Ups and Downs

Hi all!  While going through my past posts, just to make sure I was accurate in my official 100th post, I found this draft that I wrote two Sundays ago.  At the time I wrote it, I decided not to post it.  I wanted to make sure I had a chance to read it when I wasn't in the middle of the emotions I was feeling and make sure it was really something I wanted to publish.  Now that I've read it over, I think it's worth posting.  It's a little off-topic for this blog, but hopefully it will provide encouragement anyway. :)

I suffer from acute female-itis (and yes, I just made that word up for my own convenience).  This means that whenever I get overtired or overstressed, I dissolve into a puddle of irritable, pitiful weepiness.  Of course, certain times are worse than others. :}  Those annoying hormones!!!

This morning was just one of those mornings.  You know, the type where you feel like everything you do is either completely hopeless or useless?  I'm in one of those...arrrgghh!  I need to lose weight...clean the house...be more patient with the kids...be better at my devotions...spend less time on the computer....stop snitching sugar cereal or chocolate from the cupboard when no one's looking...modes.  I know this sounds pathetic, but there it is.  There are days where I feel completely and utterly worthless.

I grew up in a Christian home, for which I am very grateful.  I was sheltered and protected from many things in my life.  Sometimes though, it's easy for me to rely on my own goodness because of my upbringing.  I never did drugs, drank alcohol, shoplifted, or killed anyone.  I was always considered the "sweet" one...the "good kid" in high school.  And foolishly, I let myself believe this was the real me.  Of course, in high school, I was getting 8-10 hours of sleep a night and had one bedroom to worry about, plus the occasional night of dishes or laundry.

Now, I average 5-6 hours of sleep a night (on a good night).   I have an entire house to clean, and most days I seem to be the only one interested in keeping it looking nice.  I have to oversee homework, potty training, constant squabbles over dollies and toys, mountains of laundry, piles of dishes...well, you get the picture.  I find it much harder to be that sweet, kind person I was once known as.  It's not always pretty.

I think in my heart of hearts, though I would be appalled at myself if I had really searched my thinking, I thought I was good enough on my own for God.  I went to church and Sunday School every Sunday and Wednesday, I sang in the choir, I taught little kids, I was kind and compassionate, I smiled at everyone.  And all the time, I suppose I was thinking, "See God?  See all of these great things I'm doing for You?  Don't I get some brownie points or something?"

Now, looking back, I can see how many of the things I was doing for the wrong reasons.  Or perhaps I was doing it for the right reason but my heart attitude was incorrect.  And I was always horribly mean to my little brother because he was so annoying...but anyone so annoying deserves what they get, right?

The truth is that the Bible tells us there is "no one who does good, not even one" (Psalm 14:3; Romans 3:10), and "all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment" (Isaiah 64:6).  Even if we do manage to do some good in our lives, it will never be enough to earn favor with God.  It is only through belief in His Son that we can find eternal life and God's acceptance.   And after we believe in Jesus, the things we do are a gift to Him in gratitude for what He did for us, not a way to earn extra merit.

I am extremely motivated by guilt...I always have been.  I bounce back and forth between trying to do things on my own and getting frustrated at my failures, and then being overcome with guilt that I was trying to do things on my own in the first place.  One such time, the Lord brought a sermon over the radio that I needed.  I don't remember who was preaching or even what the rest of the sermon was about.  All I remember is a part where the preacher said:  "There is nothing you can do to make God love you any more or any less."  Tears instantly sprang to my eyes when I heard this.  Because our worth is in Christ, when we believe in Him, God sees the righteousness of Christ when He looks at us.  Once we are saved, nothing can change that.

I think it's easy for us as Christians to try too hard to be perfect.  When really, we never will be no matter how hard we try.  We are sinners like everyone else.  Of course, our desire should be to please Him, and we should be in the Word and praying every day (which I desperately need to work on in my life!).   But we still need to rely on Jesus every day to give us the strength we need to live in a way that is pleasing to Him.

In some ways, it's kind of a relief.  God isn't expecting me to be perfect.  Why else would He have given us I John 1:9?  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  What a thrilling verse!  That means that every time I do something wrong, all I have to do is confess it to God, and He lets me start all over with a clean, guilt-free heart.  I have seen earthly examples of this through my husband and my children.  I can be a total bear, and they respond with their unconditional love every time.  What a wonderful picture of our Heavenly Father's love for us!

Okay, sorry for the random post...I know this isn't doll related.  It's something that was weighing on my heart.  Maybe something similar has been weighing on yours, too.  There have been so many times I've been encouraged by reading a post that tells of the struggles someone else is going through, especially when they're the same struggles I face.  It's nice to know we're not alone in this race of life. :)

So many times, the Lord has sent blessings my way just when I needed them.  Today was just such a day.  I was feeling discouraged and tired, and even stayed home from church.  I got the gift of laughter today, though.  It was in a letter from my Prayer Pal (something our church does that is similar to a Secret Pal), and was just what the doctor ordered, so to speak. :)  I thought I'd share it with all of you.  Hopefully it makes your day like it did mine. :)

"Church Ladies With Typewriters..."
[This is an email sent to my Prayer Pal full of bloopers that were either printed in church bulletins or announced from church pulpits.  May I just say, these are a good reminder of the value of proof-reading! :}]


-The Fasting and Prayer Conference-includes meals.      


-The sermon this morning:  "Jesus Walks on the Water".  The sermon tonight:  "Searching for Jesus". 


-Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale.  It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house.  Bring your husbands.


-Don't let worry kill you off-let the church help!


-Miss Charlene Mason sang "I Will Not Pass This Way Again", giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.


-For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.


-Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir.  They need all the help they can get.


-Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church.  So ends a friendship that began in their school days.


-Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.


-Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered...


-The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.


-Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM-prayer and medication to follow.


-The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.


-Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM.  Please use the back door.


-The eighth graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM.  The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.


-Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church.  Please use the large double door at the side entrance.


Aren't those hilarious?  My hubby and I got a kick out of them.  It was a great mood-mender for me.  Hope you enjoy them too.

-

Amazon and Ebay Goodies, and Your Opinion Needed! :)

Okay, I totally succumbed. to temptation.  I went on Amazon.com last week and they had my Mattel Prince doll for a good price...so I bought him.  I also found a Belle book in the Disney Princess chapter book series that I've been wanting to try, as well as a book I remembered from my high school years.  My order came in the mail today, along with something I'd purchased on eBay.  Yay!  It was like Christmas in February!  So, without further ado, here are the pics.

First I'll share my eBay order.  I found this lot of Disney Tangled postcards.  I knew they'd make great posters for my dolls, and they were so cute! 

I love how this one looks just like the movie poster.

Emma and Hailey are very excited about their new Tangled posters! :)

Here is the Belle book I found.  It should be just about the right reading level for my oldest daughter (she's a big reader), so after I've read it first I'll pass it along to her. :)  I'll be sure to tell you what I thought of the story.

This is a book, as I mentioned before, that I remembered really enjoying in high school.  It's all about a girl named Katelyn and her experiences when she moves to a new town.  The story is written in journal form, from Katelyn's perspective, which makes it interesting.  I'll reread it and share my thoughts. 

And now we come to my Prince doll.  It's funny, there are some things I really like about him, and some things that were a disappointment.  Sound familiar?  Maybe I'm just too picky.  Would it be too difficult for someone to make a high quality doll that also looks nice?  

Anyway, here he is in his box...

...and here's the back of his box.

He's nice looking, but in his photographs he tends to look rather somber or even a bit snooty. His facial features are more delicate than my other Prince doll's.  His hair is molded, and although it gives the appearance of the Prince's hair overall, it does not have a ponytail in the back.  

His clothes are not the greatest quality.  His jewel looks nicer than my other Prince's, but the material is pretty shoddy.  I doubt it would hold up well to hard play...especially if he was played with by someone like my girls.  They change their doll clothes about every 5 minutes or so! :}

 

He has jointed elbows, which is nice.  My biggest disappointment with this doll, though, is that he has the same hollow, hard plastic legs that many of the new Ken dolls have.  It makes them easier to dress, but much lower quality.  After posing him for the pics I took, it already felt like his hip joints were wearing out.  I don't think he'd last long for a child.  

This cracked me up when I first opened his box.  He came with instructions on how to get his Beast's head on.  After I'd tried it though, I wasn't laughing nearly as hard.  It is no picnic getting this guy in his Beast's head!  I see now why they opted for jointed elbows.  I don't think you could get him in his head without them.

I like the Beast face and the way it is painted.  That's about the only positive thing I can say about it, though.  Getting the Beast's head over the Prince's head is a real chore.  I probably won't have him wear it again.  It's such a tight fit that I run the risk of taking paint off of the Prince's face or hair. 

Also, as you can see from the pics, there's a pretty big gap between his head and his shoulders.  Hmmm, seems it's a common problem with newer Beast dolls.

This side profile shot is a hoot.  Realistic looking?  I think not!  Looks like the Beast went on a diet!  If he was in a hard wind, he'd fall over, he's so topheavy.

And how about these stick arms? 

Okay, so lets just move on.  I've included some comparison pics of the two Princes:

So my overall thought is that my new Prince is nicer looking, but Robby (my old Prince) looks kinder.  My original thought was to use my new Prince for my Disney Store Belle doll, but now I'm not so sure.  I'm curious what you, my readers, think.  Which doll should Belle choose?  Robby, or Ben (my newest Prince)? 

And don't worry, whichever doll doesn't end up with Belle won't be alone.  I have a vintage Mattel Belle doll that's single. :) 

To help you decide, here are some pics of Belle with each Prince. 

And here are pics of the Princes with my older Belle doll.

 

What are your thoughts?  Would Belle (in the green) be better with Robby or Ben?  I'll take your opinions into consideration as I work on her story.  Shhh...just don't tell her we're voting on her future over here. ;)  She was already mortified enough posing for the pics.  :)

P.S.  A few thoughts on the Princes.  Maybe Ben is like Mr. Darcy:  stern at first, but wonderful once you get to know him.  And Robby may not be the most handsome doll, but he has a kind face.  He seems like the type that would be very caring and sensitive. :)  Okay, now you guys are getting scared by my weirdness.  But you have to figure out a doll's personality before you can develop a story for them. :)

  

More Blog Buttons! :)

Okay, this blog button thing is addicting! :)  Here are a few more options for you, if you like these better than my first one.  All of these buttons are for "Never Grow Up".  I've only done one button for Tess and Maggie...so far. :)

<center><a href="http://nevergrowupdollguide.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="None" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_nFQB4ga82eG2C1LhGuixmMHIwpRkTfZlIkHh4hHSrs2iFGaqYLx8M6c7JU6bi8SbTSdnjtBBCj4qD-85tTokWfEJRKNcsHCmBK_MOItqcOCp2ItMl55-E4M8JtS6-7JHbKYdrvTM5s//"/></a></center>

<center><a href="http://nevergrowupdollguide.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="None" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMUvkQrRhwRl3cGM1QV_Zl6sB3IhfZ_abeL4JrmSpfhvfOpZQ3GsKT2-jOx_GaCssbFG9AZpS_crwyacoWrYREZPVfystpNzNVoV9Z4zBfo_3GgLw_lHi6NXrzx0OnKEmEkcoe6SL_jI//"/></a></center>

<center><a href="http://nevergrowupdollguide.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="None" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvD5EPdUAJpkBljTet3PYXQYmCrbzkajZo7ab2hzw_mbklrdLBe8jN_llSKldlvsGK9paqo7kwfaL-HGCmVvFXgymCu-fvpsGJI-Jxf8foYNs7_Dg8VdAqaMY4HRFg6Jem-U0yxMl6G-E//"/></a></center>

So, once again, to add these to your blog sidebar, you're going to copy the code beneath the picture you like best and paste it in the "HTML/Java Script" part of "Add a Gadget" on your Blogger Design page.  For more info, check out my earlier post HERE. 

Have fun!! :)

Blog Button Mystery Solved!!

Yay!! I finally figured out how to make and grab blog buttons today (with help from some online tutorials and my wonderful hubby).  So you'll notice the buttons for this blog and Tess and Maggie's blog at the top of the sidebar.  I also have some buttons right above my followers that lead to other fun blogs.  Be sure to go see for yourself! 

For those of you who don't know how to grab a blog button, all you have to do is copy the code underneath the blog button.  Go to the "Design" page on your blog, click "Add a Gadget", choose "HTML/Java Script", and then paste the code in the space.  The blog button should appear on your sidebar! :)

I've been having so much fun, now that I finally know how to make them.  Thanks to my newest follower, Miss Laurie of "Old Fashioned Charm" (see her button on my sidebar), for your post on blog buttons.  The link someone left to a button tutorial is what got me started. :)

Wow!! 40 Followers!! :D

Hi guys!  I just wanted to thank all of you so much.  I can't believe I'm up to 40 followers, and only 6 posts away from my 100th blog post!  I didn't think this little blog would skyrocket as fast as it did. :)  Thanks so much for all of your wonderful comments and emails.  I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to get to know people I would never necessarily meet otherwise.  I'm looking forward to many more happy blog memories. :)  My goal?  I'd love to get up to 100 followers. 

I'm figuring out something really special for my 100th post, so keep checking back!! :) 

Please Pray for Joanne and Check Out her Blog

I've wanted to share this with you for a while now.  A little over 2 weeks ago, I found out about a blog called The Simple Wife.  The author is 38 year old Joanne, who is a talented, witty writer with posts full of warmth, transparency and significance. 

The whole reason I discovered her blog was that another blogger I follow mentioned Joanne and how much she needed prayer.  Around 20 days ago, she suffered a major stroke.  Her ten year old daughter found her on the floor, in the middle of what sounds like a seizure.  She has been through so much since that day.  She is now conscious and can recognize her family and friends and perform some small motor skills, but she and her family have a very long road ahead of them.

I have been so blessed by her husband's attitude and testimony throughout this ordeal.  He's been keeping everyone updated on Joanne's blog.  You can tell that this is so hard for him and his two daughters, yet he is fully trusting the Lord in everything.  I only pray that my family and I would respond in the same way if something similar happened to us.

Events like this are always a wake-up call.  It's so easy to go through life thinking we have all the time in the world.  But the truth is, none of us knows how much time we actually have.  We should every day be prepared to meet our Creator.  Joanne was just 38.  That's only 9 years older than I am.  She was young and healthy and full of life, and yet she is now suffering the results of a very serious stroke. 

I always think of strokes as happening to people in their 60s or 70s...maybe their 50s at the earliest.  But there is no guarantee.  And then I thought, if something was to happen to me today, what would I be remembered for? 

Would my husband recall that I was a loving wife who respected and encouraged him?  Or would he remember how I complained about the things that frustrate me about our house, or my whining about how aggravating the kids were that day? 

What about my daughters?  Would they remember a mom who wasn't perfect, but still took time out of her busy day to play with them and listen to them?  Or would they remember the cranky lady who snapped at them in anger when they messed up, and didn't have time for them because she was too busy with more "important" things?  Would they be able to recall verses I taught them from God's Word, giving them something to cling to in such a trying time, or would the Bible not even enter their mind?

It's so easy to get our priorities all mixed up in this world we live in.  Everyone is going at such a fast pace.  We drop kids off here, run some errands there, work on the house, fix meals, surf the Web, watch movies or play the Wii...we're always busy.  Always rushing here and there.  In our busyness, many times we shut God out of our lives.  How silly, when He's the one who gave us our lives to begin with. 

My prayer is that I would live every day to its fullest, with eternity in mind.  In the long run, it won't matter whether or not my house was perfect, or whether or not I got through my "to do" list every day, or even whether or not I reached all of my goals with this blog.  None of these are bad things, as long as they don't take first place in my life.  But I want to be remembered as the mom who lived a life pleasing to the Lord, despite her faults and failings.  A mom who loved her kids, respected and cherished her husband, and relied on the Lord's strength, not her own, to get her through each day.

If any of you have questions or comments, I'd love to hear them.  You can comment below or email me (just click the "Contact Me" tab at the top of the blog).  I'd love to talk to you about my Jesus.  And please be sure to check out Joanne's blog and keep her in your prayers.

Goodies from Kmart and Target

Hi everyone!  Just thought I'd share some doll things I found this week.  First up is this adorable little heart box of Russel Stover chocolates.  I was so excited when I found these.  They're the perfect size for a big box of Valentine's Day candy for an American Girl doll!  Here's a pic:

Next, I found these super cute Valentine's Day dolls for my daughters.  They are the new version of Barbie's little sister Kelly, now named Chelsea.  Why, Mattel?  What was the point in changing her name?  You're finally making all of the sisters at the same time again, so why randomly change the youngest sister's name?  Okay, sorry, just going off on a little tangent there.  Here are the adorable dollies:

Something I realized after opening one (I had to get one for me too, right?) is that they actually work for AG dolls, too.  I think they're about the same proportions as one of those vinyl Best Friends Club Ink. dolls would be to a real girl. 

These are only $5.99 each at Target and super cute!  They even have a spot on the back of the boxes that says "to" and "from" so that you could use it for a Valentine's Day gift right in the package. 

I really like the new Kelly/Chelsea dolls they're doing.  I loved the old ones, but for a while they went to these weird, cartoony Kelly dolls with melon-shaped faces.  Thankfully, those didn't last long.  They had another variety after the melon Kellys and before this version.  They were tall and skinny, but not quite as cute as the newest version.  These ones are adorable, and they make great older siblings for the older Kelly dolls. 

Here's a pic comparing the size difference between Chelsea and Kelly:

And here's a pic comparing a brunette Stacie doll from the 90s, Chelsea, Kelly, and Baby Krissy, another sister from Barbie's past:

I really love finding unique Barbies, especially brunettes.  Here's a nice family portrait of some of my favorites:

The Ken doll is a 40th Anniversary Ken doll with rooted hair, and the Barbie is a Generation Girl Lara doll from 1998 (she was a friend of Barbie).  I have several other unique Barbies .  Eventually I'll post some pics of them.  Maybe I'll do a special page tab for my Barbie collection.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed my fun finds. :)