Friday, July 15, 2011

Siesta Scripture

We're moving right along with the memory verses...

These next few verses will be easy for me to pick since I'm supposed to be memorizing ones for my "Duty or Delight" Bible Study...but I already love the first verse, so TA-DA... the next one on the list.

For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy & blameless in His sight.
-Ephesians 1:4

*Have you ever been chosen for a team as a little child... you stand there hoping you get picked... pleading with your eyes, "Dont leave me behind" & then when you get picked for something simple, it's like you won the lottery.  How much cooler that the one picking this time is God...Yep, He chose US...

*..."before the foundation of the world" .... how cool a reminder is that?  Can you just imagine at one point God was thinking, "I'll think its time I made this thing called "earth"- I also know that way down through the years, there will be this creation called Rebecca Jo & I'm going to choose her as my child"... go ahead, insert your own name instead of mine.  Tell me how amazing that is to imagine... & its true...

*..."to be holy & blameless in His sight" ... that always just takes my breath away... stops me in my tracks... because 'holy' & 'blameless' are not two words I think of when I think of my life... but yet, in God's sight - the One who knows ALL, he will see us as pure, clean, holy & blameless... tell me that's not the best news you've heard all day!

So there's my next verse.  I love the ones that are simple but pack a punch!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Insecure Much?

I started the new Bible Study "Duty or Delight" this week... be prepared - I have a feeling I'll be referencing this a lot in the next 6 weeks.

The study for the day was talking about "insecurity"...  One of the best lines I read said:

"If Satan succeeds (in keeping us in our insecurity), he's got a marvelous concoction:  a woman God could use mightily to change her world for His glory but who is too caught up with changing or hating herself to know God's marvelous plan for her life"

(... I love the word MIGHTILY ... & "God's MARVELOUS plan".... good power words there!)

Then I got to church last night, not really knowing what the next topic was on.  Another leader was in charge of the group for the night & he started talking... & guess what the topic was on... insecurity...

I just love when that happens...

But it's crazy because I sat in this room with young people & thought about how insecurity really is something we all battle.

We talked about how we try to hide the things we dont want others to see... & in the world of social media, its easy to do, isnt it?  Put up the things we only want to share - the things that seem to be happy, things that put us in a good light, even the pictures we post. We don't even want to be tagged in a picture that makes us look like we're having a bad hair day or caught at a bad angle.  God forbid someone see something "bad" in us... right?

And we grow up with that... we take it into adulthood.

I know for me, I'll read others blogs & see how "perfect" their lives look - they have it all together - the perfect family - the beautiful home - the gorgeous style - the most adorable children - or the most amazing job that makes me sit behind my desk & just sulk...

& why do I feel that way?  Insecurities...

Kids have them... teenagers have them... most certainly, adults have them...

I wish I had some wise advice on what to do about insecurities... I don't... because I struggle with them so much myself... but I think that is what holds a key to it.. I think we ALL struggle with it... we're not alone.  I think even the "picture perfect" person whose blog I'm reading, or the Facebook profile that is the most beautiful I've seen, or the person who has the most amazing job - I think they each have their own insecurities...

There's something in knowing we're not alone...

& something even more knowing that no matter what we're insecure about, God loves us, no matter what - despite what we think about ourselves, how we feel about ourselves. 

If we just remembered that more often, maybe some of those insecurities would melt away...

So for those who are having a bad hair day, for those who are feeling like they don't have it all together like their neighbor, for those who are wondering if they're good enough... let me assure you - YOU ARE! You are beautiful - you are wonderful - you are amazing - you are loved by the Creator of the World!!

What marvelous love the Father has extended to us!  Just look at it - we're called Children of God!  That's who we really are!
-1 John 3:1

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Google+

OK - So I'm hearing a lot about this new Google+

... not sure I understand it...

isnt it kinda like Facebook? 

But I just got everything connected to Facebook... my Daily Mile workouts - my blog - my tweets if I want...

Do I want to switch all that?

But my biggest question for those that are all into Google+ ... I see it automatically pulls my pictures from Google - which also includes my Blogger account - which is also my Picasa account.... SO, if I post pictures on my Google+ does that mean that it will take up the room in my Picasa account?

That's no good... I'm having issues with not having space for my blog & now Google+ will take more of that room?  If so, then that's a big downer for me...

So tell me Google+ users - what are the benefits? Are you going to switch? Keep Facebook as well? Someone tell me what's going on... I'm a little technically lost...

& by the way, you can look me up:  Rebecca Jo Vincent ... or if you want an invite to join, send me your email address & I'll send you one.

Someone hold my hand through the changes in this funny thing we call social media... I'm scared...& I dont understand.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Harmony...

We've been talking about "families" in our youth group the past 3 weeks.  It's funny because while everyone's family is unique, there are things that are just the same - no matter what. 

We found out that families laugh together... we agreed that sibilings fight (I even took pictures of my childhood days to prove my brother & I fought)... we talked about how hard it is to communicate with family members sometimes... we shared some awesome funny family stories with each other.

Families... such a cool dynamic that God created...

We looked at this verse this week:

Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people.
And don’t think you know it all!
-Romans 12:16 (NLT)

I could go on & on ideas about "harmony".... so much came to mind... especially for me because I have such a hard time with hearing harmony in songs.  It takes a talent to be able to do that!  I always stand in awe of people who have the ear for it...

But a young lady in one of the classes said it all too well...

She explained that in a music class one day, (she plays an instrument) they wanted to go through all their music as fast as they could.  The teacher just told them to play whatever part they wanted to.  She said that everyone instantly went to the melody - it was the easiest.  So she said, "I just went ahead & played the harmony because someone had to"

... someone had to...

....that hit me like a Bible on the side of the head.  And by the way, I was raised Baptist so I may have actually had a Bible hit me on the side of the head in Sunday School! :) (Mom & dad, that was your Baptist shout out of the day)

But how profound did this young lady GET IT!!! 

In our families, its not always easy to be in "harmony" with each other... but "someone has to do it" or you get nothing but chaos - madness - fights - distruptions....

& in harmony is how God wants us to act with each other...

Not always meaning you HAVE to be right - even when you KNOW you are... not always arguing or talking back when you instantly WANT too... but just "harmony"... beautiful sound that compliments each other.

I just love when the kids teach us... if you dont think that these young ones hold wisdom, you'd be wrong.

...May your families be full of HARMONY...

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Project 365... 2011: Week 28

Sunday - July 3 - A grocery trip of FIRSTS ... With all the new recipes I'm trying, I'm having to buy things I've never bought before.  Yes - I've never bought a garlic clove, molasses, apple cider vinegar or an avacado before.  This is the first time!  Ricky said, "Why are you taking pictures of some of your groceries?" - I told him because it was my first avacado.  He just shook his head & walked out of the kitchen.  Tell me I'm not like my mom though - she said she was going to write it down in my baby book :)


Monday - July 4 - Celebrating the USA, Mexican Style ... I made "Mexican Chicken Burgers" from a recipe from "Food on the Table" - if you havent checked out that site, you really should Google it.  Its pretty awesome.  But that was made with minced garlic, taco seasoning, onions & topped with an avacado salsa.  Had Pepper jack cheese on it too... & potatoes with salsa on them.  It was the best 4th of July dinner I've ever had.


Tuesday - July 5 - I love baby blankets... I've met some pretty awesome people on Daily Mile ... a husband & wife team are expecting their 3rd baby girl.  When I met them face to face at a race in March, I knew I had to knit them up a blanket to celebrate with them.  I just really love making something knowing exactly who the project is going to.  It makes me just say some prayers specifically for that baby right along with the stitches ... Congrats Corey & Damary on the soon to be new addition!


Wednesday - July 6 - I dont care if I'm grown up - I still like barrettes ... I got a new flower barrette for me.  Yes for me - not for my nieces or a little girl.  Sometimes I need 'em too to keep my hair from falling down while I'm working at my desk.  So if I'm going to be productive, might as well be cute too - right?


Thursday - July 7 - No Picture... I dont know what the deal is - this is 2nd Thursday's in a row I forgot to take a picture...

Friday - July 8 - Look at that yard!!! ... with Ricky's back hurt, I needed to get out & cut the grass.  We have quite a yard & for most of it, Ricky uses a riding lawn mower.  Well, he doesnt trust me on it.  I cant say I trust myself on it either.  So I did a big part of pushing the mower & getting it done.  Holy COW!  It was like 90 degrees & you cant tell, but that's an incline - & with trees - its a workout to get that yard finished.  And that's just PART of our yard.  We have a back part - a side part & then the front yard is the biggest... I was a sweaty mess by the end of it...



Saturday - July 9 - New Running Outfit... & the shorts are a thumbs down.  I've said before I've got a new obsession with running shorts.  You wouldn't think there is much of a difference - but there really is.  I thought I was going to like these - but nope.  They kept riding up on the left side.  I'm finding out if they're "too long" or "too flappy" - you know, too much material on the sides - they just dont stay in place.  They move around.  These even were bad because they stuck to my sweat on my legs which drives me nuts.  The top, I liked.  It breathed & wicked the sweat off... both pieces came from Target.  I will say, I've had worse shorts though - I will wear them again - but probably not on race days.

(Wow - these are REALLY flappy shorts)
Hope you've all had picture perfect moments this week...

& hopefully I'll remember Thursday in this upcoming week :)

Friday, July 08, 2011

Friday Fragments

Mommy's Idea

Its Friday... right?  Taking Monday off work has thrown me for a loop... not to mention, its the first of the month, which in my accounting world, means bills are rolling in & its hectic for me.  So I'm going to take a little breather from "hectic" & frag... that always makes the day a little bit better... so let's not waste another moment... Let's Frag...

*****

Big Brother has officially started.  While I was excited about Jeff & Jordan coming back, I was equally disguisted when Rachel & Brennan came back.  And then she said it in the first episode "Nothing comes between me & my man"...  I screamed a scream of sheer horror... who are the sick people who voted them back in?  Also love Evel Dick - can't stand his whiney daughter, Danielle... I just wanted Dr. Will & Boogie in.  That voting was rigged... guaranteed!

*****
Harry Potter ... almost here!!!  Every time I see a preview, I literally 'sshhh' everyone around me & I gasp like its the first time I seen the movie clips.. its gonna be Potteriffic!!!!

*****
I love Dairy Queen commercials.  The latest with Mary Lou Retton coming out of a pinata?  Who has these warped minds to think of such things?  Whoever it is... we could be buddies... I love you...

*****
My favorite commercial that I cant get enough of?  The one with Criss Angel & the popcorn... "He turned the bag into bowl!! How did you do that!" ... I literally laugh at that every time & then have to say the line 100 times - or at least till Ricky says, "Shut up!"... so that would be a total of 2 times...


*****
Official Countdown:  12 days till New Kids on the Block & the Backstreet Boys ... I'm trying to find a stonewash mini skirt for the occassion. 

*****

So I'm a little sad.  The Disco Dash 10k has been canceled.  Apparently there were issues with shutting the streets down that day... I was really looking forward to my first evening race... not to mention, I was loving looking for costume ideas.  I was on the road of a "Solid Gold Dancer" idea... complete with gold knee high socks - think Beyonce as "Foxy Cleopatra".... sigh... maybe I'll just wear it anyways & run around the park.  Think anyone would think anything?

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SPAT OF THE WEEK:  Medicine ... I hate to even post a spat because its been a bad, BAD week for Ricky.  He hurt his back at work Tuesday... I mean REALLY bad.  He can withstand pain like no other human I know - but yet, he was rolling on the bed in such severe pain. Ends up, he has a lumbar sprain after lifting heavy air condition compressors.  Remember - he's like 145 lbs & these things are like 350lbs.  He's like an ant that can carry double his body weight.  Anyways, the doctor gave him some medicine... well, he wont take it like he's supposed to.  And then he took it on an empty stomach & barfed everywhere.  So he was like (again) a 5 yr old refusing to take anymore medicine because "it'll make me sick"... I kept telling him it wouldnt make him sick if he ate first... I think I had better luck with my nieces when they were 2 years old then with him.  The pain was too much though - & after 2 hours of arguing - even having my mom on speaker phone telling him to EAT & TAKE THE MEDICINE (he cant argue with his mother in law, right?) he took it & slept through the night...whew...  when will he learn he just needs to listen to me all the time (if he reads that, he'll totally laugh... I actually did myself)

*****
Pinterest Picture of the week:  This just made me laugh... not sure if its offensive or not... if it is, I'm sorry... I just think its funny... it doesnt offend me as a knitter, so I guess its OK.

Source: etsy.com via Rebecca on Pinterest


*****
And now, so you also can say the line with me... "How did you do that?"



Happy Friday Everyone!!!!

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Siesta Scripture ... love when I can add Justin Timberlake to it

Its funny because I picked my scripture for the beginning of July at the end of June... have it sitting in front of me on my index cards & on the board behind me so I always see it.

And then the Casey Anthony trial has happened - as well as just life in general - & it really showed me how much I need to be reminded of this... we, as humans, like to point fingers, dont we?  Like to point out everyone's faults & failures... big & small.... from Casey Anthony, to even someone who made a simple, small mistake.  We like to judge them all...criticizing is like a sport for us sometimes.  So I love this scripture...

Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults.  Unless, of course, you want the same treatment.  Don't condemn those who are down;  that hardness can boomerang.  Be easy on people - you'll find life a lot easier.
-Luke 6:37 (The Message)

For me, I love this idea to just be easy on people - making life easier.  Hello?  Who doesnt want an easier life?  Don't people write books & make MILLIONS on trying to show how to do this?   But its right there for us...Its taking the focus off looking at everyone else's faults & start looking at the things I need to work on myself... after all, how is my life going to get any better when I have some faults & failures I'm not working on because I'm too busy pointing out other's faults to them...which, by the way, goes over like a lead balloon.

And I also love it because it holds the idea of "what comes around, goes around"... & not the Justin Timberlake version - though I do like to get my groove on to that song... this is more of a Biblical Karma, if you will.  So this should really ease our mind in having to feel like we NEED to point fingers... its going to "boomerang" back anyways - right?

....I just think we need to get Justin Timberlake to write another boogie-down song with this scripture in mind... life at least would be a little easier in the "groovin'" department :)

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Erasing Hell....

Hell... not a topic most people like to talk about...

Unless you're a known preacher & you write a book that seems kinda "off" from Scripture... that's a topic for another day... or not worth even talking about maybe?

But I love Francis Chan... love his teaching... love the way he can present something so powerfully, but yet so relatable.

So I was pretty happy when I realized his book, "Erasing Hell" was released yesterday... I think I'll have to make a trip to Family Christian REALLY soon...

Anyone else ready to get your hands on this book? 




Monday, July 04, 2011

FINALLY....

This is what is good about the 4th of July Holiday - I am actually home & can get this post together... the bad thing?  Having to pick out my favorite pictures.  I ended up with over 60 pictures from our shoot together.  I always like to think out of 100 pictures taken, there are 10 "good" ones... so that I got 60 pictures out of a little over 200?  I was thrilled... so here are a few of my favorites...

(if your computer cuts off the sides of the pictures, go down & change your "view" to 75% - or click on the picture... I think for the most part, everyone can see it on today's monitors, but just in case...)

I love this picture with them in front of the crosses... because these two are such an amazing couple that serves God using all their talents... I cant wait to watch their marriage serve God even further!


This is definitely in my top 5 pictures... This was taken in the middle of like 5 shots & this is Ryan's "real smile" ... he had a habit of doing his "photo smile"... this isnt it... this is REAL RYAN & its great.  Even better, Chasity just beaming looking at him... isnt that just the cutest expression on her face? 


I just love the composition of this picture too... crazy how the blue in Ryan's shirt brings out the steps & even more, Chasity's eyes....



This is just another "real moment" ... we were laughing about getting Chasity up on the fence & her not falling off... real moments are the best moments to capture...


Doesnt this just scream romance?  Love the water - love the trees... adorable...


Is that face just beautiful or what?  Those eyes?  And a dimple on top of it?  She's going to make one stunning bride!!!!


This is in my top 5 favs also... & you can't even see their face... but I think its just so peaceful.  We found this lake & they just sat down & were talking... I thought, "that just screams 'love', doesnt it?  Just being able to sit & talk & enjoy each others time together" ... I want to take their picture in this same spot, same position in 40 years :)


Aren't they just gorgeous?  How could ANY of these pictures not turn out good, right?


Here is to LOVE & to a Happily Ever After for Ryan & Chasity...


Sunday, July 03, 2011

Project 365... 2011: Week 27

Sunday - June 26 - Green Lantern & Grilled Cheese.... We met up with Lindsay Kay to go to the movies.  Then we headed to Five Guys Burger & Fries.  Since I dont eat red meat anymore, I'm still good there.  They make a KILLER grilled cheese sandwich - I get tomato on it & its pretty awesome.  I was happy to see Lindsay Kay sporting a flower in her hair as I usually have some sort of something in my hair :)


Monday - June 27 - "Backyard" Practice ... The new Children's Program at church called "The Backyard" has practice.  I'm part of the worship team so I got to go & see all the fun previews of the acting & skits.  This was a costume for "Ben Franklin" during the skit... I dont like to pass up an opportunity to embarass myself so I put this one & told everyone I'd make it my Facebook Profile... which I did... But look at this little boy who put it on too - how CUTE is he?!?!?!




Tuesday - June 28 - Working on my Habit .... I've been trying to drink tea more then Diet Coke lately.  Its hard work... let me tell you ... but I'm loving the "ice cold brew" bags that I can just throw in a bottle with ice water & ice cubes & it's pretty decent.  If I can cut out at least one, or two Diet Cokes a day, I'm proud of myself.


Wednesday - June 29 - O Canada!!!! .... My friend Jen married a Canadian 10 years ago & moved up to the land of far away... we've stayed in touch over all the years over the phone & social media, but havent seen each other for 10 years!  10 YEARS!!! They were down in Tennesee & stopped in to see me for a bit. Last time I saw her, she was a new bride & here she is now as a mom of 2 adorable kiddos!  But it was like time never passed... arent friendships like that just the best?  Just wish we had more time to spend together... (Isnt her son the cutest?  They just came from the "Louisville Slugger Museum" - cue to "Baseball Bat Stance")


Wednesday - June 29 - Youth Event!!! ... Yes, I know I have two Wednesdays - which is OK, right?  Because I have no Thursday picture anyways :)  But it was our Youth Event night at church & I was blessed to give a message - but only after our amazing, fantastic, ROCKIN' Youth Band performed an incredible set.  This is some talent right here!!!


Friday - July 1 - BACKYARD!!! ... & no pictures!! WHAT?  I'm such a slacker! I was too busy changing clothes, trying to find microphones & then just plain ole' talking with everyone to grab my camera.  So what did I do when that was over? ...let's change the title then for Friday to Edit more pictures!!!! ... I know I dont have more up yet, but I actually went through & found some more to edit & got another 8 really good pictures... here's another example... (I'm still teasing you, arent I?)



Saturday - July 2 - New Bedding... My bed skirt was torn on our bed so I got a new one along with a new bedspread... isnt it fun to get new stuff for the house?  Makes the bedroom look brand new.  I need to get new pillows now... but in the meantime, gotta keep my body pillow near.  Whoever invented those things - I could hug. 


Hope you've all had picture perfect moments this week....

Friday, July 01, 2011

Friday Fragments

Mommy's Idea

Stop - this isn't a bunch of engagement pictures that I keep saying I'm going to post, is it?  Nope - I'm just a tease.  But its Friday & I had ANOTHER busy night where I didnt even have my computer on - so we're sticking to Fragging today... its just more fun that way anyways, right?  I'm trying to figure out the Flickr thing anyways to try & save room on my Picasa/Blogger account so this gives me time to fuddle around.  (Isnt "fuddle" a fun word?)  Now I'm all paranoid about space running out.  Especially because y'all know pictures are my life... & add on Project 365 & you know I'm loading my space up...We live in hard times... to make the hardships easier, let's just FRAG!!!

*****
I cant tell how how happy I am its a long weekend.  My plans?  Not leave the house - only in case of an emergency... like an ice cream run or some sort of sweet goodness...but its going to be near 100 degrees & I want to work on cleaning.  Closets, drawers, cabinets... the fun stuff.  I dont want to put on make up - I want to stay in comfy clothes - I want to sleep... Thank you USA that I have the freedom to do all this!!!

*****
Looking back through my pictures I've posted on Blogger, I've realized I spent WAYYYYYY too much space on Dancing with the Stars pictures... I think the count for fringed pants pictures was somewhere around 27....

(I almost inserted another picture... but refuse to make that number 28)

*****
My dad is making sure the twins do their summer vacation up right... spending it with some horses :)  Isnt this the cutest little horse ever!  Perfect size for the girls...it just freaks me out to look at this picture & see how LONG Sophia's legs are getting...


*****
I'm still upset Dia didnt win "The Voice"...

*****
SPAT OF THE WEEK:  SPINACH ... really?  Do you remember last week's spat where Ricky was a pouty child because our salad was "too green"?  Well, last night for dinner, I made a salad with Spinach leaves.  It was A-MAZ-ING too... but I knew he was going to "humph" about it so didnt really make him a big salad because I knew it would be wasted.  He came up when dinner was ready & looked at the salad & I said, "I know - I know - before you say anything, I know its GREEN & you wont like it - but try it" ... He just looked & said, "What IS that?" ... I explained it was Spinach leaves, to which he responded, "Is that what they put on my sandwich at Subway?" - yes, it is.  He then perked up & said, "Oh good - I LOVE that stuff" - & then ate the whole salad.... WHAT?  The fit he through over romaine & leafy green & acting like it was pulling fingernails out?  & Spinach leaves are the best thing ever?  Why?  Because Subway has it? ... that man is going to make me loose my mind... or what's left of it.

*****
I love my game "Words with Friends" because I am such a Scrabble freak.  But I am loving the new game "Hanging with Friends".  Its like "Hangman" where you have to guess the word.  Guess its safe to say, I'm just a word-freak... anyone playing it?  Leave me a comment... we'll rumble... (want to make the word-freak thing sound really cool)

*****


So The Monkees are touring again.  Did you know the fun fact that I'm mildly obsessed with them?  Its true.  Growing up, it was the 80's - not the 60's - but MTV had all day marathons of their show & Davy Jones is just timeless - I fell in love.  It's stuck.  I've seen them in concert in my teens - then in my 20's a few times.  Once, I made Ricky go with me & we literally sat in 102 degree weather to watch them.  Ricky & I were dating & I told him he only did it to impress me.  If we were already married, he'd be like "HECK NO to sitting in the heat" - it was pretty hot & miserable - until my Monkee boys sang "Daydream Believer" - then the heat just felt like it was coming from Davy to me... its true... but they're touring again.  And not coming near me ... sad... Ricky heard they were touring on the news & he ran & turned the TV off real quick hoping I didnt hear it.  Hey - I wont make him travel to see them... after all, they arent as big to me as my dear, precious Steven Curtis Chapman... & I'm still looking forward to my New Kids on the Block concert in 19 days!  ... I know - I have odd taste, dont I?

FYI - They play the Monkees show on Sunday afternoons & my DVR is set to record them all!!!!  Groovy baby!!!
*****

Well, hope you all have a Fabulous Friday!  Hope if you're running in any 4th of July races, you ROCK IT! (Lauren, I'm talking to you!) ... & hope you get to get some relaxation times, fun times, & good 4th of July cook out food times in!

Thursday, June 30, 2011

..where I left him...

I was going to post some engagement pictures, but didnt get home last night until late... & still waiting for Google Reader to update my account for more space... so I just wanted to share this little excerpt that I read... thought it was pretty good stuff... Happy Thursday everyone!!
____________________________

I set out to look for God, figuring if he was out there, I would find him.  I would climb as high & for as long as it might take, having no idea how long & how grueling that journey would become.

What I found was a trail that waded through disappointment & lonliness.  I made wrong turns & met a few people who tried to discourage me.  But I was driven on by the memory of His being there - back before things broke - & encourage by those who helped me climb higher.  I learned many things about myself, some good, some not so good.  But I did find God, in the end....

....right where I had left him.

-Excerpt from Dont Let me Go by David Pierce

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The magic of editing...

I didnt really care for my Photoshop Elements when I first got it.  It was hard to learn... tricky... lots to take in.

But thanks to the power of books & videos & the internet, I am finally learning...

I was so blessed to take some engagement pictures of my friends this weekend... I'm going to post more pictures tomorrow - but I wanted to show you the power of editing...

Here is a picture before...

I was trying different angles of the cross behind them - did get a good one that I'll show you later - but didnt care for this because it looked like the cross was coming out of the top of her head...

But her face is just so cute... I love the way her hands are on his back too... so here is my after product


I turned it in cropping... played with the tones... making it look more "charming"... took out the cross - even took out the telephone pole in the background & cleaned up some of the landscape...

Isnt it amazing what edit tools can do?  .... I'm now a fan of Elements...

Stay tuned for more pictures of this beautiful pair....

Monday, June 27, 2011

Do we have super powers like the Green Lantern?

First it was Thor, then Xmen: First Class... now, its the Green Lantern...

Ricky is in his own little personal happy-super-hero world right now.

He has been more excited over Green Lantern then any of the movies.

So yesterday, he's ready to go - we met up with Lindsay & Ricky just kept telling me the whole time, "you're not going to get it"... how hard is it to get?  Its a guy who wears a ring?  Plus, its Ryan Reynolds... that right there is all I need to know.

Not to mention that Ricky "quizes" me on all things "super hero" all the time.  A cartoon on TV?  "Rebecca - who is that?  What is their super power?" ... its really kinda sad how much I DO know about super heroes since I met Ricky...

... but Ricky also now knows more about Steven Curtis Chapman then he thought he'd ever want to know as well... marriage is a trade off...

I will say though - I was pleasantly surprised with Green Lantern.  (Besides it just being Ryan Reynolds - as mentioned - & which didnt hurt)

I don't want to give anything away from the movie - but even in the trailer, you see where Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynold's character) says. "The one thing a Green Lantern is supposed to be is fearless."

& that's the basis of the whole movie... a creature that is growing & feeding on fear...

What an idea... what a scary monster!

Fear can do that.. become a scary monster.... in big forms & little forms. 

The monster even say, "I smell your fear growing...." Fear can do that... grow out of control.

As Christians - we are called not to fear.  Which is so hard to do... in HUGE things, & even the small things.  Fear of illness, fear for our family, fear of making finances, fear of being alone... big & small... fear can creep in.

But God calls us to be like these "Green Lanterns" - to have no fear... to beat back those monsters that want to take over...

When I left the theater - I felt like God was calling me & everyone else to have our own super powers... to tap into Him to get the power to battle fear... I wanted to lift up my hand like the Green Lanterns did ... well, I actually did lift my arm up like the in the theater... to which Ricky was like "Um... people are looking at you"... to which my response was "I SHALL FEAR NO EVIL..."

Ricky just shook his head at me & walked away with Lindsay like they didnt know me...

He better be lucky I didnt have something to make me a cape... I woulda ran down the aisle like a 10 yr old... that'll show him what embarassment REALLY is ....

If you get a chance, (& you wanna see Ryan Reynolds) & you wanna fun little super hero movie, check it out.  Raise your arm like me at the end...

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Project 365... 2011: Week 26

Sunday - June 19 - Snow Ball Fight in June? ... this was the most tiring game EVER... you take wads of paper & "ball" them up & its a snow ball fight.  Gotta see who has the most paper on which side at the end... Its like doing a triathalon at the end of this game... I think that game is actually where I pulled my thigh muscle.  Ricky reminded me I'm too old to play all the youth games... you dont want to know my respones to him on that...


Monday - June 20 - My Carpet Cleaner has seen better days.... with 4 dogs, I'm constantly cleaning my carpets.  Love how easy it is... but today, I dropped my bucket in it & it chipped a piece out. :( Ricky ended up duct taping it together... & it WORKED!  My momma always said duct tape would save the world.  At least it got my carpet clean.


Tuesday - June 22 - Look at me being healthy!!! .... Stopped & got some food at the grocery & as I pulled it out, I realized how much healtier I'm buying products.  Dr. Oz would be so proud of me.


Wednesday - June 22 - Youth hurts.... OK - maybe Ricky's right about Sunday... We played another game & this is what my hand looked like at the end... someone squeezed it so hard, I had a blood blister.  I felt like my hand got CRUNCHED... but I didnt give up... I'm in a game to win it :)



Thursday - June 23 - mmmmm Taco Salad  - Yes - this is the salad that made Ricky turn into a 3 yr old pouting because the lettuce was too green.  But it was the best salad I've ever made in my life... I'm not craving one again.


Friday - June 24 - Homemade goodness in the mail.... Julie sent Ricky this for Father's Day... homemade blackberry jam... that she even handpicked the blackberries... are you jealous?  You should be - its amazing!


Saturday - June 24 - Engagement Photo Shoot... I've been dying to take pictures of these two since they got engaged.  We finally met up - just in time for it to rain... but the sky cleared up - & God even gave us a full rainbow for a backdrop!  NO joke!!!!  I got the most amazing pictures of these two... & loved every minute of it... (if you want to see more, you can "like" my Facebook Page on the right)


Hope you've had some picture perfect moments this week...

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