A Sharing of Marital Secrets- Excerpt #25

Seek for Joy
We ran into many obstacles in those early days after the bankruptcy. Each utility was cut off at least twice within the year. One evening, the electricity was off when we got home from work, and we couldn’t get it turned back on until the next day when we were able to get some money.

I prayed, “God, what can I do to make this an enjoyable evening? I need your help.” I just knew He would help me like I asked. I truly believe God honors the family, and if you put your family second only to Him, He will honor your requests for help and bring joy into your home. I really believe that. The only thing is this: you have to be ready to do what He says. You cannot ask God for help and then be too lazy to act on His direction when He answers you.

So, just how did God help me put some electricity back in our home that evening? Well, I gathered up some candles and heated up the gas range in our little two-bedroom, gingerbread-style home. I cooked a big dinner to the light of dusk. By nightfall, I spread the candles throughout the house and lit every one of them. Then, Craig and I along with the kids sat down to a beautifully set dinner table, shimmering from the glow of the candles.

I made sure the conversation was light-hearted and fun. The four of us sat around the dinner table, eating and smiling, talking and listening to each other and laughing together for more than an hour.

As we were finishing dinner and preparing to clear the table, the doorbell rang. Craig pushed back from the table, wiping his mouth with his white linen napkin. (I told you, I went all out! Everything I needed to have a beautiful evening was already there. I just had God’s help in remembering what I already had and how to use it for the occasion.) Anyway, Craig excused himself and went to the door. He announced, “It’s Mama.”

Now girl, we really didn’t let our families know a lot about the struggles we were going through. One of my teachers in college told me before I was married not to run to my parents with everything. She said, “If you are hungry when you visit, just go to the refrigerator and get something to eat. But don’t tell your parents all of your business, because they love you too much to stay out of your way.”

She also warned, “It is hard enough for parents to let their children go, and when you keep them involved in everything you do, it is hard for them to view you as a capable adult. Then, when the problem finally straightens itself out, your parents will still view you as their child and not as the adult that you are.”

So, there we were with Craig’s mother at the door. I could hear her saying as they moved through the house back toward the dining room, “Well, I’ve been trying to call you for two or three days, and the telephone is still disconnected. I’ve been a little worried about ya’ll, so I thought I would just come on over and make sure everything is alright.”

“Hi, Mama,” I said as she entered the dining room.

“Hi, dear,” she replied.

While our plates were empty and ready to be removed from the table, the candles were still flickering beautifully, and anyone would have realized that we were enjoying a wonderful evening. I invited her to fix a plate, but she said, “No. I just stopped by to check on ya’ll and make sure everything is okay and to see if you need anything.”

“Oh, no Mama, we’re fine.” Craig said, “We’ll probably have the phone turned back on next week, but we’ll have the lights back on tomorrow.” With us checked on, she decided to be on her way. As she was on her way out the door, she said, “If you need me, call me.”

We gave the kids a bath and tucked them both into bed, and Craig and I were in bed before nine o’clock, snuggling and giggling. As we dozed off to sleep, he said, “Baby, I’m the luckiest man in the world.” Hearing those words made it all worth the sacrifice.

The kids really enjoyed their candlelight evening. In fact, the next night, Clayton wanted to turn off the lights and burn the candles again. Of course, Craig wanted to turn the television off and call it another early night, if you know what I mean.

To Be Continued... Copyright 2000 by Abby Gail Smith (pen name of Robbie S. Redmon) All rights reserved.
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A Sharing of Marital Secrets- Excerpt #24

Lighten Up
Yeah, when our business failed, our combined take-home pay was so small that we had to put ourselves on a strict budget. You know how people say they live from paycheck to paycheck? Well, we lived from paycheck to before paycheck. We had very little to allow for groceries each week. That meant that I could not buy some of Craig’s favorite food items like Blue Bell™ Ice Cream, Miracle Whip™ Sandwich Spread and even honey. These were the main three he missed, and it hurt me not to be able to buy them.

But Craig went shopping with me each week. He was better than me about buying in bulk and stretching our little bit of grocery money. I loved going to the grocery store with Craig. He always made it fun, and we never went over our budget when he was with me.

He did not think twice about being unable to afford his favorite foods (or at least he did not show any signs). And all brand name items, unless on sale, were out.

No matter what we go through, I try to make the best of the situation we are in, and make it pleasurable. Pleasure is important to a man. “Other women” use the lure of fun and folly to trap a man who is bored from routine and worries. That is one of the reasons some men seek younger women who appear to offer pleasure and enjoyment. Notice I said, “appear.” What he sees isn’t always what he gets!

To Be Continued... Copyright 2000 by Abby Gail Smith (pen name of Robbie S. Redmon) All rights reserved.
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A Sharing of Marital Secrets- Excerpt #23

Mutual Trust
Through the failure of our business, never once did I blame Craig. I understood that we were both learning things as life went along. I also knew that each decision we made had the possibility of working out right or working out wrong. Without a doubt, Craig has always loved the kids and me, and he makes each decision with our best interests at heart. If for some reason the outcome was not what we wanted, I stepped in and showed him my love even more.

Many wives or husbands when facing financial crises play the blame game. They point fingers instead of remaining partners. I always try to let Craig know that I stand behind him no matter what. I believe my expression of trust early in our marriage helped Craig strengthen his self-confidence with regard to decision-making. Knowing that I will be with him even through the hard times has also deepened his trust in me.

To Be Continued... Copyright 2000 by Abby Gail Smith (pen name of Robbie S. Redmon) All rights reserved.
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A Sharing of Marital Secrets- Excerpt #22

My Guardian Angel
And going back to my childhood, I recall another special moment. Even at age 12, I knew that there was more – much more – to life than we will ever know on earth.

Let me paint a mental picture of that day. There we were, a car full of ladies (some older than others) on our way to the beauty shop. In the front seat was my great aunt – a beautician by trade. Beside her in the driver’s seat was one of her customers. My younger sister by 14 months sat in the backseat with me, and my great aunt’s granddaughter was sandwiched between the two of us.

There we went down Ledbetter Avenue. I was sitting back, just kind of staring out the front window, peeping between my great aunt and the driver. Then, all of a sudden, I realized I was looking ahead at nothing. It was as though a grayish, unpleated curtain veiled the front windshield from outside.

A voice inside me said, “Be still. Do not be afraid.” Then that voice took shape and seemed to swoop out from the back of my head. It went around to my left, coming out just far enough forward for me to see it with my peripheral vision. It was white with a round, bubble-shaped head. I saw no eyes, no mouth nor any other human features. It was just a smoky white, round form about the size of a grapefruit. Oh, and it had a thick stem that allowed it to stretch from inside my head, out the back and around to my left side. I have come to call that being my guardian angel.

It seemed to understand me totally and consoled me saying, “You are going to feel one bump, and then you will turn around two times. You will hit one more time, and then it will be over.” With these words spoken, it disappeared back around my head with the same swooping sound.

I still could not see out of the front windshield. But sure enough, I felt one bump followed by another bump a few seconds later. Later at the scene of the car accident, witnesses explained how the vehicle struck the median and turned around twice in the street before hitting a cement wall.

As I was getting out of the car, I could hear my sister screaming, “I can’t get out! Help me! Please, somebody! I can’t get out.” At her cry, I snapped to my senses, jumped out the car and ran around to her door to help. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not get the door open. Before I knew it, several men came to my aid and pried it open. My sister, my cousin and I were okay. The driver hurt herself on the steering wheel, but she came through all right. My great aunt hit her head on the windshield, and she also broke her hip. To this day, she still walks with a limp.

But the injuries could have been much more serious. I remember seeing our wreck on the ten o’clock news and realizing how bad it really was. The hood of the car was crushed into the front seat when the car hit the retaining wall. Now, you tell me. How would my guardian angel know what was going to happen, exactly as it was going to happen before it actually happened unless… well, unless it knows the future? Now, don’t you think that if it knows the future, it probably knows the present as well as the past? And another thing, my guardian angel did not come flying from somewhere, nor did it fly away. It came from somewhere inside of me. And it went back to where it came from when it was finished giving instructions -- back inside of me.

Over the years, this one incident has given me solace in different situations. I am still learning to follow my inner feelings, knowing when to do or say something and when to hold back. I truly believe that there is a guide inside of me that knows what is going to happen. I believe it loves me, it leads me and it steers me from trouble and it guides me to happiness if I take heed to its directions – those feelings from within.

So, when I say, “I know that I know there is a God, and we cannot see everything with the natural eye, but that does not mean it’s not there,” you can understand what I’m saying and why I’m saying it.

To Be Continued... Copyright 2000 by Abby Gail Smith (pen name of Robbie S. Redmon) All rights reserved.
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A Sharing of Marital Secrets- Excerpt #21

The Sweetest Sound
There have been other instances that let me know that life is much more than what we see with our human eyes. Just a few years after the courtroom incident, I had another enlightening experience. That morning, the house was nice and quiet – the perfect time to enjoy a day off from work. I was stretched out across my bed reading a good book when I got a craving for something from the kitchen. I got up and headed that way, but as I was about to pass through the bedroom door, I heard this music – really soft music.

“Hmm, I must have left the radio on,” I thought to myself. So, I reached on top of the armoire to cut the radio off, but to my surprise, it was not on. Girl, I just froze in place. And as I stood there, the music became louder, but never too loud. I cannot explain it. All I can tell you is that I believe in the heavenly choir. I was surrounded by the sweetest voices I have ever heard. I stood there for a few minutes engulfed in the sound before it faded away just as softly as it came.

To Be Continued... Copyright 2000 by Abby Gail Smith (pen name of Robbie S. Redmon) All rights reserved.
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Cherokee Indian Legend

While surfing some of my favorite blogs today, I came across a post that took my breath away. If you want to be inspired today, hurry over to Lisa Petrarca's Blog (click here). She has a blessing waiting there for you!

A Sharing of Marital Secrets- Excerpt #20

Our Lawyer
The courtroom was packed. As we looked around, it seemed as if we were the only ones without a lawyer. I was already nervous, but when I saw how harsh the judge was with the couple before us, you could have picked me up off the floor. With one look at him, it was obvious that he had a low tolerance level. The couple before us looked like all they wanted to do was get out of there.

“Next.” We were up. While the judge was looking down at our bankruptcy documents and asking if we were represented by counsel, we approached the bench through the two short swinging doors. “No, sir,” we replied.

With that said, he brought his head up to look at us. Girlfriend, listen, I saw that judge’s eyes change like night changing to day. I mean to tell you that I looked at that man with disbelief. Listen, those were not the same eyes I had just seen a few minutes before when he was speaking to the couple in front of us. These eyes were soft and filled with compassion. Why, they almost had a sparkling glaze… a kind of light to them. Oh, girl! I wish I could describe those eyes for you, but I just can’t find the words. It was shuddering. I knew his physical body was the same outside, but I also knew that something was occurring on the inside of that man. He kind of squirmed just a little; seemed like maybe he was caught off guard or something. But he quickly regained his composure and proceeded.

The judge asked us a question – one of those questions our lawyer would have been paid to know how to answer, if we had one. Craig and I kind of half looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

The judge could tell by the look on our faces that we did not have a clue as to how we should answer his question, so he answered it for us. I’m telling you, girlfriend, that man became our judge and our lawyer in that courtroom… right there in front of all those other people and their own lawyers.

We only had one creditor show up at the hearing, and I could tell by the look on his face that he was just as dumbfounded as we were. He went along with the judge, and they worked out everything – the two of them – while Craig and I just stood there.

Girl, when I say all we had to do was stand there, that’s exactly what I mean. We just stood there while our “lawyer-judge” took care of us.

When they finished talking back and forth, our “lawyer-judge” turned his attention back to us. He was dismissing us to leave. I remember that look in his eyes that said, “I’ve taken care of it for you. You can go now.” I felt just like a well-cared-for child. He didn’t smile. He just looked with those merciful eyes.

I was so caught up in the moment, I actually forgot there were other people in the room. When Craig and I turned to leave, I saw that every eye in that courtroom, lawyers’ included, was on us. As we exited the courtroom door, I could hear our “lawyer-friend-judge” call, “N-e-x-t.”

On our way back to the car, we held each other in relief. It was as if the weight of the world had been lifted off our shoulders. After we were both back in the car and on our way, I said, “Did you see those eyes?”

“Yes,” he said softly.

“No, Craig, I am talking about that man’s eyes. Did you see his eyes change?”

“Yes, Abby, I saw his eyes change,” he said so very seriously. “It was Jesus.”

By that time, tears – tears of humble joy – had moistened my eyes. I looked at Craig and said, “Jesus must really love us to come all the way down from heaven to take care of us.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

I will never – not ever – forget those eyes. Jesus placed His spirit in that judge not only to be our lawyer in the courtroom, but also to prove His love for us.

To Be Continued... Copyright 2000 by Abby Gail Smith (pen name of Robbie S. Redmon) All rights reserved.
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A Sharing of Marital Secrets- Excerpt #19

Bankruptcy
Craig and I were taking turns going out to look for jobs. We could not afford daycare for the kids, so one of us had to stay home. I was the first to find a job, and it paid $4 per hour. Craig found one two weeks later making $4.25 an hour. Even with the new jobs, we could not handle all the bills we had acquired while we were in business, and we still could not afford a lawyer.

We knew we were going to have to do something, so we decided to file bankruptcy without a lawyer. We called the county to find out what we needed to do, and that mainly consisted of lots of paperwork.

When we finished that chore, Craig took the papers downtown to the county where he was given a case number. When the bill collectors called, we gave them our case number and that was that.
Our court date finally came. Oh, we were so nervous; we just did not know what to expect. And we were so young, but we were braving the big bad world anyway.

On the way to court, we dropped the kids off at my great aunt’s before stopping at the elementary school where my mother was a counselor. She met us at the back door for a moment. As we walked back to the car, I felt a quaking inside me. I knew at that moment that my mother was just as nervous for us as we were for ourselves, but I also felt her prayers.

Our next stop was the courthouse. We parked and walked to the building, hand in hand all the way. Just as we were about to enter the courtroom, Craig pulled me back and took me around the corner. He grabbed both my hands and prayed like I had never heard him pray before. When he finished, we both looked at each other and with our eyes we said, “Okay, let’s go.”

To Be Continued... Copyright 2000 by Abby Gail Smith (pen name of Robbie S. Redmon)
All rights reserved.
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A Sharing of Marital Secrets- Excerpt #18

The Light (continued)
Before I could get off the telephone with my mother, Craig walked in. When I hung up, he looked at me and said, “Baby, we’re going to make it. I was on my way home, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I just pulled over under the bridge and cried. But I know now that God is going to take care of us. I know He heard my cry.”

We stood there and held each other for a long time. Then I told him what had happened to me and about the telephone conversation with Uncle Charles. We held each other some more; we just held on, girl. But the holding was different – there was hope mixed in there somewhere.

The next day we went to pick up the money from Uncle Charles and Aunt Jerry. He gave me the envelope and told me that it was not a loan. He said it was our money, and we didn’t owe him anything. A long time ago, my father helped him and Aunt Jerry when they needed it most, and Uncle Charles said he felt like this was his chance to pay him back by helping his child.

I opened the envelope and there was $1000 inside! I wanted to cry so badly. Oh, I was so relieved and so very thankful. Uncle Charles said experience had taught him that people only ask for half of what they really needed.

Craig and I caught the house note back up, but we let one of our cars go back. Actually, when the dealership sold the car, they made $89 over the loan balance and mailed us a check for that amount. We stocked up on groceries and bought each of the kids a few clothes and a new pair of shoes.

I don’t think I will ever forget the warm light that flooded my body when I invited Jesus into my life. I stayed in that state of peace and understanding for a long time. I think we as Christians spend the rest of our lives trying to recapture the initial feeling of surrender – when we truly surrendered it all. I felt so pure inside. It was like being washed and made clean. It was like being loved and knowing I was forgiven for any and everything I had ever done. I felt so new, so different, so complete… so loved.

I did not want to make love for about three days. I just did not want to be touched in that way. I did not want to lose that pure feeling. I’m glad I experienced that feeling first, because a couple of years later when Craig had his religious encounter, he did not want to make love for exactly three days also. I understood exactly what he was going through. I just didn’t want to lose that wonderful pure feeling, and my body seemed to just naturally reject the notion of sex. I guess it’s the process of renewing that takes place. But after those three days, He restoreth me! Amen? A-m-e-n!

I started reading my Bible daily. At first, it was hard for me because the Bible seemed so difficult to read, but I went to the bookstore and bought a translated version – the New International Version (NIV) to be exact. After buying a Bible I could understand, I really grew to enjoy my daily reading. Sometimes it seemed like I could not get enough. I felt so close to God; I felt like He understood everything I was going through. I knew I had someone to lean on, and I came to realize that God was always there. He was always in my life. The important thing was that I had finally acknowledged His presence. I know He is with me, I know He is all-powerful, and I know He will make a way for me. Like the old folks use to say, “He’ll make a way out of no way!”

To Be Continued... Copyright 2000 by Abby Gail Smith (pen name of Robbie S. Redmon)
All rights reserved.
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MTV & Me Update

In my first MTV & Me post (read here), I told you I would keep you updated. During the shooting of the True Life Documentary, the camera crew explained that they had no way of knowing, at that time, if the documentary would make the cut to go on air. I was told it would all depend on the couple and how their story progressed. Well, the producer called today to ask me how I wanted my credits to read. Oh, okay, I thought to myself. I said, "Does this mean it's a go?" She said, "Yes, it's going to air. But, I'll have to get back to you with the exact date and time." I told her she could list me as Couples Counselor: Robbie S. Redmon, LPC as apposed to my business name Coach Abby, Inc. Counseling Services. I would have loved to list both, but she said there wasn't enough room, so I had to choose. As soon as I get the air date and I time, I'll post it here for you in yet, another update.

A Sharing of Marital Secrets- Excerpt #17

The Light
One Saturday morning, I was washing dishes and the telephone rang. It was another bill collector demanding payment. I was at my wits’ end just wanting to scream. I did not know where to turn, and I felt the pressure coming from everywhere. No job, no money, bills, babies and two adults clinging to each other. Just holding on... holding on for dear life.

Girlfriend, you don’t know what scared is until you look down at your babies’ innocent and trusting faces and wonder where their next meal will come from; or when you look up into your husband’s eyes and see him asking for forgiveness because he does not know what to do. Scared, girl... I’m talking about scared.

I slammed the telephone down, not wanting to hear another word the bill collector had to say. Instead, I went back to the sink to finish washing the dishes.

The kids were napping, and Craig had gone across town for something. That’s when the tears came without warning. I was standing there washing dishes and crying uncontrollably. Almost without consciousness, I said, “Jesus, I have heard about you all of my life. If you are real, please come into my life.”

Somewhere in there, I acknowledged being a sinner and asked for forgiveness. I admitted that my life was in a mess. All I could say was, “Help me, I don’t know where else to turn.” Now, I can’t tell you exactly what happened then. All I know is my hands had come out of the water and were stretched toward heaven.

As the dishwater ran down my arms and the tears ran down my cheeks, warmth and light filled my whole body. As I was bringing my hands down, I felt a peace that calmed every part of me. Before my hands reached the dishwater, the telephone rang. I quickly dried my hands, arms and face.

Still feeling that sweet peace, I answered the telephone. It was my “uncle.”

My mother and his wife were roommates in college. They are just like sisters, so we have always called her Aunt Jerry and him Uncle Charles.

Now, this was the first time he had ever called my house, so I was caught a little off guard.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“Tell me now... tell the truth. I heard ya’ll were having some financial problems over there. Is that true?

“Yes, sir.”

“How much do you need?”

I did not know what to say. The house note was a couple of months behind, the kids needed shoes and we needed food. “Four hundred to five hundred dollars,” I said, thinking that was too much to ask for, but knowing it was still not enough.

“Ya’ll come over tomorrow, and that will give your Aunt Jerry time to go to the bank. We’ll have it for you.”

When I hung up that telephone… girl, I was so thankful!

About an hour later, my mother called and I started telling her about the telephone conversation with Uncle Charles and she said, “I know. I was there.”

Mom had gone over to my aunt’s house to visit. While they were talking, my mother mentioned that I was keeping my weight down pretty good. (That’s a big thing in our family, because we are all on the heavy side. I have weighed as much as 215 pounds, and Craig has never once complained. I think that is one of the reasons I work so hard on maintaining a healthy weight. I know Craig loves me fat or slim, so I do what I do strictly for me. No one is harder on us than we are on ourselves.)

Anyway, my mother told my Aunt Jerry that it was probably because of everything I was going through. Well, my Uncle Charles overheard the conversation and asked my mom what was going on. My mother told them about our business failing. And she also told them that for the first time in a long time, she and my daddy were financially strapped and couldn’t help out much.

That is when my Uncle Charles went to the telephone and asked, “What’s their phone number?” All I could think was that you have to give God a hand for timing!

To Be Continued... Copyright 2000 by Abby Gail Smith (pen name of Robbie S. Redmon)
All rights reserved.
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Toilet Paper Wedding Dress!

Look what I ran across while surfing the web. Ann Kagawa Lee, of Honolulu, Hawaii was declared the 2009 winner of the Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest by CheapChicWeddings.com! Can you believe she made the gown with only toilet paper, tape, and glue? Her theme was, Gone With The Wind. You should see her hat up close, and the other contestant's gowns! I think they are beautiful, and very creative. All I can say is, wow! Okay, so now, would you wear a toilet paper wedding dress? The one question I have is, "What if it rains?"

A Sharing of Marital Secrets- Excerpt #16

Hard Times
In spite of our apparent success, by the time we turned 25, Craig and I filed bankruptcy. In the early eighties, the economy was weak, but that wasn’t what caused our decline – not at first.

As I said before, we were flying high. Craig was at our major account doing a little PR when the warehouse manager mentioned to him that their vice president was moving his office to Dallas. He wanted us to handle the delivery and set-up of furniture and paintings for his new office.

Because of all the daily demands of that one account along with our other clients, we were short of manpower. We had two weeks to decide how we were going to handle the move. We seemed to be growing so fast, yet we did not feel it was time to hire another full-time employee. So Craig decided to rent another truck, which we did from time to time, and he hired a guy from a well-known temporary agency in town. Craig took our most experienced employee off his usual route and put him in the rental truck as the driver alongside the temporary worker. Craig took our employee’s place for the day.

Later on that evening, Craig made it back home saying all the deliveries had gone smoothly. Then the telephone rang. It was the warehouse manager of our major account, so I gave the phone to Craig. All I can remember was hearing him say, “Why?” When he hung up the telephone, he just sat there. “What is it?” I asked. He just sat there. “Craig what is it?”

“We lost the account.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. The warehouse manager just said that the vice president called him downstairs and told him that he did not want Smith Delivery Service to ever step foot on their property again.”

We both just sat there in silence for a long time. I think I saw tears in Craig’s eyes. I cannot be sure because my eyes were full of them, too.

We found out later that the vice president said something to the young temporary worker while our employee was getting something from the truck. Whatever was said, the temporary worker took offense and cursed at the vice president. Oh, the difference a day makes.

We hung in there for another year, but our other accounts were not strong or steady enough to sustain us in those bad economic times. When we finally decided to close up shop, Craig found jobs around town for our full-time employees. He called the different businesses personally, explained what was happening, and gave each one of our employees recommendations over the telephone. When we called the guys in to tell them that we were going to have to file bankruptcy, he had job offers already lined up for each one. That’s the kind of man Craig is.

At that time we did not even have the $1500 to hire a lawyer to handle our bankruptcy. We were both without jobs, and all of our savings was gone. We were 24 and a half years old and scared to death.

To Be Continued... Copyright 2000 by Abby Gail Smith (pen name of Robbie S. Redmon) All rights reserved.
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A Sharing of Marital Secrets- Excerpt #15

Flying High
By the time we were 21, Craig and I owned and operated Smith Delivery Service. Our primary clients were interior designers, owners of antique showrooms and furniture designers in and around Dallas’ World Trade Center, which is a major market hub located near the city’s downtown.

Craig handled the pick-up and delivery of furniture and paintings to and from some of the finest homes and businesses in the area. I answered the telephone, scheduled deliveries and provided customer service, and I handled all office duties from bookkeeping to payroll.

We had four full-time employees, a couple of two-ton trucks and one cargo van. We grossed $89,000 our second year in business. In our third year, we picked up an account that caused us to expand and move from our home-based office to an office and a warehouse.

We also handled a lot of warehousing and distribution for another office furniture and supply company. Our business grew so much that we had to buy another van and hire two more full-time employees to handle the demands of that account.

That one account paid all our bills, both personal and business. It paid everything from the house note to employee wages. All of our other deliveries and commercial moves were gravy.

During those early years of business, we were already raising our two babies. Chloé was three and Clayton was one year old. We were in our second home and could afford life’s necessities… and a lot of the extras. We were living large.

My only complaint was that since both of us worked in the business, that was all we seemed to talk and think about. Craig would take me out to dinner, and we would spend the evening discussing the business. To me, that was the only downfall to being self-employed... that and the fact that when anything went wrong, it fell squarely on our shoulders, and we had to take the load until we resolved the situation. We didn’t have the luxury of looking to someone else like our employees had. But, that was all a part of the freedom of being our own boss. Handling the responsibilities, you know?

To Be Continued... Copyright 2000 by Abby Gail Smith (pen name of Robbie S. Redmon) All rights reserved.
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Guest on Dr. Guy's Monday Night Gumbo

I'd like to invite you to join me tonight, Monday (7/6) at 10:00 P.M. (CST) for Dr. Guy's Monday Night Gumbo Radio Talk Show. I'll be her guest for the topic Woman to Woman. You can tune in online at http://blogtalkradio.com/tpg or if you want to make a comment on the air, call 347-884-8759. I'd love to hear from you!

I Was Tagged!

Caramel Diva got me! I was tagged in the Honest Scrap Tag game! This is my first time being tagged, but apparently not hers. She's been tagged before. She not only tagged me, she tagged her sister at Glamorous Beauty and nine other bloggers. I learned 10 interesting things about Caramel Diva. One thing I learned is she is a college student, and makes the Deans List every semester! And, her favorite color is green. Green is my husband's favorite, also.

Okay, so this is what I have to do since I was tagged this time. I have to tell my readers 10 things about me that they don't already know. Then, I go out and find 10 other bloggers to tag. Once tagged, I have to notify the 10 to let them know they are "It" with a comment on their blog. Last, but not least, I link back to the person who tagged me in the first place. So, here goes...

Ten Things You May Not Know About Me:

1. I read self-help books more than any other.
   
2. I eat oatmeal with blueberries, almonds, and some form of protein for breakfast almost every day.
3. I have no problem eating alone in restaurants (with a good book).
4. I take myself on a date at least every 2 months (shopping, lunch, movie, etc.).
   
5. I love Pajama Day (I sit around in my cozy pj's mindlessly watching movies back-to-back)
6. I treat some clients through hypnotherapy
   
7. My favorite color is deep blue (Sapphire)
8. My favorite food is pepperoni pizza
9. I love to travel. When given a choice, I always choose the ocean. Road trips are great too.
   
10. Deep Meditation helps me stay centered.
    

Here are the wonderful bloggers I tagged. I hope you will visit, and leave them a comment. I'm sure they love comments just as much as I do!

1. Tutu's Bliss
2. My Brown Baby
   
3. YaYa
4. Dry As Toast
   
5. Gratitude Gal
6. The Artis 6
   
7. Parenting By Dummies
8. Paper Tree
9. The Mahogany Way
10. The Duncan Dialogues
    

A Sharing of Marital Secrets- Excerpt #14

The Right Ingredient (continued)
Let’s journey back to the beginning of my marriage, and I’ll show you how my attitude toward life situations and family matters, my strong desire to have a wonderful marriage and my faith in God have been the foundation on which my marriage stands.

When you have a firm foundation of attitude, desire and faith, the Simple Sacrifices serve as the interior design. The Simple Sacrifices will bring added comfort, joy, excitement, coziness and variety to your marriage.

Read this note Craig passed to me a few Sundays ago while I was ushering at church.

Abby,

There was a man by the name of Nabal whose wife was a
woman of good reason and understanding. Nabal was a
ruffian -- a man who did not have good reason. Little did he
know, his wife saved his life and his possessions. He did not
know (truly) what he had. Unlike Nabal, I know exactly what I
have. I love and adore you. You are the most beautiful woman
I have ever laid my eyes on.

I love you,

Craig

I know I am living what some women only dream of, and I truly thank God. But girlfriend, it hasn’t always been this way. It has been a long, hard journey getting to this point.


To Be Continued... Copyright 2000 by Abby Gail Smith (pen name of Robbie S. Redmon) All rights reserved.
Remember, I love hearing your comments!