#whoneedsapencil

About a month ago I decided one night to order some personalized pencils to give away. 

Now that may seem random, and if you know me I AM random, 

but it all started because I saw a cute pencil on a picture someone posted online. 

I remember thinking how I loved personalized pencils and how I should order some-

So I did......and promptly forgot about them. 

They arrived a few weeks later and I was super excited when I opened the box! 

They were so fun and colorful- I snapped a pic and posted it 

on Instagram and on FB with the hashtag #whoneedsapencil

Quite a few friends responded and since I work for a school district,

I printed out some You Are Loved cards and dropped them in the mail to them the next morning. 

Each morning as I drove to work for the next week I prayed that God would bring to mind 

people who needed the reminder that they were loved. 

And He always did. Some were close friends. Others were just acquaintances. 

But whoever God brought to mind, I sent them a pencil, 

often feeling a little silly thinking they might think
 I was weird for sending them a pencil. 

I mean- who does that? 

But I very quickly started getting texts and emails and
FB posts saying how much people loved the pencils and
how they so often arrived at just the right moment. 

It was so neat to see how God used a
silly little pencil to remind people that He loved them!

So I sent more pencils and ordered some more. 

And I started thinking.....

maybe there are other people who need that tiny reminder 

and maybe I should send them a pencil too!

And so I started another blog: http://www.lovedgreatly.com/
 and ordered some envelopes and

 created a whoneedsapencil Instagram account. 

So.....if you need a reminder that you are loved
or if you know of someone who does,

 just fill out the form below and I will get one sent to you! 

And if you get one send me a pic and I'll post it
or post it on IG with the hashtag #whoneedsapencil.

I'm not sure how I'm going to cover postage to mail all these pencils 

but I know God will take care of it!

Who I am in Christ

My sweet friend Terri asked me a few months ago to turn this FABULOUS 

poem that her mother wrote into a printable. 

I was happy to do so and I printed it for all of the precious mamas 

at the retreat this past weekend.

We encouraged them all to post it somewhere that they 

would see it each and every day- like the bathroom mirror.

It is truly an amazing reminder that regardless of 

your past, your failures, your flaws, your struggles, your sins, your history- 

God loves your GREATLY 

and in Him you are His special treasure and He knows you by name! 

If you'd like to print your own copy, 

you can find it in PDF or JPG format HERE. 

Do you want to be liked?

A sweet friend read the article I posted yesterday 

and asked me to make a printable of the quote I shared and I was happy to do so!

She said she was going to post it in her bathroom as a reminder- what a great idea! 

{This article- Being Liked is Overrated hit me right between the eyes! 

The people pleaser in me struggles so with this. 

I could get 99 compliments and 1 negative comment 

and the negative comment is where I will focus.

Oh how I want pleasing God to become bigger than pleasing people!}

You can print a JPG or PDF copy HERE! 

I'm praying that today we can all focus on pleasing God, not on pleasing people!

Randomness on a Sunday Morning

Happy Sunday sweet friends!

Spring Break this year has been a quiet one which was exactly what I needed. 

My sweet girl went on a mission trip to El Salvador 

and so I spent much of the week praying for her and the others on her trip.  

She got home late last night and it was so wonderful to hear all the ways 

God used her and touched her heart during the week working at the orphanage.  

She loved it so much she was asking to go back this 

summer before we even got out of the church parking lot! 

I am home with a stinky headache this morning and decided to

share some things I've been reading/watching/using this week while on spring break

when I wasn't working on retreat prep!

This precious little girls heart for others. If only we all loved like she does!

This article- Being Liked is Overrated hit me right between the eyes! 

The people pleaser in me struggles so with this. 

I could get 99 compliments and 1 negative comment 

and the negative comment is where I will focus.

This quote touched summed it all up....

"Do you want to be liked or do you want to actually do something significant with this life? 

Let pleasing God become bigger than pleasing people.......

Let’s risk something for God’s glory and for other’s good."

Oh how I want pleasing God to become bigger than pleasing people!

A KY  teenager made an Instagram account for his grandma who has cancer. 

Louisville teen Zach Belden posts pictures of Grandma Betty on the account, 

demonstrating how joy and love can ease the pain of battling cancer.

What a precious tribute!

Here is a sweet video explaining why he's doing this: WDRB 41 Louisville News

You can follow the account HERE. 

Can you be happy for 100 days in a row? 

100 happy days is an amazing, yet simple idea. 

Simply take one photo each day of something that made you happy that day, post it either to a social media site (Facebook, Twitter Instagram), using the hashtag #100happydays, 
or, if you want more privacy, send a private email to the folks running the challenge. 

At the end of your 100 days, you are sent a book of all your photos, 

of all the things that made you happy.

How cool is that? 

Focusing on what makes you happy is the surest way I know to feel happy! 

I'm starting, anyone want to join me? 

Have you seen this? It is PRECIOUS!

At an outdoor bus shelter in Montreal strangers have been holding 
hands this winter so they can keep warm while waiting for their ride.

Duracell installed battery operated heaters at the bus stop that rely on 
the human body's ability to transmit an electrical current.
Here's how it works: 
two or more pedestrians simply place one palm flat against the wall
 and complete the connection by holding hands with their neighbor.
The heater kicks in and stays on for a few minutes!
Way to go Duracell!

This article- Your Job is More Important than You Think - was fabulous. 

"When C.S. Lewis was asked if the world needed more Christian writers, he responded, “No, we need more writers who are Christian.” In other words, we need individuals who glorify Christ through every job that they hold, regardless of their title. We need individuals who love God, live with honesty and integrity, strive for excellence and pursue truth, beauty and goodness in every endeavor."

40Acts is an awesome way to do Lent generously!

Here's a description from 40Acts: 

Lent is usually about 'giving stuff up', isn't it? 

What if you could add something transformational to the traditional?

What if you could give up chocolate and give the money to your favourite charity?

 What if you could turn the TV off and spend more time helping your neighbour? 

What if your Lent, this year, was a preparation for a lifetime 

of big-heartedness that reflected God's amazing generosity? 

Check out 40Acts to find out how!

Have you tried Downy Unstoppables? 

They are an in wash scent booster and they are AWESOME! 

My friend Sherri told me about them at book club a few weeks ago and I finally bought some this week. 

You drop a cap full in your laundry and they make your clothes smell crazy GOOD!

So remember that one day.....when I had brain surgery? {Part 3}

So remember that one day.....when I had brain surgery? {Part 1}

So remember that one day.....when I had brain surgery? {Part 2}

My super sweet, precious friend Gina is writing this next part, 

because after being wheeled down the hall, 

I remember nothing until I woke up many, many hours later in recovery. 

She is one of the best gifts God has given me

 and although I hated her taking time off to spend with me during surgery & recovery,

I honestly don't think I could have done it without her. 

She is one of my greatest earthly blessings. 

Hi, I’m Gina. You have heard Shannon mention me a few (hundred) times over the years – either by my name or by my nickname – Dory. We’ve been hard and fast friends for many years now so when she was facing this surgery, I had to be there to offer anything I could – support, love, care-giving, whatever she needed. 

To pick up where she left off, being wheeled away to surgery – I have to confess something. She was so blissfully unaware that she could possibly die during the surgery while I, on the other hand, was painfully aware of that fact. In all honesty, (and this is something I’ve discussed only with my husband prior to writing this) from the moment the surgery date was scheduled, I grew more and more worried about death. That particular week of September is an already hard week for me – Sept. 18^th is the anniversary of a childhood friends’ mothers’ passing, Sept. 19^th is the anniversary of my dad’s death, and Sept. 20^th is the anniversary of my father-in-law’s death… so when I heard Shannon’s surgery was scheduled for Sept. 17^th, it literally took my breath away for a second. I kept reminding myself that God was in control and that I should rest my faith in Him but during the dark moments, it was hard to hold on to that. After she was rolled away, Tony and I both had a moment of complete and total breakdown. I can’t speak for him but in my case, I’d been trying to remain strong for her the whole time but the second she was out of sight, I lost it!

The day was spent surrounded by Shannons' family and friends in various waiting rooms. I had a crochet project with me and although I usually find crocheting very relaxing, I don’t think I made more than a dozen stitches all day. I held it my hands and looked at it a lot but I just was too keyed up to actually work on it. At some point during the day, I was looking out the window, praying in my head and my eyes landed on this cross atop a nearby building and I was flooded with a wave of relief. It was as if God used that moment to reassure me all would be well. After that, I find myself sneaking glances at the cross throughout the day – making sure it was still there, I guess. Looking back on it now, I think I was hoping for another wave of relief!

Shannon had planned several random acts of kindness for Madison and her friends to give out throughout the day – at some point during the day I entered an elevator to go find coffee and saw this sweet note posted inside by one of the girls – it made me smile. Even while Shannon was unconscious during surgery, her sweet heart for others was being well represented!

A nurse came out for our first update on Shannon around 10:30am. 

Tony and I followed her back to a private for room for her to say: 

The surgeons began at 7:49am, there were no problems with anesthesia. 

They are still working on the approach - meaning removing a piece of her 

skull and trying at access the tumor deep within her head. 

After Tony and I told the group, we all spent some time rejoicing that 

all was going well and breathing collective sighs of relief all around the waiting area. 

Our next update came around 12:20pm: 

We just heard from the nurse - both surgeons (Dr. Demonte and Dr. Gridley) 

are in with her now. They have reached the tumor and are resecting it. 

This was described as 

"try to imagine removing four strands of hair from a wad of chewing gum". 

Her vital signs are stable and all is well.

We were told this part could take several hours so again, we all rejoiced for the good news and then went back to patiently waiting for the next update. It’s really remarkable the number of people waiting in our group. Quiet conversations were taking place in small groups of 2 or 3, not to disrupt others who were also waiting on news about their loved ones. 

The next update came at 2:30pm:

  After nearly 7 hours, the tumor is out and the surgeons have begun closing. 

This can still take quite a while, as much as a few hours.

 But the news that they are closing is AWESOME!

We had barely told everyone when Tony and I were called back to the room to see the surgeons. We had been expecting a much longer wait than 20 minutes so as we walked back, I was thinking "Noooo, they shouldn't be done so quick....something must be wrong....noooo". Both surgeons shook our hands and sat us down and told us IT WAS OVER and SHE WAS FINE!!! They told us that all the tumor was removed and her facial nerve was fully intact! I was ready to burst with relief and I know Tony was too! As they said their goodbyes - I said, "Wait here one sec, please, I have something for you!" I ran back to get some of the cookies Shannon had made to give out to those who helped care for her while in the hospital. The look on their faces was priceless! Both thanked me and said they were starving and I saw both of them start to tear into the wrapping as they walked away. It made my heart sing!

We were directed to another waiting room outside the ICU area where she would be once she was moved out of recovery. Tony saw her first, right when she was brought in. If you've never seen anyone as they wake up from anesthesia, it's a little unnerving. When I saw her a few minutes later, she spoke to me right away. She was telling me that her arms felt funny, but couldn't quite think of the word she wanted. She'd say, "My arms have four hundred...." I said, "pins or needles?" (thinking they felt asleep to her and tingly) She's say, "No" and then "my arms have four thousand..." and I'd guess another word. Then "my arms have forty hundred...." I started getting tickled because whatever her arms had was getting bigger each time she said it! As others started going in to see her throughout the next few hours, (only two at a time were allowed in ICU) they'd come out and say "What's up with her arms? She kept trying to think of a word". Let me just tell ya, all these months later, we've never figured out what the heck she was trying to say!

Her family and friends said their goodbyes as the evening wore on and Tony eventually left to get some sleep. I spent that first night with her in ICU, listening to the machines beep. It was a tough night, with her pain medication barely making a dent in the Texas-sized headache she had! She kept saying, "If only I could sleep!" Between the machinery and all the people checking in on her every few minutes, it was a long miserable night for her. She said, "I was so worried about my facial nerve and all the preparation that went into knowing I'd be off work and stuff, I never once thought about how painful it would be but I'm not kidding y'all, my head HURTS!" Needless to say, I'm glad for the things she didn't think of prior to the surgery!

I'm so thankful for the surgeons and all the caring staff at MD Anderson. It was such a blessing to be in capable hands and for such fantastic results! Praising His name! 

#keepingitrealwednesday

So one of my goals for the year was to be more transparent. 

To be more honest. 

To be more real. 

It's easy to look at other women and think they have it all together.

To think that they have a beautifully decorated house, 

perfect children, clean closets, a full bank account,

the best job ever and a dreamy marriage-

and that in comparison we are a big hot mess

and don't measure up.

I think with the increase in social media it's easier

 than ever to feel like we are a big failure in a world full of perfect ladies.
Like we are the ONLY one who doesn't have all of her ducks in a row. 

We compare our reality to others

posed, cropped, filtered, and edited pictures
we see on Facebook and Instagram

and become discouraged.

But here's the thing sweet friends....NO ONE has it all together.
NO ONE. 

I NEVER want anyone to think I have it all together because

 I DEFINITELY do NOT.
If you think I do, you are sadly mistaken.

I am a big, giant, saved by grace MESS.

In order to be more transparent
and to help us all realize that we are not alone,
 I decided to start

#keepingitrealwednesday

Each Wednesday on Facebook or Instagram I post several things 

about myself {usually super embarrassing} 

to let others know that I am indeed FAR from having it all together.

The first time I posted I was immediately sick to my stomach thinking....

"Why in the world did I just share all THAT on Facebook?"

But the response I got was overwhelming

and so positive!

So many friends said things like...

ME TOO! 

and

Thank you for making us see that we're all a little messy 

or lazy and not perfect at everything we do. 

and 

Here's my confession......

Since then I've looked forward to every single Wednesday because 

I know that as soon as I post my own confessions, 

others will post theirs and I just LOVE reading them! 

Here are a few more of my posts.

I wish I could post the responses because they are AWESOME!

So if you'd like to join me, just comment below 

or come over to Facebook and join me for #keepingitrealwednesday! 

And please sweet friends, remember.....

AND

{and that's okay!}

Print your own copy HERE. 

Psalm 139:14 says....

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

Christ is Risen

My sweet friend Kourtney asked me to make some printables 

for the ladies retreat she was planning at her church. 

I was happy to do so and absolutely love the verses and lyrics they chose!

Their theme song was Christ is Risen by Matt Maher 

so I did this printable of it.

The verses they chose were Isaiah 40:31

{one of my all time favorites}

and John 14:6

and Psalm 112

and Revelation 21:4 

which is such a comforting verse!

You can print out your own  JPG or PDF copies HERE. 

These little printables are great for framing

or printing out and putting in a card to send to a friend. 

My sweet friend Amanda took one that I sent her and modge podged 

it onto a jar she filled with flowers. 

How cute is that?

We Please Him Most

I'm embarrassed to say that I have spent many, many years trying to BE good. 

To do what was expected {and more} trying to win God's {and other's} approval. 

Which is ridiculous considering that we can NEVER be good enough for God's love. 

I love this quote by A.W. Tozer so!

 It's such a great comfort that it's not about trying to be good

 {because that's futile} 

but that it's about throwing ourselves into God's mighty arms - 

knowing He loves us, in spite of our imperfections!

You can print your own copy HERE. 

Your job is to BLESS

Don't you love how God sends just the right reminder to you at just the right time? 

I so needed this message today and was so thankful He shared it with me!

You can print your own PDF or JPG copy HERE.  

So remember that one day....when I had brain surgery? {Part 2}

So remember that one day.....when I had brain surgery? {Part 1}

I took a sleeping pill hoping it would help me sleep that night 

but I tossed and turned most of the night. 

It's funny but as nervous as I was about the surgery & outcome, 

I was mostly worried about my friends and family.

I HATED thinking of them sitting 

and worrying all day while I was in surgery.

HATED it with a white hot firey passion.

So I would try to sleep and then I would start to worry and then I'd pray.

Worry. Pray. Worry. Pray. Worry. Pray.

over and over again all night. 

We had to check in at the hospital by 5:30 am so we were all up by 4:30am.

I took a quick bath and got dressed and snapped a pic to post.

If someone had told me before this that I would ever post a picture 

of myself without makeup, I'd have said they were super stinkin' crazy.

Right before I posted it I remember thinking how insignificant how
I looked was in terms of what was about to happen. 

Nothing like a brain tumor to give you some serious perspective.

 I remember wondering as I posted that pic if it would be my last picture 

with a full smile and oh how I prayed it wasn't.

{That was one of my biggest fears- not being able to smile anymore}

We packed up, checked out the hotel,

 and arrived at MD Anderson and checked in.

I was quickly sent to a room where I changed into a gown 

and those super snazzy compression hose.

I had taken some anxiety medicine 

{praise The Lord for that medicine those last few weeks} 

but I remember getting super anxious at this point. 

I could only have two people in the room with me at a time 

and I remember panicking that I wouldn't get to hug everyone 

who was there and tell them how much I loved them before surgery.

The next hour was a parade of doctors and nurses coming in to talk to me

 mixed with sweet family and friends coming in to love on me, hug me, and pray with me.

 I was so blessed to have an amazing amount of friends and family there that day 

and although I hated that they had to sit there all day, 

it was a tremendous comfort knowing they would be there together.  

Everyone from my sweet daddy and his girlfriend to my ex husband and his parents

 to my daughters friends to my work friends to my church friends 

to my daughters drill team directors to my sister

 to my precious in-laws and sister-in-law were there. 

{I'm told there were so many people that they had to split between 

three waiting rooms and boy do I hate I missed that party!}

I'm pretty sure a girl has never felt more loved than I did that day. 

I was truly overwhelmed.

Both surgeons came in and one wrote YES on my neck to indicate 

which side they would be operating on.

{I'll be honest, at this point I was thinking NO.}

Since scheduling surgery I had been crazy worried about was having my facial nerve cut 

(which would mean many more surgeries 

and a host of additional problems for years to come) 

or other complications that would make me, not me anymore.  

There were lots of possible complications and side effects that could happen 

but facial paralysis was the one that I worried about the most. 

I remember talking to one of my surgeons that morning and 

reemphasizing to him that if he needed to leave a piece of my tumor 

in order to save my facial nerve then that was my desire. 

I clearly remember the odd look on his face as he explained to me

 that his goal was to save my life and remove the tumor - not to save my facial nerve.

It's funny but up until that point I really hadn't thought about dying.
At all.

I remember thinking.......
Wait, you mean I could die during this?

I know those of you reading this are probably thinking 

DUH- of course you could die during brain surgery you ding dong.  

I can't explain why but I had been so focused on everything I had to do to prepare

 for surgery and to check out of my life for several weeks that it truly didn't cross my mind. 

I'm thankful it didn't and think that was a little gift from God.

All too quickly it was time to say my final goodbyes

 and I remember crying as my precious friend Betty prayed one final time

and said my I love you's and I was wheeled away.

As they wheeled me down the hall I remember singing in my head 

a song I had been clinging to for weeks.

A reminder that God was with me always
and I had nothing to fear. 

Valentine or NO Valentine, YOU are LOVED!

In case you need a reminder today, 

Valentine or NO Valentine, 

YOU are LOVED!

You can print a PDF or JPG copy HERE. 

Sweet RAOK Signs

It's Random Acts of Kindness week which 

is one of my favorite weeks of all time!

Over the past few years I've posted several little notes you can use 

for RAOK some of which you can find HERE and HERE and HERE.

Before my surgery I prepared a little list of RAOK for Madison 

and her sweet friends who spent my surgery day with her to do.  

I loved thinking of them performing acts of kindness at MD Anderson

 instead of just sitting and worrying about me.

The list included things like.......

• Hang up sweet signs in bathroom stalls or magazines for people to find.
• Take a cookie to one of the workers at MDA. Try to find someone that people wouldn’t necessarily think of doing something nice for -janitor, registration folks, people who work in the gift shop, cafeteria, etc. 
• Take a walk and strike up a conversation with someone who looks lonely or scared. Pray with them if you feel led to.
• Go buy a bottle of water and take it to one of the valets outside. Thank them for the job that they do!
• Go find a kid waiting in a waiting room somewhere and give them a coloring book and crayons or some bubbles to help them pass the time. Offer to color with them!
• Tape some money to a vending machine along with a sticky note that your write a note on.
• Take some of the verse cards and find a waiting room with magazines. Put a verse card inside a magazine for someone to find as they are reading the magazine.

A few days after surgery I loved hearing all about their adventures 

and even had a sweet friend take pictures of them performing some of their random acts!

I realized that I never shared the sweet signs I made for them to post 

and thought this week was a great time to do so!  

These are awesome to hang in bathroom stalls or on mirrors in dressing rooms

 or just slip in a book or magazine for someone to find.  

I'm a firm believer that God will have the exact person who needs

 them the most stumble across them at the perfect time.  

    

  

You can find the sign HERE in both PDF and JPG versions. 

To Print: Just download the JPG, save to your computer, right click on the file 

and choose Print from the drop down menu. 

You can choose the size 

and then how many of the image you'd like to print.