True Beauty

Are you feeling beautiful today? God's been really challenging me lately about some of my attitudes. The outside package can be nicely portrayed with a little help from make up. But what about my inside?? Is it beautiful? Does it match the outside appearance or is it a big mess. Some days I feel like the inside is not very pretty and I have to work on that.

There's a new reality show (which I'm saying right now that I have not watched and am not endorsing) called "True Beauty". The concept behind it is that the contestants are all beautiful model types who believe they are in a beauty competition. Unbeknownst to them, each week the judges eliminate them based on their inner beauty, not on their outer beauty. How they treat each other behind the scenes is what counts. If you talk nasty about people, have a hard heart or are just downright rude, you will be eliminated.

Being pretty on the outside doesn't impress God, the ultimate judge. I'm not saying we should not take care of our outward appearance, I'm merely challenging myself to spend more time on working on the thoughts and attitudes that shape my inner beauty. I want my child to learn that there is more to a person than what you see on the outside. That their thoughts and actions and attitudes make up the very essence of who they are.

God does want us to be pretty, but on the inside. 1 Peter 3:4 says "..It (Beauty) should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

I am writing this post for me so thanks for indulging me for a few minutes.

Shopping Story

I'm not sure what is worse.... shopping for a bathing suit or for a pair of jeans. Both are agonizing to me and not something I can order online. I have to try it on in hopes that a) I am a size smaller than last time and b) that so I won't have to go through the hardship of returning the item and therefore having to look for another one.

Since I am now living in the frozen tundra that is "North and West of New York City" (I've secretly come to despise that phrase this winter), I have had to expand my wardrobe to include a few more pairs of jeans. I hardly ever wore jeans in Florida...too hot for that! But, alas, I must cover my legs here in NJ for the majority of the year it seems. I've been on a quest and this weekend I was finally successful in buying a great pair of jeans at Macy's. I bought a pair of Levi's. Now the thing with Levi's is that you have to try on about 10 different pairs until you find the style that's right for your body..at least I had to. There were the Hi Rise, Low Rise, Mid Rise and they come in numbers for example: Levi's 512, 520, 590, etc. It was exhausting, but so worth the effort. I LOVE my new jeans. At least now I know what I'm looking for.. it will make jean shopping more pleasant going forward. Now as for bathing suits.... I'll check back with you all once I'm defrosted from the winter.

Priceless

This was taken at Chris' bday celebration at Busch Gardens in December. (I know.. this kid celebrates his birthday alot). Chris was admiring this photo on our refrigerator the other day and declared to me: "Next time I'm going on that ride all by myself!"

Pictures

Here are some photos from our long weekend. We had a great time with Steve's family and got to (finally) celebrate Christopher's 5th birthday with them. We went bowling, out to dinner at a great local restaurant and then back to our place for cake and coffee. Chris has waited all year for his "Cars" cake. Every time we go to the grocery store, he runs to the "book" in the bakery section and would just stare at the picture of this cake. He has wanted this one for a long time. So glad we were able to get it for him.











Here's a photo of Shirley (my sister in law) greeting the animals upon her arrival













Bowling Fun

Joining the Revolution

I saw this quote on Lois' blog and had to join the revolution:


God’s will for every Christian wife is that her most important ministry be to her husband. (Genesis 2:18)

After a wife’s own personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, nothing else should have greater priority.

Her husband should be the primary benefactor of his wife’s time and energy, not the recipient of what may be left over at the end of the day.

Whether her husband is a faithful Christian man or an unbeliever, God wants every Christian woman to be a godly wife -- an excellent wife.

~ Martha Peace ~

A special thank you to my husband who works so hard for our family and loves us so much. Thank you for being the spiritual leader in our home. I promise to try harder to give you the best of me and not what's leftover after a long day!! I love you and thank God for you every day!!

Are you ready to join the revolution? Copy and paste the above quote on your own blog.

Your Grace Is Enough

We sang this Chris Tomlin song in church yesterday and today my devotional was on God's Grace. 1 Corinthians 12:9 says: "But He said to me, Mygrace (my favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you (sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble); for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in (your) weakness.

May His grace be enough for you today and every day. Enjoy this video.

Take 5

I'm enjoying a nice long holiday weekend with Steve & Chris and father-in-law and sister-in-law. Today I'm excited because Steve & I are taking advantage of the extra hands and are going out to see a movie and maybe grab some coffee or something. We don't often get to spend one-on-one time, so we really treasure these rare occasions to get away for a few hours. I even got to go shopping this morning (and found some great bargains!!). I never pay full price... it just doesn't make sense to me when it will be on sale in a few weeks. LOL

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekends, and I'll be posting some pictures, etc. in the next couple of days.

Come On In and Please Say Hello to the Animals

My little boy's imagination has really flourished in the last few months. It was initially one of the things his preschool teacher said was "lacking". However, he has really grasped the concept of "pretend play" and, much to my delight, is engaging his "friends" (aka - stuffed animals) to play with him throughout the day. They "play" Go Fish with him, Mousetrap, and any other game he can think of. Don't get me wrong... I am still his built in playmate, but if I need a break which is often the case, he'll have one of the "animals" fill in for me.

Lately he has everyone that comes into our house greet the animals. You won't get passed the front door if you don't say hi to some of his beloved furry stuffed friends. He's pretty insistent that they all get greeted. He loves to take at least 3 furry friends whenever we get in the car. He personally buckles them into a seat in the back of our minivan. It's a ritual and it doesn't matter if it's 70 degrees or -3 degrees outside. He will only get into his car seat once he has probably secured his furry friends.

The other thing you will likely be greeted with at my house these days is a sticker. He seems to be consumed with handing out stickers. We've used stickers for a long time to encourage and reward appropriate behavior..especially during potty training. Now there just seems to be stickers everywhere!! Everyone who comes into the house will likely be given a sticker at some point. I have to be so careful when doing laundry.. I have found stickers on the bottom of socks, on jeans, sweaters and yes, in underwear!! It's actually pretty cute and I'm enjoying this time so much.

So, next time you come over, don't say I didn't warn you about the friends and the stickers...

Kitchen Stuff

I love kitchen appliances and I've been thinking about getting a bread machine for a while, but haven't made the plunge. So, I guess I'm taking a survey. Do you have one? Is it worth the investment? Does the bread really taste that good? What brand would you recommend? I don't know how big they are, but hopefully it doesn't take up much space since I have no counter space. I even have to store my Kitchenaid Mixer which is so heavy to pull out when I need it. Anyway, I welcome your thoughts and expertise!

We've Got An Offer!!

Just a quick praise report... we have an offer on our home in Florida. It's up to the bank to decide whether to accept the offer or not since we are doing a short sale. It could take months before this goes through. Please keep the sale in prayer... God's never late..he's always on time. This home has been on the market for a year now... we are SO READY to sell this house. Don't get me wrong - we loved our home... but we truly just want to move on with life in NJ and not be financially saddled with the maintenance of two homes! This has been quite the week (emotionally and physically!) I'll keep you all posted.

Angels Watching Over Me

I do believe that there are angels watching over us everyday. Perhaps you can recall a time when you've encountered one or felt that one has protected you. My roommate from college, Natalie, and I truly did encounter something miraculous one Sunday night while in college.

We had decided to go to church that evening and, for whatever reason, had some time to spare before the service started. So, we decided to just continue driving around the community near the church, chatting and listening to some Christian music. I can remember so clearly that the song on the radio was "Angels Watching Over Me" by Amy Grant. We were singing along and then I guess we decided that it was time to make our way over to the church. So, Natalie pulled into a driveway to make a U-turn. Now we were on a country road that was pretty flat and there were no other cars on the road in the few miles that we had driven. As we were backing out to complete our U-turn, a car comes out of no where and is coming straight at us. All I saw were headlights. It happened so quickly that we didn't even have time to scream. There was no way that this car could miss us. The headlights were right on us. It was so frightening!! All I know, is that to this day, I believe that there were angels that miraculously intervened. We were not hit, there was not a scratch on the car. I still don't know how we both did not end up dead that night. All the while, the song is playing "Angels watching over me, every move I make. Angels watching over me. God only knows the time my life was threatened just today...."

Thank you Lord for your protection... in the times I am aware and the times I am not.

He Knows My Name

This song has been in my heart all day and I find myself singing it as I am going through my day. Although this song has been around for several years, it still touches me to think that our Lord, in all his majesty, knows me by name and hears me when I call. Hope it encourages you today.

The Heart of The Home

The gust of cold air took my breath away as I turned the key to the little house my grandparents lived in during their golden years. Although I had been inside this quaint home numerous times over the years, I felt almost like an intruder, just knowing that no one had lived there for a year and a half.

As I entered the sunroom, the memories flooded back -- with everything just as I remembered. The chair in the corner, where the sun would keep you toasty - it's where I used to sit to read books as a teenager or to listen to my walkman when I needed an escape for privacy. The plant stands which were once decorated with lovely blooms now sat empty and seemingly without purpose. The photo collage of the grandchildren clearly dated back to the 1980s based on our hairstyles (can you say big hair??)

I quickly passed from the sunroom into the main living room/dining room area and sighed. I expected to see the throw blanket I purchased for Oma Nettie several years ago for Christmas to be perched in it's usual spot on the couch, but it was not there. I made a mental note of that, but as far as I could tell, everything else was exactly as it had always been: the rocking chair, couch, grandfather clock and the walls adorned with the paintings and poems my Opa had created over 20 years ago. (I later found out that the throw blanket was in Long Island with Oma Nettie to keep her warm ... what a joy I felt knowing that in her last days, something I had given to her brought some comfort).

My Aunt had been caring for my grandmother, Oma Nettie, for a year and a half now. About a month ago, my aunt sent me the key to Oma Nettie's house and asked me to just "check in" on it from time to time to make sure there were no problems, leaky faucets, unwanted mail or flyers laying outside. I didn't even think for a moment that I would have any emotions well up during this visit. At this point, my Oma Nettie was very ill and only given a few weeks to live. Even still, being in the house, I could almost hear her gentle voice humming a song, I could see the twinkle in her eye and feel the love and warmth that had always been in this home. Maybe that's what struck me most. The house was not lived in, but yet you can feel the love. Not just the love that my Opa and Oma Nettie had for each other, but the love they extended to EVERYONE they met. Their home was a house where we had prayed for one another for all types of need: healing of cancer, financial issues, job situations, praying for God to bring a Godly spouse to each of us, etc. The list goes on and on.

A house is just a house, but with Christ as the center of it, it's so much more. My prayer is that my home will also be a refuge for not just my son and husband, but for anyone in my family and for future generations that just want to come and be loved and to be in a place where Christ is at the heart of the home. Just like us, God doesn't care what's on the outside..if our home is big and fancy and has been paid off for years, or if it's small and humble and is rented... it's what's inside that counts. What's the heart of your home like??

What Worked For Us

My sister-in-law asked me to share a couple of things that helped to entertain our five year old son during our recent road trip from NJ to FL. Here's a list of what worked:

1) The Color Wonder, MESS FREE crayola markers and drawing pads. Chris loved this. It literally kept him busy for hours. I bought him a little set from Walmart for about $6. It had 8 Color Wonder markers and a "Cars" drawing pad. The concept is that the picture "magically" appears when you rub one of these special markers over the page. He loved it and I loved the fact that the markers do not rub off on his hands. It was great.

2) Of course the DVD player. I was pleased that he really didn't use it too much during the drive. Since I was sitting in the back of our van with him for the entire trip, I got to watch several of his movies and, while he was napping, You've Got Mail (one of my favorite movies).

3) Having "surprise" snacks was great. Lollipops, Oreos, pretzels, etc.

4) We invested in a new Road Atlas. They are only a couple of dollars at Walmart or Target and he loved it. Even though we have a GPS, this huge Atlas was great for him. I got to show him where we were, what the capital of the state is, what roads we were taking and, since he's a visual kid, he could see how much further we had to go.

5) Leapster. We bought one of these for his birthday and he loves it. There are only educational games on them which help him with spelling, math, etc.

6) Etch-a-sketch, Doodle Pad, and some "pretend" cell phones. Anything with buttons usually works for him.

Don't Forget Yourself

I read this great story during my devotion time the other day that I thought I'd share. It was written by Cheryl Biehl and hope it speaks to you like it did to me.

" Often we as Christan women get so involved in meeting the needs of others that we forget to take time to refresh ourselves. If you have flown on a commercial airliner lately, you will recognize the speech that the flight attendants recite just before takeoff. It goes something like this: 'In the event of a loss of cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will automatically be lowered. If you are sitting beside a child, first secure your own mask before applying the child's.' They advise you to do that because they realize that unless you as the adult are getting the oxygen you need, you'll be of no help to the child, and you will both perish.

Jesus, filled with absolute love and compassion, went to the mountains to spend time with His Father in prayer, to renew His weary body and soul. When the crowd pressed in upon Him, He suggested to the disciples that they all get away from the crowd and go to the mountains alone.

Are you getting enough "oxygen" in your life to be of maximum benefit to those around you? It is not a selfish gesture to set goals allowing you to refill your cup. Just as an empty teakettle will crack or melt as the heat under it is turned up, so you also will break as the heat of life is turned on "high" when your cup (your emotional and spiritual life) is dry."

Oftentimes I'm pressed to find some quiet time, but it is so important to do that - for myself, my husband and my child.

Arrangements

Hi everyone. Here is the information I have for the funeral for Oma Nettie:

Viewings: Thursday January 8th 3pm - 5pm; 7pm - 9pm
Note: Funeral Service will be at 8pm on Thursday
Malverne Funeral Home (Anthony J Walsh & Sons)
330 Hempstead Avenue
Malverne, NY
(516-593-7230)
For directions: http://www.kpsearch.com/df/malvernefuneral/all.asp

Interment from Funeral home Friday January 9th at 10 AM
Interment: Lutheran all Faiths Cemetery, Middle Village, Queens, NY. (Metropolitan Avenue - across from Christ the King High School)

Oma Nettie

Just a quick note to let you know that my grandmother, Oma Nettie, passed away last night. For those of you who don't know me too well, she was my mother's step-mother and has been a part of my life since I was about 3 years old. Oma Nettie was 91 years old. She fought a long battle with some brain tumors and was being lovingly cared for by my aunt for the last year and a half.

We don't have any details for the funeral as of yet, but will let you know as soon as I find out. Thank you all for your prayers. We are sad to see her go, but rejoice in knowing she is with our Lord and Saviour and we will see her again in heaven some day.

Five On Friday

Five Tips from Our Recent Road Trip:

1) If you see a sign for a Dunkin Donuts (or other food chain) but don't see it from the highway, DO NOT GET OFF the road. We can guarantee it's at least 3 - 5 miles out of your way and, when you get there, it's part of a gas station/general store/hardware store and is not authentic.

2) Beware of overloaded pick-up trucks (especially in Florida)... you would be amazed at what we saw (mattresses, washing machine, etc. that were NOT tied down).

3) South of the Border was a ghost town -- Steve says that "la migra" came (immigration) and cleared the place out (LOL)

4) Stop for lunch at 11:00, especially if going to Cracker Barrel -- everyone else wants a "home cooked" meal as well so get there early.

5) After 2 years of Christmas Road Trips, we've decided next year to host it at our house. YEAH!

Happy New Year

We started 2008 living in Florida. My husband had just accepted a job in New Jersey and 3 weeks into 2008 he was living in New Jersey with Chris and I staying behind in Florida in hopes of selling our home quickly. I must admit, the first 6 months of 2008 were very hard on us as a family. Steve spent 4 - 5 days living in a hotel in NJ, then he would fly home for 2-3 days where he often had to field phone calls or work remotely. It was like he was here, but sometimes he wasn't all here if that makes any sense. It was draining on him physically and emotionally and it was very hard on me to say goodbye to him each week, not to mention being mommy and daddy to Chris for all those months. We prayed for so long for the right opportunity for Steve, and we both felt confirmation from the Lord that this position in NJ was where God was leading us. It wasn't an easy transition, but it was the answer to prayer we were seeking and we are so blessed.

Once we all finally moved to NJ in June 2008, we were thrilled to finally be together as a family again and to live out God's blessings. We are ending 2008 with Steve still thriving in his job, Chris well adjusted to his new surroundings and, even though our house has not sold, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Just not in the way we thought. (I'll talk more about that some other time).

I guess what I learned this year more than anything is that God still does answer prayers. It's not always in a quick way, it's not always painless, but it is always on-time and for our own good in the long run. One of my goals for the new year is to trust God with everything and to try to not take back control when I don't see things happening in the natural.

Wrapping Up

Hi Everyone. I'm down in North Port, FL visiting my Dad for a couple of days. We'll soon be heading back up north so I am soaking in every day down here. Sorry I have been out of touch. I don't have much time, but I want to say thanks to Lois for giving me my very first blog award!! It's very exciting.

After all my stories of practical jokes, I thought you'd like to hear the story of a customer who got the best of my mother while she was working for KLM Airlines in the Credit Division of their Accounting Department.

Angry Customer (AC): "I bought tickets on your airline, I didn't use them and I want a full refund!"

Mom (M): "I'm sorry, sir, but those were non refundable tickets and I can not issue a credit"

AC: "I want a FULL refund, no excuses"

M: "Like I said, sir, I can not offer a refund on those tickets. There is nothing I can do."

(The conversation continues like this for several minutes and my mom is doing her best to be professional but is getting more upset because this customer is yelling at her on the phone)

AC: (yelling into the phone) "Listen, lady, I DEMAND A FULL REFUND!!"

M: (raising her voice) "They are non refundable tickets. You can not get a refund."

AC: "I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR SUPERVISOR. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

M: (with a "go ahead and see where that gets you attitude ) "Elizabeth Somma - S-O-M-M-A"
AC: "Well this is Stephen S-O-M-M-A and I just got you!

Much laughter ensued after that exchange. I hope I adequately described the conversation, Steve.