Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thankful and Blessed Y'all!


Happy Thanksgiving!

I have been so blessed by reading the thanksgivings and praises that are constantly flowing throughout the blogosphere this week. So much so, that I became convicted that I should also publicly spew forth my gratitude for the multitude of blessings that God has so richly bestowed. Some large and some small, some common and some very specific to my crazy world......but all things that I pretty much take for granted due to this worldly, me focused, sin soaked flesh I live within.....so I will start with that:

1) I am thankful for this so not perfect, over indulged, under exercised body I live in....And while she "don't work quite as efficiently" as she used to...I am happy to say, I am healthy. No hypertension, no diabetes, no cancer, no auto immune issues (all which are known to be in my familial history). So what if I do not look like a supermodel, and my knees creak a little, and I have a few seasonal allergies...I still clean up pretty good, and my husband thinks I'm sexy. So thankful, so thankful.

2) My Husband is healthy, employed, churched, and is crazy about me. What more could a gal hope for...(See last post). So thankful, so thankful!

3) My kids are healthy, happy, doing great in school, and are growing emotionally and spiritually. So thankful, so thankful!

4) My home is full of love, food, and laughter. Sure, there are things I would like to do to change it or spruce it up, but that's all icing on the cake...and in our current economy....I am happy to wait for anymore icing for a while! So thankful, so thankful!

5) My church family is healthy and loving and all about bringing folks into the kingdom of God. They are innovative and active and excited about serving the Lord! So thankful, so thankful!

6) My relationships with extended family and friends have been highly enriched by using Facebook...it has been so much easier to stay in touch and keep up with everyone...so yay for social stalking! So thankful, so thankful

7) My canine children. That's right, I just said I am thankful for my dogs :) They are the best anti depressant I have ever found! They love me unconditionally, they do amazing, funny things, and they are all house broken. (I said some of these were small and specific to my crazy life!) So thankful, so thankful!

8) The Blogosphere. Amy Grant's song is right..."We are all the same it seems, behind the eyes"...Blogging has been the "eyes" I have used to look in to the hearts and lives of so many dear friends...old and new....and by starting my own blog, I have become wide-eyed for all to see into my life and heart. Alot of camaraderie and healing has been bestowed upon me due to this innovative way of communicating! So thankful, so thankful!

9)Girlfriends....I am so thankful for these gals that God lets me walk daily with. I am talking about gals who I go to lunch with, shop with, cry with, worship with, giggle with, and pray for everyday. I would give them the shirt off my back and they would give me theirs. (Except most are WAYYY skinner than me, so if I needed a shirt, I would possibly need to ask two of them! LOL!) Some are dear friends who I have had for years, some are new in my life....all are quite special and a blessing to me. So thankful, so thankful.

10) Little things: Sugar free Redbull, South Beach Peanut Butter Bars, movie theatre popcorn, massages, Heavenly perfume, warm socks, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, great smelling shower scrub, sharpies, zip lock bags, puppy kisses, husband kisses, daily I love yous from my kids, a big closet, my kitchen aid mixer, Beth Moore bible studies, our backyard, a good microphone, and spanx undergarments.

10) Grace. Yep...that is the biggie, and while the blessings listed above are in no specific order, I did save the most important one for last....the AMAZING, SELFLESS, SIN COVERING, NEW EVERY MORNING, SOUL CLEANSING GRACE of our Lord and Savior Jesus. I need it constantly. Without it, I would be destined to a life of misery here on earth, and doomed to an eternity in hell! God's Grace....I am so unworthy...yet...SO thankful, SO thankful!

I am also thankful for each one of you who stop by this blog....and especially thankful for those of you who leave me comments from time to time!

So thankful Y'all! So thankful indeed!
~Scarlett

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Happy Birthday to My Favorite Turkey :)

Hey Y'all! The official holiday bustle has begun! Christmas is one month from today, Thanksgiving is the day after tomorrow, and today is my wonderful husband's birthday! Yep, my Knight in shining armor....better known as Mark....catches up with me today. That's right...I am 5 months older (to the day) than Mark. We were born in the same year, at the same hospital, went to the same schools, and graduated together...but he still has a good time poking fun at me about robbing the cradle! We have been best friends since we started singing together when we were 12 years old...we married at 19....and last May celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary! And we still cannot get enough of each other!

Because he has a November 25th birth date....from time to time it actually falls on Thanksgiving. And while Thanksgiving is a national holiday, and was not set aside in honor of giving thanks for Mark Knight.....I must say, having him in my life, is one of the things I am most thankful for every year. He is an incredible man. He loves me unconditionally, and only loves God more than me....and I think that is WAY sexy!! He is my partner in life. He is the spiritual leader of our family. He is my friend, confidant, and playmate. He is a loving, giving, guiding father to our kids. He is a hard working small business owner. He is a praise team singing, pool cleaning, doggie taker outer hunk of burnin' love :) Need I say more?

And while it should be, by now, clearly obvious to anyone reading this, that I am hopelessly still head over heels in love with him...just to further clarify....I am.

I thank God for him daily. So many of the blessings on my list (come back on Thanksgiving to check them out)....are because of my favorite Birthday boy. He spoils me so!

So here's a shout to my honey! (Hope you are ready for our Birthday/Thanksgiving feast tonight! The turkey sure smells good steaming in the oven right now. Gonna fill up the jacuzzi with bubbles and light the bathroom with candles.....) I will let Mark decide what we should do next....after all...it is his birthday!

Happy 46th Birthday my love!

Later Y'all....got some birthday details to attend to....
~Scarlett

Friday, November 21, 2008

Count Your Blessings Y'all!

Happy Pre-Thanksgiving! My, how the holidays are rapidly approaching.... Ready or not, here they come!

One of my favorite things to do in the blogosphere is visiting blogs who have "Thankful Thursdays". There is something quite humbling about experiencing the gratitude of others. It helps keep me in check with what really matters. (Like realizing that my "want' for new hardwood floors....IS TRIVIAL in the whole scheme of things when you consider our present economy.) I am reminded as I browse and blog, that simply having a roof over my head is a blessing not be taken for granted! Foreclosures are at a record high, already surpassing last years final total, and with unemployment also at an unimaginable high, they look for the foreclosure total for this year to topple the 3 million mark!

So as I sit here in my warm house, with food in my pantry, enough money in my bank account, a vehicle in my garage, a happy, loving, healthy husband who is employed....healthy, thriving, loving kids....incredible friends and family, and an amazing, God-loving church family.....I am almost at a loss for words to my GRACIOUS heavenly Father God, to adequately provide explanation of the gratitude I feel!

So until the economy gets better, I am keeping my trap shut about the new hardwood floors!!

What about you? What are you most thankful for during this particular Thanksgiving season? I would love to hear!

Keeping an attitude of gratitude y'all!
~Scarlett

Monday, November 17, 2008

Confession is Good for the Soul

Tell me I am not alone in my stupidity. That's right....time for 'fessin up y'all....I will start.



Today, I had what I thought was a bright idea....The logic went something like this.....I am running late for church and I don't have time to take my car keys to my office before worship begins, so I say to myself....."Self, why don't you just take the ignition key off the HUMONGOUS key ring you always carry around. That way you will not have a big bunch of noisy keys clanging around during worship." Made sense to me. So I took off the ignition key....headed into worship just as the countdown on the screen said 0:37 seconds left. Took the seat that my friend Cindy had saved for me, put the key in the back pocket of the chair in front of me, sat down my bible, and worshipped my little heart out!! It was a wonderful day of worship!



As the service was coming to a close, I needed to make my way out in front of the crowd to hand out tickets for iChristmas, our Christmas event at Cornerstone this year. So I grabbed my bible, quietly slipped out....handed out a bazillion tickets, and then headed down the hall for a Women's Ministry Team Lunch Meeting. The salad was yummy, the turtle cookies...even yummier! We had a very productive meeting......then it was time to go home....I was ready. I knew I had to be back at 5:50 for a photo shoot, and then praise band rehearsal and choir rehearsal. (And I really wanted to sneak in a quick nap!)



Bible in hand.....but HELLO....NO key. I immediately knew what I had done....and where I had left it. The problem was that every Sunday as soon as the service is done, the men of the church (or at least the energetic ones) take up the majority of the 600+ chairs to clear the worship center for Awana. And sure enough....the row I was on was up and stacked 6 chairs deep. My wonderful friends Lari and Karen and Monica....helped me look for the key....but no luck.



All three offered to take me home.....but I hated to put them out....it was not exactly on the way home for any of them. (Actually Karen, is a neighbor, but she is our Children's Ministry Leader, and needed to stay at CBC to work....but she did offer me her car.) I finally agreed to let Monica take me home......she promised she did not mind....and she was driving a convertible sports car...so that was kinda cool! Thanks again, Monica....and I think you are even cooler than the sports car :)



After Awana tonight, the chairs were put back out, and a small brigade of friends searched row by row, seat pocket by seat pocket until the key was found. Mrs. Naoma found it....thanks again....you rock!



I am so thankful for my church family.....and it is so comforting to know that they love me even when I do idiotic things, and that they are willing to help me out of the crazy and somewhat embarrassing predicaments that I put myself in sometimes! What do folks do without a loving fellowship of believers in their lives. My Church family is my safety net.....whether I trip, fall, jump or I am pushed.....they are there to catch me. I thank God for them daily.



So come on folks....help me know I am not alone in my idiocracy.....What kind of brainless antics are you guilty of and are willing to share with us. Confession is good for the soul....and would also make me feel a little bit better :)



Humble pie isn't so bad, especially if it served up with some sweet tea, and some even sweeter friends!



Pie on my face,

Scarlett

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

God's Will

Hey Y'all! Today on facebook, a good friend of mine posted the following note. I found it to be "Living Water" to my dry and thirsty soul :)

Thanks for sharing it Renee! I look forward to your comments....it doesn't get much clearer than this! The author is Dr. James McDonald.


As a pastor, I often hear questions about God’s will. “What does God want me to do?” is the most common, but there are others: “Where does God want me to live?” “Who does God want me to marry?” “What job does God want me to take?”

This may come as a surprise to you, but the Bible does’t spend any time on that stuff. God’s focus ins’t so much on the externals; He wants to change the inner you. He says, “If I can change you into the person I want you to be, you’ll know where you’re supposed to go, and you’ll know who you’re supposed to marry, and you’ll know where you’re supposed to work.”

Next time you wonder about what you are seeing or experiencing and struggle to know what God could be up to, just say to yourself, “He’s changing me,” and you’ll be right. Next time disappointments or heartaches come (maybe you’re in the midst of them right now), try to recognize that God Himself is holding the hammer and chisel.

But why? Why is He so stuck on this matter of change? Here’s the hard truth that sets people free: God’s bottom line doesn’t have anything to do with you or me or any human being. This whole universe is not about us; it’s about Him. God does not exist to fulfill our purposes; we exist to fulfill His purposes. The reason why you are here is because God wants to demonstrate His power and splendor through your life, and if you realize that you are not doing it very well, then you truly understand why He wants to change you. He wants to get you to the place where no matter what happens to you or what you go through, you trust Him and follow Him and are committed wholly to His goodness. And so He’s coming after you, and He’s trying to change you. Let Him do His work in you, and watch Him display His awesomeness through you.

Devotion by Dr. James McDonald (Walk In The Word)

Monday, November 10, 2008

Courtney Better Buy Some Butter!!!!


Hey Y'all!

Congratulations to Courtney....winner of the Paula Deen Christmas Cookbook! Courtney guessed that I had 7 truths, 3 lies, and 2 half truths. Now....take a look and see how close you were in your guessing!


1. I am a direct descendant of General Robert E. Lee. Lie.... Not that I know of anyway!!


2. I have 3 dogs, 1 grand-puppy, and 1 cat. Half-Truth.... I do not have a cat....I would love one...but Mark says if I bring home one more critter, he will leave!

3. My favorite food is sushi. Lie....Cannot bring myself to eat raw fish....must be due to the parasite class I took in nursing school!!

4. I competed in the Mrs. South Carolina Pageant. Truth....Many years and many pounds ago!!

5. I sing, play piano, and guitar. Truth.

6. I once sang back up for Larnell Harris and Sandi Patti. (I wish!) Lie.....Although we did share the same vocal coach at one time!

7. I once fell into the orchestra pit during a dress rehearsal and had 12 staples in my head....and still did not miss a single performance. Truth. Sadly, I am a klutz.

8. I organize my sock drawer by color and style of sock. Truth. I am also a bit OCD!

9. I fell into a trash dumpster my first day of college. Truth. Like I said, I am a klutz.

10. I wore orthodontic braces as a child and then again as an adult. Half Truth. I only wore braces as an adult.

11. Josh Turner (country singer) once asked for my autograph. Truth. When Mark and I were signed with the record label, we did a concert at Union Baptist Church, and while we were there a friend introduced us to this little guy (he was probably 8 or 9) that "sang like Johnny Cash" and wanted to sing country music.....we autographed one of our CDs for him.....whoda thunk it??

12. I once took 24 ladies to Baltimore for a week long, live taping of Beth Moore's "The Patriarchs" and appeared in the bible study video. Truth. It was one of the most amazing weeks of my life!!

Thanks to all of you who played along! And Courtney, I will facebook you and arrange delivery of the cookbook!

Think I will hold off running for office!!

And remember....Jesus is the TRUTH....He is the light and the way....No lies, No half truths...he is the real deal......count on it!

Happy Cooking Courtney!
Scarlett

Monday, November 3, 2008

Lies, Truths, or Half-Truths?

Hey Y'all! To commemorate election week, and all the media sensationalism that is rampant, I thought I would play a little game with you all! The game is called "Lies, Truths, or Half-Truths".

So here is how we play: I will list a series of statements about myself. Some are pure truth, some are outright lies, and some are part truth and part lie. As you read the statements, keep up with how many of each category you end up with when you are done. (i.e: 5 L, 4T, 3HT) If there is a tie, I will contact the authors of the posts, and have them break down their answers question by question.

I will come back in a few days and reveal the answers. The winner will receive a special prize! (A Paula Deen Christmas Cookbook!)

Hope you all will play with me!!! So here we go!!


1. I am a direct descendant of General Robert E. Lee.

2. I have 3 dogs, 1 grand-puppy, and 1 cat.

3. My favorite food is sushi.

4. I competed in the Mrs. South Carolina Pageant.

5. I sing, play piano, and guitar.

6. I once sang back up for Larnell Harris and Sandi Patti.

7. I once fell into the orchestra pit during a dress rehearsal and had 12 staples in my head....and still did not miss a single performance.

8. I organize my sock drawer by color and style of sock.

9. I fell into a trash dumpster my first day of college.

10. I wore orthodontic braces as a child and then again as an adult.

11. Josh Turner (country singer) once asked for my autograph.

12. I once took 24 ladies to Baltimore for a week long, live taping of Beth Moore's "The Patriarchs" and appeared in the bible study video.

Hope you have fun determining your answers! Just keep in mind that I have spent alot of time over the last few months listening to campaign speeches....If I fool the majority of you....I might even consider running for office sometime! LOL!!!

I anxiously await your answers!!

Happy Guessing Y'all!
~Scarlett


Our 25th Wedding Anniversay in NYC

Tuesday Morning Mammo Photo

Tuesday Morning Mammo Photo
Are you sure that is my boobie pic hanging up on that wall???

How Bountiful Are Your Gifts, Oh Lord!

Re-Honeymooners

Re-Honeymooners
On the beach at Litchfield