thursday thirteen

Thirteen actors I enjoy watching:

William Powell

Charles Laughton

Jerry Lewis

Fred Astaire


Cary Grant

James Cagney

Gregory Peck

Jimmy Stewart

Mickey Rooney

Claude Rains



Humphrey Bogart

Peter Lorre

John Wayne

help desk

Hat tip to Alton Gansky for this funny little clip! Those Norwegians...

just call me lily

There is a quiz out there to determine what kind of flower you are. I took it and the results are:

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?

Here's the funny thing. One day a while back, I googled myself. All I got was some lady in FL who is using my name to write her own books, and this, a lily named Kay Day:

blog post

Here I am blogging today even though I am sick. Sick sick sick.
Nothing serious, I guess. Just some kind of sudden stomach thing that hit me while I was riding the train and I thought I was definitely going to faint on the train. But I didn't. Here I am at home, feeling lousy, but I'm bogging because I signed up for that dumb 365 blogging thing.
Now I'm going back to bed.

trust no one

Now, I'm not encouraging you to be cynical or pessimistic; keep that in mind.

But everyone will let you down. Every human being will fail you.

This morning in church something was said that reminded me of a time when someone that we trusted hurt us. And I got to thinking about this.

I know that at one time or another, every person in my life has been let down by me. And I also know that every person in my life has failed me.

Failures, disappointments, betrayals, come in all shapes and sizes. They range from trivial to devastating.

The hubby says he'll take out the trash and you count on that, but he forgets.

Your best friend isn't available emotionally when you need her most.

A lunch date forgets that you had a date.

Maybe you entrusted a friend with a confidence and he shared it with some one else.

A friend stops calling and you can't seem to reconnect and you don't know why.

A pastor lies.

A leader gets caught stealing.

Your spouse cheats.

And for some people, it can be even worse, involving abuse and even murder.

Who can you trust? Well, there is only ONE who can be fully trusted. He will never, ever let us down. We often interpret that He has, but in truth, He cannot. He is as solid as a rock and we can always depend on Him, not matter how circumstances appear.

Now, I want you to know that I am a trusting person. I trust people to be who they seem to be and to do what they say they will do.

We should give people the benefit of the doubt. Trust them, but not without reservation. We need to be trusting and trustworthy people. Humanity and Christianity depend on it. But, keep always in mind that every human being is fatally flawed. We are all broken. Not one person can occupy the place in your life that belongs only to the God who created you.

"More was gained in the resurrection than was lost in the fall."
Ken Ross

friday fill-ins

1. _laughing__ makes me happy.
2. I would like _to dance _, please.
3. _Curry__ tastes SO good!
4. _Sunday_ is my favorite day of the week because _I enjoy church and then relaxing__.
5. _My eyes are__ my best feature.
6. We could learn so much from _each other__.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _relaxing_, tomorrow my plans include _being with the family_ and Sunday, I want to _relax__!

Can you tell I want to relax! I always want to do that!
That last question is a tough one for m because I don't exactly have rip-roaring weekends -- ever.

thursday thirteen

Thirteen of my favorite Fine Art painters:

Salvador Dali

John Sargent

Edward Hopper

Raphael

M.C. Escher

Rene Magritte

Vincent Van Gogh

Rembrandt Van Rijn

Andrew Wyeth

Norman Rockwell

Jan Vermeer

Winslow Homer

Jean-Baptiste Chardin

word for wednesday

Intumnescence
A noun that means swelling.
Sprain your ankle? Get a bee sting? A perfect opportunity to use this word!

random thoughts

Hooray! It is 34 degrees according to the Weather Channel. But according to the thermometer in my yard, it is 24. So maybe not hooray. We haven't been above freezing much around here lately. I don't mind the cold, really I don't. But I do mind freezing! Above 32 would be great. Anyway, it's beautiful and the sun is shining and the sky is an indescribable blue.

The photos are from yesterday morning. I awoke to find a hoary frost. Fortunately it was all outside. Although, I wouldn't be surprised to find some on my face some morning. We have insulation issues.

I have always been a little bit perplexed by seagulls in Colorado. I saw a lot of them this morning on my way to a meeting. Do they have any idea how far it is to the nearest sea? And there was a big ol' crow hanging out with them. Odd. I think it's definitely odd.

I was officially naughty in my meeting. I kept laughing at inappropriate times. But it wasn't my fault. I could name names, but I won't. Actually, I haven't had a good laugh in a while, so I really appreciated it, whether everyone else in the room did or not.

I bought my dog some salmon dog food. I keep thinking, "What IS that smell?"

speaking of which...

What God can do with one person willing to step out and put themselves on the line.

"And it seemed at that moment that I could hear an inner voice saying to me, "Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness, stand up for justice, stand up for truth. And lo I will be with you, even until the end of the world."

And I’ll tell you, I’ve seen the lightning flash. I’ve heard the thunder roll. I felt sin- breakers dashing, trying to conquer my soul. But I heard the voice of Jesus saying still to fight on. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. No, never alone. No, never alone. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone.

And I’m going on in believing in him. You’d better know him, and know his name, and know how to call his name. You may not know philosophy. You may not be able to say with Alfred North Whitehead that he’s the Principle of Concretion. You may not be able to say with Hegel and Spinoza that he is the Absolute Whole. You may not be able to say with Plato that he’s the Architectonic Good. You may not be able to say with Aristotle that he’s the Unmoved Mover.

But sometimes you can get poetic about it if you know him. You begin to know that our brothers and sisters in distant days were right. Because they did know him as a rock in a weary land, as a shelter in the time of starving, as my water when I’m thirsty, and then my bread in a starving land. And then if you can’t even say that, sometimes you may have to say, "he’s my everything. He’s my sister and my brother. He’s my mother and my father." If you believe it and know it, you never need walk in darkness.

Don’t be a fool. Recognize your dependence on God. As the days become dark and the nights become dreary, realize that there is a God who rules above."

From a sermon delivered at Mount Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 27 August 1967

review preview

I've read three of Athol Dickson's novels and they are all very different. Different genres, different themes, different characters. There is nothing formulaic about his books.
What does remain consistent is his style and his voice. He has a style of writing that fascinates me. I mentioned it in my review of River Rising; he weaves the story. That's a phrase I have often heard, but it is exactly the way Dickson writes. You see a thread and then it's gone and then it pops up again and you don't really know what it is or how to interpret it, but as you continue reading you will see the various threads come together in a complete picture.

Another thing consistent about his works are how visually vivid they are. He doesn't waste a lot of time on descriptions, but instead the stories themselves paint images onto the mind. I can see Winter Haven in my mind as clearly as if I'd been there.

Winter Haven is the title of his latest book. Due in stores on April 8th, but you can pre-order it now. It is a contemporary Gothic mystery. It will keep you up until you turn the last page.

I will be posting a review in March.

amazing grace

Maybe you're like me and don't get to the theater very often. I did see this film in the theater, though, and at a time when God was taking me to a place where I would see just how amazing His Grace really is.
If you haven't seen this yet, run out right now and pick it up. It is a powerful film. There are so many truths in it. And I love the way it demonstrates what kind of difference one person can make. It is very easy for us to think that we can't have much influence, but oh yes we can. It isn't easy, but I think God is just waiting for us to be willing to step out, put ourselves on the line, and He will use us to change the world!

my writing

This isn't really a part of my book. It might be, though. One day I was stuck so I opened a new page and did that exercise where you just write without thinking. What's that called? Anyway, this is what I got. It's not been edited or anything. These are the characters from my book, but it seems less scary to share an "exercise" than part of my actual story! LOL

Yes, I know it is all tell and no show. But that seems to be how I write.

 

Rachel walked through the fields on the edge of town. The wind lifted soft pieces of her hair into her face, tickling her eyebrows. She absently brushed the silvery strands away. She was concentrating on the sound of a bird in the grass. It sang a song she had never heard before. As she tried to determine its location she closed her eyes. Something rustled by her feet and she looked down to see a serpent slithering away. She gasped then looked again into the field. The birdsong has quieted.

She stood very still, willing it to begin again. She couldn't explain why it captivated her; she only knew that she wanted to see whatever bird would make such a lovely sound.

The sharp smell of the dried grass warmed by the sun tickled her nose and she sneezed. A bird took flight a few feet away. Just a drab brown bird. That couldn't be the singer, could it? It was so plain. She stood quietly for a few minutes more before finally continuing on her stroll.

She had no destination. She wasn't walking toward anything. She was walking away. Away from her home, her family, her pain. She had been making bread when she stood up, wiped her hands, and strode out the door, walked through town and then continued going. She had not said anything to anyone. She had not sent any messages. She knew Eleazar would be worried. She didn't care. She was free. She had left it all behind.

She continued walking, and sneezing and brushing hair out of her face until the field came to a gradual end. Now she stood before a dusty wilderness. She looked to the left and to the right and saw a Wadi. She knew it would be cooler there, so she found a way down and continued to walk along in the sheltered ravine. As long as it didn't rain she would be better off down here. She didn't allow herself to think of robbers. She had nothing for them to steal anyway. Forgetting that some men wanted things other than money.

She stopped to clear the pebbles out of her sandal and leaned against the rock wall to catch her breath. She couldn't see the sun from where she was, but the shadows were deep. She thought it had been several hours since she had left.

With the exhilaration wearing off, she began to think about her plans. Where could she go? She knew no-one. She had no money. No food. No way to earn money. No decent way to make money, that is. Eleazar's face came into her mind. He was worried. She knew. She had always been waiting for him when he came in from the shop.

He didn't deserve to worry. He didn't understand her, but he loved her. She knew that. She knew that he was very patient with her. She also understood that she was vastly different from the young girl he had married. Of course he was different than he had been, too. But his difference was actually improvement. He had deepened. His gentleness had become more focused and he was wiser.

She sighed and turned around.

friday fill-ins

My friend Meliflous Melanie , (also known as MondaythroughSunday), has tagged me for a new meme. Since I'm trying to blog every single day, I really appreciate the idea!

It's called Friday Fill-Ins. Here goes!

1. The last compliment I got was from __a lady I met the other night at church_; he/she said__I was a very pretty lady, that I had beautiful eyes and a cute nose_.
2. I'm reading _The Cranberry Queen by Kathleen DeMarco, Justice in the Burbs by Will and Lisa Samson, and Heaven by Randy Alcorn_.
3. I woke up today and thought _wow, it's almost nine; why am I still so tired?__
4. Why does _____.
5. The last thing I ate was _a couple of toaster waffles and chai__.
6. January... _is a wonderful slow, relaxing month_.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _don't know. Maybe rent a movie__, tomorrow my plans include _doing something in Denver with the family__ and Sunday, I want to _go to church and take a nap. Ok, I don't want to take a nap AT church, but after we get home__!

thursday thirteen

Thirteen children's or YA books that I love:

1. Never Tease a Weasel

2. The City of Ember

3. Charlotte's Web

4. How to Eat Fried Worms

5. Junie B. Jones books

6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

7. The Giving Tree

8. The Chronicles of Narnia

9. The Pooh Story Book

10. King of the Wind

11. Mary Poppins

12. Heidi

13. A Little Princess

word for wednesday

sgiomlaireached -
The habit of dropping in at mealtimes

There's something you can work into your writing. A great little quirk to give your character.

(This word came from the Grandiloquent Dictionary.)

it's great to be me meme

Jan at Bold and Free tagged me with this meme. It's pretty simple. I just have to give reasons why it's great to be me. I think we all need to occasionally do this because it can be very easy to dwell on why it stinks to be me. Don't you think?

It's Great to Be ME because:

God loves me so much and is teaching it to me everyday

I love to learn

I have a great family

My family loves me and puts up with all kinds of stuff from me

My husband loves me and is good to me

My kids call me mommy

My kids love being with me

I have a wide circle of friends who care about me and whom I can turn to when I need them

I get to live in a new place

I get to write a story, even though it's incredibly hard!

God uses me

I love to teach

I have a unique perspective

I know how to relax and smell the roses

I can goof around and make a fool of myself

My doggy thinks I'm the BEST

I appreciate beauty and find it in unusual places

I am empathetic with others

I can see miles and miles of mountains from where I'm seated right now

You all share your time and your lives with me!

I am going to tag Kathy, Bet, Nicole and Dayle with this one!

faith

This story is a beautiful example of faith. I love the way the station presented this story. Another loss. Another sad thing in a sad world. But God is there.

edited to add:
The Sangre de Christos. That means the Blood of Christ. She died in the Blood of Christ.

I used to live at the foot of those mountains and would think to myself, I live beneath the Blood of Christ.

I hope her family can recognize the symbolism and find some comfort there.

uuuuhhhh

This guy doesn't have to worry about dry eye syndrome. I wish the video were clearer. Well, maybe not.

coming soon

Last week I read Athol Dickson's latest book. It was an advance readers' copy, so I'm not going to post about it yet since it isn't going to be released until April. So keep an eye out for that.

Also, right now I am reading Justice in the Burbs by Lisa Samson and when I am finished I will post about it and give you a chance to win a brand new copy of the book!

Exciting, huh?

what i say

I say "come in here" or "do you need me to come in there?" Everywhere is in. My hubby says out. "Can you come out here?" He's the only person who says that maybe? I would say it if I were actually outside, but he says it from one room to another.

I say "leave it alone." I had a friend from PA who said "Let it alone." And she used both of those words opposite from how I used them.

My family of origin says "Has the mail gone?" guess we're weird.

I call pop, pop. Unlike some people in my family who are traitors to their heritage. My hubby is from FL and calls it all Coke and my kids call it soda. Don't know where they got that. Must have been their traitorous aunt.

Tennis shoes.

Well if someone was pulling my hair, I would say, "Cut it out or I'll knock your block off!" But of the two options, I would say let it go. Again, my PA friend would say "leave it go"

I grew up with dishrags, but I am a traitor to my heritage and now I use dishcloths.

I wash my clothes even though my family of origin warshes theirs. I'm a little high falutin' I guess.

The last meal is dinner and the middle is lunch. Unless it's Sunday, then lunch might be dinner. And Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner are always at noon. I like the term supper though. I'm going to try to use that more.

Michelle asked about trash. I call it trash or garbage. Trash mostly I guess.

People are so transient these days. CO has people from all over the place, so it's easy to pick up different ways of saying things. I used to say "you guys", always. But after so many southerners have come through my life, I sometimes catch myself saying "you all." I don't drag it together for the real "Ya'll" but still it's enough to make me feel traitorous.

what do ya say?

If someone is in the kitchen and you are in the living room, do you say, "Could you come in here?" or "Could you come out here?" Please, of course. You always say please, I know.

If a kid is messing with something do you say, "Leave it alone" or "Let it alone"?

Do you ask, "Has the mail gone?" or "Has the mail come?"

What do you call the fizzy drink that I call pop?

What do you call athletic type shoes?

If someone is pulling your hair do you say, "Let it go" or "Leave it go"?

Is the thing you wash dishes with a dishrag or a dishcloth?

Do you wash your clothes or launder them?

Is your last meal of the day supper or dinner?

Is you middle meal lunch or dinner?

cowboys and girls

One thing I like about this new community is men in cowboy hats. And they ain't foolin, either. They're the real thing. I can tell the difference.
It's time for the National Western Stock Show in Denver. I'm making plans now to go next year. I haven't been to a rodeo in years, even though it used to be my dream to live that life.
I'm including a video here of Barrel Racing. The barrels don't actually run. They just stand there and try to stay out of the way. The goal, for those of you who don't know, is to get the fastest time. But actual time isn't the only consideration; the closer you come to the barrels, the more points you get, but if you touch one, you get docked. It's very tricky. I know. I used to go around those things at a full trot on my pony (dagnabbit thing wouldn't go any faster than that). She enjoyed scraping my leg on the barrel, too.
I don't like the music on this video, but I couldn't find a one that had western music on it. What's wrong with these modern cowgirls? Selling out to rock like that...
Anyway, you don't get to be Rodeo Queen based on looks alone. Oh no. It requires skills.

thursday thirteen

That bites

1. Once when I was about 12 or something I was sleeping on the floor in my grandma's little adobe house and I woke up just itching and burning and found that I was lying in a mighty mess of little bitty Ants.
   


2. I was a nursing mother, so suffice it to say I've been bitten by Babies.
   


3. We had cats growing up and cats will bite if given a good reason. And what is a good reason is an absolute mystery to humans.
   


4. We had chickens and they peck. That's the same as a bite. They just don't really have teeth, but it still smarts.
   


5. Duck bites don't really hurt.
   


6. Once I was riding my pony past the neighbors' corral and their darn horse just reached over the fence and bit me in the arm. Tarnation, that hurt.
   


7. I used to be a mosquito magnet. I could leave a place with twenty bites and no one else would have any. My chemistry must have changed because that doesn't happen anymore. Good thing, too, because I was allergic.
   


8. My pony bit me. Dumb thing, really. Me, I mean. I was in the chicken pen and stuck my finger through the wire to pet her nose and she snapped onto it like it was a carrot. I couldn't do anything to get her to let go because there was a chicken fence between us. When I pulled, she bit harder. Thought I was going to lose it -- you know, my finger. But she finally let go. Didn't even break the skin, but felt like it was breaking the bone.
   


9. Puppies bite everyone
   


10. My rabbit bit me. I was showing my sister where its mouth was – and it showed me.
    


11. I've been bit by a stinkin rat.
    


12. My sister, she used to bite me a lot.
    


13. I bit my aunt once when I was an adult even. She asked for it, I bet.
    

thank you

Thank you all for your prayers, thoughts and encouragement.
My boy woke up in a great mood today!
Last night when I was reading the Bible I opened it up to a Psalm that talked about how God will protect us and the wicked will eventually pay, etc. I read it to the boy this AM from his Bible. He was very interested in it and I know that hearing God say He will protect us can be very powerful. My girl got off to school again after being home sick this week. We had a good morning.
In spite of the below freezing temps, I am going to take our ever so patient dog out to play at the dog park for a while and then I am going to get on top of the disaster that we call a house! Well, not literally. I would break my neck. But, you know, clean up the mess.

belonging

I don't belong here.
I don't belong there, either.
I used to belong. I belonged to a church, a Sunday school class, a Bible Study (or two), the community at the kids' school, a circle of friends.
Now, I no longer belong in my old places, but I don't belong anywhere here yet, either. I have met some people. Have some beginning friendships going, I think. I go to a Bible study, a prayer group and a writers' group. But I still don't have that feeling of "belonging". I am going to "their" study, "their" groups.
I don't really feel like I belong at the church we may end up choosing. Or at the school.
I guess this is a normal part of moving, but I don't like it one bit. Feeling like I'm on the outside looking in.
And my son hates school. He cried again today about going. He really doesn't want to go. The kids here are mean, he says. He's had a lot of bullying at this school.
My daughter didn't like it at first, but I think she's doing better now.
I'm having a hard time adjusting to this district and their way of doing things, too. Its a huge district and the schools are very big. The elementary schools are four times bigger than the one we went to before. They have a lot of weird rules and it seems very impersonal and cold, to me.
The county doesn't do a very good job with snow removal.

Ok, yeah, I'm not in a good mood.

People do seem friendly here. The traffic is better by far! I don't get the rudeness in stores and the pushiness that I did in our other town. I like our house and where we live. I like being closer to the stores that I need. I like being close to a big city, even if I never go there -- I can if I want.
I keep thinking that in a year I will be feeling like I live here. Feeling at home and having some wonderful relationships, a church, and a purpose.

Thanks for listening. I feel a bit better already.

whew

Had a bad mommy morning.

My mommy wasn't bad.

I was.

I wasn't the only one. My kid wasn't doing the best, either. But I am responsible for my own actions and reactions.

Well, it keeps me in my place -- these failures. I get too high and mighty sometimes. Not feelin it right now, though. Pretty aware of my inabilities and inefficiencies and incapabilities right now.

Thank God, though. He loves me anyway. Just like I love my kid, even when that kid fails.

Speaking of failing and falling short. I recommend the Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. I highly recommend it. I will be re-reading this one. It's all about God's ferocious love for His little ragamuffins. And the fact that there is nothing we can do to earn His love or ever be good enough.

all things

We are all fighting a stomach bug here. I am posting something I found in my documents. One time I went through one of my Bibles and highlighted the things that become ours through Christ when we give our lives to Him.

Then one day I was contemplating this verse and put the two together.

Romans 8:31-32

"What shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?"

Peace with God,

Position of Highest Privilege,

His Spirit to Fill our Hearts with His Love,

Friendship with God,

Acceptance by God,

Righteousness,

Life,

Oneness with Christ,

New Lives,

Freedom from Sin,

Ability to Produce Good Fruit,

Everything God Gives to His Son, (but we must share in His Sufferings as well),

A Coming Inheritance,

The Spirit's Intercession for Us,

Faith,

Spiritual Gifts,

Purity and Holiness,

The Mind of Christ,

Words from the Spirit,

Victory Over Sin and Death,

The Ability to Stand Firm,

Light and Power Within Us,

Every Spiritual Blessing,

His Kindness, Wisdom and Understanding,

The Holy Spirit as God's Guarantee That He will Give Us Everything He Promised and That He Has Purchased Us to be His Own People,

A Seat With Him in Heavenly Realms,

Citizenship,

Membership in God's Family,

Fearless Access to God's Presence,

Privilege of Trusting Christ,

Privilege of Suffering for Him,

The Desire to Obey Him and the Ability to Please Him,

The Strength We Need,

A Hope and a Future.

which dessert are you?

I've signed up with blogger365 which means I'm supposed to blog every day, even when I don't feel like it. So this is all you get today.
So, are you constantly surprised by how delightful I am? That just cracks me up!

You Are a Cupcake

Cute and fun, you never take life too seriously. People are constantly surprised by how delightful you are.

What Dessert Are You Most Like?

my mom

She is home now. They did have to cardiovert her earlier this afternoon to get her rhythm normalized, but she's doing ok now. Just tired from a poor night's sleep and the drugs they gave her for the procedure.
Thank you all for your prayers and concern.

Beyond the Gates

I have mentioned this movie before. With all that is going on in Kenya right now, it might be a good time to watch this. It is rated R. There is violence and language. I did see, however, that there is a clean language version. Not sure if the rental places carry that version or not.

updated request

Please pray for my mom. She's in the hospital right now in ICU because of something with her heart. My dad said it didn't seem serious, but still...
She is talking to the doctor right now, so I will call her again in a while and get more information.
She's two hours away so I need wisdom about whether or not to go down there, too.
Thank you .

*edited for an update -
It is atrial fib, which she has had before. The main problem with this arrhythmia isn't heart attack or anything, it's blood clots and the risk of stroke. So they are giving her blood thinner and trying to get the heart back into a regular rhythm. They may have to cardiovert, which is when they use the shocky machine, if the drug they are giving her doesn't regulate the rhythm.
Thank you all for your prayers.

why and how?

Why do I have the theme to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly on my playlist? Other than the fact that I like it? The music on that list is either meaningful to me in some way, reflects my personality, or reflects the personality and purpose of this blog.

So, Good, Bad, and Ugly. Well, it reflects my personality and the fact that I try to be real enough on this blog that you see some of each of those aspects of me.

Also, God loves me in spite of the good, the bad and the ugly. He's not put off. He's the only one that sees the true depths of the nastiness in me, and He loves me anyway.

New topic.

How do I know when my kids are sick enough to stay home? That is the toughest question I deal with in my parenting. I have been fairly lax this year, I feel. Letting them stay home when it turns out that they really should have gone.

Last night my son informed me that he wasn't going to go to school today because it wasn't fair to have to go just two days then have a weekend. He think he should get to stay home until Monday. So, naturally when he told me he felt sick this morning, I didn't believe him. Even though he has complained off and on all break.

He puked at school. Yes, I feel bad for basically calling him a liar, but honestly, sometimes he is.

What's a mom to do?

a little fun

Brits, an American Western, and Ukuleles. Can't beat that combo! I love this thing. It seriously tickles me.

Happy New Year to you! May you be richly blessed in 2008! May you learn something new, try something new, go somewhere new! May you break a bad habit and establish a good one. May you be kinder, more generous, more forgiving and more grateful. May you slow down this year and really live instead of letting life fly by in a rush of tasks and busyness.

May you accomplish at least one big goal - lose that weight, write that book, pay off that debt. May you live this year so that you will look back on it with satisfaction when we turn the calendar to 2009!

Make wise choices. Don't let others or your circumstances dictate your choices. Own up to your own mistakes.

Call an old friend. Revive a languishing relationship. Offer forgiveness, even if it isn't requested. Be the bigger person and mend a broken bond.

Rise above.

Hang on to God, let go of everything else.

Cry. Let your spirit be tender.

Keep your pride in check. Forget about yourself.

Laugh more than you have in years.

May you love deeply, receive graciously, give generously and keep hoping, no matter what!

Most of all, may you come to know the depth, breadth, width, and height of the love of God for you! May you come to know the riches we have in Christ. If you do not know Jesus, I pray that you will meet Him this year. If you do, may you grow in your love and faith!

Have a very wonderful, deep, challenging, overcoming, victorious, joyous, lovely 2008!