"Just call me Neezie for short"

"Just call me Neezie for short". That was my joke with my mom this morning when she was calling me Ebineezer, as in Scrooge.
I'll admit, I deserve that. Whether it be because there isn't any snow, or life is crazy at work, or I'm broke, I'm just having a heck of a time feeling all Christmas-y.But in my defense, I don't feel all Scroogish all of the time. Just every now and then. When no one is looking, I'm getting all teary eyed because I feel so lucky to be loved at this time of year. I know that I am super blessed because I have family and friends to spend this holiday with. Not everyone can say that. Then I saw this clip-this is how I wish everyone could feel, not only on Christmas but everyday!
Merry Christms to you all! I hope that God blesses you over and over and over again!

Warm Fuzzies

When I was a freshman in college, I had a roommate that made these yarn balls with fringe. She called them "warm fuzzies". The idea was something she learned as a camp counselor (a very talented one at that). You gave them to people when they did something that made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Or, when you wanted them to know you were thinking good thoughts of them and for them, making them feel all warm and fuzzy.
Well, ever since then I have begun to recognize that when I get this funny little feeling inside from a happy moment, an amazing realization, when I am overwhelmed with emotion, what I feel is a warm fuzzy.
This week I have the honor of placing three new foster children in loving, giving, Christian homes. It's GREAT! I am so thankful, mostly humbled, that God would use me to play such a vital role in the lives of these children. Wow! It stops me in my tracks when I really try to grasp it all.
So, when I hung up with the referring workers, fully realizing that this was going to be a reality, not just a hope, I got that funny little feeling inside. A warm fuzzy.
I am so thankful for the warm fuzzy moments and for the amazing life events that lead up to them.

Another Year Older

It happened. This week I officially became one year older. For those of you who know me, you might be aware that I do not like my birthday. I'm not sure why, I just don't. So the day usually starts with me giving myself a pep talk. It goes something like this, "Angel, be Thankful. God has give you another year to serve Him, enjoy your family and friends, and accomplish great things in His name". Now, I believe all of that I really, really do. But somewhere in the midst of it all, I get hung up on the fact that when I was younger and making mental plans of how I wanted my life to look at certain ages, I had hoped to be somewhere different in the stages of life . This year seemed much harder than most.

To make the day even more frustrating, I wasn't able to take the day off of work so I spent my day running around doing things for others. That would have been ok, but there was no time, not even a minute, for me. It was 9pm before I even got home.

A few years back I felt the same way on my birthday. To combat the frustration I felt with another birthday I challenged myself. The challenge was kind of complex and not worth repeating, but I can say the results were more than I had anticipated. So this year I am hoping to do the same thing. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around all of it. I'm still dealing with the shock of being further immersed in the grown up world and not feeling one iota more like a grown up. I'm still trying to comprehend how, where, and when my life will take shape. I am just hoping that while all of that settles within me, I will continue to challenge myself and most importantly, recognize that God is doing something worthy in my life. I may not feel it right now or see it, but it must be important because He has given me another year to see it through.

Happy Birthday to me!

Jeremiah 29:11‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14‘I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’