I just got in the blog mode again and have so much to share! Too many nifty things going on and too many dandy things to tell you about! :)
So I started reading this book. And it's fantastic. And you should read it. And I'm going to tell you about it. And you're gonna read it. And you're gonna love it. And you're gonna tell everyone you know about it. Because it's THAT. GOOD.
Okay, here's the book. ;)
I don't know if you've ever heard that song (the title of the book), but it's pretty powerful. It really puts things into perspective. Here's a few of the lyrics!
"What if your blessings come through raindrops,
what if your healing comes through tears,
what if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near,
and what if trials of this life, are your mercies in disguise."
When you really let those words sink in, it really shows how powerful God is even when His signs are so subtle.
Anyway, the book is basically what the title is! BLESSINGS. This book gave me a blessing every single time I read a chapter. It's a VERY fast read and one that is well worth it. It basically motivates you and let's you see how God is working in your life. It's almost like a devotional! But you can go at your own pace and take hold of God's blessings in your own time. :) So pick it up, read, and enjoy.
Okay...... Now I'm going to tell on myself. I was a little bit human today. (I'm able to do that sometimes, right?)
Let me just start at the beginning:
It was a lovely Tuesday afternoon. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and not a cloud in the sky could rain on my parade.
JUST KIDDING.
It was a crappy Tuesday when I wished it was Thursday. I was a grumpus, and the sky was freaking grey. Real grey. Needless to say, I needed a nap and a tub of ice cream.
I walk in the door and Mr. Justice is standing there all smiley and snuggly and I'm starting to act like the Grinch. I grumble (in my most grumbly voice), "I need gas. I'm like on empty."
My super sweet husband just says, "okay babe, we can go get you some gas." He was so nice. It almost killed me in my grumpy mood.
So we get in the car and make our way to the gas station. When we get there, Thayer even says, "I'll pump the gas if you wanna just go in and pay." so I said yes, went inside, grabbed some kazoozles (BEST candy on earth), walked back to the car and was INSTANTLY ticked and I mean instantly.
I look in the passenger seat and there sits Mr. Thayer. How dare he not drive home when I drove the whole 2 minutes to get to the gas station! I am just appalled! I get in the car, slam the door and in my even more grumbly voice say, "I thought you would drive home since I drove here!" Oh my lanta I was mad. (I know, it's stupid.)
So, the whole way home, I had an attitude. I had my best "angry face" on and didn't look anywhere but straight ahead.
And what does Thayer do? He apologizes.
And what do I do? Ignore him.
Okay, so I didn't tell you this so you would think that I'm the worst wife ever and I'm constantly mad about stupid things. I'm telling you this because of the next part...... :)
We go inside and Thayer is still apologizing. I go upstairs, turn on my Pandora music, and start listening to a little bit of Casting Crowns. Some songs start playing and I start realizing how stupid I'm acting. I mean seriously.... I'm this mad because he didn't drive home? Really? It was literally only 2 minutes from my house and I'm acting like it's the end of the world.
I do some thinking. I do some praying. I ask for forgiveness from God, but do I dare apologize to Thayer? I mean, can I suck in my pride for that? So I stall. I start picking up the bedroom, and thinking of everything I can do except go and apologize for my immature attitude. I go downstairs and Thayer is just sitting there. He shoots me with his sweetest little smile, and then I'm done for. I run and basically jump on the couch beside him and apologize for being a brat. And honestly, it felt pretty good. I thought that giving up and "letting him win" was enough to kill me, but honestly, it was nice to know that he knew he mattered enough to me for me to let it go.
Sometimes those stupid battles are the hardest ones to let go. Don't ask me why I held onto my little fit and wouldn't let it go, but I did. I'm only human, and sometimes things just rub us the wrong way.
So what was the point of that ridiculously long story? To tell you that we're ALL human. I'm sure I'm not the first person in the world to get mad about something as stupid as driving home. But I'm also not the first person to have to suck it up and admit when I'm wrong. Thayer is WAY more important to me than driving home and I was going to make him feel like poo for something that he didn't even do wrong. So, I realize I screwed up, apologized and I'm working on it. Maybe you have something like this going on in your life. Maybe your holding something over someones head to get what you want. And maybe this is what you needed to realize you're doing something wrong. It doesn't make you a terrible person, it makes you HUMAN. So pray about it, talk about it, and fix it :) It definitely feels better than holding onto that searing stick of anger.
I am definitely not an expert on marriage or relationships, but I learn more and more everyday. I don't want you to think that I'm a terrible wife, but I do want to share with you that it's okay to make mistakes. Just learn from them and move on. :)
Mooooooooooving on,
I have recently become obsessed with makeup videos again. I used to watch them almost every morning before getting ready so I would have a fresh, new look to wear that day. (You wouldn't be able to tell lately.... I have been looking HOMELESS.)
So I got on Pinterest (surprise), and started looking up some new eye makeup looks. Here is one of my favorites that I found! I'll post the photo of the look and the video to go along with it. :)
I love this look because it's simple and a little more of a natural look. Plus, it's for brown eyed girls and I am ALWAYS looking for brown eye looks. :)
This girl is my FAVORITE beauty blogger.
You can find the video tutorial and the rest of her blog here! :)
MaskCara Beauty Blog
She is a wonderful person to learn new looks from! She has hair, makeup, and other tutorials. Definitely worth watching. :)
So my latest and most favorite beauty product is this dry shampoo!
I have this exact dry shampoo and I love it! A lady at work recommended it to me and it has been a life saver ever since I got it. You just spray it in your hair and massage it in. It gives you a little more volume and takes away that oily look from your hair. (please, don't substitute dry shampoo for actually washing your hair... you still need to do that.) Plus, it's pretty darn cheap! I think it was less than $5!
I give it a thumbs up! :)
I'm looking for new eye shadows that are good quality, but won't break your wallet. So if anyone has any suggestions, that would be wonderful! I love the Naked palettes, but gosh I just can't bring myself to spend $50 on eye shadow. So, if you find and dupes, I would love to know about them! :)
I am UNBELIEVABLY ready for summer. People, my legs need to see daylight. They look like glow sticks. I started going tanning recently (yes, I know it's terrible for you), and I'm so glad to see some color on my skin. But I'm thinking of slowly tapering off the tanning beds and adding in self tanning lotion. I've used it in the past but got lazy and quit using it. So, if you have any suggestions on the best brands, feel free to tell me about them. I would love to hear your suggestions!:)
Okay, I have another awesome DIY that I wanted to share with you!
We all know how much I love chalk board paint, so why not add a little of it to your plants! Paint the top ring of your pots with chalkboard paint and then write what each one is! Thayer and I planted a lot of flowers and vegetables in pots this year because we don't really have a yard to turn into a garden. I thought this was a super cute way to keep track of what-is-what. :) Add a little bit of color to it and you have a super cute outdoor accessory! :)
I think I have rambled enough for this evening.....
Last but not least, my Bible verse for this blog. :)
James 1:19
Wherefore, my beloved, brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger."
Wow. That verse couldn't have slapped me in the face any harder than it did today. That goes right back to my little story earlier. "SLOW TO ANGER." Yeah.... I'm not good at that. My attitude can go from bad to worse in a split second and I have GOT to work on that. I must say, I am much better than I used to be. But this old gal still needs a spiritual whooping every now and then! I think God is trying to tell me something....Maybe I should open up and listen! I think God is also talking about gossip here as well. Slow to speak is probably referring to saying things when we really shouldn't. I'm sorry ladies. That means that those juicy stories that we are all dying to tell, are wrong. God doesn't want us to spread stories about others, He wants us to spread stories about Him! I know I'm guilty of having an opportunity to talk about God and passing it up for a good story on someone else. We've all been there and done that.
I don't want to throw anyone under the bus, but God is dealing with me about this lately. And maybe He's trying to deal with you too. So don't be too hard on yourself. Just try to work on it. Ask God for help and I promise He will be there every time.
Well, I better stop with my rambling and tattling on myself. I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL week! Love, Steph :)
