Be sure to stop by MamaBuzz to read my recap of the Elmer’s Glue ‘N Glitter Immersion in Ford Lauderdale, Florida! It was a wonderful time with awesome people; new friendships were forged. Read more here…..

How do you find that balance between standing up for yourself or walking away, being the bigger person?  How do I discern between standing up for myself, thus maintaining control over the situation, thus being the bigger person….over walking away, not making a big deal out of it, thus being the bigger person?  How do I make that decision as to whether the situation merits my saying something or merits me just letting go?  It’s a hard balance to find….a hard line to walk.

It seems lately that God has put a situation before me, in which my patience is being tested….a new person has come into the picture (in this particular situation, a situation outside of all my blogging ventures, so none of you have to worry), and with her, she has brought all kinds of drama.  Drama queen, I am not; drama queen, I do not want to be around; drama queen, I do not want to constantly have to deal with in said situation, in which things were perfectly peaceful and wonderful before.:)LOL  Ok, so things weren’t perfect, but they were pretty wonderful.:)  Said person has not made very many friends in said situation.  (I’m being vague here because I don’t want anyone from “said situation” to read and feel that I’m gossiping, which I do NOT want to do.)

Sometimes God brings people into our lives who are going to test every fiber of our patience, and we have to choose to find that balance between saying something or letting things go.  Do I choose to overlook the rudeness and stand up for myself?  My husband and I had this particular conversation today when I came home from church this morning, venting to him.  (Don’t worry, it’s none of my small group friends either;))  With what she had done, he thought I should have stuck up for myself, and I’m inclined to think so too.  I’ve been rather of a pushover so far, and she knows that; she doesn’t expect quiet little me to say anything.  However, I saw what she did to both me and my friend, and I chose to walk away for a few minutes before I said the first thing that might just fly out of my mouth.  Next time, I may not walk away; I may face the battles head on….but this morning, I chose to pick my battles and walk away.  I felt that it wasn’t that big of a deal, and I didn’t want to be petty.  However, what she did, as my husband said….it did merit me standing up for myself, though in a nice way.

How do you handle situations like this where there’s drama and sometimes conflict that you never asked for; a situation in which it almost feels like you have a huge target on your back, for which no clear reason exists?  How do you find that balance?  I’m learning as I go, and I think it just depends on the time, the person, and the situation.  It depends on whether or not you standing up for yourself would conflict with what the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart in that given moment. Those are just my random thoughts regarding the latest “drama” in my life.

What are your thoughts?

Snakes of any kind just give me the willies….even if they’re garter snakes.  Since moving here, we have had soooooo many snakes in our back yard, and I even had one chase me in the front yard one morning, when I went out to get the mail.  Ew, ew, ew….can’t stand them!  Well, this is what Dan found in our shed yesterday, and of course, I had to take a picture.  A mama with her babies….oh lovely!  Let’s just start a snake farm. What is it about our yard that they love so much?  They make our shed their home, and I know it’s just a matter of time before I step on one going out to the clothesline.:)  Ugh….I’m thinking it’s time to try something, either spreading  human hair from a beauty shop all around the border of our yard or something…..anybody got any ideas?

Out of all the chefs and cooks out there to watch, I have to say Paula Deen is my absolute fave.  She’s so hilarious, she’s so down to earth, and her story amazes me.  She’s fun to watch, and in fact, I’ve told my husband that meeting/cooking with Paula Deen some day is on my bucket list.:)  Ok, so enough gushing….but truly, if you’ve tasted any of her mouth-watering recipes that are oh so good…..you’re right there with me.:)  I get the eye-roll when I stand in the grocery aisle line, drooling over the latest recipes in the Paula Deen magazine.  I can’t be the only one out there who does that.

Anyway, Paula Deen, together with Philadelphia Cream Cheese, are getting ready for a live event in Savannah, Georgia, a cook-off between the finalists who have been competing in a nationwide contest, The Real Women of Philadelphia.  You can watch the finale this Wednesday, June 30, at 8pm EST on http://www.realwomenofphiladelphia.com/rwoplive.  Right now there are 16 finalists, and only 4 will earn the name, The Real Women of Philadelphia.  The 4 winners will receive a $25,000 talent contract, not to mention the  opportunity to be in an upcoming cookbook and host their own online cooking show.  I think the best part for me would just be to meet and cook with Paula Deen.

Check out this finalist with her Butterscotch Cannoli recipe….yum!

Don’t miss Paula Deen and 16 finalists go head to head this Wednesday!