Wandering...

Why would she wander? This puppy knows she is loved and this is where she belongs, and yet... Sydney decided to have herself a bit of an adventure last week and take off! We'd already been on a long morning walk and I brought her out front with me while I did some gardening. As I became engrossed in trimming dead fern leaves,  Sydney snuck away. My hubby looked for her at the park and around the corner, but she was nowhere to be found...

With leash in hand, I set off. I introduced myself to our new back-door neighbor who was out in his driveway and described our adorable, naughty, runaway:

As I continued up the street I realized I hadn't done the first, most important thing: to pray. 

A couple minutes after I talked with God and asked him to help me find Sydney, I heard someone calling my name. I turned around and there was my doggie walking up to the new neighbor I'd just met. Why didn't I think to pray right away?

“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” Isaiah 65:25

After taking our tired girl home and scolding her, I put her in the backyard. It wasn't long before I heard her barking so I called her indoors. That's when I spotted an adorable yellow dog on the other side of the fence.

As my hubby called the number on "Carmella's" tag, her owner appeared. His doggie was afraid of the loud machine he was using in his garage. It felt good to be able to help another pet owner since I'd just found my runaway girl...

Dogs aren't the only ones who sometimes feel the need to wander. There are times when people run from more than just their location. Frustration, fear and desire to try new things are just a few of the motivations that cause people to stray from home, their marriages or their faith in Jesus. The bible tells the story of the Prodigal son;  a run-away son who comes home and was welcomed back by his father. Check out Luke 15:11-32 to read about it.

Lessons Learned:
1. Jesus cares about every little detail, including runaway pets.
2. Doing things God's way instead of our  way is for our own good.
3. God always welcomes us back whether we've strayed for moments or years...

My hubby and I are leaving home tomorrow. We're off to Nashville to see our child #2.
Y'all, I can't wait!!

Have you had a run-away lately? Or have you been the wandering one?...

In His Grip,
Jane
xo                                             Thanks for stopping by See Jane Learn.

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time...

July has not been the best month for our family finances... We've been the target of fraud, medical bills are arriving, plus I'm still legally blond and gullible. 

I've been putting off going to the Mall partly because of the expensive bridge toll, and mostly so I won't get too excited at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale when all I really need are two things at the cosmetics counter. Some of my favorite beauty products are pretty inexpensive and found at drugstores or Target, but a couple items I love are made by Bobbie Brown and Clinique which is only found at department stores. I'll have to share my personal favorites in a future post.

So...I'm almost out of eye cream and serum and I was scanning Facebook when BAM! Christie Brinkley and Diane Sawyer (two faces a bit older and a lot prettier than mine) were attached to some products. The deal was a trial for just the cost of shipping. I was excited to get eye cream and serum for under $12 and it would keep me from heading to Nordstrom!

WARNING! DO NOT DO WHAT I DID. THERE ARE SOME ADDED COSTS NOT MENTIONED...

My bank notified me I'd overdrawn due to an unexpected charge of over  $175 from the Lumare Skin company. What??? I immediately called and had a little "chat" with the company's customer service. I had been enrolled in an ongoing deal... (Did any of you ever order Proactive for your teens and thought that was annoying?)

I never saw prices or membership mentioned. I'd unknowingly opened one of the products so I can't return it but I am getting half my $$ back and I'm NOT EVER GETTING MORE OF THEIR PRODUCT. I will use it up and I'd better start to look TV and magazine ready!!

It's been awhile since I've made such an idiotic choice that sounded like a good idea at the time.

My hubby has also been guilty of falling for "the deal." There was a vacation weekend when we lived in upper Illinois and had four littles under the age of eight. that we will never forget. My hubby found a "great deal" for a family "resort" on Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin. The photos and description were just what we were looking for and the price was right! It was a two hour drive and we couldn't wait to have fun beach time.

Perhaps their marketing was not completely honest?? Or brilliant, depending on how you look at it...

Here's what we found upon arrival at the "resort": a room so small we couldn't open the door all the way without crashing it into one of the saggy beds (where would our port-a-crib go?), a dirty room without air-conditioning, and no sunny beach area (just a rocky, shady, high-bank dirt area.) Needless to say we were discouraged. We tried to make the best of it the first night and went for a boat ride the next day.

While out on the lake saw something in the distance... Cue the choir singing.

The most beautiful resort was right next door. Even though money was tight, my hubby made the wise decision to move us over to the Osthoff Resort for our second night. It was amazing. The kids played at a sandy beach, we swam in the pool, and the big kids got to see 4th of July fireworks over the lake. It was worth it to spend a bit lot more. 

The place we stayed our first night back in the mid-90's is no longer in operation. It's been completely remodeled, changed owners and is probably fun for young families. Hopefully the brochures are truthful.

Lesson Learned: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is... RESEARCH!

Have you ever made a decision that sounded like a good idea at the time but you later came to regret?

In His Grip,

Jane

Thanks for stopping by See Jane Learn!

What I Learned in June

I'm linking up with Emily P. Freeman at Chatting at the Sky. Here's what I learned in June, 2015:

1. Marriage and weddings are on my mind, and so is a new song. Yep, since my son, child #3, is planning an October wedding this Mother of the Groom is having fun listening to their plans for their special day. Of course I'm also scoping  out Pinterest for ideas and checking out books from the library. What I REALLY appreciate, is that my son and his fiancé are aware that they are also planning for their marriage~all the days that follow day one as husband and wife. 

All around me there are SO many couples separating and divorcing and struggling. (Even Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck are splitting. Sad!) I'm sure they weren't thinking about that possibility when they were planning their weddings. Marriage is wonderful...but hard! Without including God into the relationship that He invented it seems impossible... 

Casting Crowns has a new song out that I love called "Broken Together." Listen and I think you'll love it too.

 2. My bedroom was a crime scene. We sell the cutest sleep buddies at Charlie Barnes called "Herbal Animals." They have cute names and smell wonderful. Mine is filled with lavender. I need it DARK in order to sleep, so my sheep is always by me in bed, ready to pop on my eyes. Do not ask my husband how he feels about it! I woke up one morning and it looked like my sheep had been murdered; there was a small slit in the seam and lavender was all over the bed... It was also stuck all over my face since I've been putting Vaseline and scar salve on my nose. I stitched her up and she's good as new!

3. My favorite new "genre" of music is called Yacht Rock. No we can't afford a yacht like some people in our age group that the genre was created for, but the music is great. Everything 1970's is coming back in style, even the music!

4. I've been to 35 of the 50 states. I took that test you might have seen on Facebook. It's fun to see all the places I've been (or at least driven through.) Here are the 15 I hope to visit someday: Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Rhode Island. The Carolina's and the upper East Coast states are on my wish list to see first. How many states have you been to?

5. There have been a lot of Christians talking about the Supreme Court Decision and this wonderful response is my favorite. It's written by Kristen from We are THAT Family. I love her heart, ideas and passion for helping others.

6. Our area now has the K-love radio station on 104.5 F.M. I missed it when we returned from Chicago!  Yesterday I heard the disc jockey on K-Love mentioning the Veggie Burger at Burger King so I tried it. I'm more of a Carnivore, but since I'm attempting to eat healthier I gave it a try and it was not bad!

7. It doesn't always rain in the Northwest in June.  The golfers and spectators that came here for the Chamber's Bay U.S. Open Tournament experienced hot, sunny weather. It was a long, hard, hilly course with zero shade. Maybe the venue wasn't super popular, but I believe the Nation saw how beautiful our area is. We didn't have tickets to attend, but enjoyed seeing our former Fox Island neighborhood on T.V. and seeing all the private planes at our local airport. 

What did you learn in June?

In His Grip,

Jane

Thanks for stopping by See Jane Learn!