Raining Showers of Blessings

Hey, everyone!

The sky is full of rain clouds and a gentle, steady rain is falling. It is methodically moisturizing my little corner of the world. As I gaze at the drops of water continuously cascading down, I feel calm and relaxed. There is just something about a rainy day that makes me a little sleepy, feel a little lazy...

You know it reminds me of God's love for me. No matter what season of life I am in, God's love continues to pour down upon me. Regardless of where I am, His love refreshes me and relaxes me. I can start to sense God is in control of a situation and I can feel my spirit ease out of the rigid, disabling state of despair. His love showers over me and I am free. I am forgiven. I am whole. I am loved and I am His.

Today was a mediocre clinical day for me. There was not a lot to see or do where I was and it made for a long day for me and for the nurse I was following. I tried to make the best of it and look for any opportunity to learn something new but there were few of those moments. My children are spending the night with Paul's parents again tonight and they've been there all day so I miss them terribly. I talked to them at lunch and spoke with my daughter as soon as I was on my way home, but I miss them just the same. Paul works long hours and when he finally gets home we barely have time to eat supper together and exchange weary glances before he is off to grab a shower and head for bed. The hour and a half drive home is relaxing at times but when the traffic gets a little congested and the winding road seems to never end, it loses the appeal quickly. I opened my driver's side door and the soft sound of gently falling rain just began to melt away my heaviness and I smiled. That's God!

I have so much on my mind right now. I need to find a job and I don't want just any job because this is the start of my nursing career. I still have four weeks to finish of lecture and clinical plus two more final examinations to take before I am fully done, so there is the stress of due dates, lengthy reading sessions, and time-consuming paperwork that feels like it may never be done. I miss my kids so much and wish our schedules were better so I could be home with them more and spend more time with them. I wish my husband and I could have more time together as a family and as a couple to discuss things and plan ahead, but it seems like we continue to put off things until "tomorrow" and it just doesn't ever come. But then the rain came.

I know that I am not alone. Are you having a dry spell in your spiritual life? Is it hard to find time to spend alone with God because of all the distractions? In today's face-paced world we just continue to be bombarded with technology, activities, media, and everything but taking a little time to wait on God. If it is a big enough downpour, I will sit in the car until the rain slacks off and then I can make a mad dash for wherever I may be going. Sometimes our lives are so full of everything that it feels like a downpour and it's God's way of saying, "Wait on Me. Sit this one out. Stop worrying. Let everything else go and come to Me." Sometimes it takes a downpour.

Today it just took a gentle rain to remind me to slow up. It was enough to see the sprinkles fall from the clouds to bring to mind all of the time God's blessings have been sprinkled into my life. I am grateful for a higher education. I am thankful for the clinical experiences I have had to sharpen my skills and learn new things. I am so content with the family God has given me. We are blessed to have loving family members to watch our children while we are at work and college. It is such a wonderful gift that my husband has a job so he can pay all of the bills while I am earning a degree. Yes, my life is not ideal at times, but it is full of God's love and blessings. Jesus, bring the rain!

Hugs,

Serenity Now!

Hey, everyone!

It is peaceful here at home as I write this blog post. My children have gone on vacation with their grandparents to Myrtle Beach, SC and they are having such a great time! I am so glad they were able to go.

Paul is still working and won't be home for a while longer. I have a TON of studying to do for a test on Friday and another on Monday, but I thought I'd blog a little as I eat some leftovers from supper last night:

I have been trying to do some simplifying of my life this year and especially the past couple of months. I will soon be finished with the LPN program (in July) and I really want to make some major changes by then. I have already been giving a lot of stuff away, trying to declutter and thin out our stuff! We've accumulated so much through the years and there is just something refreshing about having less.

You know, I was reading through some of the posts when I first started blogging. My life seemed so challenging at times and it progressively grew more harried and rushed. However, I look back on those times now and sort of long for those days. I am in a transition period in my life. I am not currently working. I am a full-time nursing student and some days I really wonder what I was thinking to try to go back to school after all these years! My dad is gone now and he was such a source of inspiration and faith for me. He prayed for me, gave me sound counsel, and always pointed me in the right direction if I seemed to have lost my way. Times are tough financially on everyone I know. It can kind of be the pits sometimes!

But, I decided that I am not going to wallow in my perceived misery. I am just going to change the things I can. This is my prayer and my heart's desire:

Reinhold Niebuhr nailed it with this beautiful prayer. That is what I want. I want to accept the things I have no control over. I want to be able to change the things I have the power to, and I want God to give me the wisdom to know the difference so I don't make my life any harder than it has to be.

I think with social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, even places like YouTube or blogs, we can get so caught up in trying to be like someone else, or obtain the status they have, that we sort of lose ourselves. We kind of just get beat up by all of these should-have, would-have, could-have statements we make and then find ourselves wishing for a better car, more money, cuter clothes, or something silly in the grand scheme of things.

When my dad was in the final days of his life, he knew that he was ready to go to Heaven. He had been given the blessing of a long battle with cancer in order to get all of the junk out of his life. His friends that played music with him for years had abandoned him. No longer able to play music, he just wasn't the same guy anymore inside either, and he became estranged from friends who he thought would always be there for him. The stroke that he suffered disallowed him to drive a vehicle any longer. He was weak from the chemotherapy and the ebb and flow of his blood sugar levels as the medication wreaked havoc on his system. He didn't care about ball games on the television, or listening to his favorite music. He certainly didn't care about money or earthly possessions. He would spend hours, sometimes the entire night, laying in bed, praying and talking to God. If he could sit in on this post I am writing today I know he would agree. This stuff down here doesn't matter. Sure it's fun for a while to have nice things or go on vacation, or take part in a particular hobby, but at the end of the day, who are you? What did you contribute to while you were here?

I want to make a difference. I want to matter. I think we all do. I want to leave a legacy of love and goodness to my children and husband should I pass before they do. I would like to know that I am remembered for being kind and compassionate. It won't matter how many videos I have posted, how many subscribers I get to my channel. The number of blog posts I have written won't be that important and I don't think anyone will remember me for posting anything really exciting on social media sites, but I hope that I can live a simpler life... one that has a deeper meaning. Did I make a difference? Did I change someone's life for the better? Was I able to be a helper and not a hindrance? Did I please God with my thoughts and actions? Will my children remember the things I taught them about the LORD?

I don't plan on dying any time soon and I know this subject can seem a little deep, or dark, or somber, but it's something we will all do at some point. I just hope that I can make those changes in my life these next few months so that my life is better, fuller, richer, by things you cannot measure or even understand.

Thanks for hanging out with me today. I love reading your comments so if you want to share some tips on simplifying life, feel free to leave it below. I hope you have an amazing day!

Hugs,

Javan's Afternoon Out!

Hey, everyone!

Today has been such a great day! My mother woke me up so I would get up in time to get to campus. She was on her way to Tennessee to see my nephew graduate! I was able to get up later than I wanted to and still had time to get gasoline before arriving on campus with time to spare! No speeding, either!! Once on campus, I met my new instructor and I really like her. I think she is going to be a great instructor and I look forward to learning many new things from her. The class schedule said the class met until 1 pm but it turned out that we only met until noon, and then we finished early so I was able to go to the Dollar Tree with my two close friends Leesa and Megan. We had lunch at Applebee's with our friend Leann (she was already there eating and we had her sit with us), and we saw two of our other nursing student friends having lunch together, too! Megan took us back to campus so Leesa and I could print off some power point notes for class and then we headed home.

Kadesia had gone camping with her papaw for the day. They went fishing and had a wonderful time together. I sprung Javan from school a half an hour early and we had the best time. I could only eat half of my sandwich and fries from Applebee's so Javan ate the other half on the way towards Bloomington. We stopped to get him a drink from the Dollar General but we ended up getting a few more things besides the pop. It turned out to be a great thing I purchased the certificate picture frame. It was marked $1 but then it was on sale for 50% off that, so it was only fifty cents! It was a great deal!!

I took my little boy to the dam at Hardin Ridge area. We received directions from some young girls on how to get there and Javan helped me navigate the turns. He is so smart!

We saw a tractor burning in a field on our way to the dam. The fire trucks were just arriving as we approached. The tractor was badly burned up when we came back through. I feel bad for the owners of the tractor. I hope no one was injured. From the dam, we went to the mall. No trip to the mall is complete for our family without getting pretzels from Auntie Anne's stand.

Javan wanted to get a couple of new outfits from the mall and a toy he had told me. We had looked at clothes in Dick's Sporting Goods store but he really wasn't interested in getting any of them. He wanted to check out Game Stop but he didn't want a new game, either. So when he saw Build-A-Bear and asked to go in, I said we could. He ended up picking a light blue teddy bear and he loved stuffing it. He added a talking device that says, "Let's Hang Out" "What's Up?" "Let's Play Ball!" "That Rocks!" "You're a Cool Friend!" He added a cotton candy scented package inside, too. He loved giving it a bath and brushing its hair. He named it Florida. I thought to myself, 'That's where my dad is from. Maybe he is missing his papaw.' And apparently that is right because he told the lady who helped him stuff the bear that he named his bear Florida because that is where his papaw used to live. He said, "Papaw lives in heaven now. He died." Such a sweet moment for me. He decked out his bear in an NBA basketball uniform complete with wrist bands and a head band, a basketball and some tennis shoes. Isn't this a sweet moment?

I was able to score some new pants for half price in Maurice's and then I had a coupon for 10% off my entire purchase so it was even less. I am really glad to get the bargain! Since Javan was such a good boy for me, we headed towards home so I could take him to play at the park. Two little boys wanted him to play with them. It was fun to watch them playing tag and dig in the sand box.

We stopped for a hamburger at Hardee's in the drive-thru. Javan asked if we could "take a cruise through the country and go down a dirt road and get dirt all over the car then come back home and wash the car together." He is so cute! I took him on a few country roads, but they were all paved. We finally got home and he fed his cat, then we settled on the couch with our feet propped up, fuzzy blankets on us and two pillows each! We are sharing popcorn watching Bob the Builder, Thomas and Friends videos that he checked out from the library with his very own library card. He has Florida in his arms and both of us are having a hard time staying awake. I think we will snuggle up for a while and I will end the day with a grateful heart for all the blessings in my life.

Hugs,

What took me so long?

Hey everyone!

Tonight I was reflecting on when I first started blogging. My first blog post was on February 27, 2008. My life was so completely different then than it is right now. I kind of look back at that time in my life and long for those times again. Even though life was tough back then, it sure feels tougher now. So many things have changed: my kids have grown, my husband's job changed, my life changed in so many ways, and the one thing I never could imagine happening did... my sweet daddy died on December 29, 2013. But with all of the changes, one thing remained and that is my faith. I cannot say my faith did not change, because it has. I believe stronger than ever that my Redeemer lives and that Jesus is my Savior and Lord. I know He is able to take care of anything I surrender to Him. I trust Him completely and yet there is much more room for growth. My faith sustains me.

I have unofficially graduated from the LPN program. We had the formality of a pinning ceremony and presenting a document but the actual nursing program will continue for eight more weeks. I start back up tomorrow. I really am so weary of driving three hours round trip a day for five days a week at various hours of the EARLY morning, and bouncing my children around to my in-laws or back home with my mother seeing them on their school buses. Life is just hard and inconsistent right now and I do not have a lot of time to do the things I am the most passionate about, but I am trying to get back to some of the basic things that really helped me in the simpler times when my blog was new and things just seemed less chaotic.

I have been producing some YouTube videos lately and I wanted to share one with you all today. It is a video about how I use my Joyfully Yours weekly planner by Dayspring. My husband bought it for me and I absolutely love it. It really does keep me organized and I enjoy using stickers and pretty embellishments to keep it colorful and fun to use. I hope you will like my video. If you do, feel free to leave a comment on my YouTube channel and be sure to subscribe. I plan on sharing several more videos and I am eager to see how everyone likes them.

If you are still following my blog and checking in with me, thank you! I apologize for not keeping up with things like I had wanted to. I will try to be more consistent and post more often. If you have any suggestions on blog topics that you would like to see, or videos you want me to create, please leave me a comment below or feel free to email me at bridgettowens78@gmail.com and I will look forward to reading those responses. Enjoy the video and thanks for hanging out with me today!!

Hugs,

Update!

Hey everyone!

It's been a little bit since I was able to hang out with you! I have been so busy with working full-time swing shift and taking my class this summer at university.

It has been intense but I am proud of how well I am doing. I have a final exam and that is it...I will be done with the summer session! I think I may have three weeks between the summer and fall session?! Not much time but it will still be a nice break.

I work at the hospital for now, but I am not able to work full-time swing shift and go to class full-time for the nursing program, so I had to make a decision. It was not an easy choice. I have worked (sometimes more than one job at a time) since I was 17 years old, except for a very short time being home with my babies after they were born. It's been difficult to divide my time among so many things... school, work, family, church, my online business, and hobbies. I have sacrificed a lot of things for my dream of becoming a nurse and when it came down to the wire I knew that I had to walk away from work. I had thought about, prayed about, and tried to find another way but this is the solution I know God wanted for me. It's tough to walk by faith and not by sight, but I am going to do it because I know He is with me every step of the way and He will not leave me.

So, hopefully I can get a chance to spend more time with my family, enjoy being home more, study a LOT more, and even get a little bit more time to be creative every once in a while. I have a few Stampin' Up! catalogs I am mailing out this coming week. Just let me know if you want me to mail you one. Take care and have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs,

Bird Watching

Hey, everyone!
My mom's birthday was July 13. My husband and I took our kids down to her house to visit with her. It was a really nice visit. We were getting ready to pull into our driveway when I saw a bird in the road. At first I thought it had been ran over and was hoping Kadesia didn't see it. She would have been devastated but then I saw it move, so I thought it may have been hurt!

We got out and tried to see if the bird would eat but I think it was pretty frightened.

We have 2 big trees in our front yard so I didn't know if the bird had fallen out of it's nest, or gotten ran over or injured somehow. My husband's grandma lives next door and she came to help us. Paul got a box and it hopped inside, then he carried it over to our yard down by the tree.

We got a bowl of water and sat it down by the bird. It was getting dark so we left it alone and prayed that God would keep it safe and help it to get better. The next morning the box was empty (except for a present the bird had left, hehe) and no sign of the bird to be found. We just hope that it got well enough to fly away!

Hugs,

Bridgett

I've Been Tagged....TWICE!

Hey, everyone!

I have been tagged!!! Not once but TWICE....so here I go! I've never been tagged before so I hope I do this right!

1. TEN YEARS AGO...
I was not married, nor had I met my husband. I was working for a non-profit organization called Hoosier Uplands Area 15 Agency on Aging!
2. 5 THINGS ON TODAY'S "TO DO" LIST...
Well, the day is nearly over, but I still have to fold and put away the towels and wash cloths, dry the baby's clothes and put away, wash the dishes, bath time and then look at my new magazines.
3. SNACK I ENJOY...
I like to snack on cheese and crackers, Red Delicious apple slices with peanut butter, Dove milk chocolate and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
4. THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WAS A MILLIONAIRE...
I would definitely pay off all of our debt, of course! Then we could build our dream home in the country somewhere! We'd have whatever vehicles we would want. I would have a deluxe custom paper crafting area, our kids would have a huge playground and my husband would get the racing things he dreams of! We'd put more money into our children's accounts, and then we would give money to our parents, my husband's grandma and some to my sisters and brother.
5. PLACES I HAVE LIVED...
Williams, Indiana USA and Bedford, Indiana USA
I was tagged by Steph and now I tag... ANGELDRUMMER, JANE, and JAIME!

This is my second tag, so here's the way it works:
1.) Link back to the person who tagged you!
Okay that is easy! One of my FAVORITE customers, Teresa and her blog is TILTING AT WINDMILLS.
2.) Post these rules on your blog.
That seems easy enough!
3.) Share 6 unimportant things about yourself.
Okay...let's see! Hmmm! 1. I love elephants! 2. I have a good-size collection of frogs!! (So cute!) 3. I have written a LOT of songs, poems and stories! 4. I LOVE TOTE BAGS!!! 5. I'm not really an outdoorsy type person! 6. I would LOVE to visit Ireland someday!
4.) Tag SIX people at the end of this entry!
Okay, I will TAG CHAR, Vicki, Nicole, Jany, Sarah, Janet! Okay, you are all IT!!!

Today my babies and I were snuggling up in the lounger, listening to the rain pouring down outside. It was so relaxing I nearly fell asleep; my son did! Then we heard it! The storm alarm sounded and my daughter asked me, "Mommy, is it Friday at noon?" (That is when they do a test of the alarm system.) I told her, "No, it isn't." So she knew it was a storm. I was super calm about it because she is really scared of storms. I am not, and I actually happen to like them, but I was careful not to get her nervous. We watched the news where they warned of a tornado in our area and instructions on what to do. We went to the basement for a while! Good thing we've been putting my paper crafting items downstairs and my daughter and son's play things there. We were totally fine with our candles burning...just in case the lights went out!
I started flipping through my paper crafting magazines to get ideas for a friendship ATC I need to make soon. I found the instructions for a little purse made from a sheet of 8½x11 cardstock! It was fast to make and I love it! My husband had to help me (from his job, LOL) figure out how to measure an off measurement on my Scor-Pal (WHICH I LOVE!!!) and it was super simple to do! Here it is:

I realize it isn't stamped but I had fun making it. I am going to make 10 greeting cards and envelopes to go inside! These would make some really fun gifts! I think I may have this for an upcoming FunShop!

Don't forget to sign up for the Welcome Baby class I'm having on Friday, June 27 at 7:00 p.m. You will leave with 4 projects: a stamped candle, stamped onesie, beautiful card and envelope and personalized baby bank...all for only $10! Bring your basic tool kit and I will supply the rest! Please call me or e-mail me for more information! Have a great day and stay safe!!!!

Hugs,
Bridgett

Baby Shower Card

Hey, everyone!

This has certainly been one busy week! My husband's papaw had been put in the hospital, in ICU. He started improving and they were going to move him onto the medical floor. We got a call Sunday morning to go to the hospital but we were too late when we got there. He passed away just before we walked in. :0(

With the passing of Papaw Elbert, and thinking of death and our own mortality as the week began, it seems only fitting that the weekend would be filled with anticipation and joy with the new birth of my baby cousin and the summer arrival for my friend's baby that I went to a shower for today! My baby cousin was born this week, though he was not due to be born until July! He weighed 2 lbs. 1 oz. and was 13" long!! He is breathing on his own and his heart is doing well! We give God all the praise for that MIRACLE! My cousin is doing well, too, but must remain in the hospital a while longer! It has been a bittersweet week....losing a dear man who was so special and kind...but gaining a new little life, full of wonder and awe! It really is amazing!

The night before my cousin was transferred to a different hospital, I made her a card using the shaving cream technique. It is sort of like a post card! Here is a photo:

Since I got my new stamps recently (you gotta love the DOUBLE REWARDS!!!) I have been cutting my stamps out and eager to play!! I got the chance this morning. I made a card for my friend's baby shower. I thought I would show it to you all!

I used the Hello Baby stamp set, Just Like Dad paper, Hybrid Pallette Ink Spots (LOVE IT!), gray tombow marker, scalloped punch and my new Scor-Pal! Ask me how you can get them, too!!

Sunday (it already is Sunday....just really early), I will be making some packets for Monyca's FunShop she is having this Tuesday! It will be a lot of fun! If you wanted to place an order to get your DOUBLE REWARDS, do that soon because time is running out! April 30 is the last day to get all your DOUBLE BENEFITS!

Have a great day!
Bridgett

Fun Family Day

Hey, everyone!

Paul and I took Kadesia to the Indianapolis Children's Musuem on Saturday. It was a really fun time. The place was SO big! There was no shortage of things to see and do! I wished we could have taken Javan but we just thought it was a long car ride for a baby, then more sitting time in a stroller, and then the long car ride back home. He had fun at his mamaw and papaw's house. I thought you might like to see a few photos of our little family adventure!

Thanks for looking! C-ya!

Bridgett

I am free!!!

Hey, everyone!

I am so excited that I am free! I went to the doctor today and he said my hand healed up perfectly! He said that he was very pleased with it and while some people's fingers heal up inside the hand, they will tend to not straighten out or not want to bend properly again, but my fingers extend straight out and I can make a fist. Not a super tight one, yet, but it's a really good one! I am so happy to have my hand free again! I am so glad God healed my hand up! I am grateful for the awesome physician I had and all the staff that took care of me and splinted my hand, but I know that God healed my hand perfectly and I am so thankful!!

Great news...I'm starting a team up for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life this year! We are the Hoosier Stampers. It's going to be a great time June 20-21. Come out and support us if you are in the neighborhood!! You can join my team and have a lot of fun raising money for this worthy cause! Our big fundraiser in May is going to be a lot of fun! I am excited to work on the details and have the plans consistently fall into place. It's going to be a wonderful event! More details to follow!!! Sign up now to join my team!! If you don't want to join the team, you can always make a tax-deductible donation to help our team raise money that will go straight to the Lawrence County ACS!

It's nearing the end of March! That means only one more month left for the Celebrate events. Please hurry to book your FunShop. I still have a few dates left open. You can also request a copy of the spring/summer 2008 catalog and place an order. Don't forget that when we Celebrate! YOU get double the rewards and benefits!!! It's a wonderful time to host a FunShop...so many ways to earn FREE stamp sets! Ask me more about that: hoosier_card_angel@yahoo.com and I would be happy to help answer any questions you may have.

Take care and have a great day!
Bridgett