I've fallen into a hole called: Meetings

I am behind in announcing the winner of the bloggy giveaway due to meetings for United Way and sleep deprivation.

I'll be announcing it shortly... stay tuned!!

Thank you for being a friend...

I'm so sad that Estelle Getty passed away today. As an actress, she was absolutely hilarious and is also the reason I own all available seasons of The Golden Girls on DVD.

"... Thank you for being a friend..."

I have too many pictures...

Yesterday, I went and bought a brand new camera. My Canon Powershot A630 went on to be with Jesus in Photoheaven a few days ago. It had been on camera life-support for a while, and I'd been praying, but it finally just died. I have been looking for several months at what I wanted to get though. Honestly, I wanted a Nikon D60, but that camera costs $699.00 before tax, and I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much. So, yesterday at lunch, I went and bought a Canon SX100IS. It's black, and cute, and a really good camera. I used it to take pictures yesterday on a United Way tour and last night at dinner.

Fast forward to this morning.

I go to unload my memory card, and I have 783 pictures and 4 videos. THAT is entirely too much "Memory" to be toting around in one little bitty 'ole camera. To think... I gave a friend of mine a hard time about having too many clothes this weekend, and I'm toting nearly 10 months worth of photos in my purse everday. RIDICULOUSNESS. But to find the silver lining on the cloud, I did find some pictures that, upon further examination, made me laugh, including one photobombing picture. :)

Enjoy!

The weekend

I had friends who needed some help moving into a new place this weekend. I'm using the word "Some" loosely since I got chastized for not moving large furniture, but I did help! When we weren't taking breaks in the pool, or when I wasn't running off to grab a nap, I was helping.

But today was hilarious thanks in part to my friend Miranda. Just because I like shout-outs for the whole world to read, I thought I'd mention a few highlights.

1. Sis. Whittington getting the Holy Ghost in the pool.
2. The cannonball
3. Kielbasa/bratwurst/polish sausage
4. "Hair" care
5. slipping and slidding off the float
6. (and the least funny of them all) bug bites

As you can imagine, it was a memorable day. :)

writing this makes me Physically ill

A few days ago, I asked you to pray for my best friend and her family. At the time I was not at liberty to tell why, but I can now.

My friend and her husband found out that their two oldest children, a 7 year old girl and 4 year old boy, have been molested/sexually abused by their daycare/babysitter's 11-year old son. He has also molested at least ten other children, and other families are still coming forward.

At this time, the State of Ga won't do anything with him -- having primarily to do with the rights of a minor.

Please continue to remember my friend and her husband, asked God to strengthen them, comfort them, and be with them.

***BLOGGY GIVEAWAY***

I shared recently that I have a deep, deep, unfettered love for all things School Supplies. I think that some of you may think I was kidding. Thus I give you, EXHIBIT 1:

But, in spite of what you think of me, I want you to understand that life is all about events, including opportunities to pay it forward. For the last few days, I have been thinking about this, pondering, looking for answers and ideas, and tonight, some things came to fruition.

In our everyday lives, whether at the gas station, the bank, or the grocery store, we all invariably cross paths with someone with a need. In light of some recent news in my life, I have an even greater desire to give a child -- nay children -- an opportunity that I can afford. (Thus the beauty of being single at this time in my life.) I am very blessed to have four parents (my biologicals and two steps) who all have college educations. As long as I can remember, my Mom and Dad instilled in me the desire to learn, grow, study, be better, be smarter, work harder -- to just be somebody. But in the reality I live in, the reality that spends nearly $550 a month on gasoline alone, I have some idea of what can't be afforded.

Man, I'm getting really long winded here, huh? Wrap it up.

So, tonight, I robbed Wal-Mart.

Oh wait... that came out wrong. I went into Wal-mart to buy a few things and basically came out with enough school supplies for four children. But this is where I need your help. Part of the principal of paying it forward is giving someone else the opportunity to bless somebody. So, the giveaway...

IS ALL YOU SEE ON THE TABLE...

in the hopes that you will find a child in your church, your grocery store, your neighborhood, the local gas station (you get the point), who NEEDS all this stuff to build the foundation for a good education.

But that's not all.

What you don't see on the table, are the backpacks/book bags to pull all this stuff into. When you win (and someone will win!), let me know who you're gonna bless, and I'll up the anty by sending you gender specific bags to tote all this stuff!

In order to enter, please leave a comment with your name and email. Please, please, please tell a friend too. I'll ship to anywhere in the continental U.S. Most of all... I just want to find some kid, some family who really needs this, and I can't do that without you.

(In case you are wondering, I did purchase a completely separate batch of supplies and a bookbag to deliver to a child tomorrow.) But I want to share the love with all of you!

The giveaway will end Tuesday, July 22nd @ 7:00pm Eastern time.

"For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." Luke 12:48b

**I just realized that I did not have it so that anyone could comment. If you comment as anonymous... don't forget to put your name and email!!*

'Cause lists keep you on your bloggy toes

Today in the mail, I received a $25.00 check from Bank of America thanking me for referring customers and asking me to continue to do so. I honestly LOVE my bank! They have been incredible, reasonable, easy to work with, and have the best online banking system ever. And I've used SEVERAL -- TRUST ME. (AmSouth has the WORST. Ask me about my experience and I'll write you a book.) When my ATM/credit card got stolen, they replaced funds within 24 hours, called me back (Hello, that's a forgotten form with banks nowadaways), and prosecuted the weirdos who bought junk with my credit card.

Plus, they have the Keep the change program, and every year I keep my accounts with them, they'll give me nearly $80. (They match what you save the first three months and then give it to you annually until you close your accounts). Can you say FREE MONEY? Considering the financial bondange I was in five years ago, and the nearly $3000 I gave AmSouth (and No, I did not add too many zeros), I am so blessed to have such a good bank.

I could go on and on... but will say that they rock, and if you use me as a reference, I'll give you the $25 they give me!!!

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Today, a friend of mine (not the prayer request) received some news that hurt her single heart. I was excited that we were going to walk tonight so that I could encourage her. Here's the conversation that followed:

Me: How are you?

Friend: I didn't think I'd be so sad.

Me: I'm sorry. I totally understand. But, you know what I think? I think this was God's way of saving 'You're not good enough for Him".

WHAATT??????

After promptly inhaling, chewing, and swallowing my foot, I corrected myself by saying that this is God's way of closing the door because IN FACT my friend is TOO GOOD for him.

Slip o' the tongue is all I'm saying. SHEESH.

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You have to know that I spent the better part of six years without a roommate. I was content to not have anyone going through my stuff, borrowing make-up/jewelry, and infringing on my times. (I still hate when people rifle through my jewelry though. It drives me CRAZY.)

**You can imagine why I would have much such a great catch as a wife during that time, no?**

:)

But two years ago, God, in His Infinite-Right-on-Time-Readin'-my-mail-kinda way knew that I needed a detour and the only way I was going to get the hint was if He forced my hand.

Enter: Eviction when Landlord sells duplex outright and new owner wants to occupy my unit. (Other side rented).

What seemed unimaginable turned out to be the greatest blessing! The last four-and-a-half months however, my roommate has been in her hometown with some undiagnosable virus. I don't think I've asked for prayers for her on the blog, but tonight I'm submitting a request because:

her fishies died.

I'm sorry, but I'm not a pet person anyway, and the last thing I aspire to do is dig a white, scaly, stanky carcus out of a fishtank.

And y'all, fish STANK.

So, I'm really in need of her coming back to me soon. Oh yeah, and I miss her bunches. And her little dog too.

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Hasta Manana InterPeeps.

Tenge,
Genoveve! Ole!

Please pray

My best friend (of 22 years) called me this morning and shared with me some sickening news. Without going into the gory details of it all, please help me pray for my friend, her husband, their kids, and the other kids/parents affected.

Thanks,
Jenn

Various & Unsundry... part I lost count.

Last night, a friend and I went through the drivethru at McDonald's. The girl who took the money had an unusual button on. I asked if that was her boyfriend/husband. Turns out it was her husband, and right now he is in Alaska waiting to be deployed to Iraq. Before I really registered what I was saying, I asked for her name and her husband's name to pray for her...

May I always be so bold.

Her name is Ariel Hines-Buffington, and her husband is PFC Corey Buffington. When you pray for our military, would you say a prayer for Ariel and Corey?

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I have a serious love of all things SCHOOL SUPPLIES. There is something magical about opening a new box of pens, or crayons, or pulling lined paper out to fill a notebook. It gives me chills. In the last week, I've visited three Wal-Marts, a Staples, and an Office Depot to find nifty new stuff in the hopes that I can find some use for it. At each of the stores I have seen the Mom Planner, and want to buy it for all my mommy friends... it's adorable! and functional! and has stickers! Today's purchases included some super-cute notebooks (to keep in the car or purse), and Crayola's new True to Life Crayon pencils. My goal is to use them to accent cards and stationary that I send out.

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I think the drama-o-the-computer-at-work has finally settled. Yesterday I received a call that I would get a new DVD/CD burner drive/player, instead of a whole brand new machine. And there was some praisin' Jesus for that after I got off the phone.