Thursday, September 25, 2008

Hide and Seek


Life and God is teaching me something new lately. I have always had a hard time being known. I have no problem with knowing. Many people feel safe and comfortable telling me what is on their hearts and going on in their lives. I have had several friends and even acqaintances tell me things that were clearly difficult for them to admit and probably caused them some level of shame. This never led me to reciprocate. Over years and years I have had a terrible time allowing others to get to know me. This blog is the closest thing to honesty I have ever known. Even the blog does include some level of hiddeness which is probably good since it's public.

That being said, I am learning to be more open. God is putting me through this task for authenticity with Him, but even on a social level I am starting to open up. I am terrified of this decision as this gives these people an opportunity to tell everything they know and ruin my life or so I think! This probably would never ruin my life so let's get honest..it gives these people an opportunity to judge me and for the other people they tell to judge me. Judgment is hard for me and especially if your judgment includes me being stupid, weak, bad, less than, or not "together."

I know that on some level...I AM all of those things. There are moments when I make stupid decisions. There are moments where I feel incredibly weak and present that way. There are certainly times where I do things that God doesn't like and they are BAD decisions. There are a million topics on which others are better than me at something including grades, sports, art, crafts, friendship, money, etc... There will always be someone better. As for being "together" I think we know from this post that it isn't true. I am so tired of holding up this guard and facade that I am starting to realize that it's not worth it.

I started with a new therapist last week and it was a freeing experience to be able to tell him that I hide from the world and tell him I do not plan to do that with him. I plan to chance it under every circumstance. If something causes me pain or heartache, I have to get it out or I will never feel better. I want to feel better. I have been battling so many things for so many years and it's time to let them go. I want to have a happy life, marriage, and family and this is a step on that path. God help me be honest!!!

Here is to being sought!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

The Golden Rule Doesn't Apply to Children?


I am going to sound a little overly passionate today and the truth is, I am. On Thursday of last week I took a little time for myself and went to Mimi's for lunch to just sit and relax and read for school. I was on an extra long break from class and just wanted to go somewhere relaxing. I went in and ordered my quiche and coffee and settled in for some good Erica date time. About 10 minutes into my relaxing lunch, a woman came in with her son. If I had to guess, he was about 8-10 years old. She looked about 40-45 years old. I am telling you this so you can see that she was old enough to know better. She was on her cell phone when she walked into the restraunt and was greeted by the host. She was quickly seated as it was a really quiet time in the afternoon and she stayed on the phone talking loudly and clearly having a social conversation and gossiping about someone who had treated her poorly according to her loud story. Her child sat there and tried to get her attention as she shushed him and went back to her conversation.

She stayed on the phone as he continued to try to get her attention, as the waiter came over for their drink order, as the waiter came back with the drinks and took the actual food order, as she ran out of soda and got up out of her seat to let the waiter know just how slow he really was and to huff and puff as she had to recap the drinks they had ordered previously. She finally got off the phone just in time to gulp down her burger and fries but it was already too late for her son. He had laid down in the booth and fallen asleep before his food came because in all reality he was eating lunch alone.

So I got to thinking...Is there no respect for children at all? I wasn't really respected as a child but I thought we had come further than this and realized that children are just smaller people, therefore, they deserve the respect that all other persons deserve. Then I started realizing that this woman did not respect anyone. She did not respect the host as she spoke on her cell phone. She did not respect the waiter as she talked on the cell phone and spoke down to him as if he was lower than herself. She did not respect me and the other customers who were trying to enjoy our lunch and she talked very loudly. Just a note, I was not the only one having a quiet reading lunch. Mostly, she did not respect herself. She was unkempt in appearance, ate horribly, and drank 4 regular sodas in a 20 minute period.

I left that restraunt sad. I was sad for that little boy who doesn't feel important to his mother. I felt sad for the waiter that was treated so poorly. I was sad for those of us trying to read our books who got nothing done but watching this bad behavior. I mostly felt sad that his woman does not understand her child's worth, her own worth, or other people's worth. Maybe this issue wasn't about children but I wanted to state that I think the golden rule applies to children too! How many of us would want to be out to lunch with someone we cared for and sit in the booth with them while they had a conversation with someone else. And quite honestly, which of us would do this to a friend? I made a vow to myself and God that my children will be treated with respect in my life!

Just a thought!

--Erica Lewis--

Friday, September 12, 2008

I am a Knit Wit!


So lately I have been learning a new craft and if you read our Lewis Family Blog then you know that we are knitting now. I have been doing it for about 3 days and I have quite a bit done on my scarf. I am going to load pictures up through the progression and I would ask you to remember that this is my FIRST project. Also, I am not entirely craft minded so this is a huge step for me to even take this on. Academics have always come easily to me but crafts, art, creativity, etc... has always been my downfall.

I am learning so much from knitting. I am learning to relax and be still. I am learning patience as it is something I have to learn and practice. I am learning self grace as I know this is challenging for me and I don't excel at it right now and that is a huge issue for me normally. It's also a bonding experience between me and my husband because he is really creative, artistic, and crafty and he taught me how to do it by learning it himself. He is enjoying it too and he is secure enough to say so!

Anyway, I just wanted to share what is new in my life and say Congratulations to my beautiful friends Jamie and Brent Barnett who just welcomed their first child into the world. Thier son, Corban Azariah Barnett was born on Sunday September 7th at 3:45 am. He is gorgeous and I am so happy for them! Congrats Barnett Family! :)

--Erica Lewis--

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

I am learning to Knit


Yes, you read right. I have decided to learn to knit. I always am so impressed by people who do arts and crafts who are actually good at these things. I have no patience to learn a new skill sometimes because I feel inadequate and stupid when it doesn't come easy to me. All of my life art projects and things of this nature have been a sore on my behind. When I was about 20 I decided to start scrapbooking and I finally found something I enjoyed and was pretty good at. Now, I love scrapping and I can make homemade cards and do a few other things but I still have difficulty with anything involving my fine motor skills.

So, tonight I had my mind fixed on learning how to Knit. Anthony and I picked up yarn and knitting needles and a book and sure enough, we have started to knit. The only reason Anthony is even doing this is to learn so he can teach me. I have no patience and he has all the patience in the world to teach me things. I love my husband so much as he sits in front of youtube videos and searches out directions on knitting with blue knitting needles and pink yarn all because his wife wants to learn to do this! This man loves me so much. How did I get so lucky?

Anyway, pray that this all works out and I learn this. I want to be posting progress of my projects as I learn! I am proud of myself for even challenging myself in such a manner. Oh crafts, why are they so hard for me yet I want to be so good at them?!

Monday, September 08, 2008

Moved to tears!

Watch the video below and just thank God for the days that you have before you. These people are truly heroes in my eyes!
Cancer

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Wedding Prints for virtually nothing!

Hey everyone, I had to tell you about the great deal I got today thanks to an awesome blog and my own searching....

Money Saving Mom --a few of the ideas came from this awesome blog!

I went onto York Photos, CVS.com, and Snap Fish and made new accounts with each of them. An account with these companies as well as photo storage is completely free. Well, add to that that you get free prints from each company and I was able to get our wedding prints (a total of 120 prints) for about $3.00 total! Is that amazing or what? Also, just a note, York Photos are only 8 cents a print after that so I would suggest that company for further photo needs. Also, CVS.com has amazing deals on gifts like a photo collage poster for $12.49 as do the other companies. The bonus to CVS is that you can order them online and pick them up in your local store so it sidesteps the shipping process and the possiblity of your prints getting bent in the mail. That's a huge issue to me since I ordered a really great print and it was bent completely in half when I received them from another company.

Thanks for stopping in and I hope you get some free prints out of this deal like I did!

--Erica Lewis--

Awesome greeting card giveaway!

Hey everyone, I wanted to let you know about an awesome giveaway I found on a really cool blog. Check out the giveaway and enter to win but also stay a while and check out the blog that I have been recently enjoying! Have a lovely day and use the link below to get to the giveaway posting! :)

Enter for Beautiful Greeting Cards

Have a lovely day my blogging public!

--Erica Lewis--

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Blogging, another love, not new but certainly strong


So I am officially a blogging addict. Not only do I have this blog but I have a Lewis Family Blog and I visit around 10-20 blogs a day and keep up with them on a normal basis. I thought I would give a shout out to the ones I view everyday and love with all of my heart. Some of them are blogs of inspiration and help to me as a Christian and a wife, some of these are money saving tips, freebies, and coupons, and others are just for the pure entertainment value or I love the writer. Here are my favorite blogs and what you can find there!

The Howerton Family Blog This is a blog of a friend/professor of mine and I love keeping up on her lovely family and beautiful children.

Mama Manifesto This is a blog that my above friend/professor writes for and it features several moms and great tips, recipes, humor, etc...

My Special Ks This is a blog I stumbled upon yesterday but it's now one of my favorites. It is about a family (The Garcia's) and it just moved me. I can't explain. Give yourself a whole afternoon and go and read about their journey!


Money Saving Mom This is a blog where I Find freebies, coupons, deals, etc...

Newlyweds This blog is about a young family with twins and it features deals, coupons, recipes, and pictures of their beautiful family.

There are so many new ones I have bookmarked and plans to come back to so my blogging life is only beginning. I have personally had a blog since 2004 as you can see on my archives here but I am only now getting really serious about it and planning on making mine more public. I love blogging and I love to read a good blog. If anyone finds a great one out there, share with me! I am always excited to read a new one. Have a bloggirific day! :)

--Erica Lewis

Monday, September 01, 2008

Coupons, the new love of my life!


As I became a wife and learned about budgeting I became very insistent about learning how to get the most for my money and do the most wonderful things on a budget. So far, I have learned how to clip coupons and use them to get the best deals, make money from home, homemake Christmas gifts, cards, and ornaments, and entertain on very low amounts of excess dough! :) I am proud of myself.

Tonight as Anthony and I watched Robin Hood Men in Tights, I sat one the couch like the domestic queen that I am and clipped coupons and seperated them into their respective departments like Frozen food, Dining Out coupons, Services, Crafts, and the like. I find this game fun and I am really good at it. I am loving being a wife and Anthony is really proud of the things I learn while I am working so hard at keeping us fed, clothed, entertained, and put together! I love making him proud and he loves that I try so hard!

Overall here are a few lessons I have learned:

1. Clip all of the coupons you find, you never know what could go on sale and could be FREE at some point.

2. Use coupons in conjunction with sales at stores and you will get things for very little money, free, or could even have money back.

3. Smartsource (sunday paper), online coupons, and a magazine called "All You" *found at Wal-mart* are good sources to find coupons.

4. Coupons might not be worth it if there are not sales on that item currently, keep them until they are on sale.

5. Give away coupons to friends who have pets, babies, etc...if the products don't fit your life. They may have things that you need.

I love this life. It's so fun to see how far the money can stretch and find something outside of school that gives me purpose, fun, and helps my family. YAY Mrs. Lewis...you are the wife you have always wanted to be! :)