the journey

You Can Take a Girl Out of Iowa....

2012-01-26T23:17:00.009-06:00

Fort Worth has been home now for over three months. Amazing how fast time goes. I moved down here on our 12th Anniversary, October 16 2011. I thought for sure I was going to die when I pulled out of my driveway on the long journey to my new home. Thankfully, Brad flew home so he could drive down with me. I don't think I could have done it on my own. Leaving "home" was such a traumatic thing for me to do. I felt as though I was abandoning my family. Being the oldest child in my family, I always felt as the protector. Even of my own mother. I felt like my nieces and nephews wouldn't understand why I was leaving them. The night before I left, my friends and family came over to say goodbye. It was like being at your own funeral. I felt as though I was slipping out of my body with each tear that fell from my eyes. (Mind you, I had never been away from my family before...not longer than two, maybe three weeks. Girl Scout Camping Trips to the UP of Michigan. Vacation with a friends family...Iowa was home. I even was forced to try going away to college at UNI...three hours away, but even that made me miserable...I have never been away from my family...and my friends! My life!)Back to the night before I left... Everyone gave me a card and said I could not read it until I was really homesick...until I needed a piece of home in my hands...I yielded to the temptation of opening them the minute they left but held out until two weeks after I got down here...Home..Fort Worth Texas. Let's just say they have been opened and reopened so many times since. Pieces of Iowa in my hands. It isn't the state that is so wonderful, it is the people. Now, the people in Fort Worth are amazing. Very friendly, helpful, and always carrying an easy smile. Their sentences are sprinkled with "darlin", and "sweetie", "y'all" and the occasional "bless your heart". The economy is booming. The best thing is the sun is out almost every day. Here it is the end of January 2012 and I am typing this sitting on the couch with the sliding glass door open. If this was Iowa, pigs would be flying. The weather is great! Brad and I feel like newlyweds. We go on bike rides or walks every day. We do everything together and have rediscovered the young hearts within us. We have long talks, and laugh a lot. We downsized from a King bed to a Queen...so we have to snuggle...I would almost say it is perfect. We just miss our friends and family. But have enjoyed the new found life that has been set out before us. Everyone said we were crazy to move. But I have always been crazy!!

Enjoying the Journey

2011-06-22T14:16:00.002-05:00

This Iowa girl is starting an adventure with her hubby! The new journey? Moving from Iowa to Fort Worth, Texas! Who would have thought! I should probably bring you all up to date on my life over the last year or so. I haven't been depressed at all...I have been busy living! :) My sister had three baby girls last year..Yes...three! Twins in January of 2010 and another baby girl the day after Thanksgiving 2010. Lara and all of her children lived with Brad and I until October of 2010. So we were busy helping raise her children and found out what empty nest syndrome really feels like! We feel blessed to have a four bedroom home that could keep them safe. Her and her husband worked some things out and got back together, but unfortunately, are now going through a divorce. Praying for the 5 kids and for Lara and Marvin. All things are possible with God, but you have to ask Him for the help. And a marriage takes three! You, your spouse, and the Lord! Please keep them in your prayers! So, now I have 5 nieces and 3 nephews. SO DARN BLESSED!! Pictures coming soon! I have also become quite the stained glass artiste! Started taking classes last July and have made amazing new friends, amazing stained glass pieces and have found that this "old dog" can learn new tricks! I will post my work soon and stories of this adventure soon. Brad and I celebrated our 11 year anniversary on 16 October. Cannot believe it has been almost 12 years that we have been married now. Life goes fast! Hopefully before our 12th Anniversary we will be living in Fort Worth, Texas...TOGETHER! Brad moved to our new "home" on 13 May. With the help of family and friends, I have gotten our home ready to sell. I am going to visit him over the 4th of July. So, if any of you have any leads to great jobs down there, hook me up! I can do anything! I am ready to sell my home and be down there with him to start the next chapter of this journey we call life!

2010-04-21T08:32:00.001-05:00

We had to put Cletus down. He suddenly got very sick and was in a ton of pain. It was horrible to see him like that. Brad and I cried longer and harder than I have ever cried in my life. Ian laid his hands on Cleutus told him not to be scared because he was going to get to be with Jesus. He said, "Cletus, I am praying for you. Be sure to make friends with the other animals in heaven, don't be shy or scared 'cause when I get to heaven when I get out of this body, I want you to introduce me to all your new friends. I love you, and you have been such a good friend to my Uncle Brad. Don't be scared or sad." Well, go figure, there wasn't a dry eye in the place! Anni just screamed with a loud sob, " i am sooooo saaaaaddd!" Ugh...It was not fun. But we are going to get his ashes and have a "remember Cletus" party. It is like we lost our little boy, as absurd as it sounds, there is a huge hole, and emptyness at the house that shakes our souls. Maybe someday we will get another animal, maybe. Brad has never been so heartbroken. It made me fall in love more deeper with him than I ever thought was possible.

Money Made Life Miserable, So Millionare Karl Rabeder Is Giving It Away - AOL News

2010-04-07T09:52:00.000-05:00

Money Made Life Miserable, So Millionare Karl Rabeder Is Giving It Away - AOL News

Word of Encouragment

2010-03-11T11:03:00.002-06:00

I have noticed there is a huge amount of depression in this world, in my friends, my family, in myself. The only people who seem "happy" are those who are living in the world, and OF the world. Made me think...Satan is stealing our joy one second at a time. Seconds turn into moments, moments into weeks, and weeks into years. How can Christ’s light shine through a depressed mind? It cannot. Satan is trying to make us "hide it under a bushel". NO!!! I WANT to let it shine! My verse today is Philippians 4:8.... Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly: things to praise, not things to curse. Basically, it made me check my thinking...when I feel depressed I need to check my thinking. It is not God's will for us to be depressed! In the recent years, we have been led to study, search, and awaken ourselves and others to things we might not have understood 5-10 years ago. Sometimes, I feel as though we ate from the tree of knowledge. Although I have always had questions about all of the things we have studied since I was a kid, I feel as though, in my adult life, it has put a vice on my happiness, my joy. But then today the Lord reminded me....the joy of the LORD is my strength. NOT MY JOY! For my joy is futile, it is imperfect; it is based, mostly, on things that will not last. In 1 Timothy 1:11 Paul refers to God as the "blessed God". The word blessed means "happy", but the word "happy" today has been so trivialized that it fails to describe God properly. The word "happy" today has more to do with thrills than with a deep-seated joy. It would trivialize God today to say he is a happy God. Joy more accurately describes God. God is a joyful God and wishes to share his joy with us. God is the source of real joy, just as he is the source of love, of truth, of mercy, etc. In the book of Nehemiah we see the joy of the Lord powerfully impacting lives. Nehemiah 8:9-12 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve." Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them. (NIV) So, if you have been depressed remember, even in the worst times, and the most horrible times to come, the Lord wants us to rejoice, for He has already won. People, government, those who believe they are in "power" can poison our skies, our water, our bodies, they can lie, steal, try to control, but they cannot poison our minds, or our hearts, only Satan can do that, and ONLY if WE ALLOW IT. We are NOT OF THIS WORLD! We are the Sons and Daughters of our Heavenly Father! Satan CAN NEVER STEAL OUR JOY IF IT IS THE LORDS!!!! I believe that in the coming years, there will be many new laws that will cause us to mourn and weep. We will feel out of control, hurt, fear, but the Lord wants our strength to come from HIS joy so we can endure all that the world will throw at us. I think we are here because the Lord wants us to love, not our kind of love, but to show others in this world HIS love. Do you know how angry Satan and his demons get when we love? When we love our enemies, when we rejoice in the fast the Christ has already won the battle? They get so upset they try to induce fear, depression, hopelessness...I know because I have allowed depression to quietly rule my life for years! Psalms 45:5-7 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet. Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. (NIV) John 15:11-13 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (NIV) Lately, I have had panic attacks about the "times to come". The "new laws" to come, the information I am inundated with on a daily basis has shattered the rose colored glasses I have worn for years. Because of this, I really want all my family to live on a big old acreage in the middle of nowhere, in a huge house, where we grow our own food, have our own well, have solar power, have a hidden arsenal, and I want to protect everyone I love. I want to live in a bubble of love. I guess we don't get to truly do that until we get to heaven, though. I was thinking this morning, those who suffer from mental issues, drug/alcohol addiction, just THINK what the Lord's plans were for them, and still are! Satan knows how to trip us up. He tripped me up, mentally, by Hypothyroid and depression, and guilt. This cycle I have lived in during my adult life is worldly. Not based on truth, not based on the Word. Funny how The Word and the World are only separated by an L, could the L equal Love? Hmm. I wonder. Why is it when I start moving forward in HIM, after a week or so, I spiral into depression? Probably, because I allow it, I am not putting on the armor of Christ! I am weak, HE IS STRONG!! Jesus loves us! He FIRST loved US! My friend Keisha, who took her own life a couple years ago, came to me in a dream last night. She said that everything in this world will pass. That it doesn't matter how skinny, beautiful, fashionable you are, the hurt will always be there because there is sin. Only the Joy of the Lord can combat the hurt, the day to day pain. Lean on Him and not on your own understanding. Death is death, life is life. We can live in the world, but not be of the world. Be strong in Him. Remember Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” I just wanted to give a word of encouragement.

CAGE OF GUILT

2009-03-12T14:49:00.006-05:00

Do you ever wonder how caged animals feel? Claustrophobic? Like the world is small, like they are missing out? Especially birds...Bird cages are very small. Birds have a God given ability to fly, but cannot due to the cage. If they do, they can only fly in the same place they have been over, and over, and over again. There food spills into their water, as well as their feathers and turds. They either sleep, or chirp loudly, throw seeds at the outside world...It must be a horrible, hopeless feeling!

How many of us are doing the same thing? Going through the same motions, routines, every day, either avoiding life, or loudly complaining about everyone else in the world.. I admit..I have been in a cage. A cage of guilt!

Currently, I am ready the book, "Wild Goose Chase", by Mark Batterson for small group. I had read it a few months ago, but this time, my husband and are are reading it together. This is something I would totally urge couples to do. Read TO each other. He reads 5 pages, I read 5 pages, etc, etc. This intimate act stirs the soul in a way normal every day life doesn't even touch. To hear what the Lord thinks about ME coming out of my HUSBANDS mouth, is like a warm bath to my soul. Last night we read the chapter about the Cage of Guilt.

I think I understand now why I sabotage myself, why I shrink. I do not accept the Grace of God. It is as if it is my birthday, and there are many presents, large, small, etc, but I only open a couple, and then give the one's I have opened away. I am not receiving the gifts and promises the Lord has for me.

Seriously, I can think all the way back to being a child, and I STILL feel very guilty about things. I said, or did, or didn't do. When we ask God for forgiveness, God forgives and then does something amazing...He actually FORGETS. Who are we NOT to forget? He sent His Son to die for our sins. We have to pray for the Lord to take that memory, or hurt away.. As you all know, from reading this blog, I forgave my dad last year,. Supernaturally, the Lord took all the hurt, and pain away, and has restored our relationship. So now, I have to work on forgiving myself. The little girl in me has held on to too much crap for too long, and it has effected me in my adult life. BIG TIME! I think the amazing thing is that guilt is a time machine. I can remember everything about the times in my life I feel guilty for. The Lord doesn't want us to live in the past, Satan wants us to live in the past. The Lord has blessings, gifts, for us. We need to receive them in faith. It is overwhelming how much God loves us. He doesn't want us to be caged. His Son died so we may live, so we may fly out of the Cage of guilt and live for Him.

Below is a blog that I found of a sermon a pastor did on this book....It will explain this chapter in the book that truly spoke to my heart...

The Cage Of Guilt We become so fixated on our past mistakes that we forfeit our future opportunities! Before we find out what this cage is all about I bet you can already think of five things you feel guilty about this week. Come on its so easy to have this feeling we feel guilty about not spending enough time with family,missing our kids games, having that extra piece of cake, not praying enough for the lost, or not doing what we know honors God. I've got some news for you and its news that can help you feel not guilty!!! Daily I have to remind myself of this: "What I've done is not who I am!! I am not my past mistakes I am child of the King! I do not belong to my situations, I belong to Jesus" Two things you need to know about the Cage of guilt: Guilt v.s.Grace (1) Guilt S h r i n k s - guilt shrinks passions, dreams, relationships,goal,vision (2) Grace E x p a n d s- everything in our lives!! passions, dreams, relationships, goal, vision... Peter is a great example of some one who was bound by the cage of guilt in Luke 22:54-62 we see the simple truth that Peter woke up to the sound daily of how he has betrayed Jesus. {see the following link to read the passage:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2022:54-62&version=65} *The sound of the rooster = the sound of the devil.

The devil will always remind you of your past mistakes and failures. *If you focus all your energy on the past you will never have energy to chase the goose! In the first passage we saw what brought on the guilt in this next passage we see how Jesus forgives Peter.John 21:3;15-17 Peter went back to what He did before he followed Jesus because of his guilt. You see guilt will always shrink everything in our lives, Peter felt that he was no longer worthy to live up to the calling that Jesus had spoken into his life. He went fishing

Jesus re-confirmed his love for Peter... He asked him three times if he loved him. He asked him more than once because he had denied him more than once by doing this he was calling him back unto himself. *Jesus wanted to turn the rooster crow from guilt to grace! The grace of God is more than enough to cover our past mistakes and failure.

Failure does not have to be fatal you can move on.

Life can change for you today all you need to do is give it over to God asking him to cover it in the blood of his son Jesus Christ.

What are the rooster crows that are keeping you in the cage of guilt every day? What past experiences are keeping you locked in this cage?

RAMBLINGS...EDITED..

2009-02-17T15:30:00.007-06:00

Haven't written in a while. I don't write when I feel insecure, down, worthless, or angry. This year has been tough so far. I usually start out the year with the optimal optimism, however, not this year. I got in an accident the day before Christmas..it was my fault...then, in January, I fell at roller derby practice and herniated three discs in my lower back. February comes and I find myself being treated for thyroid nodules. So, here are my thoughts. If you know me, throw me a bone here...why do I do these things? When I start something new, (IE: Roller Derby, Church, cooking for people, small groups) and I enjoy it, I love it, I felt led by the Holy Spirit even,and I think I might be really good at it, I totally sabotage myself and over think what I am doing. What people are thinking, that I CAN'T do what I am doing. For example, with Roller Derby, I was stoked, excited, pumped, thought I could do anything, and then I got in an accident, wasn't able to skate or go to practice either because I was in so much pain. So, when I finally do go back, I hear someone talking in the bathroom that I shouldn't be in the team picture because I have only skated three times. So, what do I do? I "shrink"..I think everyone thinks I am a looser, and that I don't have what it takes. I am fat, lazy, out of shape, an not "worthy" of being part of the Quad City Rollers, although I have brought people to the team, I have sold tickets, and I have been a supporter in the team. Now, since I fell at derby practice, I can't even skate, and each practice I miss, the lower my desire gets to skate. Maybe I will hurt myself, maybe I would suck.. Now, roller derby...let me just tell ya...as excited I am about it, I am terrified. The fall that made my head bounce three times off the floor (thank god for helmets) really scared me. I can't tell you how different it is skating and falling as a fat chick. It is horrible. I guess I just wonder if I can even do it. Maybe I won't skate this season. Maybe next...I really love being a part of something, it makes me feel alive... I am probably the "largest" marge on the team. That sucks, and I compare myself to them. I guess I am going to have to fight myself and stick with it. I might just surprise myself. Ya know, when I was younger, I would fight against anything, and anyone to show I was good at something, that I WAS someone, now, I don't feel as though I should fight...I usually feel as though I am NOTHING. Somtimes, I feel as though my life is already over. My dreams will never come true, I know they say what the Lord puts in you, he will see it through..But, I am so exhausted from fighting when I was younger, I don't have it in me anymore. I used to be pretty, thin, adventureous, and even though I was so insecure about so many things, I still fought. I fought for what was right. BUT, I always had to have a boyfriend, and most of them I became what they wanted me to be...but..I had this one boyfriend who didn't want me to "comply" and be who he wanted me to be...at first anyway...he was my first love. We had such a co-dependant relationship,I can see that now, and we were both screwed up, came from roller coaster pasts. He wasn't loved by his mother the way he needed to be, I wasn't loved by my father the way I needed to be and well...we didn't know how to love eachother or ourselves correctly. So scared of being hurt, we still hurt each other, others, and ourselves. So we fought for our own futures with breakups, mean words, and we quit. Well, I quit..I didn't really want to... Looking back, that was the first time I really quit something as an adult that I really didn't want to quit, but I knew it was for the better.For both of us. Now, jump ahead to my marriage...Sometimes I feel bad for my husband, Brad. He didn't sign up to "marry a fatty"...I am so blessed to have him...Brad is the only thing I have never really quit..and he has never, EVER quit me...not when I gained weight, not when I got depressed, and still not now. My marriage is great it has had some ups and downs. Something I thought would never last this long is going on it's 10th year. So, I guess I am proud that I haven't quit Brad. :0) This year I am turning 35...I haven't ever been so "bummed" about a birthday, but this one...it takes the cake! LOL! It is unusual to think I will be 35 years old. I am NO WHERE CLOSE to where I thought I would be, where I drempt I would be. But, I am sure everyone feels this way. Well, They say 40 is the new 30, so maybe I will enjoy the next 5 years. It is my choice to make. Brad just turned 38, he is sexier than ever. His eyes, his lips, his salt/pepper hair, his shoulders, the way he holds me, and the way he kisses. If they could bottle his kisses...HE WOULD BE RICH! I hope this next year I can start standing on the Lord's promises. I need to search for the adventures HE wants me to take. I will always fall short in my dreams, but with the Lords help, HIS will always comes to fruition. Lord, please help me, heal me, guide me, and protect my marriage, family, and friends.

Today is full of "W".

2008-12-22T08:30:00.003-06:00

Waiting, wondering, wishing. That is what happens when you are 34 years old and do not have any children yet. I used to think it was something I did, something I didn't do, tried to convince myself it was better we didn't have them. Maybe I wouldn't be a good mother, maybe I won't be married long, maybe I shouldn't have ever done some of the stuff I have done, maybe I would mess them up. Maybe I couldn't handle it. But, now that my nieces as nephews are growing up, and our families are doing more and more things separately, I think, WHY??? Why don't I have children. Children are a blessing. How do you know if you are supposed to adopt? What if we leave it to God, and He decides to give us kids when we decide it is OK we don't have any kids of our own? God has that sense of humor.

I'M WAITING

2008-12-18T06:08:00.002-06:00

To Live Your Dream

2008-12-17T10:46:00.003-06:00

This is an old obituary, however, I think we could all learn from his life. Alaska Bush author Proenneke dies at 86 ANCHORAGE - Dick Proenneke, who lived alone in a remote cabin and kept journals published as the classic Alaska memoir "One Man's Wilderness," has died at age 86. Proenneke died Easter Sunday in California. Until 1998, Proenneke lived alone in a cabin he built at Twin Lakes in what is now Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. "I call him a modern-day Henry David Thoreau," said John Branson, a Lake Clark park ranger and historian who was a longtime friend of Proenneke's. "Thoreau lived at Walden for only one year. Dick lived there for 30 years." Proenneke moved permanently to Twin Lakes in 1968 at age 52 after retiring as a diesel mechanic and heavy-equipment operator in Kodiak. Branson said Proenneke wanted to live deep in the wilderness out of a need for simplicity rather than to escape. "He was not to be misconstrued as an end-of-the-roader or anti-social at all," Branson told the Anchorage Daily News. "He was extremely hospitable and gracious to visitors." "One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey" was first published in 1973, attracting visitors to Twin Lakes, 20 miles north of Lake Clark in the Alaska Range. The book was reissued in a new format in 1999 and won a National Outdoor Book Award. It may have sold as many as 75,000 copies over the years, a bestseller by Alaska standards, said Sara Juday, regional manager for Alaska Northwest Books, the publisher. "It has a kind of cult status. It has changed people's lives," Juday said.

Roller Derby Explained

2008-12-17T10:32:00.000-06:00

I AM POTENTIAL

2008-12-05T13:33:00.003-06:00

2008

2008-12-05T09:58:00.003-06:00

It is coming to that time of year again when we start to reflect over the last 365 days and plan for the next year to come...2009. I can't believe it has almost been a decade since we sat celebrating in, my friend, Greg's garage counting down to 2000! We sat there blowing our streamers, wearing silly hats, and a little freaked out that jets just might fall out of the sky, or the world systems would cease to function properly, as well as secretly hoping, that at least, all our debts would be "wiped clean"! However, here we are. Life just goes on. Since 2000, I have worked at 5 different places, bought our first home, bought new cars. Three new family members have been added, I have lost three children of my own, been on many vacations, paid off all our debt, occurred more debt, 9/11, the war, family issues, health scares, family moving, new friends, marriages, funerals, well, the list goes on and on. But, this year, 2008, has been a defining year for me. This was the year I have put myself "out there". Learned to live again. This is the year I fell in love with my husband all over again, almost every day. The year that I learned how to forgive my dad, and allow the Lord to rekindle our relationship. I remembered how to love people. To be myself, to be comfortable in my own skin. To smell the air, to enjoy feeling the warmth of a sunrise, and the ambiance of a sunset. 2008 brought some sadness, loved one's passed. Illnesses came and went. But all in all 2008 brought real growth. Growth to my soul, to my family, to potential. I saw my brother and sister grow as well. My brother and his wife have fallen into such a deep love, and have learned to be even better parents. My sister and her husband have gotten through the first couple years of marriage, which is hard, and have become closer. My nieces and nephews have all grown so much. Amazing to see them learn new things and blossom into a little person of their own. I get a little sad to see them growing up so quickly, I understand now why my grandma's always said, "Don't grow up too fast". I always thought it was because they had some sort of secret grown-up fun which only made me want to grow up even faster! In 2008 I watched my mother remember who she truly is inside, and follow her dreams, make new friends, and enjoy life. I experienced so many wonderful things. Personally, I have been more than blessed. I got involved in a new church, and now am writing the Adult Small Group Ministry Lessons. Plus I greet and usher. Me! Crazy! I have been blessed with new friendships through the church, and have matured in my walk with Christ. I also have joined Roller Derby. My body is very upset with this, but my spirit is excited. I haven't been part of a real team in so long. This last year, I have reconnected with old friends and through them, reconnected with myself. I remembered how to gently take care of myself. Blessing run deep! This next year, I will be 35 years old. I can hardly believe it! I am so excited to see what 2009 holds. My life has become real. Real. I am finally, really living, after so long of holding my breath and going through the motions. I am alive in 2009! :0)

THE DUCK CALLS SHOTGUN

2008-11-26T13:26:00.002-06:00

COLORS OF THE RAINBOW

2008-11-26T08:22:00.008-06:00

To me, it is amazing that we force other countries to do what we fail to do. Treat eachother as equals. Does America continue to be only a dream? This next story is about the "Harlem Hellfighters" who were an infantry Regiment in World War I. I saw a program on them last night and it got me thinking. Who is really free? And at what price does that freedom come? I believe the cost is blood. Blood of indians, blood of soldiers, blood of men and women of every race, no matter if they are young or old. We keep shedding this blood. Has anything really changed? First organized in 1916 as the 15th New York National Guard Infantry Regiment and manned by black enlisted soldiers with both black and white officers, the U.S. Army’s 369th Infantry Regiment, popularly known as the “Harlem Hellfighters,” was the best known African American unit of World War I. Federalized in 1917, it prepared for service in Europe and arrived in Brest in December. The next month, the regiment became part of the 93rd Division (Provisional) and continued its training, now under French instructors. In March, the regiment finally received its Federal designation and was reorganized and reequipped according to the French model. That summer, the 369th was integrated into the French 161st Division and began combat operations. Dubbing themselves “Men of Bronze,” the soldiers of the 369th were lucky in many ways compared to other African Americans in 1918 France. They enjoyed a continuity of leadership, commanded throughout the war by one of their original organizers and proponents, Colonel William Hayward. Unlike many white officers serving in the black regiments, Colonel Hayward respected his troops, dedicated himself to their well-being, and leveraged his political connections to secure support from New Yorkers. Whereas African American valor usually went unrecognized, well over one hundred members of the regiment received American and/or French medals, including the first two Americans – Corporal Henry Johnson and Private Needham Roberts – to be awarded the coveted French Croix de Guerre. Spending over six months in combat, perhaps the longest of any American unit in the war, the 369th suffered approximately fifteen hundred casualties but received only nine hundred replacements. Unit histories claimed they were the first unit to cross the Rhine; they performed well at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood, earning the epithet “Hell Fighters” from their enemies. Nevertheless, the poor replacement system coupled with no respite from the line took its toll, leaving the unit exhausted by the armistice in November. Although the 369th could boast of a fine combat record and a regimental Croix de Guerre, the unit was plagued by acute discipline problems resulting from disproportionate casualties among the unit’s longest-serving members and related failures to assimilate new soldiers. After considerable effort by Colonel Hayward, the 369th was welcomed home with a parade in February 1919 and reabsorbed into the National Guard. Participation in the war effort was problematic for African Americans. While America was on a crusade to make the world safe for democracy abroad, it was neglecting the fight for equality at home. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) established that the 14th Amendment allowed for separate but equal treatment under the law. In 1913 President Wilson, in a bow to Southern pressure, even ordered the segregation of federal office workers. The U.S. Army at this time drafted both black and white men, but they served in segregated units. After the black community organized protests, the Army finally agreed to train African American officers but it never put them in command of white troops. Leaders of the African American community differed in their responses to this crisis. A. Philip Randolph was pessimistic about what the war would mean for black Americans -- he pointed out that Negroes had sacrificed their blood on the battlefields of every American war since the Revolution, but it still had not brought them full citizenship. W.E.B. DuBois argued that "while the war lasts [we should] forget our special grievances and close our ranks shoulder to shoulder with our white fellow citizens and allied nations that are fighting for democracy." And in full force, America's black population "closed ranks." During World War I 380,000 African Americans served in the wartime Army. Approximately 200,000 of these were sent to Europe. More than half of those sent abroad were assigned to labor and stevedore battalions, but they performed essential duties nonetheless, building roads, bridges, and trenches in support of the front-line battles. Roughly 42,000 saw combat. American troops arrived in Europe at a crucial moment in the war. Russia had just signed an armistice with Germany in December 1917 freeing Germany to concentrate her troops on the Western Front. If Germany could stage a huge offensive before Americans came to the aid of her war-weary allies, Germany could win the war. The 369th Infantry helped to repel the German offensive and to launch a counteroffensive. General John J. Pershing assigned the 369th to the 16th Division ofthe French Army. With the French, the Harlem Hellfighters fought at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood. All told they spent 191 days in combat, longer than any other American unit in the war. "My men never retire, they go forward or they die," said Colonel Hayward. Indeed, the 369th was the first Allied unit to reach the Rhine. The extraordinary valor of the 369th earned them fame in Europe and America. Newspapers headlined the feats of Corporal Henry Johnson and Private Needham Roberts. In May 1918 they were defending an isolated lookout post on the Western Front, when they were attacked by a German unit. Though wounded, they refused to surrender, fighting on with whatever weapons were at hand. They were the first Americans awarded the Croix de Guerre, and they were not the only Harlem Hellfighters to win awards; 171 of its officers and men received individual medals and the unit received a Croix de Guerre for taking Sechault. In December 1917, when Colonel Hayward's men had departed from New York City, they had not been permitted to participate in the farewell parade of New York's National Guard, the so-called Rainbow division. The reason Hayward was given was that "black is not a color in the Rainbow." Now Colonel Hayward pulled every political string he could to assure his men would be rewarded with a victory parade when they came home in February 1919. Crowds thronged New York City's Fifth Avenue as the 369th marched to the music of their now- famous regimental jazz band leader, James Reese Europe. After the parade, city officials honored the troops at a special dinner. What kind of America had they come home to? World War I initiated changes on the home front that permanently affected the lives of Americans, black and white. While defense production was up, the war had cut off the flow of immigrant labor. Workers were needed in the North, and African Americans seized the opportunity. Eagerly they left behind a rural South of Jim Crow laws, lynchings, and oppressive economic conditions. The Great Migration -- the most massive internal migration in American history -- brought several million African Americans North before the Depression stemmed its flow. With the migrants, black culture entered the American mainstream, changing it forever. Musical styles never heard before outside the South became "hot." The Jazz Age had begun. The Harlem Renaissance blossomed in one of the nation's greatest artistic outpourings, bringing to the fore a great poet, Langston Hughes. On the political front, participation in World War I did little to directly advance the equal rights of African Americans. But for many Americans both black and white, it did heighten awareness of the gulf that existed between American rhetoric and reality. After the war A. Philip Randolph was fond of saying to his audiences "I want to congratulate you for doing your bit to make the world safe for democracy . . . and unsafe for hypocrisy." After much thought, the only blood that has changed anything is the Blood of Jesus Christ. The blood He shed for us. To save us from our own sin. By the blood of Jesus, we are truly free at last.

AMERICA

2008-11-21T17:30:00.001-06:00

5.88 TRILLION MILES

2008-11-10T12:51:00.002-06:00

http://268generation.com/videoplayer/player.php?videoid=Indescrwide1&quality=hi

Take 42 minutes out of your day and watch this amazing video! It is worth it!

Check out the amazing sites of our universe.

WHAT WOMEN REALLY WANT

2008-11-10T10:13:00.002-06:00

http://www.newspring.cc/podcast/110908_Beautiful_04.mp3 Please press pause on the music player below, go to this site, and listen!!! It is an eye opener!!

READY OR NOT

2008-11-06T07:55:00.011-06:00

Woke up this morning feeling achy, bruised up, sleepy, and excited!! I strapped on wheels for the first time since high school, maybe even middle school. I remember how it felt then, like second nature. Getting on the cool skate floor, lights low, good music, wind in my hair, feeling kinda...cool. Well, I felt anything but cool last night! As I laced up my skates, stood up on the carpet, and took my first step, I felt completely intimidated. What a sight I must have been. It didn't feel natural at all. It felt completely foreign, as if I hadn't been on skates ever in my life. I thought it would be better as I pushed off onto the sky blue skate rink floor. I used to live on roller skates. I remember my first pair. My cousin Kristy and I made laps in my great grandma's basement. I could go to the skate rink and even, dare I say, skate backwards! Comb in my back pocket, hair feathered, and praying a boy would ask me to "couple" skate. Well, last night, all I needed was a walker, a pillow taped to my derriere, and a motorcycle helmet! I was flailing around like a swarm of bees were attacking me. The little kids whipping around me, only to giggle as they went by this "old lady on skates", made it feel as though I was going faster than I really was. I went around once, muscles in my body I hadn't used in years woke up. My feet started cramping like there were nails in my boots. To top it off, I swear I was sweating, and out of breath. I think I held my breath for the whole minute it took me to go around. I was just proud I hadn't fallen....yet.

Finally, I took on a little speed, and remembered the faster you go, the easier it is to balance. My inner thighs were on fire, and my knees were shaky. But, I realized I had a huge smile plastered to my face. I was skating, and I hadn't fell. I stopped to take a breather along side the cement divider. Remember, I was stopped. Not skating. I fell straight down to the ground and hit my arm/elbow on the cement wall.

I FELL JUST STANDING! IT WAS HUMILIATING, AND HILARIOUS AT THE SAME TIME!

I got back up, and figured I better just skate. I woke up feeling more alive than I have in a long time. I have a huge green and purple bruise on my right inner elbow, and here is the kicker, I am proud of it! ROLLER DERBY, READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!!

MY NEW ADVENTURE

2008-10-29T11:51:00.003-05:00

Your Beauty Psalm 45:11

2008-10-23T09:52:00.005-05:00

Click on the title and listen to this! Few people are comfortable in the skin God gave them. The voices of Hollywood in the latest fashions meet us daily in the grocery line bombarding us with messages of success and power telling us what we should be. Will we listen to those voices, or will we listen to our Father, who loves us, created us in His image, and gifted us with purpose. In Him and Him alone do we find approval and learn what it means to truly be beautiful. http://www.newspring.cc/podcast/101908_Beautiful_01.mp3

A WORD FROM THE WISE

2008-10-22T15:44:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Uncle Ted

2008-10-09T21:22:00.005-05:00

Fairbank city worker receives State Utilities achievement award.Ted Vorwald of the City of Fairbank receives the Individual Achievement Award at the recent Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities Fall Conference in Ankeny. He’s joined in the photo by his wife Jan. FAIRBANK - Ted Vorwald, who will soon retire after 32 years of service to the City of Fairbank, was presented with the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) Individual Achievement Award at the association’s recent Fall Conference in Ankeny. The IAMU Individual Achievement Award is presented to a utility employee who has been an active participant in utility matters for at least 20 years. Vorwald has served as the superintendent of the water, wastewater and electric utilities in Fairbank, in addition to being in charge of streets and parks. He has also supported the community as a volunteer firefighter, and he and his wife Jan ran a local dining establishment in Fairbank for many years. Ted has also been instrumental in training utility employees from around the state through his association with IAMU’s Water Safety & Training Committee. He has spent countless hours assisting in hands-on training at IAMU’s Ankeny facility to assure utility workers in other communities provide the safest and highest quality service to their customers. IAMU urges the residents of Fairbank to join in congratulating Ted Vorwald on receiving this award, and in thanking him for his service to the community

Great Story from Beth Moore

2008-10-09T13:13:00.001-05:00

Beth Moore is an outstanding Bible teacher, writer of Bible studies, and is a married mother of two daughters. This is one of her experiences: April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville, waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. (I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons, not the least of which is your ego.) I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones. The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man. I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So, this man in the airport, who was he, an impersonator, maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere? There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served up on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him. Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man. I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing. I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. 'Oh, no, God, please, no.' I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into Heaven and said, “Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!” There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, “Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane.' Then I heard it. “I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair.” The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No brainier. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, “God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man.” Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. “That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair.” I looked up at God and quipped, “I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?” God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: “I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:17) I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, “Sir, May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?” He looked back at me and said, “What did you say?” “May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?” To which he responded in volume ten, “Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that.” At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, “SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?” At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Long Locks. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, “If you really want to.” Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, “Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush.” “I have one in my bag.” he responded. I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull. A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while. The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's. His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's. I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knee and said, “Sir, do you know my Jesus?” He said, “Yes, I do.” Well, that figures, I thought. He explained, “I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior.” He said, “You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride.” Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it. Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft. I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, “That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?' I said, 'Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!' And we got to share. I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need! I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way ... all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me. John 1:14 'The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth' Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting, 'Wow! What a ride! Thank You, Lord!'

WHAT IS HOLDING US BACK???

2008-10-09T09:55:00.002-05:00

Turn up the sound, turn off your phone, and listen!

Anger...He wants us to go to Him...even with this!

2008-10-09T09:27:00.003-05:00

It is amazing how much the Lord loves us. Throughout life, we sometimes think He has forgotten us, forsaken us, or even is punishing us. But, the Bible says He wants us to go to Him even in our anger. How wonderful of a Father do we have? Psalm 77-78 1 I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. 2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. 3 I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. Selah 4 You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak. 5 I thought about the former days, the years of long ago; 6 I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired: 7 "Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? 8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? 9 Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?" Selah 10 Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High." 11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 12 I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. 13 Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? 14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. 15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah 16 The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed. 17 The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. 18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. 19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. 20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. Psalm 78 A maskil of Asaph. [a] 1 O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old- 3 what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. 5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, 6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. 7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. 8 They would not be like their forefathers— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him. 9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle; 10 they did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his law. 11 They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them. 12 He did miracles in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. 13 He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand firm like a wall. 14 He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night. 15 He split the rocks in the desert and gave them water as abundant as the seas; 16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers. 17 But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. 18 They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. 19 They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the desert? 20 When he struck the rock, water gushed out, and streams flowed abundantly. But can he also give us food? Can he supply meat for his people?" 21 When the LORD heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, 22 for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. 23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; 24 he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven. 25 Men ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. 26 He let loose the east wind from the heavens and led forth the south wind by his power. 27 He rained meat down on them like dust, flying birds like sand on the seashore. 28 He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents. 29 They ate till they had more than enough, for he had given them what they craved. 30 But before they turned from the food they craved, even while it was still in their mouths, 31 God's anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel. 32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe. 33 So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror. 34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again. 35 They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. 36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; 37 their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. 38 Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. 39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. 40 How often they rebelled against him in the desert and grieved him in the wasteland! 41 Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel. 42 They did not remember his power— the day he redeemed them from the oppressor, 43 the day he displayed his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan. 44 He turned their rivers to blood; they could not drink from their streams. 45 He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them. 46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust. 47 He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore-figs with sleet. 48 He gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning. 49 He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility— a band of destroying angels. 50 He prepared a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death but gave them over to the plague. 51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham. 52 But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the desert. 53 He guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies. 54 Thus he brought them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken. 55 He drove out nations before them and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance; he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes. 56 But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes. 57 Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow. 58 They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols. 59 When God heard them, he was very angry; he rejected Israel completely. 60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men. 61 He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy. 62 He gave his people over to the sword; he was very angry with his inheritance. 63 Fire consumed their young men, and their maidens had no wedding songs; 64 their priests were put to the sword, and their widows could not weep. 65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a man wakes from the stupor of wine. 66 He beat back his enemies; he put them to everlasting shame. 67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; 68 but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved. 69 He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever. 70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; 71 from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. 72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

NAOMI RAE COOPER

2008-10-07T12:44:00.004-05:00

My sister went into premature labor and gave birth to her daughter, Naomi Rae Cooper. She was 15 weeks old in the womb. Five inches long, and 2 oz. She had ten little toes, and ten little fingers. A beautiful face and sweet lips, just like her brothers. It was one of the hardest days of my entire life. But it was an honor to be present, to be there for my sister and her husband, and to be part of the bitter sweetness of it all. Although her body was not alive, her soul was welcomed into heaven by the Lord Jesus Christ. We had Naomi baptised by Deb, the Chaplin at Genesis East. We were able to hold Naomi for about 4 hours. My sister, knowing that her daughter was not alive, still struggled with her motherly instinct to keep her baby warm. So she wrapped her in a pink fuzzy blanket and kept her close. October 6, 2008 3:15 pm was her "birthday" into the Glory of the Lord, and the death of her body here on earth.

Every child is a blessing. EVERY child is a blessing. EVERY CHILD IS A BLESSING!

Hold your dear one's close. This life is short no matter how long we are here. Live each moment.

BE CAREFUL HOW YOU THINK; YOUR LIFE IS SHAPED BY YOUR THOUGHTS

2008-10-03T11:45:00.001-05:00

-Got this from a friend today. It is awesome! Changing Your Behavior by Rick Warren Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. Proverbs 4:23 (GNT) *** *** *** *** One of the great psychological discoveries of the past century is that your thoughts control your actions.If you want to change the way you act, you must first change how you think. Actually, thousands of years ago, Solomon pointed this out when he wrote, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (Proverbs 4:23 GNT). The Bible says our thoughts influence six areas of our lives: · My interpretation influences my situation. It’s not what happens to me that matters as much as how I choose to see it. The way I react will determine whether the circumstance makes me better or bitter. I can view everything as an obstacle or an opportunity for growth – a stumbling block or a stepping stone. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4 NIV). · My impressions influence my depressions. In other words, my mind affects my mood; my thinking determines my feelings. If I’m feeling depressed, it’s because I’m choosing to think depressing thoughts – about my work, family, or anything else. While you cannot always control a feeling, you can choose what you think about, which will control how you feel.“Hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught . . .”(Psalm 55:2 NIV). · My beliefs influence my behavior. We always act according to our beliefs, even when those ideas are false. For instance, as a child, if you believed a shadow in your bedroom at night was a monster, your body reacted in fear (adrenaline and jitters) even though it wasn’t true. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you are operating on true information! Your convictions about yourself, about life, and about God influence your conduct.“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples” (John 8:31 NIV). · My self-talk influences my self-esteem. You are constantly talking to yourself unconsciously. When you walk into a room full of strangers, what do you tend to think about yourself? To develop more confidence you’re going to have to stop running yourself down! “Ashe thinks in his heart, so is he”(Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). · My attitude influences my ability. Winners expect to win. Your perception controls your performance. Mohammed Ali only lost two fights in his career. Before both of them, he said something that he hadn’t said before other fights: “If I should lose this fight […].”“All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23 NKJV). · My imagination influences my aspirations. In other words, your dreams determine your destiny. To accomplish anything, you must first have a mission, a goal, a hope, a vision. “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). © 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.

My photos

2008-10-02T18:15:00.005-05:00

These are photos I have taken in Rocky Mountain National Park. The world we live in is absolutely amazing. I love photography. I am saving for a new camera so I can get better at it!

25 FASCINATING LOVE FACTS

2008-10-01T14:35:00.002-05:00

By Laura Schaefer Love is mysterious, fascinating, and when you find it with the right person, there's nothing better. Here are 25 surprising love facts to puzzle over and embrace. Love is a many-splendored thing … and a very surprising thing, too. As if you needed proof of that, here are 25 funny little facts about love. Study them, scratch your head over them, and share them with someone you fancy. 1. Men who kiss their wives in the morning live five years longer than those who don't. 2. People are more likely to tilt their heads to the right when kissing instead of the left (65 percent of people go to the right!) 3. When it comes to doing the deed early in the relationship, 78 percent of women would decline an intimate rendezvous if they had not shaved their legs or underarms. 4. Feminist women are more likely than other females to be in a romantic relationship. 5. Two-thirds of people report that they fall in love with someone they've known for some time vs. someone that they just met. 6. There's a reason why office romances occur: The single biggest predictor of love is proximity. 7. Falling in love can induce a calming effect on the body and mind and raises levels of nerve growth factor for about a year, which helps to restore the nervous system and improves the lover's memory. 8. Love can also exert the same stress on your body as deep fear. You see the same physiological responses — pupil dilation, sweaty palms, and increased heart rate. 9. Brain scans show that people who view photos of a beloved experience an activation of the caudate — the part of the brain involving cravings. 10. The women of the Tiwi tribe in the South Pacific are married at birth. 11. The "Love Detector" service from Korean cell phone operator KTF uses technology that is supposed to analyze voice patterns to see if a lover is speaking honestly and with affection. Users later receive an analysis of the conversation delivered through text message that breaks down the amount of affection, surprise, concentration and honesty of the other speaker. 12. Eleven percent of women have gone online and done research on a person they were dating or were about to meet, versus seven percent of men. 13. Couples' personalities converge over time to make partners more and more similar. 14. The oldest known love song was written 4,000 years ago and comes from an area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. 15. The tradition of the diamond engagement ring comes from Archduke Maximillian of Austria who, in the 15th century, gave a diamond ring to his fiancée, Mary of Burgundy. 16. Forty-three percent of women prefer their partners never sign "love" to a card unless they are ready for commitment. 17. People who are newly in love produce decreased levels of the hormone serotonin — as low as levels seen in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Perhaps that's why it's so easy to feel obsessed when you're smitten. 18. Philadelphia International Airport finished as the No. 1 best airport for making a love connection, according to an online survey. 19. According to mathematical theory, we should date a dozen people before choosing a long-term partner; that provides the best chance that you'll make a love match. 20. A man's beard grows fastest when he anticipates sex. 21. Every Valentine's Day, Verona, the Italian city where Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet took place, receives around 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet. 21. When we get dumped, for a period of time we love the person who rejected us even more, says Dr. Helen Fisher of Rutgers University and author of Why We Love. The brain regions that lit up when we were in a happy union continue to be active. 22. People telling the story of how they fell in love overwhelmingly believe the process is out of their control. 23. Familiarity breeds comfort and closeness … and romance. 24. One in five long-term love relationships began with one or both partners being involved with others. 25. OK, this one may not surprise you, but we had to share it: Having a romantic relationship makes both genders happier. The stronger the commitment, the greater the happiness! Laura Schaefer is the author of Man with Farm Seeks Woman with Tractor.

STRANGE MAPS!

2008-09-30T06:49:00.001-05:00

Satellite navigation (SatNav) is a lot older than previously thought. In fact, it’s even decades older than man-made satellites themselves. This fantastic contraption, called the ‘Routefinder’, showed 1920s drivers in the UK the roads they were travelling down, gave them the mileage covered and told them to stop when they came at journey’s end. The technology - a curious cross between the space age and the stone age - consisted of a little map scroll inside a watch, to be ’scrolled’ (hence the word) as the driver moved along on the map. A multitude of scrolls could be fitted in the watch to suit the particular trip the driver fancied taking. The system has several obvious drawbacks - a limited number of available journeys, and the inability of the system to respond to sudden changes of direction. Also: no warning of road works or traffic jams ahead. Not that there were that many traffic jams in 1920s Britain. The Routefinder, one of many bizarre patented gadgets now on display at the British Library, didn’t take off because there were too few drivers, i.e. potential customers, at that time in Britain. Or maybe also because it was a bit impractical, distracting drivers from what they were supposed to watch - the road.

Ice Cream, You Scream, We All Scream for... Breast Milk??

2008-09-25T11:59:00.002-05:00

In an interesting effort to protect the well-being of animals, People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) issued a request to Ben & Jerry's to stop using cow milk as an ingredient in their ice cream products and switch to, well, breast milk. They got the idea from some Swiss restaurant owner who apparently, "will begin purchasing breast milk from nursing mothers and substituting breast milk for 75 percent of the cow's milk in the food he serves." Uh, gross! In a statement on the PETA website, PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said, "The fact that human adults consume huge quantities of dairy products made from milk that was meant for a baby cow just doesn't make sense. Everyone knows that 'the breast is best,' so Ben & Jerry's could do consumers and cows a big favor by making the switch to breast milk."In the letter they even went so far as saying "Using cow's milk for your ice cream is a hazard to your customer's health. Dairy products have been linked to juvenile diabetes, allergies, constipation, obesity, and prostate and ovarian cancer." While its an interesting idea, Ben & Jerry's decided to pass on the idea. "We applaud PETA's novel approach to bringing attention to an issue, but we believe a mother's milk is best used for her child," they said in a statement.It's really unfortunate that Ben & Jerry's declined, PETA supporter Pamela Anderson could have had her own flavor, and hell, maybe she could have provided some "ingredients" of her own.

Say Cheese!!

2008-09-24T12:06:00.002-05:00

You have to check out this girls photography work! She is awesome!

Suzy Sexton

2008-09-24T08:25:00.001-05:00

Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert presets Suzy Sexton of Moline with the "Rehabilitant of the Year" award Tuesday from Trinity Medical Center. Ms. Sexton, 35, learned to walk again last year after being paralyzed in a single-car accident.

ROCK ISLAND – After a car accident last year, Suzy Sexton was paralyzed from the waist down. That she was able to walk again and serve as an role model to others earned her Trinity Medical Center's “Rehabilitant of the Year” award Tuesday. Ms. Sexton, 35, of Moline, was honored by Trinity's rehabilitation staff and previous winners at a lunch at the West Campus' Jardine Auditorium. “I consider it a great honor,” she said. “It's a wonderful thing to have the rehabilitation department in our local area, because my family and friends were able to come support me. That really helped me recover.” In April 2007, Ms. Sexton was driving the 90-minute commute home from her job at Galaxy 1 in Bettendorf to Seaton, Ill. She didn't feel tired, but she fell asleep at the wheel in Taylor Ridge and her car hit a culvert going under a driveway and went airborne for nearly 50 feet.Ms. Sexton suffered a broken back and was flown to Iowa City for spinal surgery. She was put in a back brace, paralyzed from the waist down except for small movements in her feet. “It was extremely scary, but at the same time I knew I would be all right, one way or another,” Ms. Sexton remembered. It took six nurses and therapists to transfer her in and out of bed at the hospital. At Trinity West, she was in rehab two months. After being confined to a wheelchair at home, she returned as an inpatient from July through September 2007 and walked on her own for the first time that August. After rehab, she was able to walk with the aid of a walker, then a cane, and finally was able to walk on her own by last Christmas. “I was going to make it through, to support myself,” Ms. Sexton said of her intense determination. “I was way too young just to give in. The number-one thing is to believe in yourself.” “I think of her and smile,” Trinity rehabilitation nurse Mary Petersen said. “She had an amazing attitude and would often make the comment, 'Mary, things could be much worse. I am lucky.' “The entire gym would go silent. Everyone just watched Suzy, and would cheer and clap,” Ms. Petersen said of rehab sessions. “She was such an inspiration to the other patients. Even when it got tough, she always had a smile on her face.”“I knew the first day I met her she would have a great recovery because of her motivation,” said Erica Cummings, Ms. Sexton’s occupational therapist. “Nothing was going to stand in Suzy’s way.” “She just knew she was going to walk again even before we realized it was going to happen,” said Marilyn Brown, her primary nurse at Trinity. “She was a joy to work with through the good and sometimes rough times.” Ms. Sexton said the rehab staff proved invaluable to her recovery. “They went from being my nurses and my therapists, to being my friends and like family. I still think of them as family.” Ms. Sexton now works much closer to home, as a Sedona Group employee at KONE in Moline. In addition, she and her husband Matt are expecting a baby in February after seven years of infertility. “We truly couldn't be happier right now,” she said. The Rehabilitant of the Year ceremony coincides with National Rehabilitation Awareness Week.“The ceremony is a celebration of hope and opportunity,” said Carol Ginneberge, Trinity rehab program coordinator. “It is an opportunity to recognize staff and to provide support and continued inspiration to the patients. Rehab is a journey, and we all strive to make the journey a success.” For 29 years, Trinity has honored patients who made amazing medical recoveries. “These patients have shown exceptional progress through their hard work and dedication,” Ms. Ginneberge said. Before presenting a plaque to Ms. Sexton, Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert praised the rehabilitants for displaying “acts of individual heroism that are an example to all of us.”

EVIL EYE...

2008-09-19T11:51:00.001-05:00

THAT'S MY KING!

2008-09-19T11:28:00.001-05:00

INHERITANCE

2008-09-19T11:11:00.000-05:00

THE RACE

2008-09-17T14:38:00.006-05:00

I could feel the earth turning when I would lay in the grass on my back and watch the clouds. I could almost hear the rumbling of the earth on it's axis. The air, wind, and grass all had their own personality, and would dance their way down the valley. I watched a great movie last night called, "The December Boys". Watching this movie made me remember how it feels to be a kid. When I was a kid, going on vacation was like going to a different, alternate universe. I would make up my own stories about the people I saw in the towns we went through. The air would smell different, it was as if I was experiencing someone elses' consciousness. I always had a deep connection with nature. An appreciation. In Autumn, leaves blew across the road as if in some kind a race. A race to death. A race to an adventure. I always imagined how sad some leaves seemed being away from the tree they were attached to for so long, and how other leaves seemed as though they couldn't wait to be free. To set out on their own in this magical world. When we leave our "tree", are we on a race to death? Or a race to an adventure? I remember when I set out on my own for the first time. It was Girl Scout Camp. Camp Conestoga. I think I was 14. We were the Ugashontins. Our mission that summer was to hike the Upper Peninsula of Michigan..The Porcupine Mountains. Two week away from home. Away from Iowa. Away from civilization. It was the first time I was really going to have to truly depend on myself. Needless to say, it was hard, dangerous, exciting, and wonderful all at the same time. I came back a changed person. I was stronger. Physically, mentally, spiritually. I felt truly free for the first time in my life. I remember feeling I could do anything! Watching that movie last night made me wonder..When did I loose that feeling? When did I start to just hum ho my way through this life? To not feel the earth rotate, or hear the wind, smell the air? Was I even racing? And, if so, to where? When we are racing through life, I wonder..are we racing to death? Or racing to an adventure? Are we racing to the next house payment? The next car payment? Are we racing to death? As teens, we can't wait to be on our own, in the "real world". We honestly believe we can do anything we "set our heart on" in this race. Now that I am older, I think that statement is so telling. What is our heart set on? The World? Our Cars? Our House? Our Children? Are we racing for the right thing? I say we should set our hearts on the Lord, and race to an adventure! When you are racing to an adventure, your heart beats harder, you smile, you anticipate, nothing will stop you. You are living. Well, I want to race towards an adventure, towards life. Towards Jesus. I started this blog entry wanting to talk about songs we used to sing on the mountain, and at camp, instead, I wrote about the song my soul sing. To Live! To Adventure! To Race Towards Him! To remember the amazement of life. Don't race towards death, and be the leaf that despite all of it's beautiful colors and changes, sadly falls in a puddle and waits to die. Be the leaf who is amazed at it's changes, and knows we are only here for a season, so find your adventure! RACE!

BOOKS I HAVE BEEN READING

2008-09-17T07:52:00.008-05:00

YOU ASKED FOR IT!

2008-09-16T12:29:00.005-05:00

http://www.newspring.cc/series/you-asked-for-it

Perry Nobel. If you have some time, check out this latest series NewSpring Church has gone through. You can choose audio, or video, you can even down load it to your ipod.. Choose one and listen to the whole thing. Or, listen to all of them. It will change your life! The Biblical answers for 6 topics you have always wanted to ask, but haven't!!

MORGELLONS

2008-09-16T12:19:00.009-05:00

MORGELLON'S DISEASE... ever heard of it?

After years of debate and controversy, the CDC is finally looking into the mysteries of Morgellons, an unexplained and debilitating skin condition that many doctors don't believe exists. What do you think? Check it out now!

http://www.newsweek.com/id/108819?GT1=43002

MEMORY LANE

2008-09-05T15:32:00.016-05:00

TOTALLY, LIKE A VIRGIN...THE 80'S!!!

THE BEST HAIR CUT I EVER GOT!

EARLY 70'S. PEACE MAN!

MIDDLE 60'S.

ME IN THE EARLY 60'S. HOT CHA CHA!

THIS IS ME BACK IN THE 50'S. I KNOW... I LOOK REALLY GOOD!

If you want to yearbook yourself, go to http://www.yearbookyourself.com/.

WHAT A RIOT!!!!

Sylvia

2008-09-03T15:33:00.002-05:00

Here is a picture of Sylvia's class who was sponsored by people right here in the Quad Cities Area. Sylvia is the furthest one on the right, front row. Thank you for all of your continued support for this ministry, and please pray for more children to be sponsored.

www.fomministry.com

2008-08-27T11:32:00.004-05:00

Welcome our new family member, Sylvia Nanjala. Sylvia is a seven year old from Kenya who my husband and I have just sponsored through http://www.fomministries.com/. Sylvia is in first grade, and I pray I am able to go on the mission trip 2009 to meet her for the first time. Sylvia's parents are alive, by the grace of God, but are very poor, and not in good health. The Lord takes my $30 a month, and multiplies it in order to provide Sylvia with an education, medical treatments, clothes, a safe shelter, and the ability to know Jesus. I don't have any children of my own, not biological, but the Lord promised me many spiritual children. I thank God for what he is doing through Fishers of Men Ministries, and how it is not only touching the lives of the children and families of Kenya, but how it is touching the lives of the people in my community. All He asks, is that we may be found faithful, is that our hearts are pure, for every little thing we do, He gives so much in return, if we just do All He Asks.

2008-08-25T15:37:00.003-05:00

"Coffee with a Cause"

2008-08-25T11:12:00.006-05:00

Imagine changing someone’s life everyday just by drinking your morning coffee! I am offering an awesome opportunity to you to purchase “the world’ best coffee” from our non profit coffee shop in Rock Island, IL. Just this last month, we helped 25 orphans in Africa whose’ parents have died of AIDS. Now they have a place to live, clothes, food, and are getting an education thanks to those who frequent the coffee shop. Areopagus is our non-profit coffee house that donates all profits to fight hunger and poverty locally, nationally and throughout the world. Areopagus is 100% Fair-Trade and imports all of its coffee from Costa Rica. Grown in the Dota Tarrazu Valley, the beans, which have been certified over and over as the “worlds’ best beans” are specially roasted just for Areopagus. This is just an opportunity to help others. Something I am passionate about.

PRICES

ORGANIC - DARK ROAST / LIGHT ROAST $17.00/POUND

REGULAR (NON ORGANIC) - DARK ROAST / LIGHT ROAST $12.00/POUND

For more information: Go to http://www.rockchurchqc.com/. Under “what we’re about” you will find the link to the shop. One ministry we support is http://www.fomministry.com/. “Please be rested in knowing that 100% of all profits go to fight hunger and poverty locally, nationally and throughout the world!” Any questions, please feel free to email me! thegruhls@msn.com God Bless!

One Is Silver and the Other's Gold

2008-08-19T11:55:00.002-05:00

Remember the old Girl Scout Song, "Make New Friends"?

"Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold."

Well, I am so happy to say that I have reconnected with some old "gold" friends! Most recent is my great friend Rebecca. We hung out for almost 3 years straight! Her boyfriend, and my boyfriend were best buds, thus, we became the same. She is currently single, has the same, if not better, body she had in her early 20's, and is living life like an adventure! Her laugh and smile is contagious, and her spirit is not one to be tamed. Reconnecting with her has reminded me of a part of who I am that I haven't thought about in years! First, to be honest, I was very ashamed. Ashamed because my body was not that of my younger years, I was "an old married lady". I was worried she would see me and not really want to reconnect...After my little pity party, I started to remember who I was then was NOT about what I looked like...even though I looked darn good! LOL! I am a better person now, more secure, and the inside is what counts the most in the end. Rebecca's outside matches her inside, she is beautiful inside and out, I am so happy that she is happy, and feel so blessed to have her in my life again. After a lot of thinking, and smiling at past memories with her, I became peaceful. The Lord brought us together again for a reason. Maybe to remind me how much I love to work out, how much I love to meet new people, how much I have to give. So, thank you, Lord, for bringing a golden friend back into my life.

NO MORE

2008-08-19T11:50:00.003-05:00

Another cycle of Clomid is not in my cards. My husband and I are going to go on faith and quit taking the drug. My husband feels "like it is wrong", so I respect his opinion, and after much prayer have agreed to leave the pregnancy issue in the Lords hands. I have begun volunteering at my church, and taking on a few more projects at work, we are going to be faithful with what we currently have, and believe in the Lord's promise that he will "give us more". Whether that be a child, a mission trip, whatever it might be. We are willing.

HEY YOU GUYS!!!!!!

2008-08-07T15:34:00.001-05:00

Do you remember the gorilla suits? Morgan Freeman and Rita Moreno? The “Last Word” lightbulb? If you were a beginning reader in the ’70s and ’80s, chances are you do. And now PBS and Sesame Workshop have good news for you (and your kids): a full season of The Electric Company is coming back to the air in 2009. Reformatted for the hip-hop age Like the original series, which starred Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby and Rita Moreno and used comedy sketches, superhero skits, and more to engage kids (watch video clips here), the new version of “Electric Company” aims to inspire literacy among children with a half-hour program in tune with the age of hip-hop. Producers promise a more dance-oriented 30 minutes. Linda Simensky, senior director of programming for PBS Kids, told the New York Times, “It’s the old one mixed with ‘High School Musical.’'

2008-08-06T07:22:00.000-05:00

2008-08-06T07:18:00.000-05:00

CLOMID.....TAKE 2

2008-08-06T07:04:00.003-05:00

Started on my second cycle of Clomid this month. I doubt we will be producing any offspring because no one wants to procreate with an emotional roller coaster. Dear goodness. This month is totally different than last. I feel like I am going through puberty all over again. I am laughing, crying, angry, and just a plain old psycho!! Thank goodness Brad is such a great guy. He just smiles, and sometimes I can hear him giggle when I overreact. He just hugs me and says everything is going to be OK, and then jokes about the "demon" baby we will have. VERY FUNNY!! My girlfriends who have taken Clomid in the past warned me about the emotional roller coaster that was coming my way, and I have to admit, I thought it wouldn't affect me since my first cycle of Clomid was so delightful. I was singing like Snow White in the forest, but now I sound like a clanging symbol singing: " I bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and never ever let you forget I'm the friggin boss of the world!!" No. Just teasing. I hope it isn't that bad. I am so blessed to have such a great husband. We were friends first, our love grew from that, how awesome! So, I thank the Lord he gave me such a wonderful man to live my life with. Even if we don't have our own children, we have each other, and I couldn't ask for anything more.

BETTER OFF?

2008-08-01T15:28:00.005-05:00

This morning, as I was blow-drying my hair, I started thinking about my my childhood, and my grandma & grandpa's farm, and my farm in Princeton, and then my thoughts went to my Dad. Ever since I can remember, my relationship with my Dad has been less than desirable. Sure, there were good times mixed in with the bad, and it is true we recall the bad stuff more quickly than the good, but something spoke to my heart this morning....
When my parents moved me from Park View to Princeton, at the ripe age of like 10, I thought it was the end of life. I didn't understand why my mom and dad would move out to the middle of now-where to an old house, which looked more like a barn stuck on a hill in the middle of cornfields, than something you should live and sleep, bathe and eat in, when my life in Park View was so...well...GREAT! Then it was as if a voice spoke to me in my heart. It said, "Your dad just wanted your grandparent's to be proud of him. How could he give you what he never got?" Well, this took my breath away.
Up until about 2 years ago, I was in angst over my relationship with my dad. I would forgive him, but never forget, and this cycle was actually hurting me more than him. A couple years ago, I decided to not have contact with him. I have found that the less I speak to him, or really anyone on "his" side of the family, the better off I am...The better off I am ? ??? hmmm...
Today I have been asking myself, "Am I better off?" The Bible says to honor your mother and father. In the last 16 years since my parent's divorce, I have barely sent him a Father's Day card, or Birthday card. Now mind you, there has been so much hurt when dealing with my dad, that it would be inappropriate for me to elaborate. But, I believe the Lord has put it on my heart to TRULY forgive him, and to honor him. I don't believe this means I have to be "best friends" with him, but I think the Lord is going to show me how to love my dad the was the Lord wants me to. And, I am open to anything the Lord wants me to do. So...
If you have anyone in your life who you need to forgive, just say a little prayer for the Lord to change you, to help you forgive. I will let you know how my journey turns out.

DIP YOUR TIRES

2008-07-28T12:31:00.003-05:00

This week the annual RAGBRAI was held in Iowa. It was the first time I had ever witnessed it in the 36 years it has been held. The final home town host was LeClaire. We stood on the corner of 15th and Wisconsin Street (OLD ROCKY ROAD) and encouraged the riders. How amazing it was to see people, ( of all races, all shapes, sizes, gender and age, ), who just road across Iowas.. On a bicycle. It was very wonderful. So great, I am thinking about doing it next year. We shall see.
Check out the official website of RAGBRAI.

CLOMID - TAKE TWO

2008-07-28T12:20:00.003-05:00

After praying, and speaking with my husband, we agreed Clomid would never get any kind of "glory" if we were to conceive, it would be the Lord. I guess I get a little "extreme" at times with my thoughts. So, we are going to start our second cycle on Wednesday. I am excited about whatever the Lord has planned for my life. He has done so much already I don't deserve, but through the grace of God, and Jesus, I am forgiven for my sins, and He has blessed me. I got to spend yesterday with ALL of my nieces and nephews! It was wonderful. After church, we ate a wonderful lunch, compliments of my sister. A yummy Santa Fe chicken salad, a fruit medley, and brownies. The kids then all had a lemonade stand in my driveway. I am stopping at every single lemonade stand I see from now on. Make sure to keep some cash and change on you, so you can bless the little ones. I think they made about a dollar a piece, but it was so cute to see them wave at the cars, and smile. And were so excited to "serve" their customers. So, I have "spiritual kids". And I am so thankful for them.

GODS WILL vs. OUR WILL - CLOMID

2008-07-23T14:08:00.007-05:00

Is Clomid part of God's Will? If I believe the Lord can do all things, should I be taking Clomid to conceive? Many people still don't get pregnant when using Clomid. Could the use of medicine just be a way of keeping the Glory from God? Is birth control, (which I was on for 5 years in my late teens/early twenties), a way of politely saying, "No, God, I don't really want YOUR blessings for me at this time." Or, can we say that He would allow you to become pregnant even if you were using some form of contraceptive? I have heard of people being on the pill and using a condom, and they still get pregnant. I haven't used protection for 9 years, and we struggle to have a viable pregnancy. Should I take another cycle of Clomid?

1,600 - YEAR-OLD BIBLE

2008-07-21T21:54:00.002-05:00

1,600-year-old version of Bible goes online
Technology brings one of oldest cultural artifacts accessible to everyone
By Dave Graham
Reuters

BERLIN - More than 1,600 years after it was written in Greek, one of the oldest copies of the Bible will become globally accessible online for the first time this week.
From Thursday, sections of the Codex Sinaiticus, which contains the oldest complete New Testament, will be available on the Internet, said the University of Leipzig, one of the four curators of the ancient text worldwide.
High resolution images of the Gospel of Mark, several Old Testament books, and notes on the work made over centuries will appear on www.codex-sinaiticus.net as a first step towards publishing the entire manuscript online by next July.
Ulrich Johannes Schneider, director of Leipzig University Library, which holds part of the manuscript, said the publication of the Codex online would allow anyone to study a work of "fundamental" importance to Christians.
"A manuscript is going onto the net which is like nothing else online to date," Schneider said. "It's also an enrichment of the virtual world — and a bit of a change from YouTube."
Selected translations will be available in English and German for those not conversant in ancient Greek, he added.
Dating from around 350, the document is believed by experts to be the oldest known copy of the Bible, along with the Codex Vaticanus, another ancient version of the Bible, Schneider said.
The vellum manuscript came to Europe piece by piece from Saint Catherine's Monastery by Mount Sinai after German biblical scholar Konstantin von Tischendorf found a number of folios there in 1844. He was allowed to take some to Leipzig.
Tischendorf returned to the monastery in 1859 with Russian backing and acquired the biggest section of the Bible for his imperial sponsors. It remained in St. Petersburg until the Soviet Union sold it to the British Museum in 1933.
"The first section was clearly a gift to Tischendorf, but that's not so clear in the case of the second portion. The monks all signed a contract at the time, but the rumor persists that they were given a raw deal," said Schneider.
"And there is probably some truth to this."
Subsequent discoveries meant that the original Codex, missing roughly half the Old Testament, is now housed at four locations in Europe and the Middle East.
The project, launched in cooperation with the Russian National Library, the British Library and Saint Catherine's Monastery, also details the condition of the Bible, believed to have been written by early Christians in Egypt.
"I think it's just fantastic that thanks to technology we can now make the oldest cultural artifacts — ones that were once so precious you couldn't show them to anyone — accessible to everyone, in really high quality," said Schneider.
Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25785089/

ARTHUR IS WITH JESUS

2008-07-21T06:54:00.000-05:00

SUNDAY, JULY 20, 2008 06:27 PM, CDT This afternoon, about four o’clock, Arthur’s body finally gave in. His body finally fell into the rest it so absolutely needed. In the end, Michael, I, and Tera (a Hospice nurse) were next to the pillow that he rested on. Tim and Mama Karen weren’t too far behind. We gave him one final kiss and hug from all of you before we said goodbye. Although we wish, oh how painfully we wish, things were different, we also have to acknowledge our relief that Arthur’s fierce struggles are all over with. It is done! And we could not be more happy for our little boy; he’s finally free.Funeral services will be held next Saturday at First Christian Church. We will let you know more about that in next few days. Thank you everyone. Hug and kiss your kids tonight. Hug them twice as long to make up for Arthur’s lost hugs. Kiss them once more every night. WWW.CARINGBRIDGE.COM

Arthur's Journey...Please pray for him and his family.

2008-07-18T06:43:00.003-05:00

THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2008 06:43 PM, CDT Last night was especially tough. Arthur is progressing towards a peaceful passing, but unfortunately Michael and I struggle with the symptoms. He has been doing things against the norm, according to hospice workers. The symptoms Arthur’s body is enduring usually happen over the last ten or twenty minutes of life. But Arthur’s strong body has been reacting this way for about twenty-four hours, so far. Please, do not be distressed, Arthur does not experience any pain or discomfort. Rest assured, we are waiting for his body to expire, but Arthur passed away mentally long ago. You know, writing has been very therapeutic for me. But this entry is especially unpleasant for me to write because I do not want you to feel the amount of pain that we are dealing with. I will let you know when his death is official and give details as to the time and place of Arthur’s funeral. Until then, pray for peace my friends. Just pray for peace. Read the entire journey of Arthur here: http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/viewHome.do

"Old Point Comfort"

2008-07-16T15:08:00.003-05:00

The older I get the more my memories haunt me. Haunt me like a sweet, distant whisper. They envelope me and suddenly, I am living the memories all over again.

Lake Ada, Minnesota.

This picture says it all. No words. Peace.

My earliest memory of this place was as a very young child. The smell of my dad's tackle box, the feel of the orange life vest hugging around my neck, the water lapping on the boat, the loons echoing across the lake accompanied by the song of reeling in each cast. Marveling how my mom was so beautiful, and how she could clean a fish in seconds. Her beautiful blue eyes and smile, and her long fingers cutting ever so carefully. The rides down the long silver slide into the begging waters of Lake Ada which seemed to cry, "Come, play in me! I will wash your soul!" How I wish I could go back to those times. Simpler, easier, real. Now, thirty some odd years later, I pray our families can once again partake of a family vacation with such wonder, and memory branding detail.

BLESSING THE LORD BRINGS TO US

2008-07-11T15:02:00.005-05:00

The Lord brought this great guy into my life a year ago. I have been so blessed to have him and his family in my life. He is an outstanding person, who's talent equals that of his character. AMAZING!

Brent-Anthony Johnson
The Redstone Room
Sunday, October 21

For October 21's Third Sunday Jazz Series event at the Redstone Room, the Davenport venue presents bass player Brent-Anthony Johnson, an East Moline native who studied with music educator Mallie Williams at United Township High School, began writing his own compositions at age 15, and went on to teach at the Quad Cities' Bowlby Music House and Simon's Music Center.
Then, after high school ended, Johnson left the area to ... .
Hmm? Oh, yeah. He was employed as a music teacher before leaving high school. Was that not clear?
And Johnson's pre-collegiate accomplishments were just a hint of achievements yet to come: He received a scholarship from Boston's Berklee College of Music, toured with acoustic jazz-fusion band Spyro Gyra, served as a music-theory professor and bass instructor at Boulder, Colorado's Naropa University, and has traveled the world as a session- and live-performance bassist, producer, composer, arranger, instructor, consultant, and clinician.
Amazingly, Johnson has also found time to finish several albums, although he'd likely argue with that statement: As the musician told Warren Murchie in the online periodical Global Bass, "Records are never finished; they're released."
For more on Johnson's 3 p.m. workshop and 6 p.m. concert, visit (http://www.redstoneroom.com). And you can now consider this piece officially released.

Brent-Anthony Johnson is Denver-based bassist, composer, arranger, and producer writing for GlobalBass magazine.
Born: August 16, 1963

VANISHED---into thin air???

2008-07-11T11:39:00.000-05:00

PEOPLE DISAPPEAR EVERY day. It's been estimated that as many as 10 million people are reported missing each year in the U.S. alone; about 95 percent of them return or are otherwise accounted for. Of the remaining 5 percent, some are runaways, others are kidnappings, abductions or the victims of some other crime. To read on... http://paranormal.about.com/cs/humanenigmas/a/aa060903.htm

MISSING AND FAMOUS

2008-07-11T11:30:00.003-05:00

CARSON CITY, Nevada (AP) -- The hunt for multimillionaire adventurer Steve Fossett, who vanished in September after taking off by plane from a remote Nevada ranch, is resuming now that snow has melted in rugged mountains where he may have crashed.
The search won't match last year's, which covered about 20,000 square miles and involved a small air force of private and military planes, along with ground searchers and high-tech equipment.
This time, two teams of volunteers will hike through a smaller area where the 63-year-old Fossett was last seen.
Previous searchers are providing maps and other detailed information on the harsh landscape the new teams plan to cover.

TO READ THE WHOLE STORY GO TO
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/11/fossett.search.ap/index.html

Since there are so many different people just missing. Where do they go? Do the simply disappear? Or do they start a new life in a new country. Why are so many people missing? What do you think?

EVERYTHING

2008-07-11T10:46:00.001-05:00

Take the time to watch this....It is about the dance of the world vs. the dance with Jesus. http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=139f9c4c0036b123ee12

ECHOES OF ENOCH...

2008-07-11T08:58:00.002-05:00

If you have ever wondered about aliens, ufo's, end of times and if it has anything to do with Jesus. Or ever questioned words of the Bible. This is interesting stuff. I enjoy researching everything and anything.

http://www.echoesofenoch.org

YA-YA'S SISTERHOOD

2008-07-11T08:36:00.003-05:00

When my mom moved down to Kentucky, I can honestly say I was worried about her not going out and meeting new people. It felt like she was moving down there to die...to finish out her life quietly, and simply, it was disheartening. But I, instead, hoped for her to move down there to take a chance at really living! She is someone who doesn't realize people love her for her, not for what she can do, or what she can say, but she is someone who is easy to be around. Her smile, her hugs, her laugh, her sense of humor. My mom Claudia is just wonderful!

Well, I am so glad that she has found a sister-hood in her adventures in Kentucky. The Lord has blessed her with some amazing women who have befriended her. They play cards weekly, go swimming, have a "cuss jar"! They share their lives freely with each other. They take care of each other. In this picture, they are celebrating Millie's 78th birthday!! Since her life has included these new muses, I notice a change in her. She is more relaxed. More willing to trust. Her heart has opened up a little more. She sounds as though she has found joy once again. See, she lost her mother, my grandmother, in 1992. It was a horrible, sudden, life impacting tragedy..to us. To my grandmother... it was probably the best day of her life, as it was her goal to be with Jesus. I like to think my grandma had something to do with bringing these ladies to my mom. My nephews call my mom Ya Ya...their choice, all of her grand kids have a special name for her that they picked out. My brothers children call her Mi Mum, and my sisters kids call her Ya Ya.. So, my mom has her very own Ya Ya sisterhood. I hope I am as lucky in my years to come to be graced with a group friends like this. Women in their thirty somethings don't take the time to forge friendships. We put everyone else ahead of our needs. I have so many great friends, but never get to do anything with them. Life is so short. I think I am going to try to make time to slow down and let my friends and family know just how much I enjoy just being around them.

Something to Support

2008-07-09T13:28:00.002-05:00

http://www.nilmdts.com/start.php

Arthur Piette

2008-07-09T13:10:00.010-05:00

Please take a moment of your time and pray for Arthur and his family. God has His purpose, we might not ever understand, but I believe Arthur is an angel.
Read Arthur's story at the link below.

http://caringbridge.org/cb/viewHome.do

PROPOSAL TO EUTHANIZE WILD HORSES SPURS DEBATE

2008-07-07T07:48:00.001-05:00

TAKEN FROM THE QC TIMES By MARTIN GRIFFITH Monday, July 7, 2008 5:45 AM CDT RENO, Nev. - Animal rights activists and ranchers are clashing over a federal proposal to euthanize wild horses as a way to deal with their surplus numbers.Horse advocates will mount a campaign against the proposal announced late last month by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, said Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute based in Washington, D.C.Federal officials said they're faced with tough choices because wild horses have overpopulated public lands in the West and they no longer can afford to care for the number of animals that have been rounded up.But Heyde maintained the agency is seeking a "magic bullet" for budget problems caused after it began rounding up the mustangs at an unprecedented rate in recent years.He said the roundups left too many horses for the public to adopt, requiring the agency to contract for more private long-term holding facilities.The proposal "is killing pure and simple to balance the books for an agency whose reckless management has caused immeasurable harm to a national treasure at considerable cost to the American taxpayer," Heyde said.Ron Cerri, of the Rebel Creek Ranch in Orovada and president-elect of the Nevada Cattlemen's Association, said ranchers would prefer horses be adopted but euthanasia may be necessary to keep their numbers down."Unfortunately, it's something they'll have to consider," Cerri said. "I don't know of another solution."Cerri criticized the federal agency's proposal to stop roundups of wild horses to save money. Ranchers view mustangs as competition for forage on the range."That would be really unfortunate," he said. "We're starting to get close to what's called `appropriate management levels' of wild horses on the range. If we stop the roundups, that number will blow up again."There are an estimated 33,000 wild horses in 10 Western states. About half of those are in Nevada.The agency has set a target appropriate management level of horses at 27,000. About another 30,000 horses are in holding facilities, where most are made available for adoption.Last year about $22 million of the entire horse program's $39 million budget was spent on holding horses in agency pens. Next year the costs are projected to grow to $26 million with an overall budget that is being trimmed to $37 million.Lacy Dalton, president and co-founder of the Let 'Em Run Foundation horse advocacy group, urged the agency to consider alternative solutions.They include efforts to step up birth control and legislation to provide tax breaks to large landowners willing to let horses roam on their property, she said."The American people have spoken _ they want to preserve these wild horses," said Dalton."They are symbolic of the wildness and freedom and independent spirit of the West. We need to find ways to save them without being a burden on taxpayers," she added.Agency officials said they stepped up the roundups in recent years because of ongoing drought that has left dwindling forage and water for the mustangs. Horse advocates insist the action was taken to placate ranchers.The Bureau of Land Management's announcement marked the first time the agency publicly has discussed the possibility of putting surplus animals to death. Congress unanimously passed the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to protect the animals.On the Net:Animal Welfare Institute: http://www.awionline.orgU.S. Bureau of Land Management: http://www.blm.govA service of the Associated Press(AP)

Is that a Watermelon in your pocket???

2008-07-03T15:45:00.006-05:00

Ok, now the price of watermelon is going to sky rocket. I am sure of it. LOL!! God did give us everything we need didn't he? Well, as I am sure you all know by now, they found an ingredient in Watermelon that has the same effects as Viagra. Read this if you want to know more....

Washington (ChattahBox) - For those of you looking for a natural Viagra, or a natural form of another drug used for erectile dysfunction, just go eat some watermelon.
Researchers from Texas A&M focused a study on the impact that watermelon has on the body, and what it is made up of.
They found that watermelon happened to be very rich in the amino acid called citrulline.
This amino acid is well known to help relax and dilate blood vessels, causing the same type of effect on the body that Viagra has.
This amazed Texas A&M researchers, who will now work to carry out a more extensive study on watermelon.
There is no word yet on how much watermelon needs to be consumed for it to be beneficial in such a way. Many are now calling watemelon the natural Viagra.

CLOMID

2008-07-03T11:15:00.005-05:00

I started taking Clomid on Monday. I have read a lot online about how women get cranky, emotional, you know, the normal PMS stuff except times 100. It is a different feeling for me though. I have now taken it for four days, and I have one more day to go for this Clomid cycle.. Let me tell you what. I feel as sexy as Angelina Jolie looks. I feel ultra feminine. Confident, girly. It is amazing. I wish I could feel like this for the rest of my life! I actually thought about wearing high heels today. To a job no one sees me at. I feel like going out and buying a new dress, with matching lipstick and nail polish. And a new perfume to boot. I look at my husband differently too. I notice how "manly" he is in his work outfit, silly things like that. I feel kind of like I did when we first started dating. I don't know. We have been married for 9 years this coming October. I quit buying matching bras and panties years ago. Instead, I rock the granny panties...THEY ARE AWESOME!! But this week, I look at my body like it is, well, a temple. It looks gorgeous after I smooth lotion all over my legs, or right after I wash my hair. My eyes look brighter. I wonder if this can be the effects of the drug, or the effect of Hope. Hope that I become a biological mother. Hope that my husband finds me attractive. Hope that, with the Lord, I can become exactly how I feel inside. Just a thought. A ponder. Horny isn't the right word, it doesn't even cover how I feel. I feel radiant!

BEAUTIFUL

2008-07-03T07:55:00.004-05:00

How amazing life is.

This is a picture of my sister and her youngest son, Anniken.

How amazing life is.

PSALMS 139

2008-07-02T15:00:00.003-05:00

O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

‘The Wild Horse Is Us’

2008-07-02T14:48:00.002-05:00

After surviving the ice age, the industrial revolution and the slaughterhouse, America's wild horse population is facing a new threat: the U.S. government. The announced this week that it is considering euthanizing wild horses to curb the population on the range and in federal holding facilities. There are an estimated 33,000 wild horses living in 10 Western states, and another 30,000 living in government corrals. The BLM is billing euthanasia as a way to cope with looming budget cuts, while still maintaining the mustang as a living symbol of the American West. But critics say that the herds have already been thinned to the edge of extinction with periodic roundups and auctions. A century ago, there were around 2 million wild horses roaming the West; now the BLM wants to cut that population to 27,000. In "Mustang," her new history of the wild horse in North America, Deanne Stillman explores why America is destroying the horse it rode in on. Read the rest of this article at Newsweek: http://www.newsweek.com/id/144279 In my opinion. It is all about money. Ranchers need grass lands for their cows grazing. We saw how they got rid of wolves a few years back. Now, due to laws protecting the wolves, they are some what flourishing...Well...compared to what they were, not really. How sad is it how much man destroys. We kill the Indians for their land, kill off the buffalo to kill the Indians, kill the wolves, we kill other people because they are not like us. Is it ok to kill before being killed? When will the governments and people in charge start taking this action with people. They all ready do with abortions. We need to get back to the Truth. All things the Lord has created has a purpose..FOR HIM!!! Not for us to decide when to play god. The Wild Horse is Us! Let them live.

FLOOD

2008-06-26T15:17:00.008-05:00

Salvia Divinorum

2008-06-20T06:54:00.010-05:00

After watching a strange you tube video on this stuff, I figured I would research it...since it is legal. I find it odd how our government can pick and choose what is illegal. We all know pot was "attacked" by lawmakers because of segregation. No, mind you, I do not use drugs, but the whole point is there shouldn't be a "war on drugs" because, like everything with the government, it perpetuates itself. How convenient.. So, to further the knowledge of this substance check this out. The amazing thing is, all of these experiences are about "time travel"...it is quite amazing:

Read these experiences at http://www.sagewisdom.org/experiences.html

1927-2008

2008-06-19T13:03:00.005-05:00

My sweet Uncle Ray. You are missed by us on earth, and welcomed by your family in heaven. So blessed you were part of our lives.

Raymond Jospeh Miller.

Born in Ambridge, PA he was the son of late Jozef Pal Molnar (Miller) and Margaret Leginy (Miller) Kircher. An Edgwood resident since 1964, he was a veteran of the U.S. Army where he served for 20 years, and during that time he fought in the Korean War. He had 20 years of Civil Service at Edwood Arsenal. He enjoyed boating and huntin and was a member of the Masonic Longe in Alaska, Americn Legion Post #17, Gunpower Neck Boating ACtivity Group, and the Harford Gunning Club.

He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Loretta "Betty" Jean Miller, two sons, two daugheter, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was pre-deceased by his brother, Richard Miller of LeClaire, Ia. He was a friend to all. Ray never met a stranger. He will be missed.

MAY & JUNE

2008-06-19T12:09:00.004-05:00

As I sit at work listening to the "Blue Angels" practice for this weekends Quad City Air Show, I am reflecting over the last month or so.
This last month was so eventful, to say the least..
My mom came up from Kentucky to visit. She came with her little puppy, Duke, or I guess I should say, her pal. He is the cutest little dog. He, as well as my mom, made themselves at home on April 30th. My daddy-Jeff had to work, and is still content breathing Kentucky air, so a visit "home" was not in his cards....this time. But hopefully we will get him back up here.
My little sis turned 30!! CRAZY!! We had a ball! We had a surprise dinner/party for her at TGIFridays and then took it to Creekside to demonstrate our wonderful Karaoke skills. We had so much fun!
My brother and his wife celebrated their 8 year anniversary on the 12th, which was also my 34 birthday. This was the hardest birthday so far...34!!! I guess we all have an "ideal" idea of where we will be in life, and when. I am not anywhere near where I thought I would be, but am blessed, to say the least!

My mom stayed up here for almost a month, but was sick all but 7 days of her stay. Poor thing! She is a beautiful, stubborn lady. She wouldn't go to the ER until she was almost too weak to walk. Pneumonia will do that to you. But she got better. Unfortunately, she had to go back home to Kentucky...our house felt so large and empty when she and Duke left. But a week later we left for a family vacation in Colorado!!

My brother and his family, my in laws, and Brad and I drove out to Estes Park to stay in a lovely vacation home right on the Big Thompson River. It was beautiful! We went hiking, shopping, enjoyed family dinners, and a long detour from the West side of Rocky Mountain National Park back to Estes...TOOOOOO LONG OF A DETOUR... We saw moose, coyote, elk, baby elk, tourists....well, you get the picture. My sister in law, niece, and in laws all celebrated their birthday's while we were out there. It was fun, too short, and ball! Even though I HATE leaving Colorado, it will be so sweet when I return.

This is just the beginning of Summer!!! Can't wait to see what the rest has to hold!

buttons and bows

2007-11-13T12:44:00.000-06:00

I just returned home from purchasing my very first sewing machine. I am taking a class through our local community college adult education. Beginning Sewing. I have decided to make pajamas since I love pajamas and it looked like the easiest thing to do. This will be the most expensive pair of pj's if I do not take to sewing as I hope I will. I purchased the Singer 4206. It is nice, and was recommended to me by Singer, and a few of the women at Joanne Fabrics. Opening my machine was like going on a first date. Awkward, although I am sure with time, we will make beautiful music together. Being a stranger to a something as fundamental as a sewing machine made me start thinking. What other things we are strangers to. Homemade bread, mending a sock, or a shirt whose button is missing, gardening, canning, quilting, crocheting. All of those things our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers mastered, and didn't have to take a class to do it. It was taught to them, through generations of love, hard work, and creativity. So, lets all learn something new by 2008, and teach someone else something we know. Happy learning.

me

2007-10-22T15:49:00.000-05:00

Photography has to be one of my favorite things. Love to read, cook, scrapbook, garden, paint, go on walks, sing, traveling is a must, vintage posters, my nieces and nephews are everything. Other people intrest me, I like to experience different cultures and learn from others. I love old photographs, flip flops and capris, ice cream, raw red, yellow, green and orange peppers. Fountain Coke is my downfall. I love to smoke a Marlboro Light on my deck in the evening, but have since quit. I love to not wear make-up, but I love lipstick, I love the way the earth smells in the spring, and again in the fall. I love the smell of fresh cut grass, and the way the moon looks different almost every single night. I love the sound of gravel roads, and the smell of burning leaves. I love the sound of my nieces and nephews. The feel of my family and friends. Taking naps with the sun on my face. Watching my husband sleep, and they way his smell fills the house in the morning when he is getting ready for work. The way he kisses me. I love life. How lucky are we to be living?

October

2007-10-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

This last weekend was the most perfect fall weekend. The days were warm, the nights cool, the breeze refreshing, and the company wonderful. This weekend a group of us went up to Mt. Carroll, Il and went through Raven's Grin Haunted House. It was an experience to say the least. It was more a parody of a haunted house than an acutal haunted house, but it was so much fun. I think the fun was just being together. I had my nieces and nephew on Saturday, we played on the farm and carved pumpkins. Then we decorated for the Third Annual Chilipalooza. As the sun set, and the moon decided to show the festivities began. The bon-fire lit up the whole property, and the 20 kinds of chili fed the masses. Kids were playing "ghost in the graveyard" and the adults were soaking up the jello shots and garlic bread and treats. It was wonderful, this last weekend. It could have lasted forever. Enjoy eachother.

My Coke Habit

2007-07-20T08:41:00.000-05:00

Yes, I guess I need to admit it... I have a Coke habit... Coca-Cola, that is. I crave the yummy taste, the bubbles, the caffiene. I HAVE TO QUIT!! Coca-Cola is my vice. I like, I love it, I ALWAYS want some more of it. This little 12 oz can of cabonated water, high fructose corn syrup, carmel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors and caffeine, boasts 140 Calories, and 39 g of Carbs. What is a "natural flavor" in Coke?? I don't believe you can find Coca-Cola in the wild...can you?? If so, tell me where!!!!!! This is the first thing that passes my lips in the morning, well, after my prayers & toothbrush anyway. People say you should drink more water, but is our water better than Coca-cola? With all of the chemicals we dump into it. Flouride, a bi-product of Aluminum...did you know that? I didn't until my mother advised me of this fact. I don't see chlorene, flouride, or any other chemicals in the ingredience. Our tap water doesn't have an ingredient list. It should! Well, I want to live healthier. Is that even possible? I believe if we learned how to be self-sustaining again, we could possible be healthier, naturally. Hmmm...i need to think about this one.

Going Home...

2007-07-18T09:36:00.001-05:00

Well, my mom left this morning at 7:00. Duke in tow. I will miss them. Horribly. I am the luckiest girl to have such a great relationship with my mom. My family means so much to me. I am blessed. Well, travel safely, mom. Send me pictures you took, and give Daddy Jeff a hug and kiss from Iowa. It was a treat having you here!! Love you!!

DRIVERS: SLOW, FAST, IDIOTIC!!

2007-07-15T17:05:00.000-05:00

You know the old joke, "People who drive slower than me are morons, people who drive faster than me, idiots."

My friend, Jodi Feller, was in a horrible motorcycle accident yesterday. Someone swerved over into her lane and took out Jodi, and some of her friends and family, all who were on motorcycles. This woman ran two other cars off the road a couple miles before she decided to take out some Motorcyclists. So, what was her reason? It couldn't be an accident, she wasn't drunk, she wasn't on drugs....why would a 29 year old woman cause so much chaos, and pain? Was it road rage? Scared of turning 30? Who knows...

Jodi is a remarkable person. She is a 36 year old woman who has tons of family, excellent business sense, loads of common sense, and has been an avid Harley rider as long as I have known her. She is the top Mary Kay Director in this area, was scheduled to go to Dallas in July, and had won a trip due to her and her units outstanding performance in Mary Kay. I was with her two days before this accident happened. She was great!! Now, she is in a Madison, Wisconsin ( where she was airlifted to) Hospital, with broken ribs, a broken neck, and a broken pelvis. I am a believer in the old saying, "Everything happens for a reason". But I can't seem to comprehend what that might be in this case. Thank goodness there is a Father in Heaven who has a plan for our lives. I pray Jodi will fully heal. Quickly. Please pray for her.. And, watch out for the other driver. The one you least suspect. The one in the lane coming towards you.

She's here!!

2007-07-09T11:34:00.001-05:00

Saturday was a great day! My mom came home and she brought with her a little bundle of spunk, love and joy!! Duke...He is the cutest little doggie! He is half chijuajua, and have jack russell terrior, he is so smart and cute. I think I am going to have to get one. We will see what Brad has to say about it though..
Mom came and my brother and his family, and my sister and her kids came over for a pizza party at my house. It was so great to have everyone together, but we missed Alex, my nephew, and my step-dad, Jeff. Sunday we went to church and then out to my brothers for a swimming party. It was a lot of fun, but boy I am pooped out!!

2007-07-07T11:42:00.000-05:00

Today my mom is coming home. My family has always been "different". We actually like each other. Contrary to most of the things you hear in today's world. We played games together, hugged each other in the halls in high-school, stuck up for each other, sang together, laughed together. Yes, I still gave my mom a kiss when she would drop me off to school. I still hold her hand now. Sometimes when you watch American TV, it will portray a underlying feeling of conflict between family members. Therefore, you see more sisters not liking their brothers, or kids not wanting to walk down the mall WITH their parents. When did kids start to get embarrassed by their family? I believe it starts when parents allow children kids to have an "opinion" about things when they are too young to even understand what an opinion is. Maybe that is why there is so many angry kids in the world. Pre-teens stealing babies out of their cribs at night, kids shooting each other, killing their family. Has our lack of family caused the family to implode upon itself? How can we change this? Well, we used to call it "Forced Family Fun". Or the FFF.
Life is so hard already, we need to be consistent in discipline, love, laughter, meals, family time. In a world where we are so connected; cell phones, Internet, transportation, media, so many feel so alone. So, try some FFF. You might find out that you like it...Maybe even love it.
We all love each other

The Fat on Skinny

2007-07-06T09:33:00.001-05:00

To my surprise, I was diagnosed with Hypothyroid in 1997. I had spent three months feeling horrible, and tired. My hair became thin, I couldn't concentrate and, despite working out and eating the way I always had, went from a size 7 (135lbs) - (maybe a little anorexic for my 5' 11" frame), to a size 20 (245 lbs). I lost some "friends", my confidence, and love for myself. I did not want to exist as a fat girl. I was skinny my entire life, until now. Since, I have been treated for hypothyroid with all the common medications; cytomel, synthroid, glucaphage, but I am still hovering around 245 lbs. It is amazing how differently people treat you when you are skinny, healthy, or fat. When I went to research Gastric Bypass, the other people considering it who were at the meeting looked at me like I was Paris Hilton walking into a Lipo convention. With my BMI of 37, they didn't think I was fat. They were all around a BMI of 47 or above. I suppose as with anything, fat or skinny is all relative. Relative to what? Society? Then why is it, in America, we idolize the 1% of skinny chicks, and critic everyone over a size 2. What the heck is a double zero??? Seriously, I read in a magazine this weekend that the media considers Mandy Moore as vuluptuous. She is a size SIX!! Come on people. It is obsurd that we buy into this crap! To place our self-worth on sizes! The pin-ups of the past were all "plus size" but were considered gorgeous, beautiful, and what a woman should look like. Plus Size = should be changed to "Normal Size" clothing. Why do we label everything anyway? Why is the plus-size department always by the materinaty clothes? Why does Lane Bryant Sell Chocolates at the their clothing stores? Hmmm.. Now, ten years later, I have realized who I am. I am not my size, I am not my hair color, I am not the car I drive, I am not the man I am with, or the clothes that I wear. I am a 33 year old woman who has a loving husband, wonderful family, tons of REAL friends, brains, an education, and a life. Then what is the problem you ask?? Well, here comes the kicker.... In order to live this life to the fullest, I need to make decisions. I have allowed my having hypothyroid, be the reason for for not being "healthy", hold me back long enough. I want to take off some weight for health, not for beauty, society, or because "thin is in". See, if we were to do as the Lord wants us to and treat our bodies as Temples, then mine has a McDonalds Drive-through inside of it. It is easier to do the wrong things, but in the end you don't gain anything (positive) from it. It is hard to do the right things because it takes faith to believe that through hard work, dedication, disipline, and courage, a pay off will come.. I am a "quick fix" girl. I became fat fast, and believe it needs to come off fast. Well, it hasn't come off in the last 10 years so I guess I need to have some faith, pray for dicipline, and start on my journey. I truley have no excuses as to why I am not more active. I am young, and I am ready to make a change. A change for ME!! I will keep you posted..

Home Coming!!

2007-07-06T09:03:00.000-05:00

My mom will be coming home from Kentucky tomorrow. We have the house ready for her and her little puppy Duke. We can't wait to see her and this newest addition to the family. I can't believe they have lived in Kentucky for 6 months. After going to their home in May, I can see why they moved there. It is beautiful and relaxing. Did I mention relaxing?? Brad and I cannot wait to go back! Well, enjoy July 2007.