Welcome to another version of Titus 2 Tuesday, where we honor women in our lives who have taught us Biblical principles and truths.

Last night, the women in my family gathered in Atlanta at the Coca-Cola Museum for a Paula Deen cooking show.  Now, you have to understand, my 89 1/2 year old Gma is convinced Paula Deen is the best cook this side of the Mississippi, no doubt.  So, the 9 of us packed into the museum's auditorium with 200 of our closest Paula-fan-friends and had a great time!  Paula was funny, silly, smart, and yummy!

Here's a picture of all 9 of us

 

There is Gma, front and center, of course.  You have my mom and my Aunt Lynda, plus the six cousins.  Yes, only girl cousins in the family!  Everyone was there, even my Aunt Nancy, whom I'm sure was there in spirit.  We laughed, we squealed like little girls ~ okay, Gma squealed like a little girl when Paula came out, we ate some good ole' southern cookin', and we talked and we enjoyed our time together.

And that's what I absolutely love about this family.  We're all busy in our own ways.  In the crowd above, you have a teacher, a retired teacher, an artsy stay-at-home mom, an attorney and mother, a financial whiz, a coffee barista and masseuse, a radiological tech and mommy, a banker and expectant mommy.  And the matriarch of them all who keeps us straight and in check!  But, when we get together, we're family.  Plain and simple.  Complicated and strong.  We've been through our share of heartaches and pains.  We've cried together and prayed together.  Always trusting the One who knows every step of our journey.  We've celebrated together.  We've hoped together.

So, last night, as I crawled into bed, I praised God for the amazing women in my family, for what they mean to me, for what they've taught me about life.  And for that I'm forever grateful!

Who are you thankful for today?  Link up and share with us!

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Would you please join my family in prayer today?  My Aunt Lynda is undergoing multiple tests today.  We appreciate your prayers.

Thursday's Ten ~ Favorite Quotes

Taking a break from highlighting my friends who create and design today.  I want to participate in Lora's Thursday's Ten!

If you'd like to play along, simply jump on over to her site for details and link in!

So, today's Thursday's Ten is ten of your favorite quotes.  Here goes. . . .

1.  "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.  They must be felt with the heart." ~ Helen Keller

I've always liked this quote, and just yesterday my best friend gave me a gift for baby Slocum ~ Thanks again, Jodi! ~ and the sweet card she gave me had this quote on the front.  Extremely fitting for this time in the pregnancy when I certainly can't feel this butterbean at all yet, but it's still the most beautiful, amazing miracle I've ever been a part of!

2.  "The Lord your God is with you.  He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you.  He will quiet you with his love.  He will rejoice over you with singing."  ~ Zephaniah 3:17

I've had this verse printed and sitting on my desk for months and months now.  I've prayed that Ellie Grace and our child will know always the Lord is with them, that they'll know His saving grace and power, and that He rejoices over them!  How awesome is that?!?!?

3.  "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle

This is a quote I use sometimes as the tagline of my work email signature.  As the trainer in the bank, I think it's important that we remember to do the right thing.  Repeatedly.

4.  When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'". ~ Erma Bombeck

Just so true.

5.  "This time, like all times, is a very good one if we but know what to do with it."  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Again, this is one of my taglines on my email signature at work.  It's just so fitting to me for this time in the economy when we as banks in general are facing obstacles and challenges we have never seen before.

6.  "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." ~ Hebrews 11:1

7.  "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." ~ Psalm 40:2

8.  "Education is not the filling of a bucket but the lighting of a fire."  ~ W.B. Yeats

Another work quote I really like!

9.  "Never never never give up."  ~ Winston Churchill

10.  "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17


So there you have it!  Ten of my favorite quotes!  What's one of your favorite quotes? 

Yet Another Talented Friend

This has been so much fun, these blog posts! I've had the grandest time highlighting my friends who I know who are so creative and talented! 

So, without further ado. . . . 

Meet Carolyn, Designs with Care.  Carolyn and I have known each other for years.  We went to high schooll together, and although we were not the same age, we always knew each other.  And now, we go to the same church, so I see Carolyn and her precious family often!  I'm new to Carolyn's cute business myself, too.  Amy (remember yesterday?  Purdy Personalized?) actually shared Carolyn's website with me earlier this week!  Perfect timing!

Carolyn creates bag tags

Calling Cards or Gift Enclosure Cards

And, my personal favorite, placemats!  Check out this cute Christmas placemat!

You name the season, Carolyn has the placemat!  And she'll custom make one for you!

Her prices are extremely reasonable as well!  Be sure to check out Designs with Care today!

Stay tuned for more. . . tomorrow I'll be making sure you all know of a few special ladies in blogland who create and sell amazing things!

Another Talented Friend

Today, I'm showcasing another talented friend.  Remember yesterday, my referring to things some of my friends made as being "purdy" rather than pretty? 

Meet Amy from Purdy Personalized

Amy can ~ and does! ~ personalize anything with vinyl. . .   Here in the south, lots of girls like to monogram stuff.  Anything that has a spot is monogrammable in our opinion!  And Amy can do it all!

From car decals. . .

and Purdy clean hand santizer (Teacher Christmas Gifts, people!!!)

to these cute cute cute ornaments

and cake carriers

Amy does it all!  Remember me saying she'll personalize anything she can?  She even tackled her daughter's rain boots and umbrella.

So, be sure to check out Amy's cute blog for these items and so much more!!!

http://purdypersonalized.blogspot.com/

Titus 2 Tuesday ~ Talented Women

"You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." Titus 2:1 - 5, NIV

Many of my friends are so talented!  And today, I'm honoring those friends who've taken the talents the Lord's given them and use them to make beautiful creative things!  The ones who can sew and monogram, the ones who create "purdy personalized" items for their friends and customers.  The ones who create, craft and design! Since Christmas is right around the corner, I'm spending the next few days highlighting my friends who design and create!  Check 'em out!

First, my sister Jennifer.  You've heard all about Jennifer before, and we all know she's the mother of Ellie Grace!  Also, Jennifer is getting started in sewing and monogramming.  SoSewSassy, it is!  Check out her etsy site today for precious ideas such as monogrammed birp cloths and bibs

First Birthday Sassy Panty

Or this precious retro snowflake kitchen towel

Stay tuned for more on my crafty, creative friends this week!  And hey, jump on over to Jenn's etsy site today and get to shoppin'!!!!

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17

Titus 2 Tuesday ~ Ashley

"You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." Titus 2:1 - 5, NIV

This past weekend was not only spent celebrating our big news, but it was also my 30th birthday!  And, wouldn't you know my best friends and family threw a Surprise Party for me!!!  It was sooo much fun, and I was definitely surprised!  I hope I'll have some pictures (hint hint to any who were there with cameras) soon I can share with y'all! 

So, just as I was surprised and greeting everyone who was at the party, one of my dearest friends popped through the door.  Ashley lives in North Carolina, so it was a super treat to have her there!  Ashley is one of those rare women who just radiates with beauty, character, and warmth.  She truly captivates an audience with her charisma and zest for life.  Ashley worked at Disney World for a few years, and she's really an actress at heart.  I love Ashley for her love for life and all things in it!  She really is one of those women in my life who reminds me that a happy heart makes the face cheerful (Proverbs 15:13!

Ashley came bearing gifts. . .  It's something she's known for doing, and we love getting these fun boxes of goodies.  This was a pregnancy box, and she filled it full of fun, loving, and heartwarming things.

It has the sweetest Mother-to-Be card ever, and it included Palmer's cocoa Butter Massage Cream for stretch marks, crackers for morning sickness, a oneside that has Sleepy from Snow White on it with a cute little tag that said *hopefully* my little one will love to sleep, and my favorite of all, a jounal.  Each gift had a handmade tag on it, as you can see in the picture.  The journal's tag is my favorite:  "You know how in the Bible it says 'Mary pondered all these things and kept them in her heart' regarding her new baby?  Well, Mary had a better memory than me!"  Ashley goes on to tell me how she keeps a journal to her little boy of fun things, silly random things, and big stuff like her prayers for her son.  How awesome is that!  I absolutely cannot wait to fill it full for Baby S!  I already have a prayer journal I plan to fill with prayers during the pregnancy, so this journal is perfect for my thoughts I want to share with my baby!

Ashley, I am so glad I got to see you and you came to my party!  I love you to pieces, as we three girls say, "more than my luggage!" 

Jodi, B, and Ashley at my 30th Birthday Bash!

Who has touched your heart and life this week or ever?  Link up and tell us about her!

Guess What. . .

Ellie Grace has some news to share. . .

She’ll be a Big Cousin in June of next year!

A boy or a girl, it’s already loved so dear!

Tim and I are expecting, it’s true!

We’re tickled pink. . . . or maybe blue!

We appreciate your prayers as this baby does grow

We’re so very thankful God has blessed us so!

Much love,

Bethany and Tim

“The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” ~ Zephaniah 3:17