We've all gotten one as a gift at one time or another. Most of these beauties were invented in the glorious 80's. Well, my sister and brother in law are throwing a Christmas party this year and are hosting an "Ugly Sweater Contest". The problem is, I've been stuck because I've purged our closets over the past year, giving our "gems" away to goodwill quite awhile ago. So, I've decided to ask for help. I realize that this might bring me some scorn from some of my family members; who are also invited to the party; causing them to call me a cheater or something like that... but... I prefer to view it as being resourceful. :)
-->> I need your help and YOU need money for Christmas = Win-Win situation <<--
Here's what I need you to do:
1) Follow my blog by clicking that little "Follow Me" button at the top of the screen.
2) Look through the back of your closet and find that gorgeous jem you've been hiding but you're afraid of tossing, just in case Aunt Gertrude asks you if you still have it.
3) SEND a PICTURE of you wearing your ugly sweater to me (ajbrening@gmail.com, mention - UGLY SWEATER CONTEST IN THE SUBJECT LINE PLS) NO LATER THAN Dec 9TH
My responsibilities include:
1) I will choose a winner Dec 10th.
2) I will send an email in return announcing the winner.
3) I will send you the address you will use to send the sweater to me to use in time for my party.
4) If I receive the sweater in time to wear to the party (12/18)... I will immediately send you $20 for you to use as you wish just in time for Christmas. That should cover your shipping costs and give enough to spend elsewhere. :)
5) IF YOU DON'T SEND ME THE SWEATER IN TIME FOR ME TO USE FOR THE UGLY SWEATER CONTEST.. Your sweater is no good to me.. and I will NOT send you money for it!
Let the games BEGIN!!
Don't know what an ugly sweater looks like? Need inspiration? Check this out...
oh... and while you're here... Follow my blog. :)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The stuff dreams are made of...
Until recently, I was a worship pastor for an amazingly awesome, creative, relevant, not-ur-run-of-the-mill kinda church. It was a dream job for me. One I didn't even know I would love as much as I did. I loved every thing about it! It was all I had ever dreamed of. I got to sing and arrange music and get the opportunity to hang with creatives and learn from brilliant leaders...AND I actually got PAID FOR IT! I know? Saaweeet! Right?!!...
...Well, I realized very quickly that my job didn't JUST require me to make song sets and sing pretty on the weekends. I had to learn how to communicate vision, create structure, rules and procedures; inspire creativity, counsel hurts; play referee and be the lead cheerleader for my team. I learned a lot about myself. I learned that not only did I love music and the creative world... but I LOVED people. I also learned that without that love for people, I'm miserable and lost. I learned that I have a gift of making the most "closed off" or private person, open up and share their heart. Not because I'm awesome, but because that's how God has gifted me me. I learned a lot about communicating with others, and how important it was to communicate in "their language/style". (Which is quite difficult sometimes). I learned that outside of worshiping my sweet Jesus with other believers, nothing fulfilled my heart more than inspiring others to live a life of purpose, purposefully. I love figuring out what a person's passion is and what they're good at and then helping them accomplish it, by overcoming negative mindsets that have held them back.
So, all that to say, I'm excited. I'm excited because I have MORE to learn. I'm in a new city, with new people, a new church, and new adventures awaiting me. I'm also excited because - I'm about to enroll in a course that will help me to fulfill my passion to empower people to accomplish their goals and dreams. No matter what environment I'm in, in a church small group, in a workplace/office; working as a school volunteer, or even within my own family; I will be able to utilize the skills I'm going to learn about how to bring the best out of people. My hubby is excited because I'll be able to CHARGE for my extended time with people too. hehe
Classes start in January. I have mixed emotions. I'm excited and VERY nervous. But, this is definitely something I HAVE to do. I believe it will help give me the skills I need to take my natural gifts to another level of excellence and effectiveness. I want to use my own journey to inspire others to achieve their own goals as well.
"There are some people who live in a dream world,
and there are some who face reality
and then there are those who turn one into the other."
~ Douglas Everett
...Well, I realized very quickly that my job didn't JUST require me to make song sets and sing pretty on the weekends. I had to learn how to communicate vision, create structure, rules and procedures; inspire creativity, counsel hurts; play referee and be the lead cheerleader for my team. I learned a lot about myself. I learned that not only did I love music and the creative world... but I LOVED people. I also learned that without that love for people, I'm miserable and lost. I learned that I have a gift of making the most "closed off" or private person, open up and share their heart. Not because I'm awesome, but because that's how God has gifted me me. I learned a lot about communicating with others, and how important it was to communicate in "their language/style". (Which is quite difficult sometimes). I learned that outside of worshiping my sweet Jesus with other believers, nothing fulfilled my heart more than inspiring others to live a life of purpose, purposefully. I love figuring out what a person's passion is and what they're good at and then helping them accomplish it, by overcoming negative mindsets that have held them back.
So, all that to say, I'm excited. I'm excited because I have MORE to learn. I'm in a new city, with new people, a new church, and new adventures awaiting me. I'm also excited because - I'm about to enroll in a course that will help me to fulfill my passion to empower people to accomplish their goals and dreams. No matter what environment I'm in, in a church small group, in a workplace/office; working as a school volunteer, or even within my own family; I will be able to utilize the skills I'm going to learn about how to bring the best out of people. My hubby is excited because I'll be able to CHARGE for my extended time with people too. hehe
Classes start in January. I have mixed emotions. I'm excited and VERY nervous. But, this is definitely something I HAVE to do. I believe it will help give me the skills I need to take my natural gifts to another level of excellence and effectiveness. I want to use my own journey to inspire others to achieve their own goals as well.
"There are some people who live in a dream world,
and there are some who face reality
and then there are those who turn one into the other."
~ Douglas Everett
Monday, November 15, 2010
The line is getting fuzzy... Thank God.
"To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible next year, Crossway has commissioned an "illuminated book of the four Gospels." The Four Holy Gospels, which is set to release this January, complements the apostolic accounts of the life of Christ with traditional Japanese art by renowned artist Makoto Fujimura." Tyler Kenney of desiringGod.org
Mark my words... We are heading towards a new era. This is very exciting to me... it makes my tummy fill up with butterflies for some reason. This is a beautiful piece of work... I want one!~ :)
Mark my words... We are heading towards a new era. This is very exciting to me... it makes my tummy fill up with butterflies for some reason. This is a beautiful piece of work... I want one!~ :)
Fujimura - 4 Holy Gospels from Crossway on Vimeo.
Monday, November 8, 2010
What you'll need for a perfect Thanksgiving dinner...
My five year old, Nathan, along with his kindergarten classmates, took a shot in helping their families make a delicious Thanksgiving feast. His teacher emailed the recipes today, so I figured I'd share a few of my favs with you. These made me giggle.
Pumpkin Pie Recipe By My Very Own: Nathan
7 seeds of a pumpkin
17 cups sugar to make it yummy
Directions:
Put the seeds in a bowl and smoosh them. Put sugar in a cup and get it all the way up to 17. Put it in one of those things that put it all together, get it in the oven. Make the oven really hot and then let the pie cool. It takes 7 hours. You can eat it.
Chicken Recipe by Dominick
1 30 pound chicken 2 packs barbecue sauce
2 packs candies (Don’t buy the vegetables. I don’t like vegetables. Buy the candies.)
3 cheese chips 30 cheeses
Wash the chicken in a pan with water. Mix the candy up with the chicken and put barbecue sauce on it. Dip the cheese chips in the cheese. Cook the chicken in the oven for 7 hours at 5 degrees. Eat the chips with the chicken.
Turkey Recipe by: Jacqueline
10 20 pound turkeys 5 bags sugar
3 bottles hot sauce 3 boxes of pepper and salt
10 pounds of white sprinkle cheese 1 bottle of ketchup
3 jars mayonnaise
Put the turkey in the sink and wash it with cold water for 10 minutes. Cut off the feathers. Put the turkeys in a pan on a stove. Cook them for 10 or 20 minutes on high heat. When it’s a round circle with two bones on the side, it’s done. Put the turkeys on a big nice round plate. Put everything on a big round table and if they want it they can get it.
Pumpkin Pie Recipe By My Very Own: Nathan
7 seeds of a pumpkin
17 cups sugar to make it yummy
Directions:
Put the seeds in a bowl and smoosh them. Put sugar in a cup and get it all the way up to 17. Put it in one of those things that put it all together, get it in the oven. Make the oven really hot and then let the pie cool. It takes 7 hours. You can eat it.
Chicken Recipe by Dominick
1 30 pound chicken 2 packs barbecue sauce
2 packs candies (Don’t buy the vegetables. I don’t like vegetables. Buy the candies.)
3 cheese chips 30 cheeses
Wash the chicken in a pan with water. Mix the candy up with the chicken and put barbecue sauce on it. Dip the cheese chips in the cheese. Cook the chicken in the oven for 7 hours at 5 degrees. Eat the chips with the chicken.
Turkey Recipe by: Jacqueline
10 20 pound turkeys 5 bags sugar
3 bottles hot sauce 3 boxes of pepper and salt
10 pounds of white sprinkle cheese 1 bottle of ketchup
3 jars mayonnaise
Put the turkey in the sink and wash it with cold water for 10 minutes. Cut off the feathers. Put the turkeys in a pan on a stove. Cook them for 10 or 20 minutes on high heat. When it’s a round circle with two bones on the side, it’s done. Put the turkeys on a big nice round plate. Put everything on a big round table and if they want it they can get it.
One foot in front of the other...
"The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called Enemies, caution lights called Family; you will have flats called Jobs. But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, insurance called Faith, a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called Success." - Author Unknown
Love Came Down from Brian Johnson on Vimeo.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
A Big Hole in our Heart... with Destiny's name on it...
My husband and I would talk about how cool it would be to move out of state. He and I were both born and raised in Florida and pretty much all of our family also were born and raised in the Tampa Bay area. We would dream of fall colored leaves and snowy days. Well, my husband saw an opportunity to move, and low and behold, they gave him the go ahead to look into it. Long story short, my husband got transferred to Alabama. I was pregnant with our third child, we had a 1.5yr old and a 9 yo at the time. We didn't know anyone. We had no friends, no connections, just each other. It can be a scary thing, moving to a new place. Everyone there usually has their cliques, their groups, their family; and there you are...an outsider. We had no idea what to expect; we couldn't have braced ourselves for what was coming...
We decided about a month after moving there that we needed to find a church. Well, we tried one, but it failed miserably to give a warm welcome so we moved on. We overheard a neighbor bragging to another neighbor about how her church had a rockband, so of course, I inquired for more info.
From the moment we drove onto the YMCA parking lot we were greeted by friendly people waving us in. They somehow knew we were visitors and directed us to front parking spaces. If that wasn't enough, we were then greeted by the most outstanding front door team. Smiles were everywhere. We dropped the kids off in their respective, high energy rooms, and we were off to the sanctuary (which was actually a gymnasium). We sat down and we were warmly welcomed by a few others. The worship started, and by this time I couldn't get the smile off my face. Then, as if all this wasn't enough, the Pastor came out and gave a relevant, challenge "to take it home and try it and you'll like it" kinda message. I looked at my husband and knew that we were both hooked....we were home.
Bear with me here... I'm having a mushy moment...
So, six years later, as I watch the video, recalling being one of the attendees on those days. I can't believe how fast time has gone. The faces of all the people I've known, the memories and experiences flash through my mind like lightning and the tears flow down my face like rain. All I can say is wow....
Thank you, Destiny Family, for all the amazing things you've taught me. Thank you Pastor Joey, Melanie and Pastor Aimee for pushing me past my fears; into a place of blessing and favor like I've never known. Thank you for helping me find my purpose. Thank you to those of you countless people, who took the time to send encouraging emails my way on a Monday morning, letting me know that you were touched in some way by God's presence during a service; those encouragements came at the perfect time, just when I needed to know whether I was making a difference or not. Thank you Destiny family, for worshiping so passionately that you inspired me to worship with abandon. Destiny Praizteam, each of you have made a huge impact on my life and who I am today. You're beautiful worshipers and I am honored to have been a part of your lives. Thank you front door team for doing your job of giving a warm welcome that first day we came and visited Destiny. If you hadn't done your job, with excellence the way you did, we probably wouldn't have stayed and been able to experience all the blessings we experienced these past six years.
Destiny family... Keep loving, Keep serving, Keep inviting people... Cause you're world changers. You're making a difference. 5000 souls were saved in 10 years. Wow! That's awe inspiring. Countless other lives were changed too... I know, because I'm one of them. Happy 10th Anniversary Destiny!!
We decided about a month after moving there that we needed to find a church. Well, we tried one, but it failed miserably to give a warm welcome so we moved on. We overheard a neighbor bragging to another neighbor about how her church had a rockband, so of course, I inquired for more info.
From the moment we drove onto the YMCA parking lot we were greeted by friendly people waving us in. They somehow knew we were visitors and directed us to front parking spaces. If that wasn't enough, we were then greeted by the most outstanding front door team. Smiles were everywhere. We dropped the kids off in their respective, high energy rooms, and we were off to the sanctuary (which was actually a gymnasium). We sat down and we were warmly welcomed by a few others. The worship started, and by this time I couldn't get the smile off my face. Then, as if all this wasn't enough, the Pastor came out and gave a relevant, challenge "to take it home and try it and you'll like it" kinda message. I looked at my husband and knew that we were both hooked....we were home.
Bear with me here... I'm having a mushy moment...
So, six years later, as I watch the video, recalling being one of the attendees on those days. I can't believe how fast time has gone. The faces of all the people I've known, the memories and experiences flash through my mind like lightning and the tears flow down my face like rain. All I can say is wow....
Thank you, Destiny Family, for all the amazing things you've taught me. Thank you Pastor Joey, Melanie and Pastor Aimee for pushing me past my fears; into a place of blessing and favor like I've never known. Thank you for helping me find my purpose. Thank you to those of you countless people, who took the time to send encouraging emails my way on a Monday morning, letting me know that you were touched in some way by God's presence during a service; those encouragements came at the perfect time, just when I needed to know whether I was making a difference or not. Thank you Destiny family, for worshiping so passionately that you inspired me to worship with abandon. Destiny Praizteam, each of you have made a huge impact on my life and who I am today. You're beautiful worshipers and I am honored to have been a part of your lives. Thank you front door team for doing your job of giving a warm welcome that first day we came and visited Destiny. If you hadn't done your job, with excellence the way you did, we probably wouldn't have stayed and been able to experience all the blessings we experienced these past six years.
Destiny family... Keep loving, Keep serving, Keep inviting people... Cause you're world changers. You're making a difference. 5000 souls were saved in 10 years. Wow! That's awe inspiring. Countless other lives were changed too... I know, because I'm one of them. Happy 10th Anniversary Destiny!!
Monday, November 1, 2010
To use shampoo or not.. that's the question...
I just came across a fantastic blog full of remedies, tips and tricks to making the life of a family more frugal and fun. Well, one of her blogs caught my eye and I must admit, the neat freak in me totally turned my nose up at even the thought of never using shampoo again... However, I went ahead and read it. And wow... it made sense. I'm not sure if I'll actually DO what she suggested.. but, who knows?... I might. Is anyone out there willing to take the challenge for the rest of us?
Check it out:
Simple Mom Blog/No More Shampoo
I have a friend, that told me about this one awhile back...but I had a hard time believing that using olive oil on your face would actually be good for it. I had visions of my face becoming an ache cesspool. But, this info claims otherwise.
See for yourself!
Simple Mom Blog/Use Olive Oil to Clean and Moisturize your FACE
Please tell me if you have tried this. I'd love to hear about it. Or if you think this is a disgusting idea - I'd like to hear that too. :)
Check it out:
Simple Mom Blog/No More Shampoo
I have a friend, that told me about this one awhile back...but I had a hard time believing that using olive oil on your face would actually be good for it. I had visions of my face becoming an ache cesspool. But, this info claims otherwise.
See for yourself!
Simple Mom Blog/Use Olive Oil to Clean and Moisturize your FACE
Please tell me if you have tried this. I'd love to hear about it. Or if you think this is a disgusting idea - I'd like to hear that too. :)
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