Cheers to Finidng Strength in God

I've been under a lot of stress lately and for some reason the stress has taken me by storm this week (started over the weekend).  This devotion popped up in my inbox today from Joel Osteen and what PERFECT timing it was.  It reminded me that I need to find my strength in God. He will get me through this and guide me with strength and wisdom.  What an awesome God he is!

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak" (Isaiah 40:29, NIV)

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

Oftentimes, when we are facing difficulty, it's easy to become weary in our minds and emotions.  Trying to figure it all out in our own strength can be exhausting.  But we weren't meant to figure everything out, we were meant to trust.  We were meant to call on Him and let Him be the hero of our story!  

The Bible says in Isaiah that when you cry to God for help, as soon as He hears, He will answer you! He will give you strength when you are weary and increase your power when you feel weak.  No matter what is going on in your life today, God is greater than any obstacle or difficulty you may be facing.  Do you need strength to overcome a challenge in your life? Do you need power to stand strong in the midst of a storm?  Call on Him and He will hear you.  Open your heart, and by faith, receive His strength and might.  Let Him empower you to live in victory and overcome all the days of your life!

A Prayer 

Father in heaven, thank You for hearing and answering my prayers.  Fill me with Your strength and power today.  I trust You are working things out for my good as I surrender every area of my life to You.

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

You can get Joel and Victoria Osteen's Devotions sent to your email everyday by going to his website.

Sorry for the Hiatus! --"I'm not cheersing" to that

Hello friends...please don't be mad at me ;) I still love you! 

This weekend was crazy/crazy short, well it seemed that way to me.  I didn't have time to do anything I needed to get done.  I apologize for the brief Hiatus, I promise to have a new post up this evening/tonight.  Even if I have to stay up past Teen Mom.  I know I know, yes I dooo watch that show haha.  

I love these Felix the cat clocks!   I secretly have always wanted one, wouldn't it look so cute in a retro kitchen or basement? I think so.  Even a kids play room!

Cheers to Easy Brezzy Saturday

Normally I'm spending time with my wonderful baseball player...however this weekend is GG's (Grandma Gail) birthday and Jordan FINALLY gets to see his favorite team play live! GO DUKE!  I'm obviously bummed I can't see him, it's been hard to deal with but can't dwell and he is going to have so much fun!

So this Saturday I will spend my time celebrating GG's birthday..btw I got her the cutest clutch EVER from this store in town called Lilly's.  Later I'm going to the fabric store to try and find some scrap material to make some zippered pouches inspired by Gussy Sews tutorial today.  I normally make garments but have really wanted to get into sewing "things" so this looked like a cheap/easy way to start.  Pics and updates on this later today! yayy :)


Sorry there isn't much to this, I have to start getting ready and thought I'd leave everyone with a little cliff hanger ;)

Happy Easy Brezzy Saturday!

picture

Cheers to Awkward and Awesome Thursdays!

I've been following the cutie blog The Day Book , I absolutely love how unafraid she is to be herself.  Maybe because I see a lot of myself in her.  I also have to give her props for opening my eyes to thrifting, now I've always been a thirfting fan, but she has opened my eyes to so much more.  Every Thursday Sydney does a Awkward and Awesome blog post, I decided to link up with her and share my many awkward moments and back them up with some pretty awesome ones :)

If you want to link up with The Day Book and post your Awkward and Awesomeness you can click the A&A link above


Awkward

This is me my freshman year...the bestie/best room mate ever took this while I was "poofing" my hair

Tuesday we had an "open house" job fair at my work.  I was in charge of escorting groups to the location and giving them a mini tour as they arrived.  I ran into a tree, a sign, lost my voice, couldn't catch my breath, and was walking like  I had been dancing at a bar all night becuase I forgot flats. 

Someone walked into the bathroom as I was "tooting" and caught me making a "toot face" in the mirror

Plans with mom to go to movies:
Step Dad says: I want to go but I have plans with Goody(bff)
Mom Says: Well bring Goody, I don't mind if Brittney doesn't
I say: Oh that's fine I don't care.
We arrive at movies...
Step Dad is in bathroom, my mom sits me bext to Goody not leving space for step dad to sit nex to his friend.  It's slightly awkward. Then there is a sex scene.  Then step dad says (after movie) hey lets all go to dinner.  We get to dinner, I think your mom and I are going to get the 2 for 20...I say oh that's what Jordan and I always get too! (ohp I let it out that's the baseball players name :)  Step dad says: Why don't you and goody get it, its a good deal...then he realizes haha it's like we're on a double date.  The whole rest of the dinner (until my mom finallyyy steps in ) they are giving jabs that we are on a date and go as far as to ask the servier for a milkshake w/ 2 straws ANNDDD take pictures  STOP IT!

It's that time of the month and every walk to the bathroom with my little bag that is masquerading itself as a makeup bag. I am convinced everyone knows what it really is, even though it is a makeup bag.

In the locker room, a woman standing close to and behind me had her backside facing the mirror, I look up and she has her towel lifted lotioning her bum talking to a friend...ahhh
 
Awesome
Waking up to a cutey message in my inbox from the boy :)

Yesterday's Yoga class!

I love this season of American Idol and have so much more love for JLO. I was never a JLO hater, I'll clear that up.  I've always liked her, just never followed her.  AI has made me see what an awesome and real person she is. 

AI this season in general!

Today is Thursday that means tomorrow is Friday :)

This is my first Awkward and Awesome Thursday!

I lost 4lbs!

A co-worker just said this and it made me laugh "most women diet before their weddings, I'm eating like a horse"

Jordan has to be the biggest Duke Basketball fan I know, he finalllyyy gets to see them play live for the first time!!!

Awful!
Not getting to the boy this weekend!! ahhhh

Cheers to Coffee

I love coffee, do you love coffee?  It's more than just a drink that gives ya a little boost in the AM.  It's just cozy and comforting.  I love mornings when I can wake up before everyone else, grab my book and coffee, and just be.  I love how it brings old friends together, I love how it can be the center of catching up, I love how it revives you on long nights studying for a grueling exam.  I love how it brings comfort during bad situations, I love coffee art in latte's. (ok latte is espresso but obviously lattes are included)

What else do I love? The coffee cup the boy surprised me with last year for my b-day, it's in hand every morning :)

So in honor of coffee, here's some coffee art :)

 My bloggin' coffee art :)

All my pictures came from here obvi except the first one which is me ;)

Cheers to Forgiveness

The boy is so wonderful, I think this is his biggest pet peve, but he loves me anyway :)  

He's just looking out for me (probably himself too) and doesn't want me(us) to burn the apartment down or get electrocuted;)

As a Christian and with the way things are these days forgiveness is so important.  We have so much stress, unfairness, and wrong doings in our lives, can you imagine how much hatred and angst we would hold in our hearts if we didn't forgive people. 

My grandma has had quite the life...so many things have happened to her; abuse, death of son and brother, health, and addiction in our family...the list also goes on.

I was talking to her about my dad not that long ago and she told me that the only way she gets through the day is to stay angry, she thinks that if she doesn't it will be too much to handle on top of all the grieving, stress, and medical issues she's also dealing with. 

My grandma is such a strong willed woman, some may call her stubborn...ok they might be accurate.  I think strong willed is more fitting for her though, she has been through so much that I can't blame her, so sometimes my advice just goes out the window when I tell her, but I tell her anyway. 

If my grandma could just let go, not be angry and forgive my dad I think it would help her.  The forgiveness doesn't take away the worry but it lets you focus on him, it lets you focus on the person we KNOW he is and the person we hope to get back some day.  Letting go and forgiving would allow her to throw away some of the stress and sadness on her heart, its not hers, it's his so don't take it.  He is her child so I understand this is hard (not fully bc I don't have kids) I just wish she would try.

Try to forgive those who have done wrong to you, its not worth carrying around.  

After all...what right do they have to interfere in your emotions that way, none so don't let them.  

Everyone makes mistakes, we have to remember that, show grace to people like people in the past have shown you, and God has shown us by forgiving our sins.

Ephesians 4:23 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you"

Colossians 3:13 " Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you have may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

Cheers to Snow? Am I crazy?!

Yesterday I knew my parents were going to have today off because today is President's Day and those lucky ducks are teachers.  Then a surprise snow came...they started complaining "man, we would have had a snow day tomorrow, I can't believe we are wasting it"

Say whatttt!!!  Are they really saying this? I don't get snow days, I still have to wake up at 5:15AM and face the scary roads and people with 4-wheel drive zooming past my little focus. 

 ****side note to the people who say "if you live in MI you should have 4-wheel drive, so I don't want to hear you complain".  When you decide to pay for my car/gas then you can talk to me.

This morning I decide...Ok Brittney, you have to go to work today regardless of the snow, embrace it and wake up with a smile on your face.  That smile turned into quite the look when I walked out side and realized it snowed EVEN MORE.  I finally get my car brushed off, start backing out of the drive way and BAM, I'm stuck.  After 10min of trying to get "un stuck", I wake up the sleeping bear...my step-dad.  Another 5min and I'm cruising (not before rolling down my window to yell THANKS JT!!! and a large amount of snow crashes on me inside my car). 

Ok after all that I'm still thinking no reason we can't still have a good morning right, I might as well stop and get a coffee, it is after all $1 Monday at Biggby.  What happens? I get stuck AGAIN!  At this point I have already text my manager and informed him that I would be late, he calls back as I'm trying to get un-stuck for the 2nd time and says just stay home, if the roads clear later and you want to come into the office you can.  So I decide to just campout here at Biggby and get some work done...I DO NOT want to get stuck again. 

In honor of the lady who informed me if you have front wheel drive GO SLOW or you'lll dig your self in a hole, I decide to look up tips for driving in the snow.  I've had my license for 7 years now, you'd think I would have looked this information up a long time ago.  Nope, not me, so to save you from this...here's what I found.

1. Give yourself time and be patient.  We all hear it but, it's better to arrive late opposed to not arriving at all.
2. Leave PLENTY of space between you and the car in front of you.  No sense in making your commute even more nerve wracking by ramming into the car in front of you.
3. Never hit your breaks hard.  Either slowly press your breaks to slowly slow down or tap your breaks
4. Pay attention and try to predict slowing traffic and light changes so you have time to react properly
5. Do not assume your car can handle it
If you get stuck...
1. Don't spin your wheels, you'll dig yourself deeper
2. Turn your wheels side to side a few times to push snow out of the way
3. Use a light touch on your gas to ease car out
and as my mamma always says...
1. Always make sure your gas tank is full so it doesn't freeze
2. Always have windsheild wipper fluid
3. Keep a blanket and bottles of water in your car just in case you get stranded...my advice add in a book, cosmo, snacks, and people magazine.  You're going to want more than water and a blanket if you're stranded!

  My camp-out spot until I decide to brave the roads again.