I'm so grateful...

- for the grace of God.

- that when God looks at me, He doesn't see a divorced person, but His child.

- that He has forgiven me of my sins.

- that if I were the only person on this earth, Jesus would have still died for me. And I BELIEVE that.

- that I don't have to answer to man for my failings.

- that God is such a BIG God that He still wants to use me to minister to His people.

- that God can use anyone, anytime, anywhere in whatever way He sees fit.

- "The Lord is my Light and Salvation. Whom shall I fear?"

- That God loves me enough that He has had to bring me to my knees in order to reveal my sinful heart. Dear Jesus, I pray that others will not have to go through what I did in order for You to get their attention.

- that my hope is in the Lord.

- that I'm in such a different and BETTER place in my walk with the Lord than I was even 5 years ago.

- for REAL people and relationships. (Hypocrites need not apply.)

- second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh chances from God...to infinity.

- to be a child of God and that He calls me His daughter.

- that I don't have to be perfect.

- that I KNOW I am not capable of making right decisions without the Lord's help.

- for the chance God has given me to make mistakes, and that out of those bad decisions, I have come to know how much I NEED God.

- that I'm not in control.

- that God is able.

- it's all about Him - not me.

- that no situation is hopeless.

- for the gift of faith.

- that God is longsuffering.

- that I KNOW and UNDERSTAND grace. Dear Jesus, please help me to be quick to GIVE grace.

- I have an opportunity to teach Sophie what I know about God.

- that He loves M-E.

- that I serve an AWESOME God. Not for what He can do for me but because of who He is.

- this place is not my home.

I got a new book

I'm so excited... and I just can't hide it!

Okay, people. I know there are very few of my friends that will understand why I wanted The Complete Idiot's Guide to The Mafia, but trust me. It looks AWESOME! I can't explain my fascination with La Cosa Nostra, it's just there. Some people read romance books to escape, I read about the mob. And now I have a book that explains the history and families involved in this crazy life.

I'll let you know how it is. You know you can't wait.

Del Grosso

Del Taco has opened a new restaurant (if you want to call it that) not far from where I live, and I was so excited! I haven't eaten at a DT since I lived in Spring, Texas which was over 20 years ago. I have been talking about going for weeks and tonight, Brian and I tried it.

When I walked in, I had a sudden flashback of not liking their food, but pushed it to the back of my mind and ordered the Macho Nachos. Oh my goodness, it was so gross! The cheese, beans and steak were lukewarm, and it had no flavor whatsoever. I guess I subconsciously wanted to eat there because it made me think of high school. Why I would try to relive those memories, I have no idea.

Brian did enjoy his burrito, but it came with french fries - what's up with that?!?

Anyway, I told Brian he never had to worry about eating at Del Taco again. We can cross it off of our list like Zaxby's. I don't like that place either.

Eat at your own risk...

Random Thoughts...

I haven't blogged in a while, so here are a few things have have been going on in our family....

- Sophie is continuing her swim lessons at the YMCA and LOVING IT! I wasn't thrilled when my parents gave this to her as a birthday present, but shows what I know. She is having a blast!

- Church drama, church drama, church drama. I came really close earlier in the week to writing my personal feelings on my blog like regular people, but talked myself out of it (not my style). I will say God have mercy on our souls!

- Sophie and I went to the library on Tuesday for story time and it was fabulous! I love that my daughter was the big girl in the room who sat still, paid attention, and followed directions. My heart went out to three other mothers whose kids were just being kids. Bonus points: Sophie can reach the sink in the bathroom to wash her hands. WOO HOO! It was a good day!

- Jack, our Pirate Puppy, is doing great! He is now 13 weeks old, and weighs 2 lbs, 12 oz. Other than the house training thing, he rocks! Sophie loves him a little toooo much.

- I just learned the words to "Beat It" by Michael Jackson last week by watching American Idol. I always thought it said, "No one wants to beat it, feel it." Um, no. The CORRECT words are "No one wants to be defeated." Oh well. Brian just shook his head when I told him.

- God has continued to bless Brian with side jobs after getting laid off from the cabinet shop. Thank you, Lord, for Your provision!

- Have you heard about the actress, Natasha Richardson, passing away from injuries related to a ski accident? It makes me sad. I really liked her. God bless her family.

- I had TWO (count 'em TWO) Girl's Night Outs last weekend - one on Friday night and one on Saturday night. It was so nice! I really enjoyed this time with friends even though I didn't get a thing done around my house. I'm still paying for it.

That's all for now. Later.

The Hiding Place - Corrie ten Boom

We are reading this book for our Ladies Bible Study at church, and I think everyone is really enjoying it. It is a wonderful book about an AMAZING family with AMAZING faith! If you haven't read it, you have to N-O-W! Words can't even describe how GREAT this book is! Loved it!

Jack

Today marks week two with our new puppy, Jack Sparrow. I'm happy to report that he is doing GREAT and is a perfect fit for our family!

He is very sweet, and has managed to survive the past 2 weeks without committing puppycide from Sophie's constant attention. It's a good thing we got this dog young - now he will never know a life apart from the obsession of a child. He is getting bigger each day and is so smart! I tied a bell to the door to train him to ring the bell when he needs to go outside and potty. Believe it or not, he started ringing the bell a couple of hours later! See what I mean? S-M-A-R-T. However, he still likes to pee pee in the house. So, I'm trying to bribe him with treats even though the vet told me not to. What do they know? They don't have to keep cleaning up after him.

Jack likes to eat, sleep, play, and follow me around (the perfect dog!). However, Sophie is jealous of the attention that Jack shows me when I come into the room. She has been known to say, "Don't pick him up, Mama! Go away!" I can't imagine why he runs under the couch when I'm not in the room and he is alone with Sophie. Oh yeah. It's because she stalks him. She likes to yell, "MAMA, make Jack come out from behind the couch!!!!" But all in all, they are doing well together.

I told someone earlier this week that God has always blessed my family with good dogs (I'm not even joking), and that Jack has just been added to the good dog list of Mako, Mickey, Judas, Scout, and Sydney. Thank you, Lord!

Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia by Joseph Pistone

For the 5 people out there that read my blog, I know you have been waiting with baited breath to see what book I will review next. Well, today is your lucky day!

Last week I finished Donnie Brasco. (Yes, they made it into a movie in the 90's.) It is about an FBI Agent who infiltrates the mafia for 6 years (yes, you read that right), and it was intriguing. First of all, kudos to Agent Pistone who was willing to risk his life for this assignment. He barely saw his family during this time, and was at the beck and call of his partner, Lefty. And AMAZINGLY, he didn't commit any crimes during those 6 years! To read about how he walked and talked the part of a wiseguy is really fascinating.

Okay, here's the bad part. It is FULL of bad language. I knew this before I purchased the book (because I scanned it), but I really wanted to read this story so I bought it anyway. So even though I tried to skim past the yucky words, it got old. Fast. I'm talking off the charts bad...

I would definitely recommend this book. But just know what you're signing up for.