"I Love You and I Like You"

Lauren's joy is hard to contain right now. Daddy got her some Thor gear and a FOX chest protector and she is just beside herself with glee.


The only thing missing is the boots and they're on order. Oh, and the motorcycle...


She has wanted gear for so long, she's been known to sneak down to Matt's (21 yr old brother) room and swipe his chest protector and wear it around the house. Although it is more like a giant full length shield when she has it on.

So when her packages came yesterday she was dancing for joy!

She put it on right away and wore it all evening. We even let her wear the shirt to bed after she begged.

As if all that wasn't darling enough, the cutest moment came when she jumped up on Daddy, wrapped those tiny little arms around his neck and proclaimed, "Daddy, I love you...and I like you!"

There's something so endearing when you hear..."I like you."

We say "I love you" alot around here, and it's wonderful, but when someone that loves you says "I like you" it seems to take on a deeper meaning. It's even more personal.

So maybe today when you tell your spouse that you love them, you might want to add that you like them and see if it doesn't make them smile.

It sure did with us.

I'm praying for our marriages,
Sue

I have to add this because it was so funny...when Lauren went to bed, she put the pants in her closet, closed the door and then stacked toys in front of the door to barracade it shut. I'm not sure if she was keeping others OUT of the closet or making sure the pants didn't up and run away....

A Snappy New Look for Praise and Coffee

Of course you've noticed the awesome new look here on the blog done by Mary Mary Quite Contrary Design Shop!!

But have you also seen the new Praise and Coffee website design yet?

While you're over there, check out the info about starting a new Praise and Coffee Night in your community!

Call a bunch of girlfriends and do it.

There are no church walls at Praise and Coffee and no leadership requirements, just a heart to share His love with the girlfriends in your life!

Friday Fluff~ Lots of Random with a Side of Ranting

I haven't done a Friday Fluff in a long time! Basically it's a post about a whole lot of nothing that is swimming around in my brain.

If you are totally bored, grab a cup of coffee and enter my world.

God is great, coffee is good, people are crazy.

People ARE crazy! And I admit, I'm right at the front of the line with the crazies.

But, why do some people insist on living their life in dysfunction?

It's not like they've never heard about God's peace...but apparently it doesn't appeal to them.

Yes, I know they are just so deceived that they don't see the truth for what it is...blah, blah, blah.

Maybe it's time to put your big girl pants on and grow up.

(Ok, that was not random, that would qualify more as a rant...guilty. Go ahead and tell the world about it on your facebook page...that's where all the rational people settle their disputes right?! Ooops, ranting again...time to move on...)

*******

Let the randomness begin...

Mothers, do you ever find yourself saying the craziest things and when you hear them come out of your mouth you just shake your head?

Just yesterday I found myself saying:

"NO! I don't want to draw an igloo!"

I mean, what is wrong with me?

Do I have a problem with igloos?

Maybe it's the cold I'm avoiding?

Why am I so opposed to such a simple task?

Maybe because I was up to my elbows in dishwater.

But still, a better mom would have dried her hands and drawn an igloo.

*******

Speaking of drawing, Lauren drew a portrait of me the other day.

She made me hold perfectly still for this...I'm not kidding! I was scolded if I even tried to itch.

She would stare at me for what seemed an eternity then turn and draw my nose which as you can see is practically a perfect interpretation of my actual nose.

Then she came and lifted my hair and said, "I can't wait to have big ears like yours."

I didn't think I had big ears but I'm never pulling my hair up again.

I do agree with Facebook friends who saw this and said that I am looking noticably thin. Might need to double up on the chocolate.

*******

I went for an oil change this week. It really brings out the crazy in me. Something about driving in that garage with a huge hole under the truck freaks me out.

I'm just sure that I'll fall into the hole and never be seen again.

Once I pull in safely and breathe a sigh of relief...I quickly turn off my truck, yank my keys out of the ignition and throw them down to the floor. I know that I will accidently forget where I am in the middle of the oil change and start my truck to hear music or check the time. It will be just the moment that there is no oil in my truck and it will immediately burst into flames. So I hastily throw them to the floor.

It never fails, this is when the scary man with few teeth, listening to AC/DC's "Back in Black" approaches the truck to ask me my mileage, which means I have to turn the key on.

So I fish the keys from my floor board while he stares at me perplexed at their location.

This is when I become a frightened school girl again and nervously admit that I'm 1,000 miles over. I wait for the slap on the wrist...nothing, whew dodged the bullet. But of course he's thinking about what a loser I am for not taking care of my vehicle.

After I give him my mileage, I quickly pull the keys out and decide they can sit in the cup holder just in case I need them again.

Lauren picks this time to get up and start bouncing a basketball in the truck (it's an Excusion, we have a full court in there) and I immediately scream at her to stop because surely the bouncing ball in the truck will upset the scary men under the truck and who knows what could happen then.

I spend the time Twittering my anxieties while Lauren sulks until I hand her my phone to play games on. The scary men can't possibly be bothered by that.

Finally it's over. I drive out thankful to be done again for a few thousand miles, and breathe a sigh of relief that no one was hospitalized.

I told you it brought out the crazy in me.

******

I am leading a Bible study at my house this month on Wednesday nights, it is a great group of girlfriends and we are having a wonderful time.

This week though, for some reason my nose got a tickle. I sneezed 486 times in 2 hours. I literally held my finger under my nose as I shared my heart and soul about the beauty of a woman of faith.

It was bizarre.

I don't know what else to say except thank you to all those sweet ladies that put up with it.

I have awful allergies, especially to cats, but I don't think anyone brought a cat...at least I didn't see one.

Next week I will double up on the Claritin and check their purses for cats.

******

Ok, if you read this far, you really need to get a hobby because you are one bored woman!

But thank you, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!!!!

EDITED TO ADD:

I'm so sorry if you left a comment and it disappeared, I am using a new comment system and not sure what happened, but they all disappeared. I did read them all though and am hoping that doesn't happen again!

In the Mud? It's Might be Time to Cry

I'm thinking on this today...I pray it touches your heart too!

Psalms 40:1-3
I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be astounded.
They will put their trust in the LORD.
NLT

"He heard my cry"
A pre-requisite for being pulled out of the mud might be a "cry"...thank You Lord....I can do that!

No Full Length Mirrors Please!!

Let’s take a look in the mirror girls.

No, not the bathroom one and heavens no, not the full length one!

Those are straight from the pit, I'm just sure of it!

We see that one all the time and work pretty hard to change that reflection, or at least we think about how much we wish that image would change…and then have a little more chocolate (or is that just me…).

But I’m talking about the mirror we look into that reflects our hearts. Truth be told, we probably worry a lot more about the other mirrors. I can become obsessed with the size of my jeans but not think one bit about the fact that I’ve become a real …shall we say…”witch” to my husband.

~big sigh~

God’s given us such a high calling as wives, and how often do I throw that calling under the bus for things that seem more important to me at the time.

Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him." NLT

Every translation I look at describes the woman as a “help, helper or help meet” to her husband.

Sometimes I forget that, tell me I’m not alone girls…

Our God created us to be a helper to our husband and when I look at myself in that mirror I fall really short sometime. We can get so busy balancing life, like one of those circus clowns spinning plates all over the place, that we completely forget we were created with a purpose in our marriage.

But, if God’s called us to do it, He will equip us for it. Sometimes we have to ask ourselves if we’ve purposed in our hearts to be his helper.

What ways can we be a better helper?

What about encourager?

Yes, I hear you over there screaming at me (you aren’t the first and won’t be the last) “but I have needs too!! I could use some help and encouragement once in a awhile!”

Yes, you are right, but it does not say that our husband was created to be our helper or to fill that need.

Who is our helper?

Psalms 121:1-2
I look up to the mountains--
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made the heavens and the earth!
NLT

Psalms 54:4
But God is my helper.
The Lord is the one who keeps me alive!
NLT

Hebrews 13:6
That is why we can say with confidence
"The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid.
NLT

It is wonderful when a married couple work together as one and are focused on meeting each other’s needs, but what does a wife do when that doesn’t happen?

Give up- quit and figure that God doesn’t want you happy??? NO!

My advice is to follow the Lord for your own life and hide yourself in God who will pour Himself into you as you depend on Him.

He WILL bring you peace, joy, hope all the things you so desperately need.

Let God be your all in all.

In doing so, you will become a better wife and mom -and face it-much stronger woman of faith!
I have watched many marriages heal and get stronger when the wife looks to God for her love and acceptance. Suddenly the man sees the wife as someone who is not disappointed with him, but is happy and complete and she becomes more appealing to him than ever.


I'm praying for our marriages!
Sue

After leaving a comment, go check this great post that Kristine wrote after reading this one:
Kristine at Escaping the Cauldron

March Spotlight ~ thank you!

Hello Ladies!


If you are stopping by here after meeting me at the "A Woman Inspired-Get Revived!" online conference, WELCOME! So nice to meet you! Please leave a comment introducing yourself to me, I'd love to know where you're from and what God is up to in your life!


AND I'm doing a special giveaway for those of you that attended...so if you did...leave a comment and you are entered to win a Praise and Coffee mug, I'll do the drawing tomorrow.

EDITED on March 19th TO ADD: The winner is: Karen Hammons!!!

Also, I want to share the March "A Woman Inspired" newsletter where we are the spotlight feature:


A Woman Inspired ~ March 2010


(Thank you Holly for thinking of me, that was so sweet!)




The whole newsletter is power-packed with great articles for women!

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Ok, sorry if I brought back memories of Tom Petty singing this song...if you don't know who Tom Petty is or what I'm talking about, be thankful.

I talk to women online and in person all the time that are waiting...their waiting for breakthrough in their marriage. They've been praying and holding on to hope for a long time.

Waiting is not easy, but God understands that and gives us so many powerful words concerning the wait.

Psalms 27:14
Wait patiently for the LORD.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.
NLT

Ps 37:7
Be still in the
presence of the LORD,
and wait patiently for Him to act.
NLT

Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly
high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and
not faint.
NLT

Gal 6:9
So don't get tired of doing what is good.
Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.
NLT

The waiting is part of the journey. Don't despise this time and think that you cannot enjoy life or find hope along the way. THIS is part or the journey.
There is joy in the journey if we look for it.

Psalms 62:8
O my people, trust in Him at all times.
Pour out your heart to
Him,
for God is our refuge.
NLT

Finding our refuge in God is the most beautiful place to be and (when we look back on our life) often we cherish it more than the actual "breakthrough."

When we find our comfort and joy in the Lord-in the midst of pain, that IS breakthrough. That is more precious than any earthly answer we could get.

Whatever you are waiting for...whether it's in your marriage or another part of your life...cling to God for your hope, joy and encouragement. He's right there waiting...

Your goal may be _________________ but His (God's) goal is you.
I pray that you find your hope and love in your Savior that gave everything He had to bring you into relationship with Him.

He's waiting too.

And the winner is...

And the winner of the March Praise and Coffee Giveaway is:
Debby of Love the Decor!

Congrats Debby!!!

And since I don't know how to post without sharing a little encouragement with you...

Zeph 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing." NIV

Hope you have a wonderful day!!!
Sue

Two shall become One ~ Remarriage

Whoa, it's Tuesday!
Sorry, my brain is kind of mush right now, Lauren has been sick with a bad cough and fever and that means...little sleep for me!

So instead of sit here and try to write something profound about marriage I found a great link on a subject that I haven't touched on before:

REmarriage

Here is a link to some articles on remarriage. If that is your current circumstance, I hope they are a blessing to you!

Remarriage Posts

I'm praying for our marriages!
Sue

Be A Woman Inspired!

I'm so excited and completely humbled to be a part of the line-up for this conference! I look forward to connecting with lots of new (and familiar) girlfriends!

I'll be on Thursday, March 18th at 9:30 EST.

My speaking topic:
“Never Stop Dancing to the Song in Your Head” ~ Pressing on when giving up sounds easier!

Based on a book Sue’s been working on, she’ll talk about what to do when
life shakes you up. Disappointment, change and pain can sweep into our life at unsuspecting moments and our response is crucial.

This session will discuss the importance of our relationship with God in the midst of our storms and how He walks us through the darkest times. He’s our comfort, our strength, our stability and also the One who helps us forgive when revenge seems much more appropriate.

God has great plans for us ladies, it’s time to start dancing again!

Tickets available today.

A Woman Inspired – Get Revived
March 15-19 2010

This conference is all about giving you a spiritual dose of adrenaline because we all need it sometimes. Maybe you are concerned about your calling or perhaps you are afraid to begin walking toward what God has for you. Maybe your faith has taken a nose dive and you need to be pointed back in the direction of our Lord, Jesus. Or, it could be that you just need someone to tell you that it is okay that you failed but you need to get back up! It happens to all of us.

This event’s speaker line-up is phenomenal. These are some great women of God, humble enough to serve and strong enough to stand up and proclaim His word to all who are in need of hearing it. This conference is for any woman in need of revival in her spirit.

What you can expect for only $12.95:

•Live sessions, entirely online, with some of the Christian community’s most popular speakers and authors.
•Free access to download and save the MP3’s from all the sessions, as well as all the handouts, chat logs, and/or presentations.
•Participation in real-time question and answer sessions with all of your favorite speakers.
•Lots of downloadable swag as well as entries to win some great prizes!
•The opportunity to make some new life-long friends and experience some fun and fellowship.

Here's a list of speakers
Deidra Hughes, Deidra Hughes.com
Mary Snyder, MaryRSnyder.com
Belinda Bullard, Blessed Heritage
Mandy Young, MandyYoung.com with special guest Candace Cameron Bure
Lisa McKay, The Preacher’s Wife
Kelly Minter, KellyMinter.com
Dena Dyer, DenaDyer.com
Shelly Ballestero, Beauty By God
Marsha Harwood, Marsha’s Musings
Kathy Butryn, The Heart Change Place
Lori MacMath, All You Have to Give
Tiffany Stuart, Tea with Tiffany
Kristen Schiffman, Exemplify Online
Sue Cramer, Praise and Coffee
Joy Trachsel, JoyTrachsel.com
Alisa Wagner, Faith Imagined
Lisa Shaw, Lisa Shaw Ministries
Andrea Mitchell, Under Grace and Over Coffee
Leigh Gray, LeighHargisGray.com
Angela Parsley, Refresh My Soul Ministries

Here is a direct link to the SCHEDULE.

Click here to register and follow links to each ministry: A Woman Inspired

Interview ~ Hope Today Magazine

So, I'm playing with my friends on Twitter and I get this note that Hope Today Magazine would like to interview me...whatever!

I was shocked, then excited, then scared!

I get so nervous doing these interviews! I'm just sure that they will ask a question (like, "what is your name?") and instead of coming up with a logical answer (like my name), I will panic and start saying "um, um, um" over and over again and then I will throw up.

Well, I have to tell you, Diana from Hope Today Magazine is about as sweet as a person could be and I really should have sent her flowers and candy for all the kind things she said to me. She gave me a huge compliment at the end of our interview and my response was to make some crazy noise like a cow makes when it's sneezing because a piece of hay just got shoved up it's nose.

Then at the end she asks about my legacy and I basically give my last dying words..."I want my family to know that I love them..." ~sigh~

But the good news is, I didn't throw up. Thank you Dear Lord in heaven, I didn't throw up.

And, I do want to thank them for the interview, that was most kind of them!
In all my correspondence with them, they have been super professional and very encouraging!

So anyways, I told my Facebook friends about it yesterday, but here you go bloggy buddies...if the 9 of you (including my mom and mom-in-law) that read my blog would like to hear this...here's my interview:

Hope Today Magazine ~ Sue Cramer

Two shall become One ~ Marriage is a Verb

Barbara De Angelis:
"Marriage is not a noun; it's a verb. It isn't something you get. It's something you do. It's the way you love your partner every day."

Everyday.
How are you loving your spouse today?

March Praise and Coffee Giveaway ~ Casting Crowns!

This month's praise is:

I'm loving this CD! Picked myself up one from CBD (see link on right) when I bought yours!!

AND....you'll also get some very yummy
"Praise and Coffee" label coffee!!

TO ENTER DRAWING:

~> Post a comment to THIS post.

~> Please make sure that I have a way to contact you-PLEASE!

~> If you have any "Praise and Coffee" buttons on your blog, let me know and you will be entered twice!

Here is a link to all my buttons: Blog Buttons

That's all! And feel free to blog about the giveaway or tell all your Twitter and Facebook friends by clicking on the "share" buttons below! :)

AND, in keeping with the "giveaway" mode...if you're looking for some free inspiration and encouragement, head over to the Internet Cafe' where I am talking about how God opens doors for us that we're not even knocking on!

I'm sharing a little more of my airplane story over there.