An unexpected eye opening weekend

For the first time in almost a month we had nothing to do this weekend. Don't you love those kind of weekends? Saturday morning we were lazy and slept in. Then we decided to go grab some breakfast. In South Georgia Jerry J's is the place to be on a Saturday morning for a good ole country breakfast. And since we live in such a small town you're bound to see somebody, if not everybody, you know. Me and all my no makeup glory, grungy hair and hat ordered a small bowl of grits with no butter. Everybody around me had pancake plates, cinnamon rolls, bacon, smiles, and happiness as I ate my tiny bowl of grits. All of these people who say they lost weight, ate whatever they wanted and it was easy are LIARS! I was salivating like a dog and was considering snatching some poor kids biscuit. But I survived and controlled myself from yelling "take that Jerry J's" on my way out the
door.

When we got home the hubs decided to wash his FJ and clean it out. He is probably the cleanest and most organized person I know but it's only with HIS stuff. Sometimes it drives me absolutely nuts! It doesn't matter if the toilet has scum growing and our bathroom looks like a furry bear shook off in it as long as everything out of his pockets is organized neatly on the dresser, his side of the closet is color coded and his vehicle looks like it just came off the showroom floor. So the minute this OCD man said he was cleaning his truck I knew I had A LOT of time to kill. He's a freak of nature but I love him!

While Chris did manly things I rode over to Repeat Boutique. This place is too cute and I ended up getting my mom a bracelet and three pair of earrings. When I gave her the gift she was beyond excited. You have to understand that growing up my mom never got herself anything. Instead she would always make sure we had whatever we needed and work long hours to do it. Seeing how happy that simple little gift from a consignment shop made her I started reminiscing about my mom growing up. But do you know what the funny thing is? I didn't once think about the stuff she bought me, the car our family drove or anything like that. I smiled thinking about my mama rocking me and singing There's a Light House on a Hillside, opening my lunchbox to find a note that said she loved me and her driving a car full of preteens around while we sang Mmm Bop by Hanson at the top of our lungs...that's love! 

Me, Mama and Bobby-1990ish

Saturday night the hubs and I went on a little date to dinner and a movie. I've told you guys before that date nights had become more like torture nights because I HATED the way I looked and getting dressed was a nightmare. I'm not going to lie to you and say I felt amazing but I wasn't embarrassed to walk into a restaurant or run into friends while we were out. Y'all that's a BIG improvement!! I'm not telling you that to discourage you. I'm just saying it takes time and you have to bust your butt and make sacrifices to get there. But it WILL come!

Sunday morning the message really spoke right to me...What will you do this school year for Christ? Last year around this time Chris and I decided to move from North Georgia back to my hometown. I got a teaching job down here so I went ahead and moved so I could be here for the start of a new school year. It took almost four months for Chris to finally find another job and move. Everyday he wasn't here I cried the entire twenty minute ride to and from school. I was angry at God but didn't know why. This was what I had wanted for so long and begged Chris to do. I'm the one who caused the mess! Our life was fine before and I'm the one who turned it upside down. Why was I so mad?

When Chris finally found a job and was able to move the crying stopped but the anger was still there. On the weekends, at GSU football games, I saw all of my friends and heard about their perfect lives. I thought, what have Chris and I done wrong? We work just as hard as everyone else and it seems like we just can't get ahead. God you need to help us because this isn't fair!

An entire school year passed and I was on autopilot. I went to work, came home, went to church and did what I thought I was supposed to.Y'all it wasn't until I heard this message that I realized why I was so angry and what my life was missing. I had done NOTHING all year for Christ but expected him to bless me. Was I out doing bad things? No. But everyday was about me, me, me...no wonder I was miserable. By the end of the service I had tears pouring down my face.

I told God I was sorry for forgetting about him and being selfish. When I finished praying it literally felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Guys maybe this blog is one of the ways I can praise God this year. Can I tell you that when I first starting writing it I told myself I wasn't going to include anything about my faith. I didn't want to scare people off. But I think there are so many people who not only struggle with weight but they also need to know somebody loves them no matter what. Life is hard and struggles come no matter who you are. No one's life is perfect! But there is someone who will never leave you or forsake you. Even when you completely forget about him and push him to the side.

So this school year...What will you do for Christ? 

The family at Mom and Dad's after church for lunch...
this is with 6 of us missing!! 

Sweet Ila Kate...the very 1st great grandchild