...continuing to count my endless gifts

97. sunshine after not having it for days

98. no debt

99. gas that is still under $3 per gallon

100. lovely-smelling candle burning

101. remembering God's Word {fruit from my memorization cards...yippee!}

102. smell of fabric softener on clean clothes

103. courage to make the right choice

104. my five sense: touch, sight, smell, hearing, taste

105. {almost} making it within my weekly cash budget - my new experiment

106. my awesome family

107. making my Dad laugh {post on that later} {before you think I am implying that my Dad never laughs, let me explain. I was talking about my wedding day - if I ever get one - and a comment I said literally made my Dad....really....laugh. It was hilario!!}

108. compliment from a kid {let me explain: I was bringing a little boy and his sister to church on Sunday and I had a DD coffee in the cupholder. They thought I had bought donuts, too, but I told them...nope, just coffee!! He said {so cutely}, "Miss Becca, if you had donuts, I know you would share them with us." My reply, "Of course, I would, Cody." His reply, "You would be a good mom." Awwwww.....melt!! :)

I...

...listened to CHRISTMAS music today for the first time this season.

I don't know whether to laugh
{it's a 'lil early}

or cry
{I'm not ready for snow}

But I am ready for the holiday season.

{sundry, un-important bits of information}

Just completed watching Wives & Daughters for the second time. (Last week, my Mom & I watched Cranford...she loved it!) So I like Cranford better than Wives & Daughters the second time around. And my new favorite character in W&D (besides Molly) is Lady Harriet. LOVE her! She's upper class but she takes Molly has her "protege." I heart her! And my Mom loved Cranford. The characters are so kind, thoughtful, considerate, etc...It's hard to find wholesome movies like that any more these days. Next on the list for me & my Mom is North & South. Any other Elizabeth Gaskell's that I should watch?

I have been working like crazy lately. I find it hard to complain about that. I am so thankful. But...wow...scrubbing on my hands & knees, up & down for hours in a day is...uh....painful?!!!

Been pondering a lot about the idea of principle. Being a principled person. There are things that we should or shouldn't do because it's #1 Biblical and #2 a principle of right and/or wrong {which is reinforcing Biblical principles}. If I can formulate what I'm thinking into a coherent post, you'll hear about it.

Really working on contentment right now. You know....needs vs. wants. Really, the Bible promises us food & raiment and we're supposed to be content. In our want-filled, covetous, rich, pompous society, I'm afraid Americans ideas of needs vs. wants are terribly askew.

Once again, so blessed by my cello teacher and my cello lesson this week. She.is.so.awesome.!!

Have a wonderful week!

...I just want to thank You, Lord!

88. an absolutely perfect October day
89. the smell of specialty hot dogs cooking - yum!
90. Geoff calling from Africa
91. safety
92. Mom's good test results
93. using past experiences to encourage someone else
94. not having a storybook life {disclaimer: I don't think anyone has a storybook life; but sometimes we get sidetracked by the fact that things don't go our way...and it's important to see God's hand in everything!}
95. ability to work
96. cool, clear water

{Ok...so I've posted every day this week. yay!}

{And, yes, I'm lyric-happy right now...another favorite song.}

Stand

Some may say It foolish, some that It's absurd
But still we choose to build our lives upon God's Holy Word
We know It's always perfect and trusted in all things
It's holy and It's right, so whatever this life brings.

We stand on what is timeless
We stand on what is true
We stand unashamed no matter what the world may do
We stand upon this Rock spoken by the Lord of All
And though other lives built on sand may fall,
We stand.

It may not be in fashion, It may not be in vogue
But when we look at empty lives all around we know
We could lend pursuing power, think in pleasure satisfy
God's light cuts through the shadow, revealing they're just lies.

We stand on what is timeless
We stand on what is true
We stand unashamed no matter what the world may do
We stand upon this Rock spoken by the Lord of All
And though other lives built on sand may fall,
We stand.

Let us trust His every word
Resisting every wrong
Let us read in it
and believe it
It's our only hope for standing strong.

We stand on what is timeless
We stand on what is true
We stand unashamed no matter what the world may do
We stand upon this Rock spoken by the Lord of all
And though other lives built on sand may fall
We stand.

Oh, oh, oh,
We stand!

{of course, the soundtrack is 10x more awesome to listen to than read}

it really IS just the little things in life

#1 - new fall candle #2 - cute bird decoration

#3 - the afternoon off work!

hope this is an encouragement

Our pastor preached a sermon on Sunday night about fighting the d-vil (hereafter "d"). I remember him preaching that sermon when I was a little girl.

So if you've been reading my blog lately, you've noticed that I've mentioned struggling...really, really struggling....and overcoming, through Christ.

Saturday night, I just had a conversation with my mom about fighting the "d". I think we as Christians (that's a very general statement) don't give the "d" enough credit. We play footsie. We think, "oh, it's just a little thing." No, no, no, it's not!! Look up Ephesians 2:7, "Neither give place to the d-vil."

I had harbored a specific sin in my life for several years. It wasn't bitterness or anything that was "breeding" which would lead up to an explosion of bitterness. But it was something that I had done wrong and in refusing to publicly (besides in prayer to the Lord) admit the sin, I was giving place to the "d."

And I think the "d" left me alone for a while but he started up something in my life that was real hard. I was a complete wreck - emotionally, even physically.

I gave in to the Lord and got the sin right that I had harbored. No, the battle wasn't over yet but it was a step.

I have been contemplating writing this post for a while now. I just want to encourage all of you Christians who read my blog to really, honestly take stock of your life. If you have anything, anything that isn't right between you and God, please get it fixed!!! No matter the embarrassment, it's worth it. It's not worth it to hang on to the sin.

It's just funny, ironic that I had had this conversation with my Mom on Saturday night and then my pastor preached a sermon related to that on Sunday night. And I'm saying that some of the exact things he said in that sermon, I had said to my mom. I wanted to stand up and shout! #1 It was confirmation that what I had gone through was what I had thought - the "d" had pointed his big guns at me. #2 Other people need to hear it and be scared. Be real scared.

OF COURSE, we have the power through the Holy Spirit to conquer the "d" and not give in. Praise God!! But if we aren't filled with the Holy Spirit, we are giving place to the "d" and he will fight us.

Hope this was a blessing!