It's me, Charity

Let's just be real here. I'm struggling Choosing Joy today. When I started out on this #ChooseJoy Journey I did not take into the account that the second that you decide you want to get rid of a sin in your life and focus more on God it's like a red alert goes out to Satan and he is ON YOU. I think Satan might go to Starbucks or at least have an espresso machine because he is alive and well and quite perky at all hours of the day, and night. Good thing I serve the God who CREATED Day and Night!  On to the week. Last weekend I was at Payless getting some groceries and wandered down the ice cream aisle. As I was strolling by and looking into the ice boxes I noticed this paper hanging out of an ice cream treat box. So of course I had to stop and open the door to see what it was! It was a coupon for 1.25 off of the particular product. (No I did not buy it and use it!) These coupons are printed off at the cash register and given to you when you check out. So...

The moment I laid eyes on Katy Perry's Grammy's dress I had the feeling I had seen it somewhere before... Oh yes, that's right, I wore the homeschooled version back in the 90's to a Music Competition as well. I'm not saying she looks to me for style inspiration, I'm just sayin.. I wore it first!

I apologize for being a day late in my posting, yesterday I had a fever and was feeling pretty puny. BUT in the spirit of choosing joy, the happy thing about this is that the fever was my body fighting off a sickness! YEAH!!!! My regimen of numerous vitamins, supplements, probiotics and sanitizing every inch of my studio is finally helping protect me from my wonderful, albeit  germy students :) I've had several moments over the past week where I have been able to see very clearly how God has put certain things together to bless me in the difficult time my family is currently walking through. Last Wednesday night I had a rough night and finally broke down and cried. Needless to say Thursday my soul was spent, my eyes were swollen and puffy and I was just struggling. Life goes on, so I, of course needed to teach my lessons. My late afternoon student came, and brought me the sweetest, unexpected treat. Chocolate in Cookies, on a Pink plate. If that isn't a s...

Y'all. I'm not even sure where to begin today. . I kind of feel like I have felt every emotion all in the span of one afternoon. Around noon I was in my bedroom getting ready for the day and my first lesson. My phone started going off with text after text. I checked it and was shocked (to say the least) to see that there was a shooting at Purdue and the campus was on lockdown. I know everyone says it, but you really don't expect things like this to happen where you live. Where you've worked. Where your brother went to school, where you spent hours upon hours in Mackey Arena cheering on the women's basketball team, where your friends work, where your students work and attend. It just doesn't happen. At least it shouldn't. At first I didn't realize the scope of it. I was emailing Audra to make sure her husband was ok and not near the event. I was thinking it was scary but thank goodness no one I knew was in the EE building. Until it hit me. Som...

Y'all! I have something super super exciting to share for Week 2!! of our #ChooseJoy #JoyGivers365 Last week our Pastor sent out an email that we wouldn't want to miss Sunday services, that something was going to be done that has rarely, if ever happened in church! Well my curiosity was piqued! I shared it with my friend Audra who attends a different church, and we both could not figure out what was going to happen! Sunday morning I got up, and at that point had watched a few to many episodes of Say Yes to the Dress on Netflix the day before (Yes, I lead a wild and crazy single life!!) So I was convinced someone was going to get engaged during the service. Lest you think this is a super weird idea, ok well maybe it was! But growing up I pretty much lived at church. Being the romantic dreamer that I was (am) I had this glorious image of sitting in the choir loft and having my one true love come and propose during the service. Yes, I was a strange child. I digres...

It's the 1'st week of #Choosejoy and #JoyGivers365 !! YAY! I have been so excited about this, blogging in my mind each night as I go to sleep. What I have noticed this week is how my mind is beginning to notice and register when I am being negative and complaining and being a Davie Downer! This is a good thing! You can't change what you don't acknowledge (or see). And yes, I totally just quoted Dr Phil. I heart Dr Phil! Anyways, back to what I was saying. If you live in Indiana or anywhere around us you will know that were are in the midst of #Snowmageddon14 and #Deepfreeze14 (another side note, one of my absolute favorite movies is Armageddon! I cry everytime I watch it! So much that my Mom has banned me from watching it at their house, because she can't stand me sobbing during it.) We got 7+ inches of snow last Thursday and then over this weekend we received another 10 inches of snow, and our temps have been in the negatives. Proof. It got lower...

 I ran to Target after church last week and was pleasantly surprised to find out that they still had Christmas Clearance items! I made out like a bandit in the dollar spot! I got this super cute pillow which was marked down to 90 cents!!  They were also selling these glasses? Not sure why, apparently you only need to be hydrated at Christmas time? I bought 3 of them, 2 for makeup in my bedroom, and then I created this cute little pretty thing for my desk. Oh yes, and they were only 30 cents!  After I created one pretty thing for my desk I decided to do more! So I grabbed this small little candle holder..  And then I found a Mason Jar and rigged up this cute thing. I thought it looked very wintery and snow life!  New Years Eve Day I was a busy busy girl! I had to run out and get craft supplies to finish Katie's Christmas gift. My Mom told me I should give E6000 Glue a try instead of my trusty glue gun (that I always burn myself on. Multiple tim...

The best way to start this post and give a description of what I'm challenging myself, and hopefully some of you! to do in 2014 is by watching this video of Davie Downer (aka my Pastor) that we viewed in church on sunday. Last year before Easter Pastor Dave challenged us to go 21 days without complaining. It was hard, but it was very beneficial to me! It really changed the way I thought about and reacted to things. Shamefully after that month was over I slowly began to fall back into my complaining ways. Over the past few weeks I have been thinking on Choosing Joy in all situations and circumstances. My Mom and I have numerous conversations over Christmas break about how we want to see the good in things, and train ourselves to Praise Jesus instead of complaining. I want my heart to be a happy heart, no matter what the circumstances. As Pastor Steve said in our Holly Jolly Christmas Sermons (northviewchurch.us) true Joy doesn't come from a moment that makes u...