Harper Valley

Town Hall For Hope Recap

"I'M AN AMERICAN AND I AM NOT PARTICIPATING IN THIS RECESSION."

That's the message of hope that Dave Ramsey spread throughout the land at last week's Town Hall for Hope.  Dave explained how our country got in this mess, and finished off with advice on how we can get out of it.  Toward the end he answered questions from audience members, and from the virtual audience on facebook, twitter, and  YouTube.  I left feeling much more empowered and inspired and hopeful.  Here are some highlights...

• We've experienced a lot of prosperity for the last 30 years.  We got sloppy, fat, and sassy.  We weren't smart.  Come on...any turkey can fly in a tornado!
• The media is fostering a spirit of fear in us.  Fear is the antithesis of hope.
• Our previous administration bailed out stupidity.  Our current administration stimulated stupidity.  We need less government, not more.  Let the chips fall where they may. That's true capitalism.  (p.s. I so agree!)
• John Maynard Keynes urged FDR to try deficit spending in the '30s.  Eventually, FDR bought his ideas.  By the mid 40s, unemployment fell from 17% to 1%.  Keynes' theories got the credit for this, but in reality the cause was our country's men gone fighting in WWII and women filling up the factories.  Since then, the US has maintained the deficit that was urged upon it by Keynes, and his theories are still taught today in economics classes.
• However, Milton Friedman came along a decade later and challenged the Keynesian way of thinking.  He promoted Capitalism and Economic Freedom.
• Capitalism should include political freedom, economic freedom, and moral restraint.  We've thrown the moral restraint out the window and now we're in a mess. Gandhi said that commerce without morality will destroy us. 
• Life is not fair and there will always be suffering in the world.  Suffering produces perseverance.  Perseverance produces character.  And character produces hope. 
• Not everyone will always be employed at the same time.  The truth is that the majority of us ARE working right now...92% to be exact.
• Everyone does not deserve to own a home.  We need to learn a new word called NO.  No will set us free.  Let's go back to personal responsibility vs. blaming everyone else.  McDonalds' coffee is not too hot.  You're just a klutz!
• Sometimes we use prayer as code for not taking responsibility.  You can pray while you work.  Work like it all depends on you, and pray like it all depends on God.
• We need to love people enough to let them fail.  Failure is cleansing and corrective. 
• The economy is not finite...it's fluid!  The repair man comes to your home and fixes your washing machine.  So you give him money.  He takes that money and eats dinner at a restaurant. Then the restaurant owner has funds to buy a new sign and more supplies.  We all light each other's candles until they are all lit.
• We need to stop the hysteria and realize that these aren't the worst economic times since the Great Depression.  The recessions in '74 and '82 were much worse...read the facts.
• The reduction in jobs are not the cause of this particular economy..they are the symptom.  Jobs will increase when the economy does.
• Don't wait for the government or the economy to fix your life. 

THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO IN A STRUGGLING ECONOMY:

1. Get up.  Take action.  Get moving.  Inject yourself into something that excites you.  Activity causes endorphins.  Drive people crazy with your ideas.  Get creative.  You were put in this earth to do something.  Maybe getting laid off is your opportunity to start a new business or move into the field you've always dreamed of.  Your best chance at success is YOU!
2. Don't participate in loser talk.  And don't hang out with losers.  If your friends have the Spirit of Eeyore (from Pooh), then don't stay around.  If they're in your family, be supportive, but don't be so  involved that they influence you.  Did you know that your income will be within 10% of your 10 closest friends' income? 

3. Give again.  If you don't have money, then give your time.  Take your eyes off yourself.  If we put our mind to it as a country..we could "give" the government out of business.  Now wouldn't that be something? 

Dave went on to say that growth stock mutual funds and the stock market in general is still a great place to invest your money, especially in solid, well-run companies like Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, MicroSoft, etc.  He said that the stats have always shown that 100% of investors make money over a 15 year period in the stock market.  Where there is no vision, people perish.  Patience during a recession is a major thing.  He went on to note that the Dow is actually up 22%, but you rarely hear that in the news these days. 

He didn't feel comfortable predicting when we'll get out of this mess, but he does believe that housing will lead us out of the recession.  People will eventually have to start buying again.  Dave recommended looking for a financial advisor with the "heart of a teacher."  He also advised to do more business with small banks and credit unions.  Check out more at Town Hall for Hope.

Creative Journey Day

There's nothing I love more than making art, eating scrumptious food, and drinking wine...and doing it with friends makes it even sweeter.  Enjoy these shots below of my Creative Journey group's latest endeavor. 

~Becky brought wooden crosses that we enhanced with collage, papers, paint, beads, stamps, broken tile pieces, and other found objects.

  

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~Lori used Claudine Hellmuth's Sticky-Back Canvas for the blooms on her cross.

 

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~Our completed masterpieces!  Can you guess which one is mine?

 

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~Denise did something a little different -- mini tags to represent her favorite quotes from the book, Captivating.

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~Debbie & Brian knocked it out of the park with gourmet pizzas on the grill.  Our topping choices included fresh roasted red peppers, onions, grilled portobello mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, six different primo cheeses, marinated artichoke hearts, spicy chicken sausage, roasted garlic cloves, and prosciutto.  As an alternative to regular tomato sauce, they also made olive tapenade, garlic/lemon/olive oil sauce, ricotta/fresh herb spread, and arugula/basil/pinenut pesto.  These were the best pizzas I've ever eaten...in my life....EVER. 

 

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~After pizza, we indulged in Becky's decadent mini cheesecakes.  They were stupid good!

Wynonna Live!

 

Country powerhouse ~Wynonna~ put on a great show at Northland Church tonight.  As soon as she walked on stage, she said..."Wow, I'm in church and this is a trip!"  She said it was a little awkward because she's used to performing in bars and casinos and prisons.  But I gotta tell ya, she fit in just fine.  Throughout the evening, she shared a lot about her faith in God and about her struggles.  She always keeps it REAL, which is what I love and admire about her. 

Wynonna got pretty choked up as she started singing "I Can Only Imagine."  She said that she's had nightmares about crying on stage.  You know, I've heard that song a million times, and to be honest, I'm pretty dadgum tired of it.  But tonight, through her authenticity, I heard it in a whole new way.  Bravo, Wy!  So glad you came to see us. 

 

Me and Tammy at the show!  I sported my cowgirl hat, but the old folks behind me couldn't see, so I retired it early.  So much for my new country look!

Every Day Is Earth Day

  

Happy Earth Day!   Isn't this sketch adorable?  My fabulously talented niece, Avery drew it last year and her mama was gracious enough to let me have it forever.  Let's protect and respect our gorgeous planet every day, shall we?  

Junkin' Journey, Part Two

 

Last night, my friend Tara e-mailed me about a Saturday junkin' trip to Mt. Dora's Renninger's Antique & Farmer's Market.    Do you know I've lived within a 40-mile radius of Renninger's for30+ years and never been???  So naturally, I jumped at the chance, being the junk lover I am. 

Renninger's has lots of stuff for everyone:  quality antiques, plants, fresh produce, funnel cakes, and true blue flea market trash.  It was a tad overwhelming, but I went with just a few needs in mind, so I stayed right on target. 

I almost didn't go because I wanted some "me time."  But I'm so glad I did!  I reconnected with Tara and got to know her a little better.  The weather was perfect.  The conversation was meaningful.  The purchases were affordable and purposeful.  And the pizza hit the spot.  Lovely day trip, indeed!

 

Ponder This...

 

PONDER THIS QUOTE:  "We evolve at the rate of the tribe we're plugged into."

Office Makeover

It's finished!  It's complete!!  The office makeover is a wrap and it's looking mighty fine.  When we moved into the new space, our only decorative possessions were some sad artwork, four chairs, and a ficus tree.   But with a little imagination and a moderate budget, we now work in a whimsical, nature-inspired environment.  Aaaaah, how refreshing.  =)

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The Lobby:  Framed art from Z-Gallerie.  Lamp from Target with wood beaded embellishments from Joann.  Throw pillows from Home Goods.  Glass bowl from IKEA.

  

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The Lobby:  Custom logo decal from Dezign with a Z.  Console table from Walmart.com.  Lamps, copper tray, and cigar boxes from local yard sales.  Plant from Pier One.  Vase from Marshalls.

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Lobby View from Hall:  Floral grass wall decals from Dezign with a Z.

 

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Coffee Stations:  Coffee mug wall decals from Single Stone Studios.  Frame from old office artwork spray painted black (glass and prints removed).

 

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Printer Lounge Area:  Framed art from Marshalls.  Plants and pots from IKEA.

  

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Conference Room and Hallway:  Wall decals from Dezign with a Z.  Frames and mats from old artwork spray painted black (glass and prints removed). 

 

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The Hallway outside of Conference Room:  Wire leaf wall hangings from Pier One.  They're made to be hung vertically, but I propped them up on nails in a horizontal position.

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The Kitchen: Clock and plants above cabinets from Wal-Mart (plant pots spray painted black).  Bar stools from IKEA.

 

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More Kitchen

 

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 The Kitchen:  Square posters and glass frames from IKEA.

 

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The Kitchen:  Plates from Pier One.  Bottles from World Market.  Bottle fillers from Publix (red kidney beans, Piccolini wheel pasta, and split pea soup mix).

  

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The Kitchen:  Glass bowls from local yard sale.  Silk flowers from Joann.  Acrylic water from Wal-Mart.

 

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The Kitchen: Plates from Pier One.  Plate holder from our former kitchen, spray painted black (previously bronze).

 

Amazing Week!

I had THE craziest and most exciting week!  It started with wrapping up the work office decor project (to be featured in a future post).  That was followed by an open house with our friends/family to christen the new work space. Then there was QT with the fam because my middle sister Jill was visiting from Atlanta...and my niece Meagan turned four.  In between all that, I had Easter choir rehearsal and FIVE performances this weekend.  Whew!  What a whirlwind.  I feel exhausted and exhilarated all at the same time.  I love natural highs.  Happy Easter everyone! 

I got all my sisters with me!  Girls night at Amura for sushi and vino. 

 

My nieces Avery & Meagan at Chef Mickey's. Meagan wasn't too sweet on the characters at first.  She was even hiding under the table at one point!  But she eventually came around hugged Donald Duck. 

 

Happy Fourth Birthday, Meagan! 

 

After breakfast with the Disney characters, we hopped on the monorail for ride.  It jets right through the Contemporary hotel.  The kids loved it and it didn't cost us a penny!

 

Future crafter in the making.  

 

Me and J-MAW, our fearless choir leader and motivator. 

 

Me and Melissa, backstage between choir performances.

The choir crew.  We rocked it out and blew the roof off that place!!  I had a really cool revelation as we were singing this weekend.  None of us, not one single person in that choir could have done alone what we did together as a team.  We all had our parts..the altos balanced out the sopranos..and the tenors rounded us all out.  And we sure couldn't have done it without the band, or the solo artists, or our choir leader!  Maybe it's obvious to most, but it really sunk in to me that we were meant to be up there together, each of us doing what we do best, and creating something uniquely special...together as one.  My heart was so full!

Overcome!

I would LOVE for you to join me this weekend for an amazing Easter service at Discovery Church.  I'm singing in the choir and we're gonna rock the house!  If you can't make it or don't live in Orlando, then click here for our live online podcasts.  Then click the blue box that says "discovery live."  If that doesn't work then click on the brown box that says "media player."  You're in for a real treat.  We will overcome!!

Be sure to watch it all the way through because our best two songs are at the end.  :>)

Discovery Church
4400 S. Orange Avenue | Orlando, FL 32806

Saturday, April 11 | 5pm | 6:45pm
Sunday, April 12| 9am | 10:45am | 12:30pm

DC Kid's Ministry available at all services

Junkin' Journey

Today I met up with my friend Christy and her sweet lil' girl, Ada for one of our favorite past times --- Junkin'.  Our junkin' journey was quite productive...we found a several gems for our ongoing artsy craftsy projects. 

Our most valued treasure was discovered at one of the most unlikely yard sales.  Christy and I can handle yard sale grime, but this house was even a little too dirty for us!  Luckily, the homeowners were selling a Spencerian Handwriting Book full of 19th century American ornamental penmanship.  The book included lots of thick glossy pages, perfect for collages, art projects, scrapbooks, etc.  Since we were both drooling over it, we decided to split the price and split up the book pages.  Quite the find for only 50 cents each! 

The owners of this home also had eight cats.  Eight!!!  So I was fortunate enough to sneak a quick snapshot of one of the felines.  I thought he looked so cute and cozy in his dirty desk.  Great bargain. Great photo opp.  Guess this house wasn't so bad after all.

Christy and I giggled with great satisfaction when Miss Ada got into junkin' like the big girls.  She found a few bargains herself and even scored a free purse from one kind lady.  We think she caught the bug!