TEN THINGS TUESDAY

Another Tuesday and another "Ten"... I hope that you are finding some time on Wednesday through Monday to be thankful, too!

I wanted to share with you a favorite Scripture passage this morning. It's 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 in the New International Version of the Holy Bible.

7 That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the LORD :

8 Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.

9 Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.

10 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

11 Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.

12 Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced,

13 O descendants of Israel His servant, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones.

14 He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth.

15 He remembers His covenant forever, the word He commanded, for a thousand generations,

16 the covenant He made with Abraham, the oath He swore to Isaac.

17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

18 "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."

19 When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,

20 they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.

21 He allowed no man to oppress them; for their sake He rebuked kings:

22 "Do not touch My anointed ones; do My prophets no harm."

23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim His salvation day after day.

24 Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.

25 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods.

26 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

27 Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy in his dwelling place.

28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength,

29 ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name. Bring an offering and come before Him; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.

30 Tremble before Him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"

32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!

33 Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD, for He comes to judge the earth.

34 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.

35 Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name, that we may glory in Your praise."

36 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the LORD."

I think David gets it right in his Psalm of Thanks! "Call on His name", David tells us. "Tell of all His wonderful acts." "Rejoice!" "Seek His face always."

Sometimes it may seem that nothing is going your way. In today's world, it is so easy to get bogged down by "things" ~ whether they be busy schedules, materialistic items, political issues...there are so many different things to distract us from what is important! God is still present in our lives. He is there for us to recognize if we choose to do so.

Seek Him out in what may seem to be the simplest blessings.
Rejoice in the things we often take for granted in life.
Tell of all the wonderful things He has done and is doing for you.
Call on His name!!!

1. I woke up today because I could hear my alarm clock.
2. I could feel the warm body of my faithful Christian husband next to me.
3. I could stand up and walk when I arose this morning because I have two strong, healthy legs.
4. I made my way from the bed to the door because I could see the path before me.
5. I had the joy of seeing my two children snuggled so small and fragile in their beds, long eyelashes and cherub lips. God is allowing me to be their mommy.
6. I was able to use my voice to wake them. I sing to them in the mornings. "This is the day! This is the day...that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made. I will rejoice! I will rejoice...and be glad in it, and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice, and be glad in it! This is the day! This is the day...that the Lord has made!"
7. We were all able to dress in good, clean clothing and shoes.
8. We were able to have a healthy, balanced breakfast today, and we'll also be able to have a healthy, balanced lunch, as well as a healthy, balanced dinner.
9. We have cold, clean water to drink whenever we want or need it. We have warm water for showers and baths, too.
10. I was able to give my children the necessary vitamins and medicines they needed this morning.

We are so blessed. If you are reading this blog, then you are blessed simply because we know your eyes work! You are also blessed because you have access to technology! You are blessed because you have time in your day to relax long enough to read a blog! I encourage each of you today as you make your lists to really grab on to the most simple things in your life. List out the things that are truly God-given blessings!

Have a blessed day!
REJOICE in the LORD!!!

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

Don't give up on more regular blogging, folks. It's coming...it's just busy, busy, busy! I thought when my kids got older, it would be easier ~ not so! However, I wouldn't change a thing about our life. We're trying to savor every single moment...I hope you are, too!

1. I went to bed three hours earlier than normal last night. It's been a long time since we crawled into bed by 9 pm. It was a much needed rest!
2. I think we're getting some rain today!
3. We have a meeting this morning to discuss some awesome plans for our Children's Ministry program at church. Big things are afoot!
4. I just got to drive my sweet babies to school. I really enjoy that special time with them.
5. We got to see both of our moms on Mother's Day this year. We were able to spend some quality time with each of them.
6. My kids' made homemade cards this year, which I greatly prefer to store-bought. They have really made me smile (and laugh) every time I look at them!
7. Mr. Brownstone and I have a vacation coming up in a few weeks. It's fun to anticipate the time away with him!
8. I am thankful that God gives us willpower. I said "no" to getting a Sonic drink three days in a row now. Will I still have them occasionally? Yes ~ maybe even today...but it was time for the addiction to stop! I had success with this during the week last week and over the weekend as well. Since last week, I only had one on Friday. Yea!
9. My kids are good sports. We had Field Day recently, and they really cheered on the other kids. They were also gracious in winning and in losing.
10. Tornado did something at Field Day that I cannot even write about yet because it makes me teary-eyed. I will never forget the moment nor what Tornado said to me later that day to explain it. I am so thankful to have a child that thinks the way Tornado thinks. (Twister is a pretty great thinker, too!)
    

Ten Things Tuesday Participants

1. sandwiched 2. Vicki 3. Lisa Beth 4. mzzterry 5. Michelle 6. Rosheeda

7. Chandra 8. Danna 9. Jill 10. Adrian 11. Trisha 12. Kipi

13. Emily 14. Jen 15. Jason 16. nikki

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

A storm is coming, so this is going to be quick so I can turn off the computer!!

1. I am thankful that we have competent people called meteorologists that can monitor storms!
2. I am thankful for the rain that cools down the earth and makes flowers bloom!
3. I am thankful for the rhythms of the rain that must be great inspiration for all of the musicians in the world!
4. I am thankful that a storm will force me to be inside today to accomplish some much needed tasks!
5. I am thankful that my children are making getting ready this morning a breeze ~ it is allowing me a few minutes every now and then to get this list completed!
6. I am thankful that my children love school. Learning isn't optional, so I'm glad they enjoy it!
7. I am thankful that we had fifty-three new people to sign up to be teachers or classroom helpers at church this weekend for the Children's Ministry!
8. I am thankful for the leadership at our church. Not only are the sermons always great, but our preacher was on fire in his sermon about loving our kids on Sunday! AND...our elders are truly accessible. I truly feel blessed with the opportunity to know all of them and to know most of them!
9. I am thankful that I made some new friends at our Ladies' Retreat this weekend!
10. I am thankful that the weekend was successful with an great speaker, delicious food, and beautiful weather for the "Church Camp" setting!

Ten Things Tuesday Participants

1. Andria 2. mzzterry 3. Jennifer 4. Skelty 5. Dyane 6. Rosheeda 7. Jill

8. Kristine 9. Dallas 10. Joy 11. Michelle 12. Trisha 13. Jen 14. Chandra

15. Danna 16. Emily 17. Kipi 18. Jenni J 19. shana 20. Nikki

Learn more about Ten Things Tuesday here.

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

Thanks for coming here today! It's been a madhouse of activity around the Brownstone household, and there hasn't been a lot of time for blog reading or writing. I promise to be back to all aspects of blogging before too long...thanks for still visiting!!!

1. Mr. Brownstone made breakfast for Tornado and Twister this morning ~ bacon, eggs...all of it!
2. Tornado and Twister made it in bed by bedtime last night with no fussing ~ the results this morning were evident!
3. I am not lacking for activities to keep my busy today! :)
4. It is gorgeous around here! In just two weeks time, our huge oak trees went from having no leaves to being completely covered with beautiful green leaves. It feels so happy!
5. I think the squirrels are gone, and we did not have to pay to have them trapped or removed!
6. The repairs for all the damage they caused are almost complete ~ the outside of the house looks awesome with all new trim!
7. Only a few parents get to go on the field trip for Twister's grade level tomorrow. I was one of the parents chosen to go with them! It will be such a fun day at the Children's Theatre!
8. We have an exciting weekend ahead for church! Friday and Saturday is the Ladies' Retreat, and Sunday is the Children's Ministry Kick-off!
9. Though there are a million and one things to do around here, my mind is not overly stressed or distracted. I feel at peace today.
10. My siblings rock! I feel so very blessed by each one of them and their families!
    

Now go make a list of your ten things, and come back here to link! Have a blessed day!

Ten Things Tuesday Participants

1. Michelle 2. Jennifer 3. Lisa Beth 4. Rosheeda 5. Jill

6. Emily 7. Nikki 8. Chandra 9. mzzterry 10. Danna

11. Andria 12. JenniJ 13. Jayne

Learn more about Ten Things Tuesday here.

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

This past Sunday, our preacher had all of us get out our cell phones in the middle of church and hold them high above our heads. There was an audible wave of chatter throughout the auditorium. We all looked at each other as we obliged, all the time giggling, smiling, and wondering where on earth this might be headed. He had told us the week before to bring our cell phones...even though he had to know that we'd likely have them with us anyway. As we all held the phones above our heads, many people razzing our preacher by lighting them up and waving them back and forth as if at a rock concert, he told us to turn them to the "on" position. And in his turn to razz us, he actually told us to at least pretend like we were turning them on since we were ~ of course ~ in church, and they should have been in the "off" position. With phones ringing and buzzing everywhere, we all finally got our phones turned on and then set to vibrate, also at his request ~ one that would prove to be wise by the time all was said and done. Next, he asked us to text a message to someone. It could be anyone. The laughter was loud and clear. Texting??? He wanted us to text someone? Most of the people holding up the phones were not really a part of the texting generation, myself included! He told us that it was OK if it took awhile...he had a message from God's word for us to share: "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord."

This message came from Habakkuk. If you aren't familiar with Habakkuk, I encourage you to go and read it. You will find it in the Old Testament between Nahum and Zephaniah. It's a short book...only three little chapters. It might take you five minutes to read the whole thing. Maybe. If you read slowly. To give you the gist, though, Habakkuk is not necessarily a happy book of the Bible. It begins with Habakkuk crying out to the Lord ~ questioning Him, complaining to Him...almost accusing Him of not listening. He is frustrated! Maybe even angry. The wicked are prevailing, and Habakkuk is having to watch all of the injustice. The Lord then answers him, and it just might not be the answer for which old Habakkuk was looking. He tells Habakkuk, "I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told" and cautions Habakkuk to watch as He raises up a ruthless people and brings them powerfully to battle.

And what does Habakkuk do? He complains to the Lord again, asking, "Why do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?" Then the Lord answers Habakkuk in Chapter Two by telling him that the time will come for the wicked to fall. He tells him, "For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright - but the righteous will live by his faith..." He goes on to say, "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." And then regarding those "puffed up" with "desires not upright", He says, "You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed! The cup from the LORD's right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory." Then comes one of my favorite verses in the Bible..."But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him." Can you even begin to imagine what that will be like? ALL THE EARTH will be silent. The animals, the winds, the waters, the people... What a glorious moment it will be when we are all in such awe of our Creator that there will be complete and total silence!

Finally, we come to Habakkuk's prayer in Chapter Three. In it, he praises and recognizes the power of God, saying, "His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from His hand, where His power was hidden." He talks of things of which he has complained...plague, pestilence, distress, anguish, wrath, famine... And then comes THE verse. Habakkuk 3:18 says, "Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Notice this, Friends ~ "YET I will rejoice in the LORD..." He does not say "IF the Lord will make it easy for me, then I will rejoice in Him." He says "yet". He also could have said, "Though there has been famine and plague, nonetheless I will rejoice in the Lord." Another way to say it would have been, "Though the wicked are triumphant in battle, even still I will rejoice in the Lord." Or he could have said, "On top of everything else ~ the distress, the anguish ~ I will rejoice in the Lord!"

Now back to the texting... We were instructed to text "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord" to whomever we wished, just making sure that we included the word "yet". Our preacher's phone immediately started vibrating with texts sent from his congregation. In the middle of trying to text my siblings, their spouses, my parents, all of my in-laws, and my friends, my phone started vibrating with texts from friends hearing the same sermon. [Remember, I am not a part of "Generation Text", so some could be considered (much) faster texters!] Mr. Brownstone's and my favorite, of course, came from Lurch-Lady as she informed us that "Yeti will rejoice in the Lord." She did previously live on a frozen tundra ~ maybe she knows him??? Good for the Yeti, though...even the Abominable Snowman needs to rejoice in the Lord!

After finally getting the message sent to our loved ones, my phone started vibrating again ~ a message from a brother-in-law asking if he was supposed to be the recipient of what seemed like the continuation of a conversation to him, more messages from friends, and then came the message that was the kicker of them all... It was from one of my siblings, and it said, "Thanks. Momo wasn't rejoicing too much when Twister fell in the pool ten minutes before church this morning." Now to give you some background, "Momo" is my mom's grandma name, and Tornado and Twister had spent the night with my parents on Saturday night. :) Remember when I said that putting the phones on vibrate was wise? Of course, I had to text back, "No! Really?" Upon which I received, "Oh yeah. Twister was 'cleaning' the pool."

I couldn't help but relate the message of Habakkuk to "Ten Things Tuesday". This whole exercise each week (or each day if you're like me) is to help us find things for which to be thankful...even when it's not easy! God never told us that life would be perfect, but we are called to rejoice in Him!

Here is my "YET I" list for today...

1. Twister fell into the pool fully clothed before church...YET I will rejoice in the LORD that my child has a spirit of adventure.
2. My allergies and asthma have really worn me down for the past couple of weeks to the point of being pretty worthless when it comes to blogging, housework, or anything requiring focus or energy...YET I will rejoice in the LORD that allergies are seasonal, and they are also controllable.
3. Squirrels have demolished a portion of our home...YET I will rejoice in the LORD that my children take delight in seeing the wildlife refuge in our front yard! (squirrels, lizards, blue jays, cardinals...)
4. The repairs will be costly...YET I will rejoice in the LORD that the timing falls in line with the receipt of our tax return.
5. I have been a terrible blogging friend the past ten days or so by not visiting sites or reciprocating comments...YET I will rejoice in the LORD that y'all have been so forgiving of this and you continue to visit.
6. We do not get to see some of our siblings very often...YET I will rejoice in the LORD that we get to speak often and the closeness and love we feel for each other is evident in every conversation.
7. Mr. Brownstone's "check engine" light is on...YET I will rejoice in the LORD that we have the means at the moment to have the car repaired ~ not to mention that we have two reliable vehicles.
8. I haven't made even a small dent in what I need to accomplish for the day...YET I will rejoice in the LORD because I have such wonderful friends to distract me with phone calls!!! (An easy choice to make!)
9. Our house is a complete and total wreck right now...YET I will rejoice in the LORD that our children have been able to participate in things that keep us busy on the weekends and during the week.
10. And YET I will rejoice in the LORD that even though we had things we needed to accomplish, Mr. Brownstone and I were able to take time out and put domestic tasks aside to make time for one another this weekend. What a wonderful blessing!

I encourage each of you to make your "YET I" list, too; then come here and post your link so we can all share in it!

Ten Things Tuesday Participants

1. Rosheeda 2. Chandra 3. Jason 4. Dyane 5. Jennifer

6. shana 7. Jill 8. mzzterry 9. Emily 10. Danna

11. Jason B 12. Darrah 13. jen 14. Joy B.

Learn more about Ten Things Tuesday here.

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

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PARTY GIRL!

I love to plan parties! If I had known in college that it was an actual job for which you can be hired, then "Bash By Brownstone" would be a swinging operation! Though I believe that doors to job opportunities never completely close, things do change when you have children. For the moment, it is totally satisfying to create awesome parties for Tornado and Twister...and anyone else that will allow me to have input for their parties! The planning, the decorating, the coordinating, the partying...I love all of it!

For this Seventh Edition Thursday Thirteen list, I'm sharing with you the themes of some of my best work!

Thirteen Parties I've Planned! Raggedy Ann and Andy The Jungle Princesses and Knights A 50's Drive-In and Diner Backyard Water Park Summer Bash Peter Pan: An Evening at the Theatre The 70's Spa Retreat Hawaiian Luau Campout Wizard of Oz Christmas Bachelorette Party: Viva Las Vegas!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Last week, a LOT of you left comments and emails wanting to know how I met Billy Idol. That story will be coming soon! I will also blog (in a separate post, of course) about the party listed above that receives the most attention in the comments!

Thursday Thirteen Participants

1. Jeanine 2. Jennifer

3. pussreboots 4. Lilibeth

5. Nicole 6. Cindy Swanson

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PARTY GIRL!

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"TWO-FER" FOR TUESDAY!

I was recently tagged...twice! Being able to make a great little word play for the title inspired me to answer both tags in one post.

Of course, it wasn't hard for me because I generally have "a lot of ideas ~ extraordinary ideas" for that matter. With my "unique brilliance" and "sharp-mindedness" combined with "determination" and "high abilities", I know that my "forward thinking" must be so "difficult for you to fathom". I just have that special gift of "thinking differently from others".

Oh, yes...I am THAT GOOD, people.
But...the other shoe always has to drop...right?

I'm going to be "brave" here, and share with you what I'm wearing on that other foot...
Do not give this "homely" girl any props. I "hardly become angry unless provoked", but I simply "do not appreciate praises". Beware if you want to offer me a compliment because my reaction might be "unpredictable". "I'm really not able to control my emotions" (which tend to be "deep, just like my love"), and I can be a bit "stubborn and hard hearted". This personality flaw makes me "uncertain in relationships", but that's OK because I really "love to be alone", which works well for someone who is "secretive". Watch out, though, because secretive or not, I really "know how to dig out YOUR secrets". I can be "inquisitive" like that. I have an "if there is a will, there is a way" kind of attitude. I'm "patient, determined, and I never give up" ~ "always thinking, always motivating myself" to get to the bottom of YOU. After all, I do have a "fine and strong clairvoyance".

HOWEVER...
You really shouldn't fear because being true to the nature of a "romantic", I'm "trustworthy, honest, and a great secret-keeper". This is probably because I'm "generous", and I'm also a "less talkative" sort of girl, even though some might say that I'm "dynamic in personality, amiable, and even high-spirited".

And for the record...
I may be "homely", but I'm also "hardworking" and "well-built and tough".
Just like a Ford truck.

Dette at Dance of Motherhood tagged me for the "Twelve Months of Personality" meme. Below is my birth month. See if it didn't just hit the nail on the head...

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Can become good doctors.Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

TAGGING RULES:

1. Mention the person who tagged you, and create a link back to them.
2. Copy and paste the traits for all the twelve months, OR feel free to use the link provided here.
3. Pick your month of birth.
4. Highlight the traits that apply to you.
5. Tag 12 people, and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving them a comment.***
6. Let the person who tagged you know when your post is available to view!

And now I'm tagging twelve people that I've either never tagged, or haven't tagged in a long while...

1. Susan at West Of Mars -- the Meet and Greet
   
2. Mercedes at Mercedes' World
   
3. Nicole at The Journey Begins With One Step
   
4. Jenn at Texas Wife and Mom
   
5. Jill at Perfectly Parks
   
6. Rosheeda at Ride-or-Die
   
7. Dyane at A Family In Transition
   
8. Vicki at The Brady Bunch
   
9. Jennifer at Threadbare Gypsy Soul
   
10. Skelty at Bloggy McBloggerson
    
11. Jamie at The Life Of Molly And Sarah
    
12. Jen at Wade's World
    

***I've been sick all day and am unfortunately still suffering from insomnia. I'd love to comment for the tags now, but it's just not happening tonight, folks! So...if you see this before I leave a comment letting you know that you've been tagged, then my humble and sincere apologies. It will be a bit before that can be completed!

And since I promised "two-fer" one...

I was also tagged by e-Mom at Chrysalis for the "What Punctuation Mark Are You?" quiz. Following are the results:

You Are A Comma

You are open minded and extremely optimistic. You enjoy almost all facets of life. You can find the good in almost anything. You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests. You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time. Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to. (But with so many competing interests, your friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.) You excel in: Inspiring people You get along best with: The Question Mark

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

There were no instructions to tag anyone on this one, so I'm tagging anybody that wants to play. If you do decide to join in the fun, come back here and leave a comment, so I can go see what kind of punctuation mark defines YOU!

Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom of this post! I'd like to think my friends would mostly agree with the comma traits, and that they'll vouch for me that the whole first part of this post was written with great sarcasm and wit.

Because of course you must know by now...I have unique brilliance and a sharp mind. :)

"TWO-FER" FOR TUESDAY!

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