BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!

What a long, busy weekend!  It was my birthday weekend, but you know, it's not really so much of a big deal to me anymore, just a day.  I don't hide my age, am proud of my 48 years on this earth.  God's got me through so many things, has introduced so many people into my life, some were good, some were there for me to learn lessons from, good and bad.  Some are no longer around, some are on the outskirts and then there are those that are as important as the air I breathe.

Saturday was the youngest's dance competition.  I was bummed because she didn't get to dance due to being off with a foot injury for 2 months, but she has been practicing with the team again and will compete this weekend.  Now this weekend I cannot be there to watch her compete, am working the church camp and have to be there as it was committed to before we found out the date of the competition.  But we were there Sat., myself and middle daughter, oldest daughter was at the last meeting for the church camp to give her talk and be critiqued.  Youngest daughter's team did well, need to tweak a few things but I think that this weekend it will be even better and I am praying they qualify for State Competition.  I wasn't very frugal on Saturday between gas for the van, food while we were there, and I did buy youngest daughter a dance shirt.  I get her one a year, this one is black, had the graphic of the contest they were at and on the back they put on a decal about dance.  We ate on the way home too so, yeah, I went thru $60 on Sat., sigh.

Sunday was my birthday.  We, well Ted and I, decided not to attend the last church service.  We are really struggling with the way things were handled by the outgoing minister, still.  We opted to church at home.  He had some things to do to replace the water lines under his house that ruptured last week during the intense cold spell, and I stayed home to putter about, made a cake, cleaned here and there, folded clothes.  We did, the girls and Ted and I, met up with my oldest daughter for my birthday supper.  Oldest daughter was going to treat but he stepped in and paid ahead of her.  It was a fun meal, the girls were all goofy and had fun hanging out with their oldest sister.  With her no longer living at home they miss her, so do I.  He just sits back and laughs, chuckles at them, throws in a zinger or two and they run with it.  Oldest girl went her way, we went to Menards to get a few more supplies for his water line project and we lost the two younger girls.  They were in the door section of Menards making Vine videos.  I have to admit, one of them was pretty funny.  We dropped them off at home, I went back to his house to help finish up the water project, well, at least to finish getting the bathroom water lines all hooked up.  Froze my butt off helping Sat night, was there till 1:30 am Sun. morning.  Then we worked another hour and a half Sunday but he stopped and said enough.  We had time to sit and really talk about this, that and the other.  I knew he was tired and really wanted a hot shower now that he had the shower line hooked up so we said goodnight.  I miss him as he works so far away.  Weekends fly by.

Now that my birthday has come and gone I've decided to really work on myself.  I've let myself become complacent, not really pushed to try to lose a little more weight, which will ultimately help my back issues.  So I did get a really good haircut last week.  Tomorrow night I'm getting highlights done, for $10 from my friend's daughter!  After this weekend I start my reclaiming my body.  It's healthy eating, going for walks, working on being fit.  Yes, I do want to lose 40 lbs, I truly do, but being healthy is first and foremost on my heart.  I want to live a long, and productive life.  I know there is a ministry out there that God has earmarked just for me and I want to be able to pursue that ministry to the best of my ability!

In my prayer time I've heard the Holy Spirit tell me, the time is here, study the word deeper, start getting in there and really dig, research, proclaim it!  God wants me to start preparing for my ministry, now is the time!
I don't know yet when He wants me to start actually doing, but I'm confident that He will make it happen when the time is right.  The one thing I really have to do is let go of this hurt and anger I feel about the church matter that just happened and let God take care of it.  My resentment was really starting to get to me but the other night as I sat in prayer I felt my shoulders ease, the tension lift some, and know the Holy Spirit was helping my heart and soul heal.  Those that were involved, they have to make peace with God about what has happened, it is not for me to point fingers and badmouth.

I am an imperfect vessel, I strive daily to be more like Jesus, and fall short.  But what an amazing gift we have of salvation from Jesus so that each day I can get up and keep trying to step up and be who He wants me to be, forgive, and know that my Savior has paid that price.  Giving it to God is difficult for someone that is a control freak, but I'm a work in progress, and He's got all of the patience in the world.

As for this week, tomorrow after work I plan on heading to "town" to drop youngest girl off at her friend's house while I get my hair done, $10 for the hair, need to put at least $40 in the gas tank for the rest of the week.  I also need to grocery shop as I'll be in the big "town" and don't want to have to go back at all till next week.  I must remember to stop by the mall to pick up my shoes I ordered from Payless!  Maybe now that I've typed it on here I'll remember, lol!

Wont' be a very frugal day tomorrow but it will be as frugal as I can get it to be.  I'll sort thru my coupons on my lunch tomorrow and have them ready to just reach in and use, $10 for the hair as opposed to $50 plus at a salon, then gas bought in the big town, it's cheaper than here, sadly enough.

Blessings to all who read this.  I may be on before the weekend, will depend on how my week goes.  Take care!

Lisa