Do you know what day it is???? High Five Friday!

Hello everyone I am linking up with Hannah for High Five Friday!  For those of you wondering what High Five Friday is, the basic premise is looking back at the week and choosing five positive moments.

1. Monday has become weigh in Monday and I am happy to report that I have lost 3lbs!!!  I can't say enough nice things about Spark People.  The nutrition & fitness trackers are incredibly helpful; they have exercise videos; recipes & diet plans; and it is FREE!

2.  Some ladies and I have started the Patriarchs Bible Study by Beth Moore.  This first week has been great, not only am I learning so much, but I get to use markers, highlighters, pencils & colored pencils :)  I'm looking forward to expounding more on the Bible study next Friday.

3.  Book Club met this week and it was a super great!  This is the first book club I have been apart of, and I am thankful :)  I love to read and it has been interesting hearing the other ladies' opinions about the book.  We laughed, we prayed, we ate!  Monday morning was great b/c of the weight loss, but something happened an hour before Book Club and I thought about not going, but I'm so grateful I did.  There is just a comfort that happens when fellowshipping with other Christian women.  God has blessed with an amazing group of friends!

4.  Wednesday I was able to spend my lunch break talking with a dear woman in my life.  She has been like a mother to me and I don't get to see her as much as I would like.  We were talking about a situation that I had prayed heavily over and was sure that I handled it the way the Lord had led.  However you know how it goes sometimes you doubt, was that really what I was suppose to do?  While we were catching up and I shared the situation with her, she brought up a consequence that could have happened if I had handled things differently.  Thank you Lord for getting rid of all doubt!

5.  Last weekend a group of us went to see Tim Hawkins, if you don't know who he is check out this link Tim on Hand Sanitizer.  But I do warn you that checking out that YouTube video will start you on a path of checking out his other videos and before you know it, hours have passed :)  Okay back to the group of us going we all were able to get our pictures taken with him and here is our photo, I call it Walmart Gangstas

Have a great weekend y'all!

High Five Friday

So lovely Ms Hannah, writer of Shanks for the Memories, participates in High Five Friday!  What is High Five Friday?  It is when you list your top five fave things of the week.  I have decided to give it a whirl :)

1.  I had Monday off!!!  Originally we were suppose to be open on Monday and to be honest I was slightly bummed, but I figured I wouldn't complain about 40 hours on my paycheck.  But then they decided we would be closed and I got all little kid excited.  Weird, I know!  I didn't realize how much I need just a day without any commitments, a true day off and believe me it was S-W-E-E-T!

2.  I was invited over for dinner, by one of my favorite couples on the planet Anthony & Debbie Totta.  I have been blessed beyond measure by their friendship.  Debbie is transparent and makes a point of asking me what God is teaching me.  After dinner I helped her frost her teddy bear shaped sugar cookies with pink icing & pink sprinkles, and I enjoyed a cup of coffee with a homemade almond biscotti.  Earlier that day their granddaughter was born, Debbie baked cookies and biscotti for people to enjoy when they come visit the proud parents & baby.  Talk about teaching me a lesson in hospitality, I thought it was enough that the mom gave birth and there is a beautiful baby girl to see.  Bonus for me Debbie sent me home with biscotti, so at work I have taken a coffee & biscotti break each day :)

3.  I've recently started the Bible study "No Other gods" by Kelly Minter and it has been amazing!  God has used this study to open my eyes up to what all the different idols & gods that its possible to have.  There are the  usual: money, sex, fame, etc.  I was awaken to the fact that they can be anything that we focus on more than we focus on God. OUCH!  Its also given me a different perspective when reading the Old Testament and it tells us of people worshiping their gods, I don't just think of little wooden statutes anymore.  Seeing those verses in this new light has really made them jump off the page and convict me.  I don't want there to be anything that I value more than God.  Its tough taken a hard look at one's life and saying okay this has got to go or better tone this down or run as fast as you possibly can from that.

4.  I was able to pick out the perfect birthday present for one of my plumber's.  I know that may sound silly, but I take gift giving seriously.  I want to give someone a gift that will bring a genuine smile to their face.  My boss has put me in charge of birthdays and its fun & frustrating.  Frustrating because I think I have a hard time keeping up with which "from all of us" birthday cards I have and haven't bought.  Fun because well its just fun picking up on details in conversations and getting to know these guys and using your detective skills to pick a great gift.  Now one of my guys is super easy, I make him a breakfast casserole and he is set!  

5.  God made it clear to me that I haven't been making my health as big of a priority as I should be.  So this week was the beginning of operation Get Mary Ellen Healthy...catchy I know.  I have been making a concerted effort to get my body on a regular sleep schedule. I have been utilizing SparkPeople, I keep track of my food & water intake on there, they have exercise videos to follow, recipes, articles on everything to do with health and its all free!!!  I have been to the gym to do cardio Mon-Thurs, today I did 3 of the exercise videos (they're only 8-12 mins each).  I have seen a difference this week with my injuries from the car accident.  Its exciting!!!  I have really had to come to terms with my limitations and with that understanding I have cut out alot of activities and haven't tried to over do it this week.  If I have to live with these injuries for the rest of my life, I am going to make the best of it.  When I am as well as I can be, I can't wait serve and minister to others more!!!

There ladies & gentlemen is my High Five Friday!

2012 Brings Some Changes

Hello & Happy New Year!

Last year when I first started this blog I had decided upon Jesus Cowgirl, b/c I had read a book where the author referred to herself as a Jesus Girl. I thought that is a great way of a woman to think of herself, how can I make it my own? Jesus Cowgirl. But to be honest the more I use my email address by the same name my spin on some one's great idea sounds immature and I'm worried disrespectful. So with that realization I have changed the address of this blog and my email address. I still think that it was a great idea to name this blog "The Path I'm On" mainly because if I used "Running My Race" some people may think this is a blog about my love of running and I will be very honest running is not a love of mine! I'm still excited about the adventure God has me on to become the woman He wants me to be. I want to follow in His steps, and when I falter I quickly get back on His path!

Wonderful Grace of Jesus

"Wonderful grace, all sufficient for me, for even me;  Broader than the scope of my transgressions, Greater far than all my sin and shame; O magnify the precious name of Jesus, Praise His name!"

I can't tell you how many times I have sang this hymn at my old church.  I do love CCM, but I have a love of hymns.  I sing them in my head when I'm stressed or in a scary situation (like my ER visit last week).  God has been re-wiring my thinking and helping me get rid of some "stinkin' thinkin.'" I can't believe that He sent His son to die on the cross for my sins.  I am a new creation in Him, I am the daughter of the King!  His grace is all sufficient for me, for even me.  I can't believe that I lived so many years in captivity of my sin and shame.  He bestows so much grace and mercy on us and I have been convicted, How gracious am I towards others?  How gracious am I towards other Christians who aren't gracious towards others?

Thank you Lord, God for Your grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness!  Thank you Lord for the people you have placed in my life and Lord please help me to be sensitive to Your leading of how I am to minister to them.

Be Authentic

Why do we as Christians make things harder than they have to be?  Instead of trying to show the world how "cool" we are, why can't we just be transparent and say, "We love Jesus.  We love you.  We want to serve you & hope that you come to a personal relationship with Jesus."  That's it!

Full Throttle

"Sometimes beginning is a challenge and sometimes ending is a challenge but CONTINUING – day in, day out, in what you know to be right or what you know to be your present charge from God -  now, THAT’S where the endurance comes. That’s where the enemy takes us down over and over." - Beth Moore

It's funny to me how many times God has to tell me the same thing over and over again.  I just read this, but the funny thing is today in Sunday School we were in Acts and the teacher was talking about Paul and how he was full throttle kind of guy.  When he was saw and persecuting Christians he was 100% at it, when he was converted then he was 100% out for Christ and telling others about Him.  The teacher said that we need to be more like Paul full throttle doing the last thing God told us, until He tells us the next thing.  (Now obviously God didn't tell Paul before his conversion to persecute & kill Christians.)

Sometimes I get so caught up in the next thing, praying and begging God to show me what His plan for me is, instead of being content and running my race, the race He has for me.

ABC....

Ridiculous!!!! That's right ridiculous...I'm vitamin deficient: B6, B12, D & E.  I've googled all of these and it comes down to nutrition.  NUTRITION!!!!  I love grocery stores, cooking, cooking shows, recipes, however I'm not using any of that knowledge for my benefit.  That stops NOW!
Thank you Lord, God for leading my doctors to refer to my new neurologist!  Thank you Lord, for bringing this to my attention before my health took a severe down turn.  Lord please help me not to wallor in my self pity and failures, but to persevere.  Lord also please help me to remember that this body isn't mine, it is Yours and that it is Your temple!