Saturday, June 29, 2019

Febuary Update!!!

On our way to ONTARIOOOOO!!!!
For Courtney's SURPRISE 30th birthday party!!!
Listening to Anne of Green Gables on the way!!!

Me freaking out cuz there was snow capped mountains!!!
I TRIED PHO!!!
Sooooooooooooooooooo GOOOOOOOD!!!






Soooooooooo I finally got to used one of my beloved Lush bathbombs...our houses bathtub is just old and ghetto feeling...I can't do that!!! LOL Buuuuut it's a good thing we don't have a nice tub cuz if we did, baths would be in competition with the hiking hobby!!!! AHAHAHAHAAHAA!!!

Sooooooo this was my coffee HEART BREAK, because I wanted latte art...I was literally 💔😝😞

Brandon joining us through facetime!!!! LOL
Literally, THE BEST DONUT EVERRRRRR!!!! 
UPLAND DONUTS!!! 
So Hanna found this place on YELP...which I LOOOOOOVE YELP...
It's this little hole-in-the-wall place that looks super ghetto, buuuuuut their donuts are like, WOOOOOW!!!! For anyone in the Southern Cali area or traveling through, I highly recommend this place! The best one is a WARM MAPLE BAR...OMW!!!! It's worth the pound you will gain!!! LOL
With Simon during party prepping!!!
I escaped the decorating for the kitchen...this is wear I belong...I would rather sweat over a hot oven, slave over the sink then DECORATE...ugh!!! LOL
Getting ready to surprise her!!! 
BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!



CHEATERRRRRS!!!


Annnnnnnnnnd we found a CLEAN Italian market in Upland...BOMB sandqhiches too!!!




Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnd in O's world...
THIS IS CALIFORNIA!!!!
The trampoline at the mall and the Jacuzzi!!! LOL 

Saying goodbye!!!




Annnnnnnnnnnd NOW I'm HAPPY!!! 
Beautiful latte art!!!

Friday, June 28, 2019

Prayer Alarm!!!

Have you all ever set your alarm early just so you can get up and pray? I'm kind of a morning person, early to bed and early to rise...sooooo by 7 am I've all ready been up for a few hours!!! bUUUUUUT back in the day, before I was an early riser, I would have to set an alarm to get up early for prayer!!!
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Weeeeeeeeelllllll...I would like you all to meet my little prayer alarm!!! 
YES, a little human prayer alarm!!!
One day when he was over I was in the other room doing something and he was playing, when he comes to me, PRAY Mary??? Now, I had already prayed that day so I was thinking I was good for the moment, so I was like, Oh sure Ray, if you wanna pray, go pray! He looks at me, eyebrows raised and the most serious look on his face and says, "MARY PRAY, NOW!!!" I was like, YES SIR!!!! AHAHAHAAHAHAAAA!!! And we went had us a prayer meeting!!! Because, HEY, you can never pray TOO MUCH and WHEN is ever requested on the job to pray??? I mean, seriously, how cool is that???
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Buuuuuut it never fails when he comes over, he ALWAYS gets in a prayer session.  There have been days where I really did FORGET to pray that day, but because of my little prayer alarm, WE GOT IN OUR PRAYER time!!! It's like there's just a little ticker in him that goes off and lets him know, IT'S TIME!!! If we could all strive and pray for God to put that same ticker in us, that a spiritual alarm goes off inside of us everyday, reminding us to pray!!! It's something I ask God to put inside of me!!!
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Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuut...in case your spiritual ticker inside doesn't go off...annnnnnnd you don't have a human prayer alarm...go ahead and set that PHYSICAL ONE...IT'S TIME TO PRAY!!! 
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

♥Mary Frances :)

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Pretty Nails!!!

I REMEMBER the first time someone told me I had pretty nails.

It was during a P.E. class at Desert Arroyo Middle School.

I was in 6th grade.
Standing in line to hit the soft ball.
Suddenly, a very popular girl, standing in front of me, turned and spoke,

"Oh MY GOODNESS!" She exclaimed. "Is that a french manicure?!"

I am like "HUH?! A WHAT?!?!"

(I had NO idea what that was AND I was actually quite in shock that her highness has even spoken to me!)

"Did you get a manicure?" she asks again?
"Uh, no," I say.
"So those are your NATURAUL nails?!?!" She asks in awe.
I think about this for a moment, not to sure what to say.
I NEVER cut my nails.
I NEVER file my nails.
I NEVER clean my nails.
I NEVER bite my nails.
I NEVER, EVEN think about my nails.
I wasn't even sure what a manicure was.
ESPECIALLY a French one!!!
"Uh yeah!" I say.
(Cause my nails are about as NATURAL as they get!)
I am totally shocked when she turns to me in total admiration...
"Oh wow!" She says. "I have ALWAYS wanted a French manicure!!!"

This was the beginning of compliments
on something I could care less about!!!

"Wow! you have SUCH pretty nails!"
"They are so elegant!"
"They look so graceful!"
"They look so healthy!"
"Such a perfect pink sheen!"
"Just the right curve!"
Divine!
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And I am thinking...
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AS IF I CARE about my nails!!!
Compliment me on my hair!
Compliment me on my eyes!
My smile!
My laugh!
My WONDERFUL personality!!! ;)
BUT NOT MY NAILS!!!

And of course the questions...
Do you spend a lot of time on them?
How often do you file them?
Is there a special vitamin?
What brand nail clipper?
WHAT do you do to get them like that?!?!?!
AND THE ANSWER WAS SIMPLE!!!

I DO...
NOTHING!!!
NOTHING!!!
NOTHING!!!

My nails grow.
They break perfectly even across.
Then grow back.
Thats it!!!
And I NEVER thought twice about them!

UNTIL ONE DAY
Oh happy day
A very, very, very cute guy came over to me and casually said...

"Hey, pretty nails!"
My heart started beating faster!
My pulse was racing!
I FAINTED a million times, INSIDE!!!
"Oh, thanks," I said CASUALLY!

And that was it!!!
SUDDENLY I CARED!!!

Shopping time!!!
I went with my friends to the mall!!!
They were looking at clothes for a youth conference.
NOT ME!!!
I was shopping for the PERFECT nail buffer.
I mean who cares about new clothes, WHEN you have pretty nails?!?!
"He said I have pretty nails," I said sighing.

"Oh brother!" said one of my friends.
"We've ALL told you that before!"
"Yeah, EVERYONE tells you that!"

"Yes, I said, but YOU ALL are girls!"
"I have had lots of girls say it before...
BUT the guys have ALWAYS been negative about them...
My brothers say they are gross, they call me "Claws"
Say they are daggers- a weapon-
"YOU NEED TO CUT THOSE!" they say...
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BUT HE SAID they are pretty!!! *SIGH!!!
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AND soooooo
I buffed them.
I filed them.
I noticed them.
I liked them.
I became VAIN about them.
OMW!!! I EVEN kIsSeD THEM!!!
*Gasp!!!
And one,
by one,
they began to break.
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As each one broke, I would think...
God is trying to teach me a lesson.
But still...
I filed.
I clipped.
I Buffered.
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Finally there was ONLY one long nail left...
I should probabley just leave it I thought...
"Clip it!" said my brothers!!!"It looks WEIRD!!!"
BUT instead
I pulled out my buffer.
Just one more time...
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SNAP!!!!
And it was over!!!
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Everytime my nails start growing back...
SNAP!
Gone is the beautiful elegance.
Gone are the compliments.
Gone are the looks of admiration.
In their place is short, stubby little nails.
*SIGH!
AND you know what I'm gonna do about that?!?!
NOThING!!!
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I don't cut them.
I don't file them.
I don't buff them.
( I do clean them now...I mean...LOL...)
I DO NOTHING!!!
You know why?!?!
CAUSE...
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I DON'T EVEN CARE!!! =)
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Pride goeth before destruction,
and an haughty spirit before a fall.
(Proverbs 16:18)
P.S. THANK GOD he didn't say I have pretty eyes!!! ;)
P.P.S. And after all these years, they are finally getting pretty again...and I still don't care!!! 

♥Mary Frances :)

Monday, June 24, 2019

Happy Monday!!!

Top 32 Funny Quotes About Work
Annnnnnnnnnnd so IS the Holy Ghost!!! 
Happy Monday everyone!!! You don't need to be half full or half empty...BE OVERFLOWING!!!! Don't forget to get your DAILY HOLY GHOST REFILL this week!!!! 
"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)
♥Mary Frances :)

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Purple eyes!!!

So little O is realizing lately that certain things are for girls and certain things are for boys. Which, in this day in age is a GOOD thing to be realizing!!! Well first on for most on his list is PINK is for girls. Second, GLITTER is for girls! Any stuff animal that had glitter on its collar or any where else was given to SISTER!!! Well if pink is for girls, so is purple! AND blue, green, red, orange and brown are FOR BOYS!!! Weeeeeeeelllll I personally think that's being a little stingy with the color schemes since I happen to LOOOOOOOOVE COLORS!!!!
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So I was like, well O girls can wear blue too!!! He was like, NOOOOO it's boys!!! So I was like, well if blue is for boys, then WHY are my eyes blue??? He looks at me with a glare and says, YOUR EYES ARE NOT BLUE AUNT MARY!!!! I'm like, LOOK AT THEM, they're blue!!!!! He's like, they are NOT!!! So i'm like, okaaaaaaaay fine, if they're NOT blue, what color are they then???? So he looks at my eyes, and he's looking and looking and looking and just staring at them, I thought he would back down and finally say, OH they are blue! Buuuuuuuut NO the kid just keeps staring and concentrating, then FINALLY with a look of triumph he says, PURPLE!!!
YOUR EYES ARE PURPLE!!!!
I mean, I gotta give the kid credit for coming up with that! Especially since when I was a kid, purple eyes would have made me VERY HAPPY!!! Blue eyes were pretty much my childhood-trial-of-the-faith!!! People would oooooh and ahhhhh over my eyes, buuuuuuuut all it meant to me was that people always gave me blue things!!! When my mom bought me and my sister clothes, she would almost always get us the same, but my sisters would be the beloved PINK and mine would be BLUE!!! I would wine, WHY can't I have pink???? Blue is boys!!! And my mom would say, because, you have blue eyes!!! and me, BUUUUUUUT blue is for BOYS and Theresa doesn't have PINK EYES, it's NOT fair!!! 
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Ironically, as and adult, my two favorite colors are PINK annnnnnnnd BLUE!!! Pink because, well, it's PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINK!!! 😍 And blue because I finally realized WHY my mom kept putting me in it, I LOOOOOOK GOOD IN IT!!! Gotta love a color for doing that for one right?!?! LOL 
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BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT I like PURPLE too! Because, purple was my mom's favorite color and because it's for girls annnnnnnd BECAUSE I LOOK GOOD IN IT TOO!!!! AHAHAHAHAAAA!!! So if the kid says I have purple eyes, theeeeeeeeeeeeeennnn…
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PURPLE EYES I HAVE!!!
ANNNNNNNNNND...
Because BLUE IS FOR BOYS!!!
♥Mary Frances :)

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Mary's BAMMMMM Fried Rice!!!

I haven't shared with you all a recipe in a superrrrr looooooooong time buuuut I believe that I simply can NOT shut up about my latest recipe creation...just CAN NOT!!!! Soooooo although I do not personally follow the keto eating plan, this recipe IS low carb and keto friendly. I'm a lean meat, high protein, high veggies and minimum fruit eating plan, its what works for me so I've come up with some really BOMB recipes!!!
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The way I feel about cooking is this, anyone can make fattening food taste good, weeeeelllllll I told my sis that and she said, UH NOOOO, that's not quite true, buuuuuut any good cook can make unhealthy food taste good, buuuuuuuut I Mary Frances Ginty do not strive to be good, I strive to be EXCELLENT!!!
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IF you think cauliflower rice is NASTY one of two things: 1. You ate it by a person that doesn't know how to cook it! 2. YOU don't know how to cook it!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!! So the key is STEAM it and then saute it as well!!!
Sooooooo with out further ado...
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MARY'S BAMMMMM FRIED RICE!!!
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons of freshly grated ginger
2-4 cloves garlic diced
1/2 cup of diced ham
1/2 cup cooked chicken
1/4 cup chopped green onions/chives
1/4 diced onion
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1 diced jalapeno
1.5 tablespoons oil (Your favorite)
2 teaspoons sesame oil (Adds amazing flavor but too much is TOO MUCH!;)
1-2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 bag frozen rice cauliflower medley
2-3 eggs
Directions:
Steam rice in microwave
Saute garlic and ginger in oils, about a minute or 2 till they start to brown slightly, then add the steamed cauliflower rice, cook together a minute, then add everything else. Once broccoli is starting to soften, add the soy sauce, add in raw eggs at the end till they are cooked. I like to get everything throughly cooked, then let the bottom brown, flip, let that part brown then...
BAM!!!
This stuff is SOOOOOO good!!! I'm gonna buy stuff tomorrow to make another batch up!!!I'm NOT joking, don't knock the cauliflower until you've given it a try....EVEN MY SISTER LIKED IT... annnnnd that says A LOT!!! Also, one of my sister in laws, who is doing keto, was really craving fried rice, she said her and her husband bought a frozen cauliflower fried rice from Sprouts and much to her disappointment, it was DISAPPOINTING!!! Buuuuuut she LOOOOOOVED MINE!!! What does Sprouts have on an ITALIAN GIRL??? Nothing, besides a BUSINESS...ahahahahaaaa!!!
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*I just wanna say that it's hard for me to actually give directions for cooking cuz I just kinda do it...buuuuuut hopefully get the jist!!!
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*Also, you can add in lots of other veggies if you want, these are just the ones I like. Carrots and peas are always good, some people like mushrooms and water chestnuts. You can also do more on the meat or all chicken or all ham or pork...WHATEVERRRR! And if you don't like spice you may wanna leave out the jalapeno or just half...I looooooove the added kick tho!!! Yuuuuummmm!!! Oooooh also, you can make this without the cauliflower rice by using 2 cups of your favorite already cooked rice instead, or even quinona instead, which is a healthier grain that is also very high in protein!

*Also, I don't ACTUALLY measure anything...so it's about that much oil, could be a little less, I just kinda eyeball JUST enough!!! LOL Also, I season to taste as I cook with salt, pepper and Montreal Steak seasoning. I'm a HUGE spice person! No blah food in my kitchen!!! :)
♥Mary Frances :)
Next week, I'll share with you all my Spaghetti Squash SPAGHETTI!!! Then my Stuffed peppers!!! Healthy cooking can be GOOOOOOOOD too!!! The key is flavor and SPICE!!!

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Why Complain?!

"God is so good to me, I was singing this song the other day, He is so good to me, God is so good to me, I CAN'T complain!” Then I got to thinking about it and I thought, actually, I could complain. I mean seriously. There are quite a few things in my life that I would like to complain about right now.
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Then something happened at work that same day that just really pushed me over the edge. I was very irritated. Just so incredibly annoyed. On the outside I had managed maintain my cool. However, on the inside, I was boiling mad. I was so hot I am surprised no one could see steam seeping out of me. There was nothing I could really do about it, except maintain my cool in silence.
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For the most part, I try not to post all my problems on my blog or email them to all my friends. I try to keep a positive attitude. But after this, I decided to break that decision. I was going to blog about this irritation, mass email about it, text and about it. I was ready to vent my extreme annoyance to anyone and everyone that would listen.
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However, as I was sitting there, preparing to vent, God ran a simple little question through my mind...
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"Why complain?"
" Huh?" I heard it again.
"Why complain?"
" Well, because I am like really irritated and..."
"...But why complain?"
"Well, uh, you see, I uh, the reason why is because, uh..."
Then another question...
"What is complaining going to do?"
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I thought about this for a moment, but came up with NOTHING. I knew that was the answer to the question; complaining would do NOTHING. It wouldn’t do me any good. Nor was it going to do any of the people I was complaining to ANY good. When I realized this God asked me one more time...
"Why complain?"
"I said ok forget it, I think I just changed my mind!!!"
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You know, its so easy to complain. But really, WHY complain? Why be negative when you can be positive? Why bring another's spirit down, when you can help lift their spirit up? We all have those bad days, life isn't perfect, and sometimes we're just going to feel a little down. BUT why complain?
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One of the best ways to get out of feeling down is by making someone else smile. There is a saying that says Happiness is like jam, you can't spread even a little, without getting some on yourself. I realized this the other day when I was upset. I went home from work and thought, hmmm.... what should I do? Really, I just felt like being a grouch. I went to the computer to check my email, perhaps I had received and enlightening email from a friend. Grrr ...Nothing but junk mail. Well, I guess I’ll blog. So I started writing something, it was just a silly, stupid blog, but it was funny. It made my friends laugh and you know what, making them laugh made me feel better.
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Yeah, I still had the same problem, but I would have had the same problem if I had been complaining about it to. And by complaining about it to my friends I would have put that same frustration on them, instead I had caused them to laugh, which in turn made me smile also.
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So why complain? Sometimes we just expect everyone to be our little venting station. We think that our family, spouse, friends, employees are there for us to complain to about all of life's little problems. Then we can't understand why people don't want to talk to us and make excuses to get off the phone. The truth is simple, no one wants to hear you complain. Yes it's okay to occasionally vent frustration. It's one thing to go to a friend and say that you have something that you really need to talk to them about. That you need their advice, prayer or just some encouragement…
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It's another thing to just complain.

"My husband just can't pick up after himself. No one at work appreciates me. The neighbor's next-door need to mow their lawn. I deserve a raise. My brother ate the last of my favorite cereal. My sister used the last of the cinnamon vanilla creamer. My wife always burns the toast AND her coffee is weak." Sometimes, I just want to look at people and say, "I DON'T CARE!!!" (Famous Mary Line: I don't care, I mean I CARE, buuuuuut I don't care!!! AHAHAHAAAA!!!)I am not trying to be rude, we could all sit around and talk about our frustrations, but, WHY?! WHY complain?
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I heard a preacher once tell a story about how someone at his house had left the water running while watering the plants. He said that he was very annoyed when he went out and saw the water running down the street. It was wasting water and he was going to have to pay the bill. He said that he knew who had left the water running. He knew where she lived and he knew that if he chose to he could go over to her house and really let her have it for not turning off the water. If chose to, he could really ruin this woman’s day. However, he says, “You know what I did? I turned off the water.”
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I think sometimes in life we need to learn how to just “Turn off the water” If it really bothers you, that your husband leaves his clothes on the floor, just shut up and pick them up. Buy some more creamer. Eat a different cereal. Make your own coffee. I’m NOT saying that when we don’t like something we never have to say a word about it. But if you really do have a constant problem, you should try talking directly to that person and not the rest of the world.

I got to thinking about it a little bit more, the whole complaining thing. I realized that we would probably get a lot further with resolving our problems, if we spent as much time in prayer, talking to God about our problems, as we do complaining to everyone else about our problems. In the Bible it says that there was a woman named Hannah who was barren in her womb. Her and her husband could not conceive children and because of this she was very sad. The Bible says she literally grieved in her heart, that’s how badly she wanted a child.
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“Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? Am not I better to thee than ten sons?” (1 Samuel 1:8) There was nothing Elkanah, her husband could do to solve this problem. However, I like what Hannah does next. “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.” (1 Samuel 1:10) What did she do? She talked to God about it. And talking to God about her problem got her a whole lot further than complaining to her husband about it. “…and the LORD remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD, ” ( 1 Samuel 1:19-20). God heard her and He answered her prayer.
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The honest truth is that often times we as humans might not really want to hear about the things that are bringing you down. Its not that we don’t love each other, but, we’re only humans. There are some things, that, aside from praying, there is just nothing I can personally do to help a person. However, 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Talk to God about your problems. He REALLY does care.
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So the song runs through my mind just one more time. God is so good to me; He is so good to me. His spirit came to me and gave me the victory; God is so good to me I CAN'T complain! Well, actually, I still could, I mean, there are still quite a few things in my life that I would like to be different. I am still single, more money is always nice,  I really want that one jacket, that one camera, and oh, irritating people are still everywhere.
BUT, then I think about God's goodness.
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I was raised in truth, I am surrounded by family, I have the Holy Ghost, God forgave me of my sins, I go to an awesome church, I have a pastor that watches out for my soul and isn't afraid to preach the truth, I HAVE A JOB, the bills are getting paid, I have tons of cute clothes, I have friends galore, I have good fellowship, laughter overflows my heart, I have joy that fills my soul, and the list goes on and on and on. ♫Sing it one more time♫ God is so good to me, He is so good to me, God is so good to me, and I’m NOT going to complain!♫
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...Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
 (Phil. 4:8) 
♥Mary Frances :)