{WITH A} grain.of.salt

Know what this means?

This means that besides my pillow, sleeping bag and chair, I'm packed and ready to go camping this weekend!!! wooo hooooooo!!!!

As usual, I'm soooo excited!! I think I overuse the word "excited". But that's okay.

I'm a little bummed because we were supposed to go to Arkansas this year like we did 5 years ago. That was the best camping trip ever! Really, I'm not exaggerating! You can take a poll!

But see.... we can't. Not this year. Because of him *insert evil glare* :

ISAAC

Yeah, Mr. Isaac is sending much rainfall to our camping spot sooooo.... we might be staying in a TX state park. I shall pine for you, mountains and pretty trees!!! *sighhhhhh*

Anywho, that's my Labor Day plans in a nutshell. I thankfully packed my camera charger so I just might be able to take pics this year!

Anddddd, next week... LAX!! Yoohoo, Pacific! I'm coming soon!
{excuse my lack of sleep}

Well, would you look at that?! My post last week comprised of hope scriptures and do you see the above CD's title??

Soooo, I saw a post from Pastor King's blog and I kinda bought the album on the spot!

I love a variety of styles of music but hymns are just so beautiful and timeless! They Never get old to me!

As I was listening to the album, it brought me back to when I first got in church waaaay back in the 90's, haha! One of our thrills back then was to load up in the church van on Saturday mornings to attend fellowship meetings and anniversary services of the churches in our fellowship, some down the highway in Ft. Worth or up north four hours in Oklahoma! Those were GOOD times. We kids loved the long rides and the long services and the dinner served afterward where we'd sometimes have only a choice of tea or sweet tea as a drink. Yeahhh... I never did acquire a taste for southern tea. But I digress!

What was also great was when the pastor of each church represented would exhort and then someone in his church would sing a special. And if The Apostolic Church of Fort Worth was there, undoubtedly Bro. Carl King would be requested to sing "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power". It never got old!

"Heaven Medley" brought me back to the little country churches that we'd visit back in the day. "He Keeps Me Singing" has the feel of a barbershop quartet tune.... love it. And the merging of "What A Friend We Have In Jesus / Hold to God's Unchanging Hand" is done masterfully, with a nice soul feel.

Sooo, I've only mentioned a few songs but all 11 are such a blessing, produced flawlessly and feature Pastor King's wonderful smooth vocals! I think this would be a great addition to your CD library. :)

Buy it on ITunes HERE!
And check out his blog HERE!

earache.

i have an earache.

i guess this is my public whining venue right now! but i am seriously annoyed with this earache and i shall {hopefully} have it taken care of when i go on lunch in less than an hour.

anyway, there is a point to my rant. Jesus reminded me of something just now.

funny how one thing can go wrong and totally consume your mind! for example, all of this started on saturday night. sunday morning, i woke up early but the stupid ear just had me all out of wack. i took waaaay longer than usual to get ready of church. i was supposed to make an early stop at a store but could not because i was running super late. i could not hear things properly {ok, that's a usual thing LOL but it was WORSE!} so i'm constantly inclining the non-aching ear. singing on sunday night was difficult! i was just thankful that the Spirit was moving so freely because i was not feeling great behind the mic. ALL BECAUSE OF a small body part made of cartilage and little tubes and a canal.

so the moral of my story is -- being consumed with the little things can distract you from the big picture!

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. {Romans 8:24,25}

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things {1 Corinthians 13:7}

And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. {Psalm 39:7}

For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel {Colossians 1:5}

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. {Psalm 42:11}

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. {Psalm 31:24)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. {Hebrews 11:1}

i also love this translation of the above:
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. {Hebrews 11:1 NIV}

Lookie! My team at work made a 4 1/2 foot replica of the Reunion Tower in 15 minutes! Can you tell?!?

i love this scripture tooooo!

i really, Really do.

embrace it!

LOVE this!! "feverish selfish little clod of ailments"! -- LOL!

Us on the Brooklyn Bridge in NY during the epic trip! Hoppy Burtday, Lyda!!  HAHA, you can't call me old anymore now that you've reached the cool age too! Love you sooooooooo much!

This post is dedicated to my favorite scripture, haha!

So here it is:

When I was younger, I used to want my favorite scripture to be something really deeeeeeep and super "spiritual" but throughout the years, no other scripture has convicted me like this one. For me, a girl who often finds herself over-thinking things that she has absolutely no control over, I love that this scripture is a constant reminder of who is really the One in control of my life!

Wow, and talk about being a constant reminder! This was the unit 2 memory verse in my Sunday school class. So I hung the poster of that verse on the wall. Not only did it remind the kids to learn it, it also gave me a reality check to see my fave declared in large print on the wall whenever I walked into the classroom. Funny how God always knows what you'll need and when you'll need it. Coincidental? I think not!

haha, i saw this and thought it was cute! i like cute graphs.

we scream.... in Dallas :)

Dallas is #2 and Fort Worth is #6 and they're like 20 miles apart. Crazy!

And yes, I take full responsibility for our #2 slot. Ice cream is my main dairy source!

blue bell w/ a little dollop of raspberry. omnomnom!