Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
MAY is really a big month! It's MOVING MONTH for the north Jackson Michaels. Yep, we are moving to Madison! It's gonna be fun!!!
This week, Thursday, May 24th, 6-9pm, is Friends and Family Preview night! If you're reading this, then you're my friend! Ha!
So, if you want a coupon for 20% off your ENTIRE REGULAR PRICED PURCHASE, just send me a message on Facebook and I'll email you one tomorrow night! Or, just let me know you're coming and I'll have one at the door for you!
We are located about half-way between WalMart and Malco Theater, right next to Home Goods.
We officially open Friday, May 25th!
Grand Opening is Sunday, June 3rd!
Just wait until you see the BEE-UUU-TEEE-FULLL classroom! Woohoo! Not only is it gorgeous, there's more room for CROP NIGHT!!!! Woohoo, again!
I'm a little excited. Can you tell? lol
More on Grand Opening soon . . .
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Lessons learned while hanging out with my grandson:
I spent the day with this beautiful little boy. What a fun time we had! We had lunch together with his mom and one of my daughters. Then we were off to a busy day outdoors in the 90 degree weather. Whew! It was hot!
First we listened to one of Papa's bands, Latinismo! Little man was the center of attention. So adorable! Then we headed to a carnival to ride some rides and sweat some more! lol
So these are a few of the thoughts running through my head after a very active day with this little bundle of energy.
1. If you find something you enjoy, give it 100%. And don't worry about who's watching or what they'll think.
(Dancing while Latinismo! is playing. Adults are usually more concerned about what others will think than about their own enjoyment. I think the crowd enjoyed watching more than he enjoyed dancing!)
2. If you're curious about something, tune everything else out and look and listen intently. You never know what you might learn.
(Fascinated by the drummer, he literally didn't move through three songs! And I bet if you asked him afterward, he would say he knew how to play drums. When was the last time you tried to learn something new?)
3. Anything can be interesting if you just take time to look.
(While we sat in a coffee shop to cool off for a few minutes, he 'read' a golf magazine. Every. Single. Page. Cover to cover. Trust me, he isn't into golf. But that was irrelevant. There were pictures so he put words to them. How quickly we lose the ability to use our imagination!)
4. Making friends really isn't that hard. It only takes a few minutes and just one thing in common. In this case, a simple desire to go down the slide and 5 minutes. 2 minutes waiting in line, 2 minutes going up the stairs, 1 minute flying down the slide.
(The little boy in the middle was an almost instant friend. After just 5 minutes of 'knowing' each other, they were ready to go on to the next ride together! We adults usually just make things too complicated.)
.
5. Persistence often pays off! And you never know how you'll do on something if you don't try.
(I NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, do carnival games. I also never ride carnival rides. But today I did both. He got me on the kiddie cars AND the bump cars. Yep. Grandchildren are the grandest! Anyway, the first thing he saw when we arrived was a kid with a 'flaming bat.'
"Grammy, I want a flaming bat."
"Grammy, I really like that flaming bat!"
"Grammy, can we get a flaming bat?"
"Grammy, will you get me a flaming bat?"
The bats were at the balloon-dart-throw game. Thinking I was being very proactive, I asked the carnival worker what it would cost to get one of those bats if I couldn't pop the balloon. He said just pay $5.00 and if I missed, he'd still give little man the bat. Since I had that information, I let little man throw. He missed the first time. But the nice guy gave him another chance. He popped a balloon on the second try! Silly Grammy. Should have had more faith! He got the flaming bat.)
6. And most important lesson of all. It's ok to just be silly sometimes! Life is short. Enjoy it!
As adults, we often judge ourselves and others by the labels that society gives. Disabled, challenged, special needs, too short, too tall, too fat, to thin, too old, too young, too inexperienced, too rude, too shy, too . . . fill in the blank. We all have limitations and areas where we just don't quite measure up, mentally, socially, or physically. I have a math disability. Not technically, but let's just say that college algebra was NOT my friend. The older I get the more I realize I also have a memory disability. lol. Maybe you are directionally challenged. Are you someone who wonders how you ever got from point A to point B before you had a GPS in your car?
No matter what limitations we have, we all have something to offer to the world. I love being around this little guy. He reminds me that right now, this very minute, is important. He challenges me to stop what I'm doing and see life from his point of view. He heads into whatever direction his imagination takes him with no regard for danger or consequences. He's intense. He's demanding. He's beautiful!
What labels, limitations, or disabilities are you struggling with? Is there a direction that your imagination is trying to take you but you're just too afraid to yield to it? Maybe a new job, a new ministry, a new relationship? Is God trying to give you a new plan for your life but your labels are holding you back? Be thankful that the only label God has given you is 'child of mine' All you have to do is accept that. What a precious gift!.
Blessings!
Renea
First we listened to one of Papa's bands, Latinismo! Little man was the center of attention. So adorable! Then we headed to a carnival to ride some rides and sweat some more! lol
So these are a few of the thoughts running through my head after a very active day with this little bundle of energy.
1. If you find something you enjoy, give it 100%. And don't worry about who's watching or what they'll think.
(Dancing while Latinismo! is playing. Adults are usually more concerned about what others will think than about their own enjoyment. I think the crowd enjoyed watching more than he enjoyed dancing!)
2. If you're curious about something, tune everything else out and look and listen intently. You never know what you might learn.
(Fascinated by the drummer, he literally didn't move through three songs! And I bet if you asked him afterward, he would say he knew how to play drums. When was the last time you tried to learn something new?)
3. Anything can be interesting if you just take time to look.
(While we sat in a coffee shop to cool off for a few minutes, he 'read' a golf magazine. Every. Single. Page. Cover to cover. Trust me, he isn't into golf. But that was irrelevant. There were pictures so he put words to them. How quickly we lose the ability to use our imagination!)
4. Making friends really isn't that hard. It only takes a few minutes and just one thing in common. In this case, a simple desire to go down the slide and 5 minutes. 2 minutes waiting in line, 2 minutes going up the stairs, 1 minute flying down the slide.
(The little boy in the middle was an almost instant friend. After just 5 minutes of 'knowing' each other, they were ready to go on to the next ride together! We adults usually just make things too complicated.)
5. Persistence often pays off! And you never know how you'll do on something if you don't try.
(I NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, do carnival games. I also never ride carnival rides. But today I did both. He got me on the kiddie cars AND the bump cars. Yep. Grandchildren are the grandest! Anyway, the first thing he saw when we arrived was a kid with a 'flaming bat.'
"Grammy, I want a flaming bat."
"Grammy, I really like that flaming bat!"
"Grammy, can we get a flaming bat?"
"Grammy, will you get me a flaming bat?"
The bats were at the balloon-dart-throw game. Thinking I was being very proactive, I asked the carnival worker what it would cost to get one of those bats if I couldn't pop the balloon. He said just pay $5.00 and if I missed, he'd still give little man the bat. Since I had that information, I let little man throw. He missed the first time. But the nice guy gave him another chance. He popped a balloon on the second try! Silly Grammy. Should have had more faith! He got the flaming bat.)
6. And most important lesson of all. It's ok to just be silly sometimes! Life is short. Enjoy it!
As adults, we often judge ourselves and others by the labels that society gives. Disabled, challenged, special needs, too short, too tall, too fat, to thin, too old, too young, too inexperienced, too rude, too shy, too . . . fill in the blank. We all have limitations and areas where we just don't quite measure up, mentally, socially, or physically. I have a math disability. Not technically, but let's just say that college algebra was NOT my friend. The older I get the more I realize I also have a memory disability. lol. Maybe you are directionally challenged. Are you someone who wonders how you ever got from point A to point B before you had a GPS in your car?
No matter what limitations we have, we all have something to offer to the world. I love being around this little guy. He reminds me that right now, this very minute, is important. He challenges me to stop what I'm doing and see life from his point of view. He heads into whatever direction his imagination takes him with no regard for danger or consequences. He's intense. He's demanding. He's beautiful!
What labels, limitations, or disabilities are you struggling with? Is there a direction that your imagination is trying to take you but you're just too afraid to yield to it? Maybe a new job, a new ministry, a new relationship? Is God trying to give you a new plan for your life but your labels are holding you back? Be thankful that the only label God has given you is 'child of mine' All you have to do is accept that. What a precious gift!.
Blessings!
Renea
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Easter!
Happy Easter to everyone! I can't begin to convey how much this weekend means to me. I never cease to be amazed at the grace, mercy, and tremendous love that was shown to the world, to me, by our Savior. Humbled and overwhelmed.
Blessings!
Renea
Blessings!
Renea
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Classes . . .
LOL! If you look at my "Classes" page, I really didn't put all those extra spaces in when I typed it. Seriously. I have no idea why they are there. Geez.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Eyes Wide Open . . .
If you've ever been in an evangelical worship service, you've probably heard the preacher say something like, 'every head bowed, every eye closed, no one looking around.' You likely have also heard a pastor pray a blessing over the congregation at the end of a service. Neither of these things are out of the ordinary. But quite a few years ago my family started attending a new church and the pastor did something I found rather odd, and not just a little disconcerting for me at the time. At the end of the service he said something to the effect of, every head up, every eye open, every one looking around.
Then he began to pray a blessing over us, slowly looking around the room, looking each person in the eye as he prayed. He thanked God for us, telling God that he loved us, asking God to bless us and protect us, reminding God that we were His people. The uncomfortable feeling I had was such a mixture of affirmation and discomfort that I'm not sure I can even describe!
This pastor, Gary Maze, quickly became a very dear friend to our family. We learned that those benediction prayers at the end of every service were glimpses of his open and honest attitude toward those God had placed under his care. And it started a habit with me that others may find as uncomfortable as I found his prayer that first Sunday. If you attend church with me, and you decide to check things out during prayer time, you may notice me looking around the room. No, I'm not looking to see how everyone is dressed, or who decided to use that time to check everyone else out. I'm praying for each person that my gaze falls on. Whether I know them or not. Whether I have any idea what is going on with them. I particularly do this during prayer for the kids in our church. Each Sunday in the church we attend now, the pastor has all the children come down front and we pray for them as a congregation just before they go to children's church. As we pray, I look over the group, one at a time, and pray for each child, by name if I know it.
It seems to me that we get so intimidated about prayer. So many of us tend to feel that we won't say the right thing, or we'll say something the wrong way, or we won't seem spiritual enough. Many of us just refuse to pray out loud in front of people. And, how many times do we say we'll pray for someone, but then forget? Or, even if we remember to pray for them, never let them know that we actually did? I've tried, off and on over the years, to pray for someone, out loud, in front of them, as soon as they ask me. I had pretty much gotten out of this habit. Just in the past week, I had made a commitment to start back. This morning I got that opportunity. My sweet daughter, just before she got out of the car to go to class, told me she really wasn't feeling well and she would appreciate it if I just said a little prayer for her today. My first instinct was to say, 'sure, honey, I will!' But I stopped myself. And just prayed for her. Out loud. Right then. With her listening.
Let me just tell you, her quiet, "thanks, Mom. I needed that," was one of the sweetest blessings of all time! I pray for my children all the time. I pray for their protection. I pray for their salvation. I pray for them to see God working. I pray all sorts of things for them. But I'm so guilty of not praying for them where they can hear me. I've been thinking that is taking the easy road. Maybe it's because I don't want to disappoint them when they see my actions not line up with my prayer life. Maybe it's because I'm afraid of not stringing the right words together. Maybe it's just that I don't want to take the time out of my busy schedule. Whatever the reason, I'm challenging myself to do better. Prayer is so powerful! I know God hears, cares, listens, and answers!!! But there is something amazing that happens when we voice our prayers out loud, over the person we are praying for, letting them actually hear us pray for them! There is an energy that is released that can only be attributed to the Spirit's moving. And, if we believe scripture, our audible prayers, just speaking the name of Jesus, sends Satan running for cover! That alone is plenty of encouragement for me!
Have you talked to your Father lately about someone you care about? Out loud? Try it. Come on, I dare ya! Head up, eyes wide open, looking directly at the person you're praying for. And when you do, just imagine the devil fleeing from you - and the person you're praying for - with his tail between his legs, trembling in fear of the awesome power of our God!
Blessings,
Renea
Then he began to pray a blessing over us, slowly looking around the room, looking each person in the eye as he prayed. He thanked God for us, telling God that he loved us, asking God to bless us and protect us, reminding God that we were His people. The uncomfortable feeling I had was such a mixture of affirmation and discomfort that I'm not sure I can even describe!
This pastor, Gary Maze, quickly became a very dear friend to our family. We learned that those benediction prayers at the end of every service were glimpses of his open and honest attitude toward those God had placed under his care. And it started a habit with me that others may find as uncomfortable as I found his prayer that first Sunday. If you attend church with me, and you decide to check things out during prayer time, you may notice me looking around the room. No, I'm not looking to see how everyone is dressed, or who decided to use that time to check everyone else out. I'm praying for each person that my gaze falls on. Whether I know them or not. Whether I have any idea what is going on with them. I particularly do this during prayer for the kids in our church. Each Sunday in the church we attend now, the pastor has all the children come down front and we pray for them as a congregation just before they go to children's church. As we pray, I look over the group, one at a time, and pray for each child, by name if I know it.
It seems to me that we get so intimidated about prayer. So many of us tend to feel that we won't say the right thing, or we'll say something the wrong way, or we won't seem spiritual enough. Many of us just refuse to pray out loud in front of people. And, how many times do we say we'll pray for someone, but then forget? Or, even if we remember to pray for them, never let them know that we actually did? I've tried, off and on over the years, to pray for someone, out loud, in front of them, as soon as they ask me. I had pretty much gotten out of this habit. Just in the past week, I had made a commitment to start back. This morning I got that opportunity. My sweet daughter, just before she got out of the car to go to class, told me she really wasn't feeling well and she would appreciate it if I just said a little prayer for her today. My first instinct was to say, 'sure, honey, I will!' But I stopped myself. And just prayed for her. Out loud. Right then. With her listening.
Let me just tell you, her quiet, "thanks, Mom. I needed that," was one of the sweetest blessings of all time! I pray for my children all the time. I pray for their protection. I pray for their salvation. I pray for them to see God working. I pray all sorts of things for them. But I'm so guilty of not praying for them where they can hear me. I've been thinking that is taking the easy road. Maybe it's because I don't want to disappoint them when they see my actions not line up with my prayer life. Maybe it's because I'm afraid of not stringing the right words together. Maybe it's just that I don't want to take the time out of my busy schedule. Whatever the reason, I'm challenging myself to do better. Prayer is so powerful! I know God hears, cares, listens, and answers!!! But there is something amazing that happens when we voice our prayers out loud, over the person we are praying for, letting them actually hear us pray for them! There is an energy that is released that can only be attributed to the Spirit's moving. And, if we believe scripture, our audible prayers, just speaking the name of Jesus, sends Satan running for cover! That alone is plenty of encouragement for me!
Have you talked to your Father lately about someone you care about? Out loud? Try it. Come on, I dare ya! Head up, eyes wide open, looking directly at the person you're praying for. And when you do, just imagine the devil fleeing from you - and the person you're praying for - with his tail between his legs, trembling in fear of the awesome power of our God!
Blessings,
Renea
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Clearance flowers at Michaels!
The Recollections bottles of flowers are on clearance at the north Jackson Michaels! Originally $6.99, now $3.99! Lots of colors! ( These were the only ones I got a shot of but there are others.) 
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