Well I thought by moving to Montana it would feel really different. Yes, things have changed but I feel good being back. I have caught some fish, I met an awesome guy and it is so great being around family & friends that love me. I am still on the search for a job. I know what you are thinking.....NO I am not dragging my feet so I can go camping & fishing for a week for Memorial Day....but that has crossed my mind. If I snag a job before then, GREAT! If not, GREAT! I know a good job will come along. I just keep applying everyday for jobs in the newspaper and jobs people tell me about. I am not worried. There are a ton of jobs here. I am trying to be selective so I find one I will enjoy. I wish I could find that job where I could fly fish everyday but I can go after I get off work! I'll try to keep you updated on my exciting life....and camping & fishing pictures are sure to come!
68 more days till camping!! WOO HOO!! I can't wait. I can't wait to get my line wet either...here fishy fishy. I am still in the middle of packing....full force packing. So looking forward to getting out of this humidity...which has started already. So looking foward to meeting my Mr. Wonderful. WOW...He is so awesome. He sends me pictures of him fishing with his son....so beautiful! I can't wait! No job yet but I have a couple of leads. I believe I am leaving Simba on a farm here in TN. She will love to be outside and traveling with a pet is insane. I may be homeless, jobless, and putting her in a kennel for a couple months is not an option. Also it will be easier for me to find a place to live if I don't have a pet. It will be hard to part with her but this will be a great home for her. She will love to run around & have a farm to explore. So she will be going there next weekend. I'll keep you updated on me. Montana..here I come! Oh and thank you to my wondeful friend who is giving my number away to anyone who calls her. THANKS! Remember, I do get revenge. TEE HEE TEE HEE!
Ok...ok
Yes my boyfriend will be making an appearance camping Memorial Day weekend. But I need to meet him first! He loves to camp, fish, hunt, spend time outdoors. Oh and he is looking forward to spending some quality time with Shawna & I with him. We have fallen for each other & I am so looking forward to having my friends meet him. We have a mutual friend and she gave me the go ahead. She says GO FOR IT! So I am and he hasn't disappointed me. He has a 9 year old son who is adorable! My Mom has even gave me the OK to date this guy :) She thinks he is a cutie! And so do I. Have I met my Mr. Wonderful everyone has been saying that I deserve? I sure hope so. He makes me so happy, so very happy. WOW!
Yesterday it was 74 degrees. Oh how I wanted to be on the golf course. Today it was in the 50s and we had a tornado watch. Oh how fun that is. My boss said I could leave early if the weather got bad. It rained pretty hard but that was pretty much it. I hope it is nice this weekend so I can at least get my clubs out of the shed.
OK you beggars........I got my first stack of boxes! So let the packing begin! Fun....fun.......
Here are my top 10 reasons why I should move:
10. How else am I going to get Trent to visit? Come & get me & bring Kelly too :)
9. KBAR pizza whenever I want. Oh how I miss the pizza & Mexican food there
8. Starting a new job is exciting. Oh wait....I have to get hired first.
7. To take care of the old people my brother keeps complaining about.....Ang....I need affirmation again why I am moving
6. The dating pool.....bye bye soldiers.....hello cowboys....here I come!
5. Been away long enough....time to return home
4. Sell old stuff to be able to buy new stuff
3. If you have ever been to Montana you don't have to wonder why I would move there. The scenery is breathtaking.
2. Fishing.....camping....batch.....need I say more?
1. To spend as much time with family & friends as I want....SO GET READY!!
A Piece of my Heart
By: Unknown
One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said "Why, your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but it was full of scars. It had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing.The people stared -- how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they thought? The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine. Mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears.""Yes," said the old man, "yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared.""Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges -- giving love, is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?"The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's heart flowed into his.
Posted by Melody to Heaven Bound at 1/30/2007 08:08:06AM
Hi, It's Melody here, Great News Lance is going to be a father, Isn't that exciting !!--
Melody-
Since you asked my opinion, I will give it to you. I could care less about what is happening in Lance's life. WE ARE DIVORCED. We both have moved on. DEAL WITH IT. Maybe then you can move on too. I don't know you but you must know Lance & Jennifer. Focus your energies on them. Not me. I haven't asked for an update from you so please quit sending them to me. This blog is for my friends and family and you obviously aren't my friend. You have never said anything here to build me up and I don't care about what you have to say. I hope Lance is happy and if fatherhood is what he longs for, than good for him. He is getting what he wants. Children are a gift from God. But I do not care to keep up with his life.
What an incredible year! I just want to thank you all for the wonderful Christmas cards, encouraging cards, emails, phone calls, hugs, gifts you have sent. God has blessed me with so many great family and friends. I couldn't have made it through this difficult year without you. Thank you so much for loving me through great times but especially through the difficult times. I could never imagined how a divorce could effect my life nor the life of those around me until I went through it. I appreicate you all and hope you know how much I feel loved.
Some of you are reading this because of the divorce. Maybe we have never met but somehow my life and your life got intertwined. WOW! Isn't that amazing? I have new friends because of my divorce. How awesome is that? I feel my relationships are so much stronger because of the struggles I have been through. I love that. I didn't enjoy going through a divorce but it has made me reflect on my life, on my relationships and now I am a much better person and will find much more joy in life. I can tell I am cherishing every single day more and more. I enjoyed being in Montana for Christmas and New Year's and loved being with family and friends. We had a great time even though the weather waited to snow until after Christmas. The sledding was incredible!
Thanks again for being such awesome friends and family. If I could pick my friends and family, I would pick you!! I love you all. I hope I get to see you all this year. Please come visit Simba & I. We would love to have you.
Whew...I am so worn out. Shopping, baking, sending out TONS of cards, parties, decorating, traveling. Christmas...what a great season but one heck of a busy one. I helped with a children's party today and oh to see their eyes light up when they learned about Jesus. Wow! I sure wish my eyes lit up like that. To have the faith of a child. I just hope that they know the true reason we celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Savior.
I am studying my Sunday school lesson. It is from 1 Peter chapter 1. It is about having hope. Not the kind of hope people wish desperately for a favorable outcome but the hope that only God can give. The confident expectation that the promises God says he will do, will be done.
God has blessed me beyond measure this year. I don't deserve anything he has given me: a great job, faithful friends and family, a home, transportation, great church, good health. Everyday God gives me so much. I hope he knows that I am thankful, even though I sometimes don't show him.
From The Message
1 Peter 1:13-16 A Future In God
So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives.Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then, you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with hiliness. God said, "I am holy, you be holy."
Lord, let my hope be only in you. Amen.
No not really. It was 75 degrees today and it is November. It is snowing in Montana so it is BBBRRRRR there. So I took a walk by the river for lunch. So very nice. The trees are so BEAUTIFUL! Fall is such a great season. The trees are in so many different vibrant colors. Then I BBQ'd for dinner....yummy! And now the stars are out in full force. What a great day! Such an awesome day. So much to be thankful for.
I love to read. I am actually reading a few books right now. I have a Chaplain friend, Jeff Struecker who has written a book called The Road to Unafraid. He writes, "the difference between being a coward and hero is not whether you're scared, it's what you do while you're scared." Jeff tells his story and WOW what a story. He is a man of God, a great husband, a great father and a fantastic Chaplain. If you want to be blessed, please get a copy and read it.
I was just beginning to feel like my life was starting to make a turn for the better. I have a boyfriend who treats me like a queen. I am enjoying where I live and just love being at home in the evenings. I have a job that pays the bills.
And then on Saturday I get an email from a woman who claims she fell in love with my ex last year. She met him May/June of 2005, I am guessing when he got to Iraq and she says she fell head over heals for him. So sad for her & him. I wonder how many other woman Lance has all over the world? I really want the best for him but am so angry for what he has done to me. How embarassing this is. I want us both to move on with our lives and to be happy again. But then I get this news and I am beat down again. I am realizing I didn't know the man who I was married to for 11 1/2 years. How many lies did he tell me?
I am trying to concentrate on things I can control and will try not to worry about things that are out of my control. I have to believe I will get through this someday.
Our troops need to know we are behind them. The media never portrays the good we are doing in the war. Thank a soldier for what they are doing. I just recieved this link from a Chaplain's wife. WOW! It is amazing. I have so many friends that are in the military. I thank God for them and their service to God and our country. Thank you also to their families who are making such a sacrifice for our freedom.
Until Then
Deb and I had a great time. We ate at the Melting Pot Friday night and I must say it was one of the best meals I have ever had. We had a blast! Then we went to the Wildhorse Saloon. We laughed & laughed at a guy dancing that thought he could dance but all he was doing was shaking his bootie & had his arms in the air. It was quite hysterical. Sat. we took a tour & saw where a lot of the stars live. Then we went to The Hermitage. So interesting. We really enjoyed that. Then we went to The Merchant & had another great meal. Then we went to the Grand Ole Opry. WOW! You just have to go. We saw Vince Gill (such a nice guy & not bad to look at either :), Patty Loveless, Steve Wariner (such a cutie too) and a few others. It was great! I'll post pictures later. Oh and staying at the Opryland Hotel is a must. Such a classy place. Thanks Deb!
I love FALL. That means winter is right around the corner so I am in the process of going through my winter clothes and getting them out. YEAH HOO! It is 42 degrees right now and I am loving that. Ray & I sat on my deck the other night. Such great weather. It was too cloudy to see stars but we still had a good time together. I am excited for this weekend. I have a friend flying to Nashville from Montana. I will be going to Nashville to stay with her a couple of days. We are planning on going to The Melting Pot for dinner. We also have tickets to see Vince Gill at the Grand Ole Opry. It will be a great ending to a long week. I found out Lance is getting married to his mistress Thanksgiving weekend. Geez. He didn't waste any time. I know he will be taking a lot of baggage into this marriage and that isn't good. I know it isn't any of my business but I am still concerned for him. I have learned a lot from the divorce. I wish he has. Anyhow, I am trying to move on with my life and thank goodness have found happiness again. Thanks Ray :) You are such a blessing!
It has been a busy few weeks. Many of you are asking about Lance. He is out of the military and I believe is working for the Phoenix police department. He moved to Phoenix right after he got out of the Army.
I am still working and getting through life one day at a time. I still long to be in Montana and am applying for jobs up there. And I am dating a wonderful man. Ray is 35 and treats me like a queen. He said his goal is to make me happy. And every day for the past couple of weeks I have had a smile on my face. He is so down to earth and such a breath of fresh air. It feels so great to be happy again. I didn't know if I could but I am happy. Ray is so easy to talk to and we have a lot of fun together. We have become good friends and I look forward to spending more time with him.
Last weekend I went to Memphis for the Extraordinary Women conference. It was a great conference. Then the people I went with (including 6 children) went to the Memphis Zoo. Wow! What a great zoo! My favorite part was the polar bear. He was swimming & playing in the water. So fun to watch.
Well that is all for now. Please keep the Sprayberry family in your prayers and Keri. They lost loved ones this week and they have been on my mind a lot.
Well I won't be suprised if no one is checking to see if I have blogged. I know...I know. It has been awhile since my last update. I don't have a good excuse. Well if you considering vacationing in Montana, I'll use that one. I had a GREAT time seeing family, friends, fishing, camping, touring Yellowstone National Park and trying to decide if that is where I should be. I think it is but no job has opened up yet. I am trying to be patient and not rush anything. I am applying for jobs there though. I have been away from family for 12 years and miss being them. I am doing fine here but just feel I would be happier in Montana. I love the outdoors and miss camping, fishing, hiking & watching the sunset over mountains. Wow! It is an incredible sight.
I am also starting to date again. It is so scary but I am taking the plunge. I have met a really nice guy but I am just scared to get hurt again and don't want to give my heart away again for it to be stomped on. So I am taking it so slow and hoping for the best. I just want to have fun.
Well I will try and post more often. No promises though. I am teaching Sunday school, helping with Awanas on Sunday nights and enjoying spending time with friends. Fall is here and I love this time of year. So I am hoping to spend more time outside.
When you become a Christian, your testimony begins. You have a story to tell about your life before and after your relationship with Christ. My pastor is going through a series on how God brings you through struggles in your life. He said he thought I was ready to tell my story and asked if I would pray about telling it. So I did Sunday evening. Here is the gist of it.
I was 21 when I married in 1994. I just knew by the time I hit 25 years old, I would have 2 children and live in a home with a white picket fence. God had different plans for me. In Aug 1995 I became a Christian & moved around with my husband who was in the military for 11 ½ years. Life has brought me ups and downs but nothing compared to what I went through this year.
May 2005 we moved here from Ft. Hood, TX and joined First Baptist Church Oak Grove the day before my husband left for Iraq for 8 months. January 2006 my husband came home and told me he had an affair & decided to divorce me. I felt all alone. Not something I had planned. A friend told me a couple of weeks ago if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. He never gives you something you cannot handle. God knew this was going to happen to me and prepared me to deal with the situation.
Life can be so confusing when it is all about us. We need to keep our focus on Christ. We need to remember we are only here for a short time. I could become bitter. I could have a pity party, which I have had but I cannot continue to live that life. I need to choose joy. I need to choose to allow Christ to be my rock, my redeemer.
I have been going to a Bible study and we have been going through Beth Moore’s Beloved Disciple. She said Christ’s appointments are never haphazard. He can accomplish anything he desires by merely thinking it into existence. He assigns us to certain tasks because the experience is often as important as the accomplishment.
God could have made this all turn out differently. But He chose not to. I have to learn from this experience and find out what God wants me to learn from it. I have to be obedient to God more than ever and have been praying where He wants me to serve him. I don’t have children or a husband could and will serve God anywhere.
God promised that if I remain faithful to Him, He will bring blessings upon me. Blessings I could have never even thought of. I have to be patient and realize my life is in His time, not my own. Once I realized this and felt as though I wasn’t going through this alone, I began to heal and go on with me life. I also had to give my life to God and know that He is in control. I love being in control but in order for me to be happy, I had to let go of my entire life.
Isaiah 58:11 says And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give you strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail
Christ said Christians would suffer. Being a Christian isn’t easy but if we deal with our trials the way Christ did, we can and will get through them. Seek out people to pray for you. Christ asked his disciples to pray for him.
I am so thankful for my friends and family for being there for me even when I didn’t even feel like leaving my house. They prayed with me and made sure I was taking care of myself. We have a choice to live in the flesh or live for Christ.
Gal 2:20 says I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up for me.
I just got done making travel arrangements to go to Montana in August. I am so excited! Fishing, camping, boating, seeing friends & family. I can't wait! I hope I remember my camera so I can post some photos.
I had a busy week but a good one. It seems whenever it is a short week, having Tues off from work, it feels like an extra long week. Strange how that works.
Well I am going to a BBQ tonight. Tomorrow we am heading to Nashville to get a friend from the airport. We may stop somewhere and have supper. Fun! Fun!
A friend just stopped by to deliver some veggies she got from an Amish farm. YUMMY! Fresh corn, beans, blackberries, tomatoes! Another friend is bringing me a homemade biscuit with bacon! I am so spoiled & love every minute of it. God has blessed me with so many great friends. I have such a great support system here. I am so blessed! I pray I can bless my friends as they so have blessed me.
