I've Moved!!

I've moved folks! Thanks for checking in here, but why not come on over and visit me at my new site? I'd love to have you! You can bring your coffee, or cappuccino, and sit back and relax. Oh, and don't forget to say hi!

I hope to see you there! :)

Well Guys, What Can I Say?

The only thing that comes to mind to say is "Thank you". Thank you for reading, commenting and at times, enduring, my life in the hill country. It's been great.

My life here has been wonderful. God has blessed us in so many ways. When I was lonely, He gave me blogging, and many faithful readers. I can never thank you enough for being there in cyberspace for me to fellowship with. I send you my heartfelt thanks.

My blogging days began on a slow day in September of '07. I did for fun, for a thrill. I was bored. I never dreamed it would become a passion, something I looked forward to everyday. I've enjoyed spilling my guts online. I figure, why try to hide it? Maybe by sharing my spiritual struggles I can help someone who's facing the same thing. This way, you'll know you're not alone. Every devotional or spiritual entry I've made has been something the Lord has worked me over with. Maybe my next blog, if there is one, should be called "Getting Real with Valerie". (Haha!) At this point, I'm not sure about a future blog. I can only hope. (Pun intended)

Please keep praying for us, and please keep in touch.

Thanks again, and I hope to see you soon! (Man, am I on a roll or what?)

~Valerie

Seven Days To Go

The Countdown is On...
Hi everyone! I just wanted to give you a little update on the progress here. We move one week from today! I can't believe it! We are doing well on getting packed up but I'm not doing well at living in a state of chaos! Things are boxed and stacked and there is clutter everywhere. When I think about loading all of my stuff onto a truck and moving it for the 8th time, I cringe! I take comfort in the fact that the Lord is behind this 100%, and He will help me move again. (But it is still no fun!)
Please pray for Northside. We are praying God will send them a good man to pick up the mantle here and go forward. The people are starting to perk up a little and think about the future, so that's a blessing. They are such sweet people! Whomever God does send is one blessed family! I am really getting excited about our move. I have been setting goals and making plans. It is fun to think about starting over fresh. I have made mistakes here, and I hope to have learned from those mistakes. It's nice to think about having a "clean slate." I know I will make mistakes there, but I hope not the same ones!

As for our move, this is the order in which I do things every time I move: (I've highlighted the step I'm at now)
1. Sort items in drawers, closets, etc. - Here are my categories: give away, throw away, yard sale and storage. After eight moves, I'm very hard-hearted. My throw away, yard sale or give away piles are huge! You wanna know if you should keep something or not? Ask yourself, "Would I be willing to move this eight times?" And you'll have your answer! (Haha!)
2. Pack all items for storage.
3. Clean and pack away items such as fans, seasonal decorations, etc.
4. Remove all items from walls, dust/clean and pack.
5. Pack items from closets. (Blankets, clothes we don't wear a lot, etc.)
6. I save the kitchen and bathrooms for last.
Since about three-four moves ago, I've been buying bubble wrap for the fragile items. It costs more than newspaper, but it's worth it! Things are safer and my dishes do not need to be washed upon unpacking when I use bubble wrap.
I leave these areas for my husband: Garage and Yard. He takes sole ownership of these and I have no say. I'd just like to say that I enjoy having no say over this. I have my hands full with the other 3,200 square feet! (3,800 square feet total)
Another update, we did some checking on local Internet access in Hope. There is a company that offers it, but it is way out of our price range. AT&T, our local phone company there, doesn't even offer dial-up!! We are going to do more checking after we get settled. We may try going wireless to see if that works. Or, we may not have it. :[ If not, that's okay. I know I'll make it. I will miss all of you though! You all have been so great to me to read my blog and comment or email me. Thank you so much.

Just a thought...
We recently found out that a local pastor has resigned his church and left his wife. It is heart breaking. We just saw them at a restaurant recently. She is such a sweet lady and they have two kids. I am reminded of some important things:
1. I need to keep a close walk with the Lord at all times.
2. I need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's nudging and/or screaming. A good rule of thumb is, when in doubt, DON'T!
3. I need to help and encourage my husband in his walk with the Lord in every way I can.
4. I need to pray for my husband and our marriage.
5. I need to be on guard against "the adulteress who hunts for the precious life".
6. I need to be sure that I am not portraying any of the characteristics of the adulteress myself!
This is a wake up call. I think of 1 Cor. 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. I want to take heed now before it's too late!

Oh yeah, and One More Thing...

I just wanted to tell you about Terry's new blog. I have link to him in the sidebar. It's hilarious. If you need a good laugh, then go on over and check it out. Oh, and one more thing, could you leave him a comment? I know he'd love it!

Have a great day, everybody! :]

You Are My Bright Spot in the Day

As a stay at home mom, I am never off duty. Right now, as I sit a the computer, I could be called upon to referee an argument, clean up a spill, change a diaper, and well, you know what I mean. It's taxing. It hardly ever lets up. I home school two kids, so that adds a whole new "job" to my already lengthy job description. I have to have a "bright spot" in my day. Sometimes, I work hard and promise myself I'll take a moment to eat a brownie and read a book, or sometimes, I promise myself a walk, or to put my feet up and enjoy one of my faves...Andy or Lucy! Lately, my bright spot has been doing what I'm doing now, blogging! I really enjoy sharing thoughts, ideas, news and views with you. I really enjoy hearing from you. I've been able to keep in touch with friends like never before since I became a "blogger".
It's been really crazy here lately. Laci is sick with yet another ear infection and some sort of rash??? Leslie is, well, being 2 all the time! We've had lots to do at church, so I haven't been able to enjoy my little "mini-vacation" (blogging) as much as I'd like to. But I still take a break of some kind each day, even if it's only five minutes. Why? Because I need a bright spot! I need something that makes me smile. If you don't have a "bright spot" each day, you should get one! It gives you something besides cooking and laundry to wake up to each morning! I guess you could say that you are my bright spot each day - you make me smile, and everyone needs a smile! :o)
Oh, and by the way, thanks for making me smile today!

Thank You

I just wanted to say "Thank you" to those of you who patronize my site, and to those of you who were kind enough to pass on ideas for children's church! They were a big blessing! Blogging is very new to me, and I've had to figure it out on my own. To be honest , I really enjoy being able to "reach out and touch someone" anytime - day or night. I enjoy getting emails and comments so much! This has been a nice hobby for me, it's given me something to look forward to doing. Since I am in a small town, and church, it's easy to feel alone and isolated. Blogging has changed that for me! I've made new friends, and am keeping in better contact with old ones.

Thank you for stopping by, and please, do come back and say hello again!