Happy New Year's Eve

It's New Year's Eve
2011 is coming to a close
2011 was good to me
I made a list of all the things that God has done
I want to do it again this upcoming year but as things happen
Because I probably left some things off
2011 went by so quickly
I didn't make it 1000 miles
But I did take some serious steps
Be blessed
Be safe
See you in 2012

Julep Penelope and Butter London Diamond Geezer

christmas thoughts

It's Christmas eve, I'm 31
I have lived life
I've felt ran over at times
I've been victorious at times
Today I'm reflecting on everything
It seems fitting
Just came back from Christmas eve service
Made s'mores with the family
And we opened our stockings
Yes I'm 31 and my moms till stuffs stockings for all of us
But that's a big part of what I love about Christmas, the traditions
I am looking forward to started traditions with our children
Sometimes I feel suffocated at home not necessarily in my parents home
But in the town itself
I feel like I lose me and I'll always be the fraction of myself that I was when

 I lived here
I don't really know what to do about that
I don't come home a lot and when I do we usually stay around the house
But this weekend we are going to church twice
I don't know sometimes I'm insecure sometimes

I turn to my old defenses and ways
Why
I feel freer anywhere else and everywhere else
Tonight somebody asked me if i was a lawyer...

My plans before going to college
I graduated with a masters in social work in 2006
If that puts it in perspective
I don't know why I feel squeezed on the inside
I feel like I'm so much more than I'll every be allowed to be HERE
I'm sitting in front of the Christmas tree trying to figure out how

Some place can have so much power over me
If my parents moved I'd never come here again
Nobody can steal my joy
No weapon formed against me shall prosper
My Gods biggness is not determined by zip code
I need to walk in the realness that He is
When God sent His son He made a way
I might have been carrying my own burdens when I lived here
But I refuse to carry them now
Sometimes (often times ) the thing holding me back is me
Rise up walk in your purpose
Don't fade to the back or you'll be left in the dark
He brought me out of darkness into the marvelous light

Julep Penelope

Penelope is a super pale pink creme.

I don't really appreciate pink to the fullest

I know this shade doesn't flatter my skin tone when it comes to clothing or makeup

I kinda like it for simplicity sake

But I am about to add something to this manicure

Grind

So lately I have been super tired at the end of the work day
The husband suggested that I start working out again
So I started the first day of Christmas break
My thoughts were that if I have some days in before 2012 and before I go back to work that will help me to keep it up
I also thought about joining a gym again because then it might motivate me even more because I'm paying for it
Anyhow just competed day 5
Two days last week and three this week
My goal is to do 4 days a week specifically Monday Tuesday Thursday and Friday
I've done some cardio, kickboxing, and dancing.
5 days down infinity to go

Christmas mani

Julep Stefani

I really like green.

It's like an olive with mini sparkles green, gold,orange

Nail mail

My first Julep experience.
I ordered a mystery box. I thought it would be a good way to try them out.

The mystery box included three nail polishes Shania, Stefani, and Penelope.

It also included Facial for Hands, Age Defying Hand Brightener, Crystal nail file, and Pout Popper lip gloss Arousal. So it was all a surprise. I was glad to get a chance to try the hand scrub and lotion. I don't know if I would have chosen any of the colors. But one of my favorite colors is green and gray is nice as well. We'll see if I decided to order again in the future...

hmmm

World's largest wind chime ~Guinness Book of World Records

My youngest brother graduated from college this past weekend.

So all my immediate family was together for it.

It was interesting because we haven't all been at my parents house in awhile, probably since I got married (which was 2009).

But everyone was present along with two spouses and three grandchildren.

We had a good time and we all get along.
But I discovered something, maybe we all did about each other.

Growing up we were all very different but we had a common challenge

We all handled it differently.

We all survived.

But some of us are now thriving

And some of us are barely surviving

And some are in between

The thing about youth though is that your focus is so self centered

I didn't realize that anyone else was going through what I was

And it makes me think of what could have been if only

We had been there for each other

We had talked about "it"

The wounds are deep

But deliverance is available

I know that regardless of what has happened

Regardless of what could have been

My path was chosen

My testimony stands

I have overcome

And when I think about the Lord...

nail updates

December nails~ I ran out of regular top coat so I have been mattifying everything. The pictures are all out of order the oldest is pink and most recent is green duo tape manicure.

China Glaze Peachy Keen, OPI San-tan-tonio, Essie Matte About You

Ulta Jungle Look and Essie Matte About You

Same nails as above but added Funky Fingers Wild Child

Ulta Jungle Look and Butter LONDON The Old Bill

This was the last time I used my regular top coat. You can't see it but there are bubbles everywhere.

Same as above

Funky Fingers Pop Artist bright almost highlighter pink

I like the Funky Fingers vibrancy but the formula is thin. 

sermon outtakes

Burdens Down Lord~Psalm 55:22
Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

A burden is anything that can be oppressive or worrisome, a mental weight, or stress.

Main Points
1. We carry burdens unnecessarily because we don't trust anyone else and we don't trust God.
2. We carry burdens unnecessarily because of worrying.
3. We carry burdens unnecessarily because we try to control situations and make things happen on our own.
4. We carry burdens unnecessarily because we are too proud to tell.
5. The worst burden of all is unforgiveness.

For more
visit on the web: www. faithcfm2.org

birth

I had a fabulous birthday
My birthday was the day after Thanksgiving
So I was surrounded by family and friends
I am so blessed
I got my nails done and went to eat at Hibachi grill for dinner
I got some nice gifts as well
I am thankful for how the Lord has kept me

sermon outtakes

Excerpts from yesterday's sermon

Pockets Full of Holes ~ Haggai 1
On August 29 of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
 ² “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’”
 ³ Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: ⁴ “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? ⁵ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! ⁶ You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
 ⁷ “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! ⁸ Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. ⁹ You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. ¹⁰ It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. ¹¹ I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.”

Obedience to God’s Call

 ¹² Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. ¹³ Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!”
 ¹⁴ So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ¹⁵ on September 21 of the second year of King Darius’s reign.

Main points
1. We have holes in our pockets because sometimes we have misplaced priorities.
2. We have holes in our pockets because we disregard God's will.
3. We have holes in our pockets because we don't know what pleases God.
4. Holes are mended when we repent and do His will.

For more
visit http://www.faithcfm2.org/

birthday nails

So I got my nails done for my birthday
I treated myself to a real live manicure
I went to Tocarra Spifster Sutton
www.styelseat.spifstersutton
I told her I like green, yellow, and orange and she went to town

My hands felt very refreshed and my nails still look great today
She did all the designing by hand
I will go back

nail art

So yesterday I saw this super cute owl manicure www.letthemhavepolish.com/2011/11/31-day-30-inspired-by.html
I decided to try it
It came out  sweet if I do say so myself
I had a two mishaps on the left hand mostly from not allowing the layers to dry before moving on
I used several polishes
OPI Start to Finish- base & top coat
Sally Hansen Innocent Nude - 2nd base coat
Rimmel Torrid - owl body and spots
Butter LONDON The Old Bill - owl chest
Sally Hansen Yellow Kitty - eye background
Sinful Colors Nail Art - eye ball
China Glaze Peachy Keen - beak

today

So 10 days till my birthday (had to get that out of the way)
We had the first snow of the winter last week
But today was quite nice and mid 60s
Today I talked to one of my former bosses while I was in undergrad
She wanted an update on my life
While I was going through listing what has happened and is currently going on
I realized that I am blessed immensely
There have been negative things that happened along the way but nothing that comes close to outweighing the positive
I was telling my husband on Sunday that I love our life
I also have been really trying to be purposeful about being thankful

food for thought

A friend share this with me today

nails of the day

Today's nails

Butter London Victoriana
OPI Start to Finish

Love the color
I'm addicted to Butter London now
I love the depth of the colors and I even really like the brush

My birthday is 19 days!

random ramblings

Life is good
God is good
Yesterday I heard a story that moved me
And even as I type and try to figure how to put it into words
I am just thankful and filled with (insert appropriate word)
The moral of the story was to praise God for who He is
Be a worshipper in and out of season
Don't let your circumstances determine your praise
I have heard this preached this concept preached
I have heard it reinforced
But somehow the story from last night brought it home
How dare I complain about anything EVER
God is worthy of praise regardless of what is going on with me
If someone can offer God unadulterated praise on their death bed
If someone can offer God unadulterated praise watching their loved one die
I can praise in excellent health
I can praise in a blessed and happy marriage
I can praise through a minor issue
My challenge to myself is to really worship God
Yesterday I felt ashamed yet inspired
But God is faithful I left service feeling inspired
I woke up this morning thankful for the life changing experience
We all have a plethora of reasons to praise
But remember God is worthy of all praise just for being who He is

sermon outtakes

Defeating Jericho Joshua 6: 1-16 Pastor Tyrone Jones

Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors.  You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days.  Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns.  When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”
 So Joshua called together the priests and said, “Take up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram’s horn.”  Then he gave orders to the people: “March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord.”
  After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns started marching in the presence of the Lord, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant followed behind them.  Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. “Do not shout; do not even talk,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!” So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.
Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the Lord.  The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.
 On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the town!

Jericho represented the first battle Joshua and the Israelites had to face after entering the promised land. We all have some Jericho's. Jericho represents a stronghold something that stands in the way of attaining what God has promised.

1. Conquer it not just confine it
2. Consider it done
3. Concede your ways and commit fully to God's way
4. Connect to the presence of God
5. Circle it with prayer and meditation
6. Continue in it
7. Claim it with praise

For more:
On the web www.faithcfm.org
In person Prince of Peace United Methodist Church
1400 S Arlington Heights Rd Elk Grove Village, IL

sermon outtakes

The Way of the Wilderness Exodus 13:17-18

When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”  So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.

The wilderness is where the Lord worked things out of and in the children of Israel. It is a place of learning and developing and growth. The wilderness is not our destination.

1. There are no shortcuts to the promise
2. It's in the wilderness that you learn when and why to praise God.
3. It is in the wilderness where we experience God and learn His ways.


For more:
On the web http://www.faithcfm2.org/
In person Hazel Crest United Methodist Church 17050 S. California Hazel Crest IL

hair

Earlier this year I read Chicoro's book Grow It
I started implementing some of her strategies
I also finally found a stylist hurray
So this past weekend I got my final trim of 2011
And because my stylist was having a special
I got my hair flat ironed.
My hair is healthy and showing growth from my January flat iron

Freshly done

Today (2 days later)

Nails of the day Wet n Wild Ebony Hates Chris and Sally Hanson Xtreme White On

I utilized the dotting tools again

new nail purchases

Recent nail purchases

 Revlon Facets of Fuchsia
I like the color but hated the removal

Funky Fingers Pink, Teal, Blue, WetnWild Ebony Hates Chris, and dotting tools
This style has Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White On as the base.
I couldn't decide which color to try so I used them all.

life.

I have yet again been caught up with life
I have lots of things to post hopefully will get to it this weekend
I have nail and hair updates
We hosted a fall ball at my school
We just had the church anniversary
It's been super busy

small step: devour the word daily

Ecclesiastes 1:2-4
Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“ Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” What profit has a man from all his labor
In which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever.
How do you spend your day? The majority of your time?
According to the Preacher most of what we do is vanity.
Some things are easier to recognize as vanity than others.
Fashion, entertainment, working out, etc.
Some things we see as necessities but really are ....
Job, family, clubs, hobbies, etc.
We should remember our earthly duties and responsibilities are just that earthly.
Keep it in perspective!
It won't matter after death if I was a CEO, librarian, or a dentist.
I do my work as unto the Lord but I don't let it consume me.
I don't let work interfere with my worship.
Family is very important and if your the head of household or a parent your responsible for others in the home. You pray over them, lead by example, encourage and guide, but yet and still don't let them interfere with your worship.
It sound harsh to think as family as vanity but there's no husbands and wives in heaven
Think on it what have you allowed to take a place of prominence?

nails

 BUTTER London Diamond Geezer and Ulta Moody Blues  loved it got lots of compliments. Diamond Geezer is an amazing mettalic.

 BUTTER London Tea with the Queen pinkish beige

Ulta Gold Digger used to be my favorite mettalic until I met Diamond Geezer but I still really like

Orly Soul Mate which I thought was red even at the time of this picture. That is why lighting is important. On Sunday afternoon in the natural light is when I realized it wasn't red but a really deep pink. I really like it though

I put Essie Matte about You on top. I couldn't get a good picture but it was really velvety in person.

My nails today I added some China Glaze Peachy Keen and Sinful Colors Nail Art Black

sermon outtakes

Here's some inspiration from Sunday's sermon

Leaven and The Lump~ Joshua 7
So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai ⁵ chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries,^[c] and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away.
 ⁶ Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until evening. ⁷ Then Joshua cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side! ⁸ Lord, what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies? ⁹ For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?”
 ¹⁰ But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? ¹¹ Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. ¹² That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.

He read the entire chapter I just included the main excerpt
Here are the main points
If one part of the body is sick the whole body is affected
One man's sin weakened the entire army
We cannot take sin lightly
The moment you are out of God's will you are singled out for destruction
Identify what causes you to sin
You cannot fight on two fronts
You can't engage in war with the enemy and have a war within
Once the sin is removed grace is restored

For more contact: http://www.faithcfm2.org/
We also have a facebook page Faith Covenant Fellowship- South
Sermons are available via Ustream

Ulta Sales

My latest indulgences at Ulta
BUTTER London is buy 2 get 1 free
So I bought Victoriana, Tea with the Queen, & The Old Bill
And I decided to try Essie Matte About You
I think I'll try Tea with the Queen tonight
I was planning to do red with Matte About You
But it seems that sometimes after a bold manicure I am inclined to do something simple

stamping attempts #1

As mentioned before stamping is harder than it looks

 First ever attempt. Base Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Yellow Kitty stamped with Coral Fever

Third attempt base sally Hansen White On stamped with OPI That's Berry Darling and Sinful Colors Nail Art accent

Second attempt

2nd attempt base OPI Give me a Coral Sometime stamped with Ulta Gold Digger

random nails

Random nail shots mostly from September

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Yellow Kitty
Super cute mellow yellow got lots of compliments

 BUTTER London Toff purple brown good with one coat, got lots of compliments and broke my pinkie nail

 OPI Give Me a Coral Sometime pretty but can still see my nail line with 3 coats

Attempted tape manicure. I think I cut the tape strips too thin because I had real hard time pulling them off. And the pinkie just would come up. Used OPI San Tan-Tonio, Sally Hansen White On and Nicole by OPI Daffy Dill

 

Another tape mani this one worked better and I used large tape pieces and got compliments

Used Ulta Moody Blues, Nicole by OPI My Lifesaver, and Urban Outfitters Blue 9