Reaching Out ~ Women's Conference

To keep with the Christian theme while we count down the days until Easter...this post is about something BIG going on right now!

Yesterday's post was about being responsible to people.  I recently realized a group of people that I am responsible to...a group of people that I've been failing.

I work in the office of a factory.  We currently have about 50 employees who work on the machines, and the majority of them are black.  Where I'm from, there are black churches and white churches - because we all like it that way.  I don't want to walk into a black church anymore than a black women wants to come to church with me.  I'm not racist, so don't misunderstand what I'm trying to say.  I'm not sure how it is in other places, but where I'm from and where we live, the churches are all very old and have been around for generations.  People go to church with their families...and as a matter of tradition between relatives, we have black churches and white churches.  But we are not segregated.  I hope that makes sense.  My point is, why don't I reach out to the people I see at work all the time?  And so the gears started to turn.  Over the course of a few days to the end of the week, God put an idea into my head that I wasn't comfortable doing.  But I couldn't shake it, so I shared it with our Mission Sister's leader.  She loved it, and we've been working very hard on it ever since.  What is it, you ask?!

    

{Please don't make fun of the very simple & quite lame "logo."  We're much more concerned with the content at this point and we don't even have a name for the conference yet.  So, this'll do until then.  Please continue reading.  Thank you.}

Dates:

June 8-9, 2012

Time:

Friday Night from 7 - 9 pm

Saturday Morning from 10 am - noon, or 3 pm

Location:

Our Fellowship Hall & Sanctuary

Content Information:

• This will just be a starting point, to plant the seeds, so to speak!  In August or October, we plan on scheduling a one-day meeting to "water the seeds."  Then, in November we'll invite all of the attendants to a Thanksgiving social gathering to touch base with everyone and keep in contact.  Then, in December, we'll have a similar function but the entire church will be invited in hopes of introducing them to our members and congregation after they are comfortable with us.  
• They'll receive goody bags when they first get to the conference.  They'll get a registration card to fill out (so that we can stay in touch and keep inviting them back!), some note-taking supplies, a track to salvation, information about the conference and what we're offering, and some other goodies like hand sanitizer.  
• Friday night we'll have dinner in the Fellowship Hall.  When everyone is finished eating, we'll move to the Sanctuary.  We'll have some praise and worship music, maybe a light and humorous skit to break the ice, a main speaker (or two), some special music, and then we'll offer to pray with anyone who feels like they might want to pray.  Then, we'll tell them about the small groups on Saturday.  There will be sign up sheets because the class sizes will be limited due to space restrictions.
• Saturday morning will start with breakfast (or maybe just coffee and fruit).  We'll have another praise and worship session in the Sanctuary.  Our "service leader" will explain about the small groups and introduce the small group leaders so that the audience will know who to look for.  Everyone will be able to attend two classes - but each small group leader will have contact cards.  If anyone wants to ask questions or get further information, they'll know how to get in touch with someone.  Finally, at the end of the hour, we'll meet for a light snack or lunch before parting ways.

The conference is totally free, of course.  We'll operate off of the budget the church gives us.  If we need more money, then we'll figure something out.  Our speakers, music leaders, kitchen team, and small group leaders will all  be volunteers.  So far, we've had a few people volunteer to lead a small group!  

 Small Group Topics

-so far- 

Abuse (Sexual and Physical)

Drug and Alcohol Abuse (That'd be my class....ahh...scary)

Depression

Being a Single Mom

And I'm sure more people will come forward and volunteer as God calls them


Conference Name Ideas
Our church is at a crossroads and this for women.  So...something about crossroads and women.
Women at a Crossroads
Crossroad Women
Woman at a Crossroad
...something like that.


Now, we are just down to waiting on or recruiting volunteers and making decisions.  =)) 

So, what do you guys think?!  I'm sort of terrified because I'm "in charge" and I've never done anything like this before.  But, I know God picked me for a reason.  He gave this idea to me when he could have put in the head of a much more qualified woman.  God doesn't call the qualified - He qualifies the called.  It's crazy how He called me...He picked me...out of all the more qualified women in our church.  It blows my mind every time I think about it.  I'm so excited about all of this!  =))  To feel God move in my life is such a wonderful feeling...I wish it on all of you. 

I'm scared.  I'm nervous.  I'm clueless.  I'd love some feedback!  Have you ever attended a women's conference?  I'm all ears to any tips or suggestions you've got up your sleeves!  I'm very thankful for how supportive everyone from church has been.  We already have some volunteers and EVERYONE has been so enthusiastic!  & now, I'd love to hear from you!     

2 Days Until Easter!! 

Before - How - After {Jesus}

Testimonies always start with how a person was raised.  So, I'll start there.

Before  

For the most part, I was raised in a Christian home.  My mom was a Christian - she took us to church and kept us involved.  My dad didn't go to church until I was a little older, but later he became a strong Christian and has even served as a Deacon.  I am my parent's firstborn child.  I'm also the oldest grandchild.  My family had high hopes for me and there was a lot of pressure to make everyone proud.  I was baptized as a young child because I didn't want to be the last kid to go forward at church.  Nothing too out of the ordinary with my upbringin'.  When I was in the 8th grade, I got my first kiss and smoked my first cigarette.  I was the new kid at school and loved all the attention I got.  I think I sort-of got addicted to the shock-and-awe attention from my classmates.  Fast forward to high school.  I lost my virginity to a boy I knew I'd be with forever, except forever only lasted a year.  I dated a string of boys and men, and get deep into the party life.  By 15, I was smoking cigarettes, sneaking out, drinking daily, drinking and driving, sleeping with my boyfriends (some my age-ish, some adults), lying to my parents, cussing like a sailor, smoking pot, taking prescription pills, going to parties... it was all so easy to get sucked in.  I lost a lot of friends...a lot of girls talked bad about me.  I went to a church camp in the 10th grade, where I felt God speaking to me.  I rededicated my life and even got baptized again - I wanted it on the correct side of my salvation.  But..it didn't stick.  It was too easy to have "fun."  People from school called me a slut, a drunk, a party-girl, a pot head.  It hurt, but I was having fun and just called them "jealous."  My parents and I argued all the time, about everything from grades to where I was, who I was with, and the boys I dated.  College was the same.  I was always skipping class to get drunk or high.  I dated another string of boys.  I started selling pot to make some extra money on the side.  When my parents found out I was teaching my sister everything I knew about buying, selling, and smoking pot...the gravy train ended.  They stopped paying my rent, stopped giving me money at all, and said they would no longer be paying my tuition.  I deserved it...but I was so angry at them.  Our relationship crumbled, and so did I.  I dropped out of college, started waiting tables full time at Ruby Tuesday.  I pretty much stayed in a stupor for a while...I used a variety of drug and alcohol combinations to stay numb.  Eventually, I met Mr. Robinson.  We fell in love and I knew if I had any chance of holding onto this guy, I would have to change my ways.  He was, after all, a Christian.       

How

Mr. Robinson taught me all about unconditional love.  He loved me even though I kept hurting him and pushing him away.  He tried to talk to me about Jesus all the time, but I didn't want to hear it.  One night, when I was at a low point, he invited me to church with him.  I accepted, even though I was terrified.  My parents came to go to church with us, and gradually the relationship I had with them improved.  Mr. Robinson made me so happy...he made me realize that the only reason I felt like I had to stay drunk or high was to forget my reality.  If he could be reality, I'd have nothing I needed to forget.  I stopped smoking pot and partying.  I told him that I loved him and meant it.  I already knew he loved me, but he said it back anyway.  We made it official - we were "boyfriend and girlfriend" after almost 6 months of him trying to woo me and me scampering away.  He gave me a journal and I started to pray and read my Bible.  I asked God to forgive me and I started to work on the relationship I had with Him...and on all the relationships I had damaged over the years.  Again, I lost a lot of friends.  My drinking buddies and drug dealers didn't think I was much fun anymore.  My definition of fun had changed without me even knowing it...  Within two weeks of us being official , we were planning our wedding.  :)  Another two weeks, I had an engagement ring.  God used Mr. Robinson to bring me back to Him.

After

I did so many things that I regret.  I'm thankful for where I am now, but there are so many mistakes in my past I wish I could have avoided.  But Jesus claimed my sins as His own and God forgave me.  I read my Bible because I want to.  I have a desire to learn more about God, to learn from the people He inspired, and to better myself.  I pray all the time - for others, for myself, and for my marriage.  I say thank You for the things I am thankful for and I love on the people I count as blessings.  I love going to church and being with with like-minded people, instead of dreading it like I used to.  I listen to the Praise and Worship channel on Pandora and praise God while I get ready for work.  I encourage other people, I invite other people to church because I want everyone to experience God's love, and I use the talents that God blessed me with for HIS glory.  When I'm upset about something, I pray.  I read my Bible.  I seek God.  I don't get drunk or high.  I ask God to be my strength and to get me through anything I go through.  I have faith that someone smarter & bigger than me has a plan for my life.  I know that there is a bigger picture out there that is fabulous, even though I can't see it.  I know that I have nothing to fear and I know who is in control.  I know that no matter where I am, who I'm with, or what I'm doing...God has given me a how-to manual.  I have peace, and it is well with my soul.  

  I hope that you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.  It has completely turned my life around and it truly does make all the difference!  If any of y'all have any questions, I'd be happy to share my knowledge and experience with you - leave a comment or e-mail me at MyNewWifeLife@aol.com.

Am I Being Naive?

Yesterday, I went to the eye doctor with my dad to help him pick out glasses.  The lady who was measuring his face and processing his order for the frames mentioned that it was her first day back from maternity leave.  Someone asked her if this was her only child, and she responded with "My baby daddy has other children."  I noticed she wasn't wearing a ring.  She didn't refer to him as her boyfriend or fiance or husband, but as "my baby daddy."  
Some time passed, and I guess to make casual conversation, she told my dad that she felt like a bad mother because she forgot to put nipples in her baby's diaper bag when she left him at his grandma's house that morning.  She went on to say that her "baby daddy" was working and couldn't take the nipples to grandma's house either.  
I promptly updated my Facebook status.  It received some likes and comments.  Even Mr. Robinson commented!  :)  

Gina is my super-slut cousin.  Some history with her.  She dated this guy named Lane all throughout high school.  Her friends tried to get her to date other guys, she refused.  She was in love.  They got married shortly after they graduated.  Soon after that, she got pregnant and they had a daughter.  About a year later, she started working as a nurse's assistant at a doctor's office two towns over.  She started sleeping with a man who was 20 years old than her and had THREE children.  She left her husband, told him she didn't love him anymore, and had found somebody else.  He tried to change, to work on their marriage, etc.  She refused and told him that she hated him, never should have married him.  I still see him around, he's remained heartbroken for the past 15 years and has not dated or re-married.  He still loves her.  So, while I would typically side with her on the whole "never say never" thing, I was majorly offended by her comment.

To me, it felt like she implying that I (or my husband) would cheat.  So, screw you Gina, and you you can read what I commented beneath her snarky little comment on my status.  I was a little annoyed, but I went to bed thinking.. Well, that's the end of that.

I wake up this morning and see a comment from a dear friend of mine I used to wait tables with, who is going through some really difficult health problems, has three children, her husband has left her, & they are legally separated.  This was her comment:    

I never intended for this status to be controversial.
Before we got married, Mr. Robinson and I had a discussion about what we feel constitutes or justifies a divorce.  For any of you soon-to-be-Brides out there, I think it's important to have this conversation before the wedding.  It's always a good idea to know where your spouse stands on important issues, such as divorce.  So, Mr. Robinson and I were in agreement that we would get divorced under two circumstances:
(1) Infidelity(2) Extreme Abuse Over a Long Period of Time  
We feel like our beliefs are scripture based, and those are the ONLY two circumstances in which a divorce is acceptable in the eyes of God.  We didn't get married and promise FOREVER, but have our fingers crossed behind our backs.  We didn't say "For Better & For Worse, EXCEPT when you forget to take out the trash..."  We both took and take our vows very seriously and do everything we can to ensure our marriage is a success story.  God is at the center of our marriage, and to me, that's the single most important aspect of ANY marriage.  Marriage is not about TWO people.  It's about THREE.  Without God, I wouldn't be able to forgive my husband when he wrongs me, I wouldn't be able to be selfless, I wouldn't be a wife who had any chance of keeping her husband & going to heaven.  So, that's my soap box on divorce.  I kept it short, and you're welcome.
Back to the story.  I was in the process of commenting back to Cristine.  I typed up three different responses and nothing felt right.  I know that she is going through some really tough things right now and I truly do hurt for her.  I pray for her and their children, and even her husband.  Theirs was not a Christian marriage, and I honestly thing think that a lot of their problems stemmed from that.  
How do I respond to what feels like an attack on my beliefs & morals, without attacking her?  I never intended my status to step on toes or offend anyone.  It did occur to me that someone might get a little snappy with me, but that doesn't change the fact that I AM GLAD I won't have to call someone "my baby daddy."  Sure, maybe as a joke some day, but not seriously..  I don't know.  When I hear "my baby daddy" I automatically assume that the girl who is speaking HAS to call him that because they have no other relationship.  A man & a woman have a child.If they were dating, he'd be her BOYFRIEND.If they had dated, he'd be her EX.If they were engaged, he'd be her FIANCE.If they were married, he'd be her HUSBAND.If they were separated, he'd be her SOON-TO-BE EX.If they were divorced, he'd be her EX-HUSBAND.If they had hooked up one time, he'd be her BABY DADDY.If she didn't know who the dad was, he'd be her BABY DADDY.If they were "sex-friends" but had no relationship, he'd be her BABY DADDY.     And for the record, "The Father of My Child/ren" would work in any of those situations and be considered respectful.  
Maybe that's just my personal opinion of the definition of "baby daddy."  So I looked it up on Urban Dictionary, obviously.  Come to find out, my opinion on BABY DADDY's was completely correct.  So, at the bottom of the status I wrote...
This was in no way intended to be controversial or offensive. Instead of stepping on EVERYONE's toes by explaining what I meant, my opinion of divorce, or even clarifying what I meant by this status...if you have any further questions please refer to the following website.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Baby+Daddy
The first definition is about black men, and I really hope this status doesn't take me down that road.  I'm just so MAD at this situation!  I feel like my beliefs were attacked, my cousin tells me I'm going to cheat on my husband, and a dear friend of ours who was AT THE WEDDING things that I'm wrong for my happy marriage?  I know that misery loves company, and that people want to justify their own wrong actions by trying to bring other people down with them...I'm just upset.  The whole things begs the question, 
Am I naive for thinking this will never happen to me? 

Weekend Re-Cap!

Hello!  I can't believe that I actually went 4 days without blogging.  I didn't even log in and check up on my daily reads.  But, I've had a lot going on and I guess sometimes it's okay to take a break.  :)  So...if I'm going to play catch-up this morning, I better get started.
FridayI work a 9-5 job Monday-Friday, so I should have been at work Friday.  I didn't go...because I was at the doctor's office for 5 hours.  I've been in a funk for the past three weeks....headaches, nausea, dizziness, migraines, some flu-like symptoms, constant fatigue, lack of motivation or concentration...and I refused to go to the doctor because none of my symptoms seemed serious.  Until Thursday night when I stood up off the sofa to greet hubby when he got home from work....and I almost fell onto our coffee table.  I realized that my dizziness was starting to affect my balance.  So I took Friday off and went to the doctor.  I probably watch too many episodes of House, because I was absolutely terrified when the doctor I've gone to all my life told me he has no idea what's wrong with me.  They drew blood & tested it for mono - that test came back negative.  They sent off blood to have a CBC done and those results will come today.  I also had a yeast infection so he gave me a prescription to take care of that and I was on my way..
Friday night was our January Date... from the 12 Dates of Christmas I gave Mr. Robinson as part of his Christmas present, but you can read all about that here. (link coming soon!)
SaturdayWe slept in...which never happens...and did not do ANY house work!  :)  Saturday is our designated day to get stuff done, but this Saturday was a vacation from that.  We were just lounging on the sofa's and nothing was on TV so I flipped it to "The Newlywed Game" for a few minutes.  One of the questions to the men was "Even though you already think your wife is perfect, which one of her friends could she take a few tips from on being sexy?"  And they had to answer...haha.  Naturally, I made my husband answer this question and I was pretty sure that I knew what his answer would be.  Sure enough, I was right.  Haha!  He said she's very stylish.  Well...I'm not allowed to shop because I have a closet full of clothes, horrible credit as a result of HUGE shopping trips (I have a bit of a problem with stopping once I start), and we don't really have money for me to be shopping all the time...& she shops ALL. THE. TIME.  So, I did what any girl would do.  I convinced my dear husband to take me shopping! :)  So we dropped precious Zombie off at my parent's house & my husband had arranged for us to drive my daddy's car on our date.

We stopped at Tony's, a local pizza place, on our way because we were starving.  Well...because we were driving daddy's new car that's super nice & clean (quite the opposite of our cars..specifically my car) Mr. Robinson refused to put any left-over pizza in the car.  Tony's had two sizes:  personal pan and large.  What did we do?  We ordered a large & stuffed our faces, determined to eat the entire pizza.  (And yes, I'm still on my diet!  What would make you think otherwise? Haha!)  We almost succeeded...Mr. ate 6 pieces and I ate 4.  We left two pieces behind... but we tried.  
For some reason, as we were walking out of Tony's, my husband blurts out "Mike Jones" in his most thugged-out voice.  Anybody else remember good ol' Mike Jones?  Obviously, we started rapping in the parking lot.  And also in the car.  Eventually, Mike's telephone number came up.  281-330-8004 and I called it to see if it still worked.  I haven't dialed that number since high school, after all.  It didn't.  So I Googled it, obviously.  I found this video.  It's just a few seconds long, watch it.  

Doesn't it just bring back memories?!  :)  What's funny about this is that if you click "Show More" right under the video if you go to YouTube, it reads:
This video has absolutely nothing or possibly something to do with: Airplane, Auto, Boat, Motorcycle, Motor Sport, Train, Animation, Blooper, Improv, Parody, Pranks, Series, Short Film, Sketch, Spoof, Stand-up, Video Blog, Athletics, Business, Communications, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Health, Humanities, Language, Math, Media, Medicine, Performing Arts, Physical Science, Social Science, Visual Arts, Advertising, Commercials, Entertainment News, Performing Arts, Short Film, Trailer, TV, Video Game, Web Series, Animation, Anime, Art, Documentary, Experimental, Filmmaker Reel, Interview, Manga, Short Film, Trailer, Tutorial, Federal Government, Grassroots Outreach, Local Government, Nonprofit, Public Service Announcements, Regional Government, State Government, Arts & Crafts, Beauty, Dance, Drink, Finance, Fitness, Fashion, Food, Gardening, Health, Home, Music, Sports, Technology, Alternative, Blues, Classical, Country, Electronic, Folk, Hip-Hop, Indie, Jazz, Pop, R&B, Rap, Religious, Rock, Soul, Unsigned, World Music, Commentary & Analysis, Documentary, Gotcha!, Grassroots Outreach, News, Political Commercial, Advice, Community, Dating, Personals, Random, Video Blog, Wisdom, Aquatic, Bird, Cat, Dog, Hamster, Insect, Rabbit, Reptile, Wildlife, Aviation & Space, Computer, DIY, Electronics, Environment, Gadget, Mechanics, Medicine, Video Game, Action, American Football, Baseball, Basketball, Combat Sports, Extreme, Golf, Hockey, Martial Arts, Motor Sport, Soccer, Sports Talk, Tennis, Track & Field, Water Sport, Winter Sports, Cakes, Wrench, Phones, Books, Printers, Chapstick, Headphones, iPhones, XBOX 360s, PS3s, Nintendo WIIs, voo doo dolls, money, Chicago cubs, girls, AOL, nintendo DS, ESPN, Sportscenter, Youtube, google, jolly ranchers, music, cocoa, diet coke and mentos, jolly ranchers, pepsi, mountain dew, pencils, funny, haha, rediculous, hilarious, chris cocker, soda, skateboarding, tricks, bmx, a restroom, apples, exploding batteries, cool tricks, or glass, or mike jones, rick james, chuck norris, harry potter, paris hilton, perez hilton, angelina jolie, brad pitt, tom cruise, katie holmes, brittney spears, how i met your mother, k-fed, kevin federline, E news, TMZ, bob marley, jessica simpson, alfonso soriano, my brother, texas holdem, poker, napoleon dynomite, the simpsons, budweiser, sweden, soccer, guitar, guitar chords, guitar riffs, upload videos directly from your phone!, michael jackson. 
So, while we were driving down the road on our way to the beach, I read this to Mr. Robinson.  Haha.  Maybe it was a whole lot funnier in real life, which is so incredibly possible, but it was pretty hilarious.  
We also had a completely retarded conversation about how people smile differently.  I kept practicing other smiles all day.  It was driving him a little nuts, which was fun-for-me!  
So anyway, we get to the mall...and....
He bought for him:

He bought for me:

image from Belk.com (this is not me, haha.  I forgot to take a picture of myself in the dress)
Then, we left the mall and decided to watch Contraband.  We had 45 minutes to spare, so we went to LifeWay.  I don't know about y'all, but this was our first trip to LifeWay TOGETHER and we spent a ton of money, haha.  But we bought a lot of good books and I'm excited to read them!  Mr. Robinson got a Tim Tebow book, another book, and a 116 Clique CD.  I got a couple books on marriage and love and God.  So, those will be fun.  :)
Then, we went and watched the movie.  It was really good.  It was one of those movies that I kept catching my breath the whole time I was watching, and then letting out a sigh of relief.  It's an action film...go figure, hubby's favorite... and watching movies in the theater was a nice change from our usual PPV movies. We are at least an hour away from the closest movie theater, so this was a treat!

THEN, we went and picked up Zombie from my parent's, & yes it was necesarry for him to stay with a sitter :)  We gave them their car back, and took my car home.  
While in the car, we had yet another dumb conversation.  I asked him if he'd ever noticed how dogs HAVE to put their noses on the windows when they are looking outside.  He said "I guess."  I proceeded to ask him if he thought it would be funny or cool if people did that too.  He kind of  chuckled.  I clarified that maybe it wouldn't be funny is everybody did it, because then it would just be normal.  So, would if be funny if one out of every five people was a "nose-presser?"  He laughed a little harder.  I asked him if it would be funny if his boss had to get up from her desk and put her nose on the window every time she looked outside.  Then he really laughed.  And then I pushed my face into the window to demonstrate.  Again, probably funnier in real life.  But we just had the best time...I've been stuck in the house for three weeks in my funk.  I had just been feeling aweful.  Maybe I enjoyed myself too much...but we had fun and we laughed and we created even more of our little inside jokes.  I love him and he loves me!  :D  Yay for Marriage!  Haha  
Anyway, we made it home and passed out pretty immediately.  :)  
SundaySunday morning, we went to church.  I was so proud of my husband...last week in the men's Sunday school class, there had been some confusion on the Trinity.  Unfortunately, it's one of the older men in our church who was/is confused.  He doesn't think that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are all one being.  So.. my husband worked hard all week on researching and studying his Bible and preparing notes for this Sunday.  He did his homework and then some.  So he was really excited about Sunday School...he even LEFT me because I wasn't ready in time.  Haha!  :)  I'm usually 15 minutes late...sorry.  I was excited about this Sunday because (1) Mr. Robinson transferred his membership to this church last week so this would be his first Sunday as a member!  That was exciting!  (I'm already a member.)  And (2)  Our brand new interim pastor was preaching!  We have been without a preacher for several months now...our preacher felt called to another church.  So, it was literally THIRST QUENCHING to have a full-time pastor with us until they can find a more permanent minister.  
We went and had dinner with my parents.  My daddy had gotten a meat smoker for Christmas, and smoked a ham for dinner.  YUM-O!  It  was delicious.  They are also cutting back on fattening foods, so it was great to have some delicious food without the regret!  
We ate and lounged around a while...I took a nap.  Then, we got up and went into town for a new Bible Study that started yesterday.  It is at a church in town that is trying to organize a mission trip to Kenya, Africa this summer.  We are praying and seeking His guidance right now, trying to figure out if this trip is for us.  This Bible Study is on hearing God speak, and while it is open to anyone, a lot of the people who are interested in joining the team going to Africa are participating in the study.  We are hoping that this study will help us hear God's voice more clearly in regards to this mission trip...we want to live within His perfect will.  We want to be only in places He desires... whether that be Africa or Korea or India or right here in South Carolina.  So..we have faith that this study will point us in the right direction, and if that direction happens to be Kenya this summer, then we will already have bonded with some of the team.  I think it's going to be a really great study...I hope to learn a lot from it.  There are 5 lessons each week that are to be completed as homework..I'm excited to that with my husband.  That could just be so great for our marriage.. I hosted a pretty big pity-party last week about my fears and concerns regarding this trip.  Again, thank you all who offered kind words in comments and/or e-mails.  Thank you to those who prayed for me...
MondayThen, this morning, one of my Facebook friends posted the most amazing video.  I promise it's worth your time...just watch it.  

Then, once I got to work I found this board on Pinterest.  It's amazing.  Go check it out.. it's all quote's and funny little snips from Friends!

Source: google.com via Monica on Pinterest

    This week, my husband is taking a work-related class about an hour away from our home.  He might be a little grumpy this week from all the driving, but he has such a passion for knowledge.  He just loves learning new things and has such a drive for it, a drive I lack.  Then, Friday he takes his test.  So I'll be doing all I can this week to make our home a pleasant and relaxing environment for him!  Today's his first day!  
Oh, AND, my day started out great because (I've been dieting, remember?) and this morning...I put on a pair of pants that did not fit two weeks ago!  And I'm wearing them...right now....at work.  I lost 7 pounds!  Hip- Hip- Hooray!  :) 
Tonight, we both have our weekly Bible studies!  Sadly, it's the last night for the study I'm participating in.  The study he is doing is much, much longer.  The group I'm in is called For Women Only, and it's been really great.  I hope to do a post on it and what I learned after it's over.  So...coming soon.    
Well, that's a wrap!  We made some pretty great memories this weekend.  :)  What was your weekend like?  Any funny stories or hot dates?  If you wrote a weekend-recap I'd love to check it out, so leave me a link or something.  XOs      

Frying Chicken Never Saved a Soul

So far, I've only come across like 3 bloggers that live in South Carolina.  The weather here has been gloomy for the past two days.  I'm not sure how far that "gloom" stretches and I'm not going to look up the weather to see, but it's been oober-gloomy here and it sucks.  
I've been feeling gross for about three weeks now.  Three weeks ago, I had a migraine that lasted about 5 days.  Two weeks ago, I was battling this nasty little cold/bug/virus thing.  Just the usual coughing, sneezing, running nose, and pure + constant exhaustion.  This week?  I've just been feeling nauseous and yuck and just...worn out.  And kind of depressed.  I have no idea why.  I just don't feel right and I don't feel like myself.  I have no idea what's wrong and I'm refusing to go to the doctor without any real symptoms.  Anyway, I still have to work my 40 hours each week and I'm just plain ol' pooped, y'all.  
It's been making me a little grumpy and emotional.
My husband has a heart for missions, but we don't feel called anywhere as far as full-time mission work goes.  I work in the family business and have a huge responsibility here, and it's just...complicated.  We aren't going to just move somewhere unless we feel called or led by God.  So we are staying put until that changes.  We both get two weeks of paid vacation from our jobs, and we want to use one of those weeks to go on a mission trip somewhere.  At church on Sunday, our Director of Missions told my husband and I about a mission trip to Africa that we could possibly participate in if we are interested.  Our DOM gave my husband all of the information he would need to contact the man heading up this particular trip.  The man in charge is named Mr. Wiles.  Mr. Robinson had lunch with Mr. Wiles yesterday and they discussed the mission trip to Africa.  Basically, there is one preacher in Kenya who is the "pastor" of over 60 churches.  This pastor really needs help in organizing their church(es), recruiting helpers, delegating tasks, etc.  A good bit of the mission trip would be devoted to setting up the church from a business standpoint.  There would also be a great deal of training going on - so that the pastor and his helpers are more prepared or capable or knowledgeable in running a church.  My husband has a degree in MIS - Management Information Systems.  He is great at creating databases and setting up companies and Mr. Wiles is interested in using my husband to help lead this trip.  
He's so excited.  I'm excited for him.  He has a heart for missions, and I can only imagine what it must feel like to do something you love (creating databases) to help spread God's word.  I can only imagine.  
My husband came home last night super excited about this amazing opportunity that has opened up to us.  And I want nothing more than to follow God's will and be a light in a dark world.  It's just...I have no skills to offer.  I just cried and cried and cried...and I didn't want to talk about it with my husband.  I was feeling unworthy of going, unworthy of my husband's love, talent-less and without skills, unqualified, unequipped, and beneath my husband.  It was the most horrible feeling...
Mr. Robinson thinks that I'm being negative about mission work, and that's not it at all.  He wasn't angry with me, but we was confused.  I didn't want to tell him that I think maybe he married beneath him because I don't want him to realize that I have a point, or that I could be right.  
I know that God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called.  I know it and I believe it.  But I feel like I have nothing to offer these people.  I feel like I would go on a trip with my husband where he would be one of the lead players while I scampered around the edges, unsure of what to do.  I'm not a teacher or a leader.  I'm not good with children.  I question myself when I work with adults - I think to myself who am i?  My skills include cooking, crafting, writing, and making things pretty.  Being able to fry chicken never saved a soul.  
This is scary.  I want nothing more than to talk to my husband about this, but I'm terrified to tell him that I feel beneath him.  I don't want him to agree.  Don't get me wrong, my husband loves me and would never tell me that I'm right in this situation.  But he might think it.  
I am feeling a little lost, and any advice from my sisters in Christ would be great.  I don't know what to do.  I don't  feel called to do anything useful.  I don't want to hold my husband back.  I don't want to let the devil into our home and/or life.  I don't want to miss out on something God wants for me, for us.  I don't want my husband to realize that he married a woman with no talents or skills that are good for anything other than a pretty home and yummy food.