Just Call Me Packing Pro or Mover & Shaker, I'll answer to both.

This is what much of my vacation looked like:

because...

my parents and my brother are moving to town!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In case you are wondering, I am seriously excited!

Here is a little more from our short lived family vacation turned family packing adventure:

The good thing about family vacations are all the photo opps.

I think this is a great shot of my little brother, Zachery, and me riding in the backseat on our way to get some mexican grub.

My Mom and I had a little bit of photo fun at a florist/uhual shop she's been working at while living 3 hours away from me. If I have the idea right you bring in your own camera and they supply all the props. I edited these pics with the PicsArt app on my Droid phone. Do yourself a favor and don't get this app, it is highly addictive!

 I'm naming this picture "giraffe kisses."

But actually all this giraffe wanted was some food. I took this picture at Pine Mountain Animal Safari. You can drive thru and feed all kinds of animals for $20 (adults). I have loved this place since I was a child. My family still enjoys it.

Then it was back to the ocean of boxes.

We also celebrated my dad's birthday while I was in town with them. Birthdays are a big deal in our family, and so are birthday cards. At this point I think I've read them ALL. What is that Bible verse about "nothing new under the sun"? Think he wrote that about greeting cards? Nah, me either. ;)

Here are some images of the card I got for him:

It is back to school season in these parts.

 So tomorrow in church we will be having a special Back To School Prayer for the kids and teens and whoever will be going back to school. This is a good chance for my kids church to see how we pray for each other. I'm looking forward to it.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

-Isaiah 43:18-19

I will understand the human brain.

Over this last week I have been swamped at work b/c of a number of reasons. One is that the week and a half before, it was like I had NO WORK AT ALL! Usually when bored out of my mind I tend to day dream and usually it is very hard to return to the present once I've begun. So during those very slow days to keep me from drifting off into space while waiting for something to load or something to save, I needed to do something keep me here on planet earth. Like any responsible adult would do in between games of Solitare and Sudoku on my Smart Phone I DOODLED. I didn't however pull out the color pencils this time, even though I have a set of them at work for such occasions.

Here are some of my Work Place Doodles:

Why they couldnt have given me some the work I received this week when I was so bored the weeks before, is beyond my comprehension. Now I have some deadlines during my mini vacation that is coming up. So instead I need to have them done even sooner. But it's okay, I got this. ;0)

Speaking of my mini vacation: I'm going to be spending a few days with my parents and my brother. They live way too far away....okay so it's only 3 hours, ahem, if you drive the speed limit. I am excited!
Did you notice the exclamation mark there? It's not that I don't ever get to see them, just don't get to see them often enough. (Mom and Zach are gonna love this last picture.)

Anyways I'm also excited because I'm taking my laptop with me and I'm gonna let my mom read, for the first time, what I have written so far on my book. She doesn't know this yet. Well she will when she reads my blog. I recently had the house all to myself when my Aunt Jane went to visit with my family and I got a lot of re-witing done. A lot of blanks filled in and at the moment I am 3 small changes away from being satisfied with my first 30 pages. That may not be such a great thing, and maybe for someone who has spent as much or as little time on it, maybe I should have more done. But I don't, so I have to be okay with what I have and strive to make it "mo' better."

Another reason I'm looking forward to my trip is this sweet <3.

She is blind in one eye and is getting on up there in age. I'd say she wouldn't hurt a fly but I'd be lying because she attacks bees and wasps or flies that come at her. But she is sooooooo sweet, and she loves unconditionally. She hates storms so when my parents visit they usually bring her with them but not always so I get to see my Sadie girl even less.

I am lucky because I am surrounded by family where I live and when I go to visit my parents I am surrounded by family there as well. Looking forward to seeing my Papa and my Uncle Craig, Aunt Rene, cousins Eden and Karis. I get to see them even less then my dog it seems.

I'm planning on taking lots of pictures and going to a drive in movie. My brother is on a bowling kick so we will probably do that a couple of times. There will probably be shopping and the consumption of really great food! My mom is a great cook after all (and my dad and brother really know how to grill! ;) ).

Speaking of food, tomorrow in Kids Church we will be measuring in Banana Meters. Yup, it is exactly what you are thinking. Each team will have a banana to use as a ruler to measure a list of 5 random things in our Kids Church.

What's the point?

I am so glad you asked! You see if the world measured in Banana Meters then measurements would be inaccurate. Not all bananas are the same size. Somethings just cannot be replaced. Just like you would not replace your hands with your shoes. Imagine carrying a glass of water if you had shoes for hands. Something that takes only 1 hand to do would need the attention of both. There is no substitute for God. He is the only true God, the only living God. (Jeremiah 10:10)

Need more proof?

Then read 1 Kings 18. Elijah knew God was the only real God, and he proved it.

"No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit." - 1 Corinthians 2:11

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." - Isaiah 55:8

"The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?"

-  Proverbs 20:24

I will be rich!

In an effort to put a nice down payment on the car I want, a lemonade yellow Chevy Spark (the pic above), I've been saving money a little bit at a time. So when I found out that getting the alternator fixed on my current car as well as buying a part for a window that fell off its track and getting it fixed would cost me $500...I was both ticked and relieved. I'm relieved that I had the money to pay the bill, but it totally stinks that the money for my new car had to go toward my old car. Ever have to pay for something old when wanting and planning for something new? Well, it really stinks! Don't get me wrong its a nice car but it hasnt really been what I wanted since I left the lot with it. It's just depressing to spend more money on a car that soon wont belong to me, (I'm passing it along to my brother once they release the Spark).

While my car was at the shop, my 18 year old cousin bought a Dodge Charger. His parents were really smart with making him save Birthday & Christmas money for years so he was able to pay cash and leave with car keys and title in hand. Maybe, if I ever have kids, I'll do this for them as well.

So like any good manger of money would do after spending a chunk of savings,

I went shopping!

I know what you are thinking "How irresponsible!" but at least I went to Kmart instead of a store where I might really do some damage..like Kohls or Hobby Lobby. I don't know about you but Hobby Lobby really puts a hurting on my wallet!

Here is some of what my $80 bought me:

'Powder Room' Hand Soap Pump $6. Super cute, right?

Toothbrush/paste holder. $5

Paid $10 for these sandals!

Really cute shirt and cami: $30 

If I'm never rich, rolling in money here on earth, I know I'm rich in many more important things.

Here is what the Bible says about riches:



"We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us." Ecc. 5:15

"Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." Matthew 6:19-21

"Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything." 2 Cor. 6:10 (I think this is my favorite of the 3.)

I will conquer drawing straight lines.

Here is a picture of my 4th of July nails.  My lack of steady hands made drawing the straight blue lines extra fun! Not! I think they turned out cute, even if it did take two forevers to finish. Now Independence Day has come and gone but my red, white, and blue nails are herr to stay! At least until the polish starts to chip.

I will be a morning person.

"This is the day that the Lord has made; rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

I have really never liked this verse. my dad used to wake my brother and myself up shouting this verse, amongst other very loud things. I hate mornings. Well, I hate mornings, before 8 a.m. I really admire morning people...well from a distance. I wish I was one, but I'm much more of a night owl.

Usually in the mornings I'm grumpy and not fun to be around or drowsy and slow to respond and  some mornings my sarcasm filter shorts out on me. Either way its not pretty. This morning I had to get up at 5 a.m. This is a big deal for me because I usually get up closer to 7 o' clock. Even then I can use another hour if sleep.

My cousin slammed my car door the other day, while the window was down, and knocked the window off its track. I dropped my car off last night so they can work on it this morning. So since my very nice aunt, also not a morning person, cannot drive on base she dropped me off at my friend/coworker's house who goes into work very early. Why? Because she's crazy. Just kidding....you see, I can do that now that its 8:30. I really appreciate the ride because I am saving some very valuable vacation leave time. So I guess I better make the most of it and get back to work...

Just in case you aren't a morning person either here are some morning verses to help you wake up:

"Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, & Christ will shine on you."
Ephesians 5:14

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed. For his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

Are you awake now?

I will make you smile.

"I love you, but I just can't smile"

is the answer you'd try to give with a straight face.

The question: "Honey, do you love me?"

I remember playing this game when I was in elementary school and my dad was doubling as a Church Pastor and it's Youth Pastor. The idea was not to smile-no matter what the person in the "hotseat" said or did. At the time it was just a fun game where the older kids chose me because they thought, since I was the youngest, I'd be easy pickings. Boy were they wrong--well the girls were, anyways. It wasn't always as easy to hide a blush and hold back a smile while the cute, older boys sat in front of me and flashed a grin my way. It's funny how some things stay with you when you grow older and other things don't.

Tomorrow, the big idea in my kids church lesson is We know that Jesus is Alive and we are playing a version of this game. How do those two things go together?

Well, I'm glad you asked.

The point behind it is that people who are alive can do things that the dead cannot. Some of these things are smiling, laughing, loving, and of course there is breathing. It doesnt matter how many times you say "I love you, but I just can't smile" in this game, eventually you do smile and probably laugh. That smile and laugh is proof that you are absolutely, undeniably alive. Jesus did all of these things and more after he died on the cross. He came back to life, and b/c he came back to life, we can too!

If that doesn't bring a smile to your face, maybe you need to come visit Kids Church tomorrow. Surely my class of lovable, silly kids will make you smile.

In other news:

My bed time last night was 3:50 in the a.m. Why? Well, I got a sudden burst of writing ideas and couldn't fall asleep until all of it was typed. Was it any good? I dont know yet. I've always heard that any idea you get after 1 in the morning is best left undone. So I'm hesitant to read over what I've written. In fact I've been putting it off all morning. Not that I don't honestly have other things to do... Okay so, all of that stuff is done now, and next up on my Must Do List for the day:

~Read over what I sleepily typed.

But here are my favorite ecards, while I continue to stall:

(the color scheme here is by pure coincidence. :)

"When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him." Ecclesiastes 5:4

"A glad heart makes a cheerful face..." Proverbs 15:13

"And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” Genesis 21:6

 



I'm gonna be a fabulous author.

Okay, stop. That's my dream you're laughing at! :) Seriously though, that's the plan. Our program we use at work has been down today so instead of wasting valuable time playing games on my Droid, I've been enjoying my favorite writer's blogs. What a way to make a living, eh? This doesn't happen often @ work, but it's a welcome surprise when it does. Anyways let's get back on topic: About two months ago I got another book idea. I say "another" because I have had a lot of book ideas. The difference is:this idea isn't crappy. I feel like its from God as well. I'm kinda excited about it! I've always loved creative writing. Whether it was for a school assignment or simplifying a Bible story for a kids church lesson. Or even just for fun. When Ive tried writing a novel before I couldn't see how to end it.Really all I could come up with was an opening scene. Or two. Our four. But this time I have likeable characters (well I like them anyways) that are going somewhere, doing something, and meeting God in a new way.The writing has really been flowing out of me. All I can say is it must be God. My prayer throughout this "becoming a fabulous author" process is that anyone I can talk into reading my book(s)will fall for God--if not for the first time then in a new way. I want to be a blessing, an encourager to my readers. Even if "my readers" consists of my parents, family, and friends. I have a large family, so if they are the only ones to read a Jamie Brooke original....I'm fine with that. They already think I'm fabulous anyway. <3 zechariah 4:10....don't despise these small beginnings.....my God delights in the small.