Notes to Self...and whoever's listening

I've said it before, but I'll repeat it again.  The saddest words I have to type on a regular basis working for an attorney are: "The bonds of matrimony existing between Petitioner and Respondent are hereby dissolved."  Man, I hate those words.  They tug at my heart each time I'm forced to type them. By the time a party ends up in our office, almost all of them have no desire, not an ounce of try left in them.  Many are convinced they are no longer in love.  Most wouldn't consider reconciliation if you paid them.  Some come in with a new significant other, ready to get the formalities out of the way so they can move on with the new person in their life that completes them. Please don't read this as an affront to all that have been divorced.  I'm not naive enough to believe that all marriages can be salvaged.  There are physical reasons, emotional reasons, etc., that just cannot be overlooked sometimes.  And, sometimes, it's simply the oth...

I spent a few days in Nashville last week and am just getting back into the swing of things so here I am again. :)   It was definitely a change of pace from Rockford.  Though I enjoyed it, coming home is always exciting.  My last post was about being so very busy and that is something that could be said of all of Nashville!  Wow, such a fast pace!  When I described it to my sister, she said it sounded like Las Vegas. Getting to see and hear some of Nashville's history was definitely interesting.  They have some beautiful pieces of history, the Ryman Auditorium being one of those!  It was a stunning facility!  And they have some of the nicest people around! But, I was also saddened when I thought about how many dreams drove into that city and died.  The picture above is just a tiny glimpse into how many bars are on Broadway, a place numerous singers played each day, all day, hoping for a chance to gain fame or just a steady job in a f...

Yesterday was the first day I was able to not leave the house ALL day in months!  And, the only way I accomplished this was my sister running two errands for me when she was out. Wow.  Oh, so busy these days! And how did I spend it?  Cleaning.  Cleaning for almost 8 hours straight!  All the laundry and most of the bedding got done and three rooms cleaned basically top to bottom...so much dust sent packing.  And, you know what?  I could have used a few more hours to completely clean to MY specifications. Anyone else have so self-imposed requirements on themselves that even when you've spent soooo much time doing something that you're still not satisfied?  Anyone else hurt the feelings of the people you live with when they do something and you can only see how they didn't do it like YOU would have? 😣  Yeah, that's me.  I am definitely a work in progress in that department.  But, I fail.  A lot. When I'm scurrying about, I ...

Today I had the rare opportunity to witness the sun rise AND set!  It was definitely a full day that started with taking my parents to the airport in Milwaukee, Logan's football game, lunch to celebrate my sister's and my birthday, errands, church, then grabbing the boys dinner! Phew!  But I was struck by the Lord's beauty, mastery and His ability to make the great expanse that is the sky and create something so stunning!  Then, at church tonight we sang How Great Thou Art! and I could find nothing more fitting!  I need write no more on this subject because Pastor Carl Boberg already said it so beautifully! Oh Lord my God When I in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made I see the stars I hear the rolling thunder Thy power throughout The universe displayed Then sings my soul My Savior, God, to Thee How great thou art How great thou art Then sings my soul My Savior, God, to Thee How great Thou art How great Thou art And when I t...

Yesterday I talked about timing and how all things in my life were coming together for His greater purpose.  Today I am going to add to that post just a little more. I have many dreams that remain "unfulfilled" at this time.  Some are unfulfilled because I haven't done what is necessary to make them happen quite yet.  Some are unfulfilled because God hasn't seen fit to bring them to fruition OR He's still working on me to let those dreams go because He has bigger ones waiting for me. So, one big dream or desire I have always held in my heart is that of wanting to be married. And every September as another birthday nears, I get sad realizing another year has come and gone and I'm still as single as the day I was born.  Yep, never had a boyfriend, never been on a date, never really been asked OUT on a date (yeah, there are 2 guys that tried to sort of ask, but crashed and burned and were NOT the ones for me anyway).   I'm including a picture of my journa...

That's what the old adage says, right?  Timing is everything? I guess it depends on what we're talking about.  Timing meant a lot to thousands of people on 9/11.  Timing means a lot to athletes.  Timing means a lot when words are spoken. So what about the Lord's timing?  I saw a quote today that read:  His timing is rarely ours, but it's always perfect. (Amy Carroll, author) Hmm...in my deepest places in my heart, I believe that.  But, at the surface, sometimes I question.  Yeah, I'm REALLY human! :) The devotional I've been doing is one for writers and has been really encouraging, enlightening and interesting.  I was encouraged to write a timeline of my life events to see if I could piece together where it was the Lord is guiding my life...how He is using me in ministry.  (We are ALL ministers that love and follow Christ, by the way.)  So, let's look at my timeline for a sec: *began working in the youth group at First Ass...

I have worked for a lawyer full-time for 12 years and for about 3 years on and off before that. I've seen a LOT of facts and a LOT of lies come through the office.  We have spent a LOT of time sifting through all of the information we are presented with to help our clients get the best possible outcome for their situation.  Many times I'm saddened that someone that was very deserving got a terrible outcome and many times I'm frustrated with those that "win" though they didn't deserve it (in my opinion, anyway). But never once have I stopped to weigh truth vs. fact.  I guess on some level I just assumed they were the same.  Or, that they led to the same conclusions.  In a devotional by Charles Stanley this morning, he raised questions for me about this topic and it sent me searching for more information.  I was blown away by a simple analogy I found on a Focus on the Family website regarding this topic. That article related a fact to a stray puzzle piece...

What are you dreaming about?  Wishing for?  Waiting for? Just those questions alone can bring more to mind than your heart was ready to process.  I know it's true for me.  I haven't blogged for three years.  Want to know what one of my dreams is?  Writing!  Ironic, huh? In this past month I've switched some things up with positive results.  I used to wait to spend time with God at the very end of my day and that came with varying results.  Either I'd be so exhausted that I'd only muster enough to open up the Bible app on my phone and settle for just a nugget of God's truths that day.  Sometimes I'd get my Bible opened then be sidetracked by a nephew getting ready for bed or a whiny dog.  Sometimes, I'd forget altogether.  None of this made for a strong me. When the kids started back to school this year, I decided to make a change for myself. Instead of getting up at the same time as always, I set my alarm for 5:00 a.m. al...