb1oNJvgM/T4kpuXzX8QI/AAAAAAAADPk/C2DqSJ0Pxf4/videof5e88004f751%25255B50%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('cf348e99-abbe-4f64-8f6f-b27bac59f064'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/K69NdzPvwj0&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/K69NdzPvwj0&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div></blockquote> <p></p> <p>My favorite part of this video is the crowd. The crowd is real. They filmed this video live during Passion 2012. You are looking at over 45,000 college students in the Georgia Dome on fire for this cause. That is incredible!</p> <p>If you want to join the freedom movement that is stemming from this you can go to this website <a title="http://72daysforfreedom.com/" href="http://72daysforfreedom.com/">http://72daysforfreedom.com/</a>. They are asking people to give $1 per day for 72 days. There is also a petition to sign for the president to try to get him (our government as a whole) to be more involved in doing more to free slaves around the world. There is a whole, whole lot more, but you can visit the website if you want to find out more.</p> <p> </p> <p>Another good resource is <em>Human Trafficking. </em>You can buy it new from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Human-Trafficking-Mira-Sorvino/dp/B000ETR9VU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334386791&sr=8-2">Amazon</a> starting at $2.90. Here is the trailer.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 425px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:b8fe275b-2a48-4dc9-aaa1-52dc67d1b95e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="be36eec1-70f8-47fd-8aa4-eba45bd0e2d7" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4237pS55h4" target="_new"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-O-29fi5HhOs/T4kpu65SmwI/AAAAAAAADPo/Vd-JOY6eL-s/videoa1c375b9136a%25255B41%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('be36eec1-70f8-47fd-8aa4-eba45bd0e2d7'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/t4237pS55h4&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/t4237pS55h4&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p></p> <p> </p> <p>Another good one is the movie <em>Taken, </em>starring Liam Neeson. You can rent it from anywhere. </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 425px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:5d84ecb6-ff77-4036-955d-055b5dcdc5eb" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="029f4332-99aa-44a5-a2df-c31e977692a8" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCbDUREBwUg" target="_new"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0ZYwLNxnJZQ/T4kpvTb79nI/AAAAAAAADPs/pJWO-W91kiQ/videoa3ccea71844a%25255B39%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('029f4332-99aa-44a5-a2df-c31e977692a8'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/wCbDUREBwUg&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/wCbDUREBwUg&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>If you’ve got time to kill, this is the video that is on the 72 Days For Freedom website. It’s long, but interesting. I did learn how people are getting themselves into their situations. A lot of people in poorer countries go to other countries to work. They sign up with agencies who take them to the other countries. Some agencies are legit and others aren’t. So scary!</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 425px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:fb0d97bb-8934-41f3-bdcc-3b13e1f30372" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="58c65b4e-65f4-49cf-ae3b-a34d9bdb1684" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9wA5tdBTMQ" target="_new"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-PYHwZMiHYLQ/T4kpv2chmBI/AAAAAAAADPw/HtSh-23dai4/video42c0e12edef7%25255B46%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('58c65b4e-65f4-49cf-ae3b-a34d9bdb1684'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/O9wA5tdBTMQ&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/O9wA5tdBTMQ&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p>This matters. Someday this could be me, or my daughter, or my granddaughter. Please find an organization near you and get involved, even if it is just to learn the name of the organization and how you can pray for them. Also, please know that many women who work in strip clubs get pulled into the sex trade. Please do not support these businesses. The porn industry… I don’t even want to go there. Lastly, on the 72 Days For Freedom website there is a list of items made by slaves that you can avoid buying. Check that out too.</p> <p> </p> <p>It’s two hours later. Once, while I was writing this, I heard a door slam. I waited a minute and then slowly opened my door and looked out. The hall was empty, but the Still Small Voice whispered, “She’s not yours to save. Go back inside.” So I did.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-iHrNyV8ybvw/T4kpwcbFcKI/AAAAAAAADNU/YBwWCThaa3o/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wXXq4_oFM1Y/T4kpw7xs8KI/AAAAAAAADNc/m6SXcR4ezoU/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-74181977929318709942012-04-12T10:36:00.001-05:002012-04-12T10:38:06.662-05:00Thankful On Thursday – It’s Not About Me<p>This past Friday I had a life changing moment with God while I was driving home from the airport. <a href="http://alifeplannedisneverasexpected.blogspot.com/2012/04/feature-fridaywhy.html">(You can read about it here.)</a> It might sound like I am being dramatic by using the phrase “life changing”, but I’m not. Every true encounter with God is life changing. It requires you to either move forward with Him, or back from Him. This was definitely not the first life changing encounter I have had nor was it the last. I had another this morning. </p> <p>Since last Friday I have made it a point to physically get on my knees, face down, and pray as the first thing I do every morning. It is amazing what 5-10 minutes will do to your spiritual posture when your physical posture is bowed before God. It has been amazing to start every day in this manner. However, today was different. I got on my knees, put my forehead on the ground, tucked in my elbows and started silently talking to God. Almost immediately, God spoke to me. </p> <blockquote> <p><em>(If you have never heard from God, for me it is like in old war movies when the code comes through and machines print the message on those long thin strips of paper. It’s as if one of those is in my head. I’m talking or thinking and out of nowhere a random message runs through my head. It interrupts what I was saying or thinking, and all my attention is now on that message. For me, that’s when I know God is speaking. This might not be true for anyone else, but this is how God speaks to me, and it does take practice to know God’s voice from your own thoughts, but if you pray for God to reveal His voice to you, then you will start to hear Him.) </em></p></blockquote> <p>He said, “It’s not about you. I am not here for you, you are here for Me.” and I realized that I have been saying things like, “God, I am so thankful for your presence in my life. Thank you for what you have done for me. Thank you for saving me… I, I, I, me, me, me, my, my, my.” My eyes popped open, “WHOA! Did that really just happen?” I thought about it for a moment, letting the truth of it sink in. I thought I needed God to save me because of my sin, I needed God to be present in my life because of my loneliness, and I needed the Holy Spirit to fill me so that I could have joy and peace in all circumstances… But, it’s not about me and these things will only come when my life becomes all about Him. WOW. </p> <p>It was heavy for first thing in the morning, but boy did I wake up fast. After the few seconds of pondering that led to all of this I said, “God, it is all about you. I am here for You. Please, what can do to glorify You?” As soon as the words were formed a video came to my head and I felt His thoughts in mine, “Share My glory though this.” So, I got up and here I am, writing to you.</p> <p>This is a video I found last Friday. As soon as I got home from my life changing drive I looked up “pulsar” on You Tube to show Jason the example I had just learned about how the stars are worshiping God. One video led to another and I found Louie Giglio taking individual songs of creation’s praise and putting them together so that we can get just a glimpse of what God hears as all of creation worships him every second of every day. </p> <p>This video is fifteen minutes, but I am BEGGING you to watch it. I got off my knees this morning and wrote this post because I felt the God of creation telling me that you needed to hear it. </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 425px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:33b46a25-96bd-4ccd-9b2f-1903347b3276" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="9d7b276e-22c9-43d6-9df0-556882c633a2" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zWKm-LZWm4" target="_new"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-pYak-crb240/T4b2aW7Ss7I/AAAAAAAADK4/A9Rm8ixUt1g/videobb0b76876561%25255B16%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('9d7b276e-22c9-43d6-9df0-556882c633a2'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/7zWKm-LZWm4&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/7zWKm-LZWm4&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p></p> <p>If you want more, there are entire messages by Louie on You Tube that you can check out. Trust me, you will never regret listening to a message by this man. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_iv0aBc4uZo/T4b2a4yo25I/AAAAAAAADKk/7ckt_TTIPIc/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Tibuk0rbu3Q/T4b2bevNykI/AAAAAAAADKs/y7NBW6aT6UI/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-73101387538387688662012-04-09T12:55:00.000-05:002012-04-09T12:55:00.491-05:00Memory Verse Monday–Week 22<p>“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”  Psalm 121:1-2 (KJV)</p> <p>“I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”  Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV)</p> <p> </p> <p><u>Review</u></p> <p>1 Corinthians 1:18</p> <p>John 1:1-2</p> <p>Proverbs 3:5-6</p> <p>1 Corinthians 3:16</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ClMXUpyipVQ/T3Ct6BH2i-I/AAAAAAAADBg/mkK8Vnfnz6I/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-sTEc0uTlBnU/T3Ct65hKXSI/AAAAAAAADBo/BVPIU-EjXzs/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75" /></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-81731289620982781692012-04-06T14:53:00.001-05:002012-04-06T14:53:00.377-05:00Feature Friday–Why?<blockquote> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left">We rode into town the other day, just me and my daddy.  He said I'd finally reached that age, and I could ride next to him on a horse that of course was not quite as wide.  </p> <p align="left">We heard a crowd of people shouting, and so we stopped to find out why.  And there was that man that my dad said he loved, but today there was fear in his eyes.  So I said, “Daddy why are they screaming?  Why are the faces of some of them beaming?  Why is he dressed in that bright purple robe?  I'll bet that crown hurts him more then he shows.  Daddy please can't you do something?  He looks as though he's gonna cry.  You said he was stronger then all of those guys.  Daddy please tell me why?  Why does everyone want him to die?”  </p> <p align="left">Later that day the sky grew cloudy, and daddy said I should go inside.  Somehow he knew things would get stormy.  Boy was he right.  But I could not keep from wondering if there was something he had to hide.  So, after he left I had to find out.  I was not afraid of getting lost.  So, I followed the crowds to a hill where I knew men had been killed, and I heard a voice come from the cross.  And it said, “Father why are they screaming?  Why are the faces of some of them beaming?  Why are they casting their lots for my clothes?  This crown of thorns hurts me more then it shows.  Father please can't you do something?  I know that You must hear my cry's.  I thought I could handle a cross of this size.  Father remind me why, why does everyone want me to die?  When will I understand why?</p> <p align="left">“My precious Son, I hear them screaming.  I'm watching the face of the enemy beaming, but soon I will clothe you in robes of my own.  Jesus, this hurts me much more then you know, but this dark hour I must do nothing though I've heard your unbearable cries.  The power in your blood destroys all of the lies.  Soon you'll see past their unmerciful cries.  Look there below, see the child trembling by her father's side?  Now, I can tell you why.  She is why you must die.”</p> </blockquote> <p> </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 448px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:216a2fc7-cf95-4640-ac80-747acf573696" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="de0501ae-ec14-4b0d-9960-6e6946d488d9" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJtQC6Pq-6E&feature=related" target="_new"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-efuWnh5QEAU/T39JlwoKZuI/AAAAAAAADKE/L89qtIEPF4s/videoe2247ece731d%25255B111%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('de0501ae-ec14-4b0d-9960-6e6946d488d9'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/sJtQC6Pq-6E?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/sJtQC6Pq-6E?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p align="center">Video credits can be found at the end of this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14tZRDdwggU">video</a>.  </p> <p>I listen to this song over and over every year during Easter Weekend.  However, today it spoke to me in a special way.  </p> <p>I woke up at 4:30 AM this morning (to catch a flight home) and took a shower.  Usually, that early in the morning I don’t think about anything until a little later.  However, this morning as the water poured over me it hit me, “Jesus died today.”  The fact that this was Passion Week and that Easter is this weekend had been nothing but a passing thought for me so far this year.  So, when it hit me this morning it hit me hard.  </p> <p>When I arrived at the airport I pulled out a book I’m reading (with Laura) about Galatians.  This week’s focus is about not letting what people think about you affect your views of Christ, the Gospel, or how you live your life.  I read it and thought about how it applied more to when I was in high school than to now.  But, as I continued pondering if I really do let the opinions of others affect me I realized that I have basically stopped having “quiet times” (time by myself everyday to read the Bible and pray) because I’m afraid of how I might be perceived.  In fact, I really don’t have much of a relationship with God anymore at all.  I devote all my time to my husband, my animals, and projects at home.  I don’t want anyone at home to feel neglected because I’m off by myself.  No one has projected this on me, I’ve just taken it upon myself.  But, it’s drawn me further from God for several years now.  It was a HUGE revelation for me.  I also thought about work and other people in my life who’s opinions do matter whether I want to admit it or not.  </p> <p>I arrived at the Columbus airport and started my hour and a half drive home.  The radio station I was listening to was just starting a Louie Giglio sermon.  He talked about praising God, about how the heavens and the earth were created to praise God.  I couldn’t see it, but I could picture the slideshow he scrolled through of people with their hands raised:</p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" alt="" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQUJwg4Q6OU65FwcXTe3z1TN0WDg0YPW1B-T23d5JXaWyEm6IAxRg" width="204" height="247" /></p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" alt="" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRi-tFsuCpMjtFF-ABJZEjv88OfVjTflqfvwCSlkULMvCBbmhcJbA" width="240" height="160" /></p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" alt="" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRczZXcSqYEVHsKrq7mTrZs5-GBj38UTMS_-yhtp_tEu1vJVq3G8w" width="225" height="225" /></p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" alt="" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcREvhNMUPxTj1x-1jdsWKJ-PPwL8dN6MfF2RiGX1xL-yieTQtsi" width="276" height="183" /></p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" alt="" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSeSoVgSLpC_7HRidMjRB_gCLeF0fzddbruXcOjieVTeSZWtIxS" width="284" height="177" /></p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" alt="" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT_Si9a7jadxOTvcYc1d89UY3e87q7UmC6ckHXXW88XpOsjohg_" width="262" height="192" /></p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" alt="" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQZl_1vfPxT69Fih4C5f4oC7e3_CKx_VHshiW1DEYSfsXF4LqJZ" width="277" height="182" /></p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHn5Iws5-3UGSH-scULVI7atWD7N8GYDQcKiRpFgoK4h03xRWb" width="185" height="273" /></p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTZ-dtF8Zec1iXZHusjXcjaAs3i_SsmoudvmZyzmy7xlE-wsVMJ" width="188" height="267" /></p> <p>He talked about the fact that as humans when something happens our hands naturally go up, when we hear good news, when we get the touchdown/goal, when we idolize another human, and even when the world crumbles around us and we cry out for help.  After Louie spoke Chris Tomlin led worship and as the song played I had tears rolling down my face.  I was admitting for the first time just how lonely I really am, and I realized that I have been keeping myself extremely busy in an effort to drown it.  (Jason and I have a great relationship, but a spouse cannot meet all your emotional needs.)  I am lonely for God.  I miss my relationship with Him.  However, rather than run to Him, I have been running the other way.  In the car today, I had a moment with God that I desperately needed, and I know that His arms are open wide and that right now He loves me.  He is not mad at me.  It doesn’t matter that I’ve ignored and avoided Him for the past several months.  I can start doing it differently right now.  It was exactly what I needed.  </p> <p>Once the radio program was over I wanted to hear the Nicole Nordeman song.  As I listened I was struck for the first time by the line that says, “why does everyone want me to die?”  I thought of my reading that morning about people’s opinions and about the loneliness I feel, and for the first time I thought about the loneliness Jesus must have felt.  Everyone talks about the physical pain: the cat of nine tails, the crown of thorns, the nails in his hands and feet, but do we ever stop to think of the emotional torment?  </p> <p>He was 33.  That’s three years older than me.  As a 30 year-old I miss my family, I miss my friends, I don’t want to die before I have kids… I feel like life is still just beginning.  I can’t imagine what it would have been like for Him.  One of his best friends sold him out for 30 pieces of silver.  In the midst of his hell his very best friend denied knowing him.  People were screaming hatred at him.  People spit on him.  He had to listen to the men who hung Him on the cross gamble for his clothes.  Can you imagine how low and insignificant you would feel?  The worst was when God, his Father, his only refuge turned His back on Him so that He was literally left with no one.  He had a few people who still loved him, but if you are like me you know there are times when the people in your life can’t do any more for you.  That is when you turn to God and He always answers.  Can you imagine what it would be like if He didn’t answer?  The emotional burden must have been as overwhelming as the physical burden and He carried both of them utterly alone.  How can we ever say “Thank You” enough?</p> <p>I raise my hands to the who died so that I might live.  </p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS0L5xOSnLWkozuEgmpuysJ-UojbI5ujkLDBXEs1Xu1To5sxURnrg" width="272" height="185" /></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9jp18xdMA78/T39JmHRFdiI/AAAAAAAADKM/1CvOv-3hT-Q/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-AoAntzrBRKE/T39JmnYjYfI/AAAAAAAADKU/zVdh1WE5-dU/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75" /></a></p> <p>All images were taken from Google.</p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-28419676998489395012012-04-02T12:50:00.000-05:002012-04-02T12:50:00.838-05:00Memory Verse Monday–Week 21<p>“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”  1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV)</p> <p>“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV)</p> <p> </p> <p><u>Review</u> </p> <p>Galatians 5:22-23</p> <p>1 Corinthians 1:18</p> <p>John 1:1-2</p> <p>Proverbs 3:5-6</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CXdBJ9KKHbk/T3CsicngmGI/AAAAAAAADBQ/Lw1taWikeks/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-R7TdDl2qn0o/T3CsjRXdsJI/AAAAAAAADBY/QoPEsGAYuI8/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75" /></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-37406643634943482892012-03-31T02:06:00.001-05:002012-03-31T02:06:39.686-05:00Meeting A Pen Pal and A Friend<p>This past week I had the great honor of meeting in person a girl with whom I have been in correspondence for the past several months. We had only known of each other through our blogs. When one would comment the other would respond and small conversations ensued. As I prayed about a partner for Experiencing God, an in-depth Bible study I wanted to undertake, she was the only person who came to mind. I emailed her and asked if she would be interested. Thankfully, she was. We planned to do the study by discussing each week through email. After four months we finished the study. </p> <p>Experiencing God is an intense Bible Study, and I would dare say that through it she knows me as well as my closest friends. So, when one of my coworkers told me of his empty condo in downtown Chicago and invited me and Jason to go anytime, I promptly began planning a trip to Chicago so that we could meet face to face. She came from Wisconsin and I from Ohio. We both later confessed prayers that the other was not an ax murderer and that our meeting and spending two nights under the same roof would not be awkward. The Lord answered our prayers as neither were true. </p> <p>Laura is a very impressive person. She is a strong woman who has just the right balance of compassion and reason. She is kind and patient and gives great advice. I totally unloaded on her. I verbally vomited about some self-image insecurities that I haven't talked to anyone about in years. In fact, it's only been very recently that they have started to creep in. I was also very scatter-brained at times, which embarrasses me. All the things that my closest friends find endearing, but I that I wouldn't dare to show anyone else came out and she took it all in stride. I really appreciated her. On the way home I assessed what felt like a melt-down as I am usually very composed and don't generally talk about myself. I concluded that it is because I haven't had true girl time with close friends since Jason and I moved to Ohio in August. Apparently I was in desperate need of a girl-friend. I think I realized for the first time just how invaluable girl-friends really are. I thank my new friend for being so gentle and patient with me. She allowed me to be myself, which is a compliment to the highest degree. I had a wonderful time with her and wish we lived closer.</p> <blockquote> <p align="center">Meet Laura, from <a href="http://lauralazewski.com/">Life With Laura</a>.</p></blockquote> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nSix3Dk0q3k/T3as0aNUT6I/AAAAAAAADG0/ScohDD6AyCw/s1600-h/_DSC0576%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0576" border="0" alt="_DSC0576" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-io1_sxq5Prg/T3as0joPecI/AAAAAAAADG8/17n6shBlaAg/_DSC0576_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="266" height="402"></a> </p> <p align="center">We arrived in Chicago at exactly the same time. We got the key to the condo, hung out for a little while and then decided on a place to eat Chicago Style Pizza. We ended up at Pizzeria Due. We stopped for some groceries and then returned to the condo and talked off and on while HGTV played in the back ground. </p> <p align="center">This is a view from our condo.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-73mZsGK61Ik/T3as1CAqciI/AAAAAAAADHE/unCetW_5tg0/s1600-h/photo%25255B1%25255D%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="photo[1]" border="0" alt="photo[1]" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7JwGCUzirbg/T3as1iXqR5I/AAAAAAAADHM/Spi6OMFM60s/photo%25255B1%25255D_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="339" height="454"></a> </p> <p></p> <p align="center">We started the next day with the American Girl store on Michigan Ave. Having never read the books and knowing nothing about the dolls I was pleasantly surprised at what I learned. I now have every intention of using American Girl stories as ways to teach my kids about history and other subjects. I will also say that Laura and I were both very impressed at the modesty of the dolls. All of the swimsuits were tankinies and boy shorts. None of the clothes were revealing and they all had girlish figures, unlike Bratz and Barbie, who have womanly figures. We both picked out the dolls we felt most represented ourselves. I chose number 24 as she had long blond curls and freckles. Then, right before we left I saw the travel doll and had to have my picture with her. We are SO much alike! The store was amazing. It was two stories and included a salon, hospital, screen printing shop, bakery and even a restaurant. The best part was watching all the little girls with their dolls. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mBQJvle7nFo/T3as2Kvy2bI/AAAAAAAADHU/Gbi7mF-Cg9k/s1600-h/_DSC0393%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0393" border="0" alt="_DSC0393" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-VW3DkW2w4Y0/T3as2RYtrUI/AAAAAAAADHc/6UgIkhNsmOU/_DSC0393_thumb%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" height="300"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Q1H13IkTgLI/T3as3FvR1cI/AAAAAAAADHk/ulJke4e5r9o/s1600-h/_DSC0387%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0387" border="0" alt="_DSC0387" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qmupQDtgorU/T3as3QBtkgI/AAAAAAAADHs/IYILSEj9HKg/_DSC0387_thumb%25255B13%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="466" height="297"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JfproOYiC7c/T3as4KHktsI/AAAAAAAADH0/XuVoZTGSlI4/s1600-h/P1050980%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1050980" border="0" alt="P1050980" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ez7-aqP6xWM/T3as5lwG15I/AAAAAAAADH8/GC3iJ_55OX8/P1050980_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="455" height="341"></a> </p> <p align="center">Next was a walk to Navy Pier followed by a ride on the Farris wheel. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4Tdlcwmkruw/T3as51LBbvI/AAAAAAAADIE/c-yAyOecIwQ/s1600-h/_DSC0433%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0433" border="0" alt="_DSC0433" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-BkugBRUU3Xk/T3as6TfOKsI/AAAAAAAADIM/O-Po6dZDsVo/_DSC0433_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="359" height="541"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--Z4saYm_Mls/T3as6_jWSDI/AAAAAAAADIU/RSTjTsHitZA/s1600-h/_DSC0451%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0451" border="0" alt="_DSC0451" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-o1THOsLhSco/T3as7X7l6PI/AAAAAAAADIc/DQ1ac3oALvw/_DSC0451_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="500" height="331"></a> </p> <p align="center">We then visited "The Bean". </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-f9uFfA9jiio/T3as7ug6rBI/AAAAAAAADIk/BJQt8mnuMFA/s1600-h/_DSC0519%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0519" border="0" alt="_DSC0519" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--PqW8tFSh9s/T3as8K74WNI/AAAAAAAADIs/8o8Ui8sWC8Y/_DSC0519_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="464" height="307"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-81tdH13UTug/T3as8n0NS8I/AAAAAAAADI0/Rhyu0aeJkfg/s1600-h/_DSC0512%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0512" border="0" alt="_DSC0512" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HFLxUCr2PMI/T3as87HIFSI/AAAAAAAADI8/ttp1Ncu8Mc8/_DSC0512_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="468" height="310"></a> </p> <p align="center">Lastly we ventured out onto the Sky Deck. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-d_GngfMmKTE/T3as9HT0dZI/AAAAAAAADJE/7ZTf0VvnwXI/s1600-h/P1060077%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1060077" border="0" alt="P1060077" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6OAFWcH_Cbw/T3as9iFOngI/AAAAAAAADJM/zsFSu4NHUqQ/P1060077_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="334" height="445"></a> </p> <p align="center">The entire day was fabulous. We had a great time, but by the end of it both of our feet were ready for a rest. We ate dinner a really cute Italian place and ended the night with Frozen Yogurt and a movie. We watched <em>Julie and Julia</em>, which couldn't have been more perfect as it is deals with both a blogger and a pen pal. </p> <p align="center">The next morning we made sure the condo was better than we had found it and then parted ways once more, not sure when we will see each other again. </p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center">Laura is a beautiful woman inside and out. She is worth far more than rubies (Prov. 31:10) and I am blessed to call her "friend."</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-A5x-hx5cdnM/T3as-GTdroI/AAAAAAAADJU/C_P72qKKU3c/s1600-h/_DSC0496%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="_DSC0496" border="0" alt="_DSC0496" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-A1VO4yxg47o/T3as-m-nrZI/AAAAAAAADJc/00u2IqBPN5Q/_DSC0496_thumb%25255B16%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="514" height="341"></a> </p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-vkecKqBK9ss/T3as-yclqDI/AAAAAAAADJk/MYNHCRiD4c0/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Fp9Zen5kOSM/T3as_m-aIpI/AAAAAAAADJs/O60RBYRRuDU/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75"></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788600290985429641.post-79860011611282292862012-03-26T14:07:00.001-05:002012-03-26T14:22:21.018-05:00Refinishing More Floor<p>My brother had some time off after Christmas so he drove home with us from Christmas in the South and helped with house projects.  </p> <p>When we first moved into our turn of the century home in Ohio we pulled up the carpet in the living room before moving in any furniture.  What we found was an original hardwood floor.  Jason spent five days refinishing it while I was somewhere else in world for work.  The floors turned out beautiful, but Jason swore he was never refinishing hardwood floors again.  </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-nVl9lEQtpTk/T3C-GJd9u7I/AAAAAAAADFA/tUyxxcrk9jk/s1600-h/_DSC0834%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="_DSC0834" border="0" alt="_DSC0834" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-U9TuSD_1JwI/T3C-HUYPqXI/AAAAAAAADFE/MzNQoTO2whU/_DSC0834_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="398" height="374" /></a></p> <p>However, between Shane and I , we were able to convince him that it would be worth doing again in the dining room. </p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center">All the furniture in the living room.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-jB7WbUZEO48/T3C-Iw7IUiI/AAAAAAAADFI/-G_4BLStT48/s1600-h/_DSC0005%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="_DSC0005" border="0" alt="_DSC0005" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cB9_7Ur1GBs/T3C-J8cXieI/AAAAAAAADFM/f9xqhRiCqrQ/_DSC0005_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="538" height="356" /></a></p> <p align="center">Ripping out the Pergo floor.</p> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wpzm3euFKl0/T3C-LdvZwUI/AAAAAAAADFQ/El8l4Jr6sPM/s1600-h/_DSC0003%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="_DSC0003" border="0" alt="_DSC0003" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ro2Y-zyle1Y/T3C-MVbcuHI/AAAAAAAADFU/2oUcdRY4SdY/_DSC0003_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="522" height="346" /></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bof3pEaOdHg/T3C-NT2jW_I/AAAAAAAADFY/vOj96UOJXSM/s1600-h/_DSC0007%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="_DSC0007" border="0" alt="_DSC0007" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-EJgu5IeCKZA/T3C-N9BqNrI/AAAAAAAADFc/8tf0XL1NmuI/_DSC0007_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="522" height="346" /></a> <p align="center">What we uncovered.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UqzETa6azfA/T3C-O6OiSUI/AAAAAAAADFg/NQ8Pnl1Lqu4/s1600-h/_DSC0009%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="_DSC0009" border="0" alt="_DSC0009" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lLDmzEaY1uY/T3C-QV_jA5I/AAAAAAAADFk/wp0Xe3bLy1o/_DSC0009_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="529" height="351" /></a></p> <p align="center">Floor was sanded to get rid of mold and prepare it for the stain.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Yv62ffX-38c/T3C-R_euLbI/AAAAAAAADFo/e0RpT_q0ow8/s1600-h/_DSC0035%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="_DSC0035" border="0" alt="_DSC0035" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gYyRr3hMYdg/T3C-SXtAl7I/AAAAAAAADFs/BTc__y1RmL0/_DSC0035_thumb%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="525" height="335" /></a></p> <p align="center">We stained it and then varnished it.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wFhroQ3obMw/T3C-TNP9-2I/AAAAAAAADFw/SRX5a_aXJtQ/s1600-h/_DSC0036%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="_DSC0036" border="0" alt="_DSC0036" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SvXh6yKtPw4/T3C-TnjI5LI/AAAAAAAADF0/VjD9YIN-uf4/_DSC0036_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="531" height="352" /></a></p> <p align="center">I stained all the trim to match the floor. Jason stained and hung new baseboard and a chair rail.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-TMt4XFdPDo4/T3C-VkgqFtI/AAAAAAAADF4/sF5ar9bzjrw/s1600-h/_DSC0139%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="_DSC0139" border="0" alt="_DSC0139" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2gyTPcjWUR8/T3C-WpXWrQI/AAAAAAAADF8/D45EK2Fi-2U/_DSC0139_thumb%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="426" height="599" /></a></p> <p align="center">Finished, but still a little empty at this point. You will also notice the new chandelier Jason installed.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-UeBGnSmW4jU/T3DB4DAvWKI/AAAAAAAADGI/j8WTII8XnVM/s1600-h/_DSC0168%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="_DSC0168" border="0" alt="_DSC0168" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-hwY8rOtrEh0/T3DB5BMk-bI/AAAAAAAADGQ/YAvSaAxonck/_DSC0168_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="508" height="337" /></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-jaixJMVQIwI/T3DB6MIXElI/AAAAAAAADGY/q7qqYOVFTmw/s1600-h/_DSC0184%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="_DSC0184" border="0" alt="_DSC0184" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0AuhwcR2t0U/T3DB6oJWB7I/AAAAAAAADGg/buNf6i_Va6g/_DSC0184_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="508" height="337" /></a></p> <p align="center">Since then we have moved all the furniture back in.  What took Jason 5 days took the three of us only 3 days.  Staining the trim, doing the baseboards and chair rail took another couple of days, but every second was worth the result.</p> <p align="center">We love it!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-eQ821rloL0c/T3C-aQEu7FI/AAAAAAAADEw/dYUr4XzjEMk/s1600-h/Signature%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Signature" border="0" alt="Signature" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-OHlGVkU2RiA/T3C-alKZ0fI/AAAAAAAADE4/tZHn0Jj96Dc/Signature_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="75" /></a></p> Britney Pedrazahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241108077238782947noreply@blogger.com1