100+ Things I am Thankful For

With the thanksgiving season coming upon us I would like to share 100+ things that I am thankful for--day by day I will add unto this blog post until the end of November. Some of these will come from a book a best friend gave to me called 1001 things I am thankful for ( I will put a star next to those that came from the book).

"Gratitude is the key to happiness" C.S Lewis

1. Summer rain storms (without the thunder and lightening) so I can play in the rain
2. The color yellow is so cheerful and bright any day
3. The laugh of children
4. Handbells
5. Colorful falling leaves
6. Caramel Machiattos from Starbucks
7. Coffee with a friend
8. Laughter
9. Piano Music
10. Teddy Bears
11. the first daffodills of spring*
12. A smile from a stranger*
13. Friends who believe in you*
14. hugs from my students
15. Crayons
16. Pandora Radio station
17. No-Bake Cookies
18. Pumpkin (pie, cookies, lattes)
19. crisp autumn air*
20. text messaging
21. random phone calls
22. soft music after a stressful day
23. wildflowers
24. Roses
25. lavendar lotion
26. Freedom to worship God
27. hot fudge sundaes*
28. Maps
29. funnel cake*
30. mac and cheese with REAL cheese*
31. photo albums
32. days of school (although I still miss my students)
33. old movies
34. Beethoven, mozart, bach, rachmoninoff, etc.
35. musicals
36. hot bubble baths
37. big sweatshirts with hoods
38. a car
39. people who accept you for your craziness and for who you are
40. My plastic surgeon/doctor Dr. Trimas
41. black and white photos
42. Facebook
43. email
44. flavoured coffee creamers*
45. kites
46. lemons (pie, lemon aide, etc)
47. sunlight
48. dark chocolate
49. cotten candy*
50.picnics
51. content in my singleness and knowing that God has a plan for me
52. foreign languages
53. airplanes
54. warm blankets
55. fuzzy socks
56. relaxing water fountains
57. driving with the windows down on a country road
58. roller coasters*
59. Saturday mornings to slee in
60. family
61. Daisies
62.Starbucks (oops did I say that already) =0
63. Dollar Tree
64. aroma of fresh coffee in the morning*
65. my students making me laugh with the silly things they say.
67. french fries and cheese
68. the violin
69. phone calls that are NOT dropped
70. the mountains, especially in the fall
71. flower pens (if you do not know what they are they are happy little pens with a flower on top)
72. naps
73. Hair Coloring kits
74. Anything that helps me stay organized
75. Books (and a Nook too)
76. Jane Austen
77. Pinterest
78. Cookbooks, cooking shows, cooking websites.
79. Cast Iron Pans
80. Sonic (this is for you Jenn)
81. Wet sand squishing between your toes
82. Cool grass on a summery day
83. the wind (even though it messes up ones hair)
84. My college professors (esp Dr. Krause who helped me love literature and writing more; and Mr. Moose who helped me be more optimistic even on rainy gloomy days)
85. Blogger--I love to  blog, I love to write, I love blogger
86. Redbox and Netflix
87. Reruns of old TV Shows
88. My nose
89. Autumn leaves
90. Daylight Savings Time in the spring....I hate falling back on my times....i love springing foward...i love which ever one gives me an extra hour of sleep.....i love my beauty rest
91. Big keychains so I can always find my keys
92. Magnetic whiteboard calendars to plan menus with
93. 3m-hooks--this things are AMAZING!
94. Bath and Body Works---I can almost buy out the store with all the smell good stuff
95. people who pick on me---cuz it makes me laugh
96. Dr. Suess
97. Coffee travel mugs that do not spill
98. Simple reminders that I am beautiful and worth something
99. scented lotions
100. A loving heavenly Father who died for me (which is should be number one on my list)

And more to come later!!!! I am LOVING this!!!!!!!

A Year Ago {this month}

Its hard to really remember the exact day I made a big decision to have surgery. Around this time last year I was struggling with reacurring ringworm on my face (or maybe it was in September--I don't remember) and went to the doctor. The doctor came in and I  said, "I want to have surgery on my nose." I had no idea where that statement came from. The summer I had faced my fears of going door to door and went--then a lady asked me what was wrong with my nose. I came to realize that people really do notice. I started to look back at pictures and noticed that since my first surgery the right side of my nose had grown. I was thinking and praying about having surgery but was so unsure about it--I mean my mind set was that why fix something that God made. Then I started to really think about it and the benfits of having my nose fixed....so at the doctor I asked the question. Sometime I wonder if it were not for that ring worm if I would have had surgery. A year ago I was referred to a nuerologist and it took me over a month to call and make an appointment because I was so unsure and mainly scared to have surgery and not sure if it was something I should do (I have a hard time making big decisions).  This time last year I was at a low point thinking that I wish I could be normal looking like everyone else and didn't know how to be--unless I had surgery.

Its amazing to look back and see how the Lord orchestrated everything at the right time from the annoying and reacurring ringworm, the doctor, the neurologist, and even my plastic surgeon. I am so happy and thankful for that annoying ringworm because if I didn't have it on my face then I may not have had surgery.

100 {or more} Things I Want to Do--{a.k.a My Bucket List}

1) See an Auroa Borialis
2) Go to a very remote place and look at the stars
3) Play the piano in a concert hall
4) Be in a symphony
5) Go Paragliding
6) Drive cross country
7) Go scuba diving
8) Go sailing
9) Go skydiving
10) Visit Paris
11) Go on the Sound of Music tour in Austria
12) Ride a horse
13) get married
14) have kids
15) Drive a  red convertable
16) Ride in a horse drawn carraige
17) good a full gormet meal
18) Go to Food Network kitchens
19) Meet Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, Alton Brown, Tyler Florence, Giada de Laurentiis, and Curtis Stone
20) See Iron Chef America
21) Have a famous chef cook with
22) Cook with a famous chef
23) Be on a cooking show (even if its one time)
24) See the Boston Pops
25) and the NY Philimarnic Orchestra
26) Go visit Jane Austen's birthday place
27) See where some of my favorite clasical music composers lived
27) Go to an old movie in a park (with a big screen and picnic baskets, blankets and all)
28) See Jim Brickman in concert
29) Skip through a huge field of wildflowers
30) Write a book
31) Have a picture posted on bing or Kodak picture of the day
32) See a broadway play in NYC
33) Teach children in another country how to read English
34) Teach woman in another country -- weather a Bible study, home economics type stuff, or cooking)
35) Go hot air balooning

So, this really doesn't have a title. But, recently, I have been really thinking a lot about my walk with the Lord and where I am in my Christian life. This has come about because of a Sunday school lesson several weeks ago at church. Last night, I had a really good chat with my best friend about some things that I have been struggling with. Then this moring, I was getting a file folder out of  my desk and found a single piece of paper in it--something I thought I had thrown away when I was going through my college note this past summer. Amazing how the Lord works, because right now what I had found could be in the city dump by now.

I wrote a lot of college notes, sermon notes, and lesson notes in college--but this one paper I found is titled "Knowing God", from my Principles of Leadership class (a class I do not remember taking), on April 7, 2005. Here are my notes:

Jeremiah 9:23-24 23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:24 But let him that gloriethglory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exerciselovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight , saith the LORD."

There are two kinds of life:
1) A life that disguts God
2) A life that delights God

The Immediate Context: Three pronouncements of "Thus saith the Lord" (in Jeremiah 17-24)

The People's Disobedience:

• Jer 8:7 "My people know no the rules of the Lord."
• Jer 9:3 "They do not know me."
• Jer 9:6 "They refuse to know me."

Life that disgusts God:
1) Glory in intellect
2) Glory in physical strength
3) Glory in material prosperity


How often to I step away from life's distractions and work on a relationship w/ God.
(going to come back to this in a minutes)

Life that delights God
1) Understanding God: learning abut Him on an intellectual level

God tells us that He is a God of lovingkindness, jusitce, and rightousness

NOW back to the quote in red "How often do I step away from life's distractions and work on a relationship w/God."

I tend to be a very dsitracted individual. I mean seriously I love cooking and baking (hate the cleaning up part of it), I watch ALOT of stuff on netflix, facebook, email, text messaging, talking on the phone, watching TV....must I go on.

But once I think about it I really do not step away from life's distractions as often as I should...sadly. I tend to do other things that work on my relationship with God...

(more to come later)

Five Minute Friday: Beyond

Its Friday (well here its 1:33 am Saturday) but today was busy...and honestly I completly forgot about Five Minute Friday.
This weeks topic: BEYOND

Growing up my mom and dad listened to many sacred records, tapes, and radio. Thankfully, I grew up in a church that sang the old hymns. When I read the topic "beyond" I had no idea what to write....then for some reason an old song I heard came to mind-- "Beyond the Sunset."

You Learn Something New Everyday {even if its about yourself}

Last October I was determined to lose at least 30 pounds by June 20 (my birthday). Did I make that goal...unfortunatly no I didn't. I did lose about 10 pounds though--eating more healthful foods, exercising, and cutting out greasy and sugary things (except my two or three a week caramel macchiatos). Then just recently school started 9 weeks ago...sadly within nine short (and some long) weeks I gained every single pound that I had lost back.....grrr at myself. How did I do that???

Well one I haven't exercised one bit since my surgery...been busy and well honsestly lazy. Then here comes the big one.....I am an EMOTIONAL EATER. After a hard day at school what do I like to do...well go home and stuff my face with junk food...chex mix, soda, high calorie coffee drinks....anything fried or greasy....and what have I done to myself---all that hard work I did in eight months were erased within weeks...so once again (and around the same time as last year) I want to lose weight, I want to get healthy, and I want to look and feel better. How do I go about doing it??? First, a little bit of determination and changing my diet--and yes that means even eating my veggies  and doing what I hate doing---exercising. :P

F.R.O.G

I have to admit that it has been a very discouraging past week and into this week...not going to go into the details why--but have been pretty discouraged. This morning, before my students came in I was even crying...the smiling teacher who always smiles, and laughs, and gives hugs was crying....the teacher who loves being with her kids wanted to go home and crawl back under her blankets...the teacher who loves her job thought...well lets not go there. I have to admit that through some situations going on at the moment I haven't complety nor fully relied on God or really looked to Him with what has been going on. I have been fighting...and that fight has exhausted me--I came home yesterday and slept for two hours after work.
But this morning, even before the tears, I was remided of something by this little brownish creature with long legs...it was a frog. Okay so frogs are not my favorite creatures in the world--they are cute but cuter in box and not near me. =) Even yesterday I think the Lord was trying to tell me something through seven or eight frogs I saw but if course my stubborn self was too caught up in my problems. But again this morning I saw this one little lone frog jumping across the parking lot (let me back up I haven't had a car for almost two weeks so I have been taking a short walk to school each moring--I have seen some amazing sunsets, felt the crisp fall air, and yesterday saw some frogs--been complaining about the whole walking to work thing but if I had my car I wouldn't have seen the frogs). But the frogs taught me a lesson that at the moment I am trying to grasp. In the situation going on in my life that is causing discourgement and frustration---God is still in control. He still loves me and He will work it out for good. He knew that this would happen before time began. He knew I would be discouraged and frustrated. He knows that everything will work out when in my mind they seem like they won't. All I need to do is Fully Rely On God (FROG). So that is my simple little reminder from a bunch of frogs jumping around on the church steps. =)

Five Minute Friday: Ordinary

I am a simple southern girl. I like twirly dresses even at the age of 28. I love ringlets in my hair. I wish I were still a little girl who can sit on my dad's knee. I am a Christian saved by the grace of God. I am someone that not everybody knows about---my face isn't plastered on the front page if the New York Times or People's Magazine. I am not "teacher of the year." I am not on the news stations--nor any popular TV show. You say the name Rebecca Page to a simple stranger and they say "WHO?"

I am a simple ordinary girl who enjoys the simple life. I may never be popular. I may never be plastered on magazine, newspapers, books, or TV.

I am a child of a King--this simple ordinary young lady who loves teaching her thirteen students....a friend to those...filled with humor....who loves Starbucks...who loves to cook...who as an ordinary simple person knows that no matter what the Lord can use ME---simple little ordinary ME.

(((well thats it)))

but I also had to post the song by Sarah McClauglen (sry if I botched the spelling)

I Won't Let Satan Steal My JOY

Tests..I hate tests...I feel like I am in a test at the moment. I mean I am not really going throught a great trial or testing time at the moment---its more of a everything is going great and then something happens and now I am discouraged. I feel like I want to cry. I wonder WHY do I do the things I do. I wonder...should I do things differently. Then a dear friend and a roommate reminds me---Satan is trying to steal your joy. I am happy and content about my life. I am glad to be single, I LOVE LOVE my job, I love my students, I love having a roommate....but Satan doesn't want to see me in the Lord's Will. Satan wants me from being happy and content to discouraged and wondering "should I really be dping this."

I will not let him steal my joy....as the song my mother taught me...

"If I had a little black box to keep the devil in I'll take him out and smack, smack, smack and put him back again."

BUT BEST OF ALL...a wonderful reminder...

THE JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH

Healing....the Nose-how

Okay my title is already cracking me up...I think I have been around kindergarten kids way too long---good thing I LOVE my job!
So it has been four months since my surgery (well as of the 7th it will be). It has been amazing to see the process of healing and the right side of my nose getting smaller and smaller....kinda like a balloon with a small hidden hole....it takes time to shrink. =) So to mark the almost four month anniversary of having nose surgery---yes plastic nose surgery I have edited a BEFORE and AFTER picture...now since I have done the pic the swelling has gone down a bit more...=)

AND can I say I am so so so thankful for Dr. Trimas and his team for their sweetness and Dr. Trimas' talent in nose surgery. =)

Five Minute Friday: Friendship

Two days later I am finally sitting down to write. =)  I have been pretty exhausted the past few days and had a headache which has made me go to bed early. But, I am excited about the topic on friendship. 

I have always had a hard time making friends. I blame myself for it since I am very picky choosy about who I hang out with. I am thankful though for the close friends that the Lord has given me....each of them unique and different in their own way....along with several different types of relationships. Today, i am going to introduce you to three of my closest friends.

Amy: met at BJU, freshmen year. We became instant best friends. She has always been there when I needed a friend to talk to or someone to pray with. She was always a spiritual encouragement in my life. The Lord knew I needed a friend like Amy-she was the type of friend I have prayed for.  (and a side note also tells me the truth when I really need to hear it)

Hannah: fun times, Starbucks, talks, tears, laughter, Jones Soda, Sonic, Barnes and Nobles, and artist series (oh and scary eyes) are a few things that makes me think of Hannah. Hannah and I met when she came to BJU to visit another good friend of mine. We connected instantly and I was able to easily talk to her about things on my heart. When Amy left BJU, Hannah and I became inseparable.

Lori: sorry Lori had to mention you in this! =) Lori and I met when I first came to Florida. She was quiet...I was bubbly and hyper (all the time). Lori became the older sister I never had. She is a true friend and even though I do not want to hear it she tells me the things I need to hear. Lori is fun the hang out with and be with.

Amy, Hannah, and Lori may fail me,  or our friendship can fall apart. I am thankful though to have a very best friend who is always there when I call on Him (Jer 33:3), who is always there when I need Him, who sticks closer than a brother, some one who will always be by side and walk along with me. That BEST FRIEND is my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ--He will never leave me nor forsake me.