changes .....

wow! fall has arrived! i love to see the trees change,and my house! i got home yesterday from work, and my mom had started putting out all her beautiful fall decorations along with some candy corn and the pumpkins!

in my post "ive lost three things" i mentioned there was something coming up i sure wanted to loose more pounds for. well, im not sure if its really ok for me to tell you or not, but im thinking i dont have that many readers sooooo .......

i maybe on a reality tv show.

im not big on reality tv. i LOVE the biggest loser, split ends (my cousin,S, that i work with was on there 2 years ago), and shear genius. sometimes i watch dancing with the stars, but im over that now. i dont watch much tv,especially in the summer, but the fall and winter i add in some time for it.

as i said above, my cousin,S, was on the show Split Ends. he went to petaluma,california and joe hamer,platform artist, came to styles by beverly in new hope,al! im glad i wasnt there for filming then. im an outgoing person, but not as much as most think.

today we are possibly having a client film us working for a little while and take some pictures of us all in the shop doing what we do. S maybe the only one of the show, we dont know for sure yet. we dont even know the name of the show yet, just the entertainment company that called us up.

so, to all of my awesome clients out there, i maybe needing your help! ive been very inspired by meg on the weight loss, and i know prayers are going to need to be sent up! my prayer is that if we are chosen for another show, for God to use it for HIS glory, honor and praise! i dont want anything less. if God is not in it, then i pray it doesnt happen.

"HE said HE can move mountains, move my mountains, move your mountains too" were just words of a song im listening too. the song is "i have to believe" by rita springer. its an amazing song, and its giving me peace on this.

i'll try to keep you updated on the progress of the changes...

until later, B

p.s. the twins maybe here soon! please keep d&l and the babies in your prayers!

i'm slightly overwhelmed ...

yes, very much so, but not in a bad way. sometimes when i think im overwhelmed, i really mean im stressed out. today is different.

fall seems to be in the air! finally! it's the end of september, but i'm in sweet home alabama so i consider october fall. im currently at our family friends home typing this. and ive raised the window in the study, and wow! the breeze, fresh air,sunshine, blue sky, and the trees slightly turning colors has me in a mood to go dig out my precious, cute sweaters! well, maybe not that extreme yet. but seriously! we have had some serious rain this month. i almost thought we were back in april!

the month of september is a month of new on my calendar. i started in the salon where i currently am in september two years ago. our church year starts now too. also, something i thought i couldnt live without ended two years ago in this month.the ending didnt last long, the second week in october it came to a screeching stop though! lately ive been amazed,intoxicated even over God's plan for me. two years ago, i thought i had it all figured out. i didnt,thankfully.i had given sin the lead on my life. it may not have seemed that way to my family and friends, but that was all part of the devil's plan - deception. lies were told and believed. lies were revealed and relationships could have suffered more. please dont misunderstand me - i sin every day. in some way,somehow we all do. it makes me sick to know that about myself. what has me overwhelmed today about this trial i went through, is that God did prevail! i still am friends with the person who i hurt,and who hurt me. they always say they hurt me worse and more than my one time to them. a part of me knows thats true,but a part still wonders. i see now God had and still has something far greater than what i thought i had then. im overwhelmed today knowing HE loves me that much after i kept driving the nails in HIS cross deeper. (thats from an amazing song ive been hearing a lot).

im overwhelmed today also to know that the baby showers, births, wedding showers and weddings are almost over with! woohoo! i have two more weddings, no more wedding showers, one more baby shower, and am waiting the birth of my TWIN nephews and a few more babies this year. but this year is almost over with! we only have 94 days left this year! wow! that has me overwhelmed also!!! someone asked me last night at church after yet another shower, when the next one was. i nearly fainted,shouted for joy, and seconded guess myself when i said,"Probably March. We don't have anyone getting married before October next year so far, and we have some babies that will be here in April and May." the lady almost didnt believe me, and why would she when i couldnt believe it myself! this whole year has been a blur! im hoping with the change of fall, things will some what slow down. well, slightly,maybe ... i wouldnt want to get bored ... hahahaha!

also, im overwhelmed by a friend who i see hurting. something terrible has happened in their life,yet they arent letting go, which is only leading to more destruction. i just want to shake them, yell at them, and reassure them of the promises they shared with me two years ago. only, my situation wasnt nearly what their's is. in sunday school yesterday ( i helped teach 3-6 graders at my church), we studied the 10 commandments. the kids were so caught off guard that no one sin is worse than another. one girl said,"So if i tell a lie thats as bad as mr n(another teacher) killing miss britt?" yes, sweetie! only, lets not hope for that! haha! what my friend is going through is a road ive been on the other side of. this is a friendship that has been a part of my whole life. seriously. since i was a week and half old. we shared a playpen in sunday school. our parents have always been friends, and so forth and so on. im thinking this is something that is in for a huge change. im ready, or preparing, for it. not sure about them. i refuse to be lied to continuously and deceived.my God is bigger than that, and thats not something i want in my life.

my God is so big,loving,forgiving,and merciful that it simply makes me feel one way. Overwhelmed.

until later, B

a new kind of normal

back at the first of may, i attended a "women of joy conference" with about 40 something ladies from my church. it was a fun, spirit filled weekend. and the perfect getaway, because it was the weekend after my sisters wedding. my mom went too. i loved sharing that with her. before, i would have wanted to be run over the bus because my mom was there. i think that has to do with i'm the baby of the family, and you never feel like you have anything of your own, or privacy. i remember sis always wanting her precious privacy, and me always having to leave her alone (we shared a room). years later, she had moved back home, in my room, and i wanted privacy. did i get it? not so much ... so, anyways, back to the story ..... i had somewhat forgotten some of the things God showed me that weekend. one was something from a lady who had a terribly sad, yet uplifting testimony. her name is carol kent. please check her out ... she has a book titled "A New Kind of Normal". she talked about changes we have in life, and how as John 10:10 says, "we have life more abundantly".

when i first got back, my FB statues were always about loving my new kind of normal. it was hard for some people to grasp, but maybe that's why it was my blessing and not their's. so here's a few reasons that have given me a "new kind of normal" ...

• bro and his wife are having TWIN BOYS! i'm now going to be an aunt, for the very first time
• sister got married and moved out
• a co-worker left and opened her own shop
• changes at church
• God gave me some new areas to work in at church
• friends marrying (15 weddings in one year,so far!)
• friends having babies (21 babies in one year!)
• my parents are back at church with me!
• my best,kel, came back home for the summer
• my best, kel, moved back to college (3 1/2 hours away)
• my other best, mo, moved an hour away
• work has grown! woohoo!
• friendships have grown and some dissolved, or turned into something completely different
• and most importantly, God has given me so much peace, contentment, and happiness being single, and has shown me how to use my singleness for HIM, and HIM alone.

please, dont think of me as self-righteous. im simply thankful for what my Savior has done, and is doing. so for those of you who have ever asked,or wondered about "a new kind of normal" theres a glimpse.

when i have time to post again, i have something very interesting ..... stay tuned .... im not sure yet what details i can release, but i maybe needing you awesome clients of mine that God has so richly blessed me with to help me out!

until then .... B

ive lost 3 things ...

yes, that's right. i've lost three things, well maybe. yesterday yes, today just two. have you figured it out yet? it's nothing much, but its three pounds! i couldn't believe my eyes yesterday and this morning! it's not much, but for me that's not just a negative sign, it's a positive one. i don't know how really. i'm thinking it may something to do with i'm not eating out for lunch at one of these precious small town grease pits. i feel better too! today has just been a very exciting happy day. i've worked and now am on lunch. life is such a blessing! and i'm about to get to see my nephews! my sisnlaw went to the doctor yesterday, and it's very close to time! it's a little early, but it's twins. she's been awesome through it all! she's going to be a wonderful mommy! and my brother, oh wow! he's so excited! i can't wait to see him become the amazing father i know he's going to be! the three pounds aren't the only reason i'm so happy today; i'm usually a very happy person, and i love that about myself. i hope everyone else is having a great day and week! until later .... B

Family:an endangered species - part 4

i have promised to post about the series of messages my pastor has been preaching called "Family:An endangered species". My computer at home is still on the blitz, but I'm very thankful for some awesome family friends! They live about 2 miles from my beauty shop, and never had kids so they "adopted" my siblings and myself. I've had a key to their house for years,literally! So, I'm back to coming to their house and eating a lunch that's much healthier than what's around town to eat. and since i'm getting to do that, they love me so much they even upgraded their internet connection, so i'm using their computer or my crack, i'm sorry blackberry : ) but seriously, they love knowing i come and enjoy myself and my break from the shop. and i love them as if they were my aunt and uncle! i can't imagine my life without them! i mentioned in my post on "family:part 3" about a "deal" my family went through four years ago. i thought then i might loose these precious people, but my God is so much bigger than that! so here's to momma M and daddy S! thanks for always being there! teaching me how to drive even though i nearly flipped your car!, and for just being yall! and opening up your home to my family and me all these 16 years!

as promised .... PART 4 ....

"time .... your time matters to your family"
Psalm 1:1-12 **note; i'm not a very good typist, and need to get back to work so im sorry i don't have the time to type it. please, read it for yourselves.

TIME

• is precious! - the most precious thing you can give your family is your time! you can make more money,but you cant make more time! think of ways you misuse your time, when all along you could be using to spend quality time with your family. years from now, it wont matter because you chose to do this or that instead of being with your family, what matters more is the time spent and memories made.
• is purposeful - we live in a "time saver" world. instead of waiting until we get home to talk on the phone, we use our cell phones to talk, text, or email our family and friends. but where's the time youve "saved"? i love to shop, and i love to shop sales! i love to save money! but in the end, i never see the fruits of saving the money like my receipt says i did. ive never once been able to use my "saved" time. that's all because there's no such thing! you get 24 hours in one day, and that's all. have you ever found and been able to use "time saved"??
• must be a prioritized -my pastor used this simple demonstration. if you put water in a vase then add sand, some of the water is going to leave the vase. then if you add rocks to it, the water will come pouring out. we treat our lives like the water in the vase. the heavy stuff, the things that matter most like our families, when added to us, there's not much room. we should add the heavy things, like family, first then gone on to add the smaller things in life - the sand. if theres room left, then add the water. the water will then fill around whats already in place. how many times have our families been left out in our lives because we were too selfish?
• ought to be pleasurable - my whole life ive heard "God has a plan". HE does, yes! the awesome, yet sometimes hard part to grasp, is that HE is not going to reveal HIS plan beginning to end for us. HE alone knows, what life would we live if we knew the trials,pains,suffering,happiness,joys,and even deaths that our lives were going to bring? God wants us to use our time for HIM, our families,and then so forth. in the book of John, HE tells us that Christ came so that we may have life, and life more abundantly. i dont know how people can enjoy life and go through trials and tests without the love of Christ.
• eternity - have you ever made the choice where you want to spend the rest of your life? i dont mean here on earth either, but in a place where you will never sleep again. never work again. hell or heaven? if you have chosen heaven - i'll see you there!!!! if youve never chose, please email me! i would love to share with you how you will never be alone here on earth and will have a mansion bought and paid for on a road that's pure gold!

God bless! ~b~ "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14

dare i ask, how much more ???

have you ever just thought, " i can't take much more!"? i try not to be a negative thinker or believer. i worked with a very negative person, and it would drain me of positivity. here lately though, i've began thinking, "really,Lord? something else? hmmmm ... ok ... hang on Lord ... i'm trying to prepare." i'm pretty sure God just laughs at me, but that's ok. because the one thing i forget when trials come, is HE knows how it's going to end. HE alone, knows the when,what, why, how,where, and fears that i'm about to have, going through, or have just come through.

last thursday (9/10) my uncle s, my dad's brother, fell and crushed his ankle. he had to have surgery and is on a "scooter" for the minimum of 6 weeks. i couldn't imagine! his wife said, "i really need time to prepare for this at the house." well, thats the funny thing about accidents. we don't plan them! thus why i hate accidents! well then, as if thats not that stressful. my unc, 72 year old precious,diabetic unc, fell off the second step of his ladder on my dad's job. he has 5 staples in head, concussion, severely bruised back,hips,arm,elbow,and shoulder -which they also found a tear in his rotator cuff. its been a week today. last night we found out he has some swelling on his brain. apparently its the good kind to have if you're going to have to have it. he and my aunt, their kids and grandkids and my dad (who is beating himself up over this) really stand in need of prayers! as many as possible would be awesome!

last night, i got a text message that said one of my mom's first cousin's husband, had been burned and med flighted to hunts hosp. thankfully, he is ok. in a lot of pain yes. but ok. he threw away an aerosol can and something in the trash caused it to explode. from HH they transported him to birmingham for treatment. they sent him home this morning. he has 1st and 2nd degree burn on his face, chest,and arms.

i have some dear church friends who have been going through something my family went through 4 years ago. this has me so worried. i know God has a plan, and a plan for good - see Jeremiah 29:11 -but its so hard to not loose hope. i know that if we do loose hope, that's when things will get worse! and on the other side of my pew,literally, i have a best friend that i've been feeling some separation between us. i started praying God would reveal to me what it was,and a solution. or maybe, a conclusion to our friendship of our whole lives. well, i'll be completely honest. i was not prepared for the answer i got from God! HE blew me away. it wasnt good news, but we're still friends. ive been studying in the book of Matthew,and the verse that says,"love your enemies" now stands out in a new way. God has really convicted me on how i need to pray to get through, and not just me but everyone involved, these trials. no, she's not my enemy. but satan and his ways are, and it almost cost me one of my bests, and its cost her too.

on top of that, i had to have my car in the shop. i have an old car, but i love her! i call her lola. love my lola! she's not much, but shes debt free! woohoo! really it was just routine stuff really. brake pads, rotors, oil change, then we had to get a bracket and sliding blots for a caliper -btw, that's something that helps your rotors work correctly!

so this week, has been some what better .. still wondering where God is heading with all these trials. i know in HIS time, i'll know. patience is a funny thing. it's something i lack, but yet had to teach about last night at church. patience. ugh. but ok, if it'll help, i'll give it a try ; )

i'm super excited about this weekend! ive been planning a surprise for the widows of my church since june. and guess what?! it worked! we're honoring them with a dinner: "A Night of Gold". i can't wait! i know God has something big in store for us all!

i hope everyone has a great weekend!

"The Lord your God is with you, HE is mighty to save. HE will take great delight in you, HE will quiet you with HIS love, He will rejoice over you with singing."Zephaniah 3:17

Family:An Endangered Species part 3

My computer is very sick, and old. sad news for it, is it's owner has given up on it. . . or just as soon as all the important stuff gets off of it, like my 1000 pictures!



anyways, here's PART 3! it has 10 points, but they are worthy, and no, my pastor's message was not long! if for some reason, you're new to britt's busy days, welcome first off! and secondly, this post is a continuation of my pastor's series of messages about family. as promised ... part 3 ....



"Whom will you and your family serve?"

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

• 10 - Children are disciplined with love and consistency - "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." Proverbs 22:15 now this doesn't mean go beating your kids. it means when you see them acting up, doing whats wrong - let them know! correct them! God, our Heavenly Father does that for us everyday! HE alone paid our debt for every little thing we do wrong. HE corrects us, loves us, and is consistent. HE doesn't just do it today, not tomorrow, and then picks back up next week. My parents did great on this ; )


• 9 - Money is managed wisely and discussed openly- i can remember asking for something near Christmas time once, and my precious mother said, "i'm sorry sweetie, i don't have the money. just wait til Christmas." my childlike faith replied,"but you have checks mommy". i remember my mother telling me all about checks and what they cost that day. lol! my precious mother is so patient. i'm so not like her lol! money is the root of all evil - GOD's word tells us that too. so don't talk to your family in a bragging way about what you have. make sure your treasures are stored up in Heaven - Matthew 6:19-21


• 8 - Everyone shares household tasks - "I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down." 2 Kings 21:13 yes! that's right ladies! GOD gives the men instructions,well and the women, how to wash dishes! i know some of my church family has been using this on their spouses and kids ; ) i know i'm single, and who am i to give marriage advice .. but im all about having a cleaned and an organized home. i do my part! i think it's very important for not just one person of a family to solely take care of the home. a home is made up of more than one person.


• 7 - The family has to learn to cope with adversity - adversity is something my parents despise of my siblings and me. oops! it happens, it shouldn't, but it does. it makes us humans. it should also make us closer to each other and GOD. a family that fights and uses angry words is not living according to GOD's plan.


• 6 - Family members laugh together - "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 - if your family cant' laugh with/at each other, there needs to be some searching. laughter, a smile even, can change a person's whole day! laugh, enjoy your family. you only have them for a little while ....


• 5 - Each person is treated with respect and kindness - "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as CHRIST GOD forgave you." Ephesians 4:32 - this is something my parents have preached at us kiddos, because, if we're all honest, it's fun to argue with your siblings. ok, maybe not fun, but it happens. it shouldn't but it does. it does mainly because your family are the people who are going to love you no matter what! they know exactly how, when, why and what will push your "buttons". unconditional love is the love families should have for each other. and we should let them know it. not just by telling them, but by showing them.


• 4 - Time for family activities is a priority - ive had friends tell me i wouldn't understand having a difficult family life because i have the perfect one. that's a lie! no one is perfect! my family is not, your's is not! i remember my dad forgot "doughnuts for dads" when i was in the 5th grade. when my mother reminded him, you would've thought he had been beaten!i got a cat, ellie mae, out of the deal. and no, getting a cat -who both my dad and i were highly allergic too - didn't make me feel loved by my dad. it was the only thing i can think of he missed in my life. i don't know what it's like to have the ride the school bus, or go to practice without one of my parents taking me. my family still makes time for each other every thursday night for family night. it's a night i highly cherish! it's truly a God given gift! my family is NOT perfect! maybe later i will share some things, and the "thing" that still hangs over us to get us to where we are today. but know this. we are who we are because of WHOs we are! (ok, so that part wasn't exactly part of the message but it applies)
• 3 - The Family eats and talks together - ok, so i kind of included 4 & 3. but it's so amazing,especially now since we got a huge! dining room table, to sit at the TABLE! yes, that big,thick, heavy piece of wood with four legs on it - and talk with your family over dinner. it's something my family has always tried to do. we were a very busy family, and it didn't always happen. it's always been a big deal to mom, super cooker ; D, so when she realized how crazy we were all becoming - my sisters senior year of high school, we started having breakfast together every single morning! sometimes it would be just cereal. but we prayed together, talked, ate, laughed, argued, sometimes even cried. mornings i will never forget ...
• 2 - Love is expressed everyday - it is so very important to daily tell those you love, that you love them. i fail at this daily. i take it for granted that my parents know this. every morning when i leave for work, i holler to my mom, "bye mom." she always replies, "bye sweetie, have a good day, be careful!" now, after this message we're adding "i love you". i love that my parents love me unconditionally, just as our Heavenly Father does. "Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:8
• 1 - Jesus Christ is the glue of the family! - if CHRIST is not the center of your family, i pray you will allow HIM to be! without HIM, we are nothing. my family would have been destroyed years ago without HIM. HIS mercy,grace, forgiveness, and love is much more than amazing!

hope you enjoy! God bless

"God , who has called you into fellowship with HIS Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthian 1:9