Sermon without a word

I got this in the mail today. I have no idea who wrote it. I googled but couldn't find it. It really touched my heart so I wanted to share with you.

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the preacher decided to visit him.

It was a chilly evening. The preacher found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his preachers visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited.

The preacher made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the preacher took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone then he sat back in his chair, still silent.

The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.

The preacher glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the preacher reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday."

Puppy Size

Got this in my email. I liked this story. I guess I could apply this theory to finding a husband :).


Puppy Size

This is one of the neatest stories you will ever hear. You will know
precisely what this little girl is talking about at the end (you'll
want to share this one with your loved ones and special friends)!

' Danielle keeps repeating it over and over again. We've been back to
this animal shel ter at least five times. It has been weeks now since
we started all of this,' the mother told the volunteer.

'What is it she keeps asking for the volunteer asked?

'Puppy size!' replied the mother.

'Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's looking for.'

'I know... we have seen most of them, ' the mom said in frustration...

Just then Danielle came walking into the office

'Well, did you find one?' asked her mom. 'No, not this time,'
Danielle said with sadness in her voice. 'Can we come back on the
weekend?'

The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed.

'You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there's
always a supply,' the volunteer said.

Danielle took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. 'Don't
worry, I'll find one this weekend,' she said.

Over the next few days both Mom and Dad had long conversations with her.

They both felt she was being too particular. 'It's this weekend or
we're not looking any more,' Dad finally said in frustration.

'We don't want to hear anything more about puppy size, either,' Mom added.

Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday
morning. By now Danielle knew her way around, so she ran right for the
section that housed the smaller dogs.

Tired of the routine, mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of
the first row of cages. There was an observation window so you could
see the animals during times when visitors weren't permitted.

Danielle walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to
take a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one

One by one she said, 'Sorry, but you're not the one.'

It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect pup.

The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up
the dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer.

'Mom, that's it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!'
She screamed with joy. 'It's the puppy size! '

'But it's the same size as all the other puppies you held over the
last few weeks,' Mom said..

'No not size... The sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed,' she said.

'Don't you remember? When I asked you one day what love is,
you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart.
The more you love, the bigger the sigh!'

The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn't know
whether to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did
a little of both.

'Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home
from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the
right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms,' she said.

Then, holding the puppy up close to her face, she said, 'Mom, he loves me.
I heard the sighs of his heart!'

Close your eyes for a moment and think about the love that makes you
sigh. I not only find it in the arms of my loved ones, but in the
caress of a sunset, the kiss of the moonlight and the gentle brush of
cool air on a hot day.

They are the sighs of God.
Take the time to stop and listen; you will
be surprised at what you hear.
'Life is not measured by the breaths we
take, but by the moments that take our breath away.'
I hope your life is filled with "sighs" !!!

~By Virginia Haven~


I used Swagbucks to find out the author of this story.

I believe

someone sent this to me in an email and I thought it had some really profound thoughts in it so I wanted to share it with you. I have no idea who wrote it.

I Believe...

That just because two people argue,
It doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
It doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if
We understand that friends change.

I Believe....
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.

Same goes for true love.

I Believe....
That you can do something in an instant
That will give you heartache for life..

I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time
To become the person I want to be.

I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with
Loving words. It may be the last time you see them..

I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what
We do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe....
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe...
That my best friend and I, can do anything, or nothing and have the best time.

I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you When you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up..

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
But that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had
And what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
But, we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
Out a secret. It could change your life Forever.

I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of
Hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe....
That even when you think you have no more to give, when
A friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I Believe...
That you should send this to all of the people that you believe in, I just did.

'The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything.

Thank you God for all the wonderful people who help us throughout the journey of life...

May Angels guard you and guide you

The Beauty of Mathematics and the Love of God

Ok, I will admit it, I hate math. I choose my college major solely on the basis of what degree had the least amount of math classes. Math has always been my sworn enemy. Now algebra was a different story because it uses letters. I can do anything with letters. I made A's in algebra but math was always a struggle for me. It was my lowest score on my ACT test. All that aside, I thought this was pretty cool.


The Beauty of Mathematics and the Love of God! This is TOO cool!

The math part is good, but the end is even better.

I bet you will NOT be able to read it without sending it on to at least one other person!

1 x 8 + 1= 9
12 x 8 + 2= 98
123 x 8 + 3= 987
1234 x 8 + 4= 9876
12345 x 8 + 5= 98765
123456 x 8 + 6= 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7= 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8= 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9= 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn ' t it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
111 1111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 =12345678987654321

Mind Boggling...

Now, take a look at this...

101%

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they
are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to

GIVE OVER 100%...

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100%in life?

Here ' s a little mathematical formula that might help
answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K

8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98%

And:

K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E

11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But:

A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E

1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, It ' s the Love of God that will put you over the top!

If you find this interesting share it with your friends & loved ones. Have a nice day & God bless you.

Then sings my soul Saturday- What Never Changes

What an incredible singer and piano player. I love this song so much and I hope it blesses you also.

Pastor Appreciation Day

Today is Pastor Appreciation day at my church. Normally this is the last Sunday in April but due to the 100th birthday for Ms. Kincaid we moved it to May 16. I don't think its wrong to show your pastor how much you appreciate all the work he does for the church and God. The bible states that the laborer is worthy of his hire. I can't imagine doing all the work that pastors and their wives do. A lot of them work secular jobs and then do the church work. I found this neat article on how to pray for your pastor and thought it appropriate for the day.

Do you know how to pray for your pastor? Do you understand the nature of the work your pastor does?



Some areas of a pastor’s ministry are undisclosed. Many times the pastor is dealing with hurting people who need a high level of confidentiality, so your pastor is unable to talk openly about this work.



A significant part of the pastor’s life is devoted to the ministry of the Word (both study and proclamation) and to prayer. Other urgent matters in the church tend to put demands on the pastor’s time—time that should be spent in the primary responsibility of study, proclamation and prayer. This tension between urgency and primary responsibility has been with the church from the beginning.



Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:1-4 NKJV).



Because a pastor’s prayer life and study time are in solitude, it is often hard for people to understand what the pastor is doing, let alone how to pray for him.



The following are seven suggestions to expand praying for your pastor beyond general blessing and health.



1. Pray for wisdom. Your pastor faces many daily decisions. Sometimes they are life changing and at other times they are commonplace, but even the ordinary decision can have a long term impact.



Your pastor needs wisdom to make the best use of time. It is easy for your pastor to become busy and neglect the primary responsibilities of the Word (study and proclamation) and prayer with demands coming from all corners.



2. Pray for diligence. It is easy for a pastor to become discouraged, especially with friends making far more money, with the pastor bearing the burdens of others, and also with him being a “transplant” into the community. Pray for God to bring people into your pastor’s life who will help furnish a spirit of renewed determination for the Lord’s work. Martin Luther said, “Watch, study, give attendance to reading! Verily, you cannot read too well; and what you read well you cannot understand too well; and what you understand well you cannot teach too well; and what you teach well you cannot live too well!”



3. Pray for zeal. When your pastor was ordained, he took solemn vows. Time has a way of eroding urgency. Sometimes your pastor needs you to intercede for motivation. Pray for your pastor to regain or retain the zeal from his ordination vows:

· Determined to instruct from the Scriptures

· Diligence to the Confessional writings of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church

· Faithful proclamation of the Gospel and administration of the Holy Sacraments according to Christ’s institution

· Adorning the Holy Preaching Office with a holy life

· Diligence in careful study of Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions

· Constant in prayer for the souls given to his charge.



4. Pray for soundness of doctrine. There are many sources other than God’s Word that can distract your pastor. Pray for your pastor to remain focused and to sort out false doctrine that can creep into the life of the church.



5. Pray for purity. Temptations to impurity abound on every side. Even the most innocent and godly pastors can fall into temptation. Pray not only for purity of body, but purity of mind. Pray that your pastor’s mind would filled with “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV).



6. Pray for humility. It can be difficult for a pastor to remain humble, especially if the church begins to grow. Even if your pastor is only preaching to a few people, it can be a source of pride. It is not the congregation’s duty to humble the pastor; true humility comes from intimacy with God. The pastor who is closest to God is the one who is most humbled (Job 42:1-6; Isaiah 6; Luke 5:1-11).



7. Pray for power. Your pastor needs to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. When stepping up to preach or telling the Good News of Jesus Christ in other situations, there is no substitute for the power that comes from being filled with the Spirit. Jesus said to His apostles: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NKJV).



Gerald W. Coates, February 2002.

Revised by David M. Juhl, June 2008.

Permission is granted to copy.

Then sings my soul Saturday- Before the Throne of God

I was surfing the net last Sunday night and came across this song. I haven't heard of it and I have never heard of the singer "Frances Fon" but it touched me and I loved her voice.

5-12-10 Happy picture

I tried and tried to take a picture of today's happiness but my camera is a piece of crap so no dice. I finally googled it. I know a lot of people are afraid of lightning and it can be very destructive but even as a child I loved to sit on the porch during a lightning storm and watch. As I got older I would go for walks and my grandmother would fuss at me that I was going to get struck. I love water in all forms and walking in rain is a real favorite. There just are few things that compare to the power and beauty of a lightning storm. In case you haven't guessed its been storming here on and off all day and its pouring right now.

Things that make me happy

I figured I have wallowed in sadness enough so I am going to work on being happy. I have decided to start taking pictures of people, places and things in my life that make me happy. I am off work today since its primary election day so that's enough to make happy all on its own. I still need to go do my civic duty.
Today's photo is of some jelly shoes that I got at Wal-Mart on Saturday on clearance. They were 50¢ a pair. I bought 2 pairs; one in blue and one in yellow. They had pink but they were way too small. The ones I bought were about a half a size too large though. They have a little rose on the top and I smile everytime I see them.


Close up of the flower.

fun commercial

This is one of the funnest commercials I have seen in a long time. Of course I don't have cable and I don't watch tv so that does limit me :). I was surfing and found this one.



I will see that I used to own a Weber and I loved it. It was a great grill for the price. I love to grill out but I don't currently have a grill. Guess I need to remedy that. I think grilling and summertime makes everyone want to dance. Whoever's brainchild this commercial was, its a hit.

Sayings of Billy Sunday

Found these on the Web. I only vaguely have heard of Billy Sunday but I like his grit. He wasn't afraid to tell it like it was. Here is a page I found about him after I found these sayings.

Sayings of Billy Sunday (1862-1935)

1. If man ever appears as a consummate ass, it's when he denies the existence of God.
2. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.
3. The average church has so much machinery and so little oil of the Holy Spirit that it squeaks like a threshing machine when you start it up in the fall after it has been out in the field all year.
4. I don't believe your own bastard theory of evolution either; I believe it's pure jackass nonsense.
5. When ten thousand times ten thousand times ten thousand years have passed, eternity will have just begun.
6. More men fail through lack of purpose than lack of talent.
7. Hell is the highest reward that the devil can offer you for being a servant of his.
8. Hypocrites in the church? Yes, and in the lodge, and at home. Don't hunt through the church for a hypocrite. Go home and look in the glass. Hypocrites? Yes. See that you make the number one less.
9. If you have no joy in your religion, there's a leak in your Christianity somewhere.
10. Some persons think they have to look like a hedgehog to be pious.
11. The world is horribly disordered and out of joint; it must come under omnipotent surgery before we can expect health.
12. Try praising your wife even if it does frighten her at first.
13. More men fail through lack of purpose than through lack of talent.
14. You can preach sociology or psychology or any other kind of ology, but if you leave Jesus Christ out of it, you hit the toboggan slide to hell.
15. Some preachers don't believe in revivals; neither does the devil.
16. They tell me a revival is only temporary; so is a bath, but it does you good.
17. One reason sin flourishes is that it is treated like a cream puff instead of a rattlesnake.
18. Temptation is the devil looking through the keyhole; yielding is opening the door and inviting him in.
19. The world is wrong side up. It needs to be turned upside down in order to be right side up.
20. I want to be a giant for God.
21. If you want to drive the devil out of the world, hit him with a cradle instead of a crutch.
22. Don't get chesty over success.
23. You've got to sign your own Declaration of Independence before you can celebrate your Fourth of July victory.
24. It is not necessary to be in a big place to do big things.
25. Faith is the beginning of something of which you can't see the end but in which you believe.
26. Let's quit fiddling with religion and do something to bring the world to Christ.
27. I want to preach the gospel so plainly that men can come from the factories and not have to bring a dictionary.
28. The man who votes for the saloon is pulling on the same rope with the devil, whether he knows it or not.
29. There are some so-called Christian homes today with books on the shelves of the library that have no more business there than a rattler crawling about on the floor, or poison within the child's reach.
30. If nine-tenths of you were as weak physically as your are spiritually, you couldn't walk.
31. I am an old-fashioned preacher of the old-time religion, that has warmed this cold world's heart for two thousand years.
32. Come and accept my Christ.
33. A lot of people think a man needs a new grandfather, sanitation, and a new shirt, when what he needs is a new heart.
34. I know there's a devil for two reasons; first, the Bible declares it; and second I have done business with him.
35. Some preachers need the cushions of their chairs upholstered oftener than they need their shoes half-soled.
36. There are a good many things worse than living and dying an old maid, and one of them is marrying the wrong man.
37. If the womanhood of America had been no better than its manhood, the devil would have had the country fenced in long ago.
38. If a doctor didn't know any more about Materia Mediea than the average church member knows about the Bible, he'd be arrested for malpractice.
39. Don't look as if your religion hurt you.
40. There wouldn't be so many non-church goers if there were not so many non-going churches.
41. I never preach a sermon until I have soaked it in prayer.
42. One spark of fire can do more to prove the power of powder than a whole library written on the subject.
43. The man who is right with God will not be wrong with anything that is good.
44. When a man, after starting to be a Christian, looks back, it is only a quesion of time until he goes back.
45. I'd rather undertake to save ten drunkards than one old financial Shylock -- it would be easier.
46. The higher you climb the plainer you are seen.
47. Too much of the work of the Church today is like a squirrel in a cage -- lots of activity, but no progress.
48. If you fall into sin and you're a sheep you'll get out; if you're a hog you'll stay there, just like a sheep and a hog when they fall into the mud.
49. I tell you a lot of people are going to be fooled on the Day of Judgement.
50. Don't let God hang a "For Rent" sign on the mansion that has been prepared for you in heaven.
51. It's Jesus Christ or nothing.

Your Responsibility as a member of Sunday School

Your Responsibility as a member of Sunday School:


1. Study your lesson. So many times we get nothing out of the lesson because we haven't prepared to listen. If Sunday School is to be a learning experience, we must prepare to learn. We ought to take Sunday School as seriously as our other educational opportunities.
2. Attend regularly. If some people attended school as they attend Sunday School, they would almost certainly fail.
3. If you know more than the teacher, perhaps you should consider teaching a class yourself. Good students of the Bible are hard to find. It's even harder to get them to accept a teaching position.
4. Invite people whom you know to attend Sunday School with you. Every business, institution, and activity must have advertising and public relations people. We do a pretty good job of informing the public of our product. When was the last time you visited a prospect , or challenged an absentee?


found while surfing the Net as usual. Odds and Ends

Poem- If Jesus Came Today

found this little poem today and thought it was worth sharing.

IF JESUS CAME TODAY . . .
Would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in?
Or hide some magazines, and put the Bible where they'd been?
Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?

And I wonder.. if the Savior spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing, the things you always do?
Would you go right on saying, the things you always say?
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?

Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you go?
Or would you maybe change your plans for just a day or so?
Would you be glad to have Him meet your closest friends?
Or would you hope they'd stay away until His visit ends?

Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know, the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person, to spend some time with you.
- Author Unknown

Funny

Funny!
Funny how we set our clocks to arise at 4:00am or 5:00am to be at the job by 7:30, yet when Sunday comes we can't get to church for 11:00am to praise the one who gave us the jobs!
Funny how we call God our Father and Jesus our brother, but find it hard to introduce them to our family.
Funny how small our sins seem, but how big their" sins are.
Funny how we demand justice for others, but expect mercy from God.
Funny how much difficulty some have learning the gospel well enough to tell others, but how simple it is to understand and explain the latest gossip about someone else.
Funny how we can't think of anything to say when we pray, but don't have any difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a friend.
Funny how we are so quick to take directions from a total stranger when we are lost, but find it nearly impossible to take God's direction for our lives.
Funny how so many church goers sing "Standing on the Promises" but all they do is sit on the premises.
Funny how people want God to answer their prayers, but refuse to listen to His counsel.
Funny how we sing about heaven, but live only for today.
Funny how people think they are going to Heaven but don't think there is a hell.
Funny how it is okay to blame God for evil and suffering in the world, but it is not necessary to thank Him for what is good and pleasant.
Funny how when something goes wrong, we cry, "Lord, why me?" but when something goes right, we think, "Hey,it must be me!"

Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz ...

This was actually pretty accurate describing me. About everything here is true of me.

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Marilyn!

You are a Marilyn -- "I am affectionate and skeptical."

Marilyns are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontative.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Be direct and clear


• * Listen to me carefully


• * Don't judge me for my anxiety


• * Work things through with me


• * Reassure me that everything is OK between us


• * Laugh and make jokes with me


• * Gently push me toward new experiences


• * Try not to overreact to my overreacting.

What I Like About Being a Marilyn

• * being committed and faithful to family and friends


• * being responsible and hardworking


• * being compassionate toward others


• * having intellect and wit


• * being a nonconformist


• * confronting danger bravely


• * being direct and assertive

What's Hard About Being a Marilyn

• * the constant push and pull involved in trying to make up my mind


• * procrastinating because of fear of failure; having little confidence in myself


• * fearing being abandoned or taken advantage of


• * exhausting myself by worrying and scanning for danger


• * wishing I had a rule book at work so I could do everything right


• * being too critical of myself when I haven't lived up to my expectations

Marilyns as Children Often

• * are friendly, likable, and dependable, and/or sarcastic, bossy, and stubborn


• * are anxious and hypervigilant; anticipate danger


• * form a team of "us against them" with a best friend or parent


• * look to groups or authorities to protect them and/or question authority and rebel


• * are neglected or abused, come from unpredictable or alcoholic families, and/or take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent

Marilyns as Parents

• * are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty


• * are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence


• * worry more than most that their children will get hurt


• * sometimes have trouble saying no and setting boundaries

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Straton's Story-Then Sings my Soul

This week I don't have a song but this video touched me. Even if you don't know anyone with AIDS (to my knowledge, I don't) its still powerful to think how can we be more Christ-like and help others. Where is our compassion?

Right Brain-v- Left Brain

I am quite left brain and I only found 6. Even with the answer I still wasn't sure. :)Answer key is below. How many can you find without looking at the answers. If you click on the picture it opens in a window by itself.


I may have posted this ballerina before, I can't remember. I do know that I am quite left brain. I only ever see her going one way. It was really neat to get a group at work and have them all look at her at the same time. Each of us saw her doing different turns. Several saw her turning clockwise and counter clockwise and one saw her only going right. I find that amazing. Makes you wonder how on earth we ever agree on how something looks.

Here is the answer to the puzzle of how many faces are in the picture.

Struggles

I was blogging and found this article. Its about struggling as a Christian. I am currently feeling about as down as I have ever felt but I am not going to give up on God because without Him, I have nothing in this life or the one to come. Most days I question whether God has anyone out there for me. I have been divorced 15 years and I have dated on and off and it doesn't work out for whatever reason. I came back to God about 20 months ago and I almost immediately started dating a man from my friend's church. We broke up in February and it still hurts. I really thought he was the one but now I feel like I am going to be alone forever. I know this is just a lie satan is telling me to cause me pain and perhaps to stop serving God but greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I just keep repeating Philippians 4:13 to myself over and over. I have prayed and begged God to either put us back together forever or to take this pain from my heart but it doesn't seem that either is in His will. Its a constant struggle to keep going and keeping putting on the happy face because others don't want to deal with your sadness. I feel like there is a huge black hole that is slowly sucking my whole life into it. Some days I fantasize about what it would be like to die and the best way to do it. If I was certain that I could still get into Heaven, I would just go ahead and end everything. I am so tired of being alone and not having anyone to love me.

Summary of My Last Year on the Computer

this was just funny.


Summary of My Last Year on the Computer

I must send my thanks to whoever sent me the one about
poison in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a
wet towel with every envelope that needs sealing.

Also, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for
the same reason.

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick
girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for
the 1,387,258th time.

I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once
I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are
sending me for participating in their special e-mail
program.

I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually
horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I
smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

Because of your concern, I no longer drink Coca-Cola because
it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to
watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl into my back
seat when I'm pumping gas.

I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who
make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under
God" on their cans.

I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it
causes cancer.

And thanks for letting me know I can't boil a cup of water
in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face,
disfiguring me for life.

I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I
could be nicked with a needle infected with AIDS.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug
me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they
are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.

I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't
support our American troops or the Salvation Army.

I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to
dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls
to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.

I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I
now have their recipe.

Thanks to you, I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because
a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to
cause me instant death when it bites my bum.

And thanks to your great advice, I can't ever pick up $5.00
in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a
molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in
the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on
your head at 5:00PM this afternoon and the fleas from 12
camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy
hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to
a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's
second husband's cousin's beautician...

Have a wonderful day....

Oh, by the way.....A South American scientist from
Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that people
with insufficient brain activity read blogs with their
hand on the mouse.

Don't bother taking it off now; it's too late.


naturally I am one of the ones who keeps their hand on the mouse :).

free books

I was surfing around as usual and came up Harlequin's website. They have 16 books you can download to read. There were several from the love inspired series (those are Christian if you didn't know) so you don't have to read about people having sex who don't even know each other and then are suddenly pregnant and after the one night stand still manage to marry the elusive millionaire they had the one night stand with. Guess I sound jaded huh?

So then I thought I would check on Swagbucks to see what all free ebooks I could find. Here are some sites with ebooks that are free. BTW I didn't download from any of these so haven't tried to see if there is a catch. If you want to read books without paying and can't find them at the library, I recommend you do a swagbucks search and see if you find something interesting to you.

Kobo They have 220 free books listed. I think perhaps they are from around the web since the free books from Harlequin are listed on the site as downloads. There were quite a number of classics here.

Internet Public Library over 20000 books.

Gutenberg over 30000 free books. Btw for those unfamiliar with Gutenberg, he invented a movable type printing press and the first book printed on it was the Bible.

We are God's Masterpieces.

Once again while surfing around, I found this video. Its almost 9 minutes long but it has so many great points in it. I am guilty of empty wells, when I am hurting or running away I seem to repeat the same mistakes over and over again but with new names so I can't even see its the same mistake repeated. I am also guilty of thinking I am junk. I have bought into how myself and others view me instead of how God views me. Please watch this video and let it bless you.

Jeanne Robertson Bungee jumping naked.

This is the first time I ever heard of this woman but she is so funny.

Jeanne Robertson



I really liked this one because it reminded me of the one and only time I sent my ex-husband to the store for me. I sent him after sugar and since we didn't have much money I was only getting a 2lb box at the time. I told him exactly how much it would cost and then I finished by saying do not get the 69 cent sugar because that is confectioner sugar not granulated. Well naturally he came back with confectioner sugar and proceeds to tell me what a deal he got on it at only 69 cents.

Reverse thinking

I was once again surfing around and found this video on reverse thinking. Embedding has been disabled but it is really an awesome video. I was feeling like closing it when it first started but I made up my mind to see it through to the end and it was so great.

Reverse Thinking

Here is another video called the end of publishing the future of publishing that uses the same type of scripting. I just think its so neat how they do this. I might try it and see what I come up with.


I think it challenges our minds to do new things that we think we can't do. At least it keeps us growing.

The Uniform Project

This woman is totally amazing. She has been wearing the same black dress for 360 days so far to raise money to educate poor children in India. So far she has raised over $75,000. She puts new meaning into the word accessories. I never dreamed you could have so many looks from one main outfit. There is a month by month calendar where you can see each outfit.

Uniform Project Picture Book from The Uniform Project on Vimeo.

Locks of Love

I have been saying for a good while now that I wanted to cut my hair and donate it to locks of love. Locks of Love take donated hair and make wigs for children who suffer from hair loss mostly through chemo I believe. The man I was dating liked my hair long and I will be honest, I do too but we broke up 2 months ago and I realized I still wasn't getting it cut because I was hoping we would get back together. I decided I am going to remake my life and started with the hair since it would be the biggest statement. So making a stand, I went Saturday and got it cut. Here is a series of pictures.

This is what it looked like to start with. It really wasn't as uneven as this picture makes it seem. It was just caught on my shoulders.



This is what it looked like after my daughter braided 14 inches. Locks of love needs at least 10 inches to make the wigs. It must be braided for them to accept the hair.


Here we are and you can just see where she has started to cut through the braid.


Ok its gone and I will admit I did almost cry.


Here is the final look but its really cuter than this. I had been to church already and it was quite windblown. It actually flips up on the ends now.

Happy 100th Birthday to Ms. Greer Kincaid

After church today, several of us from the church went to a birthday party for a sweet woman. Ms Kincaid will be 100 yrs old. In an era when most women didn't work outside the home, Ms Kincaid helped her husband run a store, and she was nurse for the schools. Ms Kincaid loves flowers and always grew them in her yard but several years back she asked her son to not wait until she had passed but to give her flowers now and he has made her yard alive with flowers. Its a bower of all colors and scents. Up until just a few years ago she was still canning from her garden. Wherever she saw a need, she provided, whether it be shoes, clothes, food and just a kind word. She furnished fresh flowers for her church's weekly services during gardening season and she canned grape juice for their communion services. We would drive by and see her working in her garden and she would be wearing a bonnet from times past. She was in her 80's and still walked several miles daily. She suffers from glaucoma and she told me the dr said that walking was what had kept her eyes going for as long as they had.





Her cake was amazing. The flowers were from marzipan I believe. They looked just like real flowers. I saved the daffodil I was given.





This is the little country store run by Charlie and Greer Kincaid for many many years. Their house was right behind the store.

Rules from God for 2010

I am one of those ppl who bought about all the rule books in my endless quest for someone to love me the way I thought I wanted to be loved. Guess what, they didn't work. I was surfing around and found this and thought it was pretty cool since I am such a rule person.

Rules from God for 2010

1. Wake Up !! Decide to have a good day.
“Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up !! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen.
God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.
“He who guards his lips guards his soul.” Proverbs 13:3


4. Stand Up!!… For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.
“Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good…” Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up !!… To the Lord.
“I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up !!… For something higher.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will direct your path.”
Proverbs 3:5-6


7. Lift Up !!… Your Prayers.
“Do not worry about anything;
Instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.”
Philippians 4:6

Wouldn't every day be just fantastic if we all remembered these rules.

Kentucky Derby

Years ago, I used to sit with elderly women in their homes sort of like a caretaker. All of my ladies were just the dearest creatures. One in particular made such a big impression on me. Her name was Eva B Isaacson nee Hunter. She had been a nurse and was a by product of a very privileged upbringing. She had such wonderful stories to tell. She had been to the Kentucky Derby and so we always watched in the first Saturday in May. I never hear of the Derby without thinking of Mrs Isaacson.

The derby is held at the legendary Churchhill Downs.
What would the derby be without mint juleps?
I don't drink but real juleps are made with Kentucky Whiskey so here is a recipe for real mint juleps.
Ingredients
2 fluid ounces Early Times® Kentucky Whisky
1 tablespoon simple syrup
Mint sprigs
Crushed ice

Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 bunch fresh mint sprigs
Directions

Crush a few mint leaves in the bottom of an 8-oz. glass, then fill with crushed ice. Add one tablespoon of simple syrup and one tablespoon of water. Add 2 ounces of Early Times. Stir gently until glass frosts. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig, sip and enjoy.
Simple syrup directions: Combine sugar and water. Boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Pour mix over a handful of mint leaves, and gently crush the mint with a spoon. Refrigerate overnight in a closed jar. Remove mint leaves, but continue to refrigerate. Stays fresh for several weeks.
Footnotes
The Best Times are Enjoyed Responsibly
Early Times Distillery Co, Kentucky Whisky, 40% Alcohol by Volume, Louisville, KY ©2005 EARLY TIMES is a registered trademark.


Now the version I will be drinking. Nonalcoholic Mint Juleps
Ingredients

5 lemons
1 bunch fresh peppermint
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
3 qts. ginger ale
ice

Method

Squeeze juice from lemons and strain to remove any seeds or pulp. Add lightly crushed mint leaves, sugar, and water and let stand 30 minutes. (Use a large stainless steel or glass bowl. Don’t use aluminum.) Pour over a large piece of ice in a glass punch bowl and add ginger ale. Serve in small glasses. This is a recipe from the early 1900s.

And no self-respecting southern belle would be caught dead at the Derby without her derby hat. This is the hat I would choose.


Even Barbie has her outfit ready.


Just a wee bit of trivia ( I love trivia btw)
Kentucky Derby Trivia
By Kelly Coughlin
A horse named Aristides, with Oliver Lewis up, was the first winner of the what is now called the Kentucky Derby. He ran the race in 2:37.75 over a mile and a half course. The distance was changed to a mile and a quarter in 1896.

The fastest Derby was in 1973, by Secretariat, who broke the two-minute mark and blazed the mile and a quarter in 1:59.4. Remarkably, each quarter mile split was faster than the one preceding it. No other horse has broken the two minute barrier in the Derby.

Dominated by the boys, geldings and stallions, the fillies have done some winning at the Derby too. Three fillies have won the Kentucky Derby: Favored Regret in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980 and Winning Colors in 1988.

Willie Shoemaker will never live down what he did in the Kentucky Derby in 1957. Leading on Gallant Man, he mistakenly pulled up 110 yards before the finish line and was passed by Iron Liege. But Shoemaker will also never be forgotten for what he did at Churchill Downs in 1986, when he became the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. He was 54 when he rode Ferdinand, trained by 73-year-old Charlie Whittingham, to the Derby win.

Two jockeys, Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack, have each ridden five Kentucky Derby winners.

Jockey Eddie Arcaro rode to two Triple Crown wins. The first on Whirlaway in 1941, and then on Citation in 1948.

The first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby was Diane Crump on May 2, 1970.

No matter when a racehorse is born, they all "become" a year older on New Year's Day.

He knows my name

If you have ever worked for a really big company and were just an entry level person, how great did it make you feel when you happened upon the head of the company and he knew who you were? How much more incredibly awesome is it that the very Creator of the heavens and the stars knows who you are? According to WikiAnswers there are 6.8 billion people on earth. And God above knows each and everyone of us by name and even how many hairs are upon our heads. (Luke 12:7). There is no one more important than you in the sight of God. Jesus died for each and everyone of us that all should be saved.

Getting my stuff done

I was surfing the web instead of doing the stuff I needed to. (I am actually home from work because I had the most horrible asthma attack on the planet) I found this video clip and it is the story of my life.


For about 2 months now I have been trying to make a new list of 101 things to do in 1001 days and haven't gotten the first thing wrote down. I feel so tired all the time. I have tons of emails piling up but no energy to read them. I haven't entered any blog contests in ages because I am too tired to click. Please pray for me.

I think this joke shows part of the problem. I am not alert. For example I had to go get the trash out of the trash can today and go through it because I had no clue what I had done with my debit card. It was in my purse although I have no clue why its there since I used it yesterday and I don't carry a purse during the week due to not being allowed to have purses at work. Another example is my breathing medication. I have pills to take to help stop the asthma attacks, I have looked everywhere but no clue where they are at.

Review and giveaway- Episencial Sweet Dreams Bubble Bath

     I was asked by a friend on Facebook to review Episencial Sweet Dreams Bubble Bath for them. We had lots of fun trying this product out. I wanted to try it for a week to make sure we had no reactions. I would have posted pictures but since I started the job I have currently, I have discovered how many sick perverts are out there and just the sight of innocent babies in the tub will arouse them. (but that's a rant for another day)
     An all natural skincare brand Episencial is taking the skin care market by storm, offering an immune-boosting, newborn-safe skin care product that feature planet-friendly organics, solar-powered manufacturing and sustainable packaging at an affordable price. Founded by Kim Walls. Her goal was to create a line of skin care that met the rising requirements of parents seeking safer products – affordability, environmentally friendly and safe for our babies. Utilizing juice extracts instead of fragrances, manufacturing under solar power with sustainable materials. Episencial products are made exclusively from all natural ingredients , more than 50% of which are organic and chemical free. We are proud to offer a new layer to bath time, by educating and engaging the child on how to be healthy and to learn how to care for their skin.
    Celebrity moms are raving about Episencial, celebrities like Courtney Cox, Larry Birkhead and baby DaniLynn (Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter) and Mary Louise Parker.

    The product line includes: Playful Foaming Wash, Sweet Dreams Bubble Bath, Soothing Cream, Better Body Butter, Protective Face Balm (SPF 6), Nurturing Balm and Sunny Sunscreen (SPF 35).

    My oldest granddaughter (Avril) loves to take bubble baths so this was great for us. I was sent a 8oz bottle. Avril and my grandson Frankie would spend hours in the tub if they had bubbles. Every time they come through the door Avril's first words are bath Mamaw :). Here is what they have to say about their product:
* Won’t irritate eyes or sensitive places.
* Enhanced bubbles from natural, sugar derived surfactants. Sulfate free!
* Organic avocado oil and soothing oat extract to hydrate skin.
* Organic ginko biloba, green tea extract, and mandarin orange.
* Organic lavender oil with plum and peach extracts help wind down for a peaceful nap or night’s rest.

     This company actually cares about their customers and the environment. The bottle is made from recycled materials and is BpA free and manufactured with solar power. Best of all its made in the USA. How often do you hear that :)

    Here is what we say about their product:
* loved the light fragrance- smells like lavender with a hint of peach. Normally I hate the odor of peach but this was extremely pleasant.
* Made lots of bubbles and if they started to die down we just stirred them back up (one of Avril's favorite tub toys is a plastic whisk just for this reason). This is a gel concentrate so doesn't take a lot to get a tubful.
* No allergic reactions - Both babies tend to have sensitive skin and Avril is prone to infections so we are very careful with her. Sweet Dreams Bubble Bath was great and it made their skin feel so silky.
* I like that their website has an ingredient page and explains what those ingredients are.


    BUY IT! If you would like to purchase this product or any other product from EcoMom, enter SBBL194 when checking out to receive a 15% discount off your first order. Offer ends April 30th, 2010.

    WIN IT! Mandatory Entry: Visit EcoMom's website and check out their new program - EcoPass. Come back here and tell me something you learned about it.

EXTRA ways to win. One entry for each! Please leave a comment for each entry.
1. Subscribe to my blog on Feedburner (righthand side).
2. Follow EcoMom on Twitter at EcoMomCEO.
3. Follow me on Twitter at Avrilsgranny.
4. Become a fan of EcoMom on Facebook.
5. Sign up for EcoMom's newsletter.


    This giveaway ends Saturday, May 1st 2010 at 11:59 PM EST. Winner will be chosen using random.org. Remember to leave your email address so I know how to contact you. If you are the winner, you will have 48 hours to respond before I choose another winner. Good luck!


*I received this product for free, and I was not compensated for writing this review.

West Virginia Massey Energy Co Upper Big Branch Mine Memorial

I live in West Virginia and we have just had the worst mining disaster in the US since 1972. 29 miners lost their lives in a mining accident. Its been really horrible waiting for word on the missing 4 only to find out that they too perished. These men are heroes. Why do you ask? Because to me, a hero is someone who does what needs doing and these men were doing their jobs and trying to take care of their families. Underground mining is one of the scariest jobs around. I had an uncle to get killed in a mining accident in 1996 so when there is any accident then it brings it vividly to mind. I will warn you and say that I am a coal miner's daughter, granddaughter, niece, and so forth so I won't have any negative comments on the effect of coal and the environment. This is a post dedicated to 29 courageous men who lost their lives trying to do the best they could in this live. May God have mercy on their souls and comfort the hearts of their families and loved ones.

I have been so overloaded for the past several weeks. It seems things just keep happening and piling up. I have been so busy I haven't even been entering hardly any contests. I am so tired. For the past 2 days this song has been running through my mind.

Tuesday blog contests

Start off with I have a win. I won Go Diego Go! Lion Cub Rescue from Every Kind of Mom.


1. Pampers Dry Cruisers Win a weeks supply of diapers and a Liz Lange clutch to carry them in. With 3 grandbabies under 3 I need all the help I can get. I haven't tried Cruisers so I will find out if they are any good. Ends 04/05/2010

2. Eat The Cookie...Buy The Shoes, Giving Yourself Permission to Lighten Up by Joyce Meyers I really like Joyce Meyers and I love to read so this is a great combo for me :). I would like to win this book. She is such an inspiring person.

3. Seventh Generation Cleaning Starter Kit I really like Seventh Generation and I like anything that helps keep the house cleaner. These products are green thus better for the enviroment. Also I just love the color scheme on the blog At The Fence.

4. Bisquick Pancake Nation Giveaway On the weekends I have a lot more time. I usually fix the babies real breakfasts. One of our favorites is pancakes. I have some molds that make them into shapes. We really like Bisquick because its so easy to use.

5. Ham Giveaway Its almost Easter and we can't have Easter without ham. I love spiral hams best of all. I know its the same ham but it just tastes so much better. Plus I am too lazy to cut it up :)

a few blog contests

Its been raining on and off here and when I came home it was hailing so this evenings walk it out of the question. I should clean house but I am tired so thought I would just Net surf. I thought I might start posting a few contests from other blogs daily that I have entered. Also a couple of notes about giveaways that I have discovered. If you are really interested in a particular prize, you can go to twitter and search for that prize and it will bring up a lot of sites that are having contests for that prize. I do that when I really want something and so far its paid off well for me. Also I don't like winning gift certificates and probably won't enter any more contests where thats the prize. When you win a certificate then you are responsible for shipping instead of the company shipping to you for free. I mean I am cheap and if I am going to have to pay $5-6 for shipping than a $15 prize just isn't that great in my opinion, especially when its a product I haven't ever tried so may not even like. What are your thoughts on this?

1. Win a cake vase I hadn't ever heard of such a thing but I think this is just the neatest thing. I hope I win. I love to bake cakes and this would be an easy way to create something fabulous.

2. Win a variety of Simple Green Products I have used just plain ordinary Simple Green in the past and its an awesome product. Its one of those products that since you don't see a lot of advertising for you sometimes forget its out there but it really works wonders. I would so like to win this line of cleaners. This isn't a blog contest but since I really really want to win a digital camera, there is a link on this blog posting that leads to a contest on the Simple Green page for guess what? yup a digital camera.

3. Spa sample pack This one is a little different in that you email your entries instead of doing them on the webpage. I am not sure about it since Prizey.net said it ends on 322/10 and the page says it ends on 3/29/10

4. Lysol No Touch System I want one of these. I am such a germophobe. I own more sanitizer than some states probably :)> and she has another giveaway for Veggie Tales Pistachio DVD My grandkids absolutely love Veggie Tales. This is a new dvd and we don't own it yet.

5. Be a Detective in Forensics I seldom come across giveaways that seem like they would work for a boy but this is gender neutral although I think more boys than girls would like it. I thought it was adorable. Its from BSW Toys

freebie and 2 more wins

Saw this one in a First magazine ad. U By Kotex free sample. The pack includes 1 regular pad, 1 liner and 2 regular tampons in the new U by Kotex Design.

I won a dvd called What's in the Bible. I entered a ton of contests trying to win this. I can't wait to watch it with the babies.

And I won the first 2 dvd's in the What's in the Bible series here. I want a set for the grandbabies and then I am taking one to the church for the youth there.

In the mail today, I got a Glade plugin with a box of 3 pack refills for it, 2 bags of Starbucks coffee to sample for BzzAgent, a pull up sample and a Woman's Day magazine I had gotten a free subscription to. I love getting freebies and winnings in the mail. On that note I also got a notice that my last order of a Amazon gift cert from Swagbucks had posted. I am slowly saving for Christmas. Its my goal that with all my winnings and my swagbucks to not spend anything on Christmas.

Free sample of Dove Daily Treatment Conditioner There is a little survey to fill out and your sample will be on the way. I will reserve judgement until I have tried this. I have tried other Dove hair products in the past and they left my hair greasy. Now I absolutely love Dove deodorant and won't use any other. I once had a horrible reaction to deodorant and all the skin came off my arm pits and its was months before it healed. I had to use deodorizing crystals for a long time. Dove is the only deodorant I have used since then. I am taking no chances on that ever happening again.

I know I have mentioned in the past being a VocalPoint member If you haven't joined, I am strongly urging you to sign up. I get freebies and coupons from them all the time. Just the other day I got a small box of Kashi cereal and it included a coupon for a free box and some other coupons off for sharing. Yesterday they had a post for Puffs Plus. I signed up for that sample but most of their samples are just sent without signing up. An awesome company.

Better Oats is offering a coupon for a free box. This will be emailed to you so make sure you have a store that accepts Internet coupons. I am very fortunate in that Kroger and Walmart both take these.

I finally won some diapers for the babies. :)
Check it out here on Mom's Focus on the CyberWorld

a few freebies and an awesome contest

had this in my email today.

3 pack Meguiar’s X2020 Supreme Shine Microfiber There was just about 2 questions to answer on car washing, Meguiar’s Microfiber produces an amazing mirror-like shine on all finishes. They are thick, the deep, dual-sided microfiber pile is three times more absorbent than traditional terry towels, and the safety edging eliminates the possibility of scratches. It’s pre-washed for maximum absorbency and is safe with clear coats.

This one is an e-book but I downloaded it a couple of days ago. I really enjoyed it and hope you do also. St Patrick's day craft and recipe book.


I would so love to win this contest I really miss having a digital camera so I can post pictures. I was taking pictures all the time but since my olympus broke I haven't hardly been able to. I don't even need an expensive camera just a decent one. I bought a cheapo at Wal-Mart but you really do get what you pay for sometimes and the pictures are so fuzzy. I wish I could afford to get my olympus fixed but they want $150. So it would be really nice if I could win the camera from Alexis Miller Photography.

More winnings again

I am very frustrated this morning. I went to go to work and my car won't start. I should have known when I opened the door and the light didn't come on but I was so focused on work, I just didn't realize. Now I have to wait for my upstairs neighbor to wake up and get a jump, then go buy a new battery since this is the 4th time in a month. Naturally this is after buying a $100 alternator since everyone insisted that was the problem. A new battery better fix it is all I have to say. But since I can't go to work yet here are some winnings I had in this mornings email.

Motherhood on dvd. I kept entering trying to win this at lots of sites but had no luck so I was pleasantly surprised to find I had won finally at Superdumb SuperVillain

Another prize I really wanted to win was Piggy Paint. I have entered probably 40 contests on various blogs trying to win. My oldest granddaughter (2.9 years) loves to have her nails painted so I wanted to try this out. I had an email from Laurie Marcolla at Piggy Paint thankfully since I couldn't find an email from the blog where I had won. I really need to clean out my inbox. I actually won on the blog Giggling Kids.

I finally got the pictures off my camera and here are a couple of winning photos. Well for some reason blogger won't let me upload the second image. Its going to be a Monday for sure.

Some blog giveaways

Here are some of the giveaways I have entered this week. BTW don't forget to set your clocks forward an hour when you go to bed tonight.

I have a brand new granddaughter. She was born March 11th. I can't even think of words to describe my daughter so I won't even try to explain about the poor darling's name. I will post pictures as soon as I can. So now with 3 grandchildren in diapers I need to win this Pampers cruisers contest at Simply Being Mommy.

Living in southern WV, my favorite grocery store is Kroger so I was excited about $25 gift card at Gobs of Giveaways Boy I could really stock up with a $25 gift card as cheap as I am :).

I would really like to win this temporal scanner. With 3 grandchildren who always seem to have some kind of bug we use the thermometer a lot and this one looks awesome.

I would love to see the Princess and the Frog and I would love to win it from Real Moms Real Views. Trust me, I need new dvd's. We just got Shaun the Sheep in the mail and have already watched it 10 times in the past 2 days.

And here is a dvd for my grandson if I win. Thomas and the Runaway Kite from Energizer Bunny Mommy. I seem to win a lot of girly prizes but would like to win something for Frankie for a change.