WHO LIKES FREE????

This is POST #99!! So let's see what someone is going to win!

A lucky winner will get a TEXAS CHIKS ROCK THE WORLD Tee!!

Also a lucky winner gets a CHIK cookbook

Conference 3-disk CD series

Pretty good huh? So how do you win? You leave comments the more the better. If you post about the 100th post on your blog you get double points! Each comment left=more chances to win. Also our Chik blog is about to have it's 100th post so if you go over there and enter then you will get to win! So there will be 2 of these given away! So click here to enter (leave comments) after you leave comments here! So look at any past blogs they count for chances to win if you leave a comment between now and the giveaway!

So let the coments start girls!

All things country!!

As many of you know we are getting ready for CHIKFEST!!! I am really excited all this talk about country stuff has got me thinking about things I have never ever thought of before like:

I want a pair of boots...and any belt with bling catches my eye....vintage tees ohhhh dear!!! I am loving the country stuff right now!!! Chikfest is bringing out the country in me!!

Ohhhh by the way this is blog post #98 for me....I will be having a BIG giveaway on my 100th post...So for your chance to win you have to leave comments! More comments=more chances to win!!! I will announce my giveaway item on my next blog post then post number 100 I will post the winner....So your chance to win starts.............NOW!

Friends for a season......

I know you all know the saying about some friends come only for a season and some for a reason.....

I never did understand that saying until the last few years.

We all have meet people that when we meet them there is no denying that God put you together at just the right time! I can think of so many people that God just set us up to be together. These people are the kind of friends that from the minute you meet it feels like you have known each other for all you lives although you just met.

I am amazed at the people in my life that I have had like this. They wash in like the tide and as soon as I get used to them being here they are gone again.

I had a friend that was so close to Bryan and I we were the closest. Her husband and Bryan were best buds. Me and his wife got a long so well. One day her daughter got ill with cancer....We were there for them in the hospital down to the very end of her life. We prayed for them and stood with them all a long the way. The door closed. No matter how hard we tried they just weren't our friends anymore.

There are multiple other things like that, that have happened throughout my life. People that I stand with them in prayer I see God do mighty things in their life....then they no longer want to be in any part of my life....

Why is that?

Why is it that it is so God to have opened that door.....for the door to only close? I will never understand that.

Your mind does understand it, sometimes it is just hard to tell your heart.

Cinderella....

One of my favorite movies hands down is Cinderella. If you are thinking "Yeah ok whatever". Then you obviously haven't seen it in quiet sometime or else you would note how wonderful of a movie it is.

I was shopping at Canton the other day and there were those cute signs you know the ones with the little sayings on a wood board. The ones that probably only cost like $5.00 to make but the charge you $25.00 because they know you will never get around to doing it yourself....Those signs.....

*I crack myself up*

Well I see this one that catches my eye

"One shoe can change your life"

Cinderella

Sounds silly but that is a powerful statement. So from that point on I had this urge to watch Cinderella. I watched it the other day finally with my daughter and realized how powerful that is. The story that is.....

You see she was going through life not where she wanted to be. She woke up every morning seeing the big castle up on the hill and dreaming of what life will one day be like, but still having to do the chores for her wicked step-mother and sisters. Then one day when she didn't see it coming she got her miracle. Everything in her life turned around.

You see Disney took this story from Joseph in the Bible he was the same way. He could see the dreams in his heart yet he had to keep doing what he was doing. Then one day his dreams came true.

I talk to people all of the time that have two things down

1. They don't like where they are

2. They know where they are going

What a lot of people fail to realize is that there is a road from #1 to #2, and what it takes to get there is a lot of patience. You see if Cinderella would have gotten fed up and just walked out she would have never had met the prince. Sure she probably would have gotten a some what better life, but not the wonderful one that she got at the end of the movie.

You see when you stay faithful where you are and in what you are doing God is working behind the scenes to make all of your dreams come true. You just have to do what I call "work the dream". Your job is to just do what you can with what you have till God shows up.

I love what Joyce Meyer says "People always see where I am today and want that. What they don't see is the 32 years it took for me to be here. The fact is they don't want those 32 years they just want my present situation".

That is so powerful when you think about it!

Girls let's work the dream. We are all on the road to our dreams. Well at least I am. I am not going to bail out for an easy out. I am going to keep working the dream because I know in the end it will all be more than I could have ever dreamt!

The best ten dollars you could spend!

If you don't know the story of Bella Marie check it out before you read on....

She is the grandaughter of one of my favorite bloggy friends Deb at Talking Trash. Let me tell you girls this baby is such a wonderful miracle! She is a living testimate of the miracle working power of Jesus! Being born at 24 weeks and weighing only 15 oz. The odds were against her....but how many of you know when we join together and pray we can move mountains and a baby can live?

So you are wondering where you come in right? Well over 50 people have donated 50 wonderful items that you....well actually I will win ;) The tickets are $10.00 and all money raised will go to help the family of sweet Bella!

Chiks let's all get around this great cause. $10.00 is so cheap when you think about it and if everyone bought one ticket just think of what a HUGE difference it could make!

The one thing that is wonderful about blog land is we are all one big family. Even though we have never met we all feel like we know eachother. I remember crying as I prayed for Bella through her first days. She is getting bigger and bigger each day....God is so good!

So go here to go buy your ticket today and to see all of the great stuff that you can win!!

Happy Mother's Day!

So I started to think of things about being a mother here are a few I know will make you smile....

You know you are a mom when you are potty training and there is pee in the middle of your floor and it no longer disgusts you.

You know you are a mom when you use the restroom with the door open.

You know you are a mom when your kids have runny noses you are out of Kleenex so you get it with your finger and wipe it on your pants.

You know you are a mom when you ask your son what is in his mouth then he proudly shows you the candy he just found in the grass at the park.

You know you are a mom when you forget one ingredient at the store so you load the kids in the car drive to wal-mart get into the store then stare at your children because you have no clue why you are here.

You know you are a mom when you haven't had a date with your hubby in three months because every time you make plans to go out you decide to just take the kids to Chuck E Cheese instead.

You know you are a mom when you realize that all smart moms give rewards for getting through the grocery store with good behavior.

You know you are a mom when your daughter has more clothes than you and you are proud of it.

You know you are a mom when you look at your children and realize that they are growing up and begin to cry.

You know you are a mom when you are at your child's school program and you weep the whole time they sing "Wheels on the bus".

You know you are a mom when you realize that having a baby was the craziest, most life changing, incredible thing you have ever done!


Happy Mother's Day Chiks hope yours was amazing!!

Funny things.....

Church nights are always crazy. I am the administrator at our church along with being the youth Pastor's wife, women's pastor etc. So every time church is over I am always flooded with lots of questions about things....

So this Wednesday was like every other. I had a line out my office door with people wanting to ask me something.

I leave and my head was hurting so bad. I was talking to my hubby telling him the music in youth started my head to hurting then I said there was a lot of people after church needing things.... I tell him "There was a line out the door". My kids are looking at me wide eyed.

I tell them come on it is time to get ready for bed mommy doesn't feel well.

We get in the bathroom to brush teeth and Rylan asks....

"Mommy why were all those people lying to you??"

Then Brailey...

"Mommy there was a real lion in your office that gave you a headache?"

Life through a child's eyes....priceless.

Marriage 101

One thing that the Lord has always blessed me with is an amazing marriage...Bryan and I have such a wonderful marriage. Sure we have our arguments, but at the end of the day he is the cheese to my macaroni.

One thing I do a lot of is marriage counseling. It seems that we have a way of finding people with their marriage on the rocks. It doesn't take long and we work with them and they see their life completely changed. I have seen marriages where it looked hopeless; it looked like there was no way to make it better. Somehow God has turned it around EVERY time. Never have we counseled someone and it not work out. God is so good!!

So with that said I got to thinking I bet there is a lot of you guys that feel this way. Like there is no way your marriage could ever work. Maybe it isn't that bad, but you feel like living daily life with your mate is total torture. Maybe you are just saying well....we could always have some improvement.

This is what I am going to do. For the next few posts I am going to walk you through what makes a great marriage. I think we will all enjoy this process together!! You ready?

STEP 1: Let your words be sweet, because one day you might have to eat them!!

One thing I have noticed about us ladies is that once we get married we tend to get very critical about lots of things. I hear women constantly getting on to their husband for this or for that. Remember when you were dating? It wasn't ever this way! You were encouraging and would tell him how great he was at everything. We need to be our hubby's best support in this life. We should be there giving him all the reasons why he can accomplish something. I know some of you are rolling your eyes saying "You don't know my husband". At first for some ladies this is the hardest step, because they have gotten in a complaint cycle. So try really hard to compliment your hubby 4 times a day. Even if it is just something small like.....thanks for mowing the grass, thanks for putting your plate in the sink, thanks for putting your toothbrush up. Find the small things and brag on them. It won't be long and the good things that he does for you will begin to compliment. All people want to hear how great they are doing at something....same is true for our hubbys.....

Step 2: Date your husband

Remember when you were dating? You would giggle at every joke, put on something nice when you would see him, do anything just to be by him? Why shouldn't you still be like that? When we get married there is this thing in some people's heads that they don't have to "try" anymore to keep their significant other. Not true. Your marriage will be as good as you make it be! It takes work! I want you girls to take off those sweat pants before your hubby comes home from work. Put on something nice even a little lip gloss or a pair of heels. Don't worry about getting so much done, instead just sit and cuddle with him on the couch. Loving actions produce loving feelings. I promise this will spark the romance in him and you when you start doing that.

So that is the first two steps to having a great marriage. Try them I promise they will work! Leave me a comment and let me know how it is working for ya! I am not telling you chiks anything I don't do myself, and have learned the hard way.