Singin' the Rain

What a stark contrast as I look out the window at my fave hideaway, Blackbird Coffeehouse. And of course, drinking my Irish Cream Latte. I only have to buy one more until I get one free! WooHoo! Ok, back to my point. :)

Last week, it was beautiful, sunny, happy, and cheery. Today? It is overcast, gray, pouring rain.....and alive. It may be gray and pouring rain, but life is STILL good. When I was on my way over (in pouring rain), I started to think of what sorts of things I would write in my blog today. My mind was blank until I thought of what I wrote last week verses this week and how sunny it was and this week the complete opposite....but how life is STILL good. I STILL have a lot to be thankful for and I am STILL amazingly blessed. That will never change.

Then it hit me. In life, people feel blessed, content, and that life is good when their life is sunny and beautiful. Why shouldn't they? But when the rain and storms come, the whole atmosphere changes. They can have a tendency to feel gray, overcast, and almost like a person stuck in the middle of a rainstorm with no umbrella. They don't feel so blessed anymore. Like their mood is dependent on the things that are going on in their life.

I started thinking of the rain storms that occur in most if not everyone's life and how we need them....to grow. I look around outside and see green and colors everywhere. They couldn't be thriving the way they are if they didn't have the rain too. They need the rain, both good and bad kind, so that they can grow and mature into the beautiful plant/creation the Lord has made them to be. It makes me think of the song by MercyMe "Bring the Rain":

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain
I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty

As a believer in Jesus Christ, through the storms and pouring rains in my life, HE is my umbrella. It makes me think of Psalm 91, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty..." Even though we are In and going THROUGH the rain in our life, we will not be negatively affected but only if we choose to rest in the shadow of the Almighty. It says in Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever."

What an amazing blessing and promise! Earlier this week I was listening to scriptural songs on different scriptures pertaining to faith. It says in Deuteronomy 28 that if we obey the Lord, he will COMMAND blessing to come upon us and our land! All we have to do is obey! Thank you, Father! And that with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible!!!!!

Praise God!!

So when we are going through rainy seasons, just keep singing! Because the Lord is your strength and your Refuge....and umbrella! It will only help you grow.....and continue eating the manna the Lord has provided for you so you don't grow weak and weary during this time. You will come through it! It will only make you stronger if you should to obey and following God. He not only is he the light and the lamp unto our feet, but he is our salvation! He shows and lights the way for us, but also provides and prepares us with His salvation!

Blessings,
Abby

One for One

In 2006 an American traveler, Blake Mycoskie, befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by caring TOMS customers.

Since our beginning in May 2006, TOMS has given over 600,000* pairs of shoes to children in need, through the purchases of caring customers. *As of April 2010

One for One

TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about. The TOMS One for One business model transforms our customers into benefactors, which allows us to grow a truly sustainable business rather than depending on fundraising for support.

Many children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk:

* A leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes can help prevent these diseases, and the long-term physical and cognitive harm they cause.
* Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected.
* Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.


The first time I had ever heard of Toms Shoes was when I went to SEU's National Leadership Forum during my Spring Break last year. I was so enamored by this cause and getting to hear Blake speak. He actually won an award from my school for everything he has done! Toms has grown tremendously since it started and continues to amaze me. They are coming out with more styles and choices. What I love is that for one, they are extremely comfortable, and they are versatile in the sense that they can be created into whatever the owner wants! Paint it. Glitter. Draw. Anything! They also just came out with super cute wedges. Not only am I making a fashion statement, but I am also helping one more child have a pair of shoes. And to me, that is the greatest gift!

And here is a picture of my very first Toms I ever bought. :)

So if you want to start making a difference, one pair of shoes at a time, you can either get these at www.tomsshoes.com or by stopping by Alter'd State in Turkey Creek! They have a good selection there.

Blessings,
Abby

When A Heart Breaks

I woke up this morning
And I heard the news
I know the pain of a heartbreak
I don't have answers
And neither do you
I know the pain of a heartbreak

This isn't easy
This isn't clear
And you don't need Jesus
Til you're here
Then confusion and the doubts you had
Up and walk away
They walk away
When a heart breaks

I heard the doctor
But what did he say
I knew I was fine about this time yesterday
I don't need answers
I just need some peace
I just need someone who could help me get some sleep
Who could help me get some sleep

This isn't easy
This isn't clear
And you don't need Jesus
Til you're here
Then confusion and the doubts you had
Up and walk away
They walk away
When a heart breaks

This isn't easy
This isn't clear
And you don't need Jesus
Til you're here
Then confusion and the doubts you had
Up and walk away
They walk away
When a heart breaks


I just love this song! I love the piano. He is a very talented musician and artist.

Enjoy.

Blessings,
Abby

Bon Appetit

This past week Stephen hasn't been feeling well, so being the good and loving wife that I am, I was going to take care of him and have a cooked meal when he came home. While at work, I thought of different things that I could make and decided on chicken with pasta and broccoli. When I got home, I cleaned the kitchen, picked up the living room, etc. All the while watching "One Night with the King" on Hulu. So good so far. WRONG.

Realizing it was almost 7PM, I decided to start on dinner. I forgot the chicken was in the freezer and it was very much a solid mass. I ran it threw warm water for several minutes before I had to karate chop it into squares. Then since I had thoughtfully put oil and water in the pan with the chicken and put the lid on it, it POPPED off. Scarred me so bad! So, as I am attempting to multi-task and cook different things...yes, you guessed it, the fire alarms start going off. GREAT. So, at this point I had to stand on my couch to try to turn it off....good thing is, I figured out HOW to turn it off. LOL.

So Stephen finally gets home from work and I told him my very eventful cooking experience. He slightly laughed. I will admit, cooking is one of the things that I feel VERY inadequate in. I am working on it though! And trying to build my confidence....and skills! Haha. Stephen actually ate it and said it wasn't bad, so I guess that is something! :)

Blessings,
Abby

Unspoken Blackbird Utterance

As I sit and sip my amazing Irish Cream Latte from Blackbird Coffeehouse and looking out the window on this beautiful, sunny day - it makes me feel very blessed and content. Life is Good. I have an amazing husband whom I deeply love and he loves me. We both love God and seek His best for us. I have an amazing family who have taught and raised me in the way I should go (not saying I always did lol). I have an incredible church family at Southern Fellowship Church. They are such a great group of people! I work with such wonderful people and I very much enjoy my job overall. We are like one big dysfunctional family! Haha. I live in a great City and live in a very nice apartment. I am blessed to live in a country where I have freedom to worship and live. I am blessed to able to attend SEU online. The Lord knew I have always wanted to go there and He provided! Above all, I am most blessed to be able to call God - Father. Daddy. Lover. Comforter. Healer. Alpha & Omega. Jehovah Jirah, My Provider. My safe Refuge. My Strength. My Savior. I could go on and on about describing who God is to me, but I think that would take up WAY too much space that no computer in the world put together could hold its capacity.

It has been a while since I have written, but it is good therapy for me. It makes me sit down and actually think and dwell on a lot of things. Including all my blessings. I know I am not perfect, but my God is perfect and the life He gave me is - even in it's imperfection. That's what makes a life a beautiful one. Having a life that is surrendered to God and how God always seems to overlook our faults, insecurities....but instead sees our possibilities through Him. "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." (Ps. 18:32 NIV) God took my lifeless, insecure, unworthy, and sinful being and breathed life into my dry bones and brought a future, a hope, endless possibilities, unconditional love, and for me - He gave His only Son to die for MY sins. To drive this point a little further, God gave His only Son to die a beyond painful and humiliating death for me. Just me. If I were the only sinful person in this world, I think He would still do it anyway. I am not dis-counting anyone else or sounding self-centered in this. But think about it. He died for you personally. He died for me, Abigail Joy Richardson. What greater love is this?

Last week at Saturday Night Worship, we played a song called "Majesty". There were certain lyrics in this song that struck me sooo incredibly hard.

Here I am humbled by Your Majesty,
Covered by Your grace oh friend.
Here I am knowing I'm a sinful man,
Covered by the blood of the Lamb.

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine,
Since You laid down Your life,
The greatest sacrifice.

Majesty, Majesty.
Your grace has found me just as I am,
Empty handed but alive in Your hands.

Here I am humbled by the love that You give,
Forgiven so that I can forgive.
So here I stand,
Knowing that I am Your desire,
Sanctified by glory and fire.
And now I've found the greatest love of all is mine,
Since You laid down Your life,
The greatest sacrifice.

When it says "Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine," BECAUSE HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE. Because Jesus Christ died for me, the greatest love that anyone could ever feel, know, experience, and give is now mine. Ours. Yours. WOW. I have access to God's love. GOD'S LOVE. GOD'S LOVE. GOD'S LOVE!!!! WE HAVE ACCESS TO GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL, ALL-POWERFUL, SUSTAINING LOVE!

The song then goes on to say "Majesty, Majesty. Your grace has found me just as I am / Empty-handed, but alive in Your Hands." This still gets me. Last Saturday, that is how I truly felt. An empty-handed sinner in need of love and grace. Because of His grace, he found me even in my state of sin and emptiness. HE FOUND ME. And if I fully place my life in His Hands - I am ALIVE! Even as I write this, I am in awe of God and how much He loves me and wants me to succeed in this life. I want to succeed in this life - for Him, my Daddy. I feel like a little girl who wants to just curl up in her Daddy's loving, strong, secure arms and for Him to say he loves me and is proud of me and help guide me for what's next. (NOTE: I have a great, loving earthly father whom I deeply love! He is amazing just so you know - I was never deprived of love or affection growing up.) Having these feelings are I think good for me because it's a realization that I need to get back on the gravel road the Lord has me on and out of the grass right next to the road if you know what I mean. I have a terribly hard time keeping my priorities straight. God more often than not, gets pushed back on the back burner. It's never always intentional or necessarily noticed. It reminds me of something I read in my devotional one day. It talks about how we have so much pride to think that we can live, survive, and thrive in life if we think we can go without reading the Bible, praying, and worshipping on a daily consistent basis. Never realizing this, I had that mentality subconsciously. When I say this, I am guilty of it right now. I haven't spent much time with God lately and it really affects everything you do. We (esp me) tend to let other things take up our time, thoughts, and energies - instead of resting and being in the presence of God. I want to be in His presence daily, hourly, every minute and every second of the day. I NEED that. How do I expect to be able to give people who are dying and hungry "fruit" if I am not doing what I need to do to produce and maintain the "fruit"? This goes back to the song. "Empty-handed, but alive in Your Hands."

Well, I think I have typed your eyes off. If anything else, I am saying this all for me. It's like when you are talking with people and giving them godly advice or wisdom, sometimes you need to hear it more than them. Thanks for bearing with me through this journey.

I was in Southern Market last week and say a wooden sign that I just absolutely love. It said "Enjoy the Journey". So, I am choosing to enjoy this journey the Lord has me on, whether good or bad. In the end, it's not about me, but Him. So, enjoy the Journey the Lord has you on and keep pressing on towards the ultimate prize: Oneness with God, our Savior.

Blessings,
Abby

House Searching Update

After much discussing, we have both decided to wait until our lease is up to possibly by a house. We will probably seriously start looking later this year. One of the deciding factors is we want to pay off some debt before we buy a house. He has a credit card that needs to be paid off and we both have student loans. We both so far are planning to go back to school this fall which will add more student loan debt....we consider that more of an investment plus we can put our payments into deferrment, but still make payments.

We still keep our eyes open for anything we can't live without. So far, nothing has really caught my eye once I have seen it. lol.

But I know the Lord has his timing with everything and that he will bless us and give us favor when the time is right. :)

Blessings,
Abby

Hitchcock Movies - Part 1 of Many

I will never forget the moment that I was hooked on old movies. And as strange as this may sound, I remember the exact moment and scene of the movie. I was watching "Rear Window" with James Stewart and Grace Kelly. It was the first scene they showed with the neighbor across the street, Mr. Thorwald, sitting alone in the dark smoking a cigarette and the only thing you could see was the glowing embers of the cigarette as he smoked. I was hooked from then on!! Old movies are one of my fave things in all the world.

Here is the list of Hitchcock movies I have seen thus far, so check them out:

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Jamaica Inn (1939) - I am pretty sure I saw this...didn't really find it interestingSuspicion
Saboteur (1942) - I think I own this, but haven't seen it yet
Shadow of a Doubt (1943) - Love this one!
Spellbound (1945) - I don't think I have seen this one all the way through
Notorious (1946) - Love Ingrid and Cary together
Rope (1948)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
Dial M for Murder (1954) - Love all of Grace Kelly's Hitchock movies!
Rear Window (1954) - All time fave!
To Catch a Thief (1955)
The Trouble with Harry (1955) - This one is just plain funny
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Vertigo (1958) - Eh, not my fave
North by Northwest (1959)
The Birds (1963) - I liked it, but weird ending
Torn Curtain (1966) - Julie Andrews in a hitchcock movie!?
Topaz (1969) - I haven't seen the end of this, but pretty suspenseful

The Shop Around the Corner

This past year I have "rediscovered" the Library. And two of my good friends from church (Terry and Kate) recommended goodreads.com to me. What an amazing website! Not to mention Terry works for one of the local branch libraries. I have learned so much from her and all the little helpful hints about using the library's resources. I am truly blessed. :)

I just love all the things the local libraries do in the community, like story-time for children, book clubs for children, teens, and adults. They host events too.

I guess one of the reasons why I love the library so much is that it can contain a wealth of knowledge and almost limitless possibilities of what I can learn and read. The feeling reminds me of the Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks movie "You've Got Mail" because it's just so sweet and innocent. It reminds me of my younger days when everything was black and white and perfect.

Another great thing about libraries is that it is ALOT cheaper to check-out a book at a library or a used bookstore like McKays. Granted, some books are just nice to keep in the house. PLUS, you can rent MOVIES! Movies, people! I love watching old movies which I will blog about a few of my faves.

One thing I look forward to is, I hope we can buy a house close to a library - preferrably within walking distance - so that I/we can take the kids there for story time or to just check out books. It's nice having that extracurricular activity. Especially it being educational!

So, go check-out your local library and events and enjoy!

It Only Takes Once

Heart is pounding. Hands a little shaky. Then, it happened. I did it....

"Hi, my name is Abby and I sell Avon...."

That's right. You heard me....I SELL AVON!!!!!

I actually went into the first office I gave a book to earlier this week, but she wasn't at her desk. Fail. I waited a few minutes, but she never came and I didn't want to ring the bell on her desk.

So, I decided to go the the office right under me. I walked in and greeted the receptionist and made some small talk. I gave her an AVON book and told her a few sales that were really good in this campaign. I even decided to give away (from my own personal stash) some scented hand sanitizers to help promote them. I think they are great! I really don't like any other hand sanitizer because they just don't smell good! Plus, these are a $1.99, which is the lowest price I have seen in a while. Good promotion. :) So, we actually ended up talking about hand sanitizers. So it was good. She promised she would give the other girls in the office a look at the book.

One of the funny things about this conversation is I STILL forgot to say my name! LOL. But, overall it went very well and the lady, Rosemary, was incredibly nice! If anything, it gave me that confidence booster.

It only takes once. :)

Blessings,
Abby