Seriously, this is what it (life) is all about

A co-worker sent me a YouTube clip that left me speechless and sobbing.  I've watched it a couple of times and with the same reaction. 

My blog site is about being Amazed at God.  And I am definitely amazed by Him.  There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not stopped by something or someone that I know God put in my life....just for me.  Tonight picking raspberries I stopped and looked at those drooping branches that produced the biggest, plumpest berries.  What a God to have created raspberries because He knew we would enjoy them and the birds needed them!  He didn't have to do that! 

but

He

did

and He would've done it just for me. 

My heart aches and swells for my Father, His Son Jesus and My Friend the Holy Spirit.  Words cannot describe the love that I have for Him.

Watch this YouTube clip.  If you have any questions about the scenes in it, I'd love to explain what each of the clips is about.  They represent true events that have occurred.

Oh God, You amaze ME!  Thank you (doesn't seem sufficient...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbx8ua1B1p4

Purse-nickity

Confession time.  I am a One-Purse-Woman.  None of this "a purse for this outfit" or a "work purse" and "fun purse".  I have one purse.  Well, I do have a summer purse and then switch to a winter purse.  Tan for the summer and black for the winter.  Usually the purses come from Target, WalMart or Shopko.  Tucked away in the back of my closet is this dinky purse for elegant social events aka weddings.  A lipstick, keys and glucose tablets for Kidlet Three fit in the dinky purse.  You know, the barest of essentials.  Back to the One-Purse confession.

Kidlet One and I traveled to New York City.  Before we left, work colleagues were encouraging me to find the best deals on Coach purses while on the trip.  There was a problem.  Coach purses aren't sold where I shop so I had to do some homework on that topic.  Noting the prices on these purses and noting the fact my sensible Target purses hold up just fine, there was just no way that a Coach was needed in my One-Purse-Life.

And in NYC, on almost every populated street, someone would walk up to me and whisper "Coach, you want Coach"?  Maybe my ratty-tatty backpack was so ugly they thought I should replace it with a Coach?   Seriously, when walking into Macy's and seeing the REAL Coach purses with the multiple digits in the price, we all know that the whispered deals on the streets were not the real deal but the knock-off-pretend versions.  I was not interested.

Until, Chinatown.

Kidlet One decided she wanted  needed a designer purse.  She bought such a cute Dolce & Gabbana purse for $15 that I became slightly interested in shopping.  Shop after shop had D&G purses but no Coach.  The Whispering Coach People were on the streets in Chinatown, too.  We didn't give in and headed back to our hotel.  First thing the next morning, Kidlet One wakes me up saying "I want to go back to Chinatown".   Back we went buying perfume, scarves and other D&G purses.  Yup, my trusty black winter purse is a Dolce & Gabbana that I absolutely love and it cost me....$20. 

One of the Whispering Street Vendors was really nice and told us to have a nice day and he looked us in the eye as he said it.  Something inside of, can't say it was the God Nudge, prompted me to give in and I said we were interested in Coach.  Well, off he went and we almost had to run to keep up with him.  Way to the back of his store to a wall that didn't have door until he pressed a button and secret door swung open into a room lined with Coach, Gucci and Chanel purses.  Kidlet One sucked in her breath and exclaimed "OHHHHH MOM!!!!"  I knew that was what she had come for so into the secret room we went.  Three Coach purses later we left the secret room with our purchases in black garbage bags.  Our total bill came to $90 ($30 a purse).

The purse I bought ended up being too small so I swapped with Kidlet One recently.  This fake-oh Coach has been my One-Purse for the summer.  Isn't it cute!

Until the handles broke.  All four of them have pulled apart.  My Dad, being Trusty Handy Man, put pop rivets in my Coach purse to hold the handles on.  Note the silver studs in the picture. 

Even the pop rivets haven't held.  I've had to succumb to using major clips from my desk to hold my purse handles together (SuperGlue, hot glue, all glues I've tried won't hold the plastic together).  Haven't I really "classed up" my Summer-One-Purse? 

I don't think I'm that Purse-nickity.  However, the amount of time and energy I've put into maintaining this Coach-Wannabe is reaching the Not-Worth-It point. 

I may be the only person wanting winter to arrive so I can retire the Summer-One-Purse with the Winter-One-Purse that doesn't need paperclip handles!

Do you have a fun purse story?  Share it with me!!!

Don't you want a hug?

Kidlet Three has been back to school for about a week now.  Yesterday I volunteered to drive him to school.  I did lay out for him, a "condition" in payback for the ride to school.  The condition was that we had to sing all the way to school at the top of our lungs.  We love The Newsboys new CD.  He agreed to the condition so off we went laughing and singing as loud as we could.  That is one ride to school I will never forget!  I pulled into the school parking lot, brought the van to a stop and started to say "have an awesome day kiddo" when Kidlet turned to me and said "Don't you want a hug?"  How can a lump magically appear in a throat?  I croaked out "of course I want a hug" and he reached across the front seat and squeezed me in a hug.  Then in a flash he was grabbing his backpack and out the door he went without looking back.

Don't you want a hug?  What a powerful question!  All day long I repeated that question to myself.  That isn't a phrase we use at home although we do hug frequently and without reservation.  It was one of the God Moments.  Pure...simple...powerful.  It made an impact on me.  I believe God spoke to Kidlet and he responded.  A God nudge that was delivered and experienced.

All the way to work and throughout the day I found myself repeating "don't you want a hug?"  I even had the opportunity to say that to my co-worker who was having a 'day'.  I felt the God Nudge!  So I said to her, "Don't you want a hug?" and I hugged her.  It was one of those pay-it-forward moments. 

God Nudges.  If you get one, pay attention.  And listen.  He may say to you, "don't you want a hug!"

Amazing!

A New Language

Blogging is like learning a second language. Sometime in the future I'll write about my Spanish classes and how I cried when I realized I had to conjugate verbs.  Blogging has a vocabulary and life all to itself.  Knowing that I eventually learned how to conjugate a Spanish word, I decided I was up to the challenge of learning blogging.  Rolling up my sleeves, I started my attack!

• I Googled.  This has become my third best friend behind God, The Husband and my girlfriends.
• Stumbled on http://www.amybayliss.com/.  She gives tips on her blog about how to blog.
• Went to the public library.  There must be other people interested in blogging as two of the books I wanted were checked out.  Found this one:  The IT Girl's Guide to Blogging with Moxie by Joelle Reeder & Katherine Scoleri.

So I've updated my template and made a few other tweaks to the blog site.  This learning a new "language" is fun and a challenge.  I have to say, I'm amazed at the blogging world! 

We're never too old to learn...look for something in your day that you can learn about and...be..amazed!

I don't want to do that...

Have you had opportunities or events, even invitations directed to you

that you just plain don't want to be involved with?

Last weekend I did.

But the little nudge came for me to participate on Sunday morning

and with the little nudge came the choice of what seemed like "giving in"

but in reality was an overwhelming blessing.

I went with the nudge and attended an event.  Had my socks blessed off me!

Many others were sockless, too!  They were blessed beyond measure.

If you don't know this...God IS good.  All the time.

He was so good on Sunday that my socks were blessed off me...not literally.

It was another opportunity for me to be amazed and to stand, with cold toes, in wonder

of His love for little old me!  Okay, not so little...and not SO old!  ha! ha!

Sometimes those I don't want to do that's are for our benefit. 

Oh how HE loves me and oh, oh, oh...how He loves YOU!

Go ahead....let Him amaze you!

Comments?

Day 2...so far I haven't figured out how readers can leave a comment here.  You shouldn't have to "login" to leave a comment.  Hmmmm.....anyone have an idea on this?  And if you don't mind, try commenting again.  If is doesn't work, email me at

soamazed@live.com

I am...amazed at the world of blogging!

New At This Blogging Thing...

Here I am...I made it.

Daddy God, I commit this page to you! Because I am amazed by You! Daily. Over and over again...amazed! Thank you! Please keep surprising me with all that You are. Please amaze me until I take my last breath on this earth. Oh! And the amazement of living eternally with you takes my breath away!

May this page bring encouragement to anyone that finds it. May it be a place for me to "speak" what You reveal to me.

And please, God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, bless this page. I ask for supernatural AMAZEMENT to fill readers and they read and experience on this page. All for Your glory!

God, You rock...and You are Amazing,
Love
Your Daughter