Spirituality is not a formula; it is not a test. It is a relationship. Spirituality is not about competency; it is about intimacy. Spirituality is not about perfection; it is about connection. The way of the spiritual life begins where we are now in the mess of our lives. Accepting the reality of our broken, flawed lives is the beginning of spirituality not because the spiritual life will remove our flaws but because we let go of seeking perfection and, instead, seek God, the one who is present in the tangledness of our lives. Spirituality is not about being fixed; it is about God’s being present in the mess of our unfixedness.

- Mike Yaconelli

Here's a great worship song..if you want to change from an Eyeore to a Tigger!

Worship

God you are so AMAZING and WONDERFUL!!

Keep Praying! : )

Hey my friends and family and those who peek into my porthole...

Please keep praying for my family.. we are in negotiations to buy another restaurant..It's such a scary thing for us to take a leap..we are so not risk takers, but Joe and I have researched all we can, talked to many, many people about this new business...we have even consulted with a business consultant, and it seems to be a good path for us to take. Joe is extremely intelligent when it comes to money matters, and he has worked on spreadsheets and financial forecasts, and figured how much we have to work with etc.. etc Most of all.. We trust God. We have been praying constantly, and asking for prayer. If this is what God desires for us, it will happen. If it is not, then we will be at peace about it.

This could be such a catalyst for our family. The girls will go to a new school, we will probably look to buy a new house, if the restaurant takes off...
I've been asking God for change..for something new..for hope..
Is this what he has had planned for us all along?
Lord...
Thank you for all the blessings that you pour into me. I am so grateful and am amazed at the love that you give to me. I feel your unconditional love Lord, and it is what gives me strength and comfort. I have incredible faith and trust Lord, because YOU are the LEADER of my life!! As long as I am following you..I know I am doing the right thing. Lord please keep loving me..please keep forgiving me for all of my mess ups.. Lord, I want to please and honor you in ALL I do! Please continue to make me strong! Please allow me to pass the love on to others. Please allow me to bless those around me. Please allow Joe and I both to pass your love on to other people. You know Father, that it is so important to me to show Jesus in all I do. Please help me to be less selfish..please fill my cup, so I can pour into other's instead of thinking about myself. Your daughter who is on her knees,
Susan

Gnarls Barkley - "Who's Gonna Save My Soul?"

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Have you seen this video yet? I saw it a while ago..and it touched my heart. Last night..one of the news shows..Primetime or Dateline..did a whole story on Randy Pausch's life, because he died last week. He was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, who found out he had pancreatic cancer. All professors give one last lecture before they retire or finish teaching..and Randy gave this lecture, which now has been seen my over 5 million people.

I watched the show about him last night..and he said something that was so true. When asked about his positive attitude..he said, We can either be a tigger or an eyeore..I choose to be a tigger. Tigger is of course, a character from Winnie the Pooh, who is always bouncy and optimistic. Eyeore is a character who is always negative and whiney.
I've always been a tigger. I think it's just so much better to go through life with a positive attitude then to be a "downer." Nobody wants to hear your sad story..and if you think your story is sad, I can find many others with life stories ten times worse then yours! No matter how rotten life seems to get..no matter how bad things seem to be...Your attitude is YOUR CHOICE! You can choose to be melancholy..or you can choose to be bright and happy. Who would you rather spend time with..Tigger or Eyeore? Are you an eyeore? Why? Stop it.. ask God to help change your heart.. ask God to fill your heart with Joy and Peace and love and then start passing that on to others..Become a Tigger..you will have more friends, I promise you!!!
Randy also said a few other things that just grabbed at my soul.. He said he waited until he was 39 to get married, so he could be ready to consider his wife's happiness above his..and it was very obvious that he truly lived that way..his love for his wife was breathtaking... He showed her and everybody else he much he loved her.
I think that's how we should all be. I think we should think of others..love others..LOVE..LOVE..LOVE.. others before yourself. You will be blessed with a bountiful of blessings. THat's the greates commandment ..did you know that? Love God first and then love others!
So come on.. Eyeore or Tigger?

"There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world, then there is for bread. " Mother Theresa

Happy Birthday Joseph Edward Hougelman!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I love you so very much! You are my MAN!! Mypartner, my team mate, my helpmeet(hehe..I still remember that word!!), my lover, my friend, my husband,my paramour ...Oh Joe..May the Lord bless you today and always with love and peace and happiness and prosperity and good health! I am thankful and grateful for you! Happy Birthday sweetheart! I hope we share many, many more together!!!! Sue

Worked 11 hours today..

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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I'm very tired.

But before I go to bed...



on my way to work this morning, A beautiful Wild Turkey mama was crossing the road in front of me. I had to slam on the brakes so I wouldn't run into it! On the other side of the road were seven wild turkey babies, all in a row, waiting to cross the street. The mama didn't know what to do..she crossed and then crossed back over..the babies would run half way, then run back. IT was such a sight to watch! I smiled and laughed as I watched them! Finally, they followed the Mama and crossed the street! There were a line of cars on either side waiting patiently..

Christian the Lion

I love my girlfriends!

Meeting Brenda this afternoon for a marathon chat session. (She doesn't know yet it will be a marathon ..but It's been at least 6 weeks since we got together last and we usually talk for 3 or 4 hours when we meet once a week!!) so.. that means we have about 24 hours of catching up to do! : )

Netflix! What's in your queue?

We made the leap to Netflix! FINALLY! Here are our top six movies in are queue!

The Diary of Anne Frank
(Ally's favorite movie)


Lucky Number Slevin
(Because Amy said it was a really good movie!)

27 dresses
(I'm in the mood for a chick flick)


Batman Begins
(We just saw The Dark Knight and really wanted to see this one first, but our video store couldn't find it)

Waitress
(After Batman, we'll need a comedy)


SongCatcher
(I think this is the movie I'm most anxious to see) The music from it sounds so beautiful!

So what's in your queue?

Prayers Needed!

Please send all the prayers you have to offer our way! Pray that God gives us wisdom and discernment.. tommorow is a big day for us! I am so excited and nervous..okay more like petrified..but to be honest..I feel very confidant in Christ. He is LEADING my life ,and I trust and have great faith in HIM! Oh Lord Jesus Christ how I love you with all of my heart and soul!!!! Whether the answer you give us is a yes or a no.. I will still love you with all of my heart and soul and I will still trust and have great faith in you! YOU KNOW ME! YOU KNOW MY HEART! : ) I know you too. Worshipping and Praising and Praying the Name of Jesus! His little gal, SLH

Happy Birthday Big Brotha!

Alan William Short.. today is your birthday..and this blog post is in honor of YOU!




Happy Birthday Alan William Short. May our Lord and Savior shower you with many blessings today and always! Your sister and brother in law and nieces love you very much!

Pssst!

 

Hey it's me! It's Wednesday morning and I'm about to go to work! I hope you have a GREAT day today! Do something special.. make someone's day great...smile..say a kind word..compliment someone today! Pass that love of Jesus Christ on to someone! Oh..it feels so good! Lovin' Life today! Susan

Where and When do you read the Bible?

We had a family dinner tonight. We have family dinners usually twice a week. Family dinners meaning.. I cook and we all sit down and eat together. When you own a restaurant, it's much easier to bring restaurant food home to eat! (Our cooks are great cooks!!) So.. tonight we had hotdogs,*with saurkraut and/or chile sauce for toppings*, macaroni salad, potato soup, watermelon slices and oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert. Nothing fancy..but very yummy! WEll tonight at dinner, I mentioned that I saw Lauren's Bible on a little table in her bathroom next to the toilet! I asked her if she read it while she went to the bathroom! She kind of giggled and said yes. I LOVED IT! HEY.. She's fourteen and she's reading the Bible! I don't care where she reads it.. she's reading it! This gave us a great conversation about Bathroom Bible and devotion reading! Gotta love it... Pooping and Praying!

Life in Color: Purple

One of my favorite sites is
www.nationalgeographic.com. The photographs are breathtakingly beautiful. I wonder what these scenes must have looked like in real time. There's a series on the site called Life in Color. Here are some pictures from Life in Color: Purple

The Dark Knight!

The movie theater was packed! Not a single seat left! Standing room only! People applauded! The movie was good..but dark and CREEPY! It was too dark and creepy for me.. I like love stories. : ) Heath Ledger was amazing! He really was..his character gave me shivers! He made the movie creepy!

Amazing Grace, my chains are gone!

THe last thing Joe and I did last night before we fell asleep, was worship God and listen to a sermon by our favorite online pastor, Perry Noble! Joe and I have not found a church home yet.. But we do worship together and listen to online sermons. We need Christ. I CAN NOT live apart from Christ. When I put him in the backseat, instead of the driver's seat..my life is just a mess. I LOVE JESUS CHRIST so much!! I want to scream it from my porch stoop! I feel Him in every nerve ending in my body..every muscle, every organ, every blood cell.. I LOVE JESUS CHRIST! I am so thankful..Oh LORD, I am so thankful for YOU! FOr your grace! For your forgiveness! For your LOVE! Lord...I ask for forgiveness for all the hurt I've caused you. My sinfulness..You know my sins Lord...Please have mercy on me..please forgive me! I want to be pure of heart for you Lord! I want to be blameless and pure of heart!
I woke up this morning..feeling that JOY and Peace and LOVE that I haven't felt in a while! You know why? Because last night..I asked for forgiveness and I once again cleaned out my closet..washed my chalked-board, bleached my blanket....white as snow! I am forgiven! YIPEEEEEE! It feels so good. : ) Ahhhhhh ..I'm on a spiritual high... the kind that comes from the Holy Spirit..who is dancing around in my heart this morning! I am praising GOD!
I have had chains that have held me in bondage and they have been broken! I am no longer held captive! I am set free! My FATHER in Heaven loves me! In his eyes I am beautiful and good! I don't have to be perfect and good for anybody else..only for God! You see..I've always felt like I had to be good..good in everyone's eyes.. and I never felt like I could be good enough. I've never felt loved enough..by anyone. I've always felt stupid and ugly and like I've done the wrong thing. I felt incredibly insecure..and..geez, I can't even begin to explain it. Just..not good enough. Guilty. Horribly guilty. If someone would critisize me..it would kill my spirit. WORDS..have always been like arrows to me. One unkind word...would wound me horribly and I would have a hard time recovering! I kept it hidden though..on the outside I would smile and try to be happy..but on the inside I've cried.
But TOday.. I feel such strength. I am in bondage to nobody!! I am ME! Love me or Hate me.. it's your choice! I am proud of who I am ....CHRIST'S daughter! I will not give up..I will not give in ..any longer!! Lord give me strength! : )
Oh friends..I am so excited for this new journey, we May be beginning! Please continue to pray...pray that we keep God first..and keep relying on him and humbling ourselves to His Will! This is the song that JOe and I listened to last night..and it just..well it just permeated my soul

These are the lyrics!!! Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine

BATMAN!!!!

We're going to see The Dark Knight tommorow! We are so excited! We've got a whole gang load going with us..if you're interested give me a call before 7:00 pm and you can meet us at the theater! I hear it's great!!

What up dudes! Bert & Ernie have gone gangsta!

I covet your prayers!

Joe and I are embarquing on a new chapter in our lives! Please pray for us, that we make Godly, wise decisions! Please pray that we gain strength from seeking the Lord and His Wisdom! We will be making major life changing decisions very soon, and I covet your prayers! Thank you my friends!
Susan
Btw..I loved this picture, because it reminds me that I am a child of God, and I feel just like this little girl praying to her Father!

Balloon Quest

Ally and I went to get ice cream tonight..and this is what we saw in the air! At one point they were right over our heads! Ally said, "Mom, it's like looking up and receiving a present in the sky." *sigh* She loves beauty, as I do.
So would you ride in one? I wish I could..but I'm too afraid of heights! THe lady in front of us at Bruesters said it's just like standing in the sky!!

Obama ..I can't believe he's come this far..

It makes me sad that the majority of the citizens of the United States would vote him in as our president. : (

An amazing artist..

Hey y'all!

To all those I owe emails too... I'm not ignoring you!! I will try to respond when I can! I love you all and I hope your summer is amazing! SLH

Western Spaghetti

July 14th

Happy Birthday Dad!
I am thinking about you today! I am remembering the feel of your fatherly kiss..the way your moustache tickled..the way your thin lips felt.. I am remembering your voice..okay honey girl.. I am remembering your laugh...your words..
I miss you so much Dad. One of my most prized possessions is the last card you gave me @ Christmastime.telling me how proud you were of me! I hung it on my dresser and I look at it so many times. I hope you are still proud of me dad. I love and miss you so much. I am so Thankful that you found forgiveness and Salvation. You are with your Beloved Jesus in Heaven.