*seeking Peace in a storm

Resolution Definition: From Google A firm decision to do or not to do something A formal expression of opinion or intention agreed on by a legislative body, committee, or other formal meeting, typically after taking a vote   The quality of being determined or resolute The action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter The passing of a discord into a concord during the course of changing harmony The disappearance of inflammation, or of any other symptom or condition The process of reducing or separating something into its components The replacing of a single force or other vector quantity by two or more jointly equivalent to it The conversion of something abstract into another form The substitution of two short syllables for one long one The smallest interval measurable by a scientific (esp. optical) instrument; the resolving power The degree of detail visible in a photographic or television image I've never looked at the definition of the word

So. I had a thought this morning. A big one actually. The thought led to the question, "Am I recognizable?" To God To Fellow Believers To Strangers To Myself Let me tell you a very short story: I was driving to work this morning, in a bit of a hurry. I was running really late. I mean, after 8 days off for Christmas vacation (a post and pictures will be posted soon), it takes a couple of days to get back into the swing of things.  To get to my office, I have to turn down a dirt road and about 1/10th of a mile, come to a guard shack with a gate that is only opened with my ID badge, or the nice guards press a button and the gate opens so that I never even have to stop. :) I barely made the turn down the road and the gate began to open. The guard, B.F., recognized my car and as I drove past, he smiled and waved 'Good Morning' to me.  And at that moment ladies and gentlemen, I asked the question, "Am I recognizable?" Not

My favorite time of the year! I don't like being out in the cold, but I sure enjoy it being cold, so that we can turn the heat on, wear warm, fuzzy pajamas and socks, make hot cocoa, chili and cornbread, bake cookies, snuggle under blankets, decorate the house, give gifts to family and friends (and even strangers), think back on memories from Christmases past, and really truly remind ourselves of the TRUE meaning of Christmas! (I posted about my thoughts on that back in November.) As much joy as this season brings to me, sometimes I get a little down. Yesterday was the 2 year anniversary of my step-mom's death. Marla Hornsby. She became a good friend to me during her 5 or so year marriage to my dad before she passed. I was thinking of her, remembering times that we shared together, things that she said to me, her smile, her laughter, how she loved to dance with my Aspen...how she was the first person to make Aspen have a long, heavy fit of laughter when she was just mo

Gonna catch up and finish up the month of November, Month of Thanks Series! Day 22: I'm thankful for the thorns. Read THIS !  I was convicted to share this with a very good friend of mine and I pray that you will find as much appreciation of that story as I have! Day 23: Thankful for my family and friends! I could have mentioned SO MANY names on this one, because when I stop and think about how many of you that I truly thank God for, I am overwhelmed! I've lost many things in my life, but one thing that I realize I haven't lost is family, and that includes the friends that I am speaking of. I love you all so very much...each person holds a special place in my life, and I do thank God each time I think of you! So if you get that feeling in your heart when you are reading this, you probably know that you are one of the people I am talking about! Thank you for being there for me, for putting up with me and for loving me no matter what! Philippians 1:3 "Eve

**I realize that Thanksgiving has not even gotten here yet, but I felt so convicted to post this. I want to begin by just saying that inspiration for this post came from my baby sister saying these exact words to me today on the phone. I'm asking for prayer for her and her family as they go through some rough times...and mostly, I am asking for prayer for her salvation and the salvation of her family. Thanks** "I'm not doing Christmas this year!" That is what my sister told me today on the phone. She had called for my address to send me a card, so I asked if it was a Christmas card, and that was her reply. When I asked her why, she responded with a list of things that are more important than presents and gifts, and pointed out how all of those things, bills, and responsibilities, left her family with little money to buy gifts. This troubles me because a few years ago, I probably would have said the same thing. Christmas has been commercialized to the point th

The following are my days of giving thanks 14-21: (I missed posting while enjoying each and every one!) Day 14: My new cd, The Story! Picked it up tonight at Lifeway and Aspen and I already love it! What a way to review stories from the Bible! If you haven't checked it out already, you must: http://www.thestorycd.com/   It is amazing and I am so thankful for it!  Day 15: Siesta Scripture Memory Team or SSMT! My verses are here: http://seekingpeaceinastorm.blogspot.com/p/ssmt-2011.html To read all about it and check out THOUSANDS of other verses that many, many other women are choosing to memorize, follow this link: http://blog.lproof.org/category/scripture-memory-2011 Day 16: SLEEP. I saw a quote on Pinterest that I just had to share, because it seriously sums my thinking up completely!!! Day 17: Today I am thankful for my second born child, my son, Hunter Garrett Milam. I can't believe he is almost 2! His smile, his voice, his soft hand holding mine, his sweet

We've had a crazy week/weekend with our lovely daughter getting into trouble at school and then Saturday a water pipe busted and flooded our front/side yard, so we were without water for 36 hours or so, and wow...life has just been hitting us pretty hard! BUT, I give thanks none the less! Day 10: Today I am thankful for my first born: My beautiful daughter Aspen Allayne Milam. God brought her into our lives in October of 2005 with the news that we were pregnant...and she was born June 10, 2006. She brightens my life and truly changed the way that I think about so many things. I love her so much! Day 11: 2 things today: 1st, all Veterans of our country. I am thankful for their willing sacrifice to make our lives in the United States free and blessed. 2nd, one of my best true friends ever- She has been here for me since we were children; she has been there through many mistakes, many heartbreaks- laughter, fun, trouble, miracles, pain, blessings, and lots of love. You fit

Day 7 of giving thanks: I am so thankful for my husband-the man God gave to me, to be complete and unified with. Josh Milam. We have been together 7 years, and each day I fall more and more in love with him. He works so hard to provide for our family, and he balances my craziness and worrying ways! He is a wonderful husband to me, and the best daddy to our beautiful children.  I don't know where I would be without him. I love him more than he will ever know! Day 8 of giving thanks : Our sponsored child, Uwimpuhwe Oliva from Rwanda. We received a letter from her 2 days ago, and it is always so exciting to open it and read her sweet words. She loves to go to school and she keeps a journal to record Bible verses that she learns. I thank God for the opportunity to help her through sponsorship and the great privilege of getting to know her! (I'm thankful that wonderful husband of mine that I mentioned on day 7 was moved by God at the Love Worth Fighting For event to begin spo

The verse on my phone today is Isaiah 40:31 "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." In order to have my strength renewed, I must hope in the Lord. The Archaic definition of hope is "to have confidence; trust." http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ And that renewing, the result of our trust will be like soaring on wings, running without getting fatigued, walking without being feeble. Or another definition of the word "faint" is "Lacking conviction, boldness, or courage". http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ So another way to see this result of our trust, this walking and not fainting, is our walk with God will be full of His conviction, His boldness and His courage in us! Just one little verse that I have heard or read dozens of times, and yet today, He shed new light on it for me. He is amazing. He intrigues me

Thinking about what I am thankful for, and there are so many things! The first 5 days were all very minor blessings, but blessings none the less. Today I want to share something a little more meaningful: My brother, Ryan Scott Hornsby. I am so thankful that God gave me him as a baby brother. He is such a wonderful man, seeking God and walking in the Light day in and day out. I had the privilege of him staying with my family for about 3 1/2 years, and I am amazed at his growth and maturity. He is involved in mission work and very involved in his church, helping with the youth every chance he gets and literally trusting God for every single necessity. He is a truly an inspiration, blesses my life and the life of my kids and I am thankful for him each day!! WE LOVE YOU RYAN! :)

Day 5 of giving thanks: I am thankful for washing machines (I know, surprising, right?)...after two days of Hunter throwing up on almost every blanket and towel, the washing machine has been one of my best friends :) And here is a pic of my little guy sleeping today: He is feeling much better since this morning! And we all have clean sheets and towels :) Praise God! 

I was sitting in my living room eating lunch, and I glanced out the window, watching the wind in the trees. I noticed 2 trees right beside eachother, one green, with a little bit of yellow and the other mostly reddish-brown. At that moment, seriously, I about jumped for joy! I'm pretty sure I jumped up and down and loudly proclaimed "Wow!". Ok, so back to what I had seen---the trees, two of them, different colors. Look at the trees this time of year, their colors are changing, each tree is different from the one right beside it. Now, the thing that I found interesting and incredible, is that these trees have endured the same exact conditions! They have been exposed to identical circumstances, and yet, they look completely different from eachother! Okay, I came up with the most obvious reason for this difference on my own: they could be different types/species of trees, which means that they won't react the same to weather and climate conditions. Then I did a

So, on Facebook, I have been posting each day what I am thankful for, you know, since it is November, the month of Thanksgiving. And I decided to begin of course on November 1st with, I wouldn't say what I am least thankful for, but, just some smaller things and work my way up, so that on Thanksgiving, November 24th, I will post what I am most thankful for, the most meaningful thing in my life! Today is the 4th, so I will list days 1-4: 11/1/11--- I just love November! So for Day 1 of giving thanks, I am thankful for this month---a reminder of all that I have to be thankful for! Thank you God for this season of Thanksgiving! ♥ 11/2/11---Day 2 of giving thanks: Praise & Worship Music! It helps get me back on track! :) Definitely thankful for Christian Music Radio, like K-Love and AFR! 11/3/11---Day 3 of giving thanks: Four walls that surround me, almost at all times: home, work, church...today it is cold and windy, and I pray for those without a safe, warm place to go.

I've been distant for a while...not just from the blogging world, but from a lot of different things, for a lot of different reasons. #1 I'M IN A SLUMP Ever been there? I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel right now. I am overwhelmed and completely tired. And, it shows! Step one foot in my house and you will see evidence of my slump. Take a look at my paperwork stack at work (and home) and you will see pieces of my slump. Any night of the week, if you came to my house, you would see me in my slump, staying up way too late with so much on my mind, exhausted, yet I cannot sleep. Any morning of the week, if you were to wake me up first thing, you would see the slump on my face, in my voice, and my hair! And what no one else sees, God sees...and hears...and feels....and knows... My prayer-life has not been what God desires...my mind has not been set on things above, and it has me slumped . No, no...let me rephrase that...Me not setting my mind on God, m

I haven't posted a recipe to my blog before, so this is a first! But I am very excited to share this recipe with you---especially for you busy, on a budget families, like mine! Quick & Easy (Almost Any Flavor) Pie! 1 Ready Made Crust---I used Shortbread 1- 3oz pkg of Jello, Flavor of your choice---I used store brand Strawberry 1/4 cup water 1- 8oz tub of Cool Whip (I recommend Fat Free) Bring the water to a boil; Quickly mix the gelatin powder thoroughly in the water until dissolved In a medium bowl, mix gelatin liquid with Cool Whip completely. Pour into pie crust, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Garnish with fresh fruit before serving. I literally spent maybe $4 on this pie: $0.88 Cool Whip, $1.89 Pie Crust, $0.39 Jello Mix! The strawberries I already had in my refrigerator as snacks for the kids! Super cheap pie recipe! Super easy to make! Below is a photo of the pie that I made today, which was a complete hit with my hubby and kids! Next time

I just wanted to share something that I read tonight....the first page that wrote in my Bible study journal. I wrote this on April 21, 2011 and I am thankful that I re-read it tonight. There is just something about a clean sheet of paper. It makes me happy! A new notepad and pen lift my spirits for some odd reason. I guess one of my most favorite idesa is that of a "Clean Slate". I like to rearrange furniture; clean and organize things; and as weird as it seems, I don't mind moving at all, except for the packing, loading/unloading of the U-haul. But I love to put pictures up, arrange furniture in a room for the first time. Just the newness, the excitement of a clean, blank canvas, waiting to become a masterpiece! This notepad was bought for a reason--I will be starting a Bible study in 4 days, No Other Gods by Kelly Minter. And I wanted to begin a notebook for notes, journaling, scratching down thoughts and ideas, so that I might dig deeper and glean more from th

It feels like it has been forever since I last blogged! It's been so busy and I just seem to never have time to just sit down and unwind...which is where today's post title comes from: SO MANY BOOKS, so little time! I started painting my bookshelf Saturday---I found this great half cabinet, half book shelf on craigslist for $80. I didn't like the color and I knew that I would end up painting it and adding new hardware so that the shelf would go with my living room decor, and I just love a good project so I grabbed it up as fast as I could...actually, I had my husband drive to Little Rock and pick the thing up for me, but I contacted the seller :) Anyhow, the plans are to paint it a tealy-blue, shabby chic style. It will be absolutely adorable when it is all said and done. I need to get it finished quick because I have 3 boxes full of books! Some I have read, some are photo albums/yearbooks, but then there is a section of books that I purchased hoping to read sometime