N = Needs

While the fundraising went very well for the past month, there were also people who asked what things we would need for M*rkus. We still have about $500 to go with the fundraising, but we want to take this time to let you know about some other needs and desires that you might be able to fill for M*rkus' visit in a few weeks.

Items Needed:

Socks Underwear -- Okay, this may be more of a gift certificate to WalMart/Target kind of an item.

Night Lights -- Because of experiences, many of these children are afraid of the dark.

MP3 Player that charges by USB -- cheap, cannot be name brand

Christian Music for MP3 Player -- age attractive beat

Shoes -- Again, this may be a gift certificate thing. WalMart?

Bicycle -- even if we can borrow one to be returned when he leaves

Bicycle Helmet -- not sure of size

28" suitcase on wheels that can be a carry-on bag

Batteries -- pack of AA and pack of AAA (These are like gold!)
Playing Cards and/or Uno

Good and Evil Book -- http://nogreaterjoy.org/shop/good-and-evil-color-book/

Alarm Clock
Flashlight -- To take to bed.
Velcro Wallet
Cheap Watch -- no brand names
Wildlife Story Teller (Latvian) -- http://wildlifestorytellers.com/

Please post a comment or contact us directly if you choose to provide any of these things so that we might avoid doubles.

Fundraising Opportunities:

Pancake Breakfast at Applebee's Mooresville

July 7th from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $7 each.

Comment here or contact one of us directly.

Please invite drag your friends!

500 Game

For less than $5, you can help support the cause!  

Please visit this page on Facebook to see how.

Activities:

We will also be looking to share fun activities with M*rkus on a budget.  Do you have access to free passes or reeeeallly good discounts to family friendly places like zoos, movies, amusement parks, anything?  Hey, it does not hurt to ask, right?

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  We appreciate any help any way that it can be given, and please share on Facebook, Tweet, post on your blog, tell your friends, whatever you can do to help.  We appreciate you!

M = M*rkus

How funny is it that I struggled for so long over what topic to choose for the letter M, and now here is M*rkus with so many people asking questions. Here I can answer some questions and maybe fill you in on a few things.

For anybody who is not in the loop, my guys and I will be hosting a boy from Latvia this summer. His name is M*rkus, and he is eleven years old.  M*rkus, like many of the hundreds or thousands of children in Eastern Europe, is an orphan. For these children, that is a negative stigma. People look at orphans as criminals, and their hope for their futures is slim.

These orphan children are aged out of the system at age sixteen and are turned out onto the street, after which over 80% of them will fall prey to homelessness, drugs, prostitution, lives of crime, and suicide. Many of them feel left out, unworthy, left behind.

And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. -Matthew 18:5

With New Horizons for Children, many of these children are given HOPE. Through NHFC, families, like ours, host children from Latvia and Ukraine for about five weeks at a time twice a year when the orphanages close. Yes, the orphanages close. That confounds me, but that is another story.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. -Psalm 68:5

Through NHFC, children are brought to the United States of America where they will live as a part of a functioning, Christian FAMILY. They will experience LOVE, enjoy fun and LAUGHTER, go to church, do the things that the families do.  All the while, these children will be learning English.  This is a skill that can help them with A FUTURE.

It is said that during the five weeks that they are here, the children will learn as much English as they would learn in four or five years at school back home.  In Eastern Europe, many of the countries speak English as a second language, not Latvian or Ukrainian.  Thus, by learning English and strengthening their skills in that language, these children are able to broaden their future possibilities.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. -Matthew 19:14

Additionally, these children will learn more about the love of God, they will learn that they are not alone, they will learn self-esteem, and so many more positive things that they may be missing living at orphanages and foster homes.

If you have any questions about M*rkus, about NHFC, or about this program, please feel free to ask.  We will do our best to answer. Meanwhile, please be praying for all of the children, and the host families, and the program and everyone involved in making this opportunity a reality for the over 180 children coming to America in a few weeks.

You are invited to join this group on Facebook to follow our journey with M*rkus.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. -James 1:27

D = Dactylology

If you know me, this will not surprise you. Many of you know that I have a passion for the deaf and sign language. I have heard/seen it said that if you put into a group all of the people in the world who are deaf, they would make up the fourth largest group of people who are not being reached for Christ.

At Grace Community Church on Hilton Head Island, I used to sometimes sign for worship, and many people appreciated and enjoyed it. Sometimes the pastor would ask me to stand up in the middle of a sermon and show the congregation how to sign something because he thought that it was neat to know, too. For a short while, I taught some basic sign language to other members of the church who were interested. It was a blessing for me to be able to share ASL with others on the chance that they may cross paths with someone who does not hear. Deaf people appreciate it when a hearing person makes an effort to be able to communicate with them.

One day a woman in the church asked me with a bit of a snippy tone, "Why do you do sign language? There are no deaf people here."

I responded, "Why do you think that is?"

Later, I found out that there was a deaf woman attending the church for several months. She finally left because she was not getting out of it what she needed. See? How often might we have missed opportunities to reach out and not even known it? This was before my time there, or I would like to think that I would have worked to help meet her needs.

Dictionary.com defines dactylology as the technique of communicating by signs made with the fingers, especially in the manual alphabet used by the deaf.

While living on Hilton Head Island, Hubby and I had the privilege of meeting some folks from Deaf Ministries International. This organization was started in 1979 and works in twenty countries in Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East, helping to establish resources and facilities to bring the message of Christ, and aid, to deaf people.

I will not spend a lot of time talking about Deaf Ministries International, but I will say that, from what I learned about them, I admire what they are doing and would encourage you to support them with prayer or however you can. Are you wondering about the picture of the pigs? You will have to check out the Deaf Ministries International web site to satisfy that curiosity!

You May Not Mind Your Manners...But I Do.

People are rude. It is as simply as that. I miss a time when I did not exist. I miss an era where people knew their neighbors, cared about the people around them, did for others, and were not as self-absorbed as they are today. In my mind, that time is the 1950s. Maybe it is earlier.

In my mind, and from what I gather by reading and watching old programs, people had manners in the 1950s. I dare even say...etiquette...courtesy. Here are some things that, in my mind, are different about the time from when I did not exist and now.

THEN: Supper was a family event. Families supped together each night. They talked about their days. No one left the table until everyone was finished eating. Children would not even think of asking to leave the table. Then, quite possibly, they even helped clear the table.

NOW: How many families do you even know who dine together at supper time? Of those who do, how many have children who dash away from the table as soon as they are finished shoveling away whatever food they are going to eat? How many people are sitting at the table answering texts, reading the news, not even paying attention to the others at the table? It is rude and un-courteous.

Side Note: In the 1950s, "Breakfast is the one meal at which it is permissible to read the paper, mail, or anything else that suits your fancy." -Amy Vanderbilt, Complete Book of Etiquette, 1954

THEN: Children's behavior. Please and thank you were compulsory. If a child did not say them, an adult present would tell them right then and there that there were being impolite. All teachers were addressed as Sir or Ma'am. Boys knew not to wear a hat indoors, and when they were talking with or met a lady, their hats would be removed. A child would open a door and let someone go through it before they did.

NOW: Manners? What are those? "I want, I want, I want." Respect for teachers? According to what I have heard lately...not so much. If a child is disrespectful nowadays, not much seems to be done to discipline them because people are so afraid of the repercussions. Have you ever heard older adults use the expression, "If I spoke to my parents that way, I would get a whipping, for sure!" As for the door thing, pay attention the next time that you go someplace where there are children. Do they hold the door for their mom, or do they rush inside and let the door close behind them?

THEN: Ladies wore hats. If you know me, you know that I adore hats. That is not the point here, though. The point is that ladies dressed like ladies. As a matter of fact, women cared enough to take the time to dress like a lady. "Casual" may have been a pair of slacks or capris.

NOW: Sweatpants, jeans, leggings, bra straps showing, thongs showing out the tops of jeans...sloppy. I know, I know, whatever is comfortable, right? Ugh. What ever happene to a woman looking feminine for her man? What happened to wanting to look pretty for yourself? Why have we become a kind of society where so many people seem to take no pride in their appearance anymore? Did people forget that looking good also helps you feel good?

There is so much more about today's society that is just not cool.

~When a new cash register opens at the supermarket, does the person at the back of the line rush to that register, or do they make sure that the person who is next in line is aware?

~When someone moves to a new neighborhood, do people rush over with a plate of cookies to welcome them or watch from behind a curtain to see who the new people are and make judgments about them?

Oh, I could go on and on. I will not, though. I am not complaining. Life is good, and we have so many blessings here and now. Simply, I am wondering why things are so different now from a time when, in my mind, they were, in some ways, better.

Now, now, someone is bound to take offense at something that I mentioned. If you do, then I would refer you to Are You Offended? Nothing that I said was geared toward anyone in particular. Some ladies dress quite lovely. Some people's children are very polite. Some people still enjoy a good, family meal as quality time together. I mean, I am sure that they do. Right?

Disobedience

For a while now, my husband has been saying that we needed to go to New York to visit his grandfather. It was important to spend time with G'pa and to introduce our son and his great grandfather. When we planned to go, we wound up not going.

G'pa died Sunday morning. My husband was crushed, and my heart broke for him. The misery was twofold. My husband was remorseful because we did not go and spend time with G'pa before it was too late.

Additionally, my husband was devastated because he had disobeyed God. You see, the reason that he knew that we needed to go see G'pa was because God kept telling him to go. My husband told me this, repeatedly. We both knew. We never made the time and went. Now we do not even have the opportunity.

This was a slap in the face to my husband because it highlighted his disobedience to God. As if He wants to make sure that we do not forget, G'pa died on our son's birthday. Can you even imagine how that must feel to my husband?

As we were absorbing the reality of what happened, and my husband was feeling incredibly remorseful, I felt like he was not alone in the disobedience. You see, even though God was speaking to my husband, my husband conveyed the message to me, and I could have been more proactive in making the journey happen. I even had the idea of asking someone to help G'pa get on Skype so that we could at least speak with him and let him and our son see each other. How simple is that? Did I follow through, though? No.

This loss is most definitely a lesson on obedience for my husband. However, it is also a lesson on action for me. I knew that my husband had a calling. I knew that it was time sensitive. I could have been less of a "supportive" wife and more of a wife of action. For that, I am truly sorry to my husband.

Yes, this is a tough lesson for both of us, and, yes, I am sure that God will use this lesson to bring blessings to our life and hopefully to others. For me personally, I hope that I can take this lesson to heart and make a change in myself to be more like the kind of wife God wants me to be for my husband, to sense when he has a need, and to take action to help him fulfill it.

111 Deeds in 111 Days

September 11th marks an indescribably horrible tragedy for our country and for so many people personally. Evil attacked. Lives were impacted. Bad happened for so many.

My post today is not about the September 11th, 2001, attacks. My post is about doing good for others. I mentioned 9/11 for two reasons. One is to recognize the anniversary of this tragic event and to express compassion for those involved. The other reason is to recognize that there is bad in this world. We know that there is. However, we can add more good.

No, the majority of us probably will not have the opportunity to impact thousands of lives in one act. That does not mean that we cannot impact one life.

I am reminded of a story. Do you know the one about the starfish? I am posting a video here to share it with you. (This particular video is a recognition for teachers, but I liked it the best of all of those that I viewed on YouTube.)

While each one of us may not be able to make an impact on the masses, think of how one small act could impact even one person. Quite possibly, that person might, in turn, do something good for someone else.

"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." -Hebrews 13:16 NIV

Here is my challenge to myself. On September 11th, there will be 111 days left in 2010. My goal is to do 111 good deed in 111 days. Will I reach this goal by the end of the year? I certainly hope to.

I know, I know, we do kind things for one another every day, sometimes without even thinking about it. At other times, though, I suspect that we can so caught up in our own lives and experiences that we do not think of others as much as we should. For this challenge to myself, these will be purposeful and conscious tasks with the intention of making something a bit easier for someone or making someone feel a bit better about themselves or even just adding a smile to someone's face that was not there before.

So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. -Galatians 6:9 TM

If you would like to join me on this journey of 111, I hope that you will share what you do with me. Maybe I will get some new ideas for your good works. Until tomorrow....

Good, Old-Fashioned Manners

Manners. What happened to them? They are still out there, right? You occasionally see them as they make their way into life. However, have they become the ab-norm?

What are manners? Manners are ways of behaving with reference to polite standards, kindness and consideration from one person to another. Have you noticed that when someone shows basic manners, some people wonder, "What is wrong with you?" or "What are you trying to gain?"

Mind you, I am not talking about etiquette. I am not talking about keeping your elbows off of the table or using the right fork. I am talking about treating people with what should be common decency.

When is the last time that you received a thank you card for something that you did or for a gift that you gave? When was the last time that you sent one?

We sent a box of gifts to a family for an occasion. Not only did they not send a thank you note, they did not even acknowledge that they got them. What is up with that?

After our son's last birthday party, we sent thank you cards for each gift. Granted, he was two, so we "helped" him, yet even from an early age, we try to instill gratitude and appreciation as a basic foundation for his character.

As simple as it is, a thank you seems to be a lost manner in today's society.

People talking with food in their mouths bug me to no end. Oh, and when they spit food at the same time-- ugh. Gag. Really, I can wait eight seconds until you swallow that, thank you.

I cannot fathom why sometimes, when I am eating, and someone asks me a question, they seem to get annoyed that I wait until I swallow my food before I reply. Do we really need to be in such a hurry to talk that we cannot have the consideration to not show people our disgusting, chewed up mush -- and spit it on the table in front of them?

Oh, and do not get me started about people talking to me while they are chewing gum like a cow chewing its cud, complete with spittles squishing out. I know, I know; someone will probably get offended by me saying that, but it is just not polite. If you are offended, then you will be welcome to return tomorrow for my post about being offended.

Speaking of a lack of manners...cellular telephones. These little creations are a tool of rudeness for today's world. I went somewhere one time with a friend that was about a half an hour drive. A few minutes into the drive, she got on the telephone with another friend of hers and yakked about nothing important for almost the entire trip...with me sitting right there next to her with my jaw in my lap, astonished. Why was chit-chatting with that person on the other end of the cell phone more important than me, the person sitting right next to her?

Then there is texting. You know what I mean. Some people text all of the time. Have you been in the middle of a conversation with someone when they kept looking down to text with someone else? Did you wonder if your company was that boring?

Again, manners is simply behaving with politeness toward others. Are we raising our children to understand this? Our son knows to say please and thank you. He even says, "Please nicely." Hehe. He is two. It is cute. We are off to a good start.

As time goes on, though, will our son grow to be the kind of person who disrespects his elders or the kind of person who calls people "Ma'am" and "Sir" as a sign of respect? Will our son grow up to be the teenager who rolls his eyes and hurries past the woman struggling with a stroller, four bags of groceries and two more children in tow because she is in the way, or will he grow up to be the young man who holds the door for her and offers to help her carry those groceries? Will our son grow to be a self-centered product of today's society, or will he grow to be a loving, compassionate, respectful man of God -- dare I say, a man with manners?

No, I am not Little Miss Perfect. I sometimes forget a thank you card. I probably speak with food in my mouth from time to time. I may pass someone in need of help without "seeing" them. However, I will continue to make efforts to have manners, to have consideration, and to do for others when I can. I would rather that people wonder what I am up to because of my kindness than because of something else.

If my post today bothers you for any reason, then I accept that. We cannot all agree on everything. How about if we just shake hands and be friends, anyway. Just give me a minute here....

Thankful on Thursday - People

Who is someone for whom you are thankful and why? I am not referring to the obvious people who are important to us every day, like firefighters and soldiers and doctors. I am talking about a regular, every day person who may normally not even come to mind.

For example, I am thankful for the person who bag groceries at the supermarket because if I had to get every little thing into the car and drag every big thing without handles, it would be quiet the hassle. Imagine how many trips back and forth to the car it would take just to bring your food and supplies inside when with bags, it could be done in one trip. It is a small thing, I know, but that is the point of this week's Thankful on Thursday.

I am thankful for the person who cleans the bathroom wherever we go. That is, assuming that the bathroom is actually clean. Eww...you know what I mean. For those who do, you have to admire them. How many people would want to wash a public bathroom?

I am thankful for the person who makes socks. Even in the summertime, I like socks. They can make my feet feel cozy.

So many things that are done for us each day are done by people we do not know or may never meet, yet they are no less important. When was the last time that you thanked someone for doing their job? Do it, and I believe that you will surprise some people and give a smile to others.

For what everyday people are you thankful?

Right Lane Living

As the day progressed yesterday, I thought from time to time about blogging. Obviously, I did not get to it. I did not get to much. For a long time now, I have not gotten much sleep. I am physically exhausted. I drag myself through each day, sometimes getting little accomplished. When I do get things accomplished, it is often for someone else and not for me.

Yes, I know that I am usually positive and upbeat, and I make a point to enjoy life. However, I am entitled to not be "up" once in a while. Now is one of those times. In additional to being physically exhausted, I feel mentally weary. (They probably go hand-in-hand.) I feel like I am always going, encouraging, supporting, reaching out to others...but who is there to reach out to me and my family?

I know, I know. It is better to give than receive -- and I (we) believe that -- yet sometimes it is lonely feeling like no one cares back. I know, I know. Lots of people care. Blah, blah, blah.

Sometimes I miss the days of my youth. Neighbors looked out for one another, friends stopped by, people invited you to their place for dinner or to visit.

Growing up, we lived on a circle, and almost everyone on the entire street knew each other. The children played together. The parents knew the other children and their parents. It was a community. These days, though we know the neighbors directly around us, we do not know many beyond that. To those that we do know, we may wave in passing, if that. There is no community.

Growing up, we had friends. Friends would ring your doorbell and ask if you wanted to go outside and play. Friends would invite you to their home for dinner, to watch a movie, to play games, to just enjoy one another's company. These days, if you are blessed enough to even have any friends, they are often too busy. Life has gotten so rushed. People take on so much and are often scurrying to get to the next thing.

I think that I am going to coin the phrase "Right Lane Living." (Unless anyone beat me to it?) We need to get back into the slow lane, relax, see where we are now and not be in such a mad, tense hurry to get wherever we think we are going.

Why are we in such an hurry, after all? Is it really so important that you are two car lengths farther up the road that you need to cut someone off? Is it really so important that you arrive ninety seconds earlier that you need to run that red light, potentially putting your family and others in danger? Is it really so important that you say what you want to say that you cannot wait until the other person finishes their sentence? Is it really so important to get through your day that you you cannot pause to realize that you are not the only person in your day? Is anything really so important? (I mean, unless you drive an ambulance or a fire truck.)

Maybe you agree with me. Maybe you think that I am just whining. Either way is fine.

My Promise

There is a web site across which I stumbled this week that I want to share with you because it is a special kind of web site.

The web site lists a promise from God listed for each day.

For the fun of it, I decided to look up my birth date. The promise from God for March 5th was 1 Peter 2:9b, and it was a jaw dropper.

If you know me personally, or if you have been following my blog, you may know that I have been struggling with being lead to share my testimony. At first I was resistant. Then I finally felt comfortable sharing it with our Thursday small group and our pastor. Now I am ready to go out and tell the world.

There is another piece, though. It seems clear that my husband and I are intended to share our testimonies together. What a crazy and interesting story our lives have weaved together. I imagine that even the people who know us best would not believe it. It is beyond amazing to see how the Lord has worked in both of our lives individually and then in our life together that we hope that we can glorify Him with our collective testimony.

In case you are wondering what the Bible verse that was listed as God's promise for March 5th says, here it is.

God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things that he has done. - 1 Peter 2:9b

Pretty incredible, right?

You can check out www.365promises.com to see today's Bible verse or to see any date's verse. You can also pick up a Bible and open it and start reading. you never know what the Holy Spirit might show you.

Oh, and if you do not have a Bible, feel free to ask me for one.

Thankful on Thursday

Our Life Group played a game recently during which we had to quickly name things for which we are thankful. When one of my turns came, I said, "Blood."

A few people laughed at me and said, "Blood?!"

Okay, then "the blood." When referring to the blood of Christ, they accepted my answer. However, why not be grateful for blood? Blood is important to our bodies. Blood has:

• red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body
• white blood cells, which fight infections
• platelets, which are cells that help you stop bleeding if you get a cut
• plasma, a yellowish liquid that carries nutrients, hormones, and proteins throughout the body

That is certainly something for which to be thankful in my book!

I am also thankful for drapes. Yes, drapes, not curtains. Yes, there is a difference. No, I am not a decorating fanatic. Drapes are functional. Honest, they are!

I do not get as much sleep as I would like at night. I can rarely sleep with daylight, and we have a lot of windows. If we were not able to close the drapes and darken our bedroom, I may not sleep much at all.

Also, I am grateful for oil. I know that these days, with the oil spill, and the damage happening with that, people are calling for boycotts and are committing to avoiding a certain company. However, this horrible accident withstanding, we depend on oil. I am not talking about the fact that it fuels our vehicles so that we can get from point A to point B and do what we need to do to live our lives. In fact, many people may not realize just how much we depend on oil.

Do you know those plastic hangers on which we hang our clothes? Made with oil. Do you know those clothes that you wear with the special wicking to try fast and help you stay cool? Made with oil. Do you know those disposable razors that you use to shave before you get dressed? Made with oil. Do you know those swing sets in which our children play? Made with oil. Do you know those photo albums where we put the photographs that we took of our children playing on swing sets? Made with oil. Do you know that mosquito spray that you put on your children after they have been playing outside on that swing set? Made with oil. Do you know that laptop on which people type to complain about a certain oil company? Made with oil.

Today I challenge you to take note of things for which you are thankful that you might not notice or consider every day. Appreciate the things that we may normally take for granted. Will you share with the rest of us three of those things? Maybe we can each see through one another's eyes to remember allof that with which we are blessed every day.

My Son's Eyes

Do you enjoy life? Seriously. Do you see things with wonder? Do you smile at nature? Do you take a moment to soak in good experiences?

Or....

Do you see things as someone who is always rushing and trying to get to the next thing? Are you too harried to enjoy life as it happens? Are you too bitter or jaded to really "see" life happening?


This weekend, we took Boy to Tweetsie Railroad to see Thomas the Tank Engine. We took him on the train ride, and it hit me how he sees things through such positive and appreciative eyes. This was his first time riding on a real train, and he was so happy that, for a few moments, it seemed like he was not physically able to close his mouth. His jaw dropped and hung there from the wonder and thrill of riding the train.


As I was sitting behind him with the camera, and Poppie (Hubby) was sitting next to him, there were two little boys sitting in front of him who had season passes. Those boys seemed to have been there a lot and felt compelled to show off what they knew. They kept telling us what was going to happen and what we were going to see and who was the actor portraying the Indian Chief, etc. Each time they did it, I had a small twinge of annoyance. I did not let it bother me too much, though, because I realized that they were excited...yet they would not stop -- even after I asked them to. (I would certainly not want to watch a movie with those two.)

Boy, however, seemed to not even notice as he looked out the side of the train and enjoyed what he saw. Boy smiled. Life was good for him. He was happy.

If you were on that same train ride, what would you see? Would you see the crowds? Would you see the dirt and weeds and mess of the forest? Would you see the annoying children in front of you? Would you see the cheesy horse and buffalo statues and wonder how much longer it would be until the ride was finished?

Or....

Would you see the amazing rocks formed off the side of the mountain? Would you see the exciting imagination of the sites and story of the cowboys and Indians? Would you see the beautiful mountain views in the distance? Would you see the genuine happiness of a small child?

Would you see everything with the wonder of a small child?


The next time that you find yourself hurrying or frustrated by unimportant things or just not in a good mood, will you think about my sweet boy and his innocent and appreciative way of seeing things around him? Will you remember that there is wonder and beauty in everything if you just open your eyes to it?

Or....

My Husband is a Dog

"All men are dogs." Whoever came up with that saying and decided that it would be an insult to men has me baffled. It seems to me that that would be a compliment.

Dogs that I have known in my day have been full of excellent qualities.

Dogs are loyal. No matter what happens or who comes along, a dog knows who his family is, and he sticks by them.

Dogs are nurturing. When someone is feeling sick or blue, a dog can sense it. He may make his way over to your side and rest his head on your lap just so that you know that you are not alone and that someone cares.

Dogs are protectors. If his family is threatened, a dog can be the bravest of all of you and stand up to the danger.

Dogs are playful. Whenever you decide that you are ready for some fun, a dog has been ready and waiting to exercise with you, play with you, make you laugh.

Dogs are cuddly. If you ever just want to feel someone close, chances are that there is a dog who will lay with you and give you company -- or even be your pillow.

Dogs are forgiving. If you are cruel to a dog, he will continue to love you and be right there when you finish being angry as if to say, "I forgive you, and I am still here with you."

There are certainly more great qualities amongst our canine friends. Frankly, dogs may be more like what we humans should be than many of us are, and it comes naturally to them. How can that be? Maybe we should look to a dog for a roll model.

With all of the truly wonderful qualities that dogs have, why would you disrespect dogs by using the word "dog" as an insult for men that have displeased you? Why should "dog" not be a compliment? After all, knowing what I know about dogs, I am happy to call my husband a dog.

Now, what kind of dog would he be?

My Testimony

Sooo.... For the first time ever, I shared my testimony in its entirety yesterday. Outside of my husband, no one in the world has known all of the pieces to the puzzle. Now they do.

Many of you know that this is something that I have been battling for quite some time. I did not want to expose myself this way. However, in recent weeks, it has become pretty clear to me that I need to do this.

God has big plans for Richard and me with our testimonies, and I am nervously excited for how they will pan out for His glory.

My thought was to share my testimony on my blog or online in another way to share with some people, but after prayer and conversations with Richard and getting some thoughts from people last night, I realize that that is not what is meant to happen right now. (Sorry, Peeps.)

There is also someone from my past who I would like to know my story in the hopes that it might help him realize that things did not happen as he thought and that it may help him come to terms with a hurt that he thought that I gave him. However, I am not sure how that would be possible right now.

Someone last night very quickly told me that she has someone in mind with whom she wants me to share my testimony. GULP. God sure does work fast, eh?

There is more that I want to say, but I am going to wait for now.

I know where this is supposed to ultimately lead, yet I do not have a clue how we are going to get there. We know that it will be revealed to us when it is supposed to be. God is so good, and I am thrilled to be able to prove it!

A Grateful Heart

Each new week brings us an opportunity to start afresh. For that matter, so does each new day. As I am tired of all of the negativity and complaining and grumbling around me in this world, I am making a focused effort to focus on the positive things, the things for which we can be grateful, the gifts that we are given in every moment. Husband, Son, family, pets, friends, home, food, love. Everything that is needed in this life, I have it and more.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." -Philippians 4:8

There is a song that I have liked for years, and I make an effort to truly live my life along these words. The song is by a band called LUG (Life Under Grace) which is no longer around as I knew it, yet I still very much enjoy the music. Some of you have heard me singing it from time to time but did not know what it was. I am sharing the lyrics, and I hope that it makes you think today. Here it is!

"MARVEL US"
Everyday I wake up and marvel at the miracle that is life
Realizing there's a blessing everywhere in sight
You know that there's a reason for the gift of a human soul
Not gonna waste it on a million of my selfish goals
Gonna live my life for my Lord
Gonna do His will and live on faith
I want to get started, you know I can't wait

So you wanna know why it is that I believe in the Lord above
It's simple really when you know His unconditional Love
Is always there when you need it the most
Forever living up to His name, The Holy Ghost
Showing mercy of which I'm not worthy
With the promise of the resurrection
Won't you join me in showing Him affection?

I'm gonna praise Him -- Yeah!
I'm gonna serve Him -- Yeah!
I'm gonne live it -- Yeah!
The words in The Book

I got a new life when I learned the truth
Nothing in this world can make me feel what I feel in Him
Everywhere you look, everything has a Maker
It is by His grace that we're alive
And I won't live my life like it's an accident

I'm gonna praise Him -- Yeah!

*******
For what are you thankful today?

Morning

It is morning, and I am not a morning person. Something woke me at insane o'clock morning, and here I sit at six something, ready to go back to sleep. However, as I sit here, I am given the opportunity to see the sunlight brushing the treetops and illuminating the colors in such a glorious way that it reminds me of how incredibly awesome God is.

You know what I mean. Sometimes a scene catches your attention, and you stop to look at it and think, "Wooow." How much beauty is all around us every day that we miss? Do you ever stop to purposefully look at each petal on a flower, the shape of a tree, the intricate detail of a spider web, the algae on a forest pond, a field of wheat, a bunny rabbit hopping across the yard, a deer in the night? The Lord blesses us with so much visual joy every day.

There a program on television once in which one of the characters was God in human form. Someone asked Him to prove that He was God. He pointed. In a mocking tone, the human said, "It's a tree!" God replied, "Let me see you make one." Hehe...that still gives me a chuckle.

My challenge to myself today is to try to notice as many visual gifts from the Lord that I can. Will you join me and challenge yourself to the same thing?

Sometimes I Fail

Soooo...it has been a few days since you have seen my smiling face. Here I am! Sometimes life just seems to go by so fast. This week has been interesting for me. I keep finding myself in places where I am being tested. I do not always pass the test. Here is one example.

Boy and I went to WalMart, and we found a car leaving. I parked the truck near it, put on my blinker, and waited while the car pulled out. I put the truck in reverse and proceeded to back into the parking spot. Someone came driving down the aisle from the other direction, zipped right in behind me, and "stole" my parking spot. What?! It could not have been better choreographed if it was in a comedy movie.

Then I opened my window and waited for the mystery person to get out of their vehicle. Hmm...were they going to get out? What was I going to say, anyway? Who knows. After a short wait, I left to go find another parking spot. After I drove away, I saw (in the mirror) the man get out of his vehicle. Was he waiting for me to leave, or was he just really slow? Who knows? I found a spot, parked the truck, got Boy out of his seat, and we went inside. As we walked, I thought to myself that if I saw that man (and I hoped that I did), then I would tell him that that was not a very nice thing that he did.

Boy and I got a shopping cart, and we went inside, and the man was right there! It was like he was being handed to me. I justified myself confronting him by thinking to myself that I was not going to be nasty; I was just going to point out that we he did was not a very nice thing. However, when the opportunity arose, I decided that it would really not accomplish anything except to maybe make what I now saw was an old man at the pharmacy feel bad or even confused. Boy and I continued walking right past the man, and I said nothing.

That was a good decision, right? I think that I passed that test!

Well....

I was still a little bit annoyed. A few minutes later, I happened to be turning the shopping cart down an aisle that someone else wanted to go down, and apparently it was important that they be in front of me and not behind me. Maybe it was an emergency. Perhaps something in that housewares department was going to attempt to commit suicide and jump from the shelf, so those people had to get there to position a shopping cart to save that mystery item from certain death.

I happened to be on the telephone with Richard, and I said something that I do not even remember about not being able to find what I needed, which was something to clean brass drawer pulls. A WalMart employee, who was helping the need-to-be-in-front-of-me-culprit, finished with them and asked me if he could help me find anything. "I doubt it," was my snippy retort.

Whoa! What did he do to deserve that?

I carted Boy off in a huff while still not being able to find what I wanted. As I was walking up and down the aisles of housewares, I felt bad. There was no reason for me to take my frustrations out on that WalMart employee. Then I started thinking about how one negative experience can throw off someone's day. After all, I was in a great mood and having a good day until the parking lot bandit robbed me of my parking spot. What if I inadvertently broke down that WalMart worker's happy mood?

My guess is that I failed that test.

While boy and I were walking around, I looked for the WalMart worker. I even walked back and scanned the aisles of the housewares department (even though we had since moved on to the chemicals department on the other side of the store). I wanted to apologize to him, but I did not see him.

What is my point to this whole thing? It is nothing revolutionary, but sometimes we need to be reminded. We includes me.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. -Matthew 7:12

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. -Galatians 5:22-23

We need to think before we act. We need to be in control of ourselves. We need to be responsible for being the kind of people that have a positive effect on others. We need to treat others as well as we would want them to treat us.

We have a pillow that says, "My goal in life is to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am." Dogs see us as loving and good people, and they show us love and adoration daily. Can we not treat one another as our dogs do?

She Phoned Back

I suppose that this will be a continuation of yesterday's blog post because at 9:23 PM yesterday, the friend of our friend returned my call. If the call had gone to voicemail, it would have been much easier. After a duration of 25:28, I finally got off of the telephone (by force). Now I am sorry to say that my previous notions about this woman have been strengthened. HOWEVER, I also now feel a bit more sorry for her.

No, I do not feel sorry for her because of her problems or her situation. I feel sorry for her because she seems not only to have "made friends with the darkness," but to actually take steps to stay as miserable and uncomfortable as possible. This is something that I cannot understand. From the outside it seems that with a few small, easy tasks, she could remove some obstacles and feel so much better. I understand that sometimes things may seem easier from the outside, but sometimes the answers are also quite obvious.

For today, I am going to ask for you to prayer for this woman and her husband. Pray that they find what they need. Peace, comfort, healing...God knows. Right now, just take a minute and say a quick prayer for her.

Then, please feel free to comment and share if you have a prayer request or praise on this day. I will be sure to say a prayer or each comment posted, and possibly others who read your comments will do the same. Thank you, and I hope that you see and feel the Lord's blessings today.

Ugh! Not HER.

There is a woman that I have never met. My first thought was to say that there is a woman that I do not know. However, though I have not met this woman, I feel like I know her pretty well. I do not particularly like this woman. This woman is a friend of a friend of ours. We have been hearing about this woman for years, and this woman seems like a miserable, complaining, selfish, inconsiderate, negative, emotionally draining person (who wants to know why God hates her so much). I am not saying these things to be cruel. I am stating my impression. I am being honest. I am being real.

It seems strange that in the twelve-ish years that we have been friends with our friend, we have not met, or even seen a picture of the woman. However, her antics have caused us stress, inconvenience, heartache and hurt time and again.

Saturday morning, this woman happened to rear her head again. She did not do anything that affected us (this time), but she did pop up. As she was on my mind, I put a little bit of thought into her situation. Something made me suggest to our friend that she invite her friend to join us for church on Sunday. Ugh. I had gone this long without meeting the woman and really did not have the desire to meet her now. Why would I suggest that? Our friend said that she would not come and did not bother to ask.

I thought about it for a few minutes, spoke briefly with Richard, and decided that as much as I think that our friend's friend is a complete drain and a miserable person, if I am going to call myself a Christian, then I should act like one and reach out to this woman. Maybe she needs more examples of Christ in her life. I phoned our friend and chatted with her briefly. She gave me her friend's telephone number. Sigh. Deep breath. Exhale. Dial. Ringing. Ringing. Voicemail.

After I listened to the woman's voice and heard her saying, "God bless," at the end of her message (Huh?), I spoke. I told her that our friend had mentioned that she was not feel well and that my husband and I were talking about her and that we wanted to invite her and her husband to join us for church on Sunday. This Sunday would be a day when a group of us was going to church together, including our mutual friend. I kept talking and said that it would be great for her to attend and hear God's word, and maybe she would even hear something that would make her feel better. She could phone me back or phone our mutual friend. If we did not hear from her, then I hoped that she had a good weekend and felt better. End call.

Do I want to hear back from her? Eh. Do I want her to attend church with us? I can only anticipate the drama that that would bring. Do I want to reach out to her because she is hurting and because that is what Christ would do? (Twisting toe in the dirt.) Oookaay, yes.

Sometimes being a Christian is difficult because it is so much easier to be a human. However, at some point in our lives, we all need someone to reach out to us. None of us is any more important to Him than another. We need to remember that He loves each of us as His children, and we should be treating one another as Children of God. Can we do that? Though difficult at times, we certainly can do our best to love and respect one another...one person at a time, one situation at a time.

Convicted! Crap.

Our church had its Sunday service at its new location for the first time today, and we did it without our pastor. Pastor David and his wife had a baby yesterday afternoon, and we had a guest speaker this morning. She was an eighteen year old girl from our congregation. That may seem weird, but this young person is amazing. Jackie spoke of her recent mission trip and what she learned and how she was affected. How she was affected. Ha! A good many people were affected by her...me included. I cannot believe that I was brought to tears by her testimony and by how the Holy Spirit was moving through her. It was a wonderful kickoff service for our church's new location.

One of the things about which Jackie spoke was her fear to be herself. The more that I thought about that, the more that it made me think. I do not think that I have ever shared my testimony in its entirety. Usually, I just blow off an opportunity to share my testimony with the excuse of not being able to remember much of my youth due to a head injury -- which is true. However, I have now been compelled to take a deep look at myself, and I have been convicted. I have not been completely honest. The fact is that I CAN remember my life as I got older. I just do not want to. It scares me. It embarrasses me. It makes me feel stupid. I do not want to think about it. Additionally, I suspect that if a lot of people knew who I really am, they would not want anything to do with me anymore.

With that realization in place, Hubby and I had a long discussion last night. For now, I am going to let me fear continue to cripple me. However, I can with confidence say that I now have less fear. It is a step forward.

After church, Richard, Boy, Phil, Connie, and I went to Daddie and Mommie's house for lunch. Their home is like a retreat, set back in the woods with a pond full of fish at the bottom of the hill and a gazebo to enjoy it. Sitting outside on the screened in back deck enjoying a meal and chatting together is so relaxing.

Back at home, we got back to work on the yard. Richard and Boy worked mainly in the back. Connie and I worked mainly on the front. I am excited about our new lilac plants and ivy, which I am hoping to watch climb the bricks. Again, we got a lot accomplished, and, again, there is still much to be done. The main thing that is left is getting plants into the ground before they die. Time works faster than we do, though.

Today I had work done of my spiritual fitness, my mental fitness, and my physical fitness. All in all, it is safe to say that today was a positive and productive day. Tomorrow will be the first day of my RevAbs exercise program. Life is good.