Oh dear...

What is life? It's a question I ask myself frequently. And quite frankly...I don't know the answer... I just know that everything that happens in life...that makes up life...well...I put it all in the hands of God.

Okay, so...there's this co-worker of mine who has a dog. A chocolate lab named Ranger, to be exact. Same age as our dogs, and is fixed and housetrained and everything. Problem is, he needs to find a home for it. And my husband and I, well let's just say we don't want to see Ranger end up in the Humane League. So I don't know what we're going to do. But we definitely don't want him to take Ranger there. I'm not a big proponet of the "Humane" League option. I don't exactly consider them to be "Humane." (I reserve the right to my own opinion on that). So anyway, please pray for us on that. If anyone out there is actually reading this. Thanks.

99 Balloons - The Story of Elliot Mooney

This weekend at church, we did something special. I was privileged to be a part of it (behind the scenes, cutting 650 balloon strings. Watch this movie, and I'll post about the rest of it later. How amazing is God...

ART * MUSIC * JUSTICE TOUR

Can't wait to go see the ART * MUSIC * JUSTICE TOUR!!!

-Mr. Rock & Roll- by Amy MacDonald

I just found this artist. What an amazing singer/songwriter!

Lessons To Be Learned

I don't take it lightly, when someone who barely knows me, tries to tell me what my husband and I need to do with our lives. I'm tired of hearing advice from people, when I never even asked for it. Or for that matter, the fact that I have never really had a relationship with them in the first place. You want to know how my life is going? Thank you, that's nice. I'll tell you. You want to know how my life is going so you can criticize my life and everything in it? I would rather talk to someone with enough of a conscience to know better. I don't behave in such a manner with people who are having problems in their life. No, in fact, I ask them if there is anything I can do for them. I ask them, if they need prayer for something specific. And then do you know what I do? I pray - long and hard - I mean, really pray for them. I pray that God will move them, to do what is of HIS will (NOT MINE). I know nothing, and HE knows everything. I submit all to HIM. Maybe this will be a lesson to others who do not yet know how to put their trust in GOD, before they put it wholly into themselves.

-May God bless you all. THANK YOU-

The Fish...Are Coming...With ME!

Possibly one of the funniest things I have ever seen.

I know...I must have a dry sense of humor.

Better Than Yesterday

Hello all. What a wonderful day in the Lord's name! I'm feeling so much better than I did yesterday. I'm not back to 100%, but I'm definitely better. So I do thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement. I'm now listening to music and doing my daily office duties and then I will be cleaning and getting ready for any projects coming my way. Any...at all... Oh please let there be projects today!!! Hehehe. I definitely need something productive to do aside from thinking about planning this trip for Amanda and I to go to NYC for the day. I know it's going to be a couple of months, but I'm still excited. Anyways, I'll talk about that later. Just pray that my stomach improves soon. It's just very achey, that's all. Again, much more of an improvement from yesterday. And my sinuses definitely need a little healing too. I'm beginning to sound less and less feminine (which is bugging the heck out of me). Every time my sinuses go, my voice gets deeper. UGH! If I sound like Dean Martin by the end of the day, I'm going to need a very large support group (HAHA). Well, it's back to work for now everyone!

Oh yeah, and if anyone knows of any good points of interest in NYC or any good sightseeing tips, please let me know! Thanks.

VOTE COUNTRY FIRST - McCAIN * PALIN

Our Brand New Kitchen Table - YAAAY

Wow - This is Such A Moving and Cool Video - WATCH IT!

Intuition...

So this past week has been a tough one. Chad's grandmother passed away on Saturday morning at the hospice. It took a lot of coping that she was gone, but it is a joy to know that she went home to be with the Lord. She was a believer, and her husband is as well. That is what really counts. Chad's been taking it okay. It hasn't been easy for him though.

This week has also been a tough week for me. I want to go back to school so badly, and right now...I'm just not sure which direction is the right one. So...do I help PEOPLE in the medical field...or ANIMALS? Okay okay, I know that sounds so ditzy, but it's the truth. I know that I want to go into the medical field. I'm just not sure which one. I always wanted to be a Paramedic someday. I know that it's not exactly the most glamorous or high paying job, but it's what I've always wanted. I have come to the conclusion that if I go the LGH route, I can at least work in that field full time and do EMS work part-time as needed or desired.

If I go the animal route, I would eventually like to become an ACO (or Animal Control Officer). However, in Lanc-Co...there's not too much need for that...seeing as our county only has two paid employees. So the odds of getting that job are pretty much slim to none. I've kind of been beating up on myself lately about taking a break from college in the first place. But I do know that it was what I needed.

What I do know is that it is my goal to have my own online business someday. Lord only knows how long it will be before that happens or what the business will be based upon. I am trusting in Him on all of this. I want everything to be according to his will. It's just funny how right on my intuition has been about everything lately. You would think with that being said, I would have it all figured out by now. But I believe that it is for God to figure out...and that I just have to sit tight and wait.

I will say though...how tired of waiting am I...

SLOW - TO - ANGER

I'm trying extra hard right now to be SLOW - TO - ANGER...

It's not workin out too well @ the moment though.

Okay, so here's the deal. I picked a day off of work to spend time with some people, whom I consider very special to me. I've changed this day off of work twice now to accomodate the needs of these people. I've went as far as to get a friend involved to help me make plans for this day (a friend who will remain anonymous, but I consider totally awesome)!

Anyway, I tell my boss today, I'm taking off Thursday. Not Tuesday or Wednesday - as I had originally told her this past week - but THURSDAY! Now I come to find out, oh wait, they've changed it to...when? ...WEDNESDAY! Now I've committed to taking off from work THURSDAY. And they've changed the plans to...WEDNESDAY! All to accomodate somebody else. So basically, I get a, "Sorry...you're out of luck!" And now, I may be forced into taking off THURSDAY, as my boss is now counting on me to help out for a work event on...WEDNESDAY!

Please pray for me...as I do my best to remain: SLOW - TO - ANGER!

Thanks for listenin' to my rant.

~Peace

Pretty Pretty Petunias!

Well I will start off by saying, "How was your 4th of July weekend?" Well, mine was great! We didn't get to do as much jetskiing and tubing as we had planned. However, it was so nice to have Justin and Amy come out with us on Sunday! I had a blast! Afterwards, we had dinner @ our house - hotdogs and fries. Which was just splendid! After dinner, we sat around and listened to different tracks off of Comcast's music channels, and Amy's: Family Force 5 CD. There is now talk of making the trek to Scranton to see them on the Warped Tour. Don't know if that will happen or not; but I would be so stoked to do that!

We also got a lot of hanging baskets this weekend at the auction. We now have like 15 hanging baskets on our first floor. They look absolutely beautiful now that we've got them hanging from the porch beams. We also got like two gigantic - and I mean GIGANTIC - flower pots that we have spray painted red (maroon). They look absolutely gorgeous. Well, they will once we put the second coat on; and we are putting one on each side of the driveway entrance!

Well, I've got to go now. The husband is beckoning for me! :-P

Nite everyone, and God bless!

Please pray on this...

Okay, so here's the deal. I am channeling all of my negative energy right now. Okay? Ooooommm... Just kiddin'. So, I'm only 24...I'm young. I want to start my own business. I just don't know what I want to do yet. So if you have any suggestions...lay it on me. I really want to do something online related...like an online shop of some kind...but I'm just not sure what to sell. I've been praying about this very hard...and being that I want to go back to college full-time...this would be a great way for me to focus on studies at the same time as bringing in an income. God has layed some things on my heart as far as the direction I should go in...which is not exactly what I had expected. However, if this is what God wants...then this is what I shall do. Now it's just a matter of getting the funds saved up to start the process...which will be a feat in itself. This will take a while. But it's a goal of mine! Please pray that all of this goes in the direction of God's will. I don't want to overstep those boundaries. I hope that this turns out to be more than just a "money-maker." I hope it will impact people's lives in the process. Again...any suggestions...business-wise or in any other ways...please let me know. Thanks so much and God bless you all!

Psalm 27

...I'm Feeling...Aquatic

Welcome to my personal site. This is exciting... ...that I have my own blog!

Well...to start out...my name is Mandy and I am married to the most wonderful man in the entire world...Chad. We both have our quirks (as does everyone)...but we were made for each other! We are newly married and are renting out a house that could be deemed a dream home for a newly wed couple. I am so fortunate to call this place our home.

We have two wonderful Chocolate Labrador Retrievers named Cocoa and Calder. Cocoa is almost three and he's a very laid back dog. He loves car rides (or as we call them...R-I-D-E-S). He gets extremely excited when we say that word. He also loves to play with his sister...sometimes... He's definitely the Alpha Dog. Cocoa was named after the AHL Hershey Bears mascot (Coco).

Calder is almost two years old. I sometimes call her Cali, Calderina, or Queen Kong. She's my little girl! We actually thought she was a male for her first five months (don't go there). Calling her, "Good boy," was very traumatizing to her. Hehe. That's why we gave her such a boyish name. But it's grown on her...as well as the girly nicknames. Calder was named after Frank Calder (Calder Cup...AHL Trophy).

Well...I could tell you more and more. But my husband is currently laying nearby in the deep stages of R.E.M. So I've got to stop typing for now. I'll post later. Good night from the fish tank! I'm off to the butterfly jar...