doesn't affect me?

I am going to send you to another blog again. I want you to go see what Danica has written. But first I want to say that I have heard of this situation on TV shows, etc. I knew it was going on, but I ignored it because I felt like it didn't really affect me. But the truth is...It could have affected me in a very real way. I just chose to ignore that, too.

When I was in Haiti, seventeen years ago, a man from the Dominican Republic was trying to buy me. He wanted to take me and kept asking how much to purchase me. I was a dope. I just thought it was funny. I had an "invincible American" attitude. And I was seriously naive.

Then next evening we were at a church doing some education and I was filling out certificates for the people who had completed our little series of classes. Someone came in and told me that we were supposed to all get on the truck, (we rode around like cattle) and that we were leaving right away. When I got on the truck the leader of the group told me that they had heard of a plot to kidnap me.

Now I say "Wow". Back then, I was a dope. It just didn't occur to me how serious this could have been. But now, I see. It gives me chills. Thank God for His protection over me. And I really need to look into what I can do for those who are not spared. For those who were kidnapped, or even sold by their own families.

Danica's blog mentions some things that can be done or just ways to be educated about the severity of this problem.

wind magic

Well, the magic is really in this man's imagination! Go over to Lori's site and look at this!
It's a very windy day here today. I wonder how fast these things go?

By the way. The other video I had on here has been removed because it's copyrighted or something like that.

a little practice

For those of you in the editing stage; or hoping to someday reach an editing stage; or maybe you just like language; here is a quiz for you. Tell me how you did!

life as it should be

What are you willing to do for your kids? How much do you invest in their lives? I know I could learn a lesson from this dad. I am so impressed with him.

And this young man. Secure in who God made him to be. No bitterness. No anger. Just acceptance and joy.

And the gift. God is so generous. I think there is always a gift. We just may not be able to see some of them.
Nod to Lisa Samson for the video.



For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

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,

your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13-16

a hairy situation

I am surprised that God did not send Pharaoh a plague of dog hair.

Here are a few things that dog hair clings to, (not including the obvious, such as pants, upholstery, curtains, and anything fabric):

leather furniture

table legs

hardwood floors

peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

glass

all parts of the vacuum cleaner

What dog hair does not cling to:

dogs

On top of that; I am not a good housekeeper. It is embarrassing to admit, but it's true. So, don't be surprised should you hear that my entire family is hospitalized for dog hair induced pneumonia, or perhaps an internal obstruction of some sort.

But in my attempt to stop complaining, I will say I could always learn to knit!

once upon a time

It was a short romance. We didn't talk to each other. We were from different worlds and spoke different languages. We would look into each other's eyes and smile. We held hands at the seaside. When I turned to say goodbye, he had already gone.

The church we visited today had a speaker from Haiti. It reminded me of the brief relationship I had there. You can see the sweet guy sitting on my lap. Most of the other children were very clingy and wanting things all the time, but this little guy was very quiet and whenever he saw me he would walk over and take my hand.

And the seaside where we held hands. Quite a lovely spot, don't you think?

We were there for a truly beautiful event, though. Baptism of Haitian believers!

prairie song

As I was walking my dog this morning and listening to the prairies calling out His name, (see previous post) I suddenly began singing the chorus:

You are awesome in this place, Mighty God

You are awesome in this place, Abba Father

You are worthy of all praise

To You our lives we raise

You are awesome in this place, Mighty God

Then it occured to me; that song doesn't come to my lips when I am standing in front of a sink of dirty dishes. But is He any less awesome there?

ten years gone

My favorite Rich Mullins song is Calling Out Your Name.
Just this morning I took my dog to a new place for a walk and the Prairies were most definitely calling out His name!
Lyrics are posted below the video.

"Well the moon moved past Nebraska
And spilled laughter on them cold Dakota Hills
And angels danced on Jacob's stairs
Yeah they danced on Jacob's stairs
There is this silence in the Badlands
And over Kansas the whole universe was stilled
By the whisper of a prayer
The whisper of a prayer
And the single hawk bursts into flight
And in the east the whole horizon is in flames

I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

I can feel the earth tremble
Beneath the rumbling of the buffalo hooves
And the fury in the pheasant's wings
And there's fury in a pheasant's wings
It tells me the Lord is in His temple
And there is still a faith that can make the mountains move
And a love that can make the heavens ring
And I've seen love make heaven ring
Where the sacred rivers meet
Beneath the shadow of the
Keeper of the plains

I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

From the place where morning gathers
You can look sometimes forever 'til you see
What time may never know
What time may never know
How the Lord takes by its corners this old world
And shakes us forward and shakes us free
To run wild with the hope
To run wild with the hope
The hope that this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song not sung in vain

And I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

And I know this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song not sung in vain

I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And with the prairies I am calling out Your name"

Editted to add Thanks to Cindy Swanson for the link!

it's the little things

...apparently.

I rented a movie a couple weeks ago called Against Time about a teenager who meets a strange old man. Turns out the old man is himself come to visit him from the future. It has about the quality of an after school special or something, but it has an interesting premise and message. Craig T. Nelson is in it and I like him. A couple of the actors were good. The baseball coach defiantly leads the team in prayer.

But all that is beside the point. The old man came to warn the young man that some time during the coming week he was going to make a choice that would have dire consequences and lead him to drink and homelessness. He told him that it was something small and when the boy looked doubtful he said, "We always think it is the big things that impact our lives, but it's the little things. We make a choice that leads us down a road and each time the choice gets easier to make." (That's my paraphrase)

Interesting thought.

But then after watching that movie all of the e-mail devotionals I receive were on the same topic: the little things. Some of them talked about little sins being as bad as big sins. Or that it only takes a little thing to get us off course. Some of them talked about how the little things count as much in God's Kingdom as the big things.

So, getting to the point; what is God trying to tell me? Why is this theme running through my life these days?

doggone

We went and got us a dog.

I am the one not so much for it. Because I know who will be in charge of this dog. Plus, I am a more of a cat person than a dog person. But the person I love is allergic to cats.

So, we've been considering a dog because the kids informed me that it wasn't fair that I got to have so many pets when I was a kid, (rabbit, rat, cats, dogs, pony, duck, chickens) and they don't get to have any.

Today Petsmart had a lot of dogs from area shelters and well... there was Seal. Weird name for a dog, but she's so sweet. She was mistreated, so she's very quiet and timid. We'll see what personality she has as she grows more comfortable with us, but I think she's going to be a good addition to our family.

She is much redder than she looks in this photo, but she has white grizzle on her and that's what's showing up in the picture.

friday's feast

Appetizer
When was the last time you visited a hospital?
In June my husband got sick and I took him to the ER

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how ambitious are you?
Well, it depends, I guess, but mostly, not much. About a 3 or 4.

Salad
Make a sentence using the letters of a body part.
Every Little Boy Owns Wiggles.

Main Course
If you were to start a club, what would the subject matter be, and what would you name it?
Everyone would leave all the pretense at the door. No makeup or jewelry allowed. We would all wear jeans and matching shirts. It would be call the True Beauty Club.

Dessert
What color is the carpet/flooring in your home? I have beige carpet and hardwoods.

something

A completely unedited thingy that I wrote from a prompt. It was fun, so I thought I'd share.

I gaze up to the sky from which life comes. But life has abandoned us. The sun continues to shine. The water continues to fall. But the killers have come. They have come and taken all of my kind. All but me.
I stretch my weary limbs. It is just as well that they come for me. I am tired of living. And I do not want to live like this. Alone. I look out onto the open meadow dotted with memorials of my kin. I have stood here longer than I can remember. I have watched old die and young come into being. I have watched them grow and I have shared my wisdom. They all are gone. Old and young. They should come for me soon.
Used to be, people would come and visit us for pleasure. They enjoyed our company and the comfort that we offered. They would laugh and play. Or sit quietly and dream as we danced for them. Now they come only to destroy.
I see them now. They leave a trail of dust as they travel up the road. My turn to go. I am ready.
But instead of the death implements I see them carrying something else. Can it be? It is. It is a sapling. And they are bringing her over near me. And look, five other men are bringing saplings. They have not abandoned us. I don’t understand their ways, but I know now that when they kill me, it will not be the end.
One of them pats my trunk. “Hey there, Old Man, keep watch over these youngsters for us, will you?” And he is gone.

thursday thirteen

Thirteen random thoughts:



1. I've had a new visitor to my blog and she has several blogs that are worth looking at. But one in particular is for writers! The most recent post I saw was about killing; hacking away at your words to make sure only the strongest and best are left. I am far from that stage as I first just need to get some words. Any words will do at this point. But it is great advice and I will be checking in on that blog regularly.

2. A couple of days ago we had quite the crowd at our house. Seven deer rambled through our back yard. Later in the day two does with their fawns spent several hours napping under our tree. I like the feeling of that.

3. Also a couple of days ago, we had some pronghorn antelope within sight of our house. They were far enough to be best viewed through the binoculars, but I saw them and recognized them with my bare eye. No idea what that distance is, but it's the closest pronghorn have ever been to any place I've lived. Pretty cool. My son was impressed, too.

4. I am such a fan of the school lunch program! Not that I am 100% satisfied with the health value of everything they offer, but it does mean I don't have to fix lunches. While that may seem like no big deal to you, around here, it is. My children are a bit "discriminating" and it gets very frustrating trying to figure out what might be, if not satisfactory, at least grudgingly acceptable.

5. I am settling into our new town, slowly but surely. I have found a Bible Study to attend. I have a chiropractor. We found a doctor and a dentist. But we have not yet found a church. That has been such a frustration for us. ( I originally spelled chiropractor, chiroptactor. Sounds like some kind of dinosaur.)

6. What do you look for in a church? What are crucial factors and what are just trivial things, but things you still would like to have?

7. It is autumn in Colorado! It has been here for a couple of weeks. But this week, it is really, for real, here. It was above 80 yesterday, but there was still a fall chill. I can't possibly explain that to someone who is not familiar with the climate. But fall in this area is just simply the best. Can you tell I like fall?

8. We have a little lake in our neighborhood, so I went over there and walked around it this morning. I tell ya, I'm gonna have to get me a fishin' pole! The fishin' is free there. No license required. I'll get me some worms and go catch a big ol' fish! I like to eat fresh caught fish, but they encourage catch and release at this lake. I wonder if I could eat just one? Got to catch it first, though. That's the tricky part. I'm real good at catching crawdads, but not so good at catching the fish.

9. I think the Hummy birds may have moved on. I don't hear their constant chatter and humming any more.

10. Sound carries differently in the fall. Have you noticed that?

11. I recently finished reading The Restorer by Sharon Hinck and it was very good. It is fantasy, but not hard core. It doesn't have any dragons or wizards, but it does have an alternate universe. You should read it. I particularly like the reminder of how we are to combat the lies we believe.

12. Also, you should read something by River Jordan. I think she only has two books, but they are both good. They are good because of her writing.

13. I can't believe I thought of thirteen things. For a while there I was concerned. I hope you have a great Thursday, whoever and wherever you are!

another blue september sky

The sky was so blue. The day so gorgeous. The fear so sudden. The shock so intense. The sky is blue like that again today. Not a cloud in sight.

My kids had ice cream for breakfast. I had no idea what the day would bring. Let them have ice cream.

It was war. I knew it the minute my husband said "Pentagon". A plane could fly into the tower by accident. But it required intent to hit the Pentagon. And the intent was clear.

Terror. Those people wanted us afraid. And we are becoming more increasingly a nation -- a world-- that lives in fear. Fear of terrorists, fear of disease, fear of child molesters, fear of head injuries, fear of economic hardship.

My number one enemy. I have fought fear most of my life. God's Word is clear about it. I should not give way to it. It does not come from God. Perfect love casts it out.

Today, I am going to gird up a bit more securely. I am going to stand taller. I am not going to let fear have any victory in me this day, September 11. Just this one day, I can refuse to let fear sway me. By God's strength; for His glory. And maybe, I can do it again tomorrow.

A day of loss. Lost life. Lost sense of security. The entire world suffered a loss that day. Even the people who rejoiced over our pain.

May God's peace and love be over those who were most personally affected on a beautiful September morning six years ago.

monday madness

1. Do you have children in school? Yes, a daughter in 6th grade and a son in 4th.

2. Are YOU currently in school (any level)? No, I wish. I love school.

3. Did you (or your children) attend a public or private school? I attended a Christian School from 3rd grade on. And a Christian University, as well. My kids go to public school.

4. As far as formal education, what level have you completed? I have a BSN.

5. Do you, or did you have loans out for your (or your children's) education? Yes, I did have loans for my education.

6. What are your thoughts on the cost of tuition for colleges and universities? Well, I'm not up to date on what the costs are. We do have college funds set up, so I hope that they will offset most of the costs. I would love for my kids to be able to go to Christian colleges when the time comes.

http://mmadness.blogspot.com/

baby sis

If you don't regularly read my mom's blog you should go over there and read a story my sister wrote. She's the REAL writer. The one with the desire that goes with the talent. The problem is, once upon a time she was married to a dream dasher. She hasn't fully recovered. I'm hoping she will find the courage to pull out that dream and dust it off and let it shine.

my kids are concerned

They are worried about you having to listen to my music. They wanted to make sure that you had an option to escape it. So I assured them that you could pause it if you want to. Also, you can click on a different song if you don't like the one that's playing. They particularly dislike the Elvis song, and the Simon and Garfunkle. Oh, and I'm sure they wouldn't like the Stanley Brothers, but I don't think they've heard it. Knowing them, they wouldn't even like the Kermit song.

My nine year old son told me that the other day his daddy was playing rap music and my son told him to "turn that stuff off or I'm getting out of the car!" LOL! I know we will have our paybacks soon enough. (My husband says it wasn't even rap...)

please sir, may i have some more?

I want stuff. And things. Tangible and intangible.

A big house with granite counter tops and a hot tub. A Jag convertible. A live in lady like Alice from the Brady Bunch. What was she anyway? Maidcooknanny? Anyway, I want one.

But these wants I can recognize as being greedy. Nothing wrong with them, but nothing really right, either. So if God doesn't give them to me, I can accept that pretty well.

What about those things that seem so right? Things like perfect unity in marriage? Kids who grow up to follow hard after God and love Him deeply? Good health? Being safe from disastrophies (my son coined that)?

We want those things. I want those things. But sometimes we don't get them. This is where that definition of "good" comes in. Maybe, sometimes, for some God Known reason, being healthy isn't a good thing. Maybe, for certain people, having a strong, happy marriage isn't a good thing. Maybe God can do more eternal good through the illness. Maybe we learn to rely on Him more when our earthly relationships don't meet our expectations. When our kids go the opposite way from we had hoped.

So we have to ultimately trust His definition of good. Or we will find ourselves constantly in want and constantly confused, won't we?

Ok, there are some other things I want. Things like more of His love in me and for me and through me. More of His power. More faith. But here's something I've been thinking about. Sometimes, even in wanting these undeniably good things, its more about the wanting. It's more about Me Wanting than it is about Him.

dreams can come true

I got this from Allthings2all.
A simple man with a huge gift. No self-confidence, but a powerful talent.
It is simply amazing. I dare you not to cry.
Again, be sure you pause my music first