May 26, 2018. Two months since Adam was in a fire.
I got some much needed extra rest this morning; I finally got up close to 10:30. I got dressed and headed out. My first stop was Major’s, a local eatery. I got a White Chocolate Raspberry Mocha…..yum! My youngest brother is getting married next Saturday and I still have not gotten a dress for it, so that was my first priority. I am not big on clothes shopping, especially when it’s for special events. I would rather go grocery shopping! Anyways…..I went to Kohl’s. I figured I would find something there, but was rather disappointed in the selection. I tried on a few dresses but none of them worked. Ugh. Next: Marshall’s. I did not find anything there. Next: Nordstrom Rack. I have never been there before. I walked in and it was like a madhouse! I found a dress that I liked and tried it out in two different sizes; I did not like the way it fit. Also, the color (a country blue) is not a good color for me anyways. Moving on. I was going to go into Talbots; I’ve also never been there. I pulled up their website on my phone to check out prices and quickly changed my mind. Ha ha! I went into Forever 21. That was a waste of time. They have cute stuff, but nothing appropriate for a wedding. I thought about JC Penney but I do not like shopping at a mall. I decided to try a different Kohl’s. They seemed to have a larger selection and I found a dress and bought it; however, I am not 100% sure about it because it looks very similar, and is almost the same color, as the dress I wore to my sister’s wedding this past September. It is a maroonish color, and I really wanted a navy or royal blue, but I settled for it because it was the only one I found that fit me well. I still have a week before the wedding, so I think I will put aside my dislike of malls and go to JC Penney and look. Ha ha.
Next I went to Mardel, a Christian bookstore and education supplier. I needed to get an overdue birthday gift for one of my co-workers who is also one of my best friends here in Liberty Hill. Her birthday was last Thursday. I will see her tomorrow and plan to give the gift to her then. Next stop: Hobby Lobby. I needed to get supplies to make a framed gift for my youngest brother’s wedding next weekend. I love giving personalized gifts, and often make framed gifts for special occasions. I use scrapbook paper and card stock and typically have three layers based on the recipient’s style / taste. The background paper takes up the entire space of the frame, then the next piece is slightly smaller, then the middle piece, which always has a poem, etc. on it, is the smallest piece. For wedding gifts I like to put the couple’s name at the top, their wedding date, and then 1 Corinthians 14: 4 – 13:
4 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Going into Hobby Lobby was a bit difficult because Adam and I went there together numerous times; he was so helpful with picking out frames and paper for me to make gifts. One time he blew me away. If memory serves me correctly, it was when we picked out supplies to make a framed gift for my sister’s wedding. Her husband is a police officer so I wanted to incorporate a Thin Blue Line into their gift. We found a black velvet scrapbook paper for the background, then we worked hard to find the perfect blue for the Thin Blue Line. I pulled up a picture on my phone, and Adam held up several shades of blue card stock until we found one we thought was the best match. When we checked out, the cashier could not find a product code on the back of one of the papers. All of a sudden, Adam stated a product number off the top of his head. When he picked out the paper, he looked at the label below it and memorized the number! I don’t think the cashier quite knew what to think, and I was in awe. Adam was great with details, as I am, but I don’t think I have ever done that! He said he is…..was (struggling with verb tenses here…..still writing about him in present tense instead of past tense) used to it because when he went to a hardware store and needed certain parts, he would memorize the number so he could tell the cashier what he needed. 🙂
I stopped by a McDonald’s to grab some food, then went to the H-E-B closest to my house to get stuff for the lake party I am going to tomorrow. I am taking a Southwest Coleslaw, which is an amazing side dish to BBQ. If you would like to try it, here is the recipe:
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/southern-coleslaw
For a larger group of people, I double most of the ingredients. If you’d like specifics, please feel free to contact me via the Contact page!
I did not get home until around 4:00. I decided not to go to the party that I was invited to this afternoon. I wanted to do something tonight…..dancing crossed my mind…..but I could not find anyone who was available to go and I really did not want to go by myself. It’s probably better that I didn’t go…..I can get a good night’s rest before tomorrow. My roommate, Helen, also invited me to the lake (a different lake) on Monday. Her best friend / her husband and some other people will be going out. So, I may be spending two days on a lake!
When I got ready to put the coleslaw together, I realized that the bag of coleslaw that I bought was not large enough for my doubling of the recipe. There is a local market right down from where I live, but I doubt they have coleslaw so I decided to go to the nearest Walmart, which is a bit of a drive, but I did not mind killing more time since I didn’t have any plans for the evening. As I left my house I could not stop thinking about how lonely I felt and how much I wished Adam was with me. I told myself that I am NOT alone; God is always with me. This is something that I still struggle with: allowing God to meet ALL of my needs. I know it in my mind, but I am still working on knowing it 100% in my heart. I hope that makes sense. As these thoughts were going through my mind, I also had an old hymn going through my mind: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” If you have never heard the song, here is a link to the lyrics:
https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/19
On my way to Walmart I stopped at a donation trailer for a children’s home and dropped off a few items. As I was driving off I turned my radio on. The song playing was “Blessed Be Your Name” by Tree63 (YouTube video below). The next song that played was “Better Than A Hallelujah” by Amy Grant. I turned it off because the minute I heard it playing I started to feel emotional, and I did not feel like listening to it at the time. Oh. My. Gosh!!!!! I just now looked up the song on YouTube so that I could share the video here. I myself had never seen the video. I decided to watch it and I am balling. If you choose to watch it you will probably need Kleenex! I am so grateful that God hears the honest cries of breaking hearts.
After I left Walmart I went to locate a church that I am considering visiting. A few weeks ago I had to buy new tires for my vehicle and ended up in a conversation with the store manager (a total God thing…..maybe I’ll tell the story one day in a post). Anyways, he invited me to the church that he goes to. I drove and located it because I was considering visiting tomorrow; however, thank goodness I checked their website because they are not having church tomorrow! They are going to resume next weekend with new service times.
When I got home it was a little after 6:00 I believe. I put together the coleslaw, took a shower, and came to blog! It is 9:19 now. Oh! I forgot to mention that I purchased two new books today that I am really excited about. When I was in line at Mardel, I spotted “Unshakeable: 365 Devotions For Finding Unwavering Strength In God’s Word” by Christine Caine. A friend of mine posted something from this book on Facebook awhile back, and I saved it on my phone so I would remember to purchase the book. It stood out to me today and it was on sale so I got it! I have recently decided that after I finish the current book I am reading (It’s Ok That You’re Not Ok” by Megan Devine), I would like to read a book about near-death experiences. I did not have a particular book in mind; I was going to search for one. When I was in line at Hobby Lobby, I was looking at their books and one stood out: “Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God’s Promises, And The Exhilarating Future That Awaits You.” This book was also on sale and I got it! I can’t wait to finish my current book and start this one.
I hope each of you is having great weekend.
Note: My blog posts are shown with the most recent posts at the top. If you’d like to read about how this journey began, scroll to my first post, titled “The Journey Begins.” 🙂
My Strength 