Five Minute Friday - The Women

**This is a post to link up at The Gypsy Mama's for 5 Minute Friday.  Lunch break was a perfect time.  Especially after having been given the prompt - The Women. :) Enjoy! **

We gather to celebrate a dear friend's 40th birthday.  She had no idea it was happening.  Her husband leading her blindfolded out into a cabin at a state park with the late March breeze blowing over the lake.  The smell of boiled shrimp is in the air.  Some of the men dumped the entire bottle of spice in there.  We were hardly able to eat it later but it didn't matter.


We sat around and I learned lessons from the women.  Those that have walked through marriage and kids and tough stuff longer than I have.  They share stories that have us laughing until we're in stitches. I wonder what I'll be like when I'm their age.

Then we eat caramel cake. And one opens 40th birthday gag gifts. We laugh some more at the cane. And at the Depends.

This is friendship with the women. I'm so thankful.

Show Us Your Life - Singles

Welcome Kelly's Korner readers! This is Carlin, and I have taken over my best friend's blog today (with her permission, of course) to participate in Kelly's Show Us Your Life - Singles!

Here she is...the one and only Rebekah!

I have been blessed to have Rebekah as a friend for almost seven years. We met in college and have certainly had some wonderful times - although living in two different states for a while certainly put a damper on our fun - we have stayed in touch and I can't imagine life without her! She is the kind of friend that you can go months without seeing her but when you finally do it's like a day has never passed.

Rebekah is 27 years old and lives in North Mississippi. She works as an accountant and is extremely involved in her church - especially the youth. Certainly from her picture you can see she is beautiful - but that beauty isn't only skin deep. She has one of the best laughs I have ever heard, a beaming smile and a heart full of love for her family, friends and most importantly her Lord.

Rebekah enjoys reading, singing, hanging out with friends, movies, and board games - her favorite! Really, she is the kind of person that would make watching the rain fall fun and that is why I would love for her to find a wonderful, fun-loving, Christian guy to share her life with! Any man would be lucky to know and love my sweet friend Rebekah - she is certainly a great catch!

If you, or someone you know want to get to know Rebekah better - leave a comment and a way for her to get in touch with you!

some random stuff.

Y'all. I just about had a heart attack.

I wanted a new blog background and so, I did what I had always done and when I hit 'save'. Well, let's just say the ole' blog looked like a 3 year old that doesn't have good spatial reasoning skills had designed it. (I'm not entirely sure that's the word I'm looking for...can't quite figure it out). Moving on.

I went to Texas last weekend. If you follow me on Twitter, you would know this.

You would also know way too much about my musical tastes.

{Grin}

:)


Christy and me at California Pizza Kitchen. Home of the world's best salad. I love that girl!


Levi had this cool and awesome puzzle that I was just amazed by. He's grown so much!

Anyway, I fully plan on blogging about my weekend of Texas fun and seeing all my Texas peeps but soon after this post goes up my Bestie McBestfriend from college will be posting on my behalf to link up to Kelly's Korner's post about single friends. I think it's so ridiculously neat that couples have met and are engaged (y'all...they're engaged) through the post she did last year. So neat. We were talking about it a while ago and well...the pictures say it best.


SO...there ya go. I don't know what else to say. Except that it could get mighty interesting around these parts!

:)

Hope y'all have had a great week!

(and look at this...I've blogged 5 times in January! It's amazing!)

;)

i laugh {REALLY LOUD}.

For those of you who aren't from around here, (here, being Northeast Mississippi), we had ourselves a little blizzard Sunday evening/night. Blizzard being a relative term. Because, you see, there were 5 inches of snow, and to us Southerners--that's a blizzard.

I've never seen this much snow in my entire 27 years. Does that mean I've missed out? Methinks, perhaps.

I got out at 6:45 IN THE MORNING and took a bajillion pictures that are beautiful and awe-inspiring, but those will have to wait til later, because I really just want to share this video with y'all.

As an introduction, I live about 100 yards (maybe) from my church and there is a 'monstrous' hill in the back. Well, the 5 inches of snow and icy/slushy country backroads didn't stop some of us from getting together and having a GRAND OLE TIME.

I have watched this video at least 50 times (and I know I lean towards exaggeration, this, is not one of those times. For real...50 times.) And each time it still makes me smile. So...enjoy.

And, for those of you who know my dad, I OBVIOUSLY get my laugh from him.

Obviously.

I may need to tone it down a bit.

How do you feel about snow? Like it? Love it? Want some more of it?

{see what I did there? ;) }

Let me know in the comments!

God, You reign.

reign (v) [reyn] - to possess or exercise sovereign power or authority -

You paint the night.
You count the stars and You know them by name.
The skies proclaim,
God, You reign.

Your glory shines.
You teach the sun when to bring a new day.
Creation sings,
God, You reign.

{chorus}
God, You reign.
God, You reign.
Forever and ever.
God, You reign.

You part the seas.
You move the mountains with the words that You say.
My song remains,
God, You reign.

You hold my life.
You know my heart and You call me by name.
I live to say,
God, You reign.

{chorus}

Hallelujah, Hallelu.
Hallelujah, Hallelu.

(repeat chorus}

{God, You Reign by Lincoln Brewster}

__________________________________________

I just love this song. It words make me cry sometimes. Like, for real. I cry when I sing about how God holds my life {John 10:28} , knows my heart {Jeremiah 17:9-10} and calls me by name {Isaiah 43:1}.

That's no small thing.

It's rather quite big.

Like...universe big.

Crazy.

In case you have forgotten {like I had}, Who's in charge.

{Hint - It's not Charles.}

my heart hurts.

There's a person so special to me that is hurt very deeply.
A hurt that I imagine goes back almost 15 years.

That's a deep deep hurt that's been carried for a long long time.
I wonder if this person will ever let go of that hurt and bitterness and live life the way it's meant to be lived.

Christ doesn't want them carrying around that hurt. That's not the reason He came. So that we'd drag our luggages full of hurt, day in and day out? The luggage so old the latch has broken. The dirty clothes are strewn about everywhere. The mess slowly becomes bigger. So big, it looks as if there's no hope for the traveler.

Then I remember that Christ is the best mess cleaner-upper. The best deep hurt healer. The best. Period. He is it.

And I pray that they let Him clean up the mess. That His love compels them to give that luggage to Him and say "Here. Fix it. You're the only one that can."

And I try to wait patiently for that day. Praying to that end. Remembering that no one is ever too far gone for God's love. No one. Not ever.

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say on the LORD!" - Psalm 27:13-14

a quick little snippety snippet

First off -

Happy New Year!!

I have no idea where 2010 went. I'm 99% sure that time goes by faster the older you get. I have no actual scientific evidence to back this up, but just roll with me on this one.

I plan on being back Tuesday with a really good post. Tuesday, January 4th is a very special day to me this year. It was a beginning last year. And now it's an anniversary. SO...come back Tuesday for that. :)

I just wanted to ring in the new year with some of my favorite pictures from Christmas and New Year's Eve. Enjoy!


It snowed. In Mississippi. On Christmas. What a gift!! :)


The ENTIRE family skyped with Sister on Christmas afternoon.
Although, it was already Sunday morning her time. It was still awesome and SO good to see her face! We sang her many songs including but not limited to, "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" because...she sings that funny.

And, "Star of Bethelehem" because...

Well, it's special to us sisters. :)

Nana (my mom) singing Jingle Bells with her 3 grandgirls.


MESS.


Add Hadley and it's even more MESS! :) I absolutely love my nieces. They are one of my favorite things about my life.

NYE -

It rained.
I had straight hair (mistake).
We didn't let the rain stop us from shooting fireworks.
We're cool.

Oldest sister and me. We dominate at trivia.


I just love this shirt! And the girl wearing it! :)


After midnight we thought to get a picture with all the girls.
Two had already left...
And Carli got cut out. But, you get the idea. :)
SO blessed to call these girls my friends! :)
Oh, and that was sparkling grape juice in those glasses. :)

See y'all Tuesday!!