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.

I am a winner!!!

I know this sounds totally silly, but when I first started blogging I couldn't think of why or even who would want to read my blog. I mean really I was never a writer in school. I am sure it is apparent that my grammar isn't always perfect.

So why did I start blogging?

I had asked Joyce Meyer "How do you recommend me getting my name out there to start getting more preaching jobs?"

Her reply to my question "Start blogging. It makes you study and put messages together like you are already at your goal in life. With you doing that people will start reading like you and before you know it you will be getting invites to preach."

So I started.

Now I get sometimes 40 plus hits in a day! That is so amazing! So not only do you precious Chiks read my blog but Laurie Anna gave me this award on top of it all! How much that blesses my heart I can't quiet say! :D

This award (Originally written in the Portuguese language of Isabel at Maison Douce) focuses not on the glory and fanfare of blogging, but in the PROXIMITY to one another through this on-line world. Here's the definition of the award:

"Blogs who receive this award are 'exceedingly charming' say its authors. This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

How sweet is that definition??? That she thought of me really blesses me!

So now for my people that are receiving the award from me:

1. Family Life Church: Even though we don't have a "blog" on our church site my Pastors are the reason that I even have this blog! Stop by our church site listen to the messages and grow in the Lord. If you are looking to make a change in your life this is your best first step!

2. CHIK TEAM: These girls are the reason that Chik is as amazing as it is! How wonderful my life is because each one of them are in it!

3. RuthAnn: She is the most amazing inspiring blogger out there! She is reaching women like no tomorrow, and is so down to earth! From the first time I read her blog I felt like I had known her all my life. Then when she e-mailed me I knew she was my long lost girlfriend! I love you my girlfriend!

4. Carrie: This is a lady that has been through so much in her life. Her love for Jesus radiates everywhere she goes. There are some people it doesn't matter how long it has been since you last saw each other, you just pick right up where you left off! You ROCK girl!

5. Leslie: Even though she is new to the bloggy world she is doing an AMAZING job! Stop over and fall in love with her! She is a mommy of two beautiful babies and she just is real about life!

6. Benny Perez: I met Pastor Benny when at YFN a few years back. The way Pastor Benny ministers and operates in the things of the spirit always stir me up for more of God and push me to grow more in the Lord.

7. Counting your Blessings: Wheather she is writing a word of inspiration or just showing cute pictures of her latest pictures of what she has going on you will always leave her blog with a smile on your face!

8. Patti V: This lady will blow you away with her creativity. She never ceases to amaze me with the things she comes up with and does! She is one of the most out of the box people I have ever met! (I say that in a great way)

So Chiks take a few moments and check out these blogs! You will love love love all of them!

Hope your day is warm and peaceful!

Crystal Sparks

How to know that you are super sleepy!

So with this being Chik week things are always upside down. There is always last minute strings that need fixing. We had conference brochures that came in that were all wrong.

It was a day of just doors being slammed in my face of things not going right.

So I spent the entire morning on Wednesday trying to find a business that could print a large amount of cards at a reasonable price and have them ready by Friday. I did find one...

Thank you Jesus!

So then there was dress rehearsal for Chik Nite which went really well. Youth group that night to get ready for etc. So we had no groceries in our house. After two weeks of not going to the grocery store we had no food. My hubby ever so sweetly looked in the cabinets to see that it was day 6 and still no bread. So after church was over kids were in bed I slipped on some clothes to head to wal-mart with my best friend CD.

I am walking in and I am so sleepy every step is a miracle (have you ever been there?) It was almost 11 p.m. and my body was exhausted from the long long day. So I am walking up to the store when CD starts cracking up laughing. I ask her what is so funny she tells me to look at my feet.....................

It took me a long time. I was like what is so funny about my feet??

Then I realized I had a purple shoe and a brown one........

Ohhh my goodness I just had to laugh! The sad est thing is if she hadn't have said anything I would have never even noticed. I made her take a picture because I wanted to share this with all of you! I know that all of you have had a crazy moment when the day was super long and you just did something not even thinking right?

So....we got the stage set up today for Chik Nite. Can I even begin to tell you how much I love it? No it isn't possible tooo much for words. I can tell you that Saturday will be a post of all of the cute pictures from tomorrow night. BUT don't wait for pictures come out and have a great time 7p.m. Family Life Church 1400 East Loop 301!

At that I am going to get busy on some work for Chik Nite! I love you Chiks!