What's Your Position, Soldier?!

Wow....It's almost been a month since I've posted a blog. To say my life has been hectic is a gross understatement.

We had a very successful VBS where we had a grand total of 15 (FIFTEEN!) salvations! God is so good! It was totally worth all of the running around and stresses I had to deal with.

Hopefully soon I'll make a post of nothing but VBS pictures.

My greatgrandmother, Grandma Fern turned 105 on July 11th. Her health is greatly deteriorating and right now, we are just praying for God's mercy. Please add her to your prayers. She's one of my favorite people in the world, and it's been so difficult to see her in her present state. It truly breaks my heart.

Two of my cousins got married within one week! I love my new cousins-in law. Here they are....

Teila and Joel

Audrey and Andrew

We just got back from Amarillo on Sunday. It was so good to get to see my cousins and I had a blast. Here's a few pics of my family.

My sister Molly and her son, Charlie:

 My Grandma and Grandpa:

Andrew and Audrey danced down the aisle. I am trying to find a good video of the dance. As soon as I find it I'll attach it to this post.

There have been so many other things going on, though there is no need to go into a lot of detail.

Starting today I will be trying to be more faithful in posting to my blog. It's very therapeutic for me. Whether anyone reads or not doesn't make a huge difference (sorry, to my 3 followers! :P) it's just nice to get things out.

Just Pray

Sometimes you just have to cry yourself to sleep, this is one of those nights for me, please pray.

Mountain of God

Of all the times I've heard this song on the radio, it never reached me the way it did just now on my drive home. I've been dealing with a lot in my life. A lot of personal struggles and opportunities to lean on my Heavenly Father! It almost brought me to tears truly hearing what was being said, and I wanted to share this with whoever choses to read this!


Thought that I was all alone
Broken and afraid
But You were there with me
Yes, You were there with me


And I didn't even know
That I had lost my way
But You were there with me
Yes, You were there with me


'Til You opened up my eyes
I never knew
That I couldn't ever make it
Without You

Even though the journey's long
And I know the road is hard
Well, the One who's gone before me
He will help me carry on
After all that I've been through
Now I realize the truth
That I must go through the valley
To stand upon the mountain of God
As I travel on the road
That You have lead me down
You are here with me
Yes, You are here with me
I have need for nothing more
Oh, now that I have found
That You are here with me
Yes, You are here with me

I confess from time to time
I lose my way
But You are always there
To bring me back again
Sometimes I think of where it is I've come from
And the things I've left behind
But of all I've had, what I possessed
Nothing can quite compare
With what's in front of me
With what's in front of me

Clyde Makes New Friends!

One thing I love about Tim, is that he knows just how to make my day. A couple of weeks ago I went to a specialist I've been seeing for a year. The news that every patients dreads to hear was delivered to me. "There's nothing more that we can do" I was a wreck. I called Tim just bawling my eyes out, looking for some sort of comfort. At the same time I was having to drive to my second appointment for the day. Oiy!

At this appointment we discovered the reasons my arms and legs have been going numb is that I had 2 bulging discs. I was almost relieved to hear that, it meant that I'm not crazy. I haven't been imagining this stuff and there is a cause. They told me we can try to correct them with physical therapy. So we went ahead and did a session.

Those silly little "exercises" hurt. It's so embarrassing, there are no weights, no cardio, no sweating.....but ooouuuccchhh! I was beat.

After everything was all said and done for the day I headed over to Tim's house to hang out, maybe rent a movie. When I got there, he said 'Put your shoes back on.'    Huh? I was confused. He proceeded to tell me we were taking Clyde to the DOG PARK!! :O

I've been begging nagging asking Tim to let us go ever since he decided to keep Clyde. One thing you should know about Tim, he's stubborn. Very stubborn. Usually once he makes up his mind, there is no changing it. So when I heard those glorious words come out of his mouth, as painful as it was, I started jumping up and down. It immediately lifted my spirits!

We grabbed my camera and Clyde's leash and headed to the dog park. I wish I had taken more pics, but I was so busy having a blast I forgot. Here's what I did get:

Clyde drinking out of the CLEAN water bucket. There was a dog that kept peeing in the other one. G-ROSS! The water buckets were a popular spot. Some dogs liked to bury their heads in the water and blow bubbles. It was hilarious!

 Clyde made friends with "Q" He was a 12 week old German Shedder Shepard that likes to wrestle as much as him. The white dog is the "Pee-er." Not only did he pee in the water, but also on another dog- GASP! We watched him very closely!

 Clyde also liked to watch all the new dogs come in the park. He was very attentive to all of the happenings.

 He didn't pace himself very well though, so he had to sped a lot of his time catching his breath.

 Here's Tim and Clyde. I love the smile on Tim's face and how content Clyde looks here. <3

 This is Tim giving me the infamous, "Really, Marsha?!" face. I had only taken about 20 pictures. So I didn't really feel it was necessary.

All in all, Tim made my day completely better. I was able to forget about the bad report from the doctors and all of the other stuff that's been stressing me out for a few hours and just relax and have some fun. He's the best! 

More Good Times.

Today has been a great day! I was able to go shopping all by myself. I love getting to chance to go shopping alone. Does that make me wierd? Oh well, it was nice and relaxing. I bought a new dress and a new shirt. I also found some suh-weet boots. They are dark brown suede equestrian style boots and I got them for a steal. Love it when that happens!

After I got done with all that I called and chatted with Tim. We decided to go to Ton's for lunch. Do they have Ton's by where you live? If you don't have one near you, you just don't know what your missing! It's like Genghis Grill but sooooooo much better in my opinion. They also give you free ice cream after your meal. Free ice cream = awesome!

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I got a new Mary Kay order today! Still trying to find hostesses for parties. I'm so in love with all of the products. They are fabulous, there's just no other word to describe them. If you read my blog you know that I had chicken pox last week. Gross, I know. But get a load of this; my face barely looks like the rest of my body where I had "breakouts" of the pox. I wash my face with the TimeWise Miracle set in the mornings and at night. The rate at which my face's scars healed is insane! And I know it's becasue of the ingredients in our skin care line.

If it wasn't so gross I'd take pics for you to compare for yourself. But that's so gnarly I just can't bring myself to do it. Instead I'll show you what the Miracle Set looks like. Boy did you get lucky!! My face looks so good, lol, not trying to sound vain. I'm just saying considering I had chicken pox last week, by looking at my face alone you'd never guess.

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Got to chat with lmy grandma in San Antonio for a few minutes today. Man, I love her! I've been blessed with the best grandparents ever!!!! Jealous? :P

Doesn't she just look like a lot of fun to hang out with?!?!
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That's about all I know. I've gotta work on a big post. It's about my first surgery, and it's hard to get through it without becoming a blubbering baby. Mother's Day is a big deal for me because of what my mom has done for me on that special day devoted to moms. Stay tuned and get out your Kleenex!!!

Good Times.

Today was a good day, though I had a rough start. Good news is the chicken pox are gone!

Sing it with me, "Ding dong the pox are gone...dada da da""

Yesterday was rough stuff! I worked from 9 am - 1:30 am Friday and I was pooped! Tim finished the huge job he was working on too, so today was a nice day off for both of us. But getting out of bed this morning...OY! I thnk instead of having a crick in my neck I had a crick in everything else. Moving was rough! Once I got to moving and got a nice hot shower in things started getting better.

I got dressed and all gussied up and headed for casa de la Tim. He had some shopping to do and asked if I wanted to go. Um, hellooooo? Is that even a question that needs to be asked? Of COURSE I'll come shopping with you! There's nothing I love more than giving my unsolicited opinion!!!

After shopping and errands we had a suuuuuper late lunch at Mercado Juarez...nummy nummy nummy! We had the fajitas for two with chicken and beef. We ate til we were miserable and still had tons of left-overs. Score!

Tim is so kind, he bought me a new pair of sunglasses and endured taking me into Petsmart. I'm a big "ooooh and awwwww!"-er. Every other step in that store I found something cute to admire. The whole time he's looking at harnesses for Clyde and talking to me about all the different features he's hearing me act like a 10 year old girl. "Look at the puppy Tim! Did you see the puppy?! Wasn't it cute? .....Yes it was. I don't care what you say it was precious. Did you see that dog go down the slide?!?!"

I guess I should explain that they were holding a Diggie Day Camp today and one of the walls was solid glass where you could peek in. They had a fisher price little plastic play fort the puppies to climb in and there was a little black dog that loved the slide. It was so presh!!!

After Petsmart we headed to Tim's house again for a movie night.

It was a great day and a nice break from being stuck inside all the time and getting away from the stress. I'm so glad he's able to handle me. :p

On another note;  I miss my grandparents. I think I'll call my grandma tomorrow just to chit chat.

RanDUMB Moments

Although most people know that I am the queen of finding good deals, back when I first became a Christian, I had a very well paying job and LOVED splurging on myself. Price was usually an afterthought. Crazy, huh? I'm glad that my attitude about money has been transformed! Thank you, LORD!

I had a super cute pair of shoes made by a fancy designer. The name of which is not important. Possibly because I'm ashamed of the ridiculous price tag these shoes had. I also had an adorable pair of pink heels from Target. Under $30 -holla!!

This story is already getting randumb, huh? Well, that was a little information you needed before I could share with you the actual story.

One Sunday I woke up in a frenzy. I slept in. LATE. I don't do late. I HATE being late, especially for church! I jumped out of bed and sped through my morning routine. I slapped on my make up. Arranged my hair in some sort of quick up-do. Got dressed into the first outfit I saw in my closet. Hopped into my shoes. Swung my purse over my shoulder, snatched up my Bible and flew out the door.   { I'm sure I brushed my teeth somewhere in there. :/ }

By some miracle I managed to catch all green lights on the way to church. Whew! I pulled up to the church at 9:59 a.m. BAM! I'd be taking my seat juuust in time for the start of worship service. I opened my car door and swung my leg out to climb out of my car...Ohhhhhmigoodness!!! I'm wearing two different shoes!!!! How did this happen?! It's not like it was two black shoes that looked similar. No. This was a cute, expensive, sleek black pump that cost a small fortune and a cheap, hot pink peep-toe shoe! Whaaaa? The only similarity between them wehre that the heels were the same height.

I was so amused with myself. I thought it was hilarious! But then I got to thinking, I've only known these people for a month or two....what will they think? You know how us women get. Whatever. I just shrugged it off, pulled my shoulders back, held my head high and marched into that church like nothing was wrong.

I think was the first glimpse everyone got of the real me. It was funny, and I got ribbed about it for a few months, but it was all in good fun.


What got to me was this one question: How could I not feel the difference between a $27 pair of shoes from target and a high end pair of heels?!

Things that make ya go hmmmmm....

Tuesday Ten List

Wow! What a crazy week I've had. Super long story short, I have chicken pox! Eeek! For the 2ND TIME!!! D: So I've been on the mend for a week. This week's list will be 10 things you may not know about me.

Soooo hold on to your hat....here we go!

1. I craft. A lot. I'm planning on posting some of the stuff I am making soon.
2. I am super clumsy, I really do trip or fall over something at least once a day.
3. I haven't always had a snort when I laugh. It's actually a result from some surgery I had when I was 15.
4. Until I needed emergency surgery in 10th grade, I NEVER missed a day of school in my life.
5. I do not own anything yellow. Strange, huh?
6. I'm addicted to Diet Coke and can't stand Dr. Pepper
7. I own an insane amount of blankets. If you ever need a gift idea for me...you can never go wrong with blankets! {My birthday is in 28 days...hint hint*}
8. I have never been out of the country. But I do want to go to Israel super bad after hearing all about Tim's trip.
9. I love to read. Really. I'd rather stay at home and read than go out.
10. I'm VERY sensitive. My skin isn't very thick at all, I'm working on it though!

Here's a couple of pictures of how I found Clyde when I came over yesterday. There was a shirt left on top of his kennel that he decided would make a nice snack before trying it on himself. HA!

Please leave me a comment sharing some things people may not know about you! I'd love to learn more about you!

A Different Kind of Birthday

It's my birthday next month. I try hard and show great restraint by not rolling my eyes at women my age complaining about getting "older." Huh?!?!? I will be 27! That is not old at allllll! And like my grandfather taught me about getting older....it sure beats the alternative! So, I'm going to go against the grain for my birthday this year. Instead of complaining about getting older and having a pity party, I am going to celebrate! I am going to be sharing the joy of being 27 by performing 27 random acts of kindness. I'm so excited to do this and would love it if you have any ideas you'd like to share. I will be posting what I do as time goes by. The deadline is my birthday, May 31st.

I'm so excited to get this started!!

It's a dogs life!

I don't have children. Which is pretty evident by the amount of pictures I take of my puppy. But I love this little guy and probably treat him a little too much like a baby. But, shhhhh, don't tell anyone I said that...It'll be our little secret, ok?

This is Clyde with one of my mom's dogs. Her name is Toots and she must have been so stinkin tired to have shared the pillow with Clyde. He's a litte too rowdy for her sometimes so she tends to steer clear of him. But once he's all tuckered out he's all cuddles, how could she resist?!

 They started off on seperate ends....but every few minutes Clyde would scooch over a little bit until they looked like this:

Say it with me, "AWWWW!"

Tuesday's Ten List

I'm going to try to do something new to motivate me to keep up with my blog. So, from now on {fingers crossed} every Tuesday I'll post a "Ten List" on whatever topic comes to mind. This week it's...dun dada dunnnn;

Top 10 Things I'm Planning Right Now

1. Tonight is my first Mary Kay party! EEEeeeek! I'm so excited and nervous! Right now I'm making last minute adjustments.

2. Vacation Bible School, it is going to be here before I know it!! Right now trying to tackle as much as possible and recruiting people that want to serve!! You, maybe? ;)

3. My birthday is next month and I've got something awesome in mind, I'll post more about that tomorrow. Eh, who are we kidding....I'll be lucky if I even get it in this week. :P Just stay tuned, it's coming soon, I promise.

4. New curriculum for the kids at my church. We just started a new series on Wednesdays nights, but I'm looking into and praying about what to cover next. God is doing AMAZING things with

5. New study material for my Connect Group that I lead. Right now there are three different things we are looking at to do after what is planned next. I'm super excited!

6. My financial future- no explanation needed.

7. Organizing and making myself a little "office" area. I NEED my own little space to set up and organize all of my things. Between my cake business, Mary Kay and the children's ministry if I don't do this I won't be very effective at anyhting.

8. A new wardrobe...YEAAA! It's just about that time.

9. Summer Camp ideas for the kiddos at my church.

10. A trip to San Antonio! Weee!!!! I love going to see my grandparents!!!


So, what are you planning in your neck of the woods? Leave me a comment, I'd love to hear from you!

I Heart Deliveriesl!

Espcially when it's my Mary Kay Starter Kit that was delivered a day early! SWEET!!!

After speaking with my director on Saturday morning, she told to to expect my starter kit to be delivered on Tuesday. {bummer!} I have this thing where as soon as I order something online, I want it NOW! I know, I'm like a kid waiting for Santa Claus. So, in the middle of all my, "busy work" on Monday I went outside to get something out of my car and....:

 WAHOO!!!! It's here and it was early! Boomshaka-laka! I couldn't wait to rip it open and play with learn about all my new products.

 Look at all the cool stuff!!!

  Clyde however could care less, he's pouting on his bed next to his towel since I gave him a bath.

I've already scheduled my debut party and can't wait! Right now I'm waiting for the RSVPs. So far I have one. My Aunt Becky. I'm glad my she'll be there, I miss her so much and I know she'll love Mary Kay! I'm hoping to get a lot of people in. I'm so excited to be starting this! I'll keep yall posted. { all 3 subscribers :P }

Cake!

This week I got a rush order on a cake from an old friend of mine. I've known her since elementary and hadn't seen her since high school. God is so good to bring me in new business and an opportunity to see an old friend!

Here are some pics of the cake she ordered. It's a Lamborghini Gallardo for her husband's birthday party.

I also shot a little video to get the full 360 view. Please pardon the wonkiness of the video, I've had some back problems and this particular day I had a little bit of a limp going on. Also, the sound in the background is the oven vent....forgot to turn it off. :/

It's Official!

I am now a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant! After much prayer and consideration I made the decision to jump in. I'm very excited about where God is leading me and pray that he will bless my business beyond measure. I had my first conference call this morning at 8am and am working on a list of goals I want to will reach in my first year. My starter kit has been ordered and is on it's way. I should have all of my "goodies" by Tuesday. This is when I'll get to organize everything and start testing the product. {wahoo!}

Now, I will need as many faces as I can get ahold of to practice facials. If you are interested in helping me out, please let me know! My goal is to do 30 faces in 30 days so I can get a routine down and so I won't stammer when I speak.

There are so many great opportunities with this company. One thing I love is their list of priorities:
God first. Family second. Business third.

Not only do they say this, they actually live it out! If you want anymore information about possible becoming a fellow consultant, let me know!

How to drive in Down Town Fort Worth....Especially Near the Hospitals

Over the past 11 years I've been to each of the major hospitals there more times than I'd like to count. Throughout that time I've learned some things that driver's ed and momma just didn't cover.  So, I've put together a few simple rules/guidelines for you to follow so that you too can fit in with the locals. Here ya go:


•Keep to the right on a one-way street.

•Take the first parking space you see. There will not be another.

•Don’t get in the way of a car that needs extensive bodywork.

•Always look both ways when running a red light.

•Never signal a lane change. It only gives other drivers a chance to speed up and not let you in.

•Never make eye contact. It revokes your right of way.

Now, that being said, I MUST share with you the countryside manner of driving in Texas. {my favorite!}

•Tractors always have the right of way.

•If someone behind you wants to go faster than you, pull over into the shoulder and allow them to pass.
      Proper ettiquette also requires the car that passed to either give a wave to say thanks
      OR flash the emergency lights

•People in the country are friendly, everyone waves at each other. However don't wave like a monkey! A simple lift of the pointer finger will do just fine.

Beacuase I Said I Would....

I know I've been neglectful of this blog lately. I'm just so busy, and frankly on some days I'm just frazzled. I've tried to think of something to talk about that won't ential me writing a small novel.

I’ve got nothing.



Zip.

Zero.

Nada.

At night, I'm either doing laundry, cooking supper, and working on things for my Connect Group, Children's Church Curriculum and Vacation Bible School stuff. Sometimes I like to take a break to and just chill. That, and get crafty. I have been making a lot of greeting cards lately. Maybe I'll post about that soon.

But alas, right now I have no stunning posts on any of these subjects. All the deep stuff isn’t for public consumption right now.

I did tell myself at the beginning of the year that I was going to follow through with this whole blog thing. So even though there's no "meat" in this post, it's still going up...Because I said I would!

What’s happening at your place this week?

It's "Clyde Day" !!!!!

What?! YOU haven't heard of this day?! Today is the one year anniversary of when Clyde went to Tim's house "for just two days." I guess this requires a little back story for those of you that don't know the story. For those of you that know the story, scroll down for pictures! 

A year ago on March 17th I was driving home late from Tim's house. We had watched some Redbox movie, so I was going to stop on the way home to drop it off. There are two places RIGHT next to my house. Anyone that knows me can testify to the fact that I'm a creature of habit. Every time I go to a certain restaurant I order the same thing. I only drink Diet Coke when I order my soda. I never change the way I do things. I always drive home the same exact way. This drives Tim crazy :P

However, this night for some reason my mind kept thinking of all the different ways to get home. Instead of taking my usual exit, I drove an extra 1.5 miles to another exit. I felt like such a rebel. {Yes, I know I'm lame.} As I'm driving down this snaky road I have to decide to take a left or go straight...I actually struggled with this decision...Oy vey! I finally made a last minute decision as the light approached. The car turned right. I was all over the place this night. I was out of control!

I quickly changed my mind again and turned immediately into the Walgreen's parking lot. That is where I found this little guy:

Say it with me, "AWWWWWW!"

How could I leave this sweet little scared puppy? I couldn't!!! He came right up to me, looking very timid and hungry. He had no collar on and he was emaciated. You could see all his little ribs. I gently approached him and pet him a little bit. He was very sweet, but cautious. I ran inside the store to ask if anyone knew anything about the dog, and they said he'd been hanging around and they'd be calling the pound to come get him.

BAM! HOOK LINE AND SINKER....This little guy is coming home with ME!

I called him over to me, picked him up and put him in my car. The next day we were driving to San Antonio to come see my grandparents and great grandma. I couldn't leave him at my house. I have three of my own dogs, and we didn't even know if this little guy was sick or not.

In the morning I was able to take a better look at him and saw that he was a purebred brindle Boxer. His tail was clipped and he was fixed. I thought that surely he would have a microchip. Some one obviously spent A LOT of money on him. I ran to my vet, they checked him a few times. No dice.

My neighbor has a Boxer that is his shadow. Max goes everywhere my neighbor goes. So I went three doors down and knocked on his door, told him the whole story and he decided to come take a look. By this time, the puppy and I were buddies, so when we came to the gate on the side of the house we were greeted with the "hula." That's how he wags his tail since he only has a nubbin. My neighbor fell in love. However, he too, had three dogs at home and couldn't take another one. But man did he want this little guy.

Ok, time to make some other arrangements that don't include the pound. I called the local Boxer rescues. They were all full and wanted me to leave him at the pound and if they had a spot open they'd come get him. I DON'T THINK SO!!!

Alright, I'm getting desperate. Last resort. I shoot Tim a text asking him if he knows anyone that may want a Boxer puppy. He actually texted me back asking for details about the little guy. YES! I immediately called him and practically begged him to watch the puppy at least for two days til I came home and would figure out what to do with him. {While secretly praying Tim would fall in love and keep him} Tim agreed to puppy sit for the weekend!!!

After I dropped off the little guy I ran back to my house to load up the car and leave. Before driving 2 miles from my house Tim called and while we were talking he said the dog's name was Clyde. SUCCESS!!!!

One year and 30 lbs later, this is Mr. Clyde Wiggle-Nubbin ***** (You don't really need his last name, do ya?):



He's such a nutty dog. He always wants to play and is always keeping us laughing. I love this dog and can't imagine not having a Boxer as a future pet. Here are some other pictures of Clyde:

Being nosy:

 Being lazy:

 Missing his daddy:

 Scared of a big bug:

 Prancing around and playing:

 Happy face:

And that is the story of Mr. Clyde. The most wicked-awesome Boxer in the world!



You Don't HAVE to Like It, Just Eat It!

I NEVER wanted to finish what was on my plate as a child and would be forced to spend what felt like hours at the dinner table staring at my plate. Even if I liked what was on the table, I just didn't want to eat it all. The rule was, you had to, "clean your plate." I would sit there and just pray that it would *poof* disappear, but it never happened. Over and over again I would hear this: “You don’t have to like it, you just have to eat it.”

This is a basic principle I feel all children need to learn because they’re going to need it when they’re adults, and if they don’t learn it, they won’t really become adults.

Life is full of duties, and a duty is something we have to do whether we like it or not. Duty is something that one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation i.e., the respectful and obedient conduct due a parent, spouse, superior, elder, etc.

So, for example, a child is not required to like his beets, but he is required to eat it if that is what his parent told him to do. The parent is in a position of authority and sees what is good for the child regarding the nutrition of beets; the child, not appreciating this truth, complains, “I don’t like beets.” The parent in turn responds, “You don’t have to like it, you just have eat it.” When the child eats it he does his duty, obeying his parent. He also reaps the nutritional benefits. Perhaps, later, he will also come to like beets. For the record, I HATE do not enjoy beets.

A person who has learned to do their duty, and not simply to follow the impulses of their likes and dislikes, has not only learned to see beyond the moment, they have learned to trust God who has given authority to others over them. A person who cannot submit to others cannot submit to God. Like a child, their short-sighted desires dictate their behavior. Moreover, like spoiled and indulged children, these “grown-ups” are no fun to be around.

I am a Follower of Christ...

Here are five things that I've been thinking about that I believe we should work on if we are going to call ourselves Christ followers.


We Need To Learn To Listen Better
Talk Less. Keep your opinions silent. Everyone has an opinion, but it doesn't mean all opinions are meant to be spoken.

Don’t Label
Using terms to put people into boxes is generally offensive to people. We are all people, let’s stop making neat little categories for each other. It's stupid and pointless.

Don’t Be So Smart
No body loves a know it all. These people personally drive me nuts. Don’t pretend to have all the answers. If you are not sure, just say so. We have a saying around here “We don’t have all the answers, but we believe in a God who does."

Put Yourself In Other Peoples Shoes
People generally just want other people to understand what they have gone through. This allows for a better connection point.

Fight The Three Second Rule
Within 3 seconds people form their first impressions and don't give a fare chance to get to know the person who we are looking at.

The Next Right Thing

Panic. Stress. Mayhem. Confusion. Insecurity.

We've all been there. It's never our proudest moments in life, but they can turn into defining moments. I'm only 26 years old and I've already had my fair share of crisis'. There are many different kinds; a poor health diagnoses, a family emergency, getting pulled into sticky situations by your, "friends." The possibilities are endless.

The usual first reaction is shock, panic and a repeating question in your mind, "What am I going to do?!" Your mind scatters to a million different directions. When the happens to me, I always tend to try to jump from point A to point Z. Start to finish. Pronto. I want to get to the solution ASAP. Don't we all? The whole, 'let's just get it over with' mentality. This thought pattern leads to even more frustration because you can't just wiggle your nose and solve whatever is going on.

The way you react can show your character or lack thereof. Do you stay calm and collected, looking at all possible solutions before taking the next step? Or, do you get upset, allowing your mind and temper to take control? All of my life I've been the latter. I've never handled stressful situations well. My mother says I'm the queen of worrying and panic. But I've had a revelation lately. It's not about who can fix it first and get it over with the fastest...it's about how you respond.

Something I've learned to ask myself when these situations arise and my mind tries to race in 37 different directions is, "What is the right next thing to do?" You always have the choice to react a million different ways, but usually there is only one right way. I ask myself this question every step of the way. I pray about it each step. And it works!

I also try to keep in mind that at all times there is at least one person watching you. Noticing how you act and react. The language you use. It all affects your witness to them. And that's something I take very seriously, don't you?