Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Schedule a Day......

Have you ever scheduled a day to have nothing on your schedule?   If you haven't, it is definitely a MUST DO!

I did it yesterday......I cleared EVERYTHING from my calendar, except a trip with Sam.   A simple overnight trip that required me doing Nothing!

I managed to sleep until 8:25......which may not sound late to many of you, but for me.... This was LATE.    Once I got up and got dressed, (and after a couple of cups of coffee) I drove myself to downtown Aggieland, where I found one of my favorite stores..... Barnes and Noble book store!!

I spent two hours in this store.... Sitting and reading and sitting and reading!  I guess you could say that I was acknowledging a gift, as simple as having a free day at a book store.



After spending a few hours at the bookstore, I came back to the hotel and I enjoyed a nice lunch with my sweetie.....at that time, I had no idea as to what the afternoon had in store for me.

After packing up and taking all our luggage to the car....I came back in to the hotel and found a comfortable sitting area which was located on the deck outside of the meeting rooms!  

Let me see if I can properly describe the place.   It was a shaded deck that overlooked a garden and a pool.   Just to my right, was a gorgeous water fountain that flowed down a brick wall....and emptied into the pool.  As I sat there on the deck....reading a decorating magazine....I could feel a fabulous breeze that blew my hair slightly off of my face!

It was just me, the breeze and the sound of water flowing.  Extremely peaceful to say the least.   I am so thankful for this unscheduled day of having NOTHING scheduled.   

Just as we plan for a vacation each year......we should also make it a point to schedule days off for nothing but ourselves.   NO Drs. appointments, NO shopping, NO commitments, NO appointments of any kind!!!   

It may be a long time before I'm able to spend another day like this one.....but I will for sure, add a note to my calendar......

TAKE A DAY FOR SELF!!!

Enjoy your Blessing of today...

Shug ~


Monday, October 5, 2015

Focus on the Positive.....

I'm loving this view that I have today......  I'm looking out over a lot of the happenings at College Station, Texas!  You know, the home of the AGGIES!!  Whoop!



Positive things happen here!!   And....speaking of Positive, a few months ago....I came across a sign that read:

          Stay away from negative people......They have a PROBLEM for every situation!!

I loved it!!  The sign!!...

My goodness....How TRUE this is.




It seems that ever since I read the words on that sign....I have encountered SO MANY conversations where I wanted to just start begging folks to somehow find a way to say at least ONE thing positive.   

Negative words are like Velcro....They stick around!!

I live in this world too.....and I know that there are things happening (daily) that don't look good.  I know that it's hard to paint a happy picture when we read about so much heartache...

But.....God gives us a reason to be joyful.   God is my Lord and Savior and I count it all joy to serve Him!

Positive Thinking speaks Life into my soul...

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Happy Sunday sweet friends....

Geez....I have sure missed blogging!  The biggest thing that I have missed is visiting with my friends.  I have truly missed you all and have missed so many of your stories.

Sam and I have another small trip this week, but I plan to sit back, rest (like I need more rest)  and do a lot of blogging.  Sam will be working, but I'm just going along for the ride!  I guess you could say that it's kinda like I'm his support team!!

Hey.....I have something I want to share with you and I do hope you will be in prayer for those involved.   You know......God moves in ways that we will never be able to understand.

The story goes like this:   Last evening, I had a phone call from our oldest daughter (Trista).....she lives about 4 miles West of us.   While she was on her way home last night, she saw three police vehicles headed toward Chandler.   Trista called me to ask if I knew what was going on in our small little town and then she told me about the police cars.   I could sense a bit of stress and concern in her voice.   She was worried for whatever the situation was that would call for 3 different patrol cars to come to the scene.  

We visited for a few seconds and I told her I would let her know if I found out anything.   A few moments later, Sam and I heard an ambulance pass by our house and Sam made the comment to me that I needed to call our youngest daughter (Shanda) to make sure everything was OK...as she lives just North of us and that was the direction that the ambulance was heading.

I called her and she said:  "Oh mom.....we have just had something very strange happen!"  She said:  "I was going into town to pick up some burgers for dinner and I saw two kids and a woman walking down the road and they were carrying several black trash bags."

When she returned from picking up her food.....she noticed that the two kids were sitting in the road and the mother had walked away.
Shanda stopped to ask the kids what they were doing and they told her that they were trying to get to the Salvation Army....which is several miles away from where they were located.   

To make a long story short.....the lady returned....(she had been drinking) and in a matter of moments, she became aggressive in her actions and began using words that were very inappropriate.   Shanda had left her phone at home and had no way to call the police.   Here is the good thing.....I know that without a shadow of doubt, that God placed Shanda in that particular place on purpose.
God knew that she would NOT drive away and leave those children in that kind of situation!  

Isn't it just like God to have every detail planned out???  Yes, Shanda had left her phone at home.....but God had a better plan.  Coming down the road was my niece and her husband, returning from a trip to First Monday.  They stopped to see if Shanda needed help and wouldn't you know.....God placed them there at the right time, because my niece already had the number that they needed to call for help.

The police vehicles, that Trista saw and was so worried about......were coming to help out her sister in dealing with a terrible situation involving small children and their mom who was not in her right mind.   The mom was arrested and the children were taken to CPS where they would be safe!  The ambulance??  Not sure....maybe it was God's way of having us call to check on Shanda and her family!

These young children were in need and God sent those that HE knew would be able to help.    Being used as one who is an intercessor to those who need prayer (as Trista did),  if it's one who is used to supply the needs (as my niece did with the phone and the number) OR if it's the one who will boldly say: "I'm not leaving these kids here, sitting on this road, while their mother walks the roads in a drunken stuper ......I will see to it that these kids are taken care of!" (as Shanda did)

I believe that the Lord used both of our daughters and my niece to help these children.   I can truly say that God is Awesome and HE leaves nothing unturned.....  God has every detail in plan.

I pray for a healing for this family....I pray for these children!!

Blessings to you all...

Shug ~






Thursday, October 1, 2015

Our Cruise!!

I need an assistant......NO, I need two or three assistants who can help me catch up in life!!

Do you ever feel this way?  Perhaps, my need for someone to help me organize (ME)....stems from too much traveling!!

Well......I have been so excited to share my cruise with all of you...
I can truly say that it was a BLAST~   Sam and I boarded the "Royal Caribbean, Navigator of the Seas" ship, on Sunday, September 20......along with 5 fabulous friends.

Our journey to Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica was ALL + MORE than I expected it to be!  Starting with the LUGGAGE!!!
LOL....one car was PACKED with luggage and the two guys......the other vehicle was packed with 5 super chatty women!

                          unloading......more luggage in the car!!!


    
Our ship......and the first stop in Cozumel.     The water was GORGEOUS!!  Clear and Beautiful.   Sam, Susie and Joe....chose to ride the segways on this day!  The rest of us stayed at a resort and enjoyed the beach and the pool!!

One of us lost their HAT....only to find that (SHE) was sitting on it the whole time!!   There was a comical story involved with this event .....we laughed for the rest of the week!!!

                   
I wanted so bad to pretend that I was on the show "Survivor" and climb to the top of this coconut tree and gather coconuts!!  LOL...
it didn't happen!!


Check this out......The Promenade on level 5 of the ship!  Shopping, eating and a lot of entertainment happened here!!


The chandelier in the Main Dining Room!!  

We had ourselves a great time....each evening.....while dining here.
I so enjoyed the formal nights which were Monday and Friday nights.

Our two waiters were more than Fabulous! They both did an Outstanding job in serving us.   We dined on steaks, Lobster, Fish, and all kinds of desserts!!   So very delicious!


After dinner......while waiting for "Ella Mae" the comedian.
Sam grabbed a few winks before the show..

Our next Port was in Grand Cayman....
While there....we swam with the stingrays!


Oh my.....I was as nervous as a cat in a room full of dogs!
These stingrays were HUGE!!   They would swim right up to us and one even went between my legs!!!  ME Brave?  NO...not hardly!


Sam and I "kissing" a stingray!   Suppose to bring you 7 years of good luck....if you believe in that kind of stuff!!  
I told the guy that I DID NOT WANT to kiss the thing....however, he was persistent in my doing so.

Our third port was Jamaica!  My favorite of all...
I regret that I don't have a photo (right now) of me climbing a 950 foot waterfall.    BUT.....I did do it, along with 5 others in our group.

   
I'll have photos of this later!!  

Oh my.....it was so much fun!!!..........For someone who can not swim (like me).....this was quite an adventure!  Water splashing....NO, Gushing....all around me as I (we) climbed!!

I can honestly say.....this cruise was so much fun.....thanks to my sweet husband and to 5 of our very Best friends!

I have so much more that I could write about this trip, and when all the photos get edited....I will post more!

Hope you enjoy my photos...

shug ~




Sunday Thinking

  Happy St. Patricks Day!   🍀 Tomorrow, I will be filling my hummingbird feeders.  The little beauties should be arriving any day now.  I a...