Wisdom Worship Wed.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

I was reminded today that the definition of insanity was to do the same things over and over but expecting different results.  To change we have to be open for change and willing to go through the pains of change.  But we also have to be willing to renew our minds in the word of God.  Then in my devotional today, it was about God's wisdom.  His perfect wisdom.  I want that.  I began to see how I have relaxed in the last couple of weeks trying to finish these goals and resting after they were done.  I had let a complaining whining spirit creep back in.  I was allowing myself to gossip when I was frustrated.  I had feelings of unforgiveness towards people that had done Darin wrong at his job and in my heart I was wanting my selfish justification.  It is all negative and a poison.  The teaching I heard on TV was about prosperity.  We are blessed to be a blessing to others.  We are highly favored by our God and King who provides so richly to our needs, but it is so to pass on favor to others in need.  In my heart I was not sowing seeds of blessings.  I pray for Godly wisdom in difficult situations and not be emotion led.  I pray for a renewing of my mind so it does not take so long for me to realize I am off track.  I want to live life on a different plane in my thoughts and life than the world has to offer.  This song for Worship Wed. means so much to me.  I got to sing it this summer at church and it is so my prayer today. 

Top 2 Tuesday

Things I will Accomplish This Year!

Earn this Ring!

I am going for being the Queen of the entire Sapphire Division at the Mary Kay Seminar for Recruiting!

This is huge for me because I have never even been in the Queen's Court of Recruiting! It takes 24 new qualified team members.  I am going for 50.  Last year I only recruited 3 qualified team members the entire year.  This year I have added 15 personal team members and 5 are already Seminar Qualified!  My mother said she would come to Seminar to see me cross the stage in the Queen's Court of Sales, Unit Club, and WHEN I am the Queen of Recruiting my entire family will get to be presented on stage with me.  It will give me a huge platform to publicly tell my family what they mean to me.  It makes me cry to even think about.  What lesson will that teach my kids as they stand beside the big throne I will get to sit on.  Then watch me earn a crown and be presented and  get to introduce them.  What will they learn about big girl dreams and accomplishments. I have learned that we as women have to tap into the emotions behind our dream and feed them.  I already envision myself seated on that throne.  I can see what Dalton, Brighton and Madison be wearing and what they will say when they get to talk in the big microphone.  To see the look of pride on my dad's face and to have my mother get to the see the huge picture of why I do what I do.  I have my dress for it all picked out.  What will I get to say about Darin and publicly thank him for his support.  It will be his first Seminar too.  We will also be traveling to Dallas in our new Pink Caddy too! I will accomplish this goal this year!

 2. Take my Kids to Disney World!

I have dreamed of taking my children to Disney World while they were little enough to believe that they were meeting the real Cinderella and Mickey Mouse.  This year as a new Sales Director I can earn up to $4000 in bonuses each quarter just by doing what I am suppose to do.  I have already earned the 1st one by debuting as a Sales Director before Dec. 1 this year! Each $1000 check I earn is going into a savings account for our trip.  Our plan is to pick them up on the last day of school and go on this vacation.  This year has already started as a year that the Koenig house hold does what they have been saying they are going to do for a long time.

I know this is top 2 Tuesday but I have one more.  With mine and Darin's promotions this month we are back on track to being debt free by December 31st! We will make this happen!

Feature Friday

Feature Friday

 I am doing my feature Friday again.  I love to introduce to my blogging world the people that mean something to me.  Today I am featuring my beautiful sister-in-law Stephanie.  She is married to my littlest brother Shane. It is funny because I was almost named Stephanie.  It was hard enough when my sister-in-laws came along and took the last name Helm.  I was a little territorial that I was the only Helm girl of the family and now that was not my last name.  But to have two Stephanie Helm's would have been weird.   It took me a little while to get to know Stephanie because she is so quiet.  When I mean quiet I mean, I can have a one sided conversation with her.  I really think she had to get use to me too.  I bet her ears would ring when she left me.  In my house growing up that was something we were not use to.  I think that is why she is perfect for my brother Shane.  Stephanie has always loved my babies and been wonderful with them.  She could love on and cuddle Madie since she was born.  She helped me so much this weekend while Darin was out of town and Madie was sick by taking Dalton for two days.  Then Sunday night we were both getting ready to go out to dinner and Madie started crying, she was there.  It heard a really troubling cry and I thought she was going to be sick.  She was screaming that her tummy hurt.  When I took her to the bathroom she did not want to sit on the toilet or lean over it to throw up.  It was not a normal cry and it scared me because I thought maybe it was her appendix.  Stephanie is a nurse so I called her to come help me.  When I laid Madie down I herd that gurgle noise that told me she was fixing to throw up. I rush her to the bathroom and nothing happened.  She kept crying.  That worried Stephanie and she grabbed Madie and rushed her to the bed to check her stomach with the same concern about her appendix.  The next  I hear is Madie projectile vomit all over Stephanie.  I tried to warn her.  I knew that noise.  Stephanie just stood there a moment and then smiled and asked Madie, "Do you feel better now?"  She did not freak out or bat and eye.  I took Madie to clean her up and she went to clean herself.  I knew that was a special kind of aunt.  I would not have been as calm if another persons kid puked all over me.  I was not that good of an aunt in my 20s either.  When crisis happens you want someone as cool and calm as Stephanie there with you.  She is a very patient and loving wife with my brother.  Shane is the entertainer and you never know what is going to come out of his mouth next.  Stephanie just rolls with it.  She is going to make a great mom someday.  She has fit into our family well over the last few years.  Even though I think we completely overwhelm her with how loud and talkative we can all be.  My favorite is all the shopping trips we have already made together.  That is the most fun times I have had with my two sister in laws. I never had a sister but I love going to church and being known as the three Helm girls.  It is very sweet to  worship with each week and do life with my sister-in-laws.  Even if they both like to remind me I am the oldest. 

Worship Wed a Day Late

I did not get to post yesterday because the day got away from me.  I wanted to welcome all my new followers.  Each one just made my day and I can't wait to get to 100!  I love that people are reading what I write.  I really started this blog as an outlet for my thoughts.  But I also want it to be an encouragement to others.  Maybe someone can identify with my struggles of being a wife and mother.  Or just be encouraged that they are not a crazy as that lady. haha Or if  just I make someone just laugh, I have served my purpose.  I love all of the comments and promise to read through your blogs too.  It was an exciting day for several reasons.  Madie was finally well and we got out of the house! Praise the Lord it was a long 7 days!!!  I got to start my new Ladies Bible study.  I had to miss the 1st week because Madie was so sick.  I also woke up yesterday morning and checked my Mary Kay website and found my official congratulations on becoming a director.  I got my official unit number and got to order my suit!!!  It was so exciting.  I was on the phone with my best friend Susan at the time and litterally squeeked in her ear!  Then we went to tour Darin's store and have lunch! It is official! The same week I became a MK sales director Darin became the newest GM in his area for Whataburger! We have struggled for so long working, waiting, praying for a break through.  We were both at our breaking point with weariness and ready to give up.  God blessed us abundantly and all at once.  There was no trickle in of the blessings! It was a tidal wave! We are so excited! 
I wanted to share a new worship song that was sang on Sunday.  I love my church so much! One of the things that I love the most is, that instead of diving the church over worship wars they just created another service that is at the same time as the traditional service.  It is for those of us that want to worship with a live band and more modern music.  We get the benefits of the established church with all of it's structure and the different ages that make up the beauty of the body, but are not sacrificing what our hearts love in worship.  This week some of the teens and college students led us and it was awesome! The last few weeks worship has been so alive.  It has overwhelmed me and consumed me.  As we are singing I has such a deep desire to hear the crowd breakout in thunderous applause.  Now don't get me wrong, there is a time for reverence and quiet.  I would never want to lose that.  But there are times to dance and cheer.  To celebrate and just give thunderous applause to the Great and Mighty King who sits on the throne.  The God who has overcome the world for us.  It is like a battle cry to the enemy that we will follow this King to the ends of the earth into victory.  Despite anything that comes against us we will cry out our allegiance and raise His banner high.  Like the thunderous applause that erupts during a football game when your team takes the field.  Fans go crazy! Or a rock star or when a celebrity take the stage to thunderous applause.  Our God deserves more applause than we would or could give to anyone else.  Like in The Lion King when the animals bow down in reverence and then break into thunderous applause for the birth of the new king.  That scene made me cry in the theater because it was such a picture of how we should worship.  The last two weeks I can feel it begin to break out but no one wants to step out and draw attention to themselves.  I yearn to just hear it erupt through the worshipers and not be contained.  When the people of the Lord come together and worship the Lord and celebrate all that he has done.  I don't mean the cheesy slow motion clap from teen 80's movies that breaks out into cheers.  But just to be singing to God and thanking him for who he is and it can not be contained.  Because he is a Great God, and a Victorious King of Glory!  The song breaks out almost into a shout as they just cry out.  It is not the best recording of the song. But see the massive crowd respond to worship and cry out to God. It brings tears to my eyes just watching the video. 


Psalm 100


SHOUT for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his ; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Labor Day & Top 2 Tues.

Top Two things you love about Fall

1.  The cooler weather, and opening all my windows.

2.  Football.  Not a huge fan of watching it on TV, but high school football. The sound of the band playing,  Homecoming mums, the Friday buzz.  It all brings back such sweet memories.  Then there is taking Saturday afternoon naps listening to the sounds of the announcer and the refs. whistle blowing while Darin watches College Football.  Putting on our maroon and white to go watch the Aggies play at my parents house. It reminds me of going to College Station and watching my brother play in the band at Kyle Field. 

Friday I was home with Madie and it was cloudy outside.  A perfect overcast day and I could hear the band practicing for the nights game.  The cadence of the drums playing in the background was relaxing.  Sounds of  shotguns in the background was mixed in and just as soothing.  Yes, to this Texas girl the sounds of guns firing in the back ground is a sweet sound.  It is the opening of dove season.  I hear that and  I am a kid again at my great grandparents farm house waking up to the smell of granny cooking breakfast and the sound of the sheep bleating in the pasture beside my open window.  The cool breeze is blowing in the sweet smell of wet the dewy ground and I can smell the fall air.  Growing up we spent every labor day at my grandparents and great grandparents homes.  Fall also brings back such sweet memories of the buzz that fall Fridays brought when I was in high school.  Pep-rallies, football games, after game dances.  Listening the sound of the drums coming from the band and the announcer could be heard from my house because we lived by the school.   Fall flowers,  and scarecrows take over Hobby Lobby along with the ribbons for Homecoming Mums.   I loved watching my mother make them growing up.  I loved wearing the Homecoming mums and the excitement of the Homecoming Dance.  Then for a couple of years I loved getting to help my neighbor make her daughter's. She has no idea what they were and it was neat to get to share my tradition and get to help her.  I can't wait to get to do that when my kids are old enough.  Hopefully they will still be in style to wear. Are Homecoming Mums just a Texas thing?  Fall reminds me of listening to country music, wearing boots and riding around in a boys pick up trucks.  Remember I grew up in Texas and wearing boots was not a Cowboy dress up day for school. 

It was August that I started dating my husband, Darin.  Our love story started in the fall.  I met his family when I spent Labor Day weekend with them in Wimberly 15 years ago.  Fridays brought a different excitement as I would wait for him to come each weekend from his school to see me.  Or I would travel to Belton to go see him.  Just hearing the song, "Dust on the Bottle" takes me back to days of running around in his blue pick up truck driving the back roads between Temple and Belton.  

    

5 Question Friday

I have had a sick little one with strep and it has been a difficult week taking care of her. But thank goodness school has started and she was the only one at home.  I thought I would like up with Mama M and her 5 question Friday.
1. What do you do when you have time to yourself?
Read! I love getting lost in another world created in a story.  I left the world of Fork and jumped into Hogwarts.  I just finished reading the Harry Potter Series and loved every minute of it.  I hate to admit it being a diehard Twilight fan, but the last book of the series, The Deathly Hallows was one of the best fiction books I have ever read.
Writing.  I don't get much time for it but I love to write.  Short stories, poems.  I did a lot more of it before having kids.

2. When you look out your kitchen window, what do you see?
My neighbors house.

3. Who/What would you want to be reincarnated as?
    An Ice skater.  I love watching figure skating and think it would be so cool to get to do that.  The graceful routines they get to do. What an expression of their soul to get to skate a beautiful performance to a song that is meaningful to you.  Like when Scott Hamilton did a beautiful performance to Amazing Grace back in the 80's.  Not to mention all of the beautiful costumes.   
4. What is your biggest pet peeve about other people's kids?
Cleaning up after them.  I don't like cleaning up after my own kids but I really resent having to clean up after other people's kids.  I also have a hard time when they are distructive with my kids toys.  My kids are trained to take care of their toys and it is hard when other kids play to rough with toys or break their favorite toys.  This is for another post.  I still have issues of being a church planter's wife and having other people's kids in my home a lot.

5. Regular or Diet soda?
There is nothing better than a foutain Dr. Pepper over crushed ice.  But I am learning to like diet coke.

We did It!

We did it, we did it! Yea we did it! To borrow from Dora.  Monday night (one day early) my team and I finished the qualifications from Mary Kay to become our own unit!  It was awesome! The last two consultants placed their orders to complete the requirements of $18,000 wholesale in a 4 month period.  This is something I have deemed of and wanted for over 13 years! It was something I was afraid to try and in the back of my mind wondered if I had what it took to make it through the process. It means tripling my income from what I am making now.  It is the making it to the top 2 percent of the company. I can now go on target for that beautiful pink Cadillac.  It means I get to order my suit and wear it at all the events.  I have a unit that I get to train, and teach.  It is a lot of recognition at company events.  Personally it breaths life into my self confidence that I saw something through to completion and did it!  I did not get up when the going got tough and things looked like they were not going to happen.  This is the suit I get to order as soon as Mary Kay calls and gives me my unit number.

I am my Director Teresa's 1st off spring unit! She is like another Mom to me and to get to make her a Sr. Director is the coolest thing.

This time last year I was at an all time low.  We were out of ministry because we closed the doors on our church and the church we went to work for could not longer pay Darin a salary.  With very little notice we moved out of our home and moved in with my parents.  I had fallen out of qualifications for directorship due to all of the sudden changes.  Living with my parents was not the ideal situation and strained my relationship with my mother.  I felt lost, defeated, lonely and trapped.  Darin was depressed and has no idea what his next step would be.  I felt like I did not belong anywhere and was ashamed.  I got on antidepressants to just help me deal with my current reality. By October Darin got a job with Whataburger and we moved into our own home.  We started on the slow journey back to get back on our feet.  It has not been an easy journey and has taken a lot of hard work but the reality hit me of how life has changed.  Now one year later we are in a church that we love.  We have always served in churches but being a part of Manchaca Baptist church is the church I always wanted to a part of or one like it.  Here I am surrounded by people I love! My best girlfriends in the world all go to church with me.  The people teaching my children also knew me when I was a teenager.  I am apart of the community that I live in. Coming home to the town I was raised in has been healing.  I no longer feel like an outsider looking in trying to build community with people around me.  I finally feel like a belong and am loved. I am back in a size 8! I took the bull by the horns and got my pregnancy weight off my body.  From a 14 to an 8 and working towards a 6! I took myself off the antidepressants.  Life has been steadily getting back on track but very hard these past few months.  Whataburger has been a hard test as Darin work long hours at a store towards proving himself ready to take over his own store and waiting for one to come open.  After finding out that I had made director, Darin got a call that he has his interview tomorrow to take over his own store and be a General Manager for Whataburger.  His salary will double and his bonuses will triple the same month my bonus percentages triple!  God is so faithful! His blessing is abundant. Never late and always on time.  I laugh when I think about how tightly I held on to old dreams and what I thought I wanted for my life.  I begged God to not move us again this last time.  I was frustrated when life began to transition.  Wow my life is completely different that it was one year ago and what a year it was.