Blog Fun: Passionate Blogger Award

I've recently begun to really realize what a big part of my life this blog has become. All throughout my day, I tend to think, "Ooh, that would be a great blog post!" or "I wonder what my blogging buddies would think of that?" It's really funny how blogs become such a part of our lives. I find myself checking on you guys to see if I can pray for you, to check out your projects, your progresses, and always to see if any precious kiddo pics are up!!

Apparently ~ hopefully! ~ this passion is showing! Jerriann awarded me with a Passionate Blogger Award! YAY! Y'all know I'm all about blog games and fun!!

Here's the scoop. I simply get to share with y'all five things, other than blogging, that I am passionate about. Then, I get to give this award away to five of my favorite writers!

1. I'm definitely passionate about my Father's amazing Grace. His mercy on me and my sin-filled life is undeserved. Yet he loves me so much! It's beautiful, really, His Amazing Grace!

2. I am passionate about my marriage. Tim is definitely God's best for me, and I thank God many times each day for giving me such a great Christian man. I am loved beyond measure by Tim. I have such a strong desire to be constantly growing and maturing in my role as Tim's wife. We have had an amazing journey thus far, and I'm sure the best is yet to come!

3. I am passionate about my family. My momma and my baby sister mean so much to me. Despite the heartaches we've been through as "the Miller girls", there is beauty in our sorrow. I'm passionate about always being the daughter, sister, sister-in-law, and aunt that God would have me to be.

4. Which leads me to my passion for Eleanor Grace! My precious niece is such a miracle! Watching her grow and develop has been such a gift! I thank God that Jenn and Brian let Tim and I be such a big part of Ellie's life. I pray God will give her a life full of love and happiness, and that she will always know her Aunt B is here for her. Always.

5. I'm passionate about ministering to the broken hearted. No, I might not have ever really walked in those shoes, but I have been broken hearted. And I know that my God is close to those whose hearts are shattered. I pray that God will always use me as He sees fit to lead others to Him in their time of darkness and pain.

6. I'm passionate about Sav a Life. I've recently begun volunteering at this crisis pregnancy center one night a month, and I love it. The services they provide to women and men in our community include pregnancy tests, sonograms, adoption counseling, post-abortion counseling, and baby care education. It's definitely a ministry that's grown close to my heart, and I look forward to Sav a Life's future in our community!

Oh, wait, that was 6 things!?!? Oops! I got a little carried away!!

And now, here are 5 bloggers who have passion I think is worth noticing!!

Shanda over at A Teachable Heart

Seoul-Mama at Hearts with Seoul

Dawn at Daughter of the King of Kings

Holly at Caring for Carleigh

Lynnette at Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground

I know some of you have big missions on yoru blog, and you might not really participate in awards or have room to post them on yor blog. And that's fine! Just know that I appreciate and love your passion in this blog-world!

Get Your Verse On. . . .

I have always been kind of funny about tee shirts and what not with Bible verses on them. I dunno. . . just not really my style.

But these? These are my style. I love 'em! I think I gotta have one.

See my button on the side? God's faithfulness to us is great, isn't it? The button came from Wild Olive Tees, too! I wish I could remember which of you cool cats had the Wild Olive Tee button weeks ago that led me to this great site. Because if I could remember? I'd give you a shout out right here!!

What are you still doing here? Hop on over to the Wild Olive Tees now and "get your verse on"!!

Just Curious. . . and a Blog Award!

When did it become acceptable to be attending a meeting and checking your email on your crackberry, all at the same time? without shame?

Am I the only ding bat who can get side tracked by a visiting neighbor and forget I’m boiling eggs? Like until there’s no water left and the eggs are brown and the kitchen smells like a big ole’ fire?

Do dogs really know when something’s not quite right at home? Belle seemed to really know that I was home alone last night. That’s a good thing!

Are ticks not the grosses things ever? ICK!

How’s it so easy to get so used to having a hubby at home. Last night I am pretty sure I slept so fitfully I woke up every time the AC cut on. Or the wind blew.

Is cream cheese icing not just the yummiest?

Is Jen Lancaster not hysterical? I’m reading her second book (granted, it’s completely not edifying, simply just easy reading) now, and I am cracking up! I could do without some of the profanity, though.

Are this year’s mosquitos not three times larger than last years?

Is it a surefire sign of baby fever when every single thing a baby or a child does is absolutely precious to you?

Okay, so I received a blog award ~ YAY! ~ from Shanda! It's the Golden Heart Award, and I heart it! Thanks, Shanda!

As with any great blog award, I get to give it to five other bloggers who I follow or read, someone who has touched my heart and my life.

Seoul-Mama: She's my cousin, she's my friend. I admire Seoul-Mama for so many things, and I am so excited as she and her family prepare their home, hearts, minds, and family for a baby from Korea. Check out her blog, won't you?

Ally: Ally is the first person I ever knew who blogged. My husband followed her blog, and I began following Ally. She's a dear, sweet friend, and I love her stories of chasing after her Father, searching for her Prince Charming, living life abundantly, and loving her family.

Christina: Besides always sharing amazingly precious pictures of her girls, Christina has a precious little girl who has a rare chromosome disorder. Her most recent post is about a BBQ they're hosting later this summer for families who also fight this disorder. What a ministry!

Little April Rose: B is somewhat anonymous on her blog, despite the fact that she has a bajillion readers. April Rose is her baby girl who's yet to be born. An amazing story she has already. You gotta go check her out. Be sure to check out her His Will Wednesdays, too. Totally moving.

Grace.Gets.Greater: She just says it best in her profile, "I've learned through having my life torn down around me and rebuilt one piece at a time, that I serve a God who offers me grace. When the going gets tough, the Grace Gets Greater." She's real. She's honest. She's funny. Read her!!!

Again, thanks for being part of my blog family! I heart you guys!!! Before you go checkin' out all these cool ladies and their blogs, tell me, what are you curious about?

Wednesday's Walk ~ My 100th Post

It’s my 100th post!!! YAY!

When I started blogging, I honestly only knew that I loved to write, that I loved reading other folks’ blogs, that I loved how different people had different, unique styles of writing. I remember being apprehensive because we don’t have kids. What would I write about?
But, 100 posts later, here’s what I do know about blogging

- There is always something to write about! Be it trips we’ve taken, family fun, home projects we’re undertaking, our dogs, running, or random letters I’d like to send.

- It’s definitely become one of my favorite hobbies!

- I could easily have a theme for every day of posting. Right now, I just choose to participate in Shanda’s Titus 2 Tuesdays and Lynnette’s Wednesday Walks. There are Not Me Mondays, Weekend Wordles, Six Word Saturdays, and a host of other themes. They all seem like they’d be loads of fun, but I’m perfectly content with my two themes each week.

- YOU people ROCK! I always anticipate reading your blogs each day. Some of you are very different from me; some of us are very similar.

- I’m so obnoxiously proud of my niece that oftentimes readers mistake her for my child! LOL! It happens on Facebook, too! It always makes me laugh! I’d claim Ellie Grace in a red hot minute, but I’m just her ridiculously proud Aunt B!

- I’m an even bigger fan of Beth Moore because of her blog!

- Many of us are Children of God, and that makes me smile like nothing else! I’ve learned so much from so many of you about faith, God and His Amazing Grace, and living with childlike faith. So many of you have been through heartaches beyond explaination. Yet you cling to your faith, and that, friends, is beautiful.

So, to celebrate my 100th post, I’m hosting a giveaway! One of you can win a few of my favorite things!

First, a copy of Charles F. Stanley’s book, Leaving a Godly Legacy.

My Bible study group just finished this study last night, and it’s great. I almost didn’t participate in this study since it was very parenting-oriented, and well, we’re not there yet. But, I am so thankful that I did the study anyway! It’s a very straight-forward guide to instilling ten very important principles in your children so that we “give the inheritance that really matters”. It’s also a great guide to leaving a Godly Legacy in the workplace, your neighborhood, and with your friends.

Also, this new mascara is my FAVE! It really does make my lashes seem longer!

Third, a package of my favorite coffee ~ Chock full of Nuts.

It’s super yummy! And every cup of coffee is better in your own monogrammed mug, right! (Lora, I know you agree!)

So, to thank you, my readers, for joining me on this journey, it’s my first giveaway! To participate, simply comment on this post, leaving your email address so I can contact you when you win! If you’re a follower, you’ll be entered into the drawing automatically, but to have more than one chance, please comment, too! Become a follower, and you’ll be entered an additionaly time as well! It’s really that simple!

Have fun!!!!

Show Us Your House Friday: The Kitchen

Kelly's doing this really cool home tour via the blogosphere! I am playing along for fun; if you want to, jump on over to Kelly's site for info. Now, not only do I admire Kelly for her amazing ministry through her blog, but I also admire her for her taste and talent at decorating! And I LOVE her cabinets and her kitchen!

Yep, today's room is the kitchen. Here are some pictures of our kitchen. Now, keep in mind when I bought this house five years ago, I was a young, single girl who cared very little about cooking and being in the kitchen. Since marrying, I've found a love for cooking and baking. But our kitchen. . . . well, it ain't a cook's kitchen. But I get by! It isn't big, there's not a lot of counter space (Tim would argue that's because I have clutter on the countertops. I say it's decor. He says clutter.), and it gets hotter than blue blazes in there when we're cooking.

But it's just fine! And it does the trick! So, here are some pictures of our kitchen. . .

Here's the view of the kitchen from our dining room. . .

A couple of my favorite things in our kitchen are
Our Cuisinart coffee maker! Neither Tim nor I were coffee drinkers when we married. But this bad boy makes the yummiest coffee, and we now drink it every morning! YUM!

My Kitchenaid mixer. I promise you I hear angels singing when I crank up this sucker! Whether it's cake batter or pimento cheese, a good mixing with the Kitchenaid, and all is well!

As you leave the kitchen, you'll see this above the doorway. . .

Tim often comes into the kitchen to see what's cooking - or what he can nibble on until dinner is ready - and always kisses me before he leaves the kitchen! It's the cook's orders, you know.

It might not be a cook's kitchen, but I get by, I get by. . . And I love it!