It's been a while since a song has moved me to tears. The hard tears. Yesterday, it was this one and it's on eternal repeat now. I love to know how much Grace I truly walk in and it's nice to have these daily reminders.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Graduation Day
This will certainly be a day to remember. So many people say "Didn't it seem like you just started yesterday?" UM......NO!!! It seems like I have been doing this all of my life! Okay....just 5 years to get a 2 year degree....but I had a family to raise, had to work, moved into a new home, went through various illnesses, took care of the other 4 in my house when they were ill, and just overall, did a lot over the past 5 years. I'm so excited to have this chapter completed.
Graduation was held at ORU Mabee Center. I'm the one in the blue square hat! And I must add...this is the same place that my high school graduation was held, as well as the same color caps and gowns.
Yep...that's me.
Ah! Two of my best friends showed up. Love them! Couldn't imagine this day without them.
My friend Lindsay came. She's been a huge support through this whole deal. As well as huge help early in the mornings when I couldn't take the kids to school. She was always there. Even when I forgot to call.
Ah!!!! The 5 of us! Okay...have to say, the kids did NOT want to go to this! But as a parent, I did my duty and forced them. I loved having them there seeing their mom finally accomplish this dream. (anyone else notice how TALL Ian is? What happened???)
My mom and dad came to show their support. (My dad showing his new teeth too! LOL)
Well....that man was the guest speaker. Um....all I remember is blah blah blah blah. Followed by a lot of nothing.
Emilie takes every opportunity to have her picture taken with me. She loves her momma!
The love of my life! I bet at this point he was thinking....."I'M SO GLAD THIS IS OVER"
Graduation was held at ORU Mabee Center. I'm the one in the blue square hat! And I must add...this is the same place that my high school graduation was held, as well as the same color caps and gowns.
Yep...that's me.
Ah! Two of my best friends showed up. Love them! Couldn't imagine this day without them.
My friend Lindsay came. She's been a huge support through this whole deal. As well as huge help early in the mornings when I couldn't take the kids to school. She was always there. Even when I forgot to call.
Ah!!!! The 5 of us! Okay...have to say, the kids did NOT want to go to this! But as a parent, I did my duty and forced them. I loved having them there seeing their mom finally accomplish this dream. (anyone else notice how TALL Ian is? What happened???)
My mom and dad came to show their support. (My dad showing his new teeth too! LOL)
Well....that man was the guest speaker. Um....all I remember is blah blah blah blah. Followed by a lot of nothing.
Emilie takes every opportunity to have her picture taken with me. She loves her momma!
The love of my life! I bet at this point he was thinking....."I'M SO GLAD THIS IS OVER"
I know he's proud of me. Now he'll be more proud when he doesn't have to work so much to support my education habits! Now I can work and let him rest! :o)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
He's still working on me....
We used to sing this song when I was a little girl:
He's still working on me to make me what I ought to be.
It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars,
The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars.
How loving and patient He must be, He's still working on me.
It's amazing to me how long He is going to keep on working:o) I look at what I've gone through in life. The good and the bad, happy and sad, and yet, He has always remained with me. I've let Him down....more often than I'd like, but His patience still amazes me.
Today He worked on me again, and I don't want to let Him down. Sometimes you have to put away your own selfish desires to do the work God put you here to do. He has blessed me with many gifts and talents in my life and I want to use those gifts to glorify Him. He presents me with opportunites that I am drawn to, but yet, makes me sacrifice in other areas.
Does it sound weird to say that today is one of those days.....I feel like a grown up, making grown up decisions, and grown up sacrifices.
Phillippians 2:1-14
If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ,
if his love has made any difference in your life,
if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you,
if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor:
Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.
Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top.
Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.
Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage.
Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.
He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all.
When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!
Having become human, he stayed human.
It was an incredibly humbling process.
He didn't claim special privileges.
Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.
What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning.
When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience.
Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts.
Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.
Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed!
Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society.
Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.
Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing.
He's still working on me to make me what I ought to be.
It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars,
The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars.
How loving and patient He must be, He's still working on me.
It's amazing to me how long He is going to keep on working:o) I look at what I've gone through in life. The good and the bad, happy and sad, and yet, He has always remained with me. I've let Him down....more often than I'd like, but His patience still amazes me.
Today He worked on me again, and I don't want to let Him down. Sometimes you have to put away your own selfish desires to do the work God put you here to do. He has blessed me with many gifts and talents in my life and I want to use those gifts to glorify Him. He presents me with opportunites that I am drawn to, but yet, makes me sacrifice in other areas.
Does it sound weird to say that today is one of those days.....I feel like a grown up, making grown up decisions, and grown up sacrifices.
Phillippians 2:1-14
If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ,
if his love has made any difference in your life,
if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you,
if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor:
Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.
Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top.
Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.
Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage.
Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.
He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all.
When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!
Having become human, he stayed human.
It was an incredibly humbling process.
He didn't claim special privileges.
Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.
What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning.
When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience.
Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts.
Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.
Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed!
Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society.
Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.
Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing.
In moments like these....
Is is Monday? No wait...it's Wednesday....but really it's my Saturday because I go to work on Friday which really is my Monday. Did you catch that? Whew!
Ever have mornings that just don't start out right? Today was that for me and I just had to laugh. I had a hard time waking up to go workout, but I did. About 1/2 way through my workout, it dawned on me...."I forgot my clothes to change into". Then that thought came over me...is this how my morning is going to go? Well, then a few other things happned and well...the answer is yes. This IS how my day is going to go.
So much so that I can only laugh about it.
I sat down and prayed, opened my Bible, and God sent me to this from Proverbs 21:31 "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance and victory are of the Lord."
Okay....well...there ya have it. Guess I will go out and start my Saturday with that in mind. :o)
Ever have mornings that just don't start out right? Today was that for me and I just had to laugh. I had a hard time waking up to go workout, but I did. About 1/2 way through my workout, it dawned on me...."I forgot my clothes to change into". Then that thought came over me...is this how my morning is going to go? Well, then a few other things happned and well...the answer is yes. This IS how my day is going to go.
So much so that I can only laugh about it.
I sat down and prayed, opened my Bible, and God sent me to this from Proverbs 21:31 "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance and victory are of the Lord."
Okay....well...there ya have it. Guess I will go out and start my Saturday with that in mind. :o)
Friday, May 07, 2010
It's THAT day!!!
I began a journey in 2005 that completes itself today and sets me forth to another journey in the future.
Many things got in my way over these past few years and caused me to stumble, but I stood strong, and I stood tall, and fought against it....and with God's help, I did it!
One of my all time favorite songs to inspire me is "The Power of a Dream" This is one of the songs that helped me in making a decision to go forward with my education. When I thought i couldn't do it, I sang this song over and over.....along with a lot of other songs. (one day will arrange this for some kids to sing *in a different key.... The lyrics are incredible!)
Deep within each heart, There lies a magic spark
That lights the fire of our imagination
And since the dawn of man, The strength of just "I can"
Has brought together people of all nations
There's nothing ordinary, In the living of each day
There's a special part , Every one of us will play
Feel the flame forever burn, Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
As the world gives us its best, To stand apart from all the rest
It is the power of the dream that brings us here
Your mind will take you far, The rest is just pure heart
You'll find your fate is all your own creation
Every boy and girl, As they come into this world
They bring the gift of hope and inspiration
There's so much strength in all of us
Every woman child and man
It's the moment that you think you can't
You'll discover that you can
The power of the dream
The faith in things unseen
The courage to embrace your fear
No matter where you are
To reach for your own star
To realize the power of the dream
To realize the power of the dream
I relized the power of God and the dreams that He had given me were within my reach. Now that I'm done, I look forward to reaching for more goals and dreams that he will place in front of me. I think we have a God of endless possibilites and endless dreams. I want to take what I have learned and put it to use for HIS glory, not mine, not mans, but all His Glory. In everything I do I want others to see that I will use this accomplishment for His glory.
And on Graduation day today...I cleaned out all the papers and note cards, etc. This was just from the last 2 semesters!!!
Many things got in my way over these past few years and caused me to stumble, but I stood strong, and I stood tall, and fought against it....and with God's help, I did it!
One of my all time favorite songs to inspire me is "The Power of a Dream" This is one of the songs that helped me in making a decision to go forward with my education. When I thought i couldn't do it, I sang this song over and over.....along with a lot of other songs. (one day will arrange this for some kids to sing *in a different key.... The lyrics are incredible!)
Deep within each heart, There lies a magic spark
That lights the fire of our imagination
And since the dawn of man, The strength of just "I can"
Has brought together people of all nations
There's nothing ordinary, In the living of each day
There's a special part , Every one of us will play
Feel the flame forever burn, Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
As the world gives us its best, To stand apart from all the rest
It is the power of the dream that brings us here
Your mind will take you far, The rest is just pure heart
You'll find your fate is all your own creation
Every boy and girl, As they come into this world
They bring the gift of hope and inspiration
There's so much strength in all of us
Every woman child and man
It's the moment that you think you can't
You'll discover that you can
The power of the dream
The faith in things unseen
The courage to embrace your fear
No matter where you are
To reach for your own star
To realize the power of the dream
To realize the power of the dream
I relized the power of God and the dreams that He had given me were within my reach. Now that I'm done, I look forward to reaching for more goals and dreams that he will place in front of me. I think we have a God of endless possibilites and endless dreams. I want to take what I have learned and put it to use for HIS glory, not mine, not mans, but all His Glory. In everything I do I want others to see that I will use this accomplishment for His glory.
And on Graduation day today...I cleaned out all the papers and note cards, etc. This was just from the last 2 semesters!!!
Thursday, May 06, 2010
National Day of Prayer
I love that we have something called "National Day of Prayer". I do believe that we should all spend a certain time everyday in prayer to God, but for those that don't, this is a good National reminder.
My most precious moments everyday are when I'm talking to God. It's my quiet time. And sometimes, it's not so quite....if He's speaking loud enough. I don't have a routine of a specific time everyday, but when I stop and recognize Him for the great things He is doing in my life, and in this world, my life is more blessed.
This morning I was blessed to spend an hour alone with God as I watched the sunrise, listened to the birds chirping, and taking time to be thankful that He has given me another day on earth.
I don't need...or want....anything more.
I am blessed.
My most precious moments everyday are when I'm talking to God. It's my quiet time. And sometimes, it's not so quite....if He's speaking loud enough. I don't have a routine of a specific time everyday, but when I stop and recognize Him for the great things He is doing in my life, and in this world, my life is more blessed.
This morning I was blessed to spend an hour alone with God as I watched the sunrise, listened to the birds chirping, and taking time to be thankful that He has given me another day on earth.
I don't need...or want....anything more.
I am blessed.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Dump Day
I, along with many others, have committed to participate in "Dump Day". This is a re-post from Trey Morgan's blog. Will you join? You can go to his blog to donate. Nobody should ever have to live like this. And we can help.
7 QUESTIONS ABOUT DUMP DAY
Can you imagine being so poor and so hungry that you'd take up residence at your local dump and dig through the disgusting trash to find yourself something to eat? Can you imagine feeding your children scraps of molded rotting garbage, just so they can live? Can you imagine your children picking the little bites of chicken off a chicken bone they found in the garbage? All these are regular occurrences at the dump in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The Tegucigalpa dump is a dark and horrible place to live, yet many people do. Last year, on May 5th, you began to help make a difference in these forgotten people's lives, with the first ever Dump Day.
Twice this past year I had the privilege of being in Honduras and feeding hungry dump people with food you helped provide. This year I plan to go back to Honduras a couple of times and help feed the people at the dump. I'm praying this ministry is able to continue. Here are a few questions you may have that I hope I can help answer...
1. What is "Dump Day?"•Dump Day started last May 5th when we all raised over $12,500 for the Dump Fund. Everyone came together and pledged money and hungry people were fed. Here's the post if you want to look back. Now that a year has passed we want to have another "Dump Day" fundraiser to make sure we're able to continue to feed the hungry people of the Tegucigalpa, Honduras dump.
2. How did Dump Day start?•In November of 2008 I got a newsletter from a group of kids who were doing some mission work down in Honduras. They mentioned in their newsletter about going out to the dump and feeding people who lived there. When I first read it I thought to myself, "No way is there really people who live at a dump and eat out of the trash." I emailed them and found out more about their work. They were making and taking sandwiches to them when the funds to do so were available. About six months later we decided to have a fund raiser for them on this blog. My dream was to raise about $2500 for this work. I dreamed much too small.
3. Why May 5th?•May 5th is my cancer anniversary. This year I will have been cancer free for 7 years. What better way to celebrate surviving cancer and being cancer free than doing something like this. :)
4. How can you help?•By doing two things: 1) help pass the word about what we're doing here on May 5th. You can use your blog, your church bulletin, your email, send letters or any other way of getting the word out. The more people that know, the more people that can help. And 2) make a donation. Stop by on May 5th and leave a comment with what you're pledging to give. That helps us keep up with where we are on the fund-raiser.
5. How do I give/pledge?•Once you leave a pledge ("I'll give $50, etc."), you make out a check, money order or use the Paypal button on the side-bar of this blog. We're trying to make it as easy as possible to give. On May 5th I'll include the address where you can mail your money, if you pay by check or money order.
6. Where will my money go?•This is simple ... your money will go to help feed the people at the dump. Period.
7. How do I participate in this year's Dump Day fast? •This year I'm challenging you to a Dump Day fast. A 30 hour fast that will coincide with the Dump Day marathon. It will be a reminder to us that there are hungry people in this world, and they can't be overlooked. I'm not sure there's ever been a day in the Tegucigalpa dump when the people have actually had more to eat than me ... but on May 5th they will. I will be fasting and on that day (Dump Day, May 5th), and my friend Marc Tindall will be feeding rice, beans, tortillas, bananas and water to the people at the dump.
•I challenge you to fast from Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday evening. Then you can take the money you'd have spent on meals and give that money to hungry people. What better way to spend the money you saved on meals? :)
I also challenge you to some accountability on this by signing up. Simply leave a comment that says, "I'm in on the fast." You in?
7 QUESTIONS ABOUT DUMP DAY
Can you imagine being so poor and so hungry that you'd take up residence at your local dump and dig through the disgusting trash to find yourself something to eat? Can you imagine feeding your children scraps of molded rotting garbage, just so they can live? Can you imagine your children picking the little bites of chicken off a chicken bone they found in the garbage? All these are regular occurrences at the dump in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The Tegucigalpa dump is a dark and horrible place to live, yet many people do. Last year, on May 5th, you began to help make a difference in these forgotten people's lives, with the first ever Dump Day.
Twice this past year I had the privilege of being in Honduras and feeding hungry dump people with food you helped provide. This year I plan to go back to Honduras a couple of times and help feed the people at the dump. I'm praying this ministry is able to continue. Here are a few questions you may have that I hope I can help answer...
1. What is "Dump Day?"•Dump Day started last May 5th when we all raised over $12,500 for the Dump Fund. Everyone came together and pledged money and hungry people were fed. Here's the post if you want to look back. Now that a year has passed we want to have another "Dump Day" fundraiser to make sure we're able to continue to feed the hungry people of the Tegucigalpa, Honduras dump.
2. How did Dump Day start?•In November of 2008 I got a newsletter from a group of kids who were doing some mission work down in Honduras. They mentioned in their newsletter about going out to the dump and feeding people who lived there. When I first read it I thought to myself, "No way is there really people who live at a dump and eat out of the trash." I emailed them and found out more about their work. They were making and taking sandwiches to them when the funds to do so were available. About six months later we decided to have a fund raiser for them on this blog. My dream was to raise about $2500 for this work. I dreamed much too small.
3. Why May 5th?•May 5th is my cancer anniversary. This year I will have been cancer free for 7 years. What better way to celebrate surviving cancer and being cancer free than doing something like this. :)
4. How can you help?•By doing two things: 1) help pass the word about what we're doing here on May 5th. You can use your blog, your church bulletin, your email, send letters or any other way of getting the word out. The more people that know, the more people that can help. And 2) make a donation. Stop by on May 5th and leave a comment with what you're pledging to give. That helps us keep up with where we are on the fund-raiser.
5. How do I give/pledge?•Once you leave a pledge ("I'll give $50, etc."), you make out a check, money order or use the Paypal button on the side-bar of this blog. We're trying to make it as easy as possible to give. On May 5th I'll include the address where you can mail your money, if you pay by check or money order.
6. Where will my money go?•This is simple ... your money will go to help feed the people at the dump. Period.
7. How do I participate in this year's Dump Day fast? •This year I'm challenging you to a Dump Day fast. A 30 hour fast that will coincide with the Dump Day marathon. It will be a reminder to us that there are hungry people in this world, and they can't be overlooked. I'm not sure there's ever been a day in the Tegucigalpa dump when the people have actually had more to eat than me ... but on May 5th they will. I will be fasting and on that day (Dump Day, May 5th), and my friend Marc Tindall will be feeding rice, beans, tortillas, bananas and water to the people at the dump.
•I challenge you to fast from Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday evening. Then you can take the money you'd have spent on meals and give that money to hungry people. What better way to spend the money you saved on meals? :)
I also challenge you to some accountability on this by signing up. Simply leave a comment that says, "I'm in on the fast." You in?
Monday, May 03, 2010
4 more days
Everything is set into place.
I've got the cap and gown. I've taken the test. I've met all the requirements to graduate. Now we just gotta wait for that official night.
I recieved a letter that was address to:
Brenda Lee Hughes, AAS, CRT, RRT.
Um....those are a lot of letters....THAT MEAN A WHOLE LOT TO ME! :o) I totally know that girl.
This morning I had time to reflect on some of the highlights of my school career. One of them was my Goverment class. Of all classes for me to love and excel in, this was the one. Even though it was just part of my basics, the professor I had made a huge difference in my thought process and whether to continue on with this dream or not. I had been out of school for 15 years a that time and didn't really remember much about studying or even how to take test. His class wasn't the best one for learning those things as he only gave 2 test a year. The mid-term and the final. Both were essays that you had to think on the fly and write not knowing what the question would be ahead of time. And I will never forget how I was able to incorporate how Santa Clause is so similar to Government today. No..that wasn't the question, but I worte about it and told every bit of the constitution and how it reltated and yes....I got an A!!!! But that professor taught me how to look at things in life differently. I admired him greately.
I've had a lot of great professors through these years and many of them stand out to me and helped me change my life. For that I am grateful. I am thankful that so many of them were wonderful christian leaders and role models. Not only for me, but for the students they encountered. I may be 36....but I still need positive role models in my life that will lead me in the right direction when I get lost. God knew just who to place in my life over these past 5 years to help me thorugh it. Not just teachers, but friends. So many that believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself and do it on my own. So many that pushed me. So many that helped me along the way. So many that loved me and get to see what I will now go out and do with the degree.....(and all those credentials) that I have earned.
I am so blessed.
I am so thankful.
I am so happy.
I am loved.
I've got the cap and gown. I've taken the test. I've met all the requirements to graduate. Now we just gotta wait for that official night.
I recieved a letter that was address to:
Brenda Lee Hughes, AAS, CRT, RRT.
Um....those are a lot of letters....THAT MEAN A WHOLE LOT TO ME! :o) I totally know that girl.
This morning I had time to reflect on some of the highlights of my school career. One of them was my Goverment class. Of all classes for me to love and excel in, this was the one. Even though it was just part of my basics, the professor I had made a huge difference in my thought process and whether to continue on with this dream or not. I had been out of school for 15 years a that time and didn't really remember much about studying or even how to take test. His class wasn't the best one for learning those things as he only gave 2 test a year. The mid-term and the final. Both were essays that you had to think on the fly and write not knowing what the question would be ahead of time. And I will never forget how I was able to incorporate how Santa Clause is so similar to Government today. No..that wasn't the question, but I worte about it and told every bit of the constitution and how it reltated and yes....I got an A!!!! But that professor taught me how to look at things in life differently. I admired him greately.
I've had a lot of great professors through these years and many of them stand out to me and helped me change my life. For that I am grateful. I am thankful that so many of them were wonderful christian leaders and role models. Not only for me, but for the students they encountered. I may be 36....but I still need positive role models in my life that will lead me in the right direction when I get lost. God knew just who to place in my life over these past 5 years to help me thorugh it. Not just teachers, but friends. So many that believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself and do it on my own. So many that pushed me. So many that helped me along the way. So many that loved me and get to see what I will now go out and do with the degree.....(and all those credentials) that I have earned.
I am so blessed.
I am so thankful.
I am so happy.
I am loved.
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