12 in 2012 ~ MAY

Happy last day of May!!  

My goals for this month were:
1.  Write a daily tribute post on someone/something that inspires me (done, and all fun to write)!
2.  Focus on joy and don't be negative toward myself or others (I did pretty well, but not perfect here)!
3.  Read a new fiction book (I read The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis, the final Narnia book... really good - I'm a fan of C.S. Lewis, and I loved his version of heaven and the subtle God vs. Allah comparison throughout the book)!  Also, I found it really funny that in the author description, it said, "Clive Staples Lewis, known to his friends as Jack..." -- why!?

May pictures... top left to right... Walks with Joan at Haikey Creek, Cassie's bridal shower, Justin & Anna and the twins, Jeff and Blake singing at the Cruise Reunion, Decorating Kristin and Frankie's house with Mom and Charlene, cupcakes at McKayla's shower (before I went off sweets!), T-man and I in JB's hot tub, Nathan bringing back the fanny pack, Carter ready for cake on Babah's 76th b-day, Josh and the boys in JB's pool, Emma and Grandad admiring Jace on Mother's Day, Jace sitting up like a big boy, Thunder Playoff games, Sooo many babies!, Dad feeding Jace-man! =)

My 5 goals for June are:
1.  Make a new Shutterfly album (YAY!)
2.  Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night
3.  Finish reading An Old-Fashioned Girl (a book I'm loving, but reading ridiculously slowly)
4.  Get fully caught up at work by the end of the month
5.  Exercise (run, cardio, and/or weights) at least 5 days a week!!

Good luck to me!!

Beth Moore!

Today's tribute (my final tribute for the month of May) goes to my favorite Bible study teacher, Beth Moore!

To sum Beth up in one word, it would be PASSION!  She is excited about studying and teaching God's Word and passionate about really living out what she teaches.  She is emotional and real, and she teaches on things that have already helped her in her own life.  (Like Isaiah 61, which became the Breaking Free study).  I love Beth Moore. I love that she does not ever minimize pain or problems, but she always glorifies God above whatever has hurt her.

She is cute and fun and a definite girly-girl, and she has an outgoing, warm, Expressive personality.  She does a lot of research on whatever book or topic she is focusing on, but then she presents it in a way that connects with people at the heart level.  Through Beth's video teaching, I have studied the books of Daniel, Esther, Revelation, and James, as well as The Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), Breaking Free, and her audio book, Get Out of That Pit.  I have also read her books So Long, Insecurity and Breaking Free, and I read her blog pretty regularly.  I love knowing what she has overcome with Christ (much like Joyce, she was abused in childhood), and I love who she is as a wife and friend and mother and author and teacher.  I love that she is honest about her own struggles and shortcomings but is always striving to become more like Christ!!

(Beth with her daughters, Amanda and Melissa, and her grandson)

Beth inspired me to memorize Scripture, and she gave me the idea to choose a verse for each letter of the alphabet.  I can't pinpoint many specifics, but I really believe that having God's Word in my heart through that exercise has helped me grow closer with Him over the past couple years.

Top 15 Beth Quotes that have Impacted my Life:

1.  "Whatever you have to manipulate to get is rarely yours to keep!!"

2.  "You can hang on to unforgiveness - to something that could've been the death of you -- or you can hang on to your First Love, who is your life. Which will you let go of?"   

3.  "Satan works in big generalities (you're worthless, you'll always be..., you'll never become...) while the Holy Spirit uses specific conviction." 

4.  "An unsatisfied soul is a stronghold waiting to happen. Humans can't stand a feeling of emptiness... we will find one way or another to satisfy our soul."

5.  "Insecurity can result from a broken attachment of any kind, even one that seems relatively minor to others. If it translated as something huge to your heart, it is huge to God on your behalf...  If you've suffered a serious case of rejection, God knows exactly what happened and what a toll it took. He knows the number it played on your mind. Let Him bring you peace... Whatever you do, don't reject the only One wholly incapable of rejecting you." 
6.  "You are royalty... You are in the most literal sense possible the daughter of the universe's King. You have royal blood in a way that even Esther did not. The crimson bloodline of Christ flows through your veins. Right now, you are representing the King on official business in another land, but you are no less royal than the Queen of England would be if she visited the White House. Or the Bronx. She is queen regardless of where she is and how she is treated. Her status is secure. So is yours.  Not only are you royalty, but you also have been placed within your sphere of influence, regardless of the size you perceive it to be, "for such a time as this." Beloved, in the times of greatest struggle when you make the Godward decision over convenience, earthly comfort, or carnal pleasure, you too have come to a critical moment in the fulfillment of your destiny. A defining moment. A war is being waged over your head in the unseen realm, and a great cloud of witnesses is cheering you on. You have no idea what's at stake!"

7.  "Other people do not always understand our pain when we desperately want them to.  But God gets it. He understands your pain.  He's seen every tear you've cried into your pillow, and He gets it." 

8.  "Satan will try to convince you to make peace with your addiction... but until we sincerely HATE IT, till we are sickened by it and disgusted by what it has done to us and to our families... until we let go of our plan to find a way to "manage and control" it rather than having to surrender it completely... God will not deliver us from it, because we don't truly want to be delivered." 

9.  "God is the Ancient of Days, meaning that He is the righteous judge who sees everything and knows every heart ...and He will punish those who seemingly 'get away with' something terrible here on earth!"

10.  "What God initiates, He equips us to handle.... When we scratch and claw to dig information out of the dirt, however, we don't get the same kind of grace that accompanies divine revelation."

11.  "Never forget that time by itself does nothing to heal.  We must turn our hearts to God!"

12.  "Sadness is at the root of all anger.  Get vulnerable with God and cry if you have to and be honest about the sadness, because the anger quickly becomes toxic!"

13.  "God does not give us the grace to deal with imaginary events (all the things we fear and worry about ahead of time), but He always gives us the grace necessary when we call to Him in our time of real need."

14.  "A united house stands. A divided house falls. The devil has much to gain (by attacking Christians), but he also has much to lose. We are the Body of Jesus Christ and we have an opportunity to show His character. This is our watch. We stand for what is right not from our feet but from our knees." 
15. "Often, we will give God MOST of the things we love, but we won't give Him the things WE LOVE MOST."

The Wallaces!

Today's tribute goes to the Wallace family... Bill, Debbie, Clint, and Ty!
(*This will definitely not be a "mini" tribute.  I had to scan in several photos from old scrapbooks, as they have been our family friends since before I was born!!)

In a word, the Wallaces are HILARIOUS!  They always have entertaining stories and they're just genuinely funny.  We've known them all our lives (Rach and I) and have so many fun memories together!  Bill is a postman and Debbie is a nurse (who works at Lakeside, where Rachael had Jace).  Clint does remodel and insulation work, and Ty is a restaurant manager.  Clint is a couple years older than me, and Ty is between me and Rach, so that was perfect for us growing up together!  There are a million funny quotes with them, most of which would only make sense to me and my family at this point... but so many great memories!

Left to Right:  Rach and Ty hanging out in Mustang.  Bill and Debbie with Ty at his wedding.
Mom helping Ty get ready at Rach's wedding.  Ty (the Best Man) there to witness them signing the Marriage License!

Here is both our families in Hollywood (Clint didn't join us on this trip).

Backstory:  Bill and Dad became good friends working together at a golf course in 1977. 

Bill introduced Dad to his friend, Rick, and to Bill Lemieux, who also worked at that golf course around that time.  And the four of them (and their families as they grew and changed) have remained good friends over the past 35 years.  Love it! :)

Here we are at me and Rach's 1988 birthday party (with super-awesome haircuts, I might add) ...eating our cake and ice cream at the little blue table with Clint and Ty! :)  Cuteness!

This was our first Muecke/Wallace trip to San Antonio and SeaWorld... apparently, neon was in back then. lol  At this age, we would play "Wedding" a lot (making Clint the first boy I ever kissed, if we're being technical) and we would put on little plays and skits for our parents.  Kinda wish I could go back and see them now! lol  Our most famous one was when we put red lipstick on a comb to make it look like blood when we scratched Ty... we were pleased when our parents all freaked out!  Another hilarious one, when we got old enough that kissing was awkward, we did a sleeping beauty-esqe play where Rach, the sleeping princess, was re-awakend by sticking a Cheeto chip in her mouth! lol  Older still, I remember Clint and Ty dancing to the ridiculous "No Diggity" song... and I still think of that whenever I hear it. :)

This was our 1996 San Antonio trip... so many good memories there!  All the kids were in the awkward phase, but we had so much fun together!  This was in the days of Surge and POGs and hackey sacks and Oakley sunglasses! ...and listening to the T-Bone rap CD and the Newsboys Breakfast song over and over. =)

This is just a random collage... some from our awesome 2004 road trip, some from our Dallas shopping trip, some from Ty and Ashley's wedding, and one from Bill and Jill's wedding in Vegas! :)

Another memorable event - Clint actually had his wedding at our old house!  I remember being annoyed that I was in charge of turning on the music, because that meant I missed the rose petals falling from the fans! lol  What I remember most about this day, oddly enough, was that Bill dropped his bottle of cologne that morning and it went all over the tile floor.  We cleaned it up, but the smell was there for days! lol

Left to right:  Bill and Dad are still golfing buddies today.  Me and Ty ready for a nap on our 2004 road trip.

Ty took Holly to JSB in Rach's senior year.  Rach and Ty almost getting caught by the revolving door in Vegas.

 The rest of these are all from our 2004 Summer Vacation... my favorite trip ever!  So many fun memories and quotes and great pictures from this trip.

Shopping Rodeo Drive, then we had lunch at The Ivy.  It was a ritzy day for us. lol

Muir Woods was really pretty.  

After San Francisco (I'll be there again this October - 8 years later!)... our final destination was Vegas!!  We stayed at both NYNY and the Paris hotel... it was awesome, as per usual!

After spending the day shopping at Caesars and the Fashion Show Mall, we did a dress-up dinner that night... and took about a thousand pictures. :)

Then finally, it was time to go home... road trips with fun people are the best to me!  I'm sure I don't remember most of what was said now, but I do remember laughing... a lot! =D

A Few Other Favorite Wallace Quotes/Memories:

Throwing candy on top of the roof at Cowboy Bobs

"Oooo, there's one of those Atsaburger or Justaburger..." -Debbie "

....try In-and-Out Burger!" -Ty

Clint and Ty sprinkling the flower petals at Rach's wedding! :)

"Yeaaaah, I'm just livin the dream." -Ty's awesome response to moronic people who talked about him being lucky to be catered to as he was in a wheelchair right after his grandma's funeral

Little Lord Fauntleroy, Ty's hackey sack, going down the drain at Gainseville

"You just thought all the Tanzanite was gone.  The Wallaces have drawers of it!!" -Bill

"I.... have.... 5 fingers!" -Ty

"I'm a dork, I'm a dork, you can use me as a fork!" -Ty back when he couldn't quite pronounce the R's

"Hey Mike, you know when I first started liking midgets?" -Bill

"Deb, turns out... we're going the wrong way." -Bill, after we'd all been saying that for a while on our road trip :)

"Nobody panic!!" -Ty, every time he found something he had lost :)

"Are these the guys?" -Ty repeating Dad and cracking himself up for a very long time! lol

Eating dinner at Casa Bonita and City Diner

"I'll tell you what you need to do.  First, shave that thing off your face!" -Mom to Ty :)

Ty's expression when Holly asked if he'd ever been to any PowWows! lol

"Oh, if I had blue eyes, it'd be over!  I wouldn't even know what to do with myself!" -TyWeezy

Ashley Ann

Today's tribute goes to Ashley... although I have never actually met her in person, through reading her blog, I have been influenced and inspired by her story, her creativity, her photography, and her Christlike heart for children!

Ashley is an excellent mother to three boys and one girl, and their family is in the middle of the adoption process for another little girl from China.  It's been so exciting to read her personal story and learn more about the adoption process... those are my favorite posts because I love and identify with her heart there!  And everyone can identify with the difficulty of waiting on God's perfect timing when it's something you're so excited about!  

But Ashley did not stay idle or let the waiting cause her to lose heart... she started a campaign on her blog to raise money to buy an incubator for her daughter's orphanage in China... and within a very short time span, had quadrupled the amount of money she needed!  The remaining money was donated to fund surgery and quality care for these babies with cleft lip or palate.  It's so so awesome to see how much difference one person can make... simply by connecting with others and acting on what God puts on her heart!!  I love that.  I loved being a small part of it and seeing how fast it all happened.  I loved hearing two random guys at the next table at Panera discussing the "Incubator Project!"  And I love knowing that these babies will be able to smile and will have a better chance of being adopted after recovering from their surgeries.

Ashley has also raised a great amount of money to help fund adoptions (for their family and others) through her online photography course called SnapShops Photography (I recommend it).  She is a great modern example of Genesis 12:2 -- "I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing."  She uses her heart and family story and talents to be a blessing to so many.  She is an amazing, talented photographer and takes pictures that tell a story, and she has four beautiful, energetic kids as great subjects.  

I can't wait for the day when she and Chris get to meet their adopted daughter!  I'm pretty sure I'll cry when I finally see that post.  It's funny how much you can connect with someone through writing.  I guess that's why God gave us His Word. :)

I really love that they did a 10-year anniversary photo shoot!

I do remember Ashley from the Christmas Gathering where she taught some DIY craft projects!  She is super creative and crafty... she's energetic and full of fun ideas, a Mom who joins her kids jumping and doing flips on the trampoline and helps them create all kinds of unique memories... again, love it!  Anyway, I recommend reading her blog and taking her SnapShops class!  I am truly thankful for Ashley... and very inspired by the awesome impact she has had by simply sharing her heart and talents via blog!! =)

Summer

Today's tribute goes to Summer!
I'm definitely more of a Winter girl, but I'm realizing Summer has its good points! :)

I love that the bugs are all dead in the winter, but I also love the brightness and vivid colors and life everywhere in summer.  I guess you have to accept the dreadful bugs and heat along with all the awesome butterflies and trees and cookouts and swimming and jogging and pretty flowers and longer daylight hours!  (Kind of a good metaphor for numbing out versus living wholeheartedly, but I'll spare you that full thought process. lol)

Cuteness - this was Charlotte's idea at McKayla's baby shower.  The background is bright and summery and makes me happy.  

Ruth brought these awesome cupcakes, which also made me happy! :)

This pic = the sun peering through the trees on the nature trail at Haikey Creek!  (It was all very pretty, but let's just say I was happy I had sprayed myself with Off before the walk with Joan that day!)

This summer is nice because they have finally finished our courtroom and new offices! =)  That spot where the sun is shining so brightly in the back... that was my old office.  They tore down those walls and put the courtroom back to its original size!

Yesterday was Babah's 76th birthday, and we celebrated at JoBug's pool.  It was the first swim of the year for me, and it was fantastic!!  Here is Rach and Emily and Bubby Jace, who's not so sure about this whole swimming idea. :)

Josh, Triston, and Carter! :)

Me, JB, and Emma in the hot tub

T-Man chose watermelon over cake - impressive! lol

Carter ready to get back in!!

I love JoBug's backyard... a fun little Summer oasis!

And it makes it that much more fun/entertaining to have my energetic nephews around when we're swimming! :)

A cute pic of Bubby Jace...

Babah's presents - Mom and JB both thought they were supposed to get the present, sooo now she has a choice between silver and black! :)

Sadly, the summer fun had to come to an end, and Carter, for one, was not too thrilled about that. lol

Here's a fun summery song that makes me smile!  Happy Summer. =)

John Eldredge

This tribute goes to my favorite author (because I connect with him and his books have had a dramatic impact on my life) ...John Eldredge!

I started with Captivating, then read Wild at Heart.  Loved them both, and learned a lot about how men and women were created to uniquely reflect different aspects of the heart of God.  And how the original sin of Adam and Eve (the woman taking matters into her own hands and doubting that God would come through for her; and the man passively standing by when he was called to be the leader) still affect every man and woman today.

I love John and Stasi.  They co-wrote Captivating and Love & War.  I connect with so many things Stasi says, too.  I enjoy their blogs, as well.  They're an awesome Christian couple, and they inspire me to love God, live from my heart, and take spiritual warfare seriously!  I have learned more about the schemes of Satan and how to resist him and break agreements from their books than anything else.

After "the letter" in 2007, Natalie G. suggested Waking the Dead, which I read when I was at my lowest point in 2008.  It began to turn things around for me in awesome ways!  God used this book to speak to my heart and help me to see that I was not alone, and my pain was not His fault.  I plan to read it again soon, because I have not read it since that time, and because this changed my life more than any other book!

John is a brilliantly talented writer who writes with heart and is very genuine, and he uses modern movies and events as metaphorical examples of what is happening in the spiritual world.  And it's opened my eyes to see that in sooo many songs and movies now!  Epic, Walking with God, Beautiful Outlaw... all great books that I highly recommend.  He phrases things in a unique way that I really connect with on a deeper level.  Once again, I can't say enough good things about him and could never fully explain all that his words have meant to me.

I will say that he worked as a counselor for several years before he became a successful author, and I would love to follow in his footsteps on that!! :)  Hooray for John Eldredge and Ransomed Heart Ministries, and the lives they have impacted for eternity!

Vegas!

So before someone shares their testimony at LifeGroup, we do a 2-3 minute "hot seat" game where everyone can ask any random question that pops into their mind.  I got things like favorite actress, favorite dessert, what Disney princess would I be, etc.  Then Jennie chimed in with a question that would seem normal to most people, but it really cracked me up (and Chet, because he knows my thoughts on both):  "New York City or Vegas!?"  Hahaha!

So today's tribute goes to my favorite vacation spot of all... Viva Las Vegas, baby!

When I think of Vegas, I think of:
Oceans 11 & 13
Waiting for and watching the Bellagio water show!
Getting to feel like you're experiencing Venice, Paris, NY, etc. 
While staying in awesome, spacious, luxury hotel rooms
"Ignore the trashiness and focus on the glamour" :)
Playing Keno with Babah and Rach
Hiding in the window seat to scare Emily
Seeing Celine's show with the fam (fantastic!)
Being there the day of the tiger attack on Roy
Shopping at the Caesar's Forum Shops
New purses (Louis and Coach)
Moving walkways
Memorable breakfast at the Bellagio Pool Cafe
One Republic concert on the beach
Wax museum with Rach
Many trips to M&M and Coca-Cola World 
Hilarious memories with friends
Chocolate fountain and pastries at Jean Philippe
"Wait a second, could it be? And now I know for sure, I just added two more guys to my wolf pack."

Seeing a fashion show on a runway that literally rises out of the floor
Seeing "O" and La Rev and Blue Man Group
Walking leisurely and touring all the glamorous hotels
Riding in a party bus with stripper poles on the way to the wedding chapel
My Dad being the Best Man in Bill & Jill's wedding
Andrew's entertaining dancing at the reception
The view from the top of the Stratosphere
Awesome food pretty much everywhere you go
A city that always feels alive no matter what time of night
And of course, the rainbow at the Water Show!

And even though there are stripper fliers littering the streets, the men passing those out are not half as irritating and aggressive as those in NYC trying to get you to go to the comedy club. lol

When I think of New York City, I think of:
Staying with Holly and Josh and seeing Mamma Mia - (good)
Seeing the big tree - (good)
CENTRAL PARK - (awesome)
Chet scaring away the pigeons - (hilarious)
But then I remember...
Arrogant, aggressive, angry, pretentious people
CROWDED EVERYWHERE
Angry drivers and the constant sound of horns blaring
Fighting to keep up with my people
My family almost getting hit by an angry cab driver
Our cab driver flipping another driver off for an awkwardly long time
Walking for miles then finding out the place was closed
Restaurants and hotel rooms that feel cramped and microscopic
Freezing cold + aching feet + no one ever walking at a leisurely pace
Long lines, no clean bathrooms anywhere
Again, walking for miles then realizing all we could see at Ground Zero was the picture of what was coming.
Crappy hotel rooms with super-loud radiators and creepy wall art
Eating stale donuts in the lobby of Saks because nothing else was open
And M-- being deathly ill and missing the entire last day of our NYC experience, whilst me and Chettles searched for an earlier plane ticket home! lol

Mmmm, I really do <3 Central Park, though!!

But to answer the original question... definitely Vegas!