i don't always know what people are thinking...actually, i'm not God so I never know what people are thinking, but here are four very random thoughts in regards to my drive (twice) to Kettleman City in 30 hours- also known as the most beautiful city on earth. NOT!

-saw a bumper sticker that said, "I heart Spinach". OK....what makes a person share that thought? I like spinach as well, but the need for the bumper sticker....yes, we live in america.

-A huge billboard showed a picture of a smile with a gap in between the front teeth and said, "This space available". Seriously.....it was an add for rental space. I obviously saw the sign, but still think it lacked taste (ahhhh....no pun intended).

-On a large semi truck, "Expand your vocabulary - Send flowers," What....? I still don't get that.

Picture this.....standing in the middle of absolutely no where in a starbucks. You are the only one in the starbucks. Read that again....YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE IN THE STARBUCKS. You are a little hungry and thirsty-----ahhhh, order some tea and a little food that must be warmed up. No problem - you would think. Sorry, ma'm I say. I can't see the types of tea from 30 feet away (does it frustrate anyone else that starbucks does not list their tea varieties?) Do you have something with lemon and ginger, I say. A shrug from the employee. Ok....how about chamomille? Another shrug...we have something called 'calm', she says. That will do says I. I could sense a need for calm. I am handed my tea, pay for my nutrition and stare into the eyes of the employee who is NOT moving to warm up my food. She looks expectantly behind me....(let me remind you....there is NO ONE else in the place. No need to ask "what drink may I start for you"). Will someone be getting my food, I inquire? Yes, she says...we will take care of it. Now think about this...WE....who is the we? She does not move from the cash register......I'm looking around....after a couple of minutes a customer comes in behind me with a mammoth drink order - (seriously people, just order coffee - how many pumps do you need?! ) Another drives up to the drive through where an employee mysteriously pops up - oh, that must be the now famous WE. The first employee is now deep in discussion and thought taking the mammoth drink order. The second employee is also taking a large food order. The first employee is now fulfilling the mammoth drink order....HELLO PEOPLE....IS ANYONE GOING TO WARM UP MY FOOD? Apparently the Lord feels I need some work on patience. The second employee warms up numerous food products -none of which are mine. The first employee keeps staring at me as I am moving closer and closer to the freezer and microwave - face it...I was hungry. Several minutes later employee number 2 looks at me and hands me my food - somewhat warm and sad looking (the food, not the employee). I may never be able to have a peppered bacon sandwich and tea again...the memories are too dramatic. Starbucks...you made me sad.

it does remind of the time my husband and I were the only ones in a fastfood restaurant - we had a paper with the number 71 on it....the employee kept coming up to the mic and calling number 3.....number 3. Seriously...no other people in the restaurant ....ok, that is another story....as it is also the story where i was sitting on my husband's knee and he tossed me to the ground (no joke) when they finally called number 71....

i opened up photobooth and look what i discovered.
guess who was in ALL 290 photos?

Happy Birthday, David....

From My Utmost for His Highest recently.

...."Always make it a practice to stir your mind thoroughly to think through what you have easily believed. Your position is not really yours until you make it yours through suffering and study. The author or speaker from whom you learn the most is not the one who teaches you something you didn't know before, but the one who helps you take a truth with which you have quietly struggled, give it expression, and speak it clearly and boldly."

excellent thoughts....

I'm not going to preface this other than to say....watch it all the way through.


Upside Down from Pace Hartfield on Vimeo.

you know....sometimes only this will do.....(note to self..and anyone interested...i only eat the frosted blueberry poptart)

let me just say that the yellow kick out advertising made me laugh "Good Source of 7 vitamins and minerals!" I wonder which vitamins and minerals they would be referencing...

I sat in a hospital waiting room this morning....there was an older couple (late 70's) sitting together and I noticed that she was holding his hand, but in a way that was very relaxed, comfortable and obviously familiar with each other. I couldn't resist (as I seldom do....) I asked about their life together. Much to my surprise they had only been married three years, yet had known each other for 18. She was widowed and he divorced. She didn't let go of his hand until they called him in for his surgery. After he went - she, with tears in her eyes, began to tell me the entire story. She didn't think the Lord was going to give her a soul mate at this stage in her life.... it made me once again think of Ecclesiastes 3:4...

"A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance."

Souper! Friday

Soups On! Friday....was a success here are a some pics of a few of the masses..

Soups On! the event is at my home this friday....stop by any time between noon and 3pm....no need to RSVP, totally casual open house style, bring a friend.

those toes wandered off the local beaches and back to the school room today...
it was explained to me last evening by the combined owners of those toes that
school should only take 13 days TOTAL. one day for each year of school....
i can't say i really blame them....

Sojourning

Have you wandered around over at Sojourner's Journal recently? I posted there this morning. Come on over and take a read.

The above picture was staring at me as I opened up my phone yesterday morning....my niece had just completed having a very detailed ultra sound....the Lord is amazing!!!!! Care to guess the sex? No, you can't tell from this picture. I could have posted a pic that was very revealing - lets just say TOO REVEALING. But the color blue is very appropriate.....come on month of May - we want to see this little one.

spent part of the afternoon at Montano de Oro....


three pics of the Lord's handiwork...

Views from Christmas Eve...

“Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
"This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.”

Luke 2:1-20

Merry Christmas....with love, Missy

One of my favorites....by Judson Van DeVenter


All to Jesus I surrenderAll to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,In his presence daily live. I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to thee, my blessed Savior,I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender,Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,Take me Jesus, take me now. I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to thee, my blessed Savior,I surrender all.


The best recording I have ever heard of this is by Todd Smith of the group Seleh. It is one of the cuts from an upcoming album for them. I can't wait for you to hear it. Just Todd and a piano...so raw....so good. You get lost in the words....just as the Lord intended.

rough day for my littles...they are on school break,

but the mama and papa have to work..

but alas, there is a santa...(and a Savior!) they just had a little of this...

mixed with a litttle of this...
gave us this....yum!

Mythbuster Look Alikes

say hello to 'jamie and adam'....come on, you know these two...
Mythbusters fame.....ok, it is Tim and Joey dressed
for the Jr. High Group Progressive dinner...they won best duo! Woo Hoo....
(they really do look like them!)

some fun, favorite pics from the year....enjoy

I don't know about you, but i am not into our 'americanized' Christmas season. I am into and passionate about the message a murdered, homeless man, whose mother was an unwed teenager, shares...you can read it in Luke 1 and 2...

That's My Daddy!

This morning, at my church, our children's ministry presented the Christmas Story through music, scripture, and drama. I was blessed by their ability to memorize LOONNNGGG passages of scripture and bless the Lord by reciting it. There is one part of the presentation of the Gospel that jumped out at me, though...

At one point in the presentation, the 3 and 4 year olds come out on to the stage to present scripture. One of those in that group is our pastor's youngest son. He is a little guy and was looking quite pensive when he walked out. Within a minute or two he spotted his daddy sitting in the front row, and every fiber in his being changed - huge smile, a wave and joy in his eyes. The little guy then looked at an adult sitting next to him and said, "That's my daddy!".

That image has stayed with me. Our pastor didn't need to teach yesterday - his son did it for him.

We may be pensive, anxious, unsure as we walk through our day - but should we not realize the Lord is always with us? He promises not to leave us or forsake us. Look for the Lord. Call out to him and then respond as that little one did - with very fiber of our being filled with a huge smile, a wave, and joy in our eyes. Why? Because He is our daddy.

"Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.....Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for his lovingkindness, to deliver their souls from death and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name. " Psalm 33:1-3, 18-21.


Heavenly Father, your Word is a light to our path. We praise you for it. We praise you for children whom you use to remind us of exactly what we should be looking for. May we have the heart of a child...may we be filled with joy as we call to You. Amen.

woke up to this..

for some reason the rain had me thinking of seasons which led me to this...

"For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones,
and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace. "
eccl. 3:1-8

songs of faith reach not only to the hearts of the wounded and weary - they reach to the heavens...
the words from O Holy Night are really quite inspired....give it a read - i've highlighted those words that jumped out at me recently...

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

all she wants for christmas is teeth!!
she has lost 4 of them in the past two weeks....
(tooth fairy better get prepared...without naming names...we are the worst tooth fairies! it goes something like this..."did you remember to put something under her pillow....ughh...no" oops....mom! the tooth fairy didn't come last night.)

click on the picture and it will enlarge it - look at her left eye. most don't get the close up look that i do, but that is the correct colorization of her eye. it is partially brown and gold. she was brown eyed to start with (amazing given our blue eyed bunch) and then they changed, but that left one didn't completely change. the Lord makes us unique...especially this one.

i've been thinking quite a bit recently on why I love women so much....why I feel so called to minister with them and for them...to the importance of fellowship with them...i think you will relate to this video. (you can turn the music off to my site at the bottom of the page. scroll down and click the pause button on the left of the black box. then come back up and play this video)

started our day here....

drove in country to here....

spent some time today doing a little of this....

and a little of this...

and now enjoying this....

it is only 9:00 am and i am eating these....

care to comment on the type of day i am having....

It is Thursday already? Where did Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday go...? Oh yeah....

Monday - late start....i do not like late start mondays. as a matter of knowledge, i REALLY don't like them. If any of you readers are employed by the SLOCUSD, then on behalf of your friendship with me...just say NO!!! It is like having two mondays in one week....ugghhh. anyway, back to monday...kids off to school, mama off to work.

Tuesday - no late start (praise the Lord!), now time to meet with a good friend and off to work for the afternoon. I love my job, but I would have loved a nap more...

Wednesday - more work this morning, but had a nice lunch with friends, haircut for the littlest grant, homework, dinner, youthgroup and a tired mama.

See....I did make it to Thursday - don't tell anyone, but I took a vacation day. Much needed errands to run, meals to prepare, phone calls to make, and I still didn't get it all done.

Friday - what is up for you this weekend? Ours looks like this....Christmas Parade tonight, a promised breakfast in Cayucos on Saturday morning followed by selecting and chopping down the Christmas tree....decorating the house....hopefully a solitary walk on the beach for the mama..