Living out Romans 10:14

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him?
And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him?
And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?
Romans 10:14, NLT

I have a cousin. Well, actually, I have several cousins. Lots, actually. They make me laugh. No, they make me spew sweet tea or diet coke or whatever I happen to have in my mouth at the precise moment they say something like "Not chicken soup! Tuna soup! Tuna fish salad!" (Don't even bother trying to get that...it's a Smith cousin thing....) It's all I can do not to choke.

But I digress. This cousin, Jessica, happens to feel the call of God on her life. She has such an interesting vision...such passion for what she does and the field she works in...well, I'll let her tell you...

"Jesus communicated his love, his forgiveness, and his relationship to us in story, in parables. He believes greatly in the power of the story and so do I. As a filmmaker specializing in both short and feature narrative fiction, I tell stories to help people see God, the relationship He wants, and what He offers in this life. I may not sound like a typical missionary, but I absolutely want to share the love, hope, and redemption in Christ -- through the power of a well told story.

But I need your help."

Please click over and read about her internship with Broken Phonebooth Productions, an organization under the umbrella of Campus Crusade for Christ (for lack of a better phrase...Jess will probably correct me) and The JESUS Film Project.

And, if you're felt led to give, that will be just one more step closer to Jessica's goal...to get down there and get to work.

Fall Tassels on Sale!

With the approach of Thanksgiving next week, along with the relentless tirade from television, radio, Facebook, Twitter, etc, etc. that WE MUST START CHRISTMAS SHOPPING NOW OR WE'LL MISS OUT ON THE BIGGEST SALES EVER!!!!!

Oh...sorry....

Ahem...

What was I saying? OH! Since the Christmas season is upon us, my fall/autumn tassels are now on sale.

Autumn Acorn Tassel - $23.00

Basket o' Plenty Tassel - $15

Pumpkin Tassel with Bow Tie - $14

And of course, since the Christmas season is upon us, I have several Christmas tassels that haven't been snatched up yet.

All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go Penguin - $25

And there are several more where he came from. Of course, if you'd like a custom tassel, I'm sure I have a topper and fringe that will fit just about anyone on your gift list. Even your cranky old Uncle Edgar.

Okay...maybe not him. But everyone else!

Oh, and remember, if you have bought a tassel from me before, you get free shipping!

Deja vu - TVP edition

My last post was about The Vintage Pearl. This post is about The Vintage Pearl. Spooky, huh?

Not really. I just want to win $75 IN TVP JEWELRY! The Nester is hosting a HUGE giveaway day and The Vintage Pearl is one of the wonderful participants.

Have I told you how much I love my TVP Relevant necklace? Well, I do. I wear it all the time now.

So, in order for you to have a chance to win some great jewelry, head over to The Vintage Pearl's Blog and enter to win.

The Vintage Pearl Giveaway at 10 Million Miles...

One of the wonderful things about Relevant was meeting so many amazing women. Some, I had read their blogs. Others, like Laura, I had not. I'm so glad I got to meet her as well as hear her story. She shared what she and her family have been through this year as she introduced Angie Smith Friday night. I will more than likely tell more about Laura in the days ahead because she blessed me so much Saturday night. More on that later.

Right now, I'm here to say that Laura is hosting a giveaway at her blog, 10 Million Miles, for a $50 gift certificate toThe Vintage Pearl!
I love TVP's stuff. They graciously donated 200+ necklaces to add to the AWESOME giveaway bags we got when we signed in. Imagine my glee when I took hold of the pretty black bag and opened it to find this beauty. Squealing is the only word I can use to describe what came out of my mouth. (BTW, the brown and pink pin was also in the giveaway bag...it's from the wonderfully awesome Kelly Joy Boutique. If you visit her page and see the University of Memphis hair clip...I sent her that fabric! Hey, I gotta have my 15 minutes of fame somehow...)(oh, and the turquoise flower pin behind it? It's from the wonderfully awesome Ashley at Our Daily Chocolate. It was NOT in the giveaway bag but I did get it as a giveaway. It's a long story. : ) And she really is wonderfully awesome!)

ANYway...back to the subject at hand. Look at this necklace that I am drooling over.LOVE it! It's called "vintage lovebirds" and even though we're not quite vintage (no matter WHAT Kiddo says), I think this is perfect for Sound Man and me.

If you'd like a chance to win the $50 gift certificate to The Vintage Pearl, hop over to Laura's blog to enter the giveaway. I know you will like her as much as I do.

Ever Grateful!

One of the most wonderful things about Relevant (aside from hearing from amazing women like Sally Clarkson and Ann Voskamp) was all the great products that sponsors gave away. Since one of the main sponsors was Dayspring, they offered some WONDERFUL products to review.

Dayspring's line of Ever Grateful Collection is absolutely beautiful. As the recipient of this gorgeous pitcher, I can honestly say this is quality stuff.

Ever Grateful - 10" Large Pitcher

Photo by Dayspring

When the box came to my door, I was so excited. I've never had a pitcher to grace my kitchen, so this is a beautiful addition that makes me happy just to look at it.

Having the chance to look at so much of the Ever Grateful Collection in person, I now want every piece! The beautiful, earthy colors go with any decor, and the inspiring sayings, verses, and designs allow you to share your faith with friends and family without being over the top. Please check out the Ever Grateful line out from Dayspring. You might even find something to put on your Christmas wish list!

*Disclaimer: I recieved this pitcher from Dayspring in return for an objective review of the product. I really do love it and the rest of the Ever Grateful line!

My Blogging Has Purpose?

This post is not about all I got from Relevant. It's been over a week since I returned home, and I still have yet to write it all down. Fear not, though...I will write it down. The men are going hunting this weekend so I will have some time to just sit at the computer to my heart's content.

But I will say that the Lord taught me several things that weekend. He taught me (through Ann Voskamp) that my blog has a purpose. It's not just random thoughts that I think no one really cares about. Well, some of it is, but it has a higher purpose.

"This is what I blog. Because this is who I am. I am a mess – who often doesn’t want to get out of bed. Who struggles and preaches ugly self-sermons to herself and some days just really doesn’t know how to go on. I don’t have it all together. I blog about not having it all together. And you know what? I’m almost willing to hazard a guess that there a whole lot of other women out there like me who are a bit of a mess and who don’t know how to get out of bed some mornings and who have to fight. Hard. For. Joy.

"...And when you sit down to your keyboard, and you write a blogpost — you are writing for me. You are writing for messed up me, and the messed up woman next door, and the messed up woman sitting beside you in church and messed up You. We need your messy stories. And you need your messy stories." ~ Ann Voskamp, A Holy Experience

The Lord is showing me that even though I started out this blog with no real purpose but to put some random thoughts down, I want it now to bless other people. To bless me. So...I will be making some changes. Not that many of you will see them...but I will.

So...for now, please go read Ann's keynote speech. As soon as she opened her mouth to speak, I knew God was going to speak to me. And guess what? You can hear her read her speech (I HIGHLY recommend you do this! Her voice is like buttah) or you can just read it yourself. My guess is that you'll find yourself written on her page.

My Soul is Full!

Okay, I know you want to hear ALLLLLL about Relevant. And I want to tell you ALLLLLL about it. But there is just too much. I have to write everything down, and process all I wrote, and filter, and pray, and praise, and, well...it's going to be a long process.

I will say that this weekend was better, more life-giving, more restful, than I EVER thought it would be. I met so many amazing women I lost count. I agree with Kristen when she says, "Know this: the weekend had very little to do with blogging." It was more about meeting God.

There are so many posts out there about the weekend I'm sure you can find one, but the one I've read so far that sums it up best for me would be Kristen's. Read it here.

And if you don't already subscribe to Ann Voskamp, do it. NOW. No...I mean it!

Never fear. I will post. And post and post and post. I'm telling you...it's too much.

Relevant!!!!

I can't believe it...I just can't believe it. It's finally here. Tomorrow morning (before the crack of dawn...I have to leave my house about 4:30...IN THE MORNING!) I leave for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to join 199 other women for the Relevant Conference.

Oh, how I'm looking forward to this. I can't wait to share my experiences, not to mention pictures. My husband bought two extra camera batteries just for the trip. I take a lot of pictures.

Most of all, I'm looking forward to resting. Sure, I'll probably stay up later than I should, and eat junk all weekend, but I will be getting soul rest. And maybe a little body rest, too.

See you when I get back!

I Still Love Fall

To say "Thank you" to all of you who have shared a sweet word of encouragement after Momma's passing wouldn't nearly be enough. I wish I could give every one of you a hug. Please know that I took every word to heart and they all lifted my spirits.

Things are slowly...very slowly getting back to normal. I have yet to clean up the guest room which was Momma's room while she was here. There are some things I really need to do in there, and yet I just don't want to face it. I still have to work through some things...but I'm getting there.

I was just talking to one of my mother's best friends and she mentioned that fall seemed to be the time of year when most of her loved ones have passed away. She said that she just didn't like fall very much for that reason. While the same could be said of my family, losing loved ones hasn't made me change my mind about fall. It's still my favorite season. Yes, I'll always have the memories of losing my precious family members, but that can't take away from the beauty around me.

Just this morning I looked out the window to see my Crape Myrtle turning its fall shade of orange red against the brilliant blue October sky. The temperatures are finally normal, which for us is a perfect 72 degrees as a high today. The breeze is blowing through the window, and my wind chimes are playing a happy melody just outside. Wind chimes that Momma gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago. Sweet song.

These pictures are from last year, but the scenario is the same...

And I can't wait for this beautiful tree to turn golden. It's on one of the streets on the way to the library. It is SO gorgeous.

Yes, while fall brings back bittersweet memories and will bring back even more next year, it still makes my heart smile.

Peace...

I am so tired right now my eyes are almost crossing as I'm typing. I'm tired of the phone, computer, texting. My brain hurts. But, it's okay. I wanted to stay on here for just a minute longer to tell you.

Momma met Jesus face to face about 3 in the afternoon yesterday.

Blessed, blessed peace.

A Long Road Ahead

I love to be light-hearted. Most of my posts are. I'm looking so forward to Relevant so I can have a blast and be loud and laugh my tail off.

But this post is not light-hearted. It's a rare glimpse into my heavy soul...where I am right now.

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that my mother has cancer. It started out in 2004...breast cancer. She went into remission, but in 2008 it came back, this time on her bones.

I just can't write all that has happened this year...it's been the hardest year of our lives. Momma is living with me to be closer to Memphis and her doctors (among other reasons). The cancer is taking its toll. She is weakening more and more and the doctor doesn't know if any more chemo will help. He wants to try one more, if she is strong enough to take it.

Last week, when my sister, Carlyn, took her to the doctor, she wasn't strong enough. She was dehydrated; the doctor said the cancer probably caused that. He ordered IV fluids for a few days, something else new I had to learn to do. I also had to learn how to give insulin shots, since the steroids in the fluids made her sugar spike.

I have been prepared to hear that the cancer was weakening her. I have. But I don't know if I'm prepared for what will happen from here. I'm sitting here almost sick at my stomach from the things I've had to do today.

Am I strong enough for this? I haven't cried all day until just now, writing it out. I just wish I could go one day without feeling the need to cry, or try to hold something back from Momma so she won't get upset.

I don't often ask for prayer or help...I guess I don't want to sound like I'm whining. But I'm asking for prayer.

I'm asking that the Lord will give me, as well as my sister, who has helped me immensely, the strength we will need over the next few months. Please pray that I can physically handle what I never thought I'd be able to. I'm scared of what is coming. I'm scared I won't be able to get through it without showing huge weakness to my mother. I need to be strong for her.

Pray for my husband, my rock. I don't know what in the world I would do without him. He has saved me from myself so many times. He is my voice of reason. He is the go-between for my sister and me to my mother's husband (that is a whole other story I won't go into, but suffice it to say we've not had the best relationship). But in being the rock of the family, he also is dealing with some of the same grief issues that I am.

Pray for my ten-year old Kiddo. He is hurting in ways I can't understand. I didn't have to watch my precious Mimmie die. He is watching his Grandmother weaken daily. He worries. He cries. He acts out. The other day he told me our children's pastor asked him what was wrong after he got in trouble in children's church for the second time in two weeks. He told him he didn't know. I asked him why he didn't tell him and he said, "I was embarrassed." My guess is he didn't want to start crying where the other boys might see him, so he just clammed up. Oh, my soul...pray for my son.

And finally, pray for my mother. I don't even know what to ask you to pray over her. She is in pain. She feels like she can't breathe very well. She hardly gets out of bed anymore. I have to take her to the doctor Thursday and I just don't know how she'll be afterwards. She had one of her worst days last doctor's visit.

And I'm sure she's scared. She will be with Jesus, but just isn't ready to go home yet.

Thank you, if you've read this far. Thank you for praying, for those of you who will. I am praying God blesses you greatly for sacrificing a little time to pray for my family.

Just a Quick Post...

WOW.

That's all I can say about this weekend. All of it, really. But I don't have the time or energy to put on here all I want to. Oh, I'll post about it, just not at the moment.

What I DO have the time and energy to do is show you my rockin' hair. I wish I could have Hollie come do my hair every morning. Sigh...I guess with a husband and a baby that would be pretty impossible for her to do. Oh, well.

Is it not soooooo stinkin' cute? Can I say that about my own hair? I hope so, because I've been squealing about it since Friday. This picture was actually taken last night after she came early before the concert to fix it all purty.

Have I said I love it? Well, I do. Just so you know. You know, I'm feelin' a little sassy....

Mmm-hmm...

I'm such a goob.

What I'm looking forward to...

Here's what I'm looking forward to in the near future...

Tomorrow night:

Third CD recording. How funny is it that I haven't said a word about it, and by this time on the first recording I had posted about it ad nauseam? Kind of like how my older sister has lots of baby pictures and somehow when I was born it was like the camera broke? Maybe the novelty has worn off, but the excitement hasn't. It will be a fun night.This afternoon:

Lunch with Kat. Taco Bell, no less. Ahhh...can't wait. No, really, I can't. She and I don't get to spend nearly the time together we wish we could. Before Kiddo was born she and I would sometimes meet for lunch at her house (which was in our subdivision at the time) and eat Totino's pizza. Good times.

Also this afternoon:

I'm getting my hair done by our Worship Pastor's wife, Hollie. Not only is she drop dead gorgeous, she also has a very squishy almost-four-month old that I want to smooch. A lot. I hope he'll be there. Oh, and she does hair like nobody's business. She's never cut my hair but wanted to do it for my birthday. Woot! Who am I to say no? She's been so busy we're just now able to schedule it. That it falls the day before the concert is serendipitous.

In the near future:

High temps in the low 80's. Wait...that won't happen for another month. Sarah Mae said something on Facebook about the crisp air this morning. Yeah...she don't live in the South, baby. It was 80 degrees and muggy at 6 a.m. today. Humididty at 74%, and rising, I'm sure. My hair is going to grow bigger as the day goes on. So...yeah, I'm looking forward to decent temps. And gold, orange, red, purple leaves. Have I mentioned fall is my favorite season?

What are You looking forward to?

Funky Crow

Now that the days of summer are quickly coming to an end, I have been adding several fall tassels to the ol'Etsy Shop.

An Acorn.

A Basket o' Plenty.

A Pumpkin (although it's sold, you can still request one and I'll make one up in a jiffy).

But my favorite one so far has to be this one. The Funky Crow. That sounds like some kind of dance, doesn't it?Well, it's not in this case. He is so stinkin' cute I can't get enough of him. Don't you love his expression?He's nesting in some black fringe, and underneath he has black and white polka dot ribbon mixed in with some black grosgrain ribbon. And that candy corn ribbon (psst...you have to read to the end). I have looked for it at Hancock's to no avail this year, so when it's gone, evidently it's gone. If anyone knows where I can get more, puh-lease tell me!

I'll be making and adding more fall tassels soon. I have a lot of custom orders I'm doing right now, but don't worry...the fall (AND Christmas! Woooo hoooo!) tassels will be out soon!

Sloppy Joes

Lately around our house, if it's not easy, it doesn't get fixed for supper. I have more on me now than I've had in long, long time. So, my slow cooker has become my best friend. And when a recipe can be either slow cooker or fast cooked and still taste the same? That makes me happier than a "tornado in a trailer park." Name that movie.

Anyway, my friend Lisa found a recipe for Sloppy Joes that will, as Tim Hawkins says, "make you wanna slap yer momma!" (Speaking of Tim Hawkins, Kristen from We are THAT Family is giving away an autographed copy of Tim's new DVD, I'm No Rockstar. If you haven't heard of Tim Hawkins, good grief, go to YouTube and search his name. NOW. He will make you laugh so hard you can't breathe.)

Sorry...I digress. This recipe for Sloppy Joes is the best one I've ever tasted. SO much better than store bought. You can throw it together in the slow cooker and have it ready for when you want it, or you can zip it up and have it ready in less than thirty minutes.

Here you go:

Simple Sloppy Joes

2 pounds ground beef (I used one pound ground deer and 1 pound ground beef)
1 large onion, finely chopped (I used half of a medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used one)
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
1 cup ketchup
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons soy sauce
hamburger buns

In a large skillet cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat
is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce and paste, ketchup, brown
sugar and soy sauce; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and
simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon mixture onto individual hamburger buns.

This serves a TON. The sauce in this recipe is actually doubled from the original recipe, so if you don't want as much, just halve the stuff after the garlic. But we like lots o' sauce. The meat, onions, and garlic stayed the same, but the liquid stuff and brown sugar is doubled. MMMMmmm....I served 6 last night, had enough leftover for 5 tonight, and put probably enough for 4 more in the freezer. Did I say a TON? It's also CHEAP. Less than $.75 per serving. If you can get ground beef on sale or if you have ground deer (no one will be able to tell it's deer meat), even cheaper. If you can splurge a bit or if you have a coupon, I LOVE to serve this on the larger Sister Schubert's dinner rolls. Oh. My. Word. "It's like eating a baby angel." There you go, Kat.

Linking to Jen's Tasty Tuesday!

A Mother's Love

It might not be Mother's Day weekend, but this could quite possibly be the sweetest video ever. If you like dogs and cats, that is. If not, watch it anyway to be amazed at the leopard and baby baboon. It's amazing.

WAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!

Sarah Mae is giving a tassel away!

I have to throw this post up reeeeeeeally quickly and I'm sure with tons of typos, but I've hijacked Sound Man's computer in the sound booth at church to tell you that Sarah Mae is giving an Open Sky exclusive tassel away! Go check the post out! Woot!

P.S. The pumpkin tassel sold this morning, but I will be adding more later! If you'd like one custom made, please let me know. Leave me your email address and I will get back to you ASAP!

That I May Know the Hope...

Where I'm at right now...

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Ephesians 1:17-21

Bird Nerd, part ad nauseum

I can't help it. Birds make my heart pitter patter. Which, I guess, is why I love bird tassels. It seems to me that y'all do, too, since almost half of my tassel sales have been bird related (either birds, nests, or roosters/chickens). Which is why I'm sharing my two newest tassels listed in my Etsy Shop:I lurve these colors on this brown bird tassel. The bottom fringe looks more brown than burgundy, but it's really brownish-burgundyish. I totally made that word up.

Then there's this fun black and gold little dude. He's just plain cute.

If you needed any more convincing that I'm a bit of a fanatic about birds, let me remind you of my Christmas presents last year...Got Crow Creation's Mini Felted Titmouse. I cannot get over how cute this little dude is. PLEASE go see how wonderfully talented and creative this girl is! She crafts such beautiful little birds, one of which is smaller than a dime, nest and all! I may have to ask for another bird from her this year. They are so reasonable, too, at just $12.

Sadly, I can't find the Etsy shop where my next bird-nerd gift came from...evidently they have closed up shop, which makes me sad, since she did beautiful pendants...I get so many comments when I wear this. "That is SO you, Heathahlee!" Is what I hear most often. That makes me smile.

And of course, my Susie Harris sign.I do love her and her stuff! I'm so grateful to say I can call her a friend in real life.

Okay, enough bird talk. For now. When I give Kat's daughter, Fep, her birthday present, I'm sure I'll add that to the list. Oh, who am I kidding? I can't wait to show it to you...I just hope Fep doesn't see this...It's a horrible pic but it was taken in horrible light with my phone. I wanted Kat's approval and for some reason haven't taken any pics with our regular camera. I hope she loves it. I sure do!