Random Thoughts with Liz

*Last Thursday, my first column came out in our local town newspaper. Just wanted to update you that no limos have picked me up for work yet. No security detail is following me to the grocery store & monitoring the cashier as she checks out my milk & yogurt. No autographs have been signed. Life's pretty much the same. I guess the fame & fortune will come a little later.

Ha ha! Seriously, I am proud of the work they've printed so far. I'm excited to have this opportunity to share my faith & my life. For however long this season lasts, I'm grateful. It's really cool to be able to share something with the community that I love to do anyway! For those of you who are local & reading it, THANK YOU!

*While I marked off the miles on the treadmill this morning before my workout buddy arrived, I looked out the windows and zoned out a little. God tapped me on the shoulder & brought to mind the memory of walking on this very treadmill a few short months ago. Alone in the workout room, I prayed for the full 30 minutes that I walked. I was BEGGING Him to intervene for us....PLEADING for a financial miracle....DYING for some kind of answer to our never-ending money struggles. I had no idea that he'd already flipped the switch for that light at the end of the tunnel. I had no idea that a matter of days later Larry would get a part-time job. That job, combined with a gift we received in early November, has finally got us moving in the right direction. We are FAR from being debt-free and living in great comfort. But for the first time since Spring 2009, we have a glimmer of hope. I've found myself planning ways to pay off debt and revisiting the Dave Ramsey book we were given last Spring. To even be able to reach this morning is HUGE. To even be able to CONSIDER the idea of using a little extra money now & then to pay "up" on a bill is thrilling. Sure, Larry is working 6-7 days a week and that sucks, but we know it's just for this season. And knowing that a season is short and WILL COME TO AN END makes it bearable. We'll get there, one day.

*As I was typing this, I've had THIS BLOG's playlist going in another window. I love it! (the blog AND the playlist) She has great taste in music!

*Today I posted this to facebook. It's been rolling around my mind for days. I was finally able to get it out on "paper". I have been trying to figure out how to best word it until today.

I appreciate honesty, transparency & people who don't hide behind masks or walls. Being real is more awesome to me than a stack of degrees, piles of money or any other outward sign that you've "got it all together". We are all really screwed up individuals & without God, none of us, or anything we try to do to look perfect, is worth a thing!

*Realizing that I will be getting drug out of bed in about 5 1/2 hours to drive Savannah to the High School for an academic UIL meet, I'm going to cut this short. Good night friends.