My goodness!

It's been a while since I last posted. I'm so sorry about that. I feel like I barely have time to do anything other then work! When I do come home, I don't really feel like doing a whole lot. Coming up with a blog post classifies as a "whole lot". :D

So how has everyone been? I know that spring is a busy time for a lot of you folks, what with gardens and animals and all that stuff. Actually, it's not really spring anymore, is it?! It's getting towards summer. Here in Texas things are heating up! Today's weather was really nasty: hot temps+rain=humidity that's through the roof! Ugh, not fun to be outside in at all. :)

I'm sure you are all wondering what happened to Devin: well, we ended up sending him back. I was disappointed, to say the least. I still miss him. But dad said we could eventually get a puppy, so now I'm just waiting for the right time. At least we know now that this family HAS to get a puppy, or else the dog doesn't adjust well to us at all.

Work is going well; I've been grooming for 7 going on 8 months now, and I've worked for almost a year. Wow time flies!

OK, well, it's time to sign off!
Blessings in Christ,
~E

Prayer please...

Hi all. :) I have a prayer request; a couple, actually. For me this time. :) We are having to give my poodle, Devin, back to the lady I got him from. My little sister grabbed him and he bit her several times. It's not his fault, he's just never been taught to not defend himself. Dogs have a pretty sensitive "freak out"button, especially when they have been neglected/abused like Devin. I experiance it all the time at work. They just can't help it...and sadly, we can't have that around. SO, he's going back soon. Please just pray for me; it's really hard. I love him a lot...he's a really good dog with some serious problems. And I don't have the time to fix him right now. I'm just really struggling with having to send him back to someone who can't take care of him properly. His previous owner works 6 days a week and sleeps the rest of her time; after all, she is like 67 or so. She simply does not have time for all the dogs she owns. I love all dogs, and I hate to see them uncared for; now I'm forced to place one of mine in a home like that! It's very upsetting, to say the least. So please pray for peace and that I'll be able to maintain respect for my parents; they are the ones saying I have to do this, and if I'm not careful I could get bitter/resentful towards them. I really don't want to do that. ;)

The other request: Patsy (hound mix) has a very likely cancerous lump on her belly. I'm almost certain that it is cancer; she's old, and this lump grew up very quickly. So I'm looking at losing another dog within probably a year or two. Or less, depending on what kind it is. I'm really dreading losing her....we've had her for 10 yrs now, and we all love her dearly. It's going to take me down. I've not ever lost a dog except for our Scottie, who wandered off. I was so young that I didn't really go through a lot of emotional upheaval. Patsy is going to be way different. It's going to hurt for a long time....so please just pray for Patsy and my family right now. :) We're all worried about her.

Thanks everyone!! I'm very thankful for my "family" I have via blogging, UE, and email. :)

Love,

~E

Modesty...

I've seen a lot of posts circulating about this issue. I figured that now was a good time to take my turn. :D

I want to focus on an aspect of modesty that is not always thought about: the heart. Most people look only at the clothes they are buying: how long/short the skirt is, how low that neckline plunges, etc. etc. But do we take time to also examine our hearts? I know I don't. At least, not as often as I should. ;) My desire should not be to "push the limits" with my dress and be as "stylish" as I can; rather it should be to honor God in both the way I dress AND the way I act.

Think about it this way: two young Christian girls are walking down the street together. One wears something close to a tent (:D slight exaggeration there. ;)) The other could lengthen her skirt, pull her neckline up a little, and buy a size larger. The girl in the "tent" is trying to catch the eye every young man she sees, talks and laughs loudly, and is generally being rather flirtatious; her friend, however, walks along quietly and discreetly, with a meek and quiet attitude. Which one do you think is more modest? I would personally choose the girl who could probably improve her dress standards. Her attitude and heart are to be a modest, God-honoring young women. In time, God will show her the areas of her dress that need work.

So instead of always thinking about how other girls are dressing, let's take a look at their heart. Do they honestly desire to serve God? If so, trust God that He will take care of their dress standards. After all, a God big enough to split an entire sea is probably big enough to move the heart of a women desiring to be in tune with him. :) As for the other young women: prayer works wonders.

And most importantly: don't look at others more then yourself. That's so hard, you know?! I certainly have a hard time with it. Often though, the very fault you point out in others is right there in you. So when you get the urge to judge, turn and have a good look at yourself. I know that after I've done that, I don't tend to want to look at others anymore; they seem so much better than me! :D

Until next time,

~E

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
Chorus:
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

Chorus(x2)

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine

I'm not usually a fan of Chris Tomlin....but this is one song that really touches me. I really love the way my brother can sing it....I wish y'all could hear it. He (IMO) puts something into it that Tomlin totally misses. I think it's called: true and honest worship. I know that Chris Tomlin does worship God, but it is tainted with a desire to also put on a show. (That's all my opinion of course. ;)) You can watch the youtube video here: Amazing Grace

Love in Christ,

~E

Quick update...

I've not had much time to post here (as may be obvious.) but thought I'd give a quick update. My fam's been sick on and off for the past few weeks; the flu got us again. :P I've just been plugging away at work. One good thing about that: I finally went onto commission!! I was really excited about that...now I can make some real money. :D Oh, I've also started Government...we found out not too long ago that I actually had not taken Government; we just thought I had. SO, now I'm having to make up for our mistake. GRR! I just keep remembering to be thankful in all things. ;) At least it's only one subject.

OK, well, those are the main highlights of life in the past few weeks. :) Hopefully I'll get around to posting something more interesting. I'm thinking that I might say something about modesty, seeing as it is a very popular subject...hmmm. I'll just have to think about it. :D

~E

Our Texas Snowstorm!

The weatherman was actually right for once...we got the snow that was predicted!! The kids were so excited; they even built a snowman. Hopefully it'll keep going. That would be great!

Reviews of cosmetics

I know this is kinda random....but I felt like doing something different!! :D So, here is a (probably partial. ;)) list of some cosmetics I've used and my ratings, using a scale of 10. It will include: face cleanser, moisturizer, shampoo, hair conditioner, and make up.

Face cleansers:

(5) Neutrogena soap bars: These are OK....not the greatest, as they dried my skin out, but would probably work pretty well for those with oily skin.

(7) Cetaphil: I really liked their old formula....it was gentle, non-drying, and perfect for my skin. However, they have since changed their recipe, and now it makes me break out with acne; I think the fragrance is the cause.

(8) Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream: I really like this stuff. However, it is pretty expensive and is only for people with dry skin. It is VERY oily. I give it a bonus point for not having either of the SLSs. :)

(4) Burt's Bees Peach and Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub: this stuff is not that great....it's extremely thick, oily, and filmy....I would recommend it for only very dry skin; skin that's even dryer then mine!! I find that it's hard to rinse off, too....def. not worth the price in my opinion!

(10) Aveeno Active Naturals Ultra Calming Moisturizing Cream Cleanser: this stuff is AMAZING!! I really like it. It's not too expensive and does an excellent job without drying while still removing all dirt/makeup. It also takes care of any break outs I get. (Which are mercifully few. :D) However, it probably would not work for oily skin, as it is a cream and is not oil free.

I've also tried one other face cleanser of Aveeno's and really liked it too.

Moisturizer:

(10) Burt's Bee's Radiance Night Cream: I love this stuff....it does an awesome job making my skin very smooth without any dry feeling. It's also very natural, which is great! It's only drawback is the price...which is pretty high. However, a 2 or 3 oz jar lasts me for 6 months.

(7) Olive Oil: works OK....makes your skin very greasy and shiny looking!! Not to mention you smell weird after using it. :D But it is very cheap...which is great! So if you don't mind the smell and shininess, go for it!

(10) Neutrogina Intense Moisture Day Cream (with SPF 15): Great stuff!! The best yet...I think it compares with the Burt's bees night cream. :) And it's not nearly as expensive, although the ingrediants are not as natural. However, it does not make my skin break out, and that's quite an accomplishment!! :D I'm also trying the Neutrogina Night Cream; I'll come back with the rating for that later. :)

Shampoo:

I don't remember all the ones I've used....so I'll just review the ones I do remember.

(5) White Rain: very cheap, easy to find, and does a pretty good job of cleaning. However, there are def. better options. :)

(6) Suave: again, cheap, easy to find, and does a pretty good job. Slightly better then White Rain, IMO.

(10) Burt's Bees Shampoo: best I've used yet. Doesn't cause my forhead to break out (I'm allergive to SLS), makes my hair very soft and shiny, has a pleasant smell, and doesn't strip all oil off my hair. It's also very natural! However, it is pretty expensive, although a little goes a long way. :)

Hair Conditioner:

Again, I don't remember all of the ones I've tried...here are most of them though.

(3) Suave: CHEAPO!!!! The scents are either totally unappetizing or too strong, both of which are not great. ;) I don't think it does anything for hair anyway...I didn't notice a difference!

(10) Burt's Bees Conditioners: these are as good as their shampoo!! My hair really loves these formulas. I feel that they make my hair very manageable, and when you have thick hair that's really nice. ;)

Burt's Bees Deep Conditioner is also great, although I'm not sure if there is a difference between that and the regular conditioner.

Makeup:

I'm not going to review each individual product....that would take too long! Instead I'm just going to review the brands, list what I've tried, and tell you what I liked. :)

Maybelline:

I've tried their liquid mineral foundation, mineral mousse blush, mascara, mineral and regular face powder, lip gloss, and eye shadow. Of those, I would recommend the foundation (it gives very sheer coverage, which is all I need. ;)) mascara, regular powder, lip gloss, and blush. The eye shadow is too glittery (which tends to be messy and get all over your face!) and powdery. The mineral powder is just awful, IMO...it looks sooo fake!!


Rimmel London:

I've tried their blush, eye shadow, and powder. So far, I'd recommend all! I've not found anything about any of them that makes me wish I'd chosen differently. The powder especially is very nice.

Covergirl:

I've tried their mascara and eyeshadow. Both were fine....although the eye shadow was a bit on the powdery/glittery side. Not too bad though. The mascara is probably the best I've tried. It makes your lashes look nicer without making them look and feel heavy/too dark.

Bonnebelle:

I've tried their lipgloss and mascara. I like their prices....and the product is decent, too. The lipgloss is great, especially if you want shine and moisture.

OK, so there you have it: most of the products I would recommend and the ones I do not. Hope you enjoyed it!!


Have a great evening and night!!

~E

A giveaway...

Eldarwen is hosting her own giveaway over at The Faithful Elven Princess. Head over and check it out!! The prizes are neat...come on, go ahead, it only takes a few seconds!! :D

Have a great evening everyone!!

~E

Another great award!

Carrie over at The Blog of a Writing Maiden awarded me! Thanks Carrie!

The rules:

1. List 8 stories or books that you would like to live in.

2. List 8 other bloggers who deserve this award.

3. Comment on their blog and tell them they won an award.

OK, stories or books I would like to live it...hmmm.

This Present Darkness

Chronicles of Narnia

The Bible :D

The Bronze Bow

The Black Stallion

(I'm running out of ideas. :D)

Black Horses for the King

Big Red

Old Yeller

I award:

Eldarwen Falariel

Mimi

FaithnGrace girl

Bethany

Kathleen

Hope

Patrick

OK, those are all the people I know on here! So it'll have to do. :) ;)

Have a blessed evening!

~E

A great Award!

Eldarwen Falariel (www.thefaithfulelvenprincess.blogspot.com) got this award and the gave it to all her unmarried lady followers. I thought it was very lovely. In turn, I also give it to all who are unmarried and a lady. :)

~E